Trump, FBI Director Tout “Sweeping” Crime Crackdown

23:49Jake, I think we are feeling strong because of what we're hearing from our constituents. The Senate is in. We've never gone out, the House hadn't been here for weeks. But I do on weekends. I travel around Virginia. The last three weekends, I've been in all parts of the state. And what I hear from people is they appreciate the position that we're taking, that we need to stop their health care premiums from dramatically spiking between now and the end of the year, which is a natural effect of the reconciliation bill that President Trump and Republicans passed over the summer. They want us to stop their health care costs from going up.

24:25They're seeing too much price inflation on food and building supplies and farmers having to pay more for fertilizer. They don't want to pay more for health insurance. And we're hearing that from constituents everywhere. And then there's the second issue that's really important in this is we have to get an agreement from the White House that a deal really is a deal, that they won't do a deal and then just fire more people next week or cancel more economic development projects, hurting Virginia and other states or taking back more public health money. So those are the two issues. Let's fix health care and let's assure that a deal is a deal.

25:03Have you and your Democratic colleagues lobbied Republican senators to support extending the Obamacare premiums, the Obamacare subsidies? Would there be more than 50 votes for that in the Senate? Yes, we believe there is. It's a little bit of a timing issue. But, Jake, I know you follow this. Many Republicans, and not just a few, have said, you're right, we have to fix this premium issue so people's premiums don't spike. They get it. They say they know they need to fix it. And we're saying, then let's go ahead and fix it now. The one ingredient that is missing right now is a president who's engaged.

25:41The Democrats put an alternative on the table on the 18th of September. He told the House, write a budget and don't deal with Democrats. But we put an alternative on the table and asked to meet with the president. As you know, he finally agreed to do it the day before the shutdown deadline and then just ridiculed the Democrats with AI-generated videos of them wearing sombreros and speaking words that they didn't really say. He's not taking it seriously. He met with the president of Argentina yesterday to give him$20 billion when Argentina is now making money because China won't buy our soybeans, but he won't meet with congressional leaders to find an off ramp.

26:18Once he engages, this thing will get solved in 48 hours. Virginia, as I know you know better than I, Virginia is one of the states or commonwealths with the most federal workers in the country, nearly 150 ,000 in September of last year, according to the Office of Personnel Management, although that was before the doge cuts. You must have constituents who are federal employees who are not being paid right now and are frustrated and maybe aren't confident that this is the right approach. Well, I certainly in the last three weekends when I was traveling around Virginia, I was everywhere and not just talking to Democrats.

26:58But the overwhelming message from Virginians is Donald Trump started to punish us the day he was inaugurated. And it's time to stand up and get the punishment to stop. I'm not hearing the message you've got to give in to the bully. They're saying we're tired of it. We're tired of the layoffs. We're tired of canceling economic development projects and having funds pulled back from the state. It's time to draw the line and stop it. So you're right. I think I have the second most federal employees. California has more, but we probably have the most per capita. And it's painful. But I'm meeting people everywhere I go who have lost a job or their spouse might lose a job.

27:39But they are saying, stand up, show some backbone. The president can't say we're only going to do a budget and not deal with Democrats at all and expect Democrats to vote for it. Let's fix this health care problem, which which affects Republican parts of my state, frankly, more than the blue zones of my state. Let's fix it together and let's get a president who will just agree that if we make a deal, he'll honor the deal. Politico ran a story yesterday making a lot of waves. It was about a shocking group chat with leaders of a young Republicans organization. And in the messages were vile bigotry and filth, talking about loving Hitler, full of racial slurs, musings about putting enemies in gas chambers, sexually assaulting them, flip references to Hitler.

28:29Vice President Vance was asked to comment on that today. And in response, he cited these text messages that have rocked the attorney general's race in Virginia. Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones had written some pretty horrific messages a few years ago, 2022, about a Republican legislator and his family. Take a listen to Vice President Vance. a person who is very politically powerful who is about to become one of the most powerful law enforcement officers in the country that person seriously wishing for political violence and political assassination is 1 000 times worse than what a bunch of young people a bunch of kids say in a group chat however offensive it might be that's just reality So you have condemned what Jones wrote in those text messages, but you and there are no Democratic officials in Virginia who have called for Jones to drop out of the race.

29:27And Republicans are seizing that on that as a political opportunity and basically saying, hey, Senator Cain, you don't have the moral high ground here. What do you think of that? Well, and look, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia has said some vile things, and we haven't called on her to drop out of the race. The voters are going to make this decision. The Jay Jones texts were abhorrent, and they are indefensible, but I also have known Jay Jones for 25 years, and I put that knowledge on a scale, and it weighs more than one really indefensible set of texts. But I'll tell you this, Jake, it's interesting to know Jay Jones has earnestly and sincerely apologized and said he made a grievous error.

30:11What did you hear from J.D. Vance? Did he say any of these texts were wrong? I didn't hear any condemning of the text. I didn't hear him having any concerns about what was said. So look, I think people in public life, when they make mistakes, they ought to apologize at a minimum. And I've heard that from Jay, and I certainly haven't heard it from J.D. Vance. Well, I don't know, Jay Jones, but I know you a little bit, and I cannot imagine you ever saying anything like that. Is it possible you don't know him as well as you thought you did? Well, look, you read these and it's shocking. It is shocking.

30:48I do know him well. I've known him since he was a teenager. I ran against his father for lieutenant governor in a Democratic primary in 2001. It's been 25 years ago. I think I know pretty well. This was clearly a very, he was very worked up about something at the time and shared thoughts in a way that shouldn't come across your mind, much less get put into a test. The voters are going to have to figure that out. But knowing him for 25 years gives me a vantage point on him, and that's why I'm still supporting him. But again, on the Politico story about these texts, I don't know. I haven't heard any contrition coming out of the folks that were involved.

31:26Maybe I've missed it. I've been here working on trying to get this defense bill done and get government reopened again. I think there has been some contrition from some people, some players, but perhaps not enough from the Republican Party in general. But then again, I'm sure they would say the same about Jay Jones and the Democrats. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, thank you so much. Really appreciate your time today. In just a few minutes, we're going to get a Republican senators' point of view on the shutdown stalemate. And this big programming note, a live CNN town hall is going to go down tonight.

31:59Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are going to join with CNN's Caitlin Collins in a town hall to discuss the path forward to take audience questions. It's Shut Down America, a CNN town hall. It's live tonight at nine o 'clock Eastern only on CNN. Next here on The Lead, the new candidates jumping into some hotly contested races and renewing a debate over age in politics.

32:54But what exactly? Let's bring in the panel right now to talk about politics. We have with us Ashley Etienne and former Congressman Peter Meyer. Gentlemen, or gentle lady and gentlemen, let's start right now with the fact that Congressman Seth Moulton, who's 46, has launched a new campaign to replace Senator Ed Markey, who is 79 years old. Here's a little bit of his announcement. With everything we learned last election, I just don't believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old. Even more, I don't think someone who's been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment.

33:48So what exactly do you think about this, Ashley? This is the second notable Senate campaign launch this week. The other in Maine is a little different. It was Governor Janet Mills launching her bid. She's 77 years old. She's going to be up in the primary against a 41-year-old candidate named Graham Platner, who's a Marine Army veteran and an oysterman. Are Democratic voters ready to take a chance on younger candidates, do you think? I mean, I definitely hope so. I mean, you look all over the country and young people coming out in big numbers electing younger elected officials. Here's the thing, though.

34:28You know, I think there's old members in both parties. Do I think it's time for a generational shift in change in leadership on the Democratic side? Absolutely. But I do think that the critique should be less about age and more about effectiveness. We have a lot of young leaders in the Democratic Party now that are proven not to be very effective. So I remember when Seth Moulton was trying to run against Speaker Pelosi when I was working for her, and he made the argument that she was too old and she didn't deserve a second at bat in terms of the speakership. And that was her best performance of her entire career, the Trump 1.0.

35:05So I do think that we need to really focus more on whether or not these elect officials are effective. And I think my advice to Seth Moulton would be to focus on his own record, what he's been able to do to really drive the point that we need new leadership because we need new ideas and we need effective leaders. We have seen, Congressman, other Democrats launching primary bids and the older incumbents, Jan Schakowsky in Chicago, Gerald Nadler in New York, ultimately announcing that they're not going to run for reelection. What dynamic do you see in play with the Massachusetts Senate race? No, I think it makes perfect sense to be looking at, especially a Senate seat and say, hey, you know, I believe Senator Markey is 77 years old.

35:54You know, what's that going to look like six years from now? This was the argument as well during the presidential campaign, you know, around whether or not Joe Biden had the fitness to continue on. I mean, the reality is that within Congress in the past two decades, the number of septu-genarians and octu-genarians has quadrupled, right? It is a bipartisan problem for sure. Democrats are a little bit worse at it. But a lot of that's just because you are, you know, have parties and outside organizations that are supporting incumbents, that are supporting the people that they know. And then the challenge becomes, you know, the United States Congress was not intended to be a retirement facility.

36:31The number of members who end up dying in office, I mean, you would think it's an incredibly dangerous profession up there with logging and, you know, deep sea fishing. How many folks end up dying in that line of work simply because they don't know when to let go? You have Eleanor Horms Norton. She is, you know, representing Washington, D.C. as a non-voting delegate. I mean, she's 88 years old and was kind of nowhere to be seen with all of the issues going on between the Trump administration and the District of Columbia. I mean, the question of effectiveness is a very valid and legitimate one.

37:04But I think oftentimes that is the exception rather than the rule when you have folks who in any other industry would have been forced to retire decades prior. A story in Politico yesterday exposed an astonishingly hateful group of group text of leaders of young Republican organizations earlier this year. To sum it up, Politico writes that these individuals, quote, referred to black people as monkeys and the watermelon people, mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies, driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed supported slavery.

37:40Two of the individuals have now offered apologies. Politico says at least one of them has lost their job. Several prominent Republicans have condemned the messages. The vice president has also reacted, not so much with condemnation. Here is what he said earlier today on The Charlie Kirk Show. The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys. They tell edgy, offensive jokes like that's what kids do. And I really don't want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke, telling a very offensive stupid joke, is caused to ruin their lives. We should know that I don't know why he's calling them kids.

38:20The individuals in this organization range anywhere from 18 to 40 years old. The vice president is 41. So I don't know if he considers himself a kid. What was your response to this when you first heard about this, Ashley? And I should also note that some of those folks in that chain were elected officials. They weren't just random individuals within the Republican Party. They actually had leadership roles and were elected to office. I mean, I wasn't surprised. I don't know who's surprised that Republicans talk like this. on the record and off the record. This is how they talk. And it's part of their DNA.

38:59It's who they are from the top all the way down to the bottom. J.D. Vance included in that. So I'm not really surprised by this. I don't expect anyone on the Republican side to disavow any of the language. I mean, some at the lower level, but I don't expect anyone in leadership to do it because this is who they are. And it's regrettable. There was a time when I started on Capitol Hill when things like this would happen and you would have members of a particular party that said, this isn't who we are and ask people to step down, either remove them from their committee assignments, not support their fundraisers.

39:35I mean, all kinds of actions they would take against them now, but there's so much of the incentive in Congress has been flipped now. And in each of these individual members are individual entities. So I just don't expect there to be an apology because this is who the Republican Party has proven to be now. Congressman, what do you think about the fact that J.D. Vance refuses to condemn this? He constantly brings up those horrific text messages from the attorney general candidate, the Democratic attorney general candidate in Virginia, which obviously have been condemned and we've covered on this show.

40:09But I don't understand the idea of why it all can't just be condemned as horrific. Yeah, it should all be condemned that's horrific. But I mean, J.D. Vance has been at a great point that one or a bunch of random folks, yes, there were some state legislators in the chat. The worst things were coming from staffers and not a single person in this group had I heard of. But most of those folks have already either been fired or resigned versus Jay Jones is sitting there running for office and not a single person has pulled their endorsement or support for him. All right, Congressman Ashley Etienne, thanks so much.

40:41Appreciate it.

40:45Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour today, a judge blocked President Trump from laying off any further federal workers during the shutdown. But what exactly does that mean for the employees in limbo? In moments, I'm going to talk to the head of the union representing more than 800 ,000 federal workers as they're all wondering when and if they're going to get paid or fired. plus a major case that could undercut the Voting Rights Act and have nationwide impacts going in front of the U.S. Supreme Court earlier today. What the justices' comments are signaling about how they might rule and what that means for control of Congress.

41:20And a father in Arkansas charged with murdering his teenage daughter's accused rapist. And now, as he's about to go on trial, he's also running for county sheriff and pledging to fix the system he says failed his child.

41:42The lead tonight, a federal judge is temporarily blocking the Trump administration from laying off thousands of federal workers during the government shutdown, calling the move unlawful. Today's order stems from a lawsuit filed by labor unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees. This comes as the White House budget chief is warning layoffs will likely reach, quote, north of 10 ,000. That's permanent layoffs, not just furloughs. The president of this American Federation of Government Employees Union, Everett Kelly, joins us now. Everett, what is your reaction to the temporary block from this judge and do you think it will hold?

42:17Well, Jake, first of all, thank you for having me. And I am ecstatic. I think that the judge made the right call. The judge has declared that this is illegal, just as we have always said it was illegal and we will continue to fight this if we have to, do I think it will hold? I think that ultimately, in the end, you know, right will prevail because we're on the side of right. I think that it will. What does this mean for the more than 3 ,500 workers who have already been permanently laid off? Will they get their jobs back? Well, I think that what has happened, there was a riff notice sent out.

42:54The action hadn't been taken yet. So I'm uncertain at this moment as to whether they're going to try to go through with those actions or let those actions lay in limbo until there was a final decision made here. Earlier today, White House Budget Office head Russ Vogt said layoffs are going to likely reach north of 10 ,000. That's permanent layoff he's talking about. What have you been hearing from federal workers who have already been impacted? Well, federal workers is very upset. They are frustrated. And they don't think they should continue to be pawns in this game. You know, and so they want to come to work.

43:31They want to do their job and provide the services to the American people. That's what they want. Yesterday, I spoke with Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas about the permanent firings of government workers. Take a listen to what he said. I value these people. I value the jobs that they're doing. I want to help them find another job. There's eight million open jobs across the country right now. But let's face it, the government has grown too big. He's saying the government's too big and these firings are necessary. What's your response? I think he needs to come back to the force, right?

44:08I think he's AWOL. I'm a soldier. And an AWOL person needs to come back and get the job done. You know, this Congress needs to be here in Washington, D.C., working these issues out because the government is not too large. You know, matter of fact, if you look at some of the agencies, they have so much understaffed, You know, until they have been reaching out saying, look, give us the staff we need to perform the services for the American people. I don't believe that the government is too large. I think that this administration need to fund the government so that they can perform the duties that they have signed up to do for the American people.

44:47Albert Kelly, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Let's turn now to Republican Senator Katie Britt from the state of Alabama. She's joining us now from Capitol Hill. So, Senator, what's your reaction to what Everett Scott just had to say, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, about the firings of federal workers? It is Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats who are utilizing the federal workforce as pawns. When you think about this, it is critically important that we focus right where we need to, and that is that this shutdown should not be occurring. Jake, we have put forth a clean CR to allow us to continue to fund the government while we work out any issues, primarily among them actually getting appropriations bills across the finish line.

45:28Unfortunately, Chuck Schumer and his colleagues have chosen to play politics, and they've done that, obviously, with the lives of federal workers. When we're looking around the country and when we're talking to constituencies, whether that's pay for military, whether that's making sure the WIC program continues, or, you know, whether that's the VA services. I had a call about this today. We want to make sure people are receiving their paychecks, that we want to make sure that people are receiving these services. And it is Senate Democrats and Chuck Schumer that have chosen to play politics. Okay.

46:01But you understand that while that's going on, while the shutdown is going on, and I understand you blame it on Democrats and I understand why, but the White House budget chief, Russ Vogt, is taking advantage of the shutdown to fire federal workers permanently. And he says layoffs, permanent layoffs during the shutdown are going to likely reach, quote, north of 10 ,000. Do you support that? Look, Jake, what I support is opening back up the government. I mean, we should absolutely, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Senate Democrats have chosen that they were going to halt all government services because they wanted to hold us hostage for a$1.5 trillion deal, which was actually just for four weeks of funding.

46:42I think you look at this, you've got to take a step back, Jake. We spend$1.8 trillion in a year total. And the fact that Senate Democrats came up and said we want one point five trillion for four weeks is absolutely ridiculous. We need to get back to doing the work of the American people and actually open the government. These are things that you heard from the administration prior to this. And look, it's on Chuck Schumer and it's on Senate Democrats to say, let's get back to doing work and let's have these conversations simultaneously with that. Earlier this month, the Department of Labor filed a new rule in the Federal Register because of the crackdown on illegal immigration.

47:20And they say it's this crackdown has exacerbated labor shortages in agriculture, which I know affects your state a lot, making agriculture prices go up. It could put the U.S. food supply at risk. The new rule essentially would help out farmers by lowering the pay for seasonal migrants working in agriculture under the H-2A visa program. Are you at all concerned about this immigration, illegal immigration crackdown affecting agricultural work in Alabama and across the country? Look, I know that there are no greater supporters of President Trump than our farmers. And I know the farmers are the best among us.

47:58You mentioned it earlier, but farming and agriculture is about 20 percent of our jobs in Alabama. One in five, one in four, depending on what you're looking at, are connected to that. We know that if you can't feed and clothe yourself, nothing else matters. I know that President Trump knows that. He has that front and center. He's making sure that when you look at the tariff issue and making sure as we look to onshore and reshore our critical supply chain and drive up American wages, that we're also making sure that our farmers get a fair shake. Look, there have been markets that have been unopened to our agriculture community for decades.

48:30And President Trump is saying, no, they need a seat at the table. And our farmers need to be able to send their goods, send their services, send those products across the globe. So I think that there are a number of different things here at play. And I know, but what I do know is that front and center are making sure that we can feed and clothe not just America, but people across the globe. And President Trump is going to make sure that that's a reality. And so, Jake, you'll see a number of different tools being used and a number of different conversations happening to make sure that our agriculture community has what it needs to continue to do just that.

49:02I'm sure I don't need to tell you that soybean farmers in the United States are struggling largely in part because of the trade war with China. China used to be the main purchaser of U.S. soybeans, and now they're getting them from other places such as Argentina because of the high tariffs. Argentina is a country that President Trump is trying to give a$20 billion bailout to. What do you say to the struggling soybean farmers in Alabama who want free trade and don't want the U.S. to be helping its competitors in Argentina? Look, I think President Trump has our agriculture communities back. He understands the grit that our family farmers put in every single day, and they want certainty.

49:42He's going to make sure that he creates a space for them in markets across the globe, and he's to make sure that they can continue to do what they're doing best. Look, for years we've seen Joe Biden turn a blind eye to our agriculture community. I remember at the end of last year, no one was hit harder by Joe Biden and his policies than our ag community. When you think about input costs, they were absolutely through the roof, whether it was fertilizer, whether it was workforce issues, you know, whether it was mechanics, whether no matter what it was, they were actually paying the price. When you look at all of that and you looked at the fact that they did not pass a farm bill, Jake, under President Biden's last administration, when Chuck Schumer was the lead of the Senate.

50:21We pass a farm bill every five years. Chuck Schumer failed to bring that to the floor. So we had farmers that were having to deal with reference prices that were from 2012 research that had been instituted in 27, 2018 and had never been changed. So while their input costs were through the roof, Jake, they had actually been capped at what they can make. President Trump in the one big beautiful bill said we see you and we are going to make sure that we change this So things that they had been waiting for for what seemed to be years Actually came into fruition there in the one big beautiful bill So as that continues to move forward and they actually be they're actually able to to take advantage of the things in that bill That's going to be a game changer.

51:02President Trump is looking to open up new markets for them We have a lot of things that we have moving to make sure that our agriculture community has what it needs to feed and clothe America Because we know that food security is national security So I would say to them president trump is on it He knows how important and critical you are not just to the united states, but to the globe And he's going to make sure that you have the respect and ability to continue to do what you do best Republican senator katie britt of alabama. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Thanks, jake And don't miss a live CNN Town Hall event tonight.

51:38Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, are going to join my colleague CNN's Caitlin Collins to discuss the path forward and take audience questions. It's Shut Down America, CNN Town Hall, live tonight at 9 Eastern. New videos show the moments after some of the free-living Israeli hostages were reunited with their families, but the terrorist group Hamas has only handed over about a third of the remaining deceased hostages. So is the ceasefire deal on thin ice? That's next. Plus, we're going live to Chicago after the Trump administration claimed that Mexican cartels are trying to target federal agents on the ground in the Windy City.

52:17Stick with us.

52:34say in design and we start today. Oh, wow. You're not just going to steal everything. Surprise! Ready to get your house crashed? For real. A little dated. It's time to turn this over to us. You guys got to get out of here. Get out of here. Crashers, all new Monday at 10 on HGTV.

52:55And we're back with our world leader stress test for the Israel Hamas ceasefire. Today, Hamas returned two more bodies of killed hostages to Israel. Only nine have been returned in total. And there are no more to hand over, according to the terrorist group. They claim they're going to need special equipment to access any of the rest. Remember, under the ceasefire agreement that Hamas agreed to, Hamas had 72 hours after Israel agreed to the terms of the agreement to return, quote, all hostages, alive and deceased. That window, of course, has long since passed. Today, a top White House advisor insisted that no one is going to be left behind, adding that they did not feel that Hamas has violated the terms of the ceasefire.

53:37The ceasefire plan also states, quote, Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Also today, CNN Geo located a video that appears to have taken place in Gaza City in the past few days, showing masked men in Hamas headbands executing eight blindfolded people in a public square. Joining us now to discuss the latest in Gaza, David Miliband, former British foreign secretary, current president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee or IRC. Sir, how are you? What is the IRC staff telling you about conditions on the ground in Gaza right now?

54:15Is Hamas fully back in power? Good evening, Jake. The team that we have on the ground, 50 to 60 strong, Gazan themselves, many of them displaced by the conflict, are reporting that Monday was a good day. Aid flowed. That's critical medical aid, nutritional supplies, food, and also commercial traffic was strong on Monday. The last two days, much more difficult. 300 ,000 people have returned to their homes in Gaza City, including some of our staff, finding their homes are no longer there. And more significant, perhaps, the restrictions on aid that have been imposed over the last 36 hours ago or so are putting a chill in the hopes that were established on Monday.

54:59In terms of the situation on the ground, it's not right to say that the whole of the Gaza Strip has been taken over or retaken over by Hamas. It's obviously a much more divided sector. And so what we're looking for is for a continuation of the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial traffic that was started on Monday, because it's critical that the overwhelming needs of civilians who are currently being forced to pay the price of the war, it's critical that their situation is addressed. So the UN says that Israel notified them that the reason that the aid is being reduced that's allowed into Gaza is because Hamas has not returned all hostage remains as they agreed to do so.

55:46Today, new satellite images show trucks lined up at the Gaza-Egypt border. Obviously, you disagree with Israel's actions, but couldn't Hamas just end this by turning over the remaining deceased hostages? Of course. This is not about who we agree with or disagree with. It's about the conditions on the ground. 170 ,000 tons worth of medical supplies and food are waiting to be allowed in. There is a UN plan which has been coordinated across all the non-governmental organizations, all the humanitarian aid organizations that include us, to ensure that we get the priorities right, that water and sanitation is restored, that food is brought to those who need it, that medical supplies are distributed, and that those who are sick are tended to.

56:29What we know is that there's nothing in the agreement that says civilians should pay the price of a dispute about who is or is not following the terms of the agreement. And as you rightly quoted the White House saying, it's not clear in the agreement that the aid should be what's suspended when there is a dispute of the kind that you've described. So I asked President Trump today what he will do if Hamas doesn't disarm, which is what's called for in point six of the 20 point plan. The president told me in a brief phone conversation, quote, Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word.

57:08If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of Hamas, they'd do that. Basically saying that if Hamas doesn't follow through, the IDF will resume its military campaign. How likely do you think it is that this whole war restarts? And what might that mean for Palestinians, the innocent Palestinians in Gaza? Yeah, well, obviously our overwhelming desire is that every party in the conflict fulfills every single one of the 20 points that are in President Trump's plan. The situation on the ground is beyond dire. It's impossible to overstate the degree of destruction and distress that exists in Gaza at the moment.

57:48The flickering of hope after the ceasefire announcement, after the arrival of some humanitarian aid on Monday, needs to be nurtured. If I had time with President Trump, I'd be begging him, let's make sure that it's not the civilians of Gaza who pay the price again for a dispute about the implementation of this. Let's make sure that your plan is fully implemented and that there's absolute attention to every detail of that. Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband now with IRC. Thank you so much, sir. It's always good to have you. Thanks for having me on. Up next, how a father charged with killing his daughter's alleged rapist could soon be become a sheriff.

58:37And our politics lead, meet Aaron Spencer. Aaron Spencer faces a second-degree murder charge in last October's fatal shooting of a man who had been accused of sexually assaulting Aaron Spencer's then 13-year-old daughter. But now Aaron Spencer is running for sheriff at this County. CNN's Bryn Gingrass takes us now inside his campaign to, in his words, restore trust in law enforcement. I'm the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed. Aaron Spencer is charged with murdering his 13-year-old daughter's accused abuser. Spencer pleaded not guilty. He's out on bail and about to go on trial for the crime while also running for county sheriff.

59:19Through my own fight for justice, I've seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by. Spencer is hoping to unseat the incumbent sheriff of Lone Oak County, Arkansas. I'm John Staley, your Lone Oak County sheriff. The same man who was in office when authorities arrested Spencer last October for shooting 67-year-old Michael Fosler. At the time of the murder, Fosler was out on bond, already charged with 43 criminal counts of sex-related crimes against Spencer's daughter. Spencer's wife, Heather, says the family woke one night to find their daughter missing.

59:55In that moment, we realize that she may have been taken, but it's the middle of the night and everything is happening in seconds, and every second counts, she wrote on social media. Despite Fosler having a no-contact order, court documents show Spencer found the two inside Fosler's truck. Spencer forced Fosler's truck off the highway. After an altercation, Spencer called 911 to report that he had shot Fosler. We feel very confident that this community is going to come to Aaron's side. An online petition has already collected more than 350 ,000 signatures, with supporters urging the second-degree murder charge to be dropped, many calling Spencer a hero.

1:00:35Every one of them would have done the same thing for their child or their neighbor's child or a member of their family. Yeah, a lot of reaction to this story, Jake. We're going to have to see how this all plays out. Now, Spencer's trial begins in January. The primary for that sheriff's race is in March, with the general election, of course, being in November. If he does, you know, is convicted of this crime, of course, he can't continue to campaign or run for election. So, again, we'll have to see how this all plays out. Jake. Fascinating story. Bryn Jingrass, thanks so much. Appreciate it. The Trump administration is confirming that it has revoked the visas of multiple foreigners that the administration claims celebrated the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

1:01:18And that's next.

1:01:25In our Law and Justice League, a woman shot by a federal agent after allegedly ramming a law enforcement vehicle with her car near Chicago. Well, this woman was back in court today. Marimar Martinez appeared for an arraignment on the charge of assaulting federal officers. Her lawyer says body cam video can prove that she did not do it. CNN's Omar Jimenez is in Broadview, Illinois, outside the ICE facility that's been the epicenter of tension in the Chicago area related to the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. Omar, what happened in court today? Yeah. So for starters, she pleaded not guilty to essentially the government had accused her of impeding and assaulting law enforcement officers here, federal law enforcement officers.

1:02:12And one of the main disputes, just talking to her defense attorney, is whether she actually did ram this vehicle. The defense attorney is claiming that he has seen body camera video that shows an agent turning the steering wheel to the left when she is next to the when she would have been right next to the federal vehicle just before the impact. We have not seen the body camera video as it's still under court seal. But that is what the defense attorney has claimed to this point. And then on top of that, as we sort of look at what happened afterward, is after the impact was when an agent got out and the government claims defensively he fired his rounds at Martinez, hitting her five times, when the defense attorney says that this was unnecessary.

1:02:58This constituted essentially up to a minor traffic accident at the end of the day and not this big ramming incident as has been alleged to this point. So that's what will be fought over in court, obviously. But today was that first step of essentially saying not guilty and fighting the charges that way. Omar, the Department of Homeland Security is making a remarkable claim about what they say is happening in Chicago. They're alleging that Mexican cartels are working with what DHS calls domestic extremist groups to target federal agents. Is there evidence of this? Tell us more. well they are citing quote credible evidence that is what they are using claiming criminal networks have issued explicit instructions to those sympathetic to that cause against ice agents to carry out violence uh against folks now what that specific evidence is we have not seen uh you know there is a case on the books of a man accused of being a latin kings member who uh allegedly put out a bounty on Gregory Bovino's life, the commander and leader in Customs and Border Protection.

1:04:08Sorry, the folks beeping or beeping in support, I guess, against ICE. So that's what you might be hearing here. But again, as to what specifically they're talking about in their release, we don't quite know. One dynamic, though, to keep in mind is to this point, we have seen a slight difference between what DHS puts out in press releases and what actually makes it into court in the Martinez case for example the initial press release talked about her being armed with a semi-automatic weapon before being shot well her attorney says that one she's a concealed carry license holder and that the weapon was never accessed still in a holster underneath a strap there but also that claim even though it was in the press release never actually made it into the indictment so we're still looking for more details on what DHS is putting out today.

1:04:56Yeah, it's not against the law to lie in a press release. It is against the law to lie in court. Omar Jimenez in Broadview, Illinois, thank you so much. Turning to our politics lead right now, the State Department says it has revoked at least six visas from people from Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and Paraguay, claiming that these individuals celebrated the murder of Charlie Kirk. Here are a few of the alleged comments. The State Department says an Argentinian national said that Kirk, quote, devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric. It's hot as F where this man currently is and it's deserved, unquote.

1:05:36The State Department also says that a Paraguayan national said, quote, Charlie Kirk was a son of a bee and he died by his own rules, unquote. Connor Fitzpatrick's an attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech group. Connor, thanks for joining us. So the U.S. State Department also says that it continues to identify visa holders who they say celebrated Kirk's murder. Are you allowed to kick people out of the country for saying offensive things that are covered under free speech? No. And the Supreme Court was clear about this 80 years ago in a case called Bridges v.

1:06:11Wixen, where it held that non-citizens are entitled to freedom of speech. So the idea that the government can just throw everyone out of the country that expresses an opinion they disagree with is not only wrong, but it betrays America's commitment to freedom of speech. Are foreign visas predicated in any way on the users not saying anything that could offend people, that could express delight in murder, that sort of thing? Absolutely not. The reason that so many come to our country, especially to our colleges and universities, is because we respect freedom of speech and freedom of the press and that you shouldn't have to fear a midnight knock on the door from a government official because you expressed a view that the government doesn't like.

1:07:02So what this administration is telling non-citizens is very scary. What it's saying is that you better watch what you say, because if the Secretary of State or someone in the Trump administration doesn't like it, we might put you on the next plane out of the United States. And that is no way to respect free speech. Can these foreigners who had their visas revoked, can they take any legal action? Do they have any legal standing to be in the United States? So if the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security attempt to remove them from the country, and it sounds like there's already been a visa revocation, there are avenues in the courts and the immigration courts that they can pursue where they can make constitutional arguments.

1:07:43But that can be a very long, arduous and expensive process and something that these folks should simply not have to deal with because they made a joke on social media that the government doesn't like. I don't know if they were jokes, but they certainly were speech that the government didn't like. I'm looking at the list of countries here. Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Paraguay. I'm having a difficult time imagining any of these countries taking this up with President Trump or retaliating in any way against the United States. What do you think? Well, of course, the irony in all of this, Jake, is that the Trump administration early on lectured our European allies like Germany on the issue of free speech and has lectured countries like Sweden and the United Kingdom about how they don't respect free speech.

1:08:31But here on our shores domestically, they are betraying our commitment to free speech by excluding and deporting foreigners who express views that they don't like. They talk the talk when it comes to free speech, but they don't walk the walk. Connor Fitzpatrick, thanks so much. Appreciate your time. A major challenge to the Voting Rights Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court today. CNN's chief Supreme Court analyst was inside the high court for today's arguments and is breaking down every detail of what happened. That's next.

1:09:07In our Law and Justice League, we're now seeing the greatest challenge in more than a decade to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which bans racial discrimination in voting. Today, the justices heard a case that centers on Louisiana's congressional map, specifically the state's sixth congressional district, which even Chief Justice John Roberts once described as a snake. The district stretches from one end of the state to the other, trying to connect mostly black populations who traditionally vote for Democrats. Let's bring in Joan Biskupik, CNN's chief Supreme Court analyst. And Joan, you were in court for arguments today and picked up on Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who appeared to be trying to send a message with his line of questioning.

1:09:49Tell us more. Sure. And you're right. This is a huge battle because of all the redistricting fights that are going on across the country, both on racial lines and also partisan lines. And, you know, that district you showed, Jake, was created only after lower court judges found that the map that Louisiana had used had so diluted the votes of blacks in the state who have a one-third population and that they had only gotten one of the six districts, they were forced to draw a second black majority district, and that's what they drew. The state legislature that drew it had taken into consideration incumbent protections also.

1:10:28But what Brett Kavanaugh said, looking at that district and looking at race-based remedies, is that this court's cases in a variety of contexts have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometimes a long period of time, decades in some cases, but they should not be indefinite and should have an end point. Now, Jake, he was referring to the context of school integration plans and campus affirmative action. But here, these kinds of districts, when they're created, majority black districts, are responding to a violation of the Voting Rights Act in present time, where there's been found to be vote dilution of black or Hispanic voters.

1:11:10So he was raising a concern that the liberal justices and the lawyer from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund really tried to push down. I don't think they're going to curtail all race-based remedies here, but where Justice Kavanaugh also had an issue is when lower court judges can actually declare vote dilution and then when a remedy would kick in. So there are a couple different ways that the justices can go and a couple different off-ramps. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was the key vote in an Alabama case two years ago Brett Kavanaugh was the key vote, Jake, when they allowed the Voting Rights Act to stand in that Alabama case.

1:11:51And he might be the person who either tips it over to end it or preserves it in some way this time. Jake. All right, Joe Baskupic, thanks so much. Let's bring in my political panel. Congressman Peter Meyer is still with us, also with us, Elio Williams. Elio, what do you make of Justice Kavanaugh's positioning here and his apparent skepticism when it comes to this case? Right. He's expressed skepticism about using race in matters like voting for quite some time. And I think it's fair. On paper, certainly we aspire to be a race neutral country. But as Joan had sort of talked about, we are still talking about the vestiges of how the country was founded, quite frankly, and how we vote today.

1:12:35Jake, if you look at a map of, frankly, where black people are in Louisiana on up to North Carolina, it basically tracks where cotton and tobacco were grown and where how districts are formed. You know, over time, they've been carved up to dilute the strength of black people even today. And so there's probably some remedy that still under the law needs that needs needs to do exist. And I guess it's just up to the court to struggle to figure out what that might be. the congressman in 2017 during trump's first term democrats retook the house in a sweep but with all of the redistricting going on all of the mid-decade redistricting um the gains that republicans will be able to make could make that kind of democratic conquering or retaking of the house impossible theoretically i mean what do you make of the politics here yeah i mean every state's going to be different when we're looking at it from a redistricting standpoint.

1:13:32But obviously, the states that are a little bit closer, where you're trying to carve districts that maybe go from a Republican plus 10 average to a Republican plus two, because you're breaking down a Democratic district, that kind of cracking and packing, that can lead to actually some pretty wild swings. Because if the wave goes in the opposite direction, now you have lost that margin of safety from a partisan standpoint. In my home state of Michigan, in 2010, there was Republican redistricting. That led to a map that we had, I think it was a net four Republicans within the congressional seat.

1:14:08By the end of the decade, post that 2018 wave, there were more Democrats than Republicans serving in the delegation. So that can easily turn back the other direction if there is a partisan backlash. A Florida judge issued a restraining order against Republican Congressman Corey Mills of Florida. He faces allegations that he threatened to release sexually explicit images and videos of an ex-girlfriend after their breakup. The Speaker of the House was asked about this today. Here is what Speaker Johnson had to say. You have to ask Representative Mills about that. I mean, he's been a faithful colleague here.

1:14:45I know his work on the Hill. I mean, I don't know all the details of all the individual allegations and what he's doing in his outside life. You have to ask him about that. Let's talk about things that are really serious. Let's talk about things that are really serious, Congressman Meyer. What do you think of that? I watched the clip earlier. Before he has that lead-in, he's mentioning the fact that, you know, this is up to the Ethics Committee. This is something that the Ethics Committee and Congress should be looking at. The restraining order is the first kind of tangible thing among all the salacious details have been floating out in the media about Cory Mills.

1:15:23You know, the law enforcement investigations kind of didn't go anywhere. So, you know, I think Speaker Johnson is absolutely correct in saying, hey, this is something that should be the purview of the House Ethics Committee to look at to see if there's any violations, if there's any, you know, potential penalties or recourses, you know, from a House standpoint. point. Yeah, just for the record, we haven't mentioned Corey Mills incident here until the restraining order for the reasons that you just suggested. Elliot, does legal action ever automatically warrant an ethics investigation in the House or any type of punitive action in Congress?

1:15:57No, not necessarily. And as Congressman Meyer knows, you know, the House is free to police anybody it wishes if there is some serious allegation. I think you do have that here at a minimum, the allegations themselves are quite damning. And you have a judge saying that there was at least the preponderance of the evidence that it's more likely than not that some of these things happen. So certainly, you know, the House polices itself and polices its own members, and it's up to them to decide what kinds of conduct they find impermissible. This really ought to be the kind of thing you can't go to jail for it.

1:16:30It's not a conviction, but certainly the kind of thing that ought to have some at least questions asked by colleagues. Today, journalists at the Pentagon handed in their press credentials as Secretary Hegseth's new policy, not allowing press access unless you agree with the notion that you can only report that which the Pentagon has signed off on, even non-classified matters. And CNN, along with the networks NBC, ABC, CBS, and more conservative media, Fox, The Daily Caller, Newsmax, all declining to comply with this policy, which frankly is just anti-journalism. Elliott, free speech advocates say that this policy infringes on the First Amendment.

1:17:14Is there any sort of legal case here? No, I don't think so. You know, certainly, look, the Defense Department can restrict or put, maybe, restrict's not the right word, put parameters around the access that people have. But, you know, not to get too lofty, Jake, but this is the Defense Department. Our armed services fight for the right to write critically about organizations like the United States Department of Defense. And it is sort of silly to be restricting access of reporters in the way that they can. Now, look, reporters aren't allowed to be anywhere at all times. However, you know, they ought to be able to do their jobs freely.

1:17:56And so I think it would be an uphill climb for the Defense Department to credibly say that they're legally entitled to prevent people, reporters from having access to their sources. Congressman Meyer, I'm just trying to think about how then Fox News weekend co-host Hegseth would have responded if Biden's Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had instituted such a policy. Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, this is not going to have any real bearing on journalism. I mean, if anything, I think the DOD is making it harder for them to get their message out because they're not having those journalists be in those briefing rooms where the Department of War's line is getting propagated.

1:18:38If anything, it's going to push the conversations to the sidelines. It's going to push that towards the leakers and not have that same level of access towards kind of the official sanctioned Department of War staff. All right. Congressman Meyer, good to see you. Elliot Williams, thank you so much. Speaking of the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, or Secretary of Wars, he likes to be called. His plane had to make an unscheduled landing today. That story next.

1:19:05Our last lead start and our health lead, South Carolina, is reporting five new cases of measles as part of an outbreak in two schools. This comes after more than 150 unvaccinated children had to quarantine in Spartanburg County outside Greenville, South Carolina. The health department says these new cases are in people who were already quarantining. Internationally newly released dash cam video shows the moments leading up to a tragic crash in August that killed South Carolina trooper Dennis Ricks. Ricks is seen at two in the morning approaching a motorist who admits to watching a TV show while driving.

1:19:42A minute later, the man behind the wheel of a box truck hits Ricks, who was wearing a reflective vest. The driver of the box truck remains behind bars. In our world lead, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom today due to a crack in the plane's windshield. The Pentagon says everyone on board is safe. Hegseth was returning to D.C. after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. In our law and justice lead, a Florida judge has temporarily blocked the planned transfer of land in Miami for President Trump's future presidential library. This ruling comes after an activist claimed a local college violated the law when it gifted the land to the state, which then transferred it to the foundation for the planned library.

1:20:29You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, BlueSkyX, and on the TikTok at Jake Tapper. You can follow the show on X at the Leap. CNN, Aaron Burnett, Outfront, starts right now. Take it away, Aaron.

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