The Weeknight 6/10/26 | 🅼🆂🅽🅱️🅲 Breaking News Today June 10, 2026

[00:00:00]I'm Michael Steele with Simone Sanders Townson and Alicia Mendez. Breaking tonight, how the Epstein scandal overwhelmed the White House. The president so afraid at one point that he turned the situation room into an Epstein war room. Congressman Steven Lynch of the Oversight Committee is with us in moments.

[00:00:19]>> Also ahead, Trump says he quote loves the inflation as the key economic indicator just hit its highest levels in three years. And we have breaking news on the president's erratic Iran messaging. He keeps saying the war is almost over and yet moments ago, the United States launched new strikes against multiple Iranian targets. We have the latest coming up. But tonight, we start with breaking news. House Oversight Chairman James Comr has now walked back the statement he made just yesterday, refusing to call Trump's attorney general nominee to testify about the Epstein files.

[00:00:55]I'm communicating with the Department of Justice. I would like for Todd Blanch to come in in July. I've always wanted Blanch to come in. I think that that uh you know the the the the main thing that we have for Blanch is the question on you know what, if any documents are left out.

[00:01:14]>> And here's how Democrats took that news.

[00:01:18]Todd Blanch is at the heart of the cover up of this case, as was revealed, especially in the New York Times explosive reporting today about situation room meetings that were held in which Todd Blanch, as the president's personal attorney and deputy AG, was working with others, including the vice president, to help to try to cover up this case.

[00:01:40]>> The Times reporting describes the quote white house freakout over the Epstein files. comes from Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, who conducted more than 10,000 interviews with people connected to the White House for their upcoming book, Regime Change. The Times describes infighting that took place last year in the situation room, during which senior officials gathered without the president multiple times to try to manage the fallout over their failure to release the files. Other reporting details how the president tried to quash that now infamous Wall Street Journal story about a 2003 Epstein birthday book. Trump calling the journal's editor-inchief as well as the chief executive of the journal's parent company and even Rupert Murdoch begging for the story to be killed to no avail. In a statement to the Times, the White House did not deny the claims, adding Trump was innocent in all Epstein related matters. End breaking tonight. The oversight committee grilled Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates over his past ties to Epstein. Gates said his relationship with Epstein was strictly professional and that he cut ties after realizing their charitable interests were not aligned. Gates denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein.

[00:02:55]>> Can I ask just a quick question to everybody? Was it not just what two days ago maybe that James Comr derided Democrats for clutching their pearls >> for wanting to have uh Todd Blanch come before the committee and and speak. He was saying that that there was nothing more to see here. And now he tells us that what what did he say? I've always wanted Blanch to come before the committee.

[00:03:26]>> That was yesterday. Crazy. Okay.

[00:03:29]>> What a difference 24 hours ago.

[00:03:30]>> I'm just some You two help me understand.

[00:03:34]>> I I I don't know what what prompted uh Chairman Comr to have his epiphany, if you will, for lack of a better term. I know we're going to ask hopefully. You know what? I'm going to ask the congressman in just a second. Um I encourage people to read the New York Times story. If you don't want to read it because it is very long, you can also hit play and an AI voice will read it to you. It is about a 46 minute um 48 minute read. The story and is um is damning. It confirms things frankly that and I mean look I I I believe Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan are great reporters. Okay. Uh I think that this confirms things that many of us already knew that the White House that people closest to the president were extremely concerned about what was happening, what was in the Epstein files. that there are conspiracy theorists at the highest levels of our government. Leave it to Susie Wilds. Apparently, she's including the vice president of the United States in that that they would go through great lengths to not release this information, that they know how damaging the information is, that they intentionally held the information prior to Kier Stararma and the president having a press conference so that they didn't have to deal with the fallout and the president and Karma weren't asked questions about it. This the rabbit hole goes deep here, folks. very very deep.

[00:04:53]>> Let's bring him to our conversation.

[00:04:54]Democratic Congressman Steven Lynch of Massachusetts. He's a member of the oversight committee and he was in today's interview with Bill Gates.

[00:05:02]>> Well, Congressman, why do you believe Chairman Comr had a epiphany 24 hours later?

[00:05:07]>> He probably talked to the White House. I I think I think that that was the the reason for his change in attitude. Uh, however, we are still insisting uh that that uh Todd Blanch come in under oath and testify. And in the past, I mean, that's how that's how we got Pam Bondi in there was we we relied on a couple of Republican members to allow us to pass uh that that vote for a subpoena. So, uh today's uh interview with with uh with Bill Gates was simply a transcribed interview. he was not under subpoena. But to get Blanch in and to to require him to tell the truth, uh we would need him under oath.

[00:05:48]>> You know, Congressman, I I asked that question to my colleagues uh in the audience to sort of ponder uh that that transition that change of Mr. Comr. And it it struck me as as Alicia was reading us in that if the White House was so concerned to the point that they're having off thereord meetings in the situation room without the president to go and figure out what to do about the non-release of the Epstein files on a series of basis. It still befuddles me why that urgency and that concern never translated to the members of the body in the majority and and and why it took, you know, maybe a call from the White House or the president to finally get Mr. Kr to understand the urgency or the importance of the moment. Um, having that now as a backdrop, you sat in today and and heard Bill Gates uh in his testimony. What did you take away from that? Do you sense that he was truthful and forthcoming with the information relative to the evidence that at least partially that you have because you don't have all three million uh the remaining 3 million documents. We don't know what's in those, but let's work with what we got.

[00:07:01]>> We got a lot.

[00:07:02]>> Where where do you see things with Mr. Gates?

[00:07:04]>> I I I thought his testimony today was over about four hours. Uh was he was cooperative. He did not avoid questions.

[00:07:13]He did not obiscate. He didn't didn't try to avoid things. I mean, we had we had a lot of evidence out in front of us. Many of those emails were very cryptic and we asked for asked for explanations and he provided those. Uh he did push back a couple of times on emails that were written by Jeffrey Epstein to Jeffrey Epstein Epstein, but they had, you know, allegations about uh about Bill Gates and his conduct. uh and uh he pushed back on those because uh you know he he he alleged that those allegations were not true. Uh but I I have to say he was he was forthright in his he was he was apologetic because uh you know I I asked him a question. I said I said >> you know Mr. Gates the moment you met >> uh Jeffrey Epste was already a registered sex offender >> right? So, h how how how do you have a multi-year relationship, business or otherwise, with someone who was accused of doing that? And uh he had no no good response. But he did say that EP Epstein played him and wanted to get control of some of the funding, you know, not not within the uh the Gates Foundation, but he uh Epstein had promised him that he would bring money from other sources to >> help fund the foundation >> to help fund their work. Yeah. Not within the foundation, but you know, he's got a a global health initiative uh does great work on that, by the way. But uh that that was the law that uh that Epstein uh put out there. In the end, you know, I have to say based on what we saw on on on the documents, it was Melinda Gates, ironically, who who put her foot down and said, "Look, I I know about this guy's past. You cannot do I don't want to see this guy again." Can I can I just say, Congressman, we have some sound from Melinda Gates from an NPR interview that she did on February 3rd, and I just want to play this sound for you.

[00:09:15]>> Okay.

[00:09:17]>> For me, it's personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because um brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage. So, whatever questions remain there of what I don't can't even begin to know all of it, those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.

[00:09:39]>> Um, did Bill Gates answer for those things? Because Melinda Gates, every time she has spoken about this and it has been measured and it has been few since um the reports of since their divorce was first reported um and actually final, she has been very careful in what she has said. But the subtext every time I hear Melinda Gates speak about this is that Bill Gates has something he needs to say. And it's not for her to say it, it's for Bill Gates to say it. And I don't get the impression that he said it today during his testimony. But you were there, did he?

[00:10:12]>> There there was a moment here when Epstein was pursuing uh Bill Gates as a target and and that that funding. That's what he was after. uh when uh Epstein actually had the information that which was not public yet that that Gates had had several uh multiple uh uh extrammarital affairs. It was not public yet and he was using that in there were elements of blackmail there around around that dynamic. So, uh, you know, I think that was Bill Gates said that was the impetus for him to to go to his wife and say, "This is what happened." And >> so, Bill Gates basically claimed in his testimony today that Jeffrey Epstein was blackmailing him and he wasn't really his friend. Okay.

[00:10:56]>> There was there was elements of that.

[00:10:57]Yeah.

[00:10:58]>> There was another piece that ranking member of Garcia brought up today that I want to play for our audience and then I would like you to expound upon what we hear from the congressman.

[00:11:09]>> It's important to note that Mr. Mr. Gates does understand that he was around people and likely assistants and those employed by Mr. Gates that were also abused and so he was around people that were actually abused and that was recognized in some of the discussion that we had inside.

[00:11:25]>> I'm curious if Bill Gates can make that concession. Why have so many of the other people you have brought in for interviews not been able to make the same concession?

[00:11:34]>> Yeah, that that's on them. Uh I do know that uh uh Gates was was apologetic about that that he he he said absolutely I I allowed my my priority being the global health initiative to get in the way of of what I what the right thing that I should have done.

[00:11:52]>> Is he saying he recognizes this retrospectively or in real time that he recognized that those women were being abused? Well, he said on multiple occasions, he said once the Epstein files came out, he found the scope of all this and how many women I mean, you know, I think we're up over a thousand in terms of people who have said that in since 2001 when this began to 2018 when Jeffrey Epste took his own life, there were about a thousand women that were impacted. Some of them from Eastern Europe, some of them from Russia, uh many of them here in the United States.

[00:12:27]But, uh, you know, this was a network.

[00:12:29]He could not do this by himself, one man with even with Galileain Maxwell. It >> it's interesting uh the connection or intersection of uh the desires of these very wealthy men uh that have probably have nothing to do with the despicable part of Epstein's life, but they they've got something that they want to to promote and push out. Epstein knows that. Epstein figures out a way to worm his way in, get to know them. But there's still for me that point that after the fact of his uh uh acknowledgement and conviction rel relative to uh sexual uh predation, these individuals still engaged with him. And I thought Representative Stansbury uh today um really kind of pushed on that and she she responded uh or re relayed back to us what that conversation uh what Mr. Gates said about that particular aspect of still going forward and asking was it worth it? Was it really worth it to do all this? This is what she had to say.

[00:13:37]>> The language that he used is that in spite of knowing Mr. Epstein's reputation, he saw a narrow role for accessing potential donors for his uh global health initiatives. And so when I asked him, are you saying that the ends justified the means? He said, well, that's probably too strong of language.

[00:13:56]But I felt that getting billions of dollars for global health was worth it.

[00:14:01]>> It's that's a very interesting. So it kind of feeds a little bit of what you put on the table about Epstein as you playing the role of a little bit of a black male mailer. Probably a lot of that. Um but how was your reading of of that moment in his justification or explanation for continuing? Because for me that's the hardest part. I think all of us at this table, if we were doing business with or been approached by somebody who had that kind of a background and reputation that we knew of that was public, you know, in terms of sexual uh again predation and going after young girls, I don't think I'd want to do business with them. I think I I you know, if I'm Bill Gates, I already got a network, right? I I don't know if I really need Jeffrey Epstein's network.

[00:14:46]Is Jeffrey Epstein's network bitter bigger or better than Bill Gates's network?

[00:14:50]>> Yeah. So help me understand that and square that circle.

[00:14:54]>> Yeah. There's another aspect of this too. So you know Epstein was making this pitch uh that he could he could amplify what Bill Gates was doing with the the Gates Foundation and this global health initiative.

[00:15:07]>> There were a couple of interventions. I mentioned the intervention by uh Melinda Gates. She she came in and and basically blew it up. But there were also other emails from people who knew Epstein and they said this guy and they emailed there were emails uh we didn't know who they were from because they were they were initially redacted but they were to Bill Gates and it said be very careful you need a healthy distance between yourself and and Epstein and he is a master manipulator and in one sentence it said he will discover your priorities and your vulnerabilities and your proclivities. ities and he will capitalize on that. And that's that's what he did, right? Bill Bill Gates was totally into the global health initiative. Well, that's where he went.

[00:15:53]He knew that that was something that drove that man. And so that that was his uh you know, that was his pitch. M so >> I know we have to go but I I I just want to say that I find it incredulous that apparently these very powerful men in America came before the committee today congressman and Bill Gates essentially said I was scared he was blackmailing me he took it sounds like he didn't take any responsibility and the idea that Bill Gates needed I mean it's it's it's incredulous so I'm not buying this BS and I think This is why so many people out there are pissed off. Every there's a little truth to every single conspiracy theory in America. That's that's how they continue to fester.

[00:16:39]>> My question is, as we throw to you, Alicia, uh is if he did this with Bill Gates, I can only imagine what he did with Trump.

[00:16:48]>> Congressman Steven Lynch, thank you so much, sir, for being with us at the table coming up. A bizarre admission today from Donald Trump. He quote loves the inflation. Cornell Belchure is going to help us break that down. And later, breaking news. The president keeps trying to downplay his war of choice in Iran. And yet, the United States just launched new strikes on multiple Iranian targets. You are watching the week night.

[00:17:14]Donald Trump is embracing the highest inflation rate in three years. This would be hilarious if it wasn't real life. Take a listen.

[00:17:24]>> You know what I really love? I love the inflation. You know why?

[00:17:27]>> Because as soon as this war is over, everything was going well. And I said, "I hate to do this to you guys, but Iran's going to have a nuclear weapon very soon. But now I'm going to take it down a little bit because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon >> when the war is over."

[00:17:40]>> Yes.

[00:17:40]>> It's coming down.

[00:17:41]>> I I know you can't.

[00:17:42]>> It's going to come down like a rock.

[00:17:47]>> Donald Trump keeps promising quick relief on his war of choice. Quick relief once the war of choice, you know, the war that he started is over. We are over a 100 days into that war and the voters they are not buying it. A new Reuters poll finds 59% of Americans expect gas prices to get worse over the next year. The poll also finds 63% disapprove of Trump's job performance.

[00:18:11]How about that? Joining us now is Cornell Belchure, pollster and Democratic strategist. He's also an MS Now political analyst. Cornell. Um I I you know out of all of this and with this crazy stuff that Simone just showed us um in the Oval Office, uh the leading thing is I love inflation. I I'm just telling you if if I had that kind of narrative available to me in 2010 >> where that >> Oh, baby.

[00:18:41]>> Oh my god. We would have had 75 76 House seats. I mean, so you're writing the ads, right? You've got to think that House and Senate Republicans just want him to stop talking because because now every House and Senate Republican is going to be asked about do you love inflation? Right. And they're and and he is making a very difficult environment for House and Senate Republicans even more difficult because now they've got to answer for this. And and yes, you're correct that will be in ads in every battleground congressional district coming. So he's actually helping Democrats and they have to at some point think he has to he he pulls back. And by the way, before the Iran war, it wasn't like Americans thought the economy was great, right?

[00:19:25]>> Because they did not. The vast majority majority of Americans thought the economy was was off the wrong track and the country was off on the on the wrong track and they were struggling with wages. The the the Iran war has only put a cherry on top of their economic angst with the high price of gases.

[00:19:41]So, while Democrats are busy thinking about all the ads, they're going to cut that barely even need scripting. It's one of those like just page kind of things.

[00:19:48]>> Get out of the way of it. Just just a disclaimer at the end.

[00:19:51]>> Oh, yeah. The endorsement at the end.

[00:19:53]Exactly. That's all you need.

[00:19:54]>> Republicans are workshopping, I guess, what their defense of all of this is going to be. This was um Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins going back and forth with Senator Raphael Waro about the current affordability. Chris, I want you to hear the best defense she has.

[00:20:12]>> Right now, somebody's trying to buy groceries in Georgia and they can't afford it.

[00:20:15]>> Well, but that's because of the Biden administration is the reason.

[00:20:17]>> Two years later, that's your answer because of the Biden administration.

[00:20:21]>> Look at this. Look at all the prices that have come down. Avocados down 20%, berries down 13%, butter down 13%, eggs down 90%.

[00:20:29]>> Grocery grocery costs are up. You You don't dispute that, right? Even as you call these individual items, you don't dispute that grocery costs are up in America. affordability question in America is real and the work to bring those costs down continue.

[00:20:45]>> This administration loves a prop. Honey, >> that poor Joe Biden >> like the cherry-picking of is it's it's it's like Americans won't see through that. I mean, the vast majority of Americans understand that their prices are up and they disapprove of the job that president's doing. Especially when you look at independent independent voters, over 70% disapprove of the job he's doing with with the cost of living.

[00:21:05]At some point I I it just baffles me that this is their strategy. That their strategy is to pretend that everything is fine.

[00:21:13]>> Avocados are down. So feel okay.

[00:21:17]>> I have a prop. Uh this is the year overyear increase item by item. This is from May 2025 to May 2026. Beef. Beef is actually only up 12.9% from May 2025 to May 2026. Fruits and veggies are up 6.1%. Non-alcoholic beverages, think soda and juices up 5.8%. Gas up 40.5%.

[00:21:40]Airline fair up 26.7% and hospital services are up 5.7%. That is data from the consumer price index released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[00:21:52]You don't have to argue argue the facts with the American people because they know and they understand. The question is, and I want you and we're going to see this unpack over the next couple months. The question is what do they run on? Because they certainly can't run on the economy when independent voters have already >> beautiful bill, baby. That's what they run.

[00:22:08]>> Well, that's that's already that's already in the in the in the tank, right? That that started off.

[00:22:12]>> But that's I I wasn't really joking there. That's I'm sorry. I I did Did I sound like I was telling you?

[00:22:18]>> Yeah, you did. No, no, no.

[00:22:19]>> You think they're going to run on a one bill?

[00:22:21]>> You think they are? They are. Go back and look at some look at some of these.

[00:22:23]They stopped talking didn't they? They they stopped talking about the bill months ago cuz they went to a little retreat and they were shown polling that said, "Oh, this is very unpopular." THEN THEY WANTED TO REBRAND it as a tax cut and that didn't work.

[00:22:34]>> Okay, I'm doing it. But go ahead.

[00:22:37]>> I I just don't know how they get out from under the chaos frame that Democrats are invariably going to use because Donald Trump ran on this idea of the economy is out of control, the border is out of control. I mean, much of it made up, but that was that was the sort of framework of his messaging. And as I understand it, part of what voters are responding to when it comes to the economy, when it comes to the way in which this president is approaching immigration and deportation, even when it comes to something like the Epstein file, all of it is chaotic. None of it gives you a sense that they are in control and restoring order and security to a country that desperately wants it.

[00:23:15]>> Yes. Well, and and they're and and they have to own it now because they they're the party in charge and power. And again, even the old tricks where you'd say, "Oh, you know, I'd scare the the electorate into voting for me about crime and violence and we're being invaded by immigrants." It's harder to do that >> when you're in charge.

[00:23:36]>> When you're in charge and you're in power. So again, I ask I don't know what they're going to run on because even that old that old pony doesn't really dance anymore when you're when you're an incumbent.

[00:23:47]>> We know they won't be running on the screw worm. So let's talk about the screw worm. Something very >> I'm very fired up about the screw.

[00:23:53]>> I was going to say something very near and dear to uh Simone's heart. So this is this is the the fly and its larae that uh are infecting cattle uh in uh Texas in in in significant ways. Um the current situation means added costs for cattle ranchers who must absorb at additional labor veterinary fees and monitoring uh uh expenses. And now the new world screw screw uh screw worm is a parasitic fly whose larae uh burrows into the flesh of living warm-blooded animals. Some sounds like someone I know but um or very familiar with uh in public office. Uh what do what do you think about these and I guess this part of the storyline is really the other things that come in and and impact the narrative. Yes. All right. of of that that we've been talking about because just when you think you may get around the corner and to Alicia's point have something to run on you now have something else that comes in because they gutted us >> because they gutted USA control for the problem.

[00:24:58]>> Yes. Well, again, that is part and parcel of of of they they created this, right? These are their policies and this is them running the government and they're running the government poorly and now it's impacting, you know, this around election time, there's always X factors. There's always going to be something that you just cannot predict comes up. And here we have a here we have a a screw worm, I guess, screwing over the president and his party >> at the la very last minute.

[00:25:24]>> I just say, but that's why y'all need to buy that Omaha beef. Okay. Shout out go big red.

[00:25:28]>> There we go.

[00:25:29]>> Cornell, are you from?

[00:25:31]>> Yes, I am. I'm from North. Come on now.

[00:25:33]>> Lord have mercy.

[00:25:34]>> Cornell Belchure, you might not be able to come back if you don't got the fact break quick because >> in just a moment, folks, we do have some breaking news on Iran as Trump's mixed messages confuse even members of his own administration. Stay with us. This is the week night.

[00:25:50]>> The United States has launched a new round of quote self-defense strikes against Iran. And Iran state media says it has targeted an American base in northern Iraq and that the strait of Hormuz is now completely closed. Trump's war of choice appears to be escalating, folks, just hours after he claimed a ceasefire.

[00:26:12]Now look, that deal is nowhere in sight any longer. It's one of many mixed messages from the president on the war.

[00:26:19]Yesterday, Trump went from saying that a downed Apache helicopter near the street of Hormuz quote wasn't a big deal to saying Iran had shot it down and that he was ordering retaliatory strikes. Many former members of the military are now running for office in part to put a check on the president's war powers.

[00:26:40]More than 700 veterans, thank goodness, are out there as candidates for Congress this year. 39% are running as Democrats, the highest number since the nonpartisan group with with Honor began tracking that data. Two of those Democratic congressional candidates joined us tonight. Rebecca Bennett of New Jersey is a former US Navy helicopter pilot who was deployed to the Middle East and flew missions through the Strait of Hormuz.

[00:27:07]And Joanna Mendoza of of Arizona is a retired US Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. and we are happy to welcome you both.

[00:27:16]>> Thank you both.

[00:27:17]>> Thank you for having us.

[00:27:18]>> Um, how do you think Congress would be different if there were more people casting votes who understood firsthand what was at stake?

[00:27:27]>> Well, I mean, that lived experience is absolutely important. Right now, we have a Congress who isn't motivated to do anything. They can't pass a budget. They can't give the American people relief.

[00:27:36]And so what we're seeing right now across the nation and especially you know within the Hellcat group uh is we're answering the call to serve again.

[00:27:45]That oath that we took many times, it does not expire. And so for us this is absolutely a matter of ensuring that when decisions are being made to send our kids into harm's way that they're made number one with the approval of Congress and two by the American people.

[00:28:02]Um, this is some analysis uh by our colleague Steve Bennon um on MS Now.

[00:28:07]Trump pedals more mixed messages after accusing Iran of downing a US helicopter. This is what he writes. We remain in the middle of a ceasefire in which the fire has not ceased. It was weird to see Trump claim that Iran is powerless and quote unquote all talk and no action while also accusing it of having shot down a US helicopter through though the combination of military strikes and mixed messages once again suggest the end point to the conflict is not near. There are real consequences yes for the the folks the men and women serving in our our our US armed forces but also for the people here at home their families but also the American people. We just ran down the numbers of what folks in this country are dealing with and what is happening in the state of Hormuz right now or what's not happening. Let's just be very clear is we're going to feel those effects for months and months after even if the straight were to open tomorrow.

[00:28:58]>> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, well, I will say anytime we're going to go put American service members in harm's way to your point, there needs to be a clear motivation, clear objective, and a clear exit strategy. And what we are seeing is that the Trump administration is learning in real time that it's much easier to start a war than it is to stop one. And it's exactly what I hear from people on the ground in my district is that Trump ran on no more forever wars and lowering the cost of living. He's doing the exact opposite. And this is where House Republicans have absolutely failed to hold him accountable. And that's why we've got to flip the House to make sure we're holding them accountable.

[00:29:27]>> You you know, um John, the the president has been consistent >> about one thing about one thing. He's being very consistent about not really engaging >> on this war and not re not really grabbing uh the the mantle of responsibility to prosecute this war. He started this to your to your important point.

[00:29:52]>> Um but since then there are other things damn it that just seem to occupy his time like there's a basketball game he's got to go to. You know there's there's a golf outing he's got to go to >> a UFC fight. He's got a UFC fight he's got to prepare for, but doesn't have time to go to his son wedding. Okay, that's cool. I got that because he had to do Iran stuff that day, which turns out he really didn't do. But here's the president talking about his, you know, his sort of laser focus on on this and how all this comes together at a teller rally. Um, and almost the exact moment Apache uh the Apache chopper was shot down. Let's take a listen.

[00:30:34]It really is peace through strength.

[00:30:35]We've hit their navy. Their navy is totally gone. They had 159 ships. Every ship is underwater right now. Every ship is deep underwater. Their air force is gone. Their radar is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone.

[00:30:51]>> Their anti-aircraft is gone. Trump made those remarks at 5:46 p.m. Eastern around the exact time uh SNCOM says the Apache helicopter crashed near the coast of Aman. rescue occurred at 7:33. Um crash happened within 2 hours before that. Uh Trump says the Apache uh was shot down once again contradicting his claim that their anti-aircraft is gone.

[00:31:17]>> And this is the problem.

[00:31:18]>> And no mention of the service member, no mention of how this has put not only I the civilians in Iran in danger, but our kids, right? our sons and daughters. And I will argue that I mean, who the heck is advising the president right now?

[00:31:35]Doesn't he have a cabinet? I mean, Secretary Hex, uh, you know, Secretary Rubio, who is advising him on foreign policy right now? And why aren't they standing up? My opponent Juan Cesmani is spineless. He has not said a single word pushing back on the president and this reckless war. Meanwhile, we have people in the district, parents, not just Democrats, not just independents, but I've heard from conservative parents, that they are absolutely terrified that their kids are being sent to Iran or have orders there. And you know what they've told me? They will not vote for a single Republican this November because of that.

[00:32:10]>> Well, it's a good thing to to note that two uh members of that crew were rescued. They're okay. But again, to your point, in the in everything we've heard, there's not been that reflect reflective moment about the lives of our servicemen and women that he's put in harm's way.

[00:32:27]>> He has You ask who is advising the president? Well, >> uh the the defense secretary is probably one of the folks, but um you talk about distractions and mixed messages. He's too busy blocking women and uh black people from being navy from promotions.

[00:32:45]This is from the um New York Times on June 1st. Defense Secretary Pete Hexth recently blocked the promotions of nine Navy officers who had been selected by a board of senior Navy admirals. Three of the officers removed by Mr. Hexth from the promotion list are women and two are black men.

[00:33:02]>> I mean, you know, Pete Hexath has been very clear from the beginning that he does not think women and people of color should be able to serve in the military and we should be recruiting our best and brightest from every background and every walk of life to be able to serve.

[00:33:12]And that's the beauty of the military is we're a mixing pot of the entire country. And to your question earlier, that's what veterans do is we figure out how to work with the people we have to be able to get things done and to be able to solve problems. And so what I would always say is, you know, I was a former Navy helicopter pilot. Only 6% of naval aviators are women. And I would always say the helicopter doesn't know what gender the person is. You just got to get the job done. And that is the mindset that I'm bringing to office to be able to actually get stuff done. But I mean Pete Hegath is a disgrace to the office that he holds. So, Rebecca, your race has garnered national attention in part because the incumbent you are running against, Republican Tom Kaine Jr. of great state of New Jersey, has been MIA um for what is now a pretty concerning period of time. just given how high the stakes are in this moment, given that we are a country at war, um what is your greatest concern for your district, the district you live in as a constituent about the fact that you do not currently have an active member of Congress?

[00:34:11]>> Yeah, I mean, he's been missing for over 3 months now, and you know, he the last time we saw him was in early March, and you've been told he has a medical condition. I wish him well. I hope he's doing well, but to your point, he's absolutely failing this district. He's not standing up to the president on anything to include this war in Iran.

[00:34:27]And we deserve better. And so that is why I'm running for office is because for me, this is about fighting for the version of the country that I want to leave for my daughters and the next generation. And so we are going to flip this seat in November.

[00:34:37]>> Joanna, how do you uh see your race right now? Um and you mentioned your opponent just now. Where where things how do you feel about it? Uh, and I'm particularly interested uh given uh the the makeup of your district. You mentioned Republicans, you mentioned conservatives. Um, less interested in in in sort of the ying and yang of that, but how's that response been for you?

[00:35:00]>> Well, I mean, look, he has not held a single town hall since he was elected two terms four years ago. He has not spoken to the constituents that sent him to DC to do the work, right? to ensure that there that costs remain low, that people have access to affordable health care, um that ga gas prices remain low.

[00:35:21]In this district, it is extremely rural.

[00:35:23]So, folks go into town to buy groceries, to pick up their kids from school, to go to the doctor, and they're getting penalized more because of the gas prices. But what I will tell you is that right now both sides, everyone is upset and they're upset by the lack of of focus and Congress isn't getting anything done. So being from the state of former Senator John McCain, we talked to a lot of Republicans who consider themselves McCain Republicans. So we have made that distinction in the campaign is that look, you're a MAGA Republican. That's fine. But if you believe in in the Constitution, the rule of law, and and ensuring that everyone in this country has the opportunity to fulfill their version of the American dream, then you have a place on my team.

[00:36:06]>> All right, Rebecca Bennett, >> Mendoza, thank you both for being with us. Really appreciate it. Uh, and all the best. Stay with us. Uh, folks, uh, there's more of the week night right after the break.