Trump’s Iran war drags on with 60 days until midterms (Pt. 1)

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1:03Good evening. Welcome to a special two-hour edition of the last word. I'm Jonathan K. Partt. Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran is dragging into its seventh month with 60 days until the midterm elections. And after a week that has seen airstrikes between the U.S. and Iran resume, lies about how well the war is going, empty threats of potential war crimes. Now thus far failed economic D-Day. Republicans are having to face the reality that the nation will likely still be in Trump's war on election day. Today having no accomplishments to boast about. Donald Trump recycled tired and childish attacks as he again claimed that the U.S. is going to win the war in Iran. He attacked Democrats saying they would rather have us lose the war in Iran than have President Donald J. Trump win the war for America. In other words, they'd rather have us lose than have us win. And yes, J.D. Vance, Donald Trump called it a war.

2:05Even though in the past he has also played semantics by not calling his war a war. In fact, Donald Trump did it again today when he defended J.D. Vance's, I wouldn't call it a war comment. A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing. I would say that it's intermittent. We do intermittent strikes. So I heard what he said. And it was interesting because I think that there's a lot of truth that we're not fighting right now. There's no fighting. It's a military conflict, but it's very intermittent. I could see somebody not calling it a war. Small potatoes, that is the commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces minimizing a war. He started that has no end in sight that is forcing 50,000 troops to remain deployed into next year. It also minimizes the sacrifices of all the US service members fighting Donald Trump's war, suffering long deployments, low morale, mental health issues, injuries, and death.

3:08It's the second time this week that a member of the Trump administration has made comments disregarding the 18 US service members who have lost their lives. When the reporter pushed back, here's how Donald Trump responded. We're in five months now. We've been, and you know, we did in five months, then I could have a nuclear weapon. That's why we did. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did, you probably wouldn't be standing here very low. Donald Trump also lied again about controlling the Strait of Hormuz very strongly. We're taking a lot of oil. We control the Hormuz Strait. We control it very strongly. We did a hit on certain areas around the Hormuz Strait.

4:10We took out their radar, as you know, that very well. We took out some aircraft. We took out some other things that protect, for them, used to protect the Hormuz Strait when they had it under very tight control. Now we control it. As we've reported to you on this program this week, any claims from Trump or his officials that shipping is returning to pre-war levels is false. Axios reports, quote, the White House is at odds with some private sector analysis over how much oil is leaving the Strait of Hormuz, but it will take weeks until the picture of what's truly getting through becomes clear. The White House's claiming success in forcing open the world's most important energy choke point, which handled 20 million barrels of crude oil and oil products each day before the Iran War. The verdict could arrive as fall election campaigns near fever pitch. But in the meantime, we do have some data, some data points to consider.

5:12Today, the national average for a gallon of gas rose again, as it has been doing all week to $4.15. It was under $3 before the war started. And according to AAA, diesel prices hit a record high of $5.85 surpassing the previous record set in the early months of Russia's war in Ukraine. MSNOW details why this is so concerning to Americans, quote, diesel powers much of what happens behind the scenes in the economy by fueling trucks, trains, tractors, and more. Unlike gasoline, which drivers can conserve by changing their behavior, there is no substitute for diesel. Higher diesel prices are likely to lead to higher prices, especially for groceries at a time when inflation remains stubbornly high. Since the start of the war with Iran, diesel prices have risen by $2.9 per gallon, almost 56%.

6:12Nothing, Donald Trump is doing right now is likely to change that trajectory. Moreover, what he has done so far seems to be making Iran more confident. The New York Times reports that according to US intelligence reports in recent weeks, Iran has grown more confident in its ability to attack targets in the Middle East and appears determined to continue the conflict for months to frustrate the United States. The intelligence reports, according to people who have read them, suggest that Iran's hardline government might be contemplating a significant escalation. Iran has emerged from months of the on-again, off-again war with a far better understanding of its military strengths and is more sure of its capabilities according to officials briefed on the intelligence. There are few signs that Iran is ready to make any sort of deal with the United States. And to exacerbate President Trump's political problems ahead of the US midterm elections, according to some officials.

7:12In short, in the short term, US economic sanctions are likely to continue to provoke escalation according to officials who have read the intelligence reports. The Financial Times reports a similar assessment. Quote, Trump appears to be betting that the US can ensure a steady flow of oil through the strait by protecting shipping while using a naval blockade and sanctions to choke Iran's beleaguered economy. But the Islamic Republic's leaders have threatened to re-attaliate militarily to the blockade and warn that no other producers in the Gulf will be able to export oil if Iran cannot. And Politico is reporting that Arab diplomats fear Iran is widening the war. Quote, Iran's renewed attacks against Arab countries are raising the stakes for regional powers, with some saying they are losing hope that there's any way out of the war and that things will get worse before the November elections. The fear is that Iran is particularly motivated to increase strikes right now ahead of the

8:17US midterms making a widening regional conflict more likely. Polling shows that only 25% of Americans think the Iran war is worth it. 54% think it's not worth it. It is aligned with how Americans feel about the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. It's no wonder Republicans are having to find ways to dodge an increasingly unpopular Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Politico reports some battleground Republicans have relayed to Trump's political team that they don't want him to visit their districts ahead of November according to four Republican operatives involved in the conversations. And top GOP pollsters have advised some vulnerable Republican incumbents and candidates to not talk about Trump on the campaign trail. Quote, we've told them he cannot come. So that's where we are. Six months in, new strikes, no talks, rising oil and gas prices, a more confident Iran,

9:22and Republicans just watching from the sidelines as their prospects in November hinge on Donald Trump's unpopular war and his failing economy. And 60 days until voters get to have their say. Leading off our discussion tonight, Democratic Congresswoman Madeline Dean of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and House Appropriations Committee. As Congresswoman Dean, as always, thank you for coming to the last word. We'll turn to Iran in a moment. But I first want to get your reaction to the breaking news that a judge has blocked the postal service from advancing Trump's mail voting restrictions as unconstitutional. Is this surprising? No, it's not surprising, but to look at, we have to attack all of this on all fronts. You just detailed an awful lot about the war in Iran, which of course is an utter failure. But back here at home, the president is at war with us, at war with our voting system, which shows he knows they're about to lose in a very real way.

10:27What's he afraid of? Is he afraid of the Americans voicing their opinion, having their say in terms of who should govern this country, whether it's in Congress or it's at their local levels? The president is failing. He's sadly failing. I didn't vote for the man, but I certainly didn't want him to fail this badly. But we will do everything and I'll tell you what, in Pennsylvania, and at the federal level and at the local county level, we are doing everything we can to protect this election cycle. Congressman Dine, it seems Iran is very aware and willing to take advantage of the midterms to prolong, even escalate the war that is reportedly worrying our Gulf allies. What's your take? Well, it's understandable. And you're reporting around the growing confidence for Iran. Sadly, they, and I mean their people, have been under this war for more than six months now, as are military, and we have.

11:31And of course, all of our Gulf partners, it's understandable that Iran is now saying we're growing in confidence. We're actually handling this and we're controlling things that the United States didn't understand. At least this administration did not appreciate that they would control. Here we are still talking about the Strait of War Moose, which was of course free-flowing to commerce prior to February 28th when the president went to this reckless ill-sought out, ill-partnered war. The president is failing at this warning, knows it. A word you use just now is exactly what I had written down in my notes before we got on together. You saw the JD Vance yesterday in that strange press conference when he was asked by, I think it was Caitlin Collins, whether or not the war would be over by the midterms. He said, and I'm quoting, oh, I wouldn't call it a war. Honest to God.

12:31And then the president of course calls it a war and then doubles back and doesn't call it a war. How childlike to not admit to the gravity of where we are by the president's own choice. It is childlike. And of course, most importantly, it's very dangerous. We've lost 18 service members. This is not a small potatoes matter. We've 18 service members are dead. 700 plus are wounded. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent. Many military deployed too long with too little. They deserve much better. I've been close up with our military, Jonathan this summer. I was out at the RIMPAC exercises in the Pacific with amazing admiral and all of the Navy and marine members out there. There's nothing wrong with our military. Our military could not be stronger.

13:31There's something very gravely wrong with the civilian lead. The president, JD Vance, failing to call it a war and understand the gravity of it. And then of course, Mr. Hakeseth, getting rid of so many top generals, admirals, brass, because he's just intimidated, frankly. We're in a very dangerous spot. The president is actually acting in a very erratic and irrational way. We need to get out of this war and we need to get out of harm's way. Because what do people care about? The cost of living, gas, diesel, groceries, goods. Let me get you on one more thing. And I chuckle with this question because I'm trying to figure this out. What do you make of Trump's apparent strategy with Iran right now, given diplomacy seems currently off the table and he's relying on economic pressure, but not cracking down on China ahead of Xi's visit? Well, I'm so glad you raised that because in my notes also, how I wish, and I've literally

14:36talked to, I'm a member of foreign affairs, as you mentioned, I've talked to Secretary Rubio and others, how I wish the president had any diplomatic understanding of the world and how he would put actual diplomats in this conversation. The president is so erratic. He's talking this way with China, that way with Iran. Think of what he's done to Canada and what he's done to our relationships around the world. He's harmed our allies. He's helping our foes. Our foes are enjoying this. Russia, China, North Korea, enjoying the chaos of this president and the economic, we're in a hot war with Iran that he's now acting as though it doesn't exist, childlike. And of course, we're in a trade war with our allies. We're in a dangerous spot. And I literally spoke Jonathan with the speaker again just, I guess it was yesterday, we just left. And I said to him, sadly, I'm very worried about the president. He seems delusional that he doesn't understand the gravity of where we are.

15:41And I implored the speaker to please come around him, bring some sense, bring some diplomacy, bring peace. Real quickly, what was his reaction? He did not push back when I said literally that word. He did not push back and he said, you know me, I'm just trying to talk with him. I'm trying to talk with him. That's literally what he says. Wow. Pennsylvania Congresswoman Madeline Dean, thank you for joining us tonight. Thank you Jonathan. Coming up, we will have more on this hour's breaking news. A federal judge blocking Trump's attack on mail-in voting again as the first midterm ballots are being sent out to voters. That's next. When you clock in with Ford Pro, we clock in with power, business-driven tech, adaptability

16:42and service that comes to you. When you are on, we're on Ford Pro. 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 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. I'll see a Spritz-Vibes Summer Edition is here. Meet the new Sparkling Limoncello Twist Flavor, inspired by the vibrant refreshing flavors of summer in Italy. With crisp Limoncello flavor and a subtle twist of sweetness, it's the perfect way to bring a little Italian-inspired energy wherever the season takes you. Whether you're soaking up the sun, chasing your next adventure, or making the most of every summer moment, Spritz-Vibes Summer Edition is ready to refresh your routine.

17:46Go find your Spritz-Vibes before summer ends. Back to the Breaking News on Donald Trump's attacks on mail-in voting. Federal judge Indira Tullwani has extended her temporary block of barring the United States Postal Service from advancing new vote-by-mail restrictions. This comes a day after our crucial hearing in Federal Court in Boston, where Judge Tullwani repeatedly questioned a Trump DOJ lawyer about whether the Postal Service could even implement Trump's plan with election day less than two months away. In that hearing yesterday, Judge Tullwani said to the Trump team, quote, "'I don't even have a declaration from the Postal Service. This is how it will work. I don't have it. I have nothing,' Tullwani said, adding later, that it felt like the government was running an experiment to see if the system would work in the upcoming election. As you sit here today, you can't tell me the government has a program ready to go?

18:49It appears the Trump DOJ's efforts to convince her it had a plan in a filing yesterday afternoon fell short. Tonight's Breaking News comes as ballots are already on their way to midterm voters, despite Trump's relentless attack on mail-in voting. The New York Times reports North Carolina began sending mail ballots to voters early on Friday, the first state to forge ahead with its standard vote-by-mail program as the Trump administration escalates its efforts to restrict the practice. State election officials said they would send their first batch of absentee ballots just after midnight on Friday, to the more than 46,000 voters who have requested them. More ballots will go out as more requests come in. Joining us now, Barbara McQuade, former U.S. attorney and law professor at the University of Michigan Law School. She is also an MSNL legal analyst, and she is the author of The Fix. Being America from the corruption of a mob style government, Barb, thanks for coming

19:51again to the last word. I feel like I've seen you every day this week. But first off, what's your initial reaction to Judge Talwanis decision? I think not a surprise, but good news for people who care about election integrity. What she had ordered earlier, what's called a temporary restraining order, that is, we're going to freeze everything right now. Just in what I'm hearing from the plaintiffs, it sounds like they are likely to prevail, but it's temporary by nature. It gives both sides a more fulsome opportunity to brief the issue and for the court to consider it. So yesterday, she had the adhering to hear more about what's been happening in the past several days, and she remained unconvinced as you just described there, that the postal service is prepared to go through with us. So what she entered today was a more permanent order. It's not the end of the litigation. The case will continue, but this order is now indefinite until something else happens in the case. I think this can give us some assurance that at least in the interim, things can't go awry.

20:51Of course, the Supreme Court is also looking at this issue and has given the plaintiff, the Trump administration, until Tuesday to respond to what's happening in that appeal. So Barb, what are the remaining legal avenues Donald Trump has left to implement his mail-voting restrictions before the midterm? You know, if the Supreme Court should rule in his favor, that's going to happen on Tuesday. We could see that this postal rule does get implemented. It seems to be far less and less likely, though, as the days go by, as you noted earlier, some of the ballots already went out today. And the requirements that they have here are twofold in this new postal service rule. One is that all of the names on the voter rolls be uploaded through a portal on the postal service website so they can match it to the list of eligible voters based on a list compiled for the Department of Homeland Security. This is the subject of the whistleblower's letter that he said on Tuesday. It's just chaos.

21:51It's this is slap-dash efforts. It will not be ready in time. And then the other one is a very practical issue for the states. It says that the ballots and the envelopes must conform to the style dictated by the postal service. They had months and months to get this out. Maybe they could do that, but it requires barcodes and other conformities. It's too late. They're printed. It would be impossible for them to print them and comply with their state law in the next two weeks. 19 other states are going to begin sending theirs out as well. And so it seems that at this point, the Trump administration's major goal is to discourage people from voting by mail for fear that their ballots aren't going to get to their destination. Or can you talk more about the legal significance of North Carolina sending out their absentee ballots today? This election is effectively underway right now. Sure. Yes, so theirs do happen to comply with the rule when it comes to the barcode. But what they haven't done is upload their voter file to this portal because it's not

22:53available yet and it's not working yet. And so it could be that in the end, some of the ballots that are returned get discarded and there is reporting that not only would the ballot itself be discarded, but any ballot included in that batch could be also discarded, which could be up to 10,000 ballots. So if you simply had the bad luck of mailing your ballot at the same time as someone else mailed the ballot that gets kicked off this system, it could be that yours is excluded as well. And so it is this potential disenfranchisement that is causing judges to consistently block what the postal service is trying to do. Man, how any of this is constitutional is beyond me and I'm not a lawyer and we don't have time to get into that. So, Bar McQuade, thank you for joining us tonight. Thanks Jonathan. Coming up. Here is Donald Trump exactly two years ago this weekend. We're going down and getting gasoline below $2 a gallon, bring down the price of everything

23:58from electricity rates to groceries, airfares and housing costs. Do voters now realize Trump was just straight up lying to get elected when he said that gas? It's not below $2 a gallon. Gas is actually at a record high for Labor Day weekend, according to AAA. And all that other stuff is more expensive as well as you know if you bought groceries or plane tickets for the holiday weekend. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich joins us next.

25:19Salsias Spritz-Vibes Summer Edition is here. Meet the new Sparkling Limoncello Twist Flavor, inspired by the vibrant refreshing flavors of summer in Italy. With crisp Limoncello flavor and a subtle twist of sweetness, it's the perfect way to bring a little Italian-inspired energy wherever the season takes you. Whether you're soaking up the sun, chasing your next adventure, or making the most of every summer moment, Spritz-Vibes Summer Edition is ready to refresh your routine. Go find your Spritz-Vibes before summer ends. Donald Trump reacted to date today's jobs numbers the only way Donald Trump can. After a stronger than expected report, he used that rare positive news in his economy. To threaten more economic chaos and harm, if the Federal Reserve doesn't do his bidding. The economy added 162,000 jobs in August with the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1%. But one good jobs report doesn't change the overall economic picture.

26:23The Wall Street Journal reports, quote, average hourly earnings rose 3.1% from a year earlier indicating that pay continues to struggle to keep up with inflation. Because people's inflation adjusted or real wages are close to zero, their ability to spend is getting challenged. And everyday Americans are struggling as gas prices rise. Diesel has now hit a record high of $5.85 a gallon. A direct result of Trump's war in Iran. One investment firm partner told CNBC that diesel prices feed directly into higher inflation. You can do all the virtual shopping you want. It's all going to come to your house on a truck that ran on diesel fuel so there's no way around it. Americans have no way around higher inflation. And in response to that economic distress, Donald Trump said this, quote, and this is all caps, lower the rate or I'll stop trading with countries with which we have a deficit.

27:26That is a president publicly pressuring an independent institution. The Fed is a careful calibrator of the American economy Donald Trump is not. He is a blunt object who clearly has not learned that his trade tantrums have only driven up Americans costs. The independent reports that Donald Trump's threats ties together, quote, two things that are not connected by any mechanism of American economic policy. The president does not set interest rates. The Central Banks Federal Open Market Committee does not set trade policy. The two are handled by different institutions under different statutes. And the Fed's rate decisions are made without reference to the bilateral trade balance. CNBC reports, quote, taken at base value. The threat to end trade with deficit harboring countries is extreme. The US has large deficits with dozens of countries, including its top trading partners. Trump has long sought lower interest rates and frequently complains about US deficits

28:27with other countries. Many economists say trade deficits themselves are not necessarily good or bad. In fact, deficits can occur when a country has more purchasing power to buy more goods. When Americans become frustrated with the economy, Donald Trump says the problem is in his policy. The problem is the institution standing in his way. Congress, Fed, the courts, trade partners, they're all standing in his way. And Donald Trump's approach often backfires. Our next guest, former labor secretary Robert Reich, writes of Trump's trade war with Canada, quote, Trump apparently assumed that Canada would quickly surrender because it has more to lose. The tariffs Trump has imposed on Canada, along with those he threatens if Canada retall- he's threatening if Canada retaliates, affect a tiny portion of America's total imports, but a huge portion of Canada's total exports. But bullies like Trump rarely think about the effects of their bullying on the thinking

29:31and attitudes of their targets. Trump's bullying of Canada, meanwhile, is igniting a patriotism that has often eluded that nation. Joining us now is Robert Reich, who served as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. He's a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley and co-founder of inequality media. Professor Secretary Reich, I want to get your reaction to something Trump said in the Oval Office today. Watch this. If we don't do any trading with Canada, we just end all trade with Canada. We save ourselves $90 billion. All trading with Canada. What does that tell you about the way he understands trade? He doesn't understand it at all, Jonathan. I'm afraid he's an economic illiterate. Even somebody who has taken one week of economics, even somebody who has not taken economics,

30:33who has just simply observed the world, understands that trade is generally speaking a good thing. There's something called comparative advantage. We get the benefits of Canada's forests, Canada's aluminum, Canada's this, Canada's that, and they get the benefits of what we specialize in. It's really terrifying in some way to hear Donald Trump go off on these kinds of crazy statements, because when wonder is whether he is losing it or he never had it, or he's going to actually make policy based upon these crazy notions, or is anybody advising him at all? I mean, what is Scott Pessant doing as Secretary of the Treasury, who's normally a normal job is to at least confer with the president, give some presents and economic background? It just worries me. Those kinds of crazy things. And of course, the American public, what's the public supposed to take away from this?

31:34Yeah, and I'm wondering, is he even listening to Secretary Besson or any of the members of his cabinet? Secretary Rice, you write, and I'm quoting, the increasing wealth and power of big corporations and the increasing financial distress of most American families will be the biggest issue in the upcoming midterms. What do you want voters to be looking at when they judge the economy? Well, the voters will. I mean, regardless of what I want, voters are looking at. This is one of the virtues of his system in which people experience the economy first hand. They know that prices are going up, that everything, even their mortgage rates are likely to go up, if they're trying to get a new house, they know it's going to be more and more costly. Now, what they may not focus on is exactly what role Trump's war in Iran or his tariffs are playing in increasing their costs. But there's certainly aware that the economy is not particularly good for them. They also know that their jobs are barely paying them enough to get by on.

32:39They know that prices are going up, and they know that their wages are not going up by as much as prices are going up. So the public is not stupid. You can't tell them that they're doing better than they think they're doing. When you look at everything, Trump is doing on the economy right now, what worries you the most? That's a very good question, Jonathan. I mean, I'm worried about the war and the impact of the war, obviously, on oil prices, on fertilizer, on food prices. I'm very, very worried about his tariffs, which again are irrational. They are driving cost up. I'm worried about the fact that Donald Trump really is corrupt. I mean, the administration is kind of drenched in a kind of corruption in which big companies are constantly pouring money in places where Donald Trump says you should pour money, including Donald Trump's own family. Well, what kind of economic, what kind of an economy do we have?

33:45Let me just say this very simply. An economy depends on certain expectations being met by producers, by consumers. The real estate needs to know what the rules are and everybody needs to know that the rules are going to be pretty stable in the future. The real underlying problem for the American economy, whether you're talking about the war or oil prices, whether you're talking about tariffs or the corruption, is that nobody knows what's going to happen next week or next month. What is simply the rule? It's an arbitrary system that Donald Trump has created and that arbitrariness is undermining the integrity of the entire economy. The word that came to my mind is certainty. What's the certainty of any of this? Professor Robert Rice, thanks for joining us tonight. Thank you, Jonathan. Coming up, Donald Trump is escalating his war on American history because apparently

34:47slavery wasn't that bad, or at least we shouldn't talk about it so much. That's next. Donald Trump is determined to destroy what actually makes America great. Our democracy, our pluralism, and the educational and cultural institutions that thrive when people can freely express themselves without fear. His fight against the Smithsonian Institution is escalating because of what Reuters describes as, quote, Trump's displeasure with what he called the institution's excessive focus on how bad slavery was. The Atlantic reports, in a newly public August 28th letter from the Interior Department to the Smithsonian Board of Regents, Trump administration officials write that executive departments and agencies cannot in good conscience continue to support the Smithsonian under

35:49current leadership and suggest that they cease cooperation with the Smithsonian on routine logistical matters such as loaning items for exhibits and awarding discretionary grants. All Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington, D.C., which include such woke venues as the National Zoo and the Air and Space Museum are completely free to the public. A huge asset for local residents and a big draw for the more than 25 million tourists who visit the nation's capital every year. But the Smithsonian relies heavily on federal support, which means it's vulnerable to the whims of a man who made history as the first convicted criminal to be elected president. I'll let that cook for a moment. Lawrence O'Donnell spoke to renowned Yale historian David Blight last month about Trump's attempt to rewrite history to which Professor Blight predicted he will fail.

36:51At an op-ed piece for the New York Times that historians will be reading 100 years ago when they studied this era, our next guest, Paul Surprise winning historian David Blight, writes this about Donald Trump's attacks on the Smithsonian Institution. Quote, the current attack on the Smithsonian is nothing less than a hyper-ideological group attacking a non-ideological institution for not being ideological enough by its definition. When lies by smiling propagandists become official truths advanced by those who control government budgets, democratic culture dies. It is time before it is too late for Congress and the people to stand up to this attack on how we are to know and interpret our history, defend the Smithsonian or lose it. If we do not hold the line our young, maybe among the tourists, walking through the ruins someday of those great edifices that once housed and exhibited both our treasures and

37:55our hopes. Professor Blight testified about this attack on the Smithsonian in a hearing in the House of Representatives. President Trump has declared war on free minds and free education. Historians are not voices of the state. We are keepers of memory. And in our best were storytellers with trained imaginations. And yet they declare with such certainty what forms of, and these are the words of the report, heritage, destiny, settled truths, and indeed stories that the Smithsonian should instill one of the report's favorite verbs in the minds of the public. We do not write walk history, whatever that is, but we do try to awaken citizens. What is now is David Blight, Yale University's professor of history in black studies.

38:56He's the author of the Pulitzer Prize, which is a book, Frederick Douglass' Prophet of Freedom. Professor Blight, thank you very much for joining us tonight. I want to get to some of these words, the specific words. Let's begin with that verb that seems to bother you so much instill. Tell us about the context in which the Trump people are using it and what it means to you. Well, thank you, Lawrence. They used it in this report, put out by the domestic policy council of the White House. They accused the leadership of the American History Museum of trying to instill ideology and visitors and so forth and so on. But then they advocated instilling a certain triumphal version of American history in the American public. Basically what the White House is doing is accusing the great Smithsonian Institution of doing exactly what the White House is doing, which is trying to take over some kind of control

40:01of the narrative of American history, how American history is represented, how it is presented in our great museums. That doubted me because it's not what his story is. It's not what we do by our own ethics. We don't instill something into the minds of our public or our students. We suggest we show evidence. We tell a great narrative whenever we can and we hope to convince with a version of history, but it's not an installation inside of somebody's mind. But that's what this administration is trying to do. They've truly decided against all odds because I don't think they can win this one, that they want to control how Americans come to know and understand their past. Good luck to them. They're doing a lot of damage, but I do not think they can win this one.

41:04You are now, you've entered the historical record of this era with this work and with this testimony and with others. As you sit there and testify when you write something like this for the New York Times, that you know is the kind of source that a hundred years from now historians would be looking for to try to find out the details of this part of this era. Do you feel that burden? Do you feel yourself trying it anyway to communicate with the future Yale professor a hundred years from now in the history department who's trying to study this era? Let's hope we're all around and a hundred years still practicing this craft. I don't know that I felt that kind of burden. I mean, I really was once this report hit, I just knew I had to try to write something. I will say this in the past year, year and a half, at least since last spring when Trump announced his executive order returning American saving American history from the insanity as

42:11he put it of historians. And I was at that time, President of the Organization of American Historians and that association has been doing everything it can to fight back against this. So I do get up every day. I mean, I do my other work, my writing, my teaching and what I have, what I should end in my lecturing out of the public. But I do get up every day, every day trying to think about, well, so what can I do? What can we do? What can historians actually do to have a voice to fight back against this? And it's a small voice that we don't have a lot of power. But when I was asked to testify by two house committees, by the ranking members and the minority staff, I thought, well, why not? I was well-worn by the staff of what Republicans would try to do to both me and particularly to Anthea Hartzig, the director of the American History Museum. And they saved most of their fire for her, leaving the Democrats an opening to ask me

43:12about history. And we actually had some very good exchanges about the nature of history and what makes a good narrative of history. But there are a lot of us now, hundreds of us trying to get up in the morning to try to fight back against this because this truly was, it is a declaration of war on the free pursuit of understanding the American past, presenting it, exhibiting it. And there's no better place to see this than in the 21 museums of the Smithsonian. Isn't it an American history stake here? It's those great art museums, the science museums, the air and space for God's sake. In Americans, in fact, the whole world loves the Smithsonian. It's the largest, it's the most extraordinary complex of museums in the world. And they are treasures that Americans love. But this effort, by the White House, we now know because of the various stages of escalation

44:15is not going to stop. They have made a decision that they think they can somehow begin to pull back control, whether it's the Kennedy Center or the Smithsonian or the National Park Service or the National Archives where he fired the archivists or the Library of Congress where he fired the head of the Library of Congress. If they do succeed, let's use that verb again, and instilling a leadership in these institutions that somehow dictates from the White House, from the executive branch of government, then our culture is truly in trouble and our basic freedoms are in trouble. It's free thought, really, that's at stake here. The old Professor David White, thank you very much for joining this fight for the Smithsonian. Thank you for joining us tonight.

45:16Much more still ahead in our next hour, Sky Paraman, a lawyer who has been on the front lines fighting Trump in court in a second term about why we are the only ones who can save our democracy. And you will hear directly from Trump voters who are furious with Trump over the cost of living and Trump's war with Iran. Plus, a new look at Donald Trump's best friend who helped create the monster we're living with now. A second hour of this special edition of The Last Word is next.