GOP worried Trump will drag party down in midterms

0:00One did work become so much work. The meeting about the meeting, the hundreds of files to find one insight, setting aside the things you want to do for the things that pop up. Your workday's gone. But what if the insight surfaced itself? Or you could ship the deck without the distractions? Gemini Enterprise helps you get that done. It's AI that knows your business with agents that take stuff off your plate. Make work less work with Gemini Enterprise from Google Cloud. Remember FDIC copy right, 2026 US Bank.

1:29Keep the wonder. It's the joy. I am trying to find those elements of joy in these very serious times. I love it. You're going to be my role model. Well, I hate Jen. I'm going to let you go because you've got a big tomorrow. You've got a big day tomorrow. Yeah, it's going to be a good one here in Texas. Yes. Well, have fun. Thanks, Jen. Thanks, Jonathan. We know Republicans up for reelection have a Donald Trump problem. But how bad is that problem? There are 39 days before the midterms. And the election is already underway. Voters in at least five states are already casting in person ballots. Early voting is underway in Virginia, Minnesota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Illinois. Which means for some voters, the decision is being made right now. And what do they have to decide?

2:31Not just whether they like Donald Trump, but whether they want more of what Donald Trump and mega-republicans are offering. And this week, the president's problems have been piling up. Trump's approval rating has fallen to 32 percent, the lowest of his political career. Even among Republicans, Trump's approval rating took a nose dive this week, dropping from 82 percent to 73 percent in just one week. And on the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead Republicans 43 percent to 35 percent. That's an eight-pointed vantage. So how bad is the Trump problem? Bad enough that Republicans are bolting from Trump as the Atlantic puts it. The Atlantic reports that the list of Republican candidates publicly noting their differences with Trump keeps growing. Many are in states where Republicans are facing tighter than expected races.

3:35Quote, Republican candidates seeking a reason to distance themselves from an unpopular president have a buffet of options to choose from. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas spoke out this month about Trump's calls to ban the sale of jets from the Canadian company Bumbardier, whose US headquarters are in Wichita. Senate candidates Mike Rogers and Michigan, Ashley Hinson in Iowa and John Husset in Ohio have each called for a swift end to the war in Iran. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who is leaving Congress after this term, told the Atlantic, the midterms are going to be an effort and effort and bloodbath, and we all know it and we all know why. We haven't done what we said we were going to do. And other Republicans who aren't on the ballot are seeking daylight from the president. The Atlantic continues.

4:37Senator John Curtis of Utah this week called for an investigation into Trump's son, Don Jr. over corruption allegations, including concerns about a luxurious day's long party for his wedding that was funded by a Russian oligarch. Now, let's talk about China. Donald Trump literally rolled out the red carpet this week for the state visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping. Gave him a lavish state dinner, all the pageantry and pomp and circumstance. But some Republicans weren't exactly feeling the love, especially after the Wall Street Journal reported that, US officials say Iran acquired high-resolution satellite images of a Jordan base from Chinese entities before a July attack that killed three troops. Beijing has denied providing military or intelligence support to Iran, but Republican senators nonetheless questioned why Trump was offering such a warm welcome to Xi.

5:43I had the White House ask me for advice. I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America. During every minute of dialogue, our commander-in-chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected, and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America. And Xi says he plans to meet with Trump twice more this year. So whatever Republican concerns that exist about this summit, Trump's China love vest is not ending anytime soon. Democrats, meanwhile, were more blunt. Senate Democrats accused Trump of choosing pageantry over purpose.

6:44And then there's Trump's nearly seven-month war with Iran. The war is becoming another problem Republicans have to own. Senator Amy Klobuchar put it this way. The American people are asking what this war has accomplished. Are we closer to a strong and strict agreement, to curtail Iran's nuclear ambitions? The answer is no. Are we now dealing with Iranian leaders who are less hard-line the answer is no. Have we preserved open shipping routes that are so important for trade? Answer no. It's time for the president to end this war. It's time to work to bring cost down for the American people and foster lasting peace in the region. This is our moment. Americans are still paying the price of the conflict. Higher energy costs with record diesel prices across the country. More uncertainty. And no clear defined end. But now it is Iran proposing a possible path towards reopening the vital street of her moves.

7:47Today CNBC reports Iran has proposed resuming nuclear talks with the United States within seven days if Washington accepts its conditions. On Monday the war will reach the seven-month mark and there is still no clearly articulated end game for the Trump administration. And that is another problem for another problem Republicans running for re-election will have to explain. Meanwhile, Trump is fighting another battle here at home. The White House fight with the press. We have this new reporting tonight from the Washington Post. The White House has blocked CNN from traveling with President Donald Trump on Air Force One for a Saturday trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details. The decision puts the state of the rotational TV pool which briefly resumed Friday in jeopardy.

8:47The TV pool is a shared system where TV networks take turns providing video and audio coverage of the president for the entire news media. CNN later confirmed the report and the post reports that the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tonight's latest appliance by the White House comes after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore past access for journalists from this network, CNN, and Politico. But the administration has found another way to get its message on television. The government funded ads airing on Fox and Newsmax that critics say look and sound like campaign ads. The spots have aired dozens of times and end with the disclaimer paid for by the US government. Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin called the videos potentially illegal writing, this may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes.

9:53And now there are growing concerns among Democrats about efforts to change voting rules and polling locations and whether voters will have access to the ballot when they show up to vote. Earlier this week in Detroit former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning for Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Dr Abdul El Sayed said this. They're cheating with all this redistricting that they are doing. They are cheating by changing polling locations so that our elders who are used to voting at the elementary school down the street may go there on election day and find out it is no longer a polling place. They are cheating by purging voter rolls so we say as leaders then to folks not only must you register to vote check your voter registration status to make sure you haven't been purged from the rolls. Harris appearing in Michigan this week a state Donald Trump carried just two years ago is a clear sign the Democrats are putting national attention and resources into a critical battleground state.

11:01And for good reason new polling for the New York Times and Ciana college finds signs that Democratic voters are consolidating after a tough primary season in Michigan more than 60% of Democrats and Democratic leaning independence said the primary process strengthened the party through vigorous debate. Only about one quarter said the primary is exposed divisions and made Democrats weaker. 79% of Democratic voters in Michigan say the party is focused on the right things. And despite earlier concerns about Michigan Democrats coalescing around El Sayed the time Ciana poll finds him with a five point lead over Republican Congressman Mike Rogers 49% to 44% among likely voters. So there is a lot happening. But the question for Democrats now with voters already casting ballots is whether they can turn the Republican Trump problem into a Democratic reason to vote.

12:07Leading off our discussion tonight Democratic congresswoman Madeline Dean of Pennsylvania she is a member of the foreign affairs and appropriations committees congresswoman dean always thank you for coming to the last word. Democrats are talking about enthusiasm and turnout as a major part of their path to victory in the midterms. But the trick is turning enthusiasm into votes like every member of the house you are running for reelection. What are you hearing from voters that tells you whether Democrats are rebuilding the turnout operation needed to win the house and potentially the Senate. Good evening, Jonathan. Thank you for inviting me to join you on this week that was not a week light on news so much that you just reviewed there even in a brief moment. I will tell you what's going on here in suburban Philadelphia right in Montgomery and Burke's counties. My constituents are have been growingly anxious over many, many months. But what I have seen is them turning their anxiety into action. They are showing up at committee meetings. They're showing up at thickness.

13:14They're showing up at rallies. They're going out and taking turf and making sure that information is getting out about the elections here in Pennsylvania. We have Josh Shapiro at the top of the ticket of very popular and a terrific governor up for reelection. But we have state house and state Senate candidates that are up for election and reelection. And then I am up for reelection. But we have what I call the flippable five at least five congressional seats here in Pennsylvania that could go to Democrats reasonable smart candidates and Democrats. We could get the majority in the US House in Pennsylvania alone. You know, Congresswoman Dean, you heard what former vice president Harris said this week in Detroit that Republicans are cheating through redistricting, changing polling locations and purging voter rolls. Today, the Supreme Court gave Donald Trump a win on plans to audit voter rolls. How concerned are you about a fair election and our Democrats prepared to fight back?

14:16I'm concerned about a United States Supreme Court that has been so corrupted. What I am not concerned about is a free and fair election here in Montgomery County. And I will say from the governor on down, I have met with the governor's team. They are prepared, layered up. They have done tabletop exercises on any kind of challenge to this election cycle. I know right here in Montgomery County and as well in Berks County, my second county, that the county officials are prepared. We will have a free and fair election. And that is one of the greatest concerns that constituents come to me with. But what I can promise them is that the president and his cronies won't attempt to interfere. Think of the shocking news last week of cash betel saying he didn't rule out FBI agents at polling places are Mark Wayne Mullins saying he didn't rule out ice at polling places. But what I can tell voters, my constituents, whether I don't care what party you are.

15:20This election will be free and fair. I already have my ballot. So you can do it by mail. You can do it by drop box. You can do it in person. You can do it at the election board. There are all kinds of opportunities and options to vote. Do not be intimidated. That's exactly what this administration wants. And Jonathan, do you know the reason why they want people intimidated? Because they know they are losing. They cannot sell their policies or ideas. A war that is so craven, reckless, unending without any diplomatic might tariffs that have only cost us more everywhere we go, everywhere we shop in humane immigration policies. So don't be afraid. Get out there and vote. Let your vote and voice be heard. Yeah, don't be afraid. Congressman Dean, let's switch gears and talk about the state visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping. US ambassador to China, David Perdue said today that Trump reiterated to Xi that direct or indirect support for Iran was totally unacceptable.

16:24As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Congresswoman, what do you make of Trump's approach to China? You know, it is stunning. It is shocking. But in many ways, Jonathan, it isn't because take a look at what our president, our democratic, small D democratic president did this week with the press or with the Department of Justice threatening to fire anybody within the department who doesn't pursue any allegation of election fraud. The president, sadly, our president is operating very much like a dictator, like an authoritarian. It, I don't understand it, except that we know that this president, Trump, really does cozy up to dictators, communist dictators, whether it is Xi and rolling out the red carpet, think of using the military to smooth that red carpet at the tarmac for president Xi Jinping. For president Xi, when the reporting is US military reporting and other reporting is that it was Iran who has provided satellite imagery that led that led to clarity in terms of where US military were and that possibly led to the death of three Americans in this Iranian war.

17:44I don't understand it. I don't understand an American president rolling out a red carpet to someone like Xi. But then you see he's about to welcome president Putin to Florida. That sounds silly, even coming out of my mouth. Welcome, Putin to Florida. It makes no sense whatsoever. This is a president who said a couple of things. He bring prices down. He's done the exact opposite in extraordinary measure. He said he would end wars and not get involved in new ones. Look where we are with Ukraine. Desperate to get Ukraine. The sanctions relief they need, the military relief they need so they can get to peace and their own dignity and destiny. President isn't helping in that way at all in the almost two years he's been back in office. And then this this war in Iran that was so ill conceived ill partnered never brought to the American people never brought to Congress as he should have.

18:47And to be clear it was the Wall Street Journal reporting US officials say Iran acquired high resolution satellite images of a Jordan base from Chinese entities before July. I just wanted to clear clear that up congressman Madeline Dean as always thank you for coming on tonight. Thank you very much. Still ahead tonight why the Senate seat held for nearly 24 years by the late Linsy Graham is according to the Washington Post quote vulnerable to flipping to Democrats. You heard that right in deep red South Carolina the Democrat in that campaign Dr. Andy Andrews will join us later this hour. But coming up the latest on today's breaking news from the Supreme Court and what it means for you in your right to vote this November Barbara McQuade joins us next. What's better than watching college football watching it on your own terms with sling.

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20:57But what if the insight surface itself or you could ship the deck without the distractions Gemini enterprise helps you get that done it's AI that knows your business with agents that take stuff off your plate make work less work with Gemini enterprise. From Google Cloud. With just 39 days until election day the Republican majority on the US Supreme Court gave the Donald gave Donald Trump the green light today to implement one of his midterm election schemes. The New York Times reports the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Trump administration can deploy an expansive online system that combines citizenship information social security numbers and other sensitive data about millions of Americans allowing states to use it to hunt for ineligible voters. Critics fear that states could use the system to purge large numbers of valid voters from their roles ahead of the midterm elections.

21:58The decision is a win for President Trump who has pressed his administration to find evidence of widespread non citizen voting even though such instances are exceedingly rare. In her dissent Justice Katanjee Brown Jackson Jackson joined by justices Sonia Soto-Mayor and Elena Kagan wrote. The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take. This imbalance along with the government's improbable merits arguments should have compelled the court to deny the stay. Meanwhile, we have more drama coming from the Trump Justice Department tonight. The prosecutor tasked with overseeing the Trump administration's failed prosecutions of six anti-ice protesters dubbed the Broadview Six, left the DOJ this week.

23:04In an impassioned resignation letter, she spilled the tea accusing the US Attorney in Chicago of interfering in the case. The Chicago Tribune reports, the three-page letter written by Sherry Mecklenberg obtained Friday by the Tribune accused US Attorney Andrew Boutros' office of placing her on leave and keeping her in the dark about its responses to their growing controversy, including an announcement that it was investigating all of her previous actions before Grand Juries dating back 20 years. Mecklenberg also said Boutros failed to notify her about the May 21 court hearing where all charges were dismissed, which she said she had the indignity of learning after the fact from the media. Quote, since I was not present, I was a convenient target to be scapegoated and publicly vilified Mecklenberg wrote in the letter with My Force Retirement as a subject line.

24:09You recklessly agreed in court that I had committed misconduct without even asking for my account, fully reviewing the record, or briefing the law. Joining us now, Barbara McQuade, former US Attorney and law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, she is also an MSNL legal analyst. She and she is the author of The Thicks, saving America from the corruption of a mob style government. As always, thank you for coming to the last word. Let's start with today's Supreme Court decision. How big of a deal is this? What could this mean for voters this November? Well, it's a big deal in that it could mean the disenfranchisement of some individual voters. I don't think it's going to mean large scale disenfranchisement, but what this allows some states to do if they so choose, so likely it'll be in red states. If they want to run names through this database, they can determine whether voters on that list are not eligible.

25:12The problem, of course, as indicated in Justice Jackson's dissent is this may be rife with errors. What the Trump administration has done is taken a database based on citizenship, combined it with a database for social security numbers, and put them together. But it's older information, it's dated information if someone became a citizen within the past few weeks. If there's been a name change because of marriage or divorce, those things might not show up. So it could really wreak some havoc for some individual voters at election time. MSNL's deadline legal blog writes in its unsigned percurium opinion on Friday. The Supreme Court majority noted that federal law bars state and local election officials from systematically purging their voter rolls in the weeks leading up to federal election. The majority said that provision limits the impact of its decision to lift the district judges order, which the majority said wrongly blocked individualized inquiries allowed under federal law.

26:20Now as you could tell, at a hard time reading that, what do you make of that bar? Yeah, lots of double negatives to make it confusing. So there is a federal statute that says not less than 90 days before an election. A state is supposed to review its rolls and purge from those rolls, anybody who's not eligible to vote. But once you get within 90 days, you've got to stop. And the idea is it's too late to correct any errors. And so that's why they can't do any sort of widespread purging of voter rolls based on this database. But as they said, they could put individual names in the database that could get a false hit saying that somebody doesn't match the list. And then if there's been a name change or recent acquisition of citizenship, it may not be reflected in that database. And that's where the problem comes in. Now what can Paxton of Texas has said, for example, we put names through. And then once we get a flag, we use other methods to verify whether somebody is a citizen and has the right to vote.

27:23Well, maybe that gets done, maybe that doesn't get done. But if a person shows up on election day and says, I'm here to vote and they say, oh, turns out you're not on our list, they may be able to remedy that later. But maybe not in time to cast a ballot in November. And so for that reason, there could be individuals who do suffer that irreparable harm of being unable to vote. The AP reports tonight, the Supreme Court on Friday turned away an attempt to use a new Missouri congressional map backed by President Donald Trump, putting an end to a long running legal dispute as absentee voting is underway in the midterm elections. Barb, can you make sense of when this court decides to rule in favor of the election? And when they rule against him? Yeah, you know, I think they would say that they are trying to rule not so much in favor of Trump or against Trump, but in favor of the law. But we've got so much chaos going on right now that I think it's difficult to keep up. But in Missouri, we had been seeing this battle that's been going on in both the Missouri Supreme Court and also in federal courts over some redistricting.

28:28So they had maps that they used in 2022 and again in 2024. And then earlier this year, the legislature proposed a new map, Jerry Mandert, to favor Republican candidates, a group of citizens filed a lawsuit and said before that can become effective, the citizens of our state have the right to vote on that and to approve it. So maybe we can use that in the future, but we can't use it for this upcoming election. And the Missouri Supreme Court agreed, well in the meantime some state officials said, let's go to federal court and see if we can get a different answer. And they did. And the eight circuit court of appeals affirmed that. But today the Supreme Court said, no, we already told you this when the Missouri Supreme Court ruled it's too late. The voters get a chance to weigh in on this maybe next time, but for now you are stuck with those maps that you used in 2022 and 2024. Poor babies, Barbara McQuade, thank you very much for coming to the last word. Thanks, Sean. And coming up, when it comes to elections, if you've heard it once, you've heard it fifty-eleven times, it's the economy is stupid.

29:34And Donald Trump just keeps making stupid choices to hurt the economy and his party ahead of the November elections. That's next. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. Hi, I'm Sean Evans from Hot Ones and I want to tell you about YouTube Premium. It has offline downloads so you can watch without Wi-Fi, background play, so you can lock your phone and it still plays baby. Oh, and it is completely ad free. Yes, I said it ad free. Try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium. Trial eligibility varies, terms apply, cancel anytime. One did work become so much work. The meeting about the meeting, the hundreds of files to find one insight. Setting aside the things you want to do for the things that pop up, your work days gone. But what if the insight surfaced itself? Or you could ship the deck without the distractions. Gemini Enterprise helps you get that done.

30:38It's AI that knows your business with agents that take stuff off your plate. Make work less work with Gemini Enterprise from Google Cloud. Pick up a pack today, Angel Soft. September is on pace to shadow a record for gas prices. Today, the average price for gas across the US is $4.49 for gallon. More than 40% higher than it was before Donald Trump began his war on Iran.

31:38That's the highest the national average has been for this time of year. Ever. All thanks to the president who was going to bring gas prices down quote on day one. AAA reports quote, typically the start of autumn brings lower gas prices. But lingering volatility in the straight of poor moves and the high cost of crude oil are driving up pump prices. This month is on track to set a new September record. So far the average for this month is $4.30 higher than the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023. Diesel prices are significantly outpacing regular gasoline. Diesel is up more than 73% since Trump's war in Iran began. Diesel went from $3.75 a gallon on February 28 to $6.50 per gallon today.

32:38This is happening as the average 30 year fixed mortgage rate recently crossed 7% hitting its highest level since January 2025. And voters are frustrated. The Associated Press reports quote Quentin Martinez pumping gas under a hot South Texas sun remembers a time when fueling up didn't require difficult decisions. Quote is it going to be groceries this week asked the 28 year old Amazon delivery driver as he watched the numbers tick higher. Is it going to be getting gas in our tank to go to work? He shook his head when asked about President Donald Trump's assertion last week that the higher that higher gas prices are small price to pay for the war with Iran. I don't feel like it's a good trade off Martinez said. I don't feel like this is good for anyone. 2024 exit polls showed that a little more than half of young men supported Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris during the election.

33:44But a new poll found that 52% of male voters between the ages of 18 and 30 would vote for a Democrat candidate for the House of Representatives while 43% said they'd vote for a Republican. Politico reports quote the young men sampled are overwhelmingly concerned about cost of living issues the same reason that many swung toward the GOP two years ago. Cost co announced that they are using their recent tariff refunds from Donald Trump to lower prices rather than letting the Trump tariffs permanently inflate costs for their customers. The Seattle Times reports that the Washington State based company quote confirmed it received $184 million in tariff refunds with more on the way according to its latest earnings call. The big box retailer said the money was dispersed across everyday products and non food goods.

34:46The chief financial officer Gary Miller chip said the company targeted items that would have the most impact for members. It's more than a third of the total tariff refunds the company expects. The money consisted of $174 million in refunds and $10 million in interest. Joining us now Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania. He's the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Boyle nice to see you. Thanks for coming to the last word. Let's start with Costco. This story proves what Donald Trump refuses to admit tariffs raise prices for Americans. Would you make a Costco's plan to use the Trump tariff refund to lower prices? Well, good to be with you again and I'm glad to hear it. I have to say pretty much the only thing that hasn't gone up in the last couple of years under Donald Trump is the price of a hot dog in a soda at Costco. Everything else meanwhile has gone up and gone through the roof. And I want to draw a distinction between the recent run up record run up in inflation and previous spikes and costs.

35:56You know, we've we suffered through the great recession in a way we suffered through a deep recession in a one brought about by 9-11. We suffered the recession caused by the COVID pandemic. Each of those examples I referenced were downturns caused by things that were really beyond the control of any individual president or Congress. This is different. We were getting down to the 2% target as Donald Trump was coming into office literally all he had to do was sit on his rear end and watch Fox News all day and we would be at 2% right now and the Fed would be cutting rates. But no, he couldn't leave good enough alone. He had to push through his tariff taxes, which are now the highest since the 1930s. And then on top of that, he had to launch his Iran war, which is the reason why we're now paying so much higher in gas prices and diesel prices. Then where we were just 7 months ago. This is all directly as a result of Donald Trump's failed moronic policies.

37:04You know, we're seeing Republicans and competitive races running away from Trump on Iran, but that hasn't translated into a majority of Senate Republicans voting for their Ron war powers resolution. How much longer can Republicans separate the political consequences of Trump's war from the economic consequences voters are feeling? You know, I have to laugh when I see some of these ads by some of my house Republican colleagues, touting house supposedly independent they are or bipartisan funny I've served with them. I don't remember most of them who are running these ads. I don't remember ever getting one bipartisan vote from the same house Republicans who are now running these ads pretending to be independence. They like to be bipartisan or independent when it comes election time, but then when they're actually in office and they have that voting card, they voted lock and step with Donald Trump every single time. The reality is, Congress has the ability to cut off funding for this stupid Iran war, but we couldn't get enough house Republicans and Senate Republicans to go along with us and stand up for Congress's right to declare war instead of just going along with what I'm saying.

38:18Going along with whatever Donald Trump orders them to do. You know, Congress, there's just another budget item that just that happened today. Donald Trump announced that he's canceling another $810 million in funding Congress had already approved tied to programs for undocumented migrants. It's the second time in 49 years that a so called pocket rescission has been deployed. Does this make any difference for people struggling with the cost of living? Now, actually, the biggest part of that spending was actually a program to help those were the victims of sexual trafficking in order to get back on on their feet, a very good and wise use of our spending. I'd also point out not only was this money approved by Congress, a lot of these programs were actually signed into law by Donald Trump. You know, this is part and parcel of a dangerous trend of Trump 2.0. And that is using what's called impoundments, which are illegal and now the pocket rescission. This is an effort, make no mistake about it for Congress to be sidelined for the judiciary to be sidelined and for basically the executive branch under Donald Trump and OMB director Russ vote to have total authority over the federal government.

39:36So it's about more than just the $800 million that's an issue here. It's really about who's in charge? Do we have three co-equal branches of government? We're just the president. Congressman Brendan Boyle, Pennsylvania, thank you very much. Thank you. Coming up, we're just 39 days until election day and Republicans in some red states are starting to sweat with polls getting tighter and tighter. Up next, we'll talk to the Democrat trying to flip a US Senate seat in Ruby Red, South Carolina. Say with us. Senate races in three states shifted in the Democrats favor this week showing that they are making inroads in even solidly red territory. One of those states, South Carolina, which cooked political report shifted from solid Republican to likely Republican.

40:38A notable shift because that seat has been in GOP hands since 1964 according to the Washington Post. A point Republican Senator Darleen Graham is ahead of Democrat, Democratic nominee, pediatrician, Dr. Annie Andrews by just three points in the 50 plus one polling average in a state Trump won by 18 points in 2024. In explaining that shift, cooked political editor Jessica Taylor writes that Darleen Graham, quote, has performed unevenly in debates and could face backlash for being elevated to the job purely because of her family name. Some in state Republicans privately express enough angst about Graham's soft numbers and fears of low turnout that it moves from solid to likely Republican. The Democratic group is launching a $2.5 million ad campaign to boost their party's nominee in the campaign, Dr. Annie Andrews. The campaign focuses on health care costs and access in a state where rising costs and insurance reimbursement issues are threatening access to care in rural areas.

41:48The CEO of Hampton Regional Medical Center, a small town hospital nearly two hours outside of Charleston, tells WTOC, quote, there are no areas that operating costs haven't increased significantly. He said the hospital lacks the buying power of larger health systems to purchase some treatments. Dr. Annie Andrews is making these health care issues part of her pitch to voters in this campaign ad. As a pediatrician, I've seen the look on parents' faces when it hits them that their health insurance won't cover their kids' treatment and it breaks my heart. I'm Dr. Annie Andrews. I'll go after big insurance companies overcharging you and ripping us off. Band them from denying care a doctor says you need and from sending you surprise bills you aren't expecting and can't afford. I approve this message because I've seen what a broken system looks like. If you send me to the Senate, I'll work to fix it.

42:48Joining us now is Dr. Annie Andrews. She is a pediatrician and the Democratic candidate for US Senate in South Carolina. Dr. Andrews, nice to see you again. How important is health care costs and access to voters in South Carolina? Well, it's nice to be with you again, Jonathan. And it is a critically important issue. The story you just outlined that's happening in Hampton County is really my entire campaign in a nutshell. Here we have a rural county that already struggles to find quality affordable health care. We have an insurance giant that refuses to raise their reimbursement rates. We have costs going up because of inflation and hospitals cannot make ends meet so they're cutting back services. And in this case, this hospital has talked about cutting back chemotherapy services because they can't afford the drugs anymore. Who does that harm? Certainly doesn't harm the insurance company executives or the shareholders. It harms the single mom who's diagnosed with breast cancer and now has to drive an hour away from her home to receive her chemotherapy appointments.

43:55Or a retiree on a fixed income who's diagnosed with leukemia and now can't get chemotherapy in their county. It's so tragic, but the ad you just played is called Fix It. And in my view, as a pediatrician who's worked on the front lines of our broken health care system for 20 years, Washington, DC is full of a bunch of people who don't know how to fix anything. Instead of fixing things, they fundraise off of what it is broken. But when you work in a children's hospital at 2 a.m. and there's a sick child in front of you, you don't have any choice but to get to work and to solve that problem. And we need more of that attitude in Washington, DC. And that's what I will bring with me when I become our nation's first ever pediatrician senator in January. You know, Dr. Andrews, one independent South Carolina voter told the New York Times that I'm quoting here, I actually feel really gaslit because I'm constantly hearing from Republicans that don't believe you're lying eyes. Everything's great. Wages have increased. I feel like I'm super poor in America.

44:57I got a new career job about nine months ago and I thought everything was going to get a little bit better. And I turn around and I find that every single bill I have has gone up. Is this in line with what you're hearing from voters on the campaign trail, Dr. Andrews? Absolutely. And whether I'm in a red county or a blue county, this campaign is really about your bills, not your party. I've talked to farmers and fishermen who are being crushed by the record high diesel prices. I talked to single moms who have lost their daycare vouchers and can't afford child care anymore. I talked to one single mom lost their voucher and had to pull their child out of daycare. So now she and she had to quit her job. So now she and her two year old do Instacart deliveries all day. I talked to another mom who lost her voucher. She couldn't afford to leave her job. So her child is still in daycare. I asked her how she's paying for it. She's racking up credit card debt to put her child in daycare. And all across the state of South Carolina, people can't afford to see a doctor.

46:00I've built a movement that is not just for Democrats. It's for Democrats and Independents and Republicans who feel like they were sold a bunch of lies last election season. I just met a 26 year marine veteran at an event in Ori County, South Carolina. One of our very reddest counties, he came to one of my events that he had never voted for a Democrat before. After I spoke, he came up to me and told me he was making his first ever political contribution to me. So people are ready for change and that's what my campaign represents. Dr. Annie Andrews Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in South Carolina. Thank you. Thanks Jonathan. We'll be right back. That is tonight's last word. Real talent is defined by what people can do, not where they learn to do it. So by stopping at the education section of a resume, you might throw away the perfect chiro.

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