Trump Backing Paxton Over Sen. Cornyn Tests His Grip on GOP

26:10So, you know, this is a situation where not only is ICE getting a blank check from this Republican-led Congress and the Trump administration, but GeoGroup's basically getting a blank check here without the accountability. They're the ones that stopped me to try to prevent me from getting into Delaney Hall because they don't want us to see this. They don't want to see how they are cutting back and causing this type of human misery in order to be able to increase their bottom line and create profit for their company. All right, Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. Thank you so much. Good to see you again, Senator.

26:42Thanks. Next, how the death of NASCAR champion Kyle Busch is renewing a major concern in this country about sepsis. This is a problem that we faced in my own family. My daughter Alice is here with a doctor from the University of Michigan to take a closer look at this issue often missed by doctors. Stay with us.

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27:50It's called sepsis. When my wife heard about the sudden hospitalization and shocking death of NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, my son's favorite driver, my wife immediately said, I bet he died of sepsis. And as it turns out, she was sadly right. Busch had a severe case of pneumonia that progressed to sepsis quickly. sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection, causing your immune system to basically go into overdrive and start shutting down organs. Sometimes it ends up harming healthy tissues and organs and can actually kill you. It's an affliction that is entirely preventable, but only if doctors step in to stop it as soon as possible.

28:32According to the CDC, about 1.7 million adults in the U.S. develop sepsis every year, and some 350 ,000 die or end up in hospice. Common, but often unpredictable, sepsis can turn deadly quickly, making a timely diagnosis critical. Joining us now to talk about this is Dr. Prajant Mahajan. He's a professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of Michigan, and my daughter, Alice Tapper, who has become an advocate for sepsis awareness after surviving this near-fatal case herself. Dr. Prajant Mahajan, let me start with you. Sepsis appeared to progress with alarming speed in the case of Kyle Busch.

29:13His family says he was taken to the hospital the same morning, the same day he died. This is somebody who was relatively young, somebody healthy, even planning to race that same week. Explain what sepsis is and why early diagnosis is so critical. Sure. So sepsis is a condition where the body's response to an infection is so overwhelming that it leads to organ failure. And then in some instances, you know, progresses very rapidly to death. Now, typically sepsis, the progression that was in this instance was very fast, but usually more often than not, you see signs of sepsis much earlier. So usually individuals have some signs of illnesses a few days before, which needs to be recognized.

30:02And if they are recognized in a timely manner, then the outcomes need not be this severe. And Alice, you're here because you're the closest person I know who almost died of sepsis. Thank God you didn't. Tell us about the experience and what you want people out there, especially doctors and nurses and medical professionals, what you want them to know about sepsis? Speaking from the patient perspective, I just want people to be aware of sepsis. I didn't know what it was. I was left for 32 hours in the hospital without a sepsis diagnosis. I ended up in the ICU, and I really want people to know and be aware of how fatal sepsis can be and how quickly it can be fatal.

30:46It is a race against the clock, and I want doctors to always have sepsis the first thing on their mind, because they thought I had a virus, and all the pain and all my symptoms were actually from an infection from my appendix. Dr. Mahajan, according to the CDC, nearly a quarter to a third of people who develop sepsis had a health care visit in the week before they were hospitalized. because these symptoms are so easily overlooked or confused with routine matters. What are early signs, early warning signs of sepsis that patients, doctors, nurses should never ignore? You're right, Jake. You know, unlike heart attack or stroke, which is relatively easier to recognize, sepsis often manifests as a common illness, like flu type of illness.

31:37But a few things that people can do, and especially as Alice was mentioning, people need to be aware of that if you have high fever or low temperature or have signs of infection along with signs suggestive of some mental status changes like more drowsiness, lightheadedness, and signs of early organ dysfunction such as decreased urine output and you appear extremely ill, then these are some of the signs that they should be aware of that they should reach out to their healthcare provider or access their healthcare system so that sepsis can be identified relatively early. And Alice, you've turned your experience into advocacy to make sure people know about sepsis.

32:19Tell us about that. I'm partnering with the University of Michigan Medicine to create a center of diagnostic excellence, which will be an entity that helps connect patients and doctors to end the misdiagnosis of sepsis, especially because of how deadly it can be. Yeah, and your mother and I are part of that, full disclosure. And we work with Dr. Mahajan because we want people to know about this and we want to bring an end as much as possible to this entirely preventable, fatal problem. Dr. Mahajan, Alice, thank you.

32:54Today marks three weeks until a critical Republican Senate runoff election in Georgia Coming up next, we're going to discuss the candidate trying to save his campaign after a rather distasteful, if not downright disgusting, social media post from one of his staffers since fired. Is it a reflection at all on the candidate, Congressman Mike Collins? We're going to talk about that next.

33:23Interpolitics lead a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia doing some damage control after the actions of one of his staffers. That aide worked for Republican Congressman Mike Collins, who's running for Senate. That aide sent an inflammatory social media post aimed at the wife of an advisor to a PAC supporting the rival candidate in the Senate race, Derek Dooley. The Post included a poll that showed Mike Collins held a five-point lead over Derek Dooley. The consultant behind the Post on behalf of Derek Dooley, Luke Thompson, is married to one of the accusers who came forward against former, now disgraced Today Show anchor, Matt Lauer.

34:04She says she was sexually assaulted by him. Lauer claims the relationship was consensual. However, Brooke Nevels did later attempt suicide. The post in question reads, Matt Lauer's sloppy seconds chiming in to take an L. The sloppy seconds presumably is this staffer to Derek Dooley's pack. Congressman Collins fired that staffer and posted in part, quote, I want to apologize for this offensive tweet. I have made staffing changes to ensure this type of behavior never happens again. unquote my panel joins me now. Scott Jennings, what do you make of all this? Is firing that staffer likely to get my Collins campaign back on track or is this ugly enough that I might tip the scales to Derek Dooley?

34:48I think it was the right thing to do. Take responsibility for it, apologize for it instead of try to rationalize it or say that it was a good thing, which could have been, you know, someone's instinct out there. But that's not what Collins chose to do. So I don't think this is enough to derail the Collins campaign. I've interviewed both actually in the last few weeks. For your radio show. Yeah, I was impressed with both of them. Dooley, I didn't really know much about, impressed me. Collins impressed me too back during the primary. So, you know, obviously it's like a lot of states. What will President Trump, you know, decide to do here in Georgia?

35:20Because once again, his word would be definitive. Now, Tia, you cover Georgia politics. You work for the United General Constitution. um mike collins himself has posted some things that people have found ugly uh there was a post that people considered to be racist there was another post that people considered to be anti-semitic so this maybe this didn't happen in a vacuum it didn't and quite frankly the aid at the center of the problematic post you just talked about who was fired has also been tied to a lot of controversies both he that aid brandon phillips and mike collins are currently under uh inquiry by the House Ethics Committee because there's the allegation that that aide hired his girlfriend for basically a no-show job.

36:04And Collins has stuck beside that aide. He's defended the social media posts, whether they came from his team or came from his direct account. So that's what makes it, that's what made people, I think, so concerned because they felt that he was sticking by this aide too long because there have been many controversies. And I think that's why his reaction was so swift this weekend, because I think even Collins realized that this was something he could no longer defend. Yeah. And do you think Trump is going to weigh in? Do you think Trump is going to weigh in on Dooley versus Collins in the primary?

36:39I don't know. It's interesting dynamics there because Dooley is currently carrying the biggest endorsement in the state so far, which is Governor Kemp. You know, Kemp has been Dooley's biggest champion. The only person who could bigfoot that That would be Donald Trump. And, you know, he's waded into a few of these primaries late in the game lately. So a lot of Republicans would probably take note of that. I do think Collins has had a small lead in this here. But the better known. But the ground is still, you know, a little soft, I think, for both guys, which is why a Trump endorsement here would be, you know, probably definitive.

37:12And three weeks until until the race. But speaking of President Trump entering the race late in the game, One week ago, he endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas against an institution, I think it's fair to call him an institution, a Republican institution, John Cornyn. Lately, there has been questions for Paxton, who's gotten a lot of momentum from the Trump endorsement a week ago. But there are questions about this plea deal worked out by his office for a Waco man who was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy. this man only got one day in jail. A Paxton spokesperson told Houston Public Media last year's trial ended in a hung jury and the young victim did not want to testify a second time.

37:55That's why they did this. Do you think that will matter ultimately? Honestly, no. I think that there are Republican voters who feel that Ken Paxton has been wrongfully attacked and this is all part of the, to me, it feeds into his narrative that the establishment doesn't want Ken Paxton. And it actually feeds to me into why President Trump decided to endorse him, because in a lot of ways, they have similar stories about a feeling that any attacks they faced or accountability they faced have been part of the attack to remove them from power. So I think if you already didn't like Ken Paxton, then stories like this continue to disturb you.

38:38But if you are already inclined to support Ken Paxton, I don't think knowing more about this case will change your mind. Probably too late in the game for it to have a real impact, given that they're voting today. But Cornyn did jump on the news and posted, quote, it is important to note that the predators who commit these crimes tend to repeat them over and over again until stop. Paxton could have stopped this one, but instead cut him loose to reoffend over and over again, putting more children at risk. What do you think of it all, Scott? I agree with you. It's probably a little too late here for Senator Cornyn.

39:06I do think even before President Trump got into this, you know, Paxton was a little bit ahead in this. And when Trump coming in, it probably seals Cornyn's fate tonight. Look, they've obviously lobbed a lot of negative material at Paxton here. I assume the Democrats will pick up on some of that this fall. And at the same time, the Republicans are going to pick up on a lot of the baggage and statements that Tallarico has made. I guess what I'm forecasting for the fall, very negative campaign. If Paxton wins in order to rebut or combat some of the baggage that he's carrying, you just want to make the conversation as much about your opponent as possible.

39:40That'll be the strategy. Palo Rico, and as long as I have a Kentuckian here, so fresh off his primary loss last week, again, Trump getting involved in a race. This one he got really involved in trying to unseat and succeeding. Congressman Tom Massey of Kentucky. He's filed paperwork to run again, potentially, in 2028. As far as what office, that's unclear. He wrote, he posted a copy of the paperwork on social media, included the end. I haven't made a final decision about which office to seek if I run. What do you think? I think he's considering running again. I also think he's possibly considering running for other federal office, possibly president.

40:16I mean, there's a lot of people out there in the online world who are encouraging him. I think he just learned that online isn't necessarily real life. He'd likely learn that lesson again. But that, of course, has never stopped people from raising money before. Scott and Tia, thank you so much. Appreciate it. The world watching to see what Iran will do. It's threatening retaliation. After U.S. strikes, the Trump administration said we're self-defense. Our negotiations to bring an end to this war now in jeopardy. We're going to get the latest from the White House next.

40:47Next. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, President Trump is expected to gather his cabinet tomorrow to discuss a deal to end the Iran war. We have frankly lost track of how many times the president has suggested an end to the war was imminent. It was a war that was supposed to last four to six weeks, both of which passed more than a month ago. So what is the actual status of a potential deal? We're going to go live to the White House for an update in moments. Plus, President Trump visited Walter Reed Medical Center today for his six-month physical. The White House is expected to release details of his visit within the next day or two.

41:20So what should we be looking out for? I'm going to ask a former White House physician ahead. Also, they're in the final hours of voting in what turned into an ugly Republican primary down in Texas. Will the scandal-mired Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, be able to take down longtime Senator John Cornyn? And will the winner be so wounded that it gives Democrats a rare opening in the Lone Star State?

41:50The lead tonight. Iran is threatening to retaliate after fresh strikes from the U.S. Last night, CENTCOM tells CNN that the U.S. was operating in self-defense, targeting Iranian missile launch sites and mine-laying boats around the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is now warning reciprocation against any violation of the ongoing ceasefire as U.S. and Iranian negotiators signal peace talks are, in fact, progressing. Now, President Trump says his cabinet will be meeting at the White House tomorrow rather than at Camp David due to the inclement weather. CNN's Kaitlin Collins is at the White House.

42:24Kaitlin, what's the latest? Yeah, Jake, that meeting no longer taking place at Camp David, but still top of mind when the president and his cabinet are all gathered around the table for tomorrow's cabinet meeting will be Iran and the state of these negotiations that have been taking place. And according to what White House officials have said in recent days, have seemed to actually gain momentum. They were hopeful that a deal was potentially within reach and talked about what the sticking points in that were, Jake, as they've been having conversations with top officials from different countries in the Middle East and U.S.

42:56allies here. One question, of course, is after those strikes that happened yesterday that Iran said were a violation of the ceasefire and that warranted a response as whether or not that happens and if it affects the state of these talks because we're hearing different things at times from the president from his top officials on where exactly these talks stand jake the president has said he is in no hurry to make a deal though secretary of state margar rubio has said we could see one materialize potentially within days but you know we've seen seen this moment before jake where they've gotten close to an agreement but then of course at the last minute something has happened here.

43:31And so a lot of that remains to be seen in terms of where this deal stands. And obviously, that will be key questions for the president tomorrow as he is meeting with the cabinet here at the White House. And also officials here tonight, Jake, are watching what is happening in Texas and in these other races playing out. So it's likely the president will also weigh in on that as well. One other thing that he has commented on himself is his physical, Jake, today that he went to Walter Reed to get. He offered his own assessment about everything going perfectly. I'm sure there will be some follow-up questions about that as well.

44:03All right, Caitlin Collins at the White House, thank you so much. And of course, don't miss Caitlin on her show, The Source with Caitlin Collins. That's tonight. Her guests tonight include New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani. That is at 9 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN. My panel joins me now. So, Beth Saner, here is how Secretary of State Marco Rubio described where talks stand right now between the U.S. and Iran. Take a listen. I think there's strong alignment and agreement on what a preliminary draft should look like. There's going to be a deal. We're going to have to work through that. But this is, you know, it's either going to be a good deal or there isn't going to be one.

44:38What is a good deal? Does it have to be much better than the Iran, the deal that Obama cut? I think that this MOU does not have to be better than that. This MOU has to get us to a negotiation where then you have to work on a deal that is definitely better than JCPOA, which is really, really hard because the Iran nuclear program, even though it has been set back considerably, obliterated at least in part, it's still not the same program that it was before. So, Vice Admiral Miller, the current deal on the table omits some of the thorniest issues, right? What happens with the nuclear program, what happens with the nuclear enrichment program, et cetera, et cetera.

45:28All that is TBD. Who theoretically would come out the winner of this MOU? Would it be Iran, just because they would get an end to the hostilities and not having actually agreed to anything important? Well, at the end of the day, whatever deal is finally negotiated has to include the nuclear weapons program and all of the material that's already in Iran, the 60 percent enriched uranium. So in order for this to be a victory for the United States, two things really have to happen, as red lines on the U.S. side, and the President's talked about them a number of times. One is they have to give up their nuclear material.

46:08There's no doubt if they had a nuclear weapon today, they'd use it. If they have a nuclear weapon five years from now, they're likely going to use it. So that material has to be turned over as part of the deal. And we need to have the Strait of Hormuz open and free and unimpeded by the regime. So I think those are the two things we look at, probably the Strait right away, and then in a negotiated settlement, the nuclear program. And Beth, the fact that Iranian officials are now warning that they have the right to retaliate after these new U.S. strikes, which the U.S. says they were carried out.

46:42What the U.S. did was in self-defense. Will that have any impact on this meeting, this cabinet meeting, or do you think it's kind of just background noise? We'll have to see if Iran does more. I mean, they haven't done more yet. They shot down a drone reportedly. You know, it's$30 million or, you know, whatever it is, depending on the type. So, you know, they've gotten their pound of flesh in response. And usually what Iran tries to do is this kind of reciprocal shots that they take, this retaliation. So they may not do more. But I think more importantly is that we're seeing that the Iranian negotiating team, when they return back to Iran today, there was reports that one member of the negotiating team said, you know, look, they're asking us to surrender.

47:28And he He wasn't saying it as like, we should do this. And then you have, just in the last hour or so, President Trump putting out another truth social that demands that Iran, you know, white walk out of Tehran, waving their white flag, surrendering, admitting that they have been defeated. And while this is all, I guess, for a domestic audience, it certainly makes it a lot harder for the Iranians to actually agree to this. The U.S. couldn't even get Hamas to do that. So we're kind of raising the level of difficulty with us with each of these kind of negotiating in public, raising these terms of humiliation.

48:07Like, yeah, look, true, but like, you know, we're trying to get to a deal right now. Yeah. What are you expecting will come out of the meeting tomorrow, the cabinet meeting? Well, I think what the cabinet's going to recommend to the president is that he continue the negotiations until we get to a point where it looks like the Iranians really aren't going to negotiate a deal at this time. They were caught putting mines into the Strait of Hormuz. That doesn't sound like a country that's ready to give up control of the Strait. They were firing weapons at aircraft, presumably in the Strait of Hormuz, which is international airspace.

48:41So I think the team from the cabinet is going to insist that the president, or recommend that the president hold the line here and make sure that we're going to get a negotiated settlement THAT WE NEED. AND IF THE IRANIANS REALLY AREN'T READY TO NEGOTIATE NOW, THEN IT'S PROBABLY TIME FOR US TO FORCE THE STRAIGHT OF HORMUS OPEN. AND THERE WILL BE AT LEAST SOME MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET, I THINK, THAT ARE GOING TO DISCUSS THAT OPENLY. HOW WOULD WE FORCE THE STRAIGHT OF HORMUS OPEN? WE CAN DO IT THROUGH MILITARY POWER. ADM COOPER TALKED ABOUT IT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN HE WAS TESTIFYING BEFORE CONGRESS.

49:11IT'S A DIFFICULT TASK. I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSELL that at all. It might result in U.S. casualties. It very well could result in U.S. casualties. But at the end of the day, as the Secretary of State said, the Strait of Hormuz is going to be open. All right, Beth Sander and Vice Admiral John Fozzie Miller, thank you to both. I appreciate it. President Trump visited Walter Reed Medical Center for his six-month physical today. He says the exam went perfectly, that he's in perfect health. How much of his results will the administration actually release? We're going to discuss with the former White House physician next.

49:49I don't happen to be a senior. I'm much younger than you. I'm a much younger man than you. Look at you old guys. I don't know how long I'll be around. Got a lot of people gunning for me, don't I? I don't think there's anything going to get me in heaven. I think I'm not maybe heaven bound. In our health lead, for a man who frequently muses about age and mortality, President Trump's own assessment of his physical exam taken earlier today at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center should calm any anxieties he might be having. Theoretically, at least, he posted this afternoon that everything checked out perfectly.

50:28The White House has not yet released any information to support that claim about today's clinical exam as questions continue to swirl about Trump's health. This is his third publicly disclosed checkup at Walter Reed since becoming the oldest president ever inaugurated last year. Joining us now, Dr. Jeffrey Coleman, who was chief White House physician for President Barack Obama and the former White House physician to the president under Barack Obama and director of the White House medical unit under President George W. Bush. Dr. Coleman, the White House has repeatedly touted Trump's health throughout last year, even as the reports have stayed fairly vague and we've seen things.

51:09A recent example to take away from his doctor, Sean Barbarella, in the release about the preventative imaging Trump had done last October, was that Trump remains in excellent overall health. As a White House physician, particularly one for a president who is 79 years old, How do you balance public interest with patient privacy when sharing information? Well, for the past decade, we've seen from both administrations and also the White House physicians denial, delusion, deceit and delay. And my bar is pretty low. Just be truthful and be transparent. What evaluation did you do and what were the results?

52:03So that's what we should expect. The patient can say whatever they want. That's just their political rhetoric. But a physician who has a medical license that signs a piece of paper, they do not have a license for a poetic license. They need to tell the truth to the American people. One of the things that has concerned me about the White House physician, both the current one and under the previous president, is that sometimes they list some medications that the president is taking, but not all of them. Another one is that sometimes they don't give tests to the president, perhaps because they don't want the results to be known?

52:52Well, I think that the information, if we say it nicely, is incomplete. What they should address to an 80-year-old are the big three. Advanced age is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, for cancer, and for neurodegenerative disease. So for an 80-year-old, it is not acceptable to say, here's a blood pressure, here's an EKG. They should be assessing his cardiac function, anatomic or functional. For example, we see that he walks up long stairs on Air Force One, that's commendable, or we see that he walks across the South Lawn to the helicopter. Again, those are average fitness scores for a 80-year-old American male, about a VO2 max of 22.

53:49To actually have fitness that's above average, they should do objective testing like a treadmill, like a stress test, a cardiac imaging of the heart, the coronary arteries, the calcium score, ultrasound of the valves, and not just say normal, but they should say, here's the ejection fraction, here's the function of the four valves, and they are not even listing the different tests that he's had. The previous president did not take any sort of cognitive test, we're told. Trump, on the other hand, often brags about acing cognitive tests. In an interview with New York Magazine back in January, he talked about a health issue his father had.

54:38Quote, at a certain age, about 86, 87, he started getting, what do they call it? Trump pointed to his forehead and looked to his press secretary for the word that escaped him. Alzheimer's, Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said. Like an Alzheimer's thing, Trump said. Well, I don't have it, unquote. The president turns 80 next month. Is Alzheimer's something he would be genetically at risk for because of his father having it? Well, Alzheimer's and there's many other forms of dementia, as well as mild cognitive impairment. It's multifactorial that genetics pays a part. Also, we're learning more and more lifestyle plays a part.

55:22The screening test that he has taken, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, I have no doubt that he got 30 over 30. It's kind of like when you do an eye exam and you can see the big E on the selling chart or read the 2020. That just means that screening test is okay. But to actually go farther, we do a couple hours of executive cognitive testing. I guarantee that after the age of 60, he, like every human, they start to have cognitive decline in memory, reasoning, speed of processing, and spatial visualization. So it would be good for him to have that information, his family, those around him. And if he wants to release that to the American people, sure.

56:14What I would say with President Biden and his personal physicians, you know, the screening test is a screening test, but more importantly is get them to a neurologist who can evaluate for the different symptoms that kind of all of us saw. And the neurologist that he was evaluated several times. The former president is one of the world's leading experts in Parkinson's. So there's screening tests, but the purpose of a screening test is further evaluation needed. And currently, President Trump is passing. He can name objects. He can draw a clock. He seems to be doing well in those screening tests.

57:02Dr. Jeffrey Coleman, Thank you so much. Appreciate your time and expertise, sir. Coming up next, I'm going to be joined live by the congressman who is leading a new effort to block President Trump's giant arch from being built right outside Arlington National Cemetery. Stick with us.

57:23Interpolitics lead a new challenge to try to stop President Trump's arch from being built outside Arlington National Cemetery is expected this week. The effort largely coming from Congressman Don Beyer, a Democrat whose Virginia district includes Arlington National Cemetery, where his grandparents, parents and sister are all buried. Congressman Beyer joins us now. Congressman, Trump's arch is already facing a legal challenge from a Vietnam veterans group, arguing that the project will need congressional approval to move forward. How is your bill different and do you have any Republican support?

57:57We have no Republican support yet, Jake, but I'm very much hopeful that we will. We just introduced it the other day. We have two dozen Democrats, including some of the committee leaders. We've been on break this week because of Memorial Day, so I'm going to shop it among our Republican friends. I don't think they're any more excited about having Trump's name or more investments to Trump's ego than we are. Tell me about your grandparents, parents and sister all buried at Arlington National Cemetery. This this arc would be built outside there. Is that largely why you're going forward with this bill to stop the arc from being the arch from being built right near it?

58:38No, no. I mean, there is a personal interest in it, but it's much more of the fact that, you know, this was dedicated out of Robert E. Lee's land for the Civil War dead. And since then, it's taken all the dead from the various wars in between. It's a great memorial to the people that are sacrificed. My grandfather served in World War I as an Army captain. My dad was West Point, lived through World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and a full career. And so, yeah, it's personal that they're there, but much more so the tens of thousands of Americans that are buried there. And we have an amicus brief, obviously, on the suit.

59:16We'd hope that the courts will stop it. But in the meantime, it's already clearly illegal. We just put this legislation in to try to get congressional clear message that Trump should not go ahead with this. President Trump seems to basically just take the position of it's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission, although he never seeks forgiveness. I mean, he's done this now with the Trump-Kennedy Center, as it's now called, and the reflecting pool and the ballroom, and now this arch where he doesn't seek permission at all. He just does it and basically dares anybody to stop him. Are there any Republicans willing to stop him?

1:00:00I hope so. I mean, he's done his best the last couple of weeks to alienate many of his once Republican allies, turning away from John Cornyn, defeating Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, Tom Massey. I think the Republicans realize that he is not a loyal friend. And in the meantime, you know, I think most people on the Hill, Democrats or Republicans, are there to serve the American public, not to inflate their ego. And this, once again, is a step for the biggest narcissist in American history. Democratic Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, thanks for joining us today. Appreciate it. A program that lets Gold Star families have flowers pasted on their loved ones graves at cemeteries that are overseas.

1:00:40That program, we've been telling you about it for more than two years. It's finally back more than a decade after it was shut down for cost cutting. We're going to take a look at the impact this had on military families this Memorial Day just yesterday. That's next.

1:01:02In our world lead, long time viewers know that two years ago on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we brought attention to the fact that in 2015, the Obama administration ended a program that honored fallen service members. the AMBC American Battle Monuments Commission flower program allowed Gold Star families to pay to have flowers placed on the graves of their loved ones at cemeteries abroad, like Normandy. But now, 11 years after the end of that program and two years after we brought attention to it, the tradition is back. On Memorial Day, we honor American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice.

1:01:48And this year, a once long-standing program that places flowers at the graves of American heroes buried overseas has finally been reinstated. When I receive these flowers, it's quite touching to know that there's still Americans back home that are continuing to send flowers. The program is run by the American Battle Monuments Commission, And today, Superintendent Stephen Monroe placed flowers at the final resting place of Lieutenant Oliver Judd Kendall in northern France. Kendall was from Naperville, Illinois, and he volunteered for service in the United States Army as part of the 1st Division, 1st Engineers.

1:02:22There was an artillery barrage, and Lieutenant Kendall continued with his men until he went missing.

1:02:31We made a promise to the families that if their sons and daughters would rest in France, we would always take care of them. America's veterans and Gold Star families were able to send flowers to the graves of fallen U.S. members overseas for years. But two years ago, the lead first reported the program had been ended, with desperate Gold Star families pleading with us to help them bring it back. And our reporting directly sparked the White House effort to reinstate the program. Putting those flowers on his grave to honor him and his connection to us and our community is very, very important. Stacey Boyer is the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter in Lieutenant Kendall's hometown.

1:03:12What was delivered and placed on his grave right now is remarkable because it is double the size and cheaper than what we have been investing in every year for over 30 years. She says keeping that tradition going was not easy when the program was temporarily suspended in 2015. We've actually had members of our RVFW past commanders go there in person to make sure that Judd Kendall's grave has been honored with flowers. And Boyer says it's critical to keep honoring these fallen heroes, even as many of their immediate family members are also now gone. And it's more than just the fact that we can get flowers.

1:03:52It's about the fact that people care. Keeping the stories of these veterans alive for over 100 years, it's a beautiful thing. It makes my heart full. Joining us now is Rondi Elliott, the daughter of Corporal Frank Elliott, an American soldier who was tragically killed in action during the first wave of the D-Day invasion. Rondi was one at the time. And Rondi, the program is officially back. When we spoke to you two years ago, you were leading the fight for it to be reinstated. So what does it mean to you that it's back? Well, it means a lot to me, of course, but it means a lot to all of all star families.

1:04:27because really the only way that we have of honoring and remembering our fathers is to lay flowers on their graves. The time-honored tradition of laying flowers, you know, on a grave. And since their graves are across the ocean, these are all about the foreign cemeteries. These are not about, this is not about cemeteries that are in America. These are about, it's about the foreign cemeteries putting flowers on their graves. And so it means a whole lot to all of us that the program is finally back. And that's largely due to you putting it before the American public and a couple other people who helped us get here.

1:05:03Well, it's largely due to you and your advocacy. And I learned about your advocacy. And that's what we do here at The Lead is we bring voice to people like you. What were those 11 years like for you when the program was paused in 2015 and not brought back again until officially until this year? Well, you know, we just felt like like our government had kind of abandoned us because what we wanted was the government, the agency of the government responsible for taking care of the cemeteries. And that agency of the government was responsible for this flower program in helping Gold Star families to order flowers from a foreign florist and get those put on the grave of our of our of our loved one who's buried in our soldier.

1:05:47And so we felt disconnected and abandoned by the very government that our fathers died to save. Remind us of your father's story, Corporal Frank Elliott, who died during the D-Day invasion. His story? My father was in a tank. He was in Company A of the 741st Tank Battalion. And that is the only tank battalion, to my knowledge, that was scheduled to land right on the beach at Omaha Beach. So he did in that tank and him and his crew of five. Their tank was hit by German fire and it was sunk right off the shore. So they all climbed out and fought as infantry for the rest of the day. Well, nobody really fought on that day on Omaha Beach.

1:06:37It was just all they had to do was get off the beach so they could stay alive because they were being shot at constantly. So my father died on his way up the bluff. He lived most of the day and he was he died going up the bluff of Omaha Beach behind it. And on top of that bluff is where the cemetery exists now. But he stepped on a mine. And I think Hitler and his men had put down thousands of mines in every possible place. So my dad stepped on one of them and was instantly killed. That is his story. So he really didn't have a chance to fight very long. Well, he died. Right after his problem. He died saving the world for you and for me and for my children in preventing Hitler and tyranny from conquering the world.

1:07:28So we thank him and we remember him today, especially. Rondi Elliott, always an honor to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you. Tick tock, tick tock. It's the final hours of voting in Texas. Will President Trump's last minute endorsement of a candidate with, shall we say, baggage, have a significant effect on tonight's outcome? Our panel's going to weigh in next.

1:07:58In our Politics Lead, we are just hours away from the very first polls closing in the Texas primary runoff. But no matter how the John Cornyn versus Ken Paxton showdown ends, some Republicans worry that tonight marks the start of a costly general election to clean up after a very bitter primary fight between the two men, where the attacks continue right up until today, Election Day. I've asked Texans across the state for the last 14 months, Can you name in every meeting, whether it's one person or thousands, can you name something good John's accomplished for us or for the country? No one's ever done it.

1:08:37Texans have learned the hard way that you can't trust Ken Paxton. He lied to taxpayers, his senior staff got impeached by a Republican-led House of Representatives and hung taxpayers with$6.6 million in a judgment from whistleblowers who turned him into the FBI. Here now the panel. Shermichael, an unnamed Texas Republican state lawmaker, warned that this vitriol will be long lasting. He told Politico, or she told Politico, whichever. Quote, Trump has destroyed that trust there. No matter what we do for you, you will stab us in the back. That's what he did to Cornyn. So it doesn't seem as though, at least according to this unnamed Texas Republican, that the blowback is only for Paxton and Cornyn.

1:09:24And some people think that Trump betrayed, you know, a very Texas institution, John Cornett. Yeah, look, I mean, John Cornett's been around a long time. He served in the Texas Supreme Court as a stalwart in Republican circles. And even many Democratic lawmakers hold him in high regards. There are obviously ideological differences, but they've always seen him as someone that they could work with in a bipartisan effort. That said, looking at this politically, I still feel strongly that Republicans will maintain the seat. It is going to be costly. I have to be quite honest about that. We're expecting maybe to spend over 200 million dollars.

1:09:58The NRSC also has other races that they must prioritize. Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Susan Collins and Maine. And so my expectation is that the president's PAC, MAGA Inc., will come in and to help make up that financial difference. Looking at Tellurico, I think he's a good orator. He's an interesting candidate. But I think many of his pronouncements about policies, cultural issues don't resonate with the broader Texas electorate. So despite the shortfall of Ken Paxton, I ultimately think he'll still prevail. So, Maul, according to FEC filings, Kornan had a huge fundraising advantage, just huge. He raised$9 million.

1:10:35Paxton only had$2.2 million during the first quarter of 2026. Tallarico, the Democrat, raised$27 million. How much do you think Democrats are actually going to invest in this race if Paxton wins? Yeah, well, Tallarico's not going to have a problem pushing back on some of those attacks you were just warning he's going to face, right? He's got the money to do it. Look, Schermark and I were just talking in the green room. People forget Beto O 'Rourke came within three points of defeating Ted Cruz in Texas back in, I think it was 18, 2018. The changing demographics of the state have been making the state more competitive electorally.

1:11:18maybe slowly, maybe more slowly than some other states, but it's moving in that direction. It's moving towards becoming a purple state. You've seen huge volatility in the way a lot of the Latino voters along the border have been voting. They had been stalwart Democrats. They voted for Trump last time. They seem to be swinging back. Texas could be in play. We're seeing that not just in this race. There's polling that shows it may be more competitive than expected in the governor's race, I think you are going to see investment in Texas. And even if it is a cycle too soon for it to flip, Republicans are going to have to spend money to delay that inevitability of it becoming a competitive.

1:11:55So, and just a note on that. So, Beto O 'Rourke, when he ran against Ted Cruz and lost relatively narrowly, but still lost, he outspent Cruz. So, money is not the be-all and end-all. It doesn't solve all the problems. That's right. But it could make Republicans divert money from like the main race. Yeah, some of the races I just pointed out. You're absolutely right. There are candidates. You like Mike Rogers, a former congressman running in Michigan who's running a very competitive race. Some of the polling internal and external suggest that he could very well win that Senate campaign. But to Mo's point, Jake, this is something that I think should not be lost upon the audience or even Republicans in Texas and outside of Texas.

1:12:37And that is a very real reality of migration pattern shifts, being people moving from Texas to California, also immigration, people coming into the state of Texas. And how many who belong to those groups tend to vote more so to the Democratic side. Or if you're looking at southern parts of the state, they can be a little swingy. Maybe they'll vote Republican on some issues. Maybe they'll vote for the right Democrat with the right messaging under the right circumstances. I think we'll win this November. But to your point, Mo, what does that mean about the next election cycle. You're looking at the numbers.

1:13:09Can Republicans make an argument that brings those disparate groups under our coalition? I'm not necessarily certain about that, Jake, as I look at things in this immediate moment now. Yeah. Let's turn to the new construction going on at the White House. We have talked about the ballroom. We have talked about the reflecting pool. We've talked about the arch. This, however, is temporary. You're looking at pictures as Trump Trump prepares for the big UFC cage fight on June 14th, June 14th being both Flag Day and the day that President Trump turns 80. Now, Democrats are posting a lot of these images on social media.

1:13:43This one from Gavin Newsom's press office, the Democratic governor of California, says, quote, Mr. President, we just want lower gas prices. And the DNC posts, quote, we have no money for health care. and then with the picture of the UFC thing being constructed. Your response, Sir Michael? I think that politically this is culturally smart. You think about young men age 25 and slightly older than 45 who voted for President Trump overwhelmingly. You look at the shifts with many young men moving more to the right. The UFC is incredibly popular among younger men. I'm a big fan of the UFC, just to be honest about that.

1:14:20A little of my bias as I give my analysis here. But I can see how the president and Republicans would utilize the imagery of this to target young men with a message of masculinity, that being that the Republican Party is the party of men and some sort of traditional values that I think will resonate with a lot of younger guys out there. What do you think? I mean, like this does lay a trap potentially for Democrats to look, oh, no, we're, you know, like coastal elites instead of, you know, people who like NASCAR, who like football, who like UFC. What do you think? I think people who like UFC, people who like NASCAR, people who like football are paying too much at the gas tank right now.

1:15:02Right. They're at the gas pumps right now. And I think they want a president who is focused on bringing that down. And one of the reasons we're seeing his numbers crater amongst some of those very groups you're talking about is because they see him focused on everything else but that. Now they're looking at images of him putting up this huge, elaborate stage at the White House to celebrate his birthday. Maybe they don't have a problem with UFC, but they certainly have a problem that that's where his focus is and not bringing down prices. And quickly, my response, well said, Mo. My response to my Democratic friends who would make that argument would be we can accomplish both of those things.

1:15:44We can address cost of living. We can address Ford and housing shortages across the country while also targeting young men with a message about masculinity. You can, but you're not. And that's the problem. Well, sure. Michael is. Sure. Michael is. As always, you have my vote, sure, Michael. Thanks to both of you. Coming up, you know him from late night TV. You know him from The Drew Carey Show. Now actor and comedian Craig Ferguson is coming to CNN with a brand new original series exploring why he decided to become an American citizen. That's next.

1:16:19Our pop culture lead as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday, comedian Craig Ferguson is hitting the road in a brand new CNN series looking for what it really means to be an American today. In our conversation about the show, I asked Ferguson why he left his native Scotland and decided to become American on purpose.

1:16:42For years actor and comedian Craig Ferguson built a devoted following with his offbeat humor, sharp improvisation and unpredictable style.

1:16:54A native of Scotland and the UK where he enjoyed a successful decade-long career, Ferguson took off in America with the sitcom The Drew Carey Show. All right, all right, I like it. His irreverence, charm, and distinct Scottish accent became his trademark during his years in late-night television. Ah, I got you going tonight. And now, in his new CNN original series, American on Purpose, Ferguson travels across the country using comedy, history, and conversation to explore the nation he chose to call home. It's a little more... I recently spoke with Ferguson in D.C. with the White House just behind us about the series and why his fascination with America began early.

1:17:34Why did you want to become a U.S. citizen? I've wanted to become a U.S. citizen since I was a little kid. I first came here when I was 13 years old. There used to be, for about six months, there were discount flights from Scotland to JFK just at the right time where me and my dad could afford it. So we came over on a really cheap flight to visit my Uncle James, my Aunt Susan, who lived in Long Island. I was 13. I came straight from Glasgow in Scotland to New York City. I was like, I'll do this instead. Is it because you wanted to be a performer and this is like the world headquarters of performing?

1:18:06I think that was part of it, but I think it was also... I think it was... I'm going to take my glasses off, too. I feel bad about wearing my glasses. You do whatever you want to do. Now, I'm mirroring you. They teach you that in Hollywood. I'm mirroring you. Just like Ferguson himself, the series is funny, eccentric, curious and deeply interested in the idea of what it means to be American. just as the nation approaches its 250th birthday. This is the Declaration of Independence. Can I touch it? No. No, don't touch it. The 250th became a kind of useful way for me to express my gratitude to the situation that America afforded me.

1:18:41I mean, everything in my life comes from America. So you're also a very proud son of Scotland. Sure. And how do you reconcile the two, or is there no reconciliation? Because when you're an American, you can be everything. You bring it in. You bring it in with you. I mean, the one thing I'm quite glad of is that Scotland, we didn't bring all the food. The other cultures bring the food and we brought some other stuff. That whole, all that, the Commonwealth's, you can keep your food where there. Well, I don't know. I mean, well, as you say it, I suppose. Well, but you're a big haggis proponent. Huggis tacos.

1:19:12Get your haggis tacos. American On Purpose arrives at a moment when the U.S. is facing many challenges. But for Ferguson, the show isn't about ignoring the country's problems. It's about exploring what still makes America worth celebrating. So you are doing all this, celebrating your citizenship at a time that a lot of people are kind of worried about this experiment, the American experiment. Yeah, I think if you look closely at the American experiment from even before 1776, a lot of people have been worried the whole time. I think part of an experiment, particularly when it involves a country like this, is that worry is involved.

1:19:52I was doing this thing in Pennsylvania. I was talking to some very, very clever people there. And I was talking about how people say at the moment, it's never been as bad as this. It's never been as divided as this. And all the academics always laugh when you say that. Oh, it's been worse. It's been a lot worse. Of course, it was not self-evident. For Ferguson, it was never just one thing that pulled him toward America. It was the sheer scale and variety of our culture. I found the Ramones and Iggy Pop. And I found David Byrne, who's from Scotland, who became an American. There was Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock and country music, Johnny Cash.

1:20:27The diversity of American life, the absolute encyclopedic giganticness of America appealed to me. It's not one thing. And that kind of appeals to me. I'm very scatterbrained sort of a person. To have a country that has this much in it is a smorgasbord of culture. America's diversity, contradictions, and constant reinvention are not a flaw in the experiment for Craig Ferguson. They're part of what makes it worth joining. I'm very happy to be from Scotland, but I'm very happy to live here. Craig Ferguson's American on Purpose premieres Saturday at 9 p.m. on CNN and then streaming the next day on the CNN app.

1:21:14If you ever miss an episode of the lead, You can watch the show on the CNN app. Erin Burnett out front starts right now. Take it away, her.

1:21:27Hey, I'm Anderson Cooper on my podcast. All there is we explore grief and loss in all its complexities. You have been, and I mean, this so sincerely the soundtrack to my healing. My guest on this episode is Chanel Jones in January. She began hosting along with Jenna Bush Hager. Today with Jenna and Chanel, the fourth hour of the Today Show. In May 2025, Chanel's husband, Uche Oje, died from glioblastoma. When you hear other people share, it is healing, and you don't feel as isolated. You feel less alone. And so I feel like you've created this beautiful quilt of, like, nurturing our hearts. And so I am honored to be part of this quilt.

1:22:10Talking grief, building community. That's what the podcast is all about. This is all there is. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.