Democrats see potential path to retake Senate majority

0:00Keeping up with my kids means everything. When I started losing my vision due to diabetic macular edema, I worried I'd be stuck on the sidelines. Then I talked to my redness specialist about Vibismo, a treatment that improves vision quickly. So now, I'm still in the game. Open up your world with Vibismo, the number one prescribed FDA approved treatment for DME. 11 letters improved over one year, same as a flipperset 2mg. Number one prescribed based on Verona Health patient share analysis January through March 2026, separately approved products considered individually. Vibismo for ISMAB SVOA is an eye injection. Don't take it if you have an infection, active eye swelling, or are allergic to it. Vibismo could cause eye infection, retinal detachment, temporary increase in eye pressure, an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke, or severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. Report changes to vision or eye pain to your redness specialist right away. Ask your doctor about the Vibismo. As soon as you notice any vision changes, visit vabysmo.com or call 1-833-IGN for patient assistance programs, cost and full prescribing information.

1:007 million Californians depend on community health clinics for their care, but Proposition 44 cuts billions from clinics. Under 44, hundreds of clinics will close and health services will be eliminated. That's why Prop 44 is opposed by nurses, doctors, and patients. Vote no on the clinic shutdown proposition. No, on 44. Vote no on Prop 44. Stop the attack on patients and community health clinics, sponsored by California Primary Care Association Advocates. Add committee's top funders, ultimate health services, and California Primary Care Association Advocates. The last word we're going to think Capert and for Lawrence starts right now. Hey Jonathan. Hey, Janet, you know, I'm glad you're going to be showing what happened down there in Texas, but I just have one bone to pick. Oh. I will be asleep. Cuz I have to be up in the morning on Sunday. That is totally fair. We will give you, I'm sure we'll replay at an earlier hour, but you're going to be asleep for good reason. Yes, but you know what I can do? I'll record it. You can.

2:01I don't have a lot of energy. I don't have a technology. It's amazing. Yeah. All right, Jen, have a good weekend. Thank you. You too Jonathan. All right. 25 days until election day. And with control of Congress on the line, Republicans have a big problem. And his name is Donald Trump. Trump is giving Democrats every reason to make this election a referendum on his presidency. Instead of focusing on the issues that matter most to voters, the Trump administration is creating political distractions and is consumed by controversy after controversy. The Pentagon, or Trump's so-called Department of War, has announced plans to live stream the execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hassan, who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others in the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the decision, quote, a barbaric idea beneath our dignity as a country.

3:03The plan, announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has exposed internal differences among Republican leadership. Trump approved the public execution, which is set to be the first done by a firing squad since World War II, while Vice President J.D. Vance announced today that he would not be watching the livestream execution. It's not the only time this week that Americans have been confronted with disturbing questions about the use of violence by the Trump administration. Today, Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin was in front of reporters defending another ice-envolved shooting this time in New York City, where federal immigration officers shot a man in the neck while his five-year-old son was in the backseat of the car. No, we're not putting a pause on enforcement. I'm sorry, we're not. In fact, I'm not sorry. Our job is in enforceinations laws and go out to the worst of the worst and our men

4:03and women do a dang good job at it every single day. A dang good job would not have led to the deaths of Alex Freddie and Renee Good and the dozens of others who have been shot or killed by federal law enforcement this year alone. With 25 days to go until the midterms, these are far from the only Trump controversies. As measles outbreaks continue to raise public health concerns, Trump administration is launching a new program to research vaccine injuries. The initiative is being pushed by HHS Secretary RFK Jr., whose longstanding vaccine skepticism has raised questions about his approach to public health. And then there are the growing questions about this administration and corruption and the lack of accountability. These are promising investigations if they win control of the House and possibly the Senate. Here's what Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said yesterday.

5:05What we've seen from the Trump cartel is that they're more focused on enriching themselves, their family members, their friends and their donors than they are with making life more affordable for the American people and are promised to the country. And the new Congress is at beginning on day one. We're going to hold the crooks accountable. 25 days before the election, the economy remains the central concern for voters. But with Americans feeling the pressure at the pump, the grocery store and everywhere else, guess who Donald Trump is turning to for help? Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Trump says Russia has agreed to supply diesel to the United States and global markets. The administration is presenting the deal as a way to ease fuel costs. But the policy comes with a striking contradiction. The United States easing sanctions on Russia even as Putin continues his war against Ukraine.

6:07Ukrainian presidents Zelensky criticized the move saying, Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will repay the diesel with further terror and perfidding. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. And there is no guarantee this deal will bring meaningful relief at the pump or in all the high prices caused by skyrocketing diesel fuel costs. So with election day approaching, Trump is handing the Democrats controversies and scandals to use against Republicans. And Democrats, most notably former president Barack Obama, are working to make sure voters take notice. I'll be honest with you, I never imagined some of the stuff that's been going on in our country lately. But I am energized by the millions of Americans who are taking a stand and demanding change, even when it's hard. That's what hope is all about. It's never blind optimism.

7:10It's grounded in a clear-eyed recognition that tough things happen and the world is deeply imperfect, but we have agency. We make choices about what we stand for and what we believe in. So I'm asking you today to use that hope to make a difference. Get involved and help Democrats win one of the most consequential elections in our country's history. Because the most powerful office in this country has always been citizen. And right now, every one of us can help turn hope into action. That's the message Democrats are taking into the final stretch of the election. And judging by the latest poll numbers, Republicans should be concerned. The Pew Research Poll, long considered the gold standard of polling, shows Trump's approval rating has sunk to a new second-term low, with only 30% approving of his job performance and 68% disapproving. A new political poll finds that

8:15even among the voters who support Trump, one in four say Republican candidates would benefit from breaking with the president ahead of the midterms. And the Cook Political Report has also shifted another 18 House races in the Democrats direction, strengthening the party's path to a House majority. Meanwhile, in the U.S. Senate, Democrats see a real possibility of retaking the majority in that chamber as well, with Texas emerging as one race that could be a key potential pickup if Democratic Senate candidate James Telerico prevails. But, lone star Republicans aren't just worried about the Senate race. In her latest New York Times column, opinion writer Michelle Goldberg writes, Republicans are also worried about Texas Democratic nominee for governor Gina Inohosa. Goldberg writes, a big part of the reason Inohosa is pulling ahead is that Latinos, who swung toward Republicans in 2024, have soured on the party in large part

9:20because of Trump's brutal mass deportation campaign. Abbott has been elected governor of Texas three times by double digit margins. If Inohosa even comes close to beating him, it will be because the Republican coalition that Trump assembled is collapsing. And a new Democratic one is perhaps starting to take shape. The latest New York Times Ciena poll shows Democrat Gina Inohosa ahead of Republican governor Greg Abbott, 49% to 46%, and that's within the margin of error. Even a slight Democratic lead in a Texas governor's race is no small thing. Abbott has been governor since 2015. The Republicans have spent years building a formidable statewide political operation. Now, with the race tightening, Republicans are spending big to keep him in office. The Washington Post reports Abbott has spent more than $130 million on this race, more than seven

10:23times the amount Gina Inohosa has spent in the campaign. And despite all of Abbott spending, Inohosa says voters who have supported him in the past are now joining her coalition. Up and Texas is down. Texas through the roof. Pants stressed out. That's Abbott's corruption, and it's costing us everything. I voted for Abbott three times, but I'm getting off the sidelines for Gina Inohosa. Now Gina's running for governor to take on the big inairs and always put our kids on these duties. Leading off our discussion tonight is Texas State Representative Gina Inohosa. She is the Democrat-A candidate for governor of Texas, Representative Inuhosa. Nice to see you again. The New York Times poll shows you ahead of Abbott, 49-46,

11:23what's changed in the race that makes you believe you can win? Well, that's the latest of four polls, big polls, Sienna, Maris polls that show we are winning in Texas because people want change. People are tired of this high cost economy. They know who's been in charge for the last 12 years. It is Governor Abbott and they know who's been in charge for 30 years and it's Republicans, right? So people aren't necessarily team Democrat in 2026 in Texas, but they are for a change from whatever this is because we just can't afford another four years of Greg Abbott. Now, you are running in a state Trump one in 2024 by 14 percentage points and your opponent, Greg Abbott, has won three gubernatorial elections. As I said in the intro by double digit margins, what are the former Trump Abbott voters now supporting you telling you about why they've switched? That Greg Abbott has sold us out from our public schools to data centers.

12:28Greg Abbott championed school vouchers in Texas last year and pushed it through the legislature and we know our schools are in crisis. 150 whole school districts are operating at four days a week because they can't afford to operate at five days a week and rule Texas where many Republicans live are, are mad about it. And now the data centers to add insult to injury, data centers have descended into rule Texas because Greg Abbott has given the richest tax breaks in the whole country to these hyper scale data centers that pay no sales tax on the electricity they consume for 20 years. So rule Texas where lots of macro Republicans live are angry at Greg Abbott for selling them out. I am running to secure the American dream by saving Texas public schools and putting money in your pocket and stop paying this data center take over and you can learn more about my agenda at ginefortexas.com. Democracy Docket reports Tarant County voters have filed an emergency lawsuit accusing

13:33Republican County officials of intentionally making it harder for black and Hispanic residents to vote by eliminating dozens of election day polling places. State Representative for folks not familiar, that's a huge county that includes Fort Worth. How concerned are you about voter suppression and what can be done now to protect access to the ballot? Right, the reason they're doing that is because one of the biggest upsets in the country happen in Tarant County. Taylor remets swung a state senate seat 31 points to be elected to be our new state senator in Tarant County. So they are trying to stop change now, but it cannot be stopped. And we have seen Tarant County residents lock in to make sure they get out the vote in November. So I believe those tactics have backfired in Tarant County. We have free and fair elections in Texas. We've always had shenanigans and we're used to dealing with them. But you can't stop the change that's coming in Tarant County and beyond.

14:36Last year, you've been in said a month before Taylor remet won that senate seat as goes Tarant County. So it goes Texas and so goes the nation. Before I let you go, the state representative in a house of forehood is in your state. What's your reaction to Pete Hicksett's decision to live stream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter? It is shocking. It is immoral and it is a sad day in America when that happens. I just got off the phone with my Catholic priest who could not believe that that was happening in our country. It is wrong. It is un-American. It is inhumane and it is really outrageous that this is happening. Texas state representative Gina Hosa, Democratic nominee for governor of Texas. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. Thank you. And joining us now, the state senator Nathan Johnson, he is the Democratic nominee for

15:39state attorney general in Texas. State senator Johnson, thank you for coming to the last word tonight. Let's start with this new ad you've released against your opponent Republican Mays Middleton. There is no such thing as separation of church and state. That is a lie. The number one thing we have to do is defeat the left. We are not a democracy. That was a stolen election. Kent Thachston said the other day that he is voting for me. Do you believe the office has become too political? No. After 12 years of Kent Thachston in office, we need an attorney general who will put the rule of law over politics and the public good over a personal agenda. I'm Nathan Johnson. Texas could use a good lawyer. Other than that, incredible 30 second ad. I will take your word. I will take your word for that. But what do you want Texas voters to understand about why you are running for attorney general? I really want to restore the rule of law.

16:41We have disagreements in politics all the time. But if we are going to disagree effectively, we need our constitutional foundations. At the presidential level, the gubernatorial level, in our legislature and in the words of my opponent, the attorney general's office has turned into kind of a pathetic partisan tool. And it is an embarrassment to the state. There's two of us in this race. One of them has promised to misuse the office. That's Mays Middleton. The other one wants to uphold the rule of law and act in the public interest way this office is supposed to. What would be your first priority as attorney general if you are victorious on election day? Really, really rebuilding the office. Kent Paxson has had this place for 12 years. Towards the end of his tenure as attorney general, we started the attrition. The really dedicated public servants have found it difficult to do their jobs in that office. So we're going to have to recruit a lot of people. Fortunately, I'm hearing from lawyers and policy analysts and the kind of all the time about how good they would feel to come work for an honest attorney general. But our office is only as good as the people that we have around us.

17:43And so my number one task is to rebuild the culture and the staffing of that office. The Senator Johnson Texas has become a battleground, as you know, over immigration enforcement, reproductive rights and the power of state government. How would you use the attorney general's office to make a difference? There's a couple of things you have to do. First, stop doing damage. Stop using the office. Enforcement of the law is not the same as using the law as a tool of harassment and intimidation and advancing an ideological agenda. First thing, stop the bad stuff. Second thing, re-examine a lot of these relationships that would look at the relationship that Texas has with ICE. Why does Texas have the country's only 287G agreement outsourcing the employees of the attorney general's office to a rogue agency? So we're going to take a look at those kinds of things. Secondly, reinvigorate the basic purposes of the attorney general's office. You're supposed to be a check on the abuse of power by anyone anywhere in government, out of government, and we need to enforce consumer protection laws and market competition laws.

18:44And it's really a matter of refocusing the agency on the things that's supposed to be doing. I mean supporting district attorneys who really are on the front lines of criminal prosecutions. There's so much work that needs to be done in this office, I can't wait to get started. One more question for you. If Democrats win the governor's race or make major gains elsewhere in Texas, they could still face a Republican-controlled legislature. How much could you accomplish as attorney general without the legislature's cooperation? Really quite a bit. I've been in the legislature for eight years. That's four sessions have passed 135 bills. I kill Republican bills. I excoriate them on the floor, but I also respect anybody who's in government and I work together with them. I expect as an attorney general, I'm going to be examining what laws I need, how the law needs to be updated to make sure that I can do my job of protecting the public. And I'll be going to a legislature that is bipartisan composition, working with them to make sure that we're all doing our jobs. And also trying to keep them in their lane from passing on constitutional bills, same thing

19:44with respect to any other part of government. The attorney general is there to make sure that things are functioning according to the law and we're all doing our jobs. I think Senator. I think Senator. I'm down without partisan problems. No, no, that is quite alright. State Senator Nathan Johnson, Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General and owner of a fabulous tie. Thank you for joining us tonight. Thanks so much for having me on tonight. Coming up, tensions are rising in New York City after an ICE agent shot a man in the neck with his young son in the car. New video conflicting, conflicting accounts of what happened and the latest as Democrats push back against Trump's immigration crackdown. That's next. For families facing cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease and other devastating illnesses, Proposition 38 means hope. Immunotherapies are already saving and extending lives. Yes, on Prop 38, accelerates breakthrough immunology medical research to develop life-saving

20:46treatments and cures. Please vote yes on Prop 38. Add paid for by yes on 38, Californians for life-saving immunology research and cures, sponsored by the Michelson Center for Public Policy, ad committee stop funders Gary K. Michelson and Michelson Center for Public Policy Inc. Hey, what's up guys? It's Hayley Bailey. Okay, I need to tell you about something. I just got YouTube Premium. It's got tons of awesome features like offline downloads so I can download my favorite videos before I travel and watch them whenever I don't have Wi-Fi. Because we all know airplane Wi-Fi is the worst. I get ad free, I get back room play and there's like a ton more in there. You should try it. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. Try it now for two months free at youtube.com slash premium. Try a eligibility varies, terms apply, cancel anytime. That's a mouthful. Normally in these ads you expect somebody to ask you to buy something. But this is something different. I'm Julian Barnes and I'm a reporter for The New York Times. I'm a national security reporter and that means I'm reporting on military operations.

21:46These are fast paced, quickly moving situations. What exactly is happening on the ground is often shredded in mystery. But we turn to trusted sources, satellite imagery and expertise built up over years in order to fair it out the facts that wouldn't otherwise come to light. I'm here to ask you to seek out a news source that does first hand fact-based reporting. If it's your local paper, great. If it's The Times, thank you. Because where you go for your information matters. The city of New York is in an uproar with protesters on the streets for the second straight night, calling for ICE to leave the city after an ICE agent shot a man in the neck while his five-year-old son was in the backseat of his car. At least seven shots were fired while ICE attempted to arrest 28-year-old Oscar Bergall

22:48yesterday afternoon in a residential neighborhood in the Bronx. Bergall is a Dominican immigrant who federal officials say is undocumented and has a criminal record. This news surveillance video captures the moments before the shooting. An ICE agent who does not appear to be clearly identified as a federal agent approaches a parked SUV with his gun drawn and punches the side of the car. A second agent draws his gun as the SUV drives away. We do not know what happened before this video starts. For its part, the NYPD released this body cam video of two officers arriving at the chaotic scene to find Oscar Bergall on the ground in handcuffs with other men standing around, including a man wearing a construction vest holding an assault style rifle. The NYPD officers are the ones who transported Oscar Bergall to the hospital. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin defended the actions of the ICE agents involved

23:52in accused Bergall of refusing to comply with their orders and, quote, weaponizing his vehicle against the agents. And the Secretary Mullin blamed Oscar Bergall, not ICE, for endangering the life of his child. We wasn't aware the child was in the car. I can tell you that. But do you know who was? Oscar. Oscar knew he had a child in his car. Oscar chose to accelerate at a high rate of speed and ram two different vehicles as he was as a peer appears to be going towards officers. On federal judge today issued a restraining order blocking his deportation. NBC News reports, Paige Austin, one of Bergall's lawyers, said her client still has a bullet in his body and hasn't been able to speak to his family. He has been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Democrats in New York widely condemned the latest shooting by what they called a rogue agency that is making Americans less safe.

24:53At a press conference late last night, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani called for ICE to be abolished, accusing the agents of concealing their identities and opening fire in streets filled with families and children without any explanation. Today's shooting is only further devastating confirmation of what we have long known, which is that ICE operates with impunity, that they so chaos and terror across our country, that they have killed far more of our neighbors than they could ever have claimed to save. We want ICE out of our city, ICE out of our schools, ICE out of our hospitals, ICE out of our streets, ICE away from our kids. We want that because we want to keep the city safe. We do not need them to do so. All they do is terrorize the city. Joining us now, Mimi Roca, former assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, former federal prosecutor, and former district attorney for Westchester County in New York. Mimi, great to see. It's been a very long time.

25:54New York officials are asking for body camera footage of the incident. From what we know so far, what do you make of the justification for this shooting by ICE, especially with a child in the car? Hi Jonathan, it's great to be with you. Look, this may be somewhat unsatisfying to people, but my job as a prosecutor for 20 years was not to render judgment before I knew all the facts. I really believe that what needs to happen here is a real and thorough investigation by authorities that we trust. I did hear or read somewhere, I believe, that the DA from the Bronx, our cell clerk, might be doing an investigation. That would be great news. I know DA Clark and I trust that she is someone who will not render a judgment one way or the other until we know all the facts. In cases like this, where the question is, was the shooting justified?

26:56And I'm looking at this purely in this moment as a prosecutor's eyes. I'm not talking about the political issues around it or the emotional issues around it. There are a lot of those understandably all around. But from a prosecutor's perspective, every single detail matters as to whether this shooting was justified. And I don't think sitting here right now, I certainly don't know all of those details. I'm not sure who does. I mean, I sat in rooms and looked at body camera footage like you just played over and re-played it and you look at it from different angles and before and after and cell phone video and they're going to need to gather that mountain of evidence really to understand exactly what happened here. I mean, I have a question and I'm sure a lot of people are at home are asking. The role justification plays when you've got a person in the car like Oscar Bergogl.

28:03And then unidentified people come to the car with guns smashing windows. What role does the unidentified ability of these officers play into the justification? Because certainly, I think people at home would be thinking they would feel justified trying to get the hell away from someone they don't know who's not identified as law enforcement, state, local, federal or otherwise and want to protect themselves and especially if they've got a five year old in the back seat. Those are great questions and questions that I would want answered through the investigation. So your question about whether the officers were identified. I mean, you're correct, absolutely just from that video we can see what they weren't uniformed. However, there are cases where law enforcement of many different agencies are not uniformed but do properly identify themselves. I am not saying that did or didn't happen here. I don't know.

29:04I would want to know exactly what were the identifying signature on their badges or jackets? What did they say as they approached? I'm not saying any of that makes it okay. I'm just saying all those details matter. Your question though, really, the question about whether then shooting was justified will go to what they were doing at the time and what he was doing. I mean, they're going to claim the government's claim here. ISIS claim is that he had weaponized his vehicle. If that were true, if that were actually what was happening, then they may not even 100 percent but maybe justified in shooting. However, was he actually weaponizing his vehicle? Again, there are so many details around that that I'm sitting here right now. I don't think any of us really know. None of this, I don't want it to be seen at that I'm ignoring the context we're in,

30:05right? Minnesota happened. And there we know 100 percent that officials from DHS, from DOJ, from the White House came out and said that certain things had happened that had caused the shooting, right? Both in the case of Alex Preddie and Renee Good. And then it turned out that our eyes saw after much more evidence was released that there was not, that it wasn't as they claimed. Now there actually still has never been a full and fair investigation in those cases. Right. The things that are really troubling me right now is that we have these shootings and then the federal government just says, well, this is what happened and we're not doing an investigation. They haven't said that they're not here, but we know in the past in Minnesota they didn't and that was a travesty that they didn't even do an investigation. Any law enforcement involved shooting that I have been part of as either a federal prosecutor

31:08or a DA that I have seen happen on my watch or been involved with, I have seen full investigations done by the federal government, even when they didn't seem like host calls. So that, to me, is what is really what people should be screaming about right now. I mean, people can get upset about many things, but we should be demanding real investigations. I'm glad the DA, if she's doing it, we'll do it. But the federal government cannot absolve itself of its responsibility to do that. An independent investigation by an institution people trust. Mimi Roca, thank you very much for joining us tonight. Wait, I know. Coming up, Hurricane Eseis has been downgraded, but is still a dangerous category when Hurricane slamming into the Gulf Coast. The storm made landfall just minutes ago. We'll go live to Alabama where millions brace for potentially life-threatening storm surge, flooding, and damaging winds. That's next.

32:13For families facing cancer, all-timers, heart disease, and other devastating illnesses, Proposition 38 means hope. Immunotherapies are already saving and extending lives. Yes, on Prop 38, accelerates breakthrough immunology medical research to develop life-saving treatments and cures. Please vote yes on Prop 38. Ad paid for by yes on 38, Californians for Life-Saving Immunology Research and Cures, sponsored by the Michelson Center for Public Policy, ad committee stop funders Gary K. Michelson and Michelson Center for Public Policy Inc. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. It's destroying, athlete, creator, and YouTube Maxor. YouTube Premium enhances how I use YouTube with awesome features like offline downloads, so I could download my favorite training videos before I hit the gym. So no Wi-Fi doesn't turn leg day into loading day. Plus, I get ad-free videos, background play, and so much more. YouTube Premium is like YouTube got some extra gains. Try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium. Try eligibility varies, terms apply, cancel anytime.

33:13I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talk to my doctor about self-injecting with the VivGuard Hytrulo-Prefilled syringe, which contains FGartega-Mod Alpha and Hyleronodeys QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment my way. Visit VivGuardMyway.com. That's v-y-v-g-a-r-t-myway.com. And talk to your doctor about VivGuard Hytrulo, brought to you by Argenics. Breaking news Hurricane E.C.E.S has made landfall tonight on the Gulf Coast. This Category 1 storm currently hitting parts of Alabama and Florida is the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States during an unusually quiet 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. The Associated Press reports, forecasters warned of a significant storm surge damaging winds flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland

34:16and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta. Earlier today, Governor Ron DeSantis warned people living in the Florida Panhandle to take this storm seriously. There was a lot of prognostications about it, about it weakening. We've said from the beginning, we are going to assume that it's going to make landfall as a major hurricane. So that's a major event. It's something that we prepared for, but folks who are in the path of this storm should know that this is not just going to be a random tropical system. It's going to be a strong hurricane and it's going to potentially do a lot of damage. Joining us now, MSNOW reporter Maya Eglens, she's in Montgomery, Alabama. That can hear the rain. What are the conditions like there right now? It's raining Jonathan. As you can see, we are kind of in the thick of it. East IES, as you mentioned, just made landfall a short while ago, but here in Montgomery, we are still experiencing some of those outer bands.

35:18You might be able to see some of those white trucks behind me. We've been seeing the utility trucks dotted all over the state and they are standing by because there's several threats here. Not only flooding, there can be down wires, even the risk of big old trees tumbling over. I want to show you this one behind me. You might be able to see it rustled just a little bit because Alabama has had so much rain in the past few weeks. We're hearing from state officials that there's an increased risk for trees like that to also tumble over. I've been speaking with residents throughout the state too and one thing that was really interesting that they brought up to me was the financial cost to actually prepare for a hurricane. As you know, some families are choosing between groceries and gas, gas or rent. So I want to play some of my conversation with one resident down in mobile and his thoughts on being prepared for this storm financially. Take a listen. It's hard. It's hard. Especially the way the economy is right now. The way I don't want to

36:24put it all on Trump, but I guess that's just the way it goes. I got two generators. So you know you have to keep keep things going. You know, the generators take gas though, right? Yeah, I got to keep getting how expensive has happened. Oh God. Gas round here. Nice like $4. It's really high. So another thing to mention, Jonathan, a lot of attention has been paid to the golf shore and the threat of the storm surge there. But as this storm continues to move north, everyone is going to have to pay a special attention to the conditions in their area. We've got another utility truck coming right around the corner. We've been seeing them absolutely all day. The most important thing is to make sure that you are staying safe. The governors are asking folks to stay off of the roads. So emergency vehicles can get to where they're going. And like we said, we're going to see this rain continue all the way up the coast to even DC and New York later this next week actually. Jonathan. Emma Snauz, Maya Eglene, I will see you bright and early to our morning on the weekend.

37:29Thank you very much for this report right now. Coming up, Donald Trump's revenge campaign rolls on with new moves targeting Cassidy Hutchinson and federal reserve governor Lisa Cook. But inside Trump's Justice Department, his push for retribution is reportedly running into trouble. Democratic Congressman James Walkenshow of Virginia, member of the Oversight Committee, joins us next. While millions of Americans are worried about making ends meet, Donald Trump is worried about getting even. Trump's Justice Department convened a federal grand jury this week as it seeks a criminal indictment of Cassidy Hutchinson, the former Trump White House aide who served as a key witness for the House Committee investigating the January 6 attacks on the United States Capitol. The Washington Post reports, federal officials have accused Hutchinson of lying to lawmakers,

38:29said the two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Prosecutors have been exploring charging Hutchinson with a civil rights violation, potentially bringing a more unusual case than a simple charge of lying to Congress, one of the people familiar said. After the Supreme Court blocked Trump's attempt to fire federal reserve governor Lisa Cook, today it was announced that he's trying a new approach, a White House committee stacked with his own appointees to investigate her. The New York Times reports, Mr. Trump asked the committee to report back on whether there were grounds for Governor Cook's removal from office. While Miss Cook was first accused by the White House of mortgage fraud more than a year ago, she has not been charged with any crime. Lisa Cook's attorney is released to statement saying they doubt the committee is, quote, legitimate, and that Cook never committed more to fraud. And so Donald Trump's revenge tour rolls on, but not without setbacks.

39:33The New York Times reports that Joe DeGeneres have a hand picked to lead the investigation into those who investigate Trump abruptly quit after a profanity-laced phone call with Trump's attorney general Todd Blanch last month. The Times reports that his departure, quote, laid bare months of dysfunction. They also offered fresh evidence that Mr. Trump's demands for revenge have divided the Justice Department, diverted resources from other investigations, and continued the erosion of the principal that politics must be kept strictly separate from federal law enforcement. To date, Mr. DeGeneres and others involved in the case have found it difficult and at time consuming to meet the standards of evidence and jurisdiction needed to prove anything close to a conspiracy in a court of law. Meanwhile, Trump donor Eric Dieters is accusing Trump ally and US ambassador to Greece Kimberler Gildfoyle of asking him to pay off her $100,000 credit card debt in exchange for

40:40access to Trump's official to Trump officials. Gildfoyle's lawyer disputed the authenticity of text DeGeneres provided as evidence, but offered no specifics. Yesterday, Eric Dieters said he's contacted House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer about holding a hearing into Gildfoyle. I'm text to James Comer, and it's them that owe congressional hearings. I've not heard that yet. Our next guest House Oversight Committee member Congressman James Walkensha is also publicly asking James Comer for a hearing into the alleged quid pro quo posting quote. Eric Dieters says he asked Congressman James Comer to hold a hearing on Kimberly Gildfoyle's $100,000 MX Bill request. No reply. Chairman Comer, will you hold a hearing or help cover up more Trump administration corruption? Joining us now is Democratic Congressman James Walkensha of Virginia. He's a member of the House Oversight Committee and Homeland Security Committee. Congressman Walkensha, thanks for coming back to the last word.

41:49Does this level of alleged Trump world corruption register with voters? Look, I think at this point it does. I think the American people recognize that Donald Trump said he was going to lower prices when he ran. Instead, he's focused on settling scores and and patting his bank account and clearly those around him are focused on that as well. And I think, you know, this also goes to Congress's role. And one of the reasons that congressional Republicans are in so much trouble in this election that's coming up on November 3rd is that they have been complicit and they have been covering up for the corruption that's taking place. It's shocking to me that Chairman Comer hasn't already called for an investigation and a necessary hearings to get to the bottom of this. If the Oversight Committee chair Comer, if he won't investigate allegations against Trump's own allies like Kimberly Gillfoil, how do Democrats force his hand? Well, we're going to continue to put pressure on him. Ranking member Garcia has sent a letter

42:54requesting documents from Kimberly Gillfoil about her finances any other arrangements like this that might have occurred. But the reality is we might not have the power to investigate this in the way it needs to be done until January of the voter give us that opportunity. In the New York Times reporting on how Trump's revenge campaign has descended into chaos, the Times reports, I'm quoting here, the flurry of grand jury subpoenas issued since last year hailed as bombshells by Trump-friendly news outlets, hence at its breath. If the Trump Justice Department is having trouble finding evidence to support the so-called grand conspiracy, why are the subpoena still coming? Who's holding the Justice Department accountable? Yep. Well, look, in this country prosecutors are supposed to follow the law and the evidence and Donald Trump's Department of Justice, they follow his enemies list. And I want to focus on one that you mentioned, Cassidy Hutchinson. Why is it that just now, four years after her testimony

43:57before Congress, the Trump administration is making threats that they're going to file charges against her? I suspect it's because they want to send a message to others in the administration today who might think about testifying against Donald Trump next year when Democrats are in charge that there's a real risk because she stepped out a line from the Trump mafia, Trump cartel perspective when she did a courageous thing, when testifying before the January 6th committee. And they're nervous that there are others inside the administration right now who know about their law breaking, know about their corruption that might do the same thing in 2027. That's an excellent point, Congressman. Let me get you your reaction one more thing. And that's to the Pentagon's plans to live stream the Fort Hood Shooters execution. What does it say about the Trump administration that it wants to turn a military execution into a public spectacle? There's a weird, weird, strangely disturbing, severely disturbing obsession in this administration

45:04with public displays of cruelty and inhumanity. And look, what this guy did discuss me, whether you agree with the death penalty or not, I think the vast majority of Americans agree that we shouldn't be publicly broadcasting executions in this country the way that the Taliban might do it, the way that a dictator might do it. It's un-American, it shouldn't happen, I hope it doesn't happen. There are some Republicans speaking out against it. I urge all of my Republican colleagues if you have a shred of humanity left, speak out against this. This is not what we do in the United States of America. Let me follow up Congressman. What can Democrats do if anything to stop it? What can Congress do if anything to stop this live streaming? Yeah, there are, I think very valid legal questions as to whether it even lawfully could be live stream. We're going to be pursuing that avenue definitely in the courts to try to prevent it that way. But I think the most important

46:05thing now is to get as many Americans as possible to speak out against this call your member of Congress, especially if you're represented by a Republican and urge them to call on the administration not to do this. Congressman James Wackensha of Virginia, thank you for joining us tonight. Thank you. We'll be right back. Before we go, reminder to join me tomorrow morning on The Weekend. Senator Elizabeth Warren joins us on the growing signs that Trump administration could interfere in the midterm elections. Donald Trump's latest threat to voting rights and how Democrats are preparing to fight back. Plus, the Justice Department's latest retribution campaign. So you know what to do? Join me, Eugene Daniels and Jackie Alamani. Tomorrow morning and Sunday at 7 a.m. Eastern, we go right until 10 a.m. Eastern. It's three hours. It's long, but it's a lot of

47:07fun. And that's right here on MS now. So I hope to see you then both days. That is tonight's last word.