Trump: “I Probably Would” Talk To Venezuela’s Maduro

25:56And when I learned that disposition was open, I immediately qualified and I started running for it. Calvin, incredible. Incredible. I mean, just your determination and your disposition are just an inspiration to us all. The idea that instead of falling into the pit of despair, as many of us would, you became what you have become is just such a remarkable story. We wish you all the best of luck in your new position. Calvin Duncan, thank you. Thank you. In just a few minutes, President Trump is set to speak at a conference with owners of McDonald's franchises. But will his voice hold up? How he explained sounding fairly raspy today.

26:37Plus, from last night, what the president did not say when asked about a Nazi and the man who platformed that Nazi. Well, it speaks volumes. Stay with us.

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27:27President Trump took questions in the Oval Office, and you couldn't help but notice his voice sounded a little different. A reporter asked if he was feeling all right. I feel great. I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade and a country, and I straightened it out. but I blew my stack at these people. Well, it sounds like there's a follow-up there, but can I ask you about Venezuela? You suggested... It sounds like there's a follow-up there, but can I ask you about Venezuela? You said there was a polyp, and I said... I don't want to hear that. I don't know why they didn't ask the follow-up.

28:08Who are you yelling at? Anyway, turning to our politics lead, President Trump last night weighed in on a festering issue that has caused something of a civil war within the Republican Party. It's about neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes and whether it's appropriate for prominent conservative media figures such as Tucker Carlson to platform Fuentes without seriously challenging his false and heinous views. This morning, a board member of the powerful conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, widely respected Princeton professor Robert Church, announced his resignation from Heritage, calling for a, quote, full retraction after Heritage president Kevin Roberts had posted a video last month where he defended his friend Tucker Carlson and Tucker's decision to interview Fuentes.

28:48After days of this debate within conservative circles, we finally heard from the president on this topic last night. We've had some great interviews with Tucker Carlson, but you can't tell him who to interview. I mean, if he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don't know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out. You know, people have to decide. Ultimately, people have to decide. The neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes replied on Twitter or X, quote, Thank you, Mr. President. So there we have it. President Trump expressing no issues with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, who has expressed an affinity for Adolf Hitler and regularly traffics in racist, sexist, anti-Semitic filth.

29:26Now, some conservatives, such as Senators Ted Cruz and Senator Mitch McConnell, have criticized Tucker Carlson for his very friendly, lengthy interview with Nick Fuentes. Other Republicans have not been so blunt in their condemnation of Fuentes or Carlson or even condemned either of them. Vice President J.D. Vance considered the next leader in the MAGA line of succession. He's no stranger to questions about Republicans espousing anti-Semitism in the last few months following the young Republicans' texting scandal, which was first reported by Politico, which included one message where one of the young Republicans said, quote, I love Hitler.

29:59Vice President Vance characterized those expressing outrage as, quote, pearl-clutching. And the vice president repeatedly referred to the participants as kids, even though the ages of the people in the group range from 18 to 40. Fuentes is, of course, a Nazi of a more loathsome order than those on that text chain. And he has a history of going after not just Jews, but Vice President Vance. He called, he said a number of nasty things about his wife. Vance himself called Fuentes a total loser in a 2024 CBS interview before the election, after Fuentes attacked his wife Usha Vance and her Indian heritage.

30:35Here's just one of these vile moments, a quick warning to our viewers. This condemnation of Vance by Fuentes is not pleasant to listen to. Now they're all in favor of a fat race mixer who's married to a jeet who named his son Vivek. Now, this week and last, I repeatedly asked Vance's office for any comment about this internal war about Fuentes, specifically about Tucker Carlson platforming Fuentes. And there was no response. This weekend, Vance did weigh in on something related to this issue. It had to do with another member of the Carlson family, Tucker's son Buckley, who works for Vance. And he, Vice President Vance, attacked just some rando on Twitter as a, quote, scumbag because this woman claimed that Tucker's brother idolizes Nick Fuentes and questioned whether Tucker's son Buckley, who works for Vance, is a vile bigot, too.

31:31who we here at CNN have absolutely no idea if Tucker's relatives feel any way about Fuentes. But it is clear from recent Twitter posts that his brother, also named Buckley, supports Tucker's platforming of Fuentes. Again, in August 2024, a few months before being elected, Vice President Vance condemned Fuentes. But since then, since the inauguration, Vice President Vance has weighed in on these issues only to defend people using anti-Semitic or racist language. He certainly hasn't called any of them scumbags. So on this Republican civil war, on whether it's okay to platform Nazis or espouse anti-Semitism, President Trump has weighed in, as has Vice President Vance.

32:17President Trump clearly leaning on the idea of free speech to make his point. Yet at the same time, Trump, of course, has no problem trying to get comedians who make fun of him and fired. Clearly neither President Trump nor Vice President Vance are shy about attacking or insulting anyone they don't like. They have opted to not do so when it comes to Nazis like Nick Fuentes. At a time when hate crimes against Jewish Americans are only rising in the United States, the President and the Vice President. When it comes to this civil war, they've made their views clear they're not going to condemn Nazis.

32:49countries they're not going to condemn those who platform them my panel uh joins me now thanks so much uh why is this so tough ashley davis why why like i mean it it's by the way we should note obviously this is going on to a lesser extent at this current moment on the left as well well absolutely i mean listen anti-semitism in this country i feel has been at the forefront more so in the last three years than it has been in the you know in my adult life and i think it needs to stop. I mean, we have it on the extreme left. And now, I mean, I think what the president was trying to say is I can't tell Tucker who to interview or not.

33:27I'm not trying to defend it. But it needs to stop. And also, actually, the same side attacks on Muslims. I mean, I remember when I was in the White House, President Bush, after 9-11, made sure we read the Koran so we knew that this was not a hijack on their religion. It was terrorists. And this is the leadership of this country that needs to happen on those sides of the aisle. It's horrible. Well, and also I think that like what's this divide that's happening in the Republican Party, you haven't seen it before because everybody's been so united around Trump. And now you're looking at 2028 where Trump is not on the ballot anymore.

34:00And people, the Republican Party will need to figure out whether or not they're going to embrace Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes and that side, or whether they're going to speak out against some of that terrible language that you played right there. So I think it'll be interesting to see what happens and how J.D. Vance goes about this. There have been a lot of Republicans like Ted Cruz and others who have spoken out and you're starting to see these divides within MAGA really occur. And so I agree that they should be out. And for Donald Trump to say, I'm not going to tell Tucker Carlson what to say or who to interview.

34:31I'm sorry. The man tells, you know, he just told social. He just told NBC to fire Seth Meyers. Yeah. I mean, that is constantly happening. He doesn't actually believe that people who oppose his views should be out there and should be interviewed but yet he believes someone like nick fuentes it's okay to interview so i think find that ironic why do you think now sorry for interrupting here no no taking but but why jewish are not really jewish people in this country do not vote republican for the most part they mostly vote i think it's like 60 40 the last election but listen i mean like the republican party has never ever ever not um supported the israeli community especially overseas and Israel in general.

35:13So I just don't understand why we're letting ourselves as Republicans get pigeonholed into this conversation because, first of all, who would ever support Nazism or anything else? Yeah, I don't know. Let's turn the page to another topic. A major blow to President Trump's push to shore up the Republican majority in the House by doing this mid-decade redistricting. Indiana's GOP state senate leader announced that Indiana's state Senate is not going to redraw its maps next month. President Trump took to Truth Social to say he's going to endorse against any Republican who doesn't pursue redistricting efforts.

35:53And we have seen so, Chief, similar sub-ex in Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire. So it's not going exactly as President Trump wanted. It is in Texas, but not in a lot of other places. Well, I think Donald Trump is facing the reality that he's not getting everything that he wants. He has obviously Texas move forward with exactly what Trump requested after the legislative session had ended. He also has a Justice Department who is currently challenging California, who also tried to find a basis for the Texas redistricting. And so at every turn, and then you also have Congress who, you know, is playing ball with whatever he wants.

36:31And so this is the first time that I think you really see a Republican state and elected officials kind of pushing back on Trump. You haven't seen that. Yeah. And I'm actually wondering if this is the start of something as we head into Donald Trump as sort of a lame duck, which you know that he doesn't want to be. But like, is this what we are expected to see from Republicans moving forward? They're not going to necessarily sign off on every request coming from Donald Trump. Ashley, because we've also seen Republicans in Congress pushing back on President Trump on the Epstein files, which until, you know, like yesterday, only four House Republicans were going to vote to release the Epstein file, or only four had put their names on the discharge petition.

37:16And then others started coming out and saying, I'm going to vote for it, I'm going to vote for it. And now it looks as though they might not even have to vote on it. It might just be a unanimous consent. Remember, we started this saying that it was a conspiracy theory way back, you know under biden but um listen abstinence needs to go away and we do need to vote on it but also people are elected because of their constituents and that's what they're voting on so whether it's marjorie taylor green or whoever now it's like you said so many they're voting what their constituents wants and they want the answers on this but going back to redistricting even when holder started this like way back when in um in chicago or illinois i've always said that redistricting in regards to just making purple or just red or blue seats only is like a horrible disaster.

38:05I want to just run this quick clip and just get a yes or no if you agree with this is former first lady Michelle Obama asked about the prospect of a female president. Here's what she had to say. We saw in this past election, sadly, we ain't ready. That's why I'm like, don't even look at me about running because you all are lying. You're not ready for a woman. You are not. So don't waste my time. You know, we got a lot of growing up to do. And there's still, I'm sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it. We don't have the time for a fulsome discussion on this, but do you agree with her?

38:45Yes. Do you? Yes. Nikki Healy. Oh, wow. Hillary Clinton. Oh, my God. We agree. That's so depressing. That is so depressing. I'm so sorry that you feel that way. Thanks to both of you. The crackdown in Charlotte, more than 100 arrests in just the first 48 hours of immigration agents targeting North Carolina's largest city. We're going to take you there next.

39:06When patient care is your top priority, you need a proven workforce solutions partner who can deliver it all and deliver it right. AMN Healthcare brings together technology and talent into one seamless solution. Trusted by more than 2 ,000 health systems across the country, we help organizations make smarter, data-driven decisions and improve patient outcomes. AMN Healthcare. One partner, complete workforce solutions. Discover how we are empowering the future of care at amnpartners.com. In our national lead, in just two days, Border Patrol agents carrying out Trump's immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina, have made dozens of arrests.

39:41Across the city, businesses who say their customers are targets of the immigration operation are either remaining closed or locking their doors behind everyone that comes and goes. CNN's Diane Gallagher is in Charlotte, where this immigration crackdown is leaving the community on edge. Eyes out of Charlotte now! Protests in Charlotte. As tensions escalate in the Tar Heel State's largest city, at least 130 people arrested so far by Border Patrol agents and Homeland Security's latest Customs and Border Protection immigration crackdown, dubbed Charlotte's Web. The video obtained by CNN shows Gregory Bovino, Trump's top border official who also recently spearheaded a controversial operation in Chicago, with other federal agents as they detained an individual outside a grocery store.

40:29Over the weekend, federal agents smashed a car window and briefly detained a man who says he's been an American citizen for six years and showed officers he had a real ID. He was later released. In a statement, DHS said during an enforcement operation in Charlotte, this individual became erratic, refused lawful commands and had to be removed from his vehicle. DHS law enforcement followed their training to remove him. Some local officials still in the dark say they don't feel safe. I went through the right process. I became a legal U.S. citizen. And even I cannot feel safe, especially after seeing the footage of a U.S.

41:07citizen being detained. Homeland Security releasing this wild video claiming the driver of a white van, a U.S. citizen, tried to ram into law enforcement, quote, while they were conducting an operation on Sunday. After a high-speed chase, the driver was eventually arrested. DHS says firearms were found inside the vehicle and one officer was injured in the incident. They got masks on. Come on. I mean, you're not going into a war zone. Everyone wants to be safe in their communities, but the actions of too many federal agents are doing the exact opposite in Charlotte. We've seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens.

41:51Though police data shows a 20 percent drop in violent crime, Charlotte was thrust into the national spotlight a few months back after 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Irina Zarutska was stabbed to death on the city's light rail train. The man charged in her killing is a U.S. citizen. I decide not to risk my customers, not to risk my employees, and not risk myself and my family. Many businesses have closed up shop like this popular Colombian bakery, which shut its doors for only the second time in 28 years after federal agents were seen chasing down community members. It's too risky and I don't want to carry on my shoulders There's the heaviness of maybe a kid to lose their father or their mother because they were on their way to the bakery.

42:38Diane Gallagher, CNN, Charlotte. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, President Trump is set to take the stage any minute at a summit alongside McDonald's franchise owners here in D.C. The topic is affordability. Will the president tell the truth about the economy? Will he level with Americans who feel the cost of living is still out of control? Plus, the president's plans for the Epstein file, saying today he'll sign any legislation from Congress that calls on the Justice Department to release those records. But why go through a vote when the president could order these files released right now?

43:14Also, a family divided. I'm going to talk to a woman running for a seat in Congress. She's splitting with her mother, who is a sitting senator, on a major issue.

43:28The lead tonight after attacking Republicans supporting the release of the Epstein files as quote weak and quote foolish. President Trump now reversing course and telling Republicans to quote vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide and it's time to move on from this Democrat hoax unquote. It is not a hoax. This comes just before tomorrow's expected House vote where the bill to release the files is expected to pass overwhelmingly. despite the president's months of objections and just days after that last-ditch effort to try to sway Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert to drop her signature from that discharge petition, which would force this bill onto the floor of the House for a vote.

44:07This is during a White House meeting in the Situation Room of all places. CNN's Caitlin Collins is live for us at the White House. And Caitlin, why the sudden flip-flop by President Trump? And if he really wants the files released, why not just instruct Attorney General Pambani to release the files right now? That's a great question, Jake. And the president was explaining his 180 here on saying he doesn't want what's happening on Capitol Hill and the drama surrounding this vote on the discharge petition to release all the files that the Justice Department has on Jeffrey Epstein to deflect or distract from his achievements that he says he has, including on affordability, something that You're going to hear him talk about any moment now at that summit alongside the franchise owners that you mentioned there, Jake.

44:52And so that's the question here. But in terms of what a 180 this is, it is quite a stark reversal by the president. Because it was just last week that not only were they bringing Lauren Boebert into the situation room where they monitored the Osama bin Laden raid to try to convince her to change her vote. Now the president is telling House Republicans they should vote for this when it comes up tomorrow. Of course, Jake, that is a position and a stance of the president's that came long after it was already decided this was going to be brought for a vote on Capitol Hill against his wishes and against the efforts of the White House and the House Speaker Mike Johnson after they kept those 218 votes and did not sway Lauren Boebert on this.

45:31And so, Jake, the question now is what is going to happen after there is expected to be a huge Republican vote for this tomorrow, something that would have been one of the first times we've actually seen Republicans defy President Trump in large numbers since he returned to office, had he not put that position, that statement out there last night. The question, though, Jake, is what happens to it after that? Does it go to the Senate for a vote? And if it came to the president's desk, would he be willing to sign it? Earlier, Jake, he told reporters yes. We'll give them everything. Sure, I would.

46:02Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don't talk about it too much, because honestly, I don't want to take it away from us. It's really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein's friends, all of them. And it's a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax. And I don't want to take it away from really the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished over the last period of time. Of course, Jake, it was a lot of Democrats who were mentioned in those emails and that were corresponding with Jeffrey Epstein. But Jeffrey Epstein himself in those newly released emails we got last week also named Donald Trump several times.

46:39And he was a member at Mar-a-Lago until he wasn't. And there are multiple photos and videos of the two of them together. So obviously we'll be watching closely to see what does happen in the Senate after tomorrow's vote. You know, to be fair, Donald Trump was a Democrat at the time, Caitlin. True. All right, Caitlin Collins at the White House. Thanks. Caitlin is back tonight with more reporting on her show, The Source, with Caitlin Collins. That's tonight and every weeknight at 9 Eastern only on CNN. Here now is Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Prockes, who's a Democrat who serves on the House Oversight Committee.

47:11Thanks so much for being here, Congresswoman. It's always good to have you. So today's Speaker Johnson told CNN's Manuraju that he never tried to kill the discharge petition to force this onto the floor, the Epstein bill, onto the floor for a vote. But he shares President Trump's concerns about the bill. Take a listen. We wanted to ensure that victims of these heinous crimes are completely protected from disclosure. Those who don't want their names to be out there. And I'm not sure the discharge does that, and that's part of the problem. What's your response to that? I would cuss, but I'm not going to.

47:43I'm just say he's full of it. Number one. This is cable. You can cuss. I'm not going to do it, but I am going to say that he is full. OK, I'm going to do it. He full of shit, because here's the thing. Number one, we know that he didn't even bring the House back in because he was trying to avoid us dealing with Epstein. In fact, he would not even swear in a duly elected now new member of Congress depriving and having to be sued by her state and others because they literally did not have any representation. He violated the Constitution to avoid this. So miss me on pretending that this is about the victims.

48:20In addition to that, when we finally released some of the information that we got from the Epstein estate and we had all the victims names redacted, who was it that was out there saying, oh, and this person is the person that is supposedly mentioned in this section? The Republicans did that to the extent that that victim's family had to come out against them for revealing potentially her name. So they're full of it. So right now, what I think is going to happen, the only reason that he has switched is because obviously he has had lots of conversations. Either the Senate is not going to take it up or they don't have the votes in the Senate.

48:57One of the two. But he never plans for this to actually go forward. Oh, you think this is going to get killed in the Senate? I think that this is going to get killed some way, somehow. Or the other option is that I think they're going to do the very same thing and not necessarily the same thing, But the very reason that the files could not be released before is because there were active cases that were taking place. All the cases have been concluded because this administration decided they didn't want to talk about Jeffrey Epstein. So they weren't going to investigate whatsoever. So now the files can be open.

49:28But now he said, look into my enemies. I want you to investigate this hoax. hoax. Well, if there's open cases, then that is your excuse for legally not allowing those documents to be out. Well, you're saying something that Congress, Republican Congressman Thomas Massey of Kentucky, whose bill this is to force the Epstein files out. Trump has told the Justice Department to investigate prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, and their alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. That concerns Massey for the reason you said. Take a If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can't be released.

50:06So this might be a big smoke screen, these investigations, to open a bunch of them as a last-ditch effort to prevent the release of the Epstein files. Or it could just block the release of the ones having to do with Democrats and any other people that might be released. But either way, you share his concern. Yeah, absolutely. I don't think that this is about all of a sudden he woke up on the right side of history, right? Like, I don't. He has consistently gone against his own base. He's told them on True Social, stop talking about this. They shut down the house in a time when Americans could not eat, all because they did not want to deal with the Epstein files.

50:43And he has called it a hoax. And now he's saying that, well, there's something to investigate. He is all over the place. The one thing that we know for sure is that he was sued not once, but at least twice by alleged child sex victims alongside Epstein. You tell me what other Democrat was named as a defendant alongside Epstein prior to all of this jazz ever happening. We're talking about nine years ago. Just just to note that those cases never went anywhere. They didn't go anywhere, but the allegations definitely were made and they were made in coordination with someone that we know. After looking at the emails, Jeffrey Epstein, when he was charged in 2009, he said in those emails, I'm going to have to take the deal for the mandatory minimum of 10 years because I'm afraid I will get more time.

51:31After he got a sweetheart deal from Alex Acosta, he then ended up indicted again in 2019. So the one thing that I can tell you is while those civil cases may have gone away, we know for sure that Epstein himself admitted that he was a criminal. So just because the cases went away doesn't necessarily mean that the president has been absolved. I want to ask you about your House colleague, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Yeah. Viewers will remember you once called her a bleach blonde, bad built, butch body during a House committee meeting. For the record, she insulted you first. She had insulted you first.

52:07That is true. The rivalry aside, you both agree on the Epstein thing. She is this has put her on the outs with President Trump. I want to play something that she said to my colleague Dana Bash yesterday on CNN. I would like to say humbly, I'm sorry for taking part in the toxic politics. It's it's very bad for our country. and it's been something I've thought about a lot, especially since Charlie Kirk was assassinated, is that I'm only responsible for myself and my own words and actions and I am committed and I've been working on this a lot lately to put down the knives in politics. You posted, this almost feels like a moment where Marge should phone a friend.

52:57I'm here for you, girl. um have you spoken and and what's your reaction to what you just said okay so i do want to i want you to know that there was sarcasm uh i assume so but i didn't but i didn't want to state it i said i was being sarcastic but there's always a little bit of truth in jest so i i do want to be clear that uh another portion of that post is i said i told you we told you you couldn't trust him um and i believe that i believe that we all need to pay attention to trump and how he acts he is the cause of all the confusion and the destruction that we have seen in politics as far as I'm concerned.

53:36Because it used to be we could disagree, and that was that. I disagree with a lot of Republicans, but it does not necessarily turn violent. Ever since he's been introduced into politics, we have seen a consistent spike in the violence when it comes to politics. So here's the deal with Marjorie. I can appreciate what she says, but I'm going to have to see her actions. And the reality is that where was this type of mood when we saw what happened to Mr. Pelosi in his home, who's not even an elected official, but because somebody decided to go after Nancy Pelosi. Where was this when we saw that we had local elected leaders murdered here recently, the former Speaker of the House in Minnesota?

54:19Like, where was this, right? And so what is so frustrating for me with not only Marjorie, but MAGA as a whole, is they're in the find out phase. And so now that it's hitting them, they're like, oh my gosh, this is awful. But you should have looked at this externally and said, this is an awful environment. The fact that one of y 'all competing news brands decided to go out and do a whole story on the fact that I pay for security, security I have to pay because of the dumb stories that they run about me, security that I have to pay for because of all of the hate that people like Marjorie and other MAGAs put out there it is problematic and then to have the president troll her as well as laura loomer troll her about the fact that she needs security well my only answer is if the if the president thinks this is a joke then give us all the money back for the security that we pay for for him to go and golf or to go and wherever he is going give us the money back and maybe some americans can get some health care and maybe some children can get some food congresswoman jasmine crockett Democrat of Texas.

55:23Thank you so much. House lawmakers are expected to get their say on the release of the Epstein files tomorrow. How this step could begin a whole new chapter for Epstein survivors. And we are standing by to hear from President Trump. He's supposed to speak about affordability in America. We'll dip into that when it begins. We're back in a moment.

55:45In our Law and Justice League, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on legislation calling for the release of the Epstein files tomorrow. Now, that would be one of many hurdles before the bill is able to reach the president's desk, not the least of which being the president himself, who only recently began supporting the effort after several attempts to shut down the vote. But for the many survivors of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's abuse, this does represent a strong first step on a long road to justice and accountability. Joining us now is attorney for Epstein survivors and for Virginia Giuffre, Sigrid McCauley.

56:20Thanks so much for being here, Sigrid. Appreciate it. So in your view, not only as a lawyer, but as a friend of Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, how have you felt seeing lawmakers invoke her name as an argument against releasing the files either quickly or as a whole? I think it's been really difficult, particularly for her family, to see her name being weaponized in this circumstance. I mean, Virginia was a champion for these survivors and a champion for the cause. And so I think in this moment that can be really, really tragic. I mean, we saw, you know, with her book being released, she was number one on the New York Times bestseller list, her voice really being heard.

56:58But I think, you know, certainly the weaponization of her name can be very difficult for them. Last week, President Trump urged the Justice Department to investigate Epstein's ties to prominent Democrats. Do you worry that diverting Justice Department resources could affect the release of the Epstein files? And are you worried that if there are active investigations, that could further be a reason to block the release? Well, the survivors definitely want investigations to be ongoing. I mean, certainly their Epstein did not act alone. Ghislaine Maxwell did not act alone. This sex trafficking operation went on for decades and decades.

57:32So there are a number of people who absolutely need to be investigated. So we are hoping that with the release of the files and the American public calling for those investigations, that there will finally be more justice. In recent days, there's been reporting on Ghislaine Maxwell and what appears to be some really special treatment she's receiving while in prison, extra rolls of toilet paper. She gets a comfort dog that she's hanging out with there. A whistleblower also said that Maxwell is preparing to file an application for commutation. What's your reaction to all that? It's actually atrocious.

58:04I mean, this is somebody who Ghislaine Maxwell physically herself harmed these minor children. In addition to helping facilitate it, she participated in those rapes. This is pure evil. So to allow someone who's a convicted sex trafficker to have these extravagants in prison is just remarkable. It shouldn't be happening. It needs to be stopped. There's been some discussion about, in relating to the Epstein Files case, about how Jeffrey Epstein wasn't actually a pedophile because the girls were all post-pubescent. This is not me parsing this, this is others. And I guess, medically speaking, there is a differentiation, and legally speaking, I think in common parlance people use the word pedophile to mean anyone under 18 being preyed upon by an adult.

58:54But what's been your reaction to all of that? I mean, these survivors were young children. The use of the word pedophile is absolutely appropriate for this. This is exactly what Epstein was. This is the type of conduct he was behaving and participating in. He, as Department of Justice has said, harmed over a thousand young lives. So absolutely, he should be called a pedophile. So if the files are fully released, what are you and the survivors hoping for? are you hoping that there will then be prosecutions? We assume, since only two people have ever been brought to justice in any way on this, Maxwell and Epstein who took his own life, or died anyway, I guess the question is, do you then hope there will be, there are gonna be names in these files of these powerful, wealthy men who raped these girls or molested these girls, and do you assume that this will then begin a series of prosecutions?

59:49We're hoping for a series of prosecutions. I mean, not only for the men who participated in these crimes, but for the other individuals that were in that circle that helped facilitate those crimes. Epstein and Maxwell could not have done this alone. They needed people on their inner circle making sure they had the money, making sure they had legal coverage, all of those things to help facilitate those crimes. So we're really hoping that the government will finally take a very close look at this and call out the people who were on that inner circle and hold them accountable. All right, Sigrim Kauly, thank you so much.

1:00:19Really appreciate your time. I had the unusual candidate who entered a race that has a Democrat calling out her own party and raising questions of election subversion by the Democrats. My conversation with that congresswoman next.

1:00:35All right, we're going to continue to monitor President Trump's remarks about the economy there. Let's bring in CNN's Daniel Dale. Daniel, President Trump talking about affordability, talking about the economy. You heard him there talking about groceries, saying that the cost of living is lower, cost of Thanksgiving rather, is lower than last year. He's made this claim before. Is it true? Well, so Walmart did say that its own promotional Thanksgiving meal basket is 25 % cheaper this year than last. What Trump doesn't mention, though, is that it's a different basket this year, Jake. It is 15 products instead of 21 last year.

1:01:18And those 15 include a much higher percentage of Walmart store brand items rather than the name brand items that were a greater percentage last year. And they're often more expensive. So this is not an apples to apples comparison. And if I may, he also made a number of other false claims on the subject of affordability. He also said that prices generally are coming down. Now, he did say this in present tense rather than just claiming prices have come down like usual. But there's no sign that prices are coming down either. We have 3 percent year over year inflation in September. That was the fifth straight month that year over year inflation had increased.

1:01:51Even if he managed to reduce the rate of inflation in the coming months, that won't mean prices are down. That will mean they're increasing by less than before. So prices are rising, contrary to what we're hearing from the president. And he also repeated this false claim we've been hearing over and over that$17 trillion, he said over$17 trillion, has been invested in the U.S. during this presidency. That number is total fiction. The White House's own website uses a$9 trillion figure. I went through that list line by line and found that even that is wildly inflated. includes vague promises, vague statements that aren't even promises, promises on trade rather than investment itself.

1:02:29So this$17 trillion number, sometimes the president says$18 trillion, all of it is just wrong. There's no real basis for it. All right, Daniel Dale, thank you so much. In our politics lead, we've talked earlier in the program about the civil war in the Republican Party. Let's talk now about a civil war going on in the Democratic Party. The House of Representatives is back in session. And as earlier tonight. It's possible we're going to see a vote related to a resolution condemning the behavior of Illinois Democratic Congressman Chewy Garcia. The biggest surprise here is that the resolution was introduced by another Democrat, Washington State's Marie Glusenkamp-Perez.

1:03:05Now, here's what you need to know. Back on Election Day, Congressman Garcia announced his retirement, and he did this after the deadline to file to run for his congressional seat. But Congressman Garcia's chief of staff had been tipped off ahead of time. So just before the deadline, she filed paperwork to run. So she will be the only Democratic candidate running in the primary in an overwhelmingly D plus 17 Democratic district. Essentially, Congressman Garcia picked his successor and deprived his own constituents of a choice. Last Wednesday, Congresswoman Glusenkamp-Perez shocked her party's leadership by taking to the House floor to offer a resolution condemning Garcia's actions, accusing him of undermining the process of a free and fair election.

1:03:55And this afternoon, two sources tell CNN, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is not formally whipping his caucus to vote to kill the resolution that disapproves of Garcia's action, but party leaders have made it clear to Democrats that they personally strongly oppose it. In an exclusive interview last night, I spoke with Congresswoman Glusenkamp-Perez about why she did what she did. It is very rare for a Democrat to so publicly call out a member of their own party. Why did you feel the need to speak up? Because I believe election subversion is wrong no matter who's doing it. And I think that right now we're seeing a profound, very loud call from Americans for transparency and accountability.

1:04:45and it's part and parcel of that, that you don't just turn a blind eye to wrongdoing or unethical behavior when it's, you know, politically convenient, that you do it consistently. And, you know, I did this on the first day that we were back after Representative Garcia had done this, and I just think it's really important that we are consistent. And whether it's politically convenient or not. It's not fun to call out a member of your own party, but I think it's important that we're consistent and answering. And, you know, we're loyal to the soil. We're loyal to our constituents and say, like, election subversion is always wrong.

1:05:24That's not how we run things in this country. And that's not the party that I want to be a part of. Did Democrats try to talk you out of doing this? What was the reaction of your fellow Democrats in the House? You know, one of the disturbing things is that like immediately after the news broke about how Chewie had basically chosen a successor, I saw a lot of members congratulating him on how clever and slick it was. And I think that galvanized me more to say that this is not something to be proud of or to emulate or copy. That we have to think critically about, like what use is it to win an election at all costs, even your own integrity, if you are in that process destroying Americans' confidence in government, that's the thing.

1:06:13Like, it's not a prize that's worth winning if you destroy the thing and the process. One of the arguments from Democrats seems to be that Democrats need to be focused on the Epstein files and on high prices and on Trump's tariffs. And what you're doing is distracting from that. How do you respond to that argument? Yeah, I think that it's I understand that Democrats want a unified message, but I also know that where I'm from, when you see things like this, like, you know, it's not just about having affordable stuff or holding another team accountable. It's it's that we want leadership. We want a team that calls a spade a spade.

1:06:55And, you know, there are so many debatable things in politics today, but this seems really clear cut. to me and my community that this is not acceptable. And I've seen the way that, you know, D.C. will turn you into a frog and it will boil you alive if you didn't make consistent and, you know, deliberate steps to stop that. And so I'm in my second term here. I didn't have elected office before this. I'm not a lawyer, but I know that when I see somebody subverting election and choosing their successor, that's not what democracy is about. And that's not why I was sent to Congress. Yeah, look, I mean, without question, what Congressman Garcia did stinks.

1:07:39And the voters got screwed without, you know, taking a position on what kind of a politician he is or his successor will be. I mean, just you are right on the facts, but there is just such reluctance of Democrats to criticize Democrats and Republicans to criticize Republicans. How much, if at all, were you influenced by what happened with President Biden last year and the fact that the DNC kept him away from any challengers during the primary process? There were no debates. There were efforts to keep other people off the ballots. And then, of course, after he dropped out, after the pressure following the debate, there was there was no contest at all to make Vice President Harris the nominee.

1:08:22Did that play a role in this at all? yeah i think there's one school of thought that's pretty strong in dc that it's like the threat to democracy is so real that we have to make choices for people and americans aren't smart enough to choose their own representatives and i think like that lack of confidence in voters um it is toxic and it's not true like there are patriots there are so many people who could hold these jobs and who would do well at them. But it can be so inward-looking and just oriented around what you don't like. And look, like, I like Chewy. Like, I think he's, like, a nice guy.

1:09:00And it's even more important that when it's someone that, it can't just be the people that you don't like that you're willing to call out. You have to be willing to do it within your own family as well. And I believe that that kind of transparency and faith in voters is what will turn things around. That is how you walk away from authoritarianism, not by picking up that playbook, but by saying, no, this is a strong country still. And when we trust American citizens to make a good choice, we get a better outcome than if these choices are made for them. Our thanks to Congresswoman Glusenkamp-Perez.

1:09:41We're going to be watching this evening to see what happens to her resolution on the floor of the House of Representatives. Coming up next, another sharp split in the Democratic Party, this time between a daughter and her mother. One is running for a seat in the House. The other is a sitting U.S. senator. What has them at odds? Next.

1:10:03In our politics lead, you may recall that Senator Gene Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, was one of the eight Democratic senators who, along with Republicans, voted for that spending bill that ended the longest government shutdown in American history. Senator Shaheen caught a lot of flack for this vote, including from her daughter Stephanie Shaheen. Stephanie is a Democratic candidate for New Hampshire's first congressional district. The current congressman in that seat, Democrat Nick Pappas, is running to replace the retiring Senator Shaheen. And Stephanie Shaheen joins us now. So first of all, before I get into the family dynamics, tell me on the substance, why did you not support the deal that your mother helped negotiate?

1:10:43Well, thank you for having me tonight, Jake. Look, healthcare has been the cause of my life. It became the fight of my life when my oldest daughter, Ellie, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes shortly after her eighth birthday. And it really changed the trajectory of my life. When you have to care for a child who's navigating a relentless, persistent chronic disease like type 1 diabetes, it affects every single day. And it really became my passion to try to improve health care. And that's what compelled me to get into the race. And this is what you do right now. You have a small business involving chronic disease.

1:11:16That's right. And so when Speaker Johnson said he couldn't guarantee a vote on the floor to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, I knew I couldn't support the deal. Did you talk to your mom while she was negotiating this? Did you try to change your position? I mean, I don't know how much you know about her day-to-day stuff, even though obviously you're trying to go into the family business to a degree. Well, sure. I understood where she was coming from. She knew where I was coming from. And ultimately, she did what she believes is right, and I'm doing what I believe is right. So you're running to represent voters in New Hampshire's first congressional district, which is like the eastern and southern slice of that great state.

1:11:51What are you hearing from people who get their insurance through Obamacare? Well, we know that if these tax credits don't get extended before January for a family of four, the premiums will go up$7 ,000 next year. It's just not sustainable. On top of all the other rising prices from the cost of food and housing and energy prices in New Hampshire, we have to get these tax credits extended. And during the shutdown, a group of moderate Republicans in the House sent a letter to the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, saying that that Republicans as well need to talk about and do something about the rising cost of health insurance premiums, not just in Obamacare, by the way, but throughout the entire marketplace.

1:12:36Do you have any hopes that House Republicans and Democrats could find a solution or there could be some sort of bipartisan deal? Absolutely. Look, this is why I'm in the race, because I believe we can make government work and we can improve health care. And it starts first by extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. We have to turn the anger we're all feeling into action and demand the speaker bring a vote to the floor. And beyond that, I think, as you noted, that's the tip of the iceberg. We've got to go further. We've got to make health care work better for people. We've got to do things like pass legislation that brings down the cost of prescription drugs.

1:13:10In New Hampshire, the people I'm seeking to serve will face costs for prescription drugs sometimes four times what our Canadian neighbors are paying for the same drugs. That's unacceptable. We can tackle that problem and solve it. And look, I know what it feels like to fight the insurance companies. I know what it feels like for a doctor to say, your daughter needs this prescription and the insurance companies to deny you the right to get that prescription and have to fight them tooth and nail to get the care your doctor says your child needs. And when you've had to stare in the face of your child's mortality as often as I have and so many Americans who have lived with a very scary condition or diagnosis, it's personal.

1:13:48Fighting for health care and improving health care is personal. And so I call on all Americans to demand of their elected officials that they bring a vote to the floor of the House to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And then let's work together to improve the health care system in a way that works for everybody. Well, I mean, you know, the way they're getting this bill about the Epstein files to the floor of the House is through a discharge petition. Democrats could be doing that right now. You need 218 signatures. And so if there are 215 Democrats, all you need is a few other Republicans.

1:14:19I don't know why they're not. I think they absolutely should. All right. Stephanie Shaheen, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. This is an issue that has the entire Democratic Party divided. The panel is standing by. We're going to talk about this next.

1:14:35We're back with more discussion in our politics lead. With us are Mo and Mike. And so let me just ask you, Mo. So Congressman Garcia, Chewy Garcia, Democrat of Illinois. It's a D plus 17 district. He announces he's not running for re-election. After the deadline, his chief of staff has been tipped off, so she's the only one that files. And it's pretty sneaky. That's the nicest thing I can say about it. Congresswoman Marie Glusenkamp-Perez, a Democrat, goes to the floor of the House to condemn what he did, saying it's undemocratic and it's screwed his voters. I'm paraphrasing. And it looks like she's the one that's being made out to be the bad guy by House Democrats.

1:15:21Yeah, look, I actually don't know a lot about the backstory of this. My understanding is that it had something to do with health issues in the family. No one is begrudging his retirement from Congress. That's understandable. But he did so in a way so as to anoint a successor. Look, I never underestimate the Democratic Party's ability to take what could be a good moment and turn it upside down. And, you know, the dem on dem political violence is just something you can usually bet on. I think what's probably... We need more of it. Yeah, I know Mike's happy. I think, look, I think what's probably frustrated a lot of people, some people are frustrated at his decision, the way you laid it out.

1:16:02Other people are frustrated that the congresswoman went so loud and so public to take him on and just create another issue. Mike and I were talking in the green room. The thing that's amazing is I don't know that anyone would have said anything in his district had she not blown it up. Well, there was coverage in the Chicago press. I mean, it's a it's a pretty good press group there. Yeah, but it's still I don't think most people we pay attention to the machinations of, you know, who files when and all of that. I think Mo's right that the district in a plus 17, you said, yeah, they're not they're not probably going to care.

1:16:42But this does seem it is strange that it has gone on as long as it has. And you had the congresswoman on today. And there's something I there's got to it makes you feel like there's something else going on beneath the surface. But I just like sitting back and watching. It's the latest battle and sort of the generational approach, the anti-establishment fight that's starting to take shape in the Democratic Party. And I think you're going to see water see through those cracks wherever you can. And where you're seeing it really is the retirement of the senior Democrats who, if they're not beaten at the ballot box, this new generation of Democrats really, I think, are forcing a lot of the old guard to step down.

1:17:19We're probably going to see it in New York with Chuck Schumer, not to bring it into the shutdown and the calls that the Democrats have had about his leadership. But I think we're witnessing kind of the end of some of the senior leadership of the Democratic Party right now. One of the things that's happened on that line that you talk of, it's interesting that you talk about this generational. I hadn't thought about it, but that makes sense. She's very young, Congresswoman Gluskin-Perevs. One of the things that's interesting is younger people announcing that they're going to challenge old House Democrats, and then those old House Democrats announcing that they're not running for re-election.

1:17:54It happened with Jared Nadler in New York and the district that's very competitive, and I think Jack Schlossberg is going to run in that seat. Also with Jan Schakowsky in Illinois. And then we had on the show earlier today, or we taped an interview, I should say, earlier today that we're going to air later with Governor DeSantis and a former Democratic member of Congress talking about the need for term limits. I think there is a lot of just like, why are these people staying in Congress forever? Yeah. And this is the hot conversation in the Democratic Party. Look, they're not limiting it just to elderly members of Congress, right?

1:18:34I mean, you've got sort of a young progressive now announcing or likely to take on Hakeem Jeffries in his own seat. I think it is less about generational change and age as it is about sort of taking on the establishment. The same populist wave that hit the Republican Party a dozen years ago or so with the rise of the Tea Party. Democrats are starting to see how successful it is. We'll see, right? Ask me when when all the primaries are over. I think they're more successful in getting people to retire than they are at the ballot box because you're not seeing a lot of primaries in which an establishment Democrat, or frankly, an established Republican loses.

1:19:15And the Republican Party, we do have President Trump that can, you know, except for maybe Massey in Kentucky, can frighten people out and now Marjorie Taylor Greene. But in the Democratic Party, I think you're seeing a lot more retirements than you are actually losses in primates. The question is, do you understand the politics of the moment? That's the question that all these members are asking themselves. Well, you heard Stephanie Shaheen, Jean Shaheen's daughter, she's running for the House. And she said her mom's wrong for doing that negotiation, for doing the compromise with Republicans. I want to be at that Thanksgiving day.

1:19:50I don't think that Senate, I'm pretty sure that retiring Senator Jean Shaheen understands that she's probably, she's rather sophisticated, that family. But I agree with you. Like, I mean, well, we'll see how much she goes anti-mom. She hasn't. But I do want to ask about the Epstein files. President Trump has reversed his position on this. He says he has nothing to hide. You know, if he has nothing to hide, then why has he been fighting this tooth and nail for the last six months? Well, I think he's getting ahead of the story now. Look, we've talked about this over, I don't know how many months now we've been talking about this.

1:20:28I know it's your favorite topic. It is my favorite topic. And we've been talking about this is the one area where I could not figure out how the White House isn't getting ahead of the story. And they finally are. They're finally getting to the place where, you know, let's, you were going to lose this all along. Yeah. And they finally, I think, realized it. And I think the president realized it. And, you know, as he was asked today, are you going to sign it if it comes to your desk? He said, sure. Except it has to get through the Senate. Is it going to get through the Senate? Jasmine Crockett, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett said she thinks the only reason Trump's forward is because the fix is in in the Senate.

1:21:02And it might be. Look, no, look, I don't know. It could pass. But waiting until right before a vote, realizing you're going to lose that vote, and then putting out the statement he did is hardly getting ahead of it. If he wanted to get ahead of it, he has the authority to release a lot of the files himself. You can release it right now. You complain that the Justice Department releases things under Trump's direction, and then when he doesn't give them direction and asks for Congress to act, now he should be asking for it. I'm all for Congress asking. The level of this is... All right. Anyway. way.

1:21:36Thank you so much, Mo Mike. Appreciate it. In our last leads today, the national lead and battled FEMA director David Richardson announced today that he's going to step down from his position in two weeks. Sources told CNN plans were already in the works to oust the controversial administrator as soon as hurricane season is over at the end of the month. Talk about getting ahead of a story. Richardson's departure comes as Homeland Security, the department that oversees FEMA, prepares for major reforms of that natural disaster agency. Only one week left to get in on the celebrity auction that I'm co-hosting with George Clooney and Winona Judge.

1:22:06All of the proceeds help build specially adapted custom homes for wounded veterans. The top five bids right now at ebay.com, HFOT, Homes for Our Troops. Top five are a Zoom call with actor Jeff Probst. It's more than$10 ,000. What the? Then premiere tickets to a future Jake Gyllenhaal production along with a meet and greet and the number three spot, an exclusive set visit to filming of Severance, Season 3, meet and greet with Ben Stiller, followed by an autographed Superman movie poster. Rounding out the top five is lunch with Paul Rudd. I will also be there, but I'm sure that's not what's getting the money.

1:22:41But there are more than 100 items to bid on, and a lot of them are really going for low prices right now. Find out more at ebay.com slash HFOT, Homes for Our Troops. If you ever miss an episode of Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Aaron Burnett out front starts right now. See you tomorrow.

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