Sources: Trump’s Top General Looking for a U.S. Off-Ramp from Conflict

25:49So, no, this is much more worrying than that. And there was never a run up in employment from the World Cup at all. The last two months have been weak as well. So what we're at is an economy that's barely grinding anything out. Not to take away from your economic expertise, but we should just note that you teach at the University of Michigan, which has the biggest stadium in America. So I just want to acknowledge that, that the big house is super big. I'm not disagreeing with your point. It's big and fantastic, too. Let's just get that in there. I just want all my Ohio State fans to friends to get annoyed.

26:21Anyway, Friday's report signals that employers are pulling back amid higher prices and policy uncertainty amid this war with Iran that continues. And the president spoke with Punchbowl News specifically about the war's impact on the economy. I want you to listen to this. You said yesterday gas prices, correct me if I'm wrong, they might go up again a little bit. No, no, that's only if I have to do another hit. Okay, so I mean... They'll only go down if we make a deal, they want to make a deal, they want to make a deal. So we'll see. Because you're seeing that nervousness on the hill about that.

26:53It'll only go up if we have to do another hit. What's your reaction? Well, if the Strait of Hamoz were open, there would be a lot of tankers going through it. There'd be a lot of oil arriving in the United States. Gas prices would come down. But that's in pretend land. Back here in the real world, the straits closed, gas isn't getting through. We were just told by the president probably for about the 60th time that Iran is desperate to make a deal. And you and I fill up our tanks and we know reality. Well, I have an electric car, but I hear you. Justin Wolfers, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

27:29Who's who of Democrats are holding big events in Michigan these days? Pete Buttigieg is on deck there tonight. California Governor Gavin Newsom is right behind him tomorrow. Is this battleground state the 2028 frontier? here. We're going to talk about that next.

27:47Politics now, right now in Detroit, Democrats are holding a unity rally after Tuesday's divisive Senate primary campaign ended. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is a relatively new Michigan resident, he's headlining the event. And he's not the only Democrat with an eye on the White House who's descending upon on this key battleground state. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was in Michigan Wednesday and plans to return next week. California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to hold several events in Michigan tomorrow. As one former Michigan Democratic Party chair told Politico, quote, Wednesday morning, the starting gun was heard and I believe was heard by many 2028 candidates, unquote.

28:27Here's the panel. So thanks for being here, Maria and Joe. As progressives and moderates clash on the direction of the Democratic Party and we saw the results and it got pretty nasty in Michigan. Buttigieg, a resident of Michigan, he stayed on the sidelines. He did not endorse. Now he's, you know, trying to be the peacemaker type. What do you make of it all? I think that was smart. And I saw the podcast where he talked about why he's not endorsing. He said that he believes for himself he wanted to play an important role in bringing the party together. What I think is so interesting is that I actually think that the closeness of the race humbled Abdul Sayed a little bit, which is a good thing because I think it focused both sides on how they both need each other.

29:14He didn't win a majority of the vote. Right, exactly. If it had been a blowout, I think it would have maybe been tougher to bring everyone together. But I was really glad to see right after the election and in all of the unity rallies the breakfast. There was that hug. He said great things about Stevens. Everyone is coming together, I think, in a very quick way, because Democrats understand the importance of this Senate seat if we want to actually take over the Senate. I imagine you see it a little differently. Well, look, I think it's interesting that Buttigieg is the one making the peace. So take this for what it's worth from one Republican, right?

29:54When I game out 2028, and I look at the roster from the Democrat side, I'm not especially worried about AOC. I'm not especially worried about Kamala Harris. Gavin Newsom, maybe. I think his California record, eh. Pete Buttigieg, he's a contender, right? He's smart. He's glib. He sounds moderate. And he's been around for a while now. He's not the new guy anymore. He's got a track record, whether you like it or not. So when the primaries start - He's great on Fox. He thinks he owns Fox. I understand that. We beg to differ. But he won't do great in South Carolina. But New Hampshire, Michigan, where he lives now, Virginia, he'll do great.

30:32He won Iowa. He's a real force to be reckoned with. And so that's a guy that I say, he's starting now. He's definitely running. He worries me a little bit. So Abdul El-Sayed, who won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, is going to be facing off against Mike Rogers, former FBI official, former member of Congress, former CNN commentator, just like Abdul El-Sayed, Yeah, the first CNN commentator versus CNN commentator Senate race in American history, as far as I know. And Rogers, sensing an opportunity since there was such a contested and bitter primary. And most Democrats who voted did not vote for Abdul El-Sayed.

31:07He won a plurality, but not a majority. He and his wife appeared in this video that I saw on social media. Take a look. And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence, and the views that are out of touch with your values, well, you have a home with us. What do you think? I mean, look, we're the big tent party, right? I mean, you know, I mean, we want to appeal to everybody. I don't blame him for trying. I think that the fact that, you know, it was supposed to be such a blowout, and it came to what, less than 1 %?

31:44Very slight. So, I mean, I can see the opportunities to kind of, you know, pick up whoever didn't, you know, didn't go for the leading candidate. I'm not sure it's going to work. It's going to be very important in the Senate race. I'd give our odds at best 50-50, but I can't blame them for trying. I agree. I actually think it was smart. I don't, I don't think the visual works. It seemed a little scoldy to me. It's getting a lot of mockery online line about mom and dad finding your playboys. Yeah, but still. Exactly. So, you know, doesn't really feel welcoming, but I don't think it's going to work because what he is trying to do, I think does nothing for the fact that Michigan voters across the board are mad at the issues of affordability and families can't make ends meet the issue of health care.

32:31And all of that can be put at the feet of Donald Trump. And Mike Rogers has been a rubber stamp, said he would be a rubber stamp to Donald Trump. And that is what Democrats are going to focus on. 20 years ago, Joe, if I had told you that that I was going to be we were going to be sitting here and Michigan was going to be a jump all Senate race and Georgia looked like it was going to go to the Democrat, you you would have thought I was smoking something maybe 10 years ago, let's say. But I want I want to note that two Republican mayors in Georgia are breaking party ranks and endorsing Democratic incumbent Senator John Ossoff.

33:05Tifton's mayor tells the Atlanta Journal Constitution, quote, Ossoff's been very good to South Georgia. And in my nonpartisan role as mayor, I have to look to someone who takes care of their constituents. Valdosta's mayor, and I apologize if I'm mispronouncing any of these places, Valdosta's mayor said, quote, I will take heat for this endorsement and it doesn't matter. There's no way I can turn my back on this relationship. These mayors are not household names, but given today's polarization in politics, it seems like kind of a big deal, especially in Georgia. No? Ossoff is running five to ten points ahead.

33:35He has a huge fundraising advantage over Mike Collins. And both of these mayors, they're not up for re-election this year, but they are next year in an off-year election. So I think this is more about selfish self-preservation than it really is taking some sort of a stand against their own party. Okay, but you know what isn't? Eric Erickson, another former CNN commentator, conservative radio host Eric Stern and a Georgia fixture and he I don't think he's going to vote for Ossoff but here's what he had to say on the Politically Georgia podcast. You talk to Republicans in Houston County very Republican part of the state they know they can reach out to Ossoff and he doesn't care that they're Republican if they need something he's going to get it done.

34:19What do you think? I think that that is something that Democrats should look at and follow Ossoff's lead. I think one of the clearly important parts of this is that mayors, since they're always closest to the voters, for them the most important thing is constituent services, right? If their constituents are happy, they're going to get re-elected. I think senators should also be that way. One of the reasons why mayors are doing, are supporting Ossoff is because Ossoff is being a good sort of constituent services for them. But can I say something to push back on you a little bit? That message that you're saying, Democrats and Republicans working together, DSA folks attack Democrats.

35:03Not every DSA folk and not every Democrat. But there is a big part of the DSA and the Hassan Piker side and all that that say, not only should you not work with Republicans, not only should you not work with Democrats, I mean, independents, you shouldn't even work with moderate Democrats. I mean, they have a real like this is the wrong message kind of approach. You hear this, right? Yes. And I think they're wrong. And I think they're in the minority. And that's why I think this unity issue that we're seeing in Michigan is so important. Because, first of all, Republicans are going to try to smear Abdul El-Sayed with the whole DSA, communist thing, socialist thing.

35:40Hassan Piker did campaign with him twice. Yes. But he has said he is not DSA. He has said he is a capitalist. He has done a lot in terms of the issues that are important to voters. Again, everything goes down to the issues that are important to voters. Just as we're talking about two Republicans breaking ranks, I would say Democrats, they might be fighting short term. They're really good at coming together when it counts, much more than us Republicans. Really? So, yeah, I think that it's good. Actually, it's healthy, I think, for them to have a sort of intra-party discussion about where the future is.

36:11But at the end of the day, I'm less concerned about them splintering than I am about figuring out what's the stronger message and then coming after us. And you're right. It's the economy. That's our point. That's what's going to be. I think your party's been pretty good at coming together. You control the House and the Senate and the White House. I mean, you're doing something right. Well, we get we're good at getting votes. We're not. It hasn't worked for the voters. We're not great at getting along among economic numbers. Maria Cardona and Joe Moreno, thank you so much to both of you coming up the brand new but unofficial investigation, trying to learn what happened to Nolan Wells, that Mississippi teen who went boating with friends on July 4th and turned up dead.

36:43And now it's the friends wanting to go back to the scene to see what they can find.

36:52Our national lead now. Three teens thought to have been with Mississippi teen Nolan Wells before he disappeared are getting lawyers. Wells went boating to Mississippi's Horn Island on July 4th. The friends came back. Wells did not. His body was found two days later on the shore of Horn Island. Now those friends say they want to go back to the scene and conduct their own investigation. CNN's Ryan Young has been following the story. Ryan, are these three friends suspected of anything by police? No, and that's something that we should make very clear in terms of police have never really given us a clear definition of how or why or how they may be involved moving forward.

37:28We believe interviews have been done with all three of them, but they have not been accused of anything right now. In fact, we've never named the three teens because of that. But now that the lawyers have stepped forward and say they're all going to this island, we've decided to name them. Warren Hudson, Jack Patalo, and Morgan Seymour all say they're going back out to this island to do their own investigation. Now, Horn Island, of course, is an area that everyone's been focused on after Nolan Wells went missing. You got to think about it. It's been more than a month, Jake. But at the same time, people have so many questions about how this case will move forward.

37:59And on top of that, you also have to consider that not only has the sheriff gone silent in this case, but the DA's office has gone silent as they continue this investigation. Let's not forget about that autopsy that we believe is in some sort of process right now. And we're not sure, has it ended? Has toxicology reports come back? But today's focus was going to be on that island. Now, the attorneys put out a statement, but at the same time, as we reached out throughout the day to figure out, have they been to the island? No one has responded to CNN just yet. We would love to talk to these three men, but at this point, we're not even sure if they completed that investigation today on that island.

38:35All right. Ryan Young, thank you so much.

38:40Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, Todd Blanche could be confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney General at literally any moment after securing enough Republican support for Senate confirmation. But Epstein survivors, who say Blanche is a disaster, are launching a last-minute effort to try to convince just one Republican lawmaker to change his vote. So what are their odds? Plus, President Trump says he deserves a 150 % approval rating on the economy. Yes, he really said that 150 percent. But his comments are coming just as the new jobs report is much worse than expected. And gas still averages more than four dollars a gallon.

39:17And Americans say they are struggling to pay their bills. Is the president choosing to ignore all of that data or does he really not think it's his responsibility? And an Atlanta mother had multiple organs removed after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. But then her doctors came back and said it was all a mix-up and she never had cancer to begin with. Hear her story and how the company says it's working to make sure this doesn't happen again.

39:47We're going to start with our politics lead and President Trump's apparent disconnect, possibly even delusion, when it comes to his approval ratings and the state of the economy and what Americans want him to prioritize, which is affordability. and not his personal construction projects. Trump sat down with Punchbowl News on Thursday and suggested he had something of an epiphany after campaigning on the West Coast. I said to somebody, wait a minute, you don't understand, I won. I'm not campaigning. I've had some great polls recently, real polls, but they're great polls. If I don't run, will those people go out and vote?

40:28And that's the one thing I can't, I'm going to ask them to, but I'm just watching guys like you and your very talented people. The question is, will they vote? Because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans, to be honest with you. Why is that? I don't know. I mean, they're angry at Republicans, but they're not angry at me. They're angry at Republicans. They're not angry at me, he said. Okay, well, here's a reality check. President Trump is historically unpopular with only a 34 percent approval rating, according to a recent CNN poll. These are numbers, disapproval numbers, that we've really only seen around this point of a presidency with Richard Nixon after Watergate and with George W.

41:16Bush after the combination of the Iraq war and the failed response to Hurricane Katrina. Trump's polls are the opposite of, quote, great polls. Here's another poll from his preferred network, Fox, a network whose business model is to appeal to Trump voters. 39 % approval, 61 % disapproval. The details of that poll show his approval is tanking among rural voters and is at an all-time low with white voters and is having a huge 13-point dip among non-MAGA Republicans since just the month of June. Now, when it comes to the midterms, a Pew Research Center poll showed that 81 % of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters say that their vote in the midterms will be a vote against Donald Trump.

42:08Just 44 % of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents says theirs will be a vote for Trump. Still, he thinks the economy is going gangbusters. When I see polls on the economy, I should have 150%, not 100%. Because we have the greatest, this is the golden age of America. What's being built now in this country has never, ever been built. And we're really, we are literally in the golden age of America. The golden age of America. This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that July data shows the economy unexpectedly lost 23 ,000 jobs. 23 ,000 jobs lost. That same CNN poll we referenced shows about three quarters of the American people say the president is not in touch with the problems of ordinary Americans.

43:03The problems include not being able to afford groceries, not being able to afford to fill up their car with gas. Last week, the New York Times' Maggie Haberman said that Trump spends, in her estimation, about 70 % of his time on his renovation projects. That certainly seemed accurate when the president earlier this week, a week of continued war in Iran, an economic struggle at home, derailed his 40-minute Q &A after signing an executive order creating a commission for military spouses, spending roughly 14 minutes talking about his construction endeavors. Here's just a small sample. Look at the beautiful ballroom and military center.

43:46It's a military center, much more than we have a drone port on top. Look at the grass in front of the White House being all replaced with the top stuff. You saw the new horses that just opened by the bridge with the gold. That was the way they were many years ago. One of the bigger jobs was not really the biggest, believe it or not, but one of the biggest was the reflecting pool. and we did a great job. We sandblasted the stone outside of his granite so it has a long life. Focus like a laser on the economy. Just a little over an hour ago, President Trump demonstrated that the pool remains top of mind.

44:22He posted a rant on Truth Social starting with, quote, now that people are able to see it up close, they are reporting pure vandalism at the reflecting pool, unquote. It went on from there. It is not a mystery as to why a majority of the American people think the president has the wrong priorities. It is not a mystery why his disapproval rating is so high. Joining us now is Republican Congressman Carlos Jimenez from Florida. Congressman, President Trump says that voters aren't mad at him. They're mad at you and your colleagues. Do you think that that's fair? Look, I really don't think so. But I understand the frustration that the American people have.

45:01But again, you know, he is the president. He's the president now, but I also believe that a lot of what's going on with America, especially the unaffordability, really started with a Biden administration and a 9 % inflation rate during his time, the millions of people that were allowed into the United States, which depressed the job market for everyday Americans. And so, you know, and then the Iran war that rightly so has, you know, risen the price of gas. I mean, if we get that over with, we can lower the price of gas and we can think get things somewhat more affordable. But I think our message is, look, it's not perfect right now, but if you go back to what we had with Biden and the Democrats, you're going to get out of control spending, which is going to jack up the inflation rate.

45:46You're going to get millions and millions of people coming across the border, which is going to actually make your job less valuable and your wages go down. And so the alternative is actually actually worse, much worse. And so what the president is doing and right now, it's going to take time for all these measures to come to fruition. We're getting more and more manufacturing coming back to the United States. This dip in the employment numbers, the explanation was that a lot of it had to do with the World Cup and the end of the World Cup. And you had hundreds of thousands of people employed by the World Cup and there's no more World Cup.

46:23And so we need to see what happens in August, etc., okay, to see where the job numbers go. But again, you know, I believe that we're on the right track. But, you know, a lot of people are saying, you know, there's bad things about the president and that he's not focusing in on the economy. I do think he is focusing on the economy. And so it's just going to take a little bit of time for it to come to fruition. I don't know that that World Cup spin is accurate. The World Cup lasted three weeks into July. And we had an economist on earlier who said that that doesn't hold water. In terms of Trump versus Biden, or at least the Trump economy versus the Biden economy, I mean, you guys had that election and you won that election.

47:09I mean, President Trump won quite handily in 2024. Now we're in 2026. And the American people are not, I mean, I don't think that that is a selling argument for people who, look, you're in touch with them more than I am, your constituents. I mean, they are worried about their gas prices. Now they know that the war in Iran is one of the reasons why their gas prices are so high. They voted for Donald Trump because he said he was going to bring prices down. You know, a lot of groceries cost more. Aren't you worried? Yeah, of course I'm worried. But again, our job is also to contrast what we're doing to bring the costs down versus what the Democrats are going to do, which is going to jack jack prices rate way back up again.

47:52They're going to have out of control spending. They're going to give all these social programs. Look at what's happening in New York. OK, government run grocery stores, Medicare for all, Medicaid for all. I mean, all that stuff costs money. And so that's going to start. You're going to have the cycle again of hyperinflation like they did with with Biden. And then they want open borders. You want to have millions and millions of people coming across the border. What do you think that's going to do to the job market for everyday Americans that they're holding a job? right now. He also, remember during Biden, he also suppressed the oil and gas industry because he wanted to go all electric.

48:28And so gas prices were really up during the Biden administration, okay? And they're going to go right back up with these crazy policies. And so we have to say, hey, yeah, look, you got to stay the path. Yeah, we're going to get there. But if you go back to that, it's going to get much, much worse. I want to ask you, because I know that the drug trade and ending it is very important to you. On last night's show, we did an in-depth look at the individuals that were killed during the Trump administration's Southern Spear operation, which is transitioning, they're transitioning out of it to a new operation.

49:02We found in our report that some of the men are innocent, according to their families, and there's been no evidence presented against them at all. A couple of them survived to strike and the Trump administration let them free. But most of them probably were in the drug trade, but they were low level couriers, not narco terrorists the way that Trump suggests the Medellin cartel, El Chapo, etc. There hasn't been a boat strike since the end of June. What are you hearing about why Southern Spear is ending and this new plan with 18 other countries is beginning? Well, I don't know why Southern Spear ended.

49:44Maybe a lot of the traffic may be down because of the actions that were taken during Southern Spear. It is not a good idea to run a drug boat these days. Maybe they started using some other routes. The new initiative with 18 other countries is then to get boots on the ground with those 18 other countries and start combating this drug trafficking, you know, inside these countries themselves with the cooperation of those countries. Look, you know, this drug trade killed over half a million Americans, okay? And, you know, you can't put that down. And so, yeah, some drastic action had to be taken in order for that to start to come down.

50:26And we have had a reduction in fentanyl, et cetera, and fentanyl deaths here in the United States. Not to zero, but we need to get that down. Those international drug cartels, multinational cartels, had to clear war on the United States to the tune of killing more Americans, more Americans than had ever been killed in any war. All the wars combined. And so we had to take some drastic action. I don't disagree with you. I mean, all of those Americans overdosing. But as you know, most of those deaths were either opioids, which is a whole other thing about the American pharmaceutical industry that we can talk about, or fentanyl, as you mentioned.

51:07And the fentanyl, the ingredients come from China and then they go to Mexico. And they don't come. That's not what is being hit with Southern Spear. I mean, I'm not taking issue. Yeah, but what was hit during the Southern Sphere is the carrier of the fentanyl. No, because the fentanyl is coming from Mexico. No, no. What happened is that cocaine and stuff, it gets to Mexico, and then it's brought in, and it's also laced with fentanyl. Most of the people that overdosed on fentanyl didn't know they were taking fentanyl. They thought they were taking something else. And so it's the carrier drug, okay, that was killing Americans.

51:44And so that's what was happening. And by the way, you're absolutely right. I would have done a heck of a lot more against China, who knew that they were making this stuff. As a matter of fact, they incentivized the production of the fentanyl chemicals to things that were actually illegal in China, knowing damn well it was going to come to America and kill Americans. So yeah, I would have done a heck of a lot more against China, and I would have done a heck of a lot more, and still would like to do a heck of a lot more against those cartels in Mexico that have actually been killing Americans for the past decade.

52:19Republican Congressman Carlos Jimenez of Florida, thank you, sir. Appreciate your time. Thank you. Up next, recent U.S. intel warns Russian leader Vladimir Putin may try to test the strength of NATO by launching an attack on a close American ally. Those details in moments. Plus, what President Trump's top general is reportedly saying behind the scenes about the future of the Iran war and whether the U.S. should ramp up its military strikes. Stick around.

52:48In our world lead, there is new U.S. intelligence that is indicating Russian President Vladimir Putin could try to test NATO's unity with a limited attack on a NATO-allied country. The assessments warn that Russia could conduct a small-scale incursion or a cyber attack designed to test NATO's commitment to Article 5. Article 5 states that an attack on one member is an attack on all. Joining me now is Zach Cohen. And, Zach, what does this assessment tell us specifically about what Putin might be planning? Yeah, Jake, it effectively lays out that there's a window of time where Vladimir Putin believes he could test and see how much he can get away with effectively as far as encroaching on NATO territory, challenging the member states to their commitment to Article 5 to defend an attack against one as an attack against all.

53:37And that is really predicated on this idea that U.S. officials and NATO officials believe that Putin is growing frustrated by taking serious losses in the war with Ukraine and could move to shift his tactic by focusing on NATO in particular. He does see potentially an opportunity here to expose some fractures within the alliance and could particularly target some of the smaller, less strong member states in an effort to see how much action he can get away with before crossing that Article 5 threshold. And I'm told that this intelligence does suggest that most likely targets would be places like the Baltics or Poland, places where we've actually seen some recent Russian activity.

54:18Yeah, drones and cyber attacks. Exactly. And over the last several years, we've seen a pretty steady pace of that kind of activity. But this intelligence lays out various scenarios in various ways Putin might want to test the alliance's strength. Now, the one sort of other alternative here is that if Putin is able to secure some sort of a face-saving agreement of some kind to end the war in Ukraine, there is potential there for him not to have motive for shifting his attention elsewhere. But again, the talks, the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, intermediated by the United States, has stalled, we're told.

54:52So it's really up in the air here. And we are told senior officials are very concerned about this very real threat. And speaking of other threats, you have some new reporting about what Trump's top general is thinking right now about the current status of the war in Iran. Yeah, that's right, Jack. I'm told by multiple sources that effectively General Dan Cain has expressed in private that he is looking for a potential off ramp to this conflict. As we're looking at the current state of play here, the military, their strikes, particularly just air power alone, are unlikely to accomplish the president's stated objective, which, of course, at the top of the list is preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.

55:31Dan Cain has even said so in public that he thinks air power has its limits. But on the flip side of that, the diplomatic front doesn't seem to be progressing at a very rapid pace here. And we've seen the president threaten to escalate this conflict, but also be averse to putting U.S. boots on the ground. And Cain has talked privately with other top cabinet members, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, before these recent meetings with the president where they've discussed the options for escalating, just to make sure they're all on the same page. But it also exposes that Cain is very aware of the potential risks, particularly with expanding this conflict and escalating it in the way that Donald Trump has been talking about.

56:06All right, Zach Cohen, thanks so much. An Atlanta mother had extensive surgery after being diagnosed with cancer, but then she found out it was all a mix up. It's a horrible story. We'll tell you what happened next.

56:22In our health lead, we're going to take you to Georgia, where a 45-year-old woman got a hysterectomy after doctors told her she had cancer. It turns out she never had cancer, and now the woman is suing Kaiser Permanente. CNN's Jacqueline Howard sat down with the woman to talk about how this DNA mix-up changed her life forever. Her exact words was that we sent in the wrong DNA. It was in your tissue that was sent in. It was mixed up with someone else. It was a shocking mix-up that Cassandra Barksdale says changed her life. Last year, about seven months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer, Barksdale found out the tissue sample used to diagnose her actually belonged to another patient.

57:05And Barksdale does not have cancer at all. We don't know anything about that other person whose DNA that was. That's correct. I was more worried about the other person because I wanted to know, you know, was she still alive? Did she get the correct, you know, care that she needs? You originally went to see your doctor last year at Kaiser Southwood Medical Center for fibroids and unusual bleeding. Yes, a routine visit. That's correct. And she told me I had to do the biopsy. She told me that they found an aggressive form or cancer in my biopsy. The first thing went to my mind is that I was going to die.

57:41And I was like, how am I going to tell my family? How can I tell my kids that I have aggressive cancer? Barksdale says that her doctors recommended surgery. She had her cervix, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and four lymph nodes all removed. The procedure plunged the 45-year-old into an early menopause with hot flashes and sleepless nights. I'm still having panic attacks. I'm in a deep depression. It's just, I have hard days. Barksdale's attorneys filed a lawsuit this week against Kaiser Permanente, seeking damages of more than$10 ,000. I haven't seen a case like this before. I mean, I've practiced medicine for 12 years.

58:20I've been doing medical malpractice for 25. And this is just a bizarre situation. It just doesn't happen. In a company's statement, Kaiser Permanente says, quote, Ms. Barksdale should not have experienced this. We have highly trained staff and very thorough processes in place to prevent errors like this from taking place. After this occurred last year, we took immediate steps to ensure it could not happen again. We realized the impact of this incident and are committed to working with Ms. Barksdale and her counsel to resolve this in the most fair and accountable way we can, end quote. Barksdale says that she's continuing counseling, finds hope through her church, and finds pride in her two sons, the younger of whom is attending Morehouse School of Medicine to study pathology.

59:02So once he found out what I was experiencing, as he changed into pathology because he feels like he can make a difference and prevent things like this from happening. And Jake, mix-ups like that are very rare. It's actually estimated that something like this occurs generally in about 1 % of cases, and most of the time the mix-up is caught before it impacts the patient. But as we heard from And Cassandra, just now, Jake, when there are impacts to the patient, they can sometimes be devastating and long lasting as well, Jake. And Jacqueline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, they got a rare visit from HHS Secretary RFK Jr.

59:47earlier today. While I have you, how'd that go? Absolutely. Yes. Secretary Kennedy went to visit the campus here in Atlanta, Georgia, on the first anniversary of that tragic shooting. that happened at CDC headquarters in August last year. During his visit, he did host a commemoration ceremony in honor of the DeKalb County officer, David Rose, who sadly was killed during that shooting last year. In a post on X, Secretary Kennedy wrote, quote, we honored Officer David Rose's extraordinary courage, service and sacrifice by dedicating a memorial roadway and plaque in his memory. And, Jake, we also heard that during Secretary Kennedy's visit, he also held a fireside chat with CDC staff.

1:00:38But, Jake, we've also heard from CDC staff that they still feel concerned about some of Secretary Kennedy's comments around vaccine skepticism, around public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. So there were mixed emotions today with his visit among CDC staff, Jake. All right, Jacqueline Howard, thanks so much. We're standing by to see when the U.S. Senate is going to vote on Todd Blanche to be the next attorney general. It appears he has enough support to be confirmed. There is a last minute effort by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein to try to flip one Republican vote. Those details are next.

1:01:20In our politics lead, Epstein survivors were heartbroken this morning when Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who seemed ambivalent about Todd Blanche, announced that he ultimately will vote for Todd Blanche to be the next U.S. Attorney General, clearing Blanche's path for confirmation. And now a group of Epstein survivors is trying to convince some other Republican senators to not support Blanche. Among the three they're targeting, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, Utah Senator John Curtis, and Ohio Senator Bernie Marino. Blanche's nomination could be derailed if just one more Republican senator votes against him.

1:01:56Epstein survivor Annie Farmer joins us now. Annie and her sister Maria made the earliest known police reports against Jeffrey Epstein back in the 1990s. If only they had been listened to back then. Annie, Todd Blanche's deputy attorney general oversaw the rollout of the Epstein files that revealed victim identities while redacting the information of potential Epstein associates who perhaps committed crimes. Even the vice president referred to how this was done as a mishandling. It can't be easy to watch any of this confirmation process of Todd Blanche play out. Let me just start with the basic question of how are you doing?

1:02:35Today has really been an emotional roller coaster. I woke up to the news that Senator Murkowski would be voting against Todd Blanche's confirmation, which was really amazing news. I felt that she had acted with a lot of integrity. She had listened to her constituents and she had listened to us and our concerns and taken them seriously. So it was pretty devastating then to hear from Senator Cassidy that in his remarks on the floor say, you know, he had met with Todd Blanche five or six times recently. And yet he had never found time to meet with us. And, you know, I think that is so important because, you know, he had himself expressed a concern about the weaponization of the DOJ.

1:03:21And I think this case actually illustrates that. very well. And, you know, when people talk about redaction errors, if they don't know the details, and I think a lot of these people are busy and they don't know the details, right, they might imagine that's just, that's incompetence, perhaps, mistakes. But we're talking about individuals who have had their names released, their attorneys have reached out, they've then been redacted. Those same individuals who then have been speaking out about the case have found their names once again revealed. And once again, their attorneys have to call and have them redacted.

1:03:55And that's even happened. That's happened multiple times to numbers of individuals. So I think that's exactly the kind of thing that senators need to understand. That's not just a mistake. This is playing out. I think we are seeing a lot of people's concerns come to fruition right here in this case that Todd Blanche is not acting in Americans' best interest. He's acting. he is still acting as the president's attorney. Tell us about this focus on Senators Sullivan of Alaska, Curtis of Utah, and Marino of Ohio that Epstein survivors are targeting. Why were these three chosen? Are you and your sister survivors, are you able to meet with them?

1:04:34And do you think at least one of them might vote against Blanche? I mean, that's what we're asking for right now is just a meeting. Because what we have found is when we're able to get in front of people and actually go through some of this and explain the details, it's compelling information and people often are moved by these facts, right? And so, you know, I think with Senator Sullivan, I think that Murkowski's statement says a lot. She said she heard very loudly from her constituents in Alaska that this is that they do not support Todd Blanche as attorney general. And these are his constituents as well.

1:05:12You know, so we're hoping that perhaps he will also listen to his constituents and at least meet with us and allow us to share more information. I think for Senator Moreno, you know, he has come out strongly against gender based violence. And I think that's very much a part of what has had a play in this case. So saying you stand with survivors, it doesn't make sense to then vote for Todd Blanche, who is so has so harmed survivors. And then Senator Curtis, you know, we had there were some survivors that had a very good meeting with his office. Unfortunately, that came after he had initially said he would be supportive of Todd Blanche.

1:05:51But I think there's some new information came out in that meeting that they were very curious about. And so we're hoping, again, to have a meeting directly with him and be able to share more. You know, I think one thing that really plays that plays, I think, on these senators is when they hear from their own constituents. So, you know, this is also an appeal to the people of Alaska, to the people of Ohio, to the people of Utah, that if you stand with us and if you also agree that Todd Blanche is not suitable to be our highest law enforcement officer, that you will reach out to these offices. I mean, you know, just one piece of information that I think, you know, has been on my mind is thinking about, for example, this unprecedented meeting, this nine hour meeting he had with Ghislaine Maxwell that nobody could really explain.

1:06:36Right. Why did this happen? It didn't it didn't seem to make sense. Of course, then she was transferred to a facility with less security. And, you know, one of the things that happened in the last few months is that information from that meeting was used in President Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal saying, look, Ghislaine said I did not draw this, you know, drawing for the birthday book. Right. So these are the kind of details that I think sometimes slip by people. But that's a great example of Todd Blanche's actions not serving the American people, not serving us as survivors, but serving the president.

1:07:09Asking Glenn Maxwell for details about something theoretically so President Trump can then use it in a lawsuit against the journal. Interesting stuff. Annie Farmer, thank you so much. And thanks, as always, for your courage. I know it sucks having to talk about this stuff, but we appreciate it. Oh, no, of course. Thank you for having me. James Tallarico is making his pitch to a key group of voters as polls show a tight race for the U.S. Senate in Texas, of all places. But a Democratic lawmaker from Texas says don't trust the numbers. That's next.

1:07:44more politics now u.s senate candidate from texas james tallarico a democrat went on the breakfast club show this week and was pressed about whether attacks on his democratic primary opponent congresswoman jasmine crockett helped or hurt his campaign attacks on the congresswoman i think make it harder for us to win this general election because the whole coalition has to be together. We need black Texans to win this race. And then if, you know, when we win this race in November, I'll represent the most African-Americans of any senator in the country. And and so all these attacks have, I think, hurt our campaign.

1:08:26Let's bring in the panel. Amisha Cross, has Tallarico and has his campaign done as much as they need to do in order to get Black voters to rally around him in November? I think his campaign is still doing the work. James Tallarico, to his credit, has a very strong and long record in the Texas state legislature of working through policies that protect and provide for jobs, economic development, housing for Black people, and other low-income individuals across the state. With that being said, I don't believe that James Tallarico, nor his campaign, should have to issue apologies for things that people on the Internet say.

1:09:02There were some very disgusting things said about Congresswoman Crockett during the course of that campaign. It got down and dirty. But none of that came from James Tallarico nor his campaign. I don't think that he can control Internet chatter, nor can he control the racists that exist in the bots across the social media format. What James Tallarico needs to focus on and what Texas needs to focus on, quite frankly, and for Democrats, is to win in November. The primary is long behind us now. At this point, it is aligning the base, but also extending beyond it and making sure that turnout is your number one priority.

1:09:34I was really disappointed with some of the interview of The Breakfast Club because there are issues and policies that matter to the black community in Texas. Whether or not there is still bad blood or bitterness around what happened with Jasmine Crockett is not the top priority of black Texans. Joe, the latest poll out of Texas Southern University shows really it's a jump all. No clear leader in the race between Tallarico and Paxton. Tallarico is at 47 percent. Paxton's at 45 percent. That's within the margin of error. It's statistically insignificant. But they're basically neck and neck. Does that surprise you?

1:10:07It surprises me and it worries me a little bit, Jake. Normally I would say I'm not worried about this, right? It's been 30 years since a Democrat won statewide office. Was that Ann Richards? I think it was actually, 1994, I believe. Problem is, here's what happens. 2024, right? The Republican is up by 2%, wins by 8. 2020, Cornyn's up 10%, wins by 10. 2018, Cruz is up 4%, wins by 2.6 over Beto O 'Rourke, right? Now you got Tallarico even or maybe even ahead of Paxton. And Paxton is so flawed. I'm embarrassed as a Republican. He's been both impeached and indicted, and his wife is leaving him for biblical reasons.

1:10:48I mean, it charged as well for securities fraud, right? I mean, and he had a diversion agreement, basically means, you know, he kind of got off with a fine. So this might be, I know Democrats get excited every few years that this might be the year for Texas. I hate to say it, this might be the year for Democrats in Texas. So, Amisha, earlier this week, NBC News asked Congresswoman Crockett if she thinks Tallarico could turn Texas blue. She responded, quote, I don't know. She added that she does not buy the polls and is instead watching how both Democrats and Republicans spend their money. Quote, right now, neither one are investing, which tells me that their internals are saying the same thing.

1:11:24I won't get on the ground to really start to feel it until maybe end of September, October, as I start to dig into which races I'm going to help out in the races that I really feel like we can win. What do you think? Do you I mean, that's a typically blunt Jasmine Crockett statement. But do you think she needs to be doing more to boost Talarico or what? Absolutely. Texas is her home state. Jasmine Crockett has gone across the country in various election cycles that are nowhere near Texas and has not only full-throatedly given her support, but has also been someone who has stood out and gotten a lot of attention and fundraising for other candidates of the Democratic Party who are not in her home state.

1:12:00This is this is really sad. At this point, the party should be in alignment. This Texas Senate seat is extremely important. This is probably the closest that a Democrat has ever really been considering just the the very poor behavior of the Republican on the other side. And it just seems as though at every chance she gets, Jasmine Crockett seems to turn the knife again. And I am unsure as to what the plan of action for the future is beyond this for her. I wish her well. However, it is not helpful to have these types of commentaries while we are still working to get as many people out to vote as possible, increase interest in this race, in addition to bring the money in that is going to be necessary to reach all corners of the state.

1:12:43Joe, one of the most high profile politicians this week in America is Congressman Max Miller of Ohio, who is in this ugly custody battle with his ex-wife, who is the daughter of Senator Bernie Marino of Ohio. He's not going to drop his election bid, Congressman Miller told me earlier this week. He denies all the allegations against against him from his ex-wife. Here's something he said during our interview earlier this week. I am going to be successful in this November because my constituents know who I am and they also know who my ex-father-in-law is and they also know who my ex-wife is. And that's why you've seen people aren't running from me.

1:13:24My numbers in fundraising are strong. So I don't know what his I guess we'll see when the FEC report comes out what his fundraising numbers are. According to the Wall Street Journal, Miller has decided to lend his campaign$1 million of his own money, telling the Wall Street Journal he's in this for the long haul. What do you make of that? Well, that's probably legal, frankly. I don't see a problem with that. No, no, I'm not saying it's illegal at all. I'm sure it's fine. But just the fact that he's staying in the race. Look, I think we've seen a few examples now of House members that are either running or serving that are facing serious allegations, okay?

1:13:58We've seen it with George Santos, who was facing charges. We've seen it with Sheila McCormick in Florida, who was also facing federal charges before she resigned ultimately. So the question is - Swalwell. Right. Corey Mills. So in this case, he's not charged - Chuck Edwards. ... with anything. Yes. It's a real murderer's row. There's a bad trend here, I guess, right? So he's not facing charges. So I guess the question is, do we give him his due process? The lawyer in me says, you know, innocent until proven guilty. Sure, of course. But do you want someone with such a distraction running for such an important seat?

1:14:31Selfishly, I'd say no. I wish he'd step aside. But I understand that, you know, somebody wants to say I haven't been proven guilty of anything, not even formally charged. I'm not going anywhere. Eric Erickson, the conservative commentator, says he's worried not only will Democrats win that seat, but that Max Miller will be a drag on two statewide races because the governor's race between Ramaswamy and Acton is close. And the Senate race between Sherrod Brown and John Husted is close. that Max Miller, if people in his district are like, to hell with this guy, but I'm not going to vote for the Democrat, that could be, you know, thousands of votes that just don't turn out for the Republicans.

1:15:07I think Eric's right. There is a risk here beyond a guy who just wants to stay in the race. This is, this is, it's quite frankly, really sad, but it's also, I hear you on due process, but for voters, for those who are going to the polls, due process is not what they're taking into consideration. What is, is your ability to lead, but also your ability to not be a distraction. And even though this is the Trump era, people like to vote for people who they think have a better sense of self, who can do things that are not as what it looks like beneath the pale as this happens to be. And he's not helping himself with several interviews either.

1:15:39But it's going to be a drag to the ticket. And he has been asked by several people, some outwardly, some in whispers, to drop out for that reason. And I think that as those calls keep coming, he is going to have to make a big decision. What do you think? Do you think it could have an impact statewide? Of course it could. I mean, look, I remember I'm old enough to admit that. I mean, a single allegation of like infidelity back years ago, get a candidate out of a race or get a resignation. A long time ago. The amount of allegations that these guys face and they just shamelessly and the gravity does, I know, and expect us to vote for them.

1:16:13Look, I wish for the sake of politics in general, not just Republicans, someone facing like this sort of thing should tap out, deal with the allegations, and not put that choice to voters to kind of hold their nose and vote for them or stay home. Yeah. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it. Coming up Sunday on State of the Union, we're going to talk to the director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, and we're going to talk to the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, Dr. Abdul-Al-Sayed. That's Sunday at 9 a.m. at noon Eastern, only on CNN. I will be anchoring Sunday. Coming up next, an incredible opportunity to give back for an NBA all-star who calls himself blessed.

1:16:49We're going to close the week with our sports lead. You know, it's been a rough, rough week of news. We need some good news to close out this Friday. And an email from our colleague, CNN anchor Alex Michelson, came right on time. Alex wanted to share his conversation with nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook, one of the best point guards of all time. Offseason, Westbrook also has a lot going on, from community impact to fashion. And as the MVP put it to Alex, why not?

1:17:17Russell Westbrook is using his talents on the court to transform his community off the court. What do you see as your role in this community? To lead the way. The former NBA MVP and Olympic gold medalist is known for playing with passion. The passion just shows up in different ways. He's equally passionate about finding unique solutions to help the very same neighborhood he grew up in. What drives you? To impact and inspire others. Westbrook started a non-profit, a school, a fashion line, and more with one goal. It all stems from community and impact, and that is the focal point of everything.

1:17:58How we doing? Good! For 14 years, he's personally coached thousands of kids at free basketball camps. You know, Kaylin Miner-Muhammad has been coming to Russ's camp year after year since she was four years old. It's really helped my confidence. One, two, three, why not? Russ's nonprofit is named Why Not. What do you mean by Why Not? Made me feel I can do anything that I put my mind to. The Why Not Foundation funding reading rooms across the country, food drives, affordable housing units, and free mental health care at the Westbrook Academy. You have your own school. Is that wild? A public school aiming to provide kids in underprivileged communities a world-class education.

1:18:46When I'm at graduation, they're so connected and so excited. What's your graduation rate? Last year we graduated everybody. 100%. Yes, sir. This is Honor the Gift here? Honor the Gift is Westbrook's fashion line. He's personally involved in all the design. Details are very important. The idea? Create fashion that his community is not only proud to wear, but can also afford to buy. You love fashion. Yes, sir. Where's that passion come from? That started inspo for my mom. Over the years, Westbrook has modeled a variety of provocative looks, often showcasing plenty of skin. Sometimes your eight-pack is your greatest attribute.

1:19:27Westbrook personally designed his office space as well. Creative office and accrued space. It features basketball-inspired art and a photo with then-president Barack Obama. Barack is the opinion of what a leader is. That's one of your role models to get more involved in the community. Absolutely. Would you ever run for office? No. No. Flat no, that was fast. Westbrook is the NBA's all-time leader in triple doubles, but he says the stat he cares about most is lives in spite. The legacy is what I've used, which God has given me to be able to help and impact other people. So in addition to all that work, he's also a full-time professional athlete.

1:20:11He's a free agent, but he wants to be back for his 19th NBA season in the fall. We'll have a lot more with Russ coming up on The Story Is at midnight Eastern, 9 Pacific, Jake. Thanks so much, Alex. We'll look for more tonight on your show. The story ends with Alex Michelson at midnight Eastern, 9 p.m. Pacific, only here on CNN. Aaron Burnett Out Front starts now. I will see you Sunday morning on State of the Union with Kevin Hassett and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. See you then.

1:20:53CNN original series, Decades in Sports. Now streaming on the CNN app.