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CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip
Trump-Backed Challenger Wins Kentucky GOP Race; Trump Endorses Challenger Over Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); CNN Projects Keisha Lance Bottoms To Be The Democratic Nominee For Georgia's Next Governor; DOJ's $1.8 Billion Slash Fund Deal With Donald Trump Bans IRS From Pursuing Claims; President Trump Gives America A Tour Of The Ballroom Construction. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired May 19, 2026 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Tonight, loyalties. Donald Trump is on the ballot. The results are in from the revenge primaries.
Plus --
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I'm proud of the work that I've been able to do with President Trump.
SIDNER: -- but pride isn't always a two-way street. Why the president rattles the Republican Senate by endorsing a challenger.
Also, as the DOJ slush fund deal bans the IRS from investigating Trump and his family, the administration doesn't rule out paying rioters who assaulted cops.
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I don't rule things out categorically when I know nothing about a person's individual circumstances.
SIDNER: And the president decides to give America a tour of his ballroom construction during a war and economic pain.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: They like the flat roof. Greece likes the -- they call it the triangles, and you see that.
SIDNER: Live at the table, Scott Jennings, Tara Setmayer, Lydia Moynihan, Denver Riggleman, and Ana Navarro.
Americans with different perspectives aren't talking to each other, but here, they do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: Good evening. We begin with breaking news. I'm Sara Sidner, in for Abby Phillip.
Tonight, President Trump's retribution tour against Republicans gets another major victory. CNN now projects that Trump-backed Ed Gallrein will defeat Congressman Thomas Massie in the Republican primary for Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District.
Trump promised to defeat the seven-term congressman after Massie broke with the majority of his party over demands to release all the Epstein files. He also voted against the spending bill because of its impact to the national debt. The White House communications director responded tonight, writing, do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power. F around, find out.
Trump, again, stepped his attacks up earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Thomas Massie's a terrible congressman. He's been a terrible congressman from day one. Dealing with him is just horrible. I don't think he's a Republican. I think he's actually -- I think he's actually a Democrat.
He votes against us all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Massie is definitely a Republican, and he's just the latest of Trump's victims.
Earlier this month, Trump vowed revenge against Republican state senators in Indiana who rebuffed his demand to redraw the state's Congressional maps. Most of them lost elections to Trump-endorsed challengers. And Sunday, Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump at his impeachment trial following the Capitol attack, lost his Republican Senate primary seat in Louisiana.
Now, this weekend, Senator Lindsey Graham said that loss was a warning to all Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Bill Cassidy's lost because he tried to destroy Trump. Massie's going to lose because he's trying to destroy the agenda. You can disagree with President Trump, but if you try to destroy him, you're going to lose, because this is the party of Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: All right. I'm going to start with someone at this table whose district this big changeover happened in Kentucky.
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.
SIDNER: You are familiar with this. You have seen really the, I don't know, mudslinging was insane, and the amount of money that's been pumped into this. But now Kentuckians and the rest of the country have to learn a new name for that House seat. What are your thoughts on what happened here? JENNINGS: Well, it was the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, and the president made it a priority to get rid of Thomas Massie, and he succeeded, because Massie had frankly become an opponent of the president inside of the party, and you just can't do that. You know, Massie used to, you know, reliably vote with the Republicans. That number had been falling over time.
This is one of the most conservative districts in the country. It's certainly a conservative area of Kentucky. They gave Donald Trump a massive victory in 2024, and they expect the Republican congressman who represents them to be part of the team. The two big issues in the race that were in most of the advertising had to do with tax cuts and immigration, and Massie was against Trump on both of his big border security and tax cut bills. And so they said, look, we can get a Republican congressman that'll be part of the team and support the president. That campaign worked.
I just want to also add one other thing. Thomas Massie tonight in his concession speech said something despicable, anti-Semitic, nasty, gutter politics right at the end.
[22:05:09]
What a way to go out. He said, I would've called Ed Gallrein but, you know, I had to find him in Tel Aviv.
There was an undercurrent of anti-Semitism in this race on the Massie side. There's been an undercurrent of it in his career, unfortunately, and it really came out in an ugly way tonight, and I think it needs to be stated, acknowledged, and condemned because it was pretty despicable.
SIDNER: All right. So, that's the perspective from the district in which you also both live and have been watching all this.
Tara, I am curious from you. Can Republicans not go against the president anymore? I mean, is that where we're at?
TARA SETMAYER, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, THE SENECA PROJECT: Clearly, the Republican Party's become a party of pedophile protectors. America is watching, okay? I don't agree with Thomas Massie on a lot of things, but, you know, he did the right thing stepping up on the Epstein issue and took the side of the survivors.
And his cardinal sin against Donald Trump was the fact that he pushed to have the Epstein files transparently opened up. And that was what upset Donald Trump.
Trump wasn't after him because of any of the anti-Semitic things he said. I mean, that would've been nice, but he didn't care about that. He doesn't care about any of that. He was upset with Thomas Massie because Thomas Massie decided to put his whole career on the line for the Epstein survivors. And this is what the result has been.
Now, I think that there are a lot of members of Congress who are looking at what's happening with this president, what a disastrous presidency this has been thus far. They're looking at his tanking poll numbers. They're looking at his priorities being all over the place, everywhere but where they should be in a midterm election. But they're too scared to stand up and say, no, enough is enough. Because they're looking at what happened to Massie, they're looking at what happened to Cassidy.
But you know what? Some things are bigger than your elected office. Where the hell is the integrity of these people in the Republican Party to stand up and do what's right, not only for the country, but for their own constituents?
So, you know, Massie is another casualty of the retribution tour, but I think people need to understand that the reason why Donald Trump went after him was because he was not subservient to him on the Epstein files, and that is a problem, because America will remember who protected predators.
JENNINGS: Can we just do a little bit of fact-checking on the Epstein issue? Did every member of the House Republican Conference except for one vote to release the Epstein files, yes or no?
SETMAYER: Because there was a discharge petition where they had to.
JENNINGS: The answer is yes.
SETMAYER: Yes.
JENNINGS: Did Donald Trump sign it into law, yes or no?
SETMAYER: Because he knew that he was going to lose the discharge petition, so be honest about that, Scott.
JENNINGS: The Republicans voted to release it, Donald Trump signed it. Now --
SETMAYER: Because there was a discharge petition and they were forced to put it on the floor, Scott. They weren't -- come on. If they were open to doing it, then they would not have had to go through a discharge petition.
JENNINGS: I know you're trying to rearrange --
SETMAYER: No, I'm telling you the facts, Scott.
JENNINGS: But the facts are --
SETMAYER: Mike Johnson said it was unfortunate when it happened.
JENNINGS: The Republicans passed it and Trump signed it.
ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Scott, the White House brought in Lauren Boebert to the Situation Room and put all sorts of pressure on her to not vote for the discharge petition. And now Trump is going against Lauren Boebert. I mean, this Epstein thing is something that he has seen as a litmus test. And so, yes, I mean, you can argue whatever you want, but he's not -- JENNINGS: Well, my point is every Republican voted for it. Are you saying every Republican will now get a primary?
SETMAYER: Why did he need a discharge petition to do it?
NAVARRO: But you know that they voted for it because there were a few Republicans, including Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, who had the cojones, the courage, to go against Trump. And you know that Trump --
LYDIA MOYNIHAN, CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK POST: They had the courage in the last two years. He never cared about this until Trump took office. So --
NAVARRO: No, but listen --
MOYNIHAN: -- let's be very clear about the timing here.
NAVARRO: The people who voted for Donald Trump cared about this.
SETMAYER: That's right.
NAVARRO: Part of the MAGA agenda, part of the -- what happened in the -- during the election is that people cared about the Epstein files.
JENNINGS: You raised a good question about the people who voted for Trump. As a voter in this district, let me stand up for my people. These people voted for Donald Trump. They also voted for Massie on the expectation that he would help Donald Trump enact his agenda. He stopped doing that, and it's pretty simple. They decided to get a congressman who will help him enact that agenda.
It's easy to overanalyze this. The bottom line is they love Trump, they love his agenda, tax cuts, border security, you name it. Massie got off that team, and they wanted to put someone on the team who would help the president. It's pretty simple.
SIDNER: Congressman I do want to ask you something. With these two people, Cassidy and now Masse, could Donald Trump be facing a problem when they come back, because they're not going to be out of their office right away? What do you see happening once they're back in Congress? Now they know they're not back. They're losing their seat. Do you see them deciding, okay, you know what, I mean, Cassidy just voted for -- to limit Trump's power.
FMR. REP. DENVER RIGGLEMAN (R-VA): Yes, Cassidy just came and voted for the War Powers Resolution, right? So, now he's free to do that. And from somebody who actually was part of the retribution tour, one of the first in 2019, right, in 2021, I can tell you right now that Trump does own the party.
[22:10:05]
I used to make fun of it, saying, you know, this is a Mississippi leg hound party. Everybody's trying their best, right, to cozy up to Trump as quickly as possible. And I was pretty sure, right, that that wasn't going to keep happening, but it does.
I was looking at Lindsey Graham, and I don't know if there's anybody who could be more sort of subservient to what's happening right now. But the thing is, regardless if that's what they're doing, right, everybody trying to get favor with Trump, that's exactly what it is.
Also with Ed Gallrein, we were talking about Massie, 14 years, I served with Massie, and Massie had some bizarre behaviors. Okay? So let's just be honest, and he had some belief systems, like the Fed's erection, right, some of the things like that are absolutely insane.
But Ed Gallrein really didn't run much of a campaign. It was more of what the Republicans would call a Biden campaign, where he's stuck in the basement, right? This was just $32 million of pure, absolute bully ball, right, that Trump and APAC and those guys actually did to go after this guy.
But I think this is actually a bad thing for the Republican Party because right now with the polling and what you're seeing with Trump right now, I think we're beyond political analysis. I think we're now into a diagnosis of tertiary failure with the Republican Party based on polling and what's happening right now.
SIDNER: Lydia, the party at the primaries, of course, are not the general. Are you worried that this could backfire? Because if you look at Trump's polling numbers, they don't look good, and each of these people were backed by Trump, although the party has consistently put in those people who he has put up against the incumbents.
MOYNIHAN: Yes. Look, I mean, the fact that somebody like Massie lost so overwhelmingly would suggest that Republicans are still very aligned with Trump's agenda. The reason that Cornyn is in this position, the reason Massie was in this position is they weren't really aligned with the MAGA agenda.
And so to your point earlier, too, of, you know, is Trump going to face headwinds with his agenda now that people don't want to vote against him? The reason that Massie and Cornyn are in a tough spot in the first place is because they weren't voting with Trump's agenda, and that's where Republican voters want to be. See --
NAVARRO: Cornyn voted with Trump 99 percent of the time.
JENNINGS: Right. I will --
SETMAYER: Good luck with that. I mean, Good luck with that. Let that be MAGA aligned.
MOYNIHAN: It's not surprising that somebody who voted to impeach Trump, like it's not surprising that --
NAVARRO: I mean, just because he was against Trump 1 percent of the time, he is the guy that has got to face the music when it comes to Trump.
So, you can't say that it's not because they were with, against Trump's agenda. That just doesn't work. The math doesn't math.
JENNINGS: I will say as a matter of like Senate legislative affairs if you're sitting in the White House legot, the Senate Republicans are going to be less governable now than they were previously. We saw Cassidy's vote on the war powers. You know, we'll see what happens to Cornyn here. You already had Tillis laying out there and others. And so, you know, it's a majority, but if you have a few people who are willing to go the other way on certain issues, it's harder to get them aligned.
The House is still a very narrow majority, probably still a little more alignable, but right now the Senate will be a difficult task for the legislative affairs staff.
MOYNIHAN: I do think though, I mean, it's interesting, Cornyn, if he'd voted for the SAVE Act, Paxton in Texas said, oh, I'm going to drop out. So, I think we're seeing a surge in the base and people who are really motivated to enact Trump's agenda where some of these older sort of centrist candidates frankly haven't followed through in that regard.
SIDNER: Well, hold on, because we're going to talk about that in just a minute.
Next, a Trump endorsement in Texas could play a major part in whether Republicans can hold onto the Senate.
Plus, as the White House deals with 24 hours of some troubling headlines, President Trump decides to give the press corps a tour of the new White House ballroom.
Those stories and more ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:15:00]
SIDNER: Tonight, the surprise endorsement that could have major implications in the battle for Senate majority. President Trump says he's backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the state's primary runoff, which is next week. In a post on social media, Trump boasted Paxton's loyalty and called out Cornyn for, quote, not being supportive of me when the times were tough.
The decision is a searing blow to Cornyn, who spent over a year courting President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CORNYN: Trump Derangement Syndrome is real.
Our president understands the art of the deal better than any modern head of state.
Finally, we have a president who's been willing to stand up to the Iranian regime.
The most amazing thing about President Trump is the risks he's willing to take.
Our president demonstrated for all to see that the ultimate way to win over a bully is not to give in, but to stand up to him.
I'm proud of the fact that President Trump said, this will not stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Cornyn responded by touting his voting record with Trump, and noted that the president has consistently called him a friend. Paxton says it's just a facade.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL, U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: This guy has been a friend of Donald Trump ever since I got into the race a year ago, but has not been a friend to him prior to that, and as soon as this race is over, he will not be a friend to Donald Trump. That is not his history. That is not his record, and he's been dishonest with the voters of Texas. Trying to convince them that he's voted 99 percent with the president, what does that even mean? But we know it's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Now, early voting is already underway in Texas. The nominee will face off in November against rising Democratic star State Representative James Talarico.
People were going after Talarico about his taco order just a couple of days ago. But I want to start with you former VA Congressman Denver. When you look at this, you know what it's like to be sort of targeted, right, by the president.
[22:20:03]
What is it like? And what should Cornyn expect?
RIGGLEMAN: What, now?
SIDNER: Yes.
NAVARRO: Who knows (ph)?
RIGGLEMAN: Yes. I mean --
SIDNER: And Ana's speaking for you.
RIGGLEMAN: No. Yes, I mean, I think that's where we're at. I think what can Cornyn expect, I mean, right now when you're talking about Paxton winning, I think it's probably one of the worst endorsements Trump could do. And, listen, I think Paxton is a repugnant character, right? He's always been on the edge of sort of criminal activities. He had to do community service to get out of a felony, right? It's everything wrong with what's happening, I think, with MAGA right now is Ken Paxton. I think he actually is sort of the -- you know, sort of the linchpin to what's wrong with this.
But here's the issue, right? I think what it does, I think if Lindsey Graham is the voice of reason in this and that targeting happens, right, to Cornyn, he's gone, right? Paxton's going to be there. I think actually what you're looking at right now is I think Lindsey Graham is right. They're going to have to spend three times as much money to win this thing. I think Talarico does have a chance to win.
But I will say this, because I know I'm not trying to just to be adversarial or to say something where everybody agrees. I still think Paxton wins the race. I don't really -- you know, I would hope that Talarico can win and get over. I'm going to say that right here to the entire table. I still think Paxton wins the race because I still think MAGA really does run Texas in a way that we can't imagine. I just think that's the way it is.
SIDNER: Tara, do you think that Paxton -- do you have the same thoughts, or do you think there is really a path?
SETMAYER: Well, I think Texas has been the big white whale for Democrats for a couple of election cycles. But Talarico honestly is probably their best hope in a very long time, especially now with Paxton officially being endorsed by Trump. I mean, you know, birds of a feather. The guy was impeached by the Texas legislature. He was acquitted by the Senate, just like Trump was impeached and acquitted.
I mean, I don't know why -- if people are proud of this guy. I just think that, you know, elected representatives need to really think about who are they putting in office. Are they proud of these people? I mean, Ken Paxton is a despicable human being. He's dishonest. He has criminal behavior. He's an adulterer. His own wife came out against him. And yet this is the people that they -- the person that they've spent tens of millions of dollars to boost over Senator John Cornyn, who although he debased himself trying to kiss up to Donald Trump, has, by all measures, been a good senator for the state of Texas for many, many years. And that's what he had to turn to do to prove loyalty. What about what you're doing for the people of Texas? It's all about Donald Trump.
So, I mean, I think that it's -- once again, it's a character issue, and I think the people of Texas deserve better, but they're going to get the person that they choose. But it's going to be a hell of a race there in Texas, and a lot of money is going to be spent for the Republicans now in Texas that should be spent in other places because the Senate is in play. And you can see the senior Republicans that know better, that understand that this is not good for the Republican Party. It's MAGA brand, and the MAGA brand is terrible when you come to -- when it comes down to national races and statewide races. So, good luck with that in Texas.
SIDNER: Ana, do you think this could backfire that if Paxton runs away with this and he's the nominee against Talarico, that there is a possibility, a higher possibility that perhaps Democrats get a chance? NAVARRO: I do think Democrats have a chance. But, listen, I'm old enough where there were Democrats elected statewide in Texas, right, people like Ann Richards, who was the governor. And people often ask me, why don't Republicans stand up to Trump? This is the reason Democrats don't -- Republicans don't stand up to Trump. Because Trump has power, and he exerts that power in the primaries. He is incredibly influential in Republican primaries.
John Cornyn is conservative. John Cornyn has voted with Donald Trump 99 percent of the time. John Cornyn was part of Republican leadership. He has incredible power in the Senate seniority, and he just -- I think he just lost tonight, right? He just lost tonight with this with this Trump endorsement.
And I think Trump is empowered by the fact that he's got the Cassidy scalp to show. He knew he's going to have -- he was going to have the Massie scalp to show, and he thought, you know what? I'm going to, I'm going to show you all, I'm going to have the Cornyn scalp to show.
So, all of a sudden, Texas, which shouldn't be competitive for Republicans, is going to be competitive, and there's going to be all sorts of money spent there, which is the reason why John Thune, the majority leader of the Senate, is still supporting John Cornyn, and so are most of the senators that are in power today. Let it be what it is.
SIDNER: What's it going to look like in Congress, you think, if all of the people that Donald Trump has put up against incumbents end up in place in Congress?
JENNINGS: Well, look, I mean --
SIDNER: Will they ever sort of look at Donald Trump and go, hey, you know what? We'd like to have some of our power back, because Congress has pretty much seceded a lot of their power?
[22:25:00]
JENNINGS: I mean, my -- well, yes, that didn't just start in the last ten minutes.
SIDNER: No, it didn't.
JENNINGS: I mean, it's been going on for a long time. I mean, my expectation is that these Republicans, if they win their races, and most of them I think will win, including Paxton, I agree with you, Denver, are going to end up voting the Republican agenda, which is set by the White House.
Now, who will have the majorities when we come back? You know, it's going to be a real race for the House and a real race for the Senate in the fall. I think the Democrats probably have a small advantage in the House. Republicans have a little advantage in the Senate, but it's going to be a real race. And every vote matters, and the president's expectation is that every Republican who goes up there, you know, supports his agenda. Just to the --
NAVARRO: But, Scott, you recognize that Cornyn supported Trump's agenda 99 percent of the time. I'm not arguing.
JENNINGS: I'm not arguing that.
NAVARRO: Like I don't even remember what it is that Cornyn did that was so offensive to Trump that he would go against him --
JENNINGS: Well, the one unacknowledged --
NAVARRO: and endorsed a guy who's like been impeached for the securities fraud, bribery, and all sorts of horrible things.
JENNINGS: I will answer, if you'd like.
NAVARRO: Sure. Go ahead.
JENNINGS: I think one of the unacknowledged points here is that Paxton was a little bit ahead in this race, okay? Cornyn won in the primary by a little bit, but there was a third guy in the race, Wesley Hunt. He didn't make it. A lot of those voters were going to Paxton. Paxton was a little bit ahead in this. He might've won anyway even without this endorsement. And so I'm not so sure Cornyn -- I mean, Cornyn was running a very competitive race. I'm not so sure he would've been able to pull it out.
I don't disagree with the point that Texas will become a little bit more expensive in the fall here, but your question is, what's the expectation of Republicans? The voters, it's not Trump, it's Trump's voters. The reason he has power and the reason he has influence is because they like him and they like his agenda, and if their perception is that you're off that track or that you're not doing all that you can for it, they're going to go find somebody who will.
Now, Trump, you know, sort of enforces their will. It's not him singular. There's a legion, millions of people out there, who are looking for Republicans who will do everything within their power to make this president successful. Kentucky Four, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, you name it, they are everywhere.
SIDNER: All right. Up next for us, a forever ban of the IRS investigating Donald Trump, his family, or family businesses for past tax issues, signed by his former personal attorney, Todd Blanche. Let's discuss this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:32:03]
SIDNER: Tonight, it is nothing short of extraordinary, unprecedented, really, really, and to many, outrageous. As part of his settlement deal with the IRS, which critics have previously called outright corrupt, the DOJ's $1.8 billion slash fund deal with Donald Trump bans the IRS from pursuing claims it may have made against him forever. According to new terms released by the DOJ today, the federal
government is, quote, "forever barred and precluded from prosecuting or pursuing claims" or examinations arising from any pending IRS matters and the deal includes tax returns filed by Trump before the agreement was reached. The deal language applies not only to Trump, but his family members, trusts, companies, and other affiliates. It was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that was Trump's former personal attorney who is now the acting A.G. Congressman? I'm going to start with you.
RIGGLEMAN: Thanks for starting with me.
SIDNER: You're welcome. Because we had a little discussion about this yesterday and I'll let Scott go first. So, it is your turn. What do you make of this? This is an addendum, something new added to it saying they cannot look back at anything that the Trumps have done, family members included, when it comes to how they dealt with their taxes.
RIGGLEMAN: You know, I was trying to think of a technical term for this. It's like criminal financial masturbation, right? So, what you're looking at is this right here.
(CROSSTALK)
RIGGLEMAN: Right? This is the issue I have this is the biggest self- dealing in presidential history. You're talking about protecting his family and himself from any type of IRS investigation, not only did he sue his own IRS for $10 billion, then he settled with himself for, by the way, it's $1.776 billion or 1776 which is simply a dog whistle to QAnon That's all that is for his base. That's exactly what it is. And by the way, I'm an expert on it. So, if people want to argue with me, I am ready to rock.
The other issue that you have with this when you're talking about this type of self-dealing is that to say in perpetuity that you can't go after somebody for criminal, does that mean they're criming? And this is a guy who's already, you know, he's been adjudicated on 34 felonies. This is a guy who's been adjudicated for sexual abuse.
We were talking about all this day. It seems like it's getting worse and worse and worse. And it's like he's burning the crops after he's stealing the corn because he's a lame duck president. Everything he's doing right now is about self-dealing. You're looking at the Trump boys, they're sitting there getting contracts on drone warfare. You see all that happening right now. You see Kushner in the Middle East. All this is self-dealing. You see the stock trades.
All this is him trying to enrich himself and his family as fast as he can. It's most disgusting thing that I've seen, especially to somebody who's took the oath as a military member and as a congressman. And right now, we're looking at this as sort of overarching. I can't imagine, I can't imagine anybody, and I'm not trying to stage this argument, I can't imagine anybody saying that this is right. It's so egregiously awful and corrupt. I don't know why right now there's not people, Republicans and Democrats saying there's no way this type of self-dealing can happen.
NAVARRO: I'm to tell you that it's right.
SIDNER: Is it wrong or is it right?
JENNINGS: Well, first of all, why did he sue the IRS?
[22:35:00]
NAVARRO: Because it was a leak.
JENNINGS: Because they leaked his tax returns illegally.
SETMAYER: No, the IRS didn't leak. Let's be clear, the IRS didn't leak. An independent contractor did. So therefore it doesn't apply.
JENNINGS: It's a nice hair splitting.
SETMAYER: No, it's frivolous.
NAVARRO: While Trump was president. This happened during Trump's administration.
JENNINGS: He himself was the victim of the federal government being weaponized against him for political purposes. That's number one. Number two, I believe this deal on the looking back, doesn't apply forward-looking. It has to do with this period of time. Number three, on the fund, you we talked about this a little bit last night.
I think that, you know, the idea that someone who attacked a police officer, they should not get money. That's not right. However, if someone does have a legitimate claim that they were over prosecuted or targeted unfairly or was on the periphery of some issue and had no reason to be targeted, and they have a legitimate claim against the government, have no problem with that. I think the government makes mistakes all the time and people should be able to --
(CROSSTALK)
RIGGLEMAN: Well, if we were talking about legitimate claims, it would be transparent. It wouldn't be hidden, right, and secretive. That's the same thing that they do all the time. They hide behind this executive privilege on non-appropriated funds. When you have something secretive, it's not about transparency. Everything we've talked about is transparency. And my question, Scott, is do you actually believe he should sue the IRS for $10 billion on an independent contractor leak?
JENNINGS: Do I think that people should have their tax returns leaked by the federal government for political reasons, weaponized against them? I think he had every right to seek a grievance against the federal government for what they did to him on --
RIGGLEMAN: And it wasn't just him, it was other people, too.
SETMAYER: Why did he file it after --
RIGGLEMAN: It was Ken Griffin also, and Ken Griffin just asked for an apology because he knows it's egregiously ridiculous.
JENNINGS: And Trump got an apology and he's not getting any money out it.
SETMAYER: Okay, it was two years. It was two years --
RIGGLEMAN: Well, it was 1.776 billion.
SETMAYER: And two years after the statute of limitations on this. It was not the federal government who did this, it was an individual contractor. The Supreme Court has ruled three times in precedent since 1911 that you cannot be the judge of yourself on anything. And so, Donald Trump is -- sued himself to get a fund now settled with himself to get a fund where he's going to write a check for himself. We all know that this is bullshit (ph).
JENNINGS: You agree with leak?
SETMAYER: This is a MAGA victimization fund that is sanctioned by Donald Trump. How dare he? How dare he? You look in the face and you justify this to the families of the police officers who were beaten, who were almost killed, to the people who were killed, to the people whose careers were ruined. I don't know about you, Scott, but I've spent time with those officers and their families and their lives have been ruined.
And unlike you, tonight you're saying this, but Todd Blanche could not say that today during his Senate hearing. Neither could J.D. Vance say and guarantee to the American people that any of those violent bastards who did that to those people and tried to overthrow our election on January 6th would not get a dime from this. American tax dollars should not go to this. This is dishonorable, it's grotesque, and anyone who tries to hide behind some kind of patriotism behind this should be ashamed of themselves.
Look in the eyes of the families of the people who suffered on January 6th. You know who the victim is here? Them and our democracy. And shame on anyone who tries to justify this. And it's our dollars that they're robbing to do this. It's grotesque and despicable.
NAVARRO: And it's also unconstitutional. I mean that, you know --
SETMAYER: Absolutely. And I'm glad to see Jamie Raskin and the Democrats are to challenge it. Yes.
NAVARRO: It is Congress who gets the power of the purse. They cannot adjudicate this amount of money like that. It's also --
JENNINGS: I think there's a question on that.
NAVARRO: I think it is not no coincidence that they posted this addendum that the DOJ posted this addendum after Todd Blanche had his hearing today in front of Congress because he didn't want to answer questions on this because it stinks to holy hell. And this is again, this is coming at a time when Americans can't afford gas, can't afford groceries, are canceling summer vacations, farmers are going bankrupt, but we of settling with Donald Trump to the tunes of billions that were saying you are above the law?
JENNINGS: You're not settling -- he's not getting any of the money.
(CROSSTALK)
UNKNOWN: I'm glad that everyone's suddenly --
(CROSSTALK)
NAVARRO: All of us around this table could be audited by the IRS. All of us.
JENNINGS: Sure.
SETMAYER: But Donald Trump can't.
NAVARRO: But Donald Trump can't. That stinks to holy hell.
SETMAYER: And his family.
RIGGLEMAN: Perpetuity is absolutely ludicrous.
JENNIGS: It's not -- this point forward.
NAVARRO: Yet.
(CROSSTALK)
SIDNER: His family and all of his, and all of the derivatives of his business. Lydia, go ahead.
MOYNIHAN: No, I'm glad that everyone's up in arms about slush funds. I mean, Biden had $350 and a COVID fund that he appointed to the --
NAVARRO: $350?
MOYNIHAN: $350 billion. There were about $20 billion that went to climate NGOs. I mean, I'm not a fan of self-driven vehicles.
(CROSSTALK)
MOYNIHAN: I'm glad that you're outraged about a billion. I was also outraged about $400 billion.
[22:40:00]
(CROSSTALK)
SETMAYER: Okay, Biden's not president anymore. Justify this. Let's stay on topic. Justify this. You're okay with this? You think this is an honorable use of taxpayer dollars?
MOYNIHAN: So look, think --
(CROSSTALK)
SETMAYER: Yes or no?
MOYNIHAN: I don't answer to you.
SETMAYER: I think you can answer to the American people. Go ahead. I'm asking you a simple question.
UNKNOWN: That's a no.
SETMAYER: You have millions of people watching right now. Answer to them. You think this is honorable?
MOYNIHAN: I do not --
NAVARRO: Crickets.
(CROSSTALK)
SIDNER: You can't say yes or no. It's crazy.
SIDNER: Lydia, answer the question. What do you think? Is this the thing to do? Is this honorable?
MOYNIHAN: I think it's important to acknowledge the lawfare that Trump and hundreds of people experienced under the last administration. Staffers, people who were blacklisted. Trump spent tens of millions of -- so the is a serious issue and I think it makes sense that there would be some sort of restitution given that lawfare this ruined people's lives. I am not sure that this is the best vehicle to make that happen.
NAVARRO: Oh, for the love of God. Do we all agree that we are against the slush fund in Congress that pays out taxpayer money to people who make claims on sexual assault, sexual harassment --and we have no transparency. We don't know who it goes to, right?
RIGGLEMAN: That is horrific.
NAVARRO: Okay, it is horrific.
SIDNER: But that's not --
NAVARRO: It is also equally horrific that there will be no transparency to this alleged fund that it is being done unconstitutionally because Congress has the power of the purse that it has given Donald Trump a carte blanche to do whatever and his family was saying to do whatever the hell he wants and that is being negotiated by his personal lawyer, where this personal lawyer who is now the acting secretary -- attorney general. It is disgusting.
(CROSSTALK)
UNKNOWN: Here's what it is.
NAVARRO: At a time when Americans can't afford shit (ph). SETMAYER: And let's not act like it's not about January 6th. Trump
said it today. He's been claiming that the January 6th insurrectionists who he pardoned on day one, which is also a disgrace --
NAVARRO: All of them -- 1600.
SETMAYER: That's right. The ones who --
NAVARRO: Not case by case.
SETMAYER: That's correct.
NAVARRO: Not case by case. All of them.
(CROSSTALK)
SETMAYER: And that he said it was about them. They were treated so poorly and all of that. Good luck, Republicans, trying to justify that when you have the families of hundreds of officers and officers like Harry Dunn and Gonell, and Fanone, and Daniel Hodges who have stood up and lost their careers to stand up to say what they went through that day and what the American people saw, and they're trying to rewrite history.
This is an affront to every law enforcement officer who put themselves between those traitorous bastards (ph) on that day and our democracy to protect it, that Donald Trump and the people who support him, and the Todd Blanchers of the world would actually try to say this is some kind of patriotic thing using a number like 1776 to give reparations or retribution to repay those people for those bad acts.
RIGGLEMAN: So, that's exactly what it was.
SETMAYER: Outrageous.
RIGGLEMAN: This is what it is. This is just a QAnon based on election theory going to people that he's pardoned. You have 1600 people. You have federal privacy laws where you can't even track who gets the money. So where's it going to go? How are they going to use the money? For law fare themselves? Are they going to use it for weapons? What are they going to do? I saw the charging documents. I saw the sentencing guidelines. I saw all the data. I saw the phone records. I saw the text messages.
SIDNER: I sat in some of the trials.
RIGGLEMAN: Right, it was my team that did that, right? And what I saw was absolutely egregious. It was a coup attempt that day. If you look at what the people were talking on chatter and what they were saying, right? And the people that actually wanted to overthrow that election. I saw the data. I was there. And what this is, it's an affront to the American people. It's an affront to the justice system. And I'll be goddanged (ph). Whoop, mom said something really bad. I think Harry Dunn and Mike Fanone should be putting in for this fight.
SETMAYER: I do, too.
RIGGLEMAN: It's actually going into all the freaking law enforcement and United States Capitol police should be the ones actually getting the money from this if they going to use taxpayer money.
SETMAYER: They couldn't get a plaque for that. The Republicans wouldn't put the plaque to honor those officers that day in the Capitol to acknowledge what happened on January 6th. And yet now they're going to put up a reparations fund to the people who perpetrated that, to the people who wiped feces on the hallowed walls of the Capitol, of those people. Like, it's outrageous.
The Oath Keepers, people who are convicted of seditious conspiracy, people who are convicted in a court of law by our peers here in a court of law are going to be entitled to millions of dollars. It's bad enough that Ashley Babbitt, it got $5 million in her family. Her family got $5 million.
People like Michael Flynn got a million twenty five. I mean, this is outrageous. Donald Trump is using American taxpayer dollars to enrich himself and his MAGA buddies. The American people need to understand what is happening here and that we need to keep reminding them that it is our dollars.
NAVARRO: If Hakeem Jeffries becomes Speaker of the House, that plaque is going up.
SETMAYER: Well, it's up, but now it's in a hallway somewhere else. The fact that they took them, that's all they asked. They put their lives on the line. And now people who perpetrated that are actually going to be entitled to millions of dollars. I want the Republicans, every single Republican in Congress who's elected, go out there and defend that. Democrats, for the love of God, if you do not make this an election issue in your districts, it is crazy.
(CROSSTALK)
NAVARRO: You know, what is astounding to me is that they close election.
(CROSSTALK)
SIDNER: We're going to leave it there. Last word.
NAVARRO: Donald Trump is doing these kind of tone deaf things and --
[22:45:01]
SETMAYER: Oh, because he doesn't care.
NAVARRO: He doesn't even care.
SETMAYER: No.
UNKNOWN: It's because it's gone, '26, it's gone. SIDNER: We will see what happens in these upcoming elections, as well. The President went into granular (ph) detail however today about one of his key issues that ballroom construction of people on a tour. We'll talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:49:57]
SIDNER: Tonight, as the Senate grapples with using taxpayer money for Donald Trump's ballroom, he decided to give America a tour of the construction.
[22:50:05]
And while he was speaking, look at the news headlines on major outlets at the same time. Oil inventories are depleting rapidly due to the war. Speaking of Iran, new concerns about how the Pentagon will replenish weapons. The 30-year Treasury yield hit its highest since before the financial crisis. Raising health care costs may force millions to lose ACA coverage.
The administration is defending taxpayer slash fund to pay office allies. The WHO was sounding the alarm on an Ebola outbreak. So, the obvious point with so much going on, do Americans really want to hear about the ballroom? Ana?
NAVARRO: I don't know what to tell you. I mean, he's like a crazy grandpa, right? Who, you know, how like, grandpa show you pictures of the grandchildren? He shows you pictures of his ballroom. And again, it goes back to the tone deafness, right? This is happening at a time when Americans can't afford health care, can't afford groceries, can't afford gas. Farmers are going bankrupt. But let's talk about my slush front in the DOJ. Let's talk about my $15 million to repaint the reflecting pool Mar-a-Lago blue.
(CROSSTALK)
MOYNIHAN: Something else that we could talk --
NAVARRO: Let' talk about -- I'm not done yet. Let's talk about -- I'm not done yet. Let talk about the $1.5 billion for the ballroom that started at $200 million. I think it's disgusting to regular Americans who are having a hard time feeding their families and making ends meet.
SIDNER: But how do you explain the fact that when you look at Donald Trump putting up all these candidates against incumbents, people are voting for them in the primaries? And yet there's this poll number for the President that is what 35, 36, 37 percent?
RIGGLEMAN: Primaries aren't the general.
SIDNER: That's right.
RIGGLEMAN: That simple. Yes, primaries aren't the general and he's going to keep 35 percent of his base no matter what. And if you look at primaries, he's still going to have 80 percent, you know, favorability ratings, right? And if you're looking at a district with PBIs like Kentucky, what is it? God, it's got to be R plus 20. That's what's going to happen.
And as far as the ballroom, if it's a lightning round, have you ever seen "Naked Gun" with Leslie Nielsen in the front saying there's nothing to see here, why there's a fireworks factory going off behind them. I feel like that it's that right now, because right now with the polling with what's going on at the economy and things like that, it's so ludicrous for him to be talking about a ballroom sounded unhinged like mentally unhinged. But that's what I feel like with the ballroom.
TARA SETMAYER, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, THE SENECA PROJECT: You know, really quick to Ana's point about it's crazy grandpa, I mean, obviously there's concerns the man is clearly unwell. But a grandpa shows pictures of his grandkids because he loves them and that's a priority for him. Donald Trump is in love with his freaking gilded ballroom while the American people are struggling. The world is on fire, literally, and Donald Trump's freaking priority is a gilded ballroom. The people are on food bank lines because snap cuts have happened. Veterans aren't getting their benefits.
MOYNIHAN: Let's be clear. I know that we haven't talked about this at all
(CROSSTALK)
SETMAYER: I'm sorry. You don't like to hear what's actually happening in America that Donald Trump is not paying attention to.
(CROSSTALK)
SETMAYER: No, I was speaking when you interrupted me. And we have Donald Trump just told us last week that he doesn't care about people's financial situations. So, his priority is the ballroom, his vanity projects, and robbing the American people blind and enriching himself and his family. And this is the perfect opportunity for the messaging in the midterms to show what the priority is of the Republican Party who supports this.
Because apparently it's ordained by God, Denver, right? That the ballroom is somehow ordained by God. This is Donald Trump's priority while the American people are struggling, and that is a terrible message. The "let them eat cake" type of message. Good luck with that.
SIDNER: Lydia? Is it a "let them eat cake" type of message?
MOYNIHAN: Well, what we haven't discussed at all tonight in the last 24 hours, for instance, is the fact that Trump unveiled a new prescription program, 600 medications are now generic and cheaper for Americans. He's partnering with --
(CROSSTALK)
MOYNIHAN: -- Mark Cuban. He's making medication more affordable. I know that's one criticism. But that's something that he did. Hasn't gotten a lot of coverage also in the last day.
NAVARRO: Because Trump's talking about his ballroom.
MOYNIHAN: Let me talk. Can I, can I speak? Thank you. Thank you. J.D. Vance talked about how he has found billions in fraud in Medicare and Medicaid that they are clawing back. That's savings for the taxpayer. And I'd like to note with the ballroom, guess what? Trump can do more than one thing at the same time. And this isn't like he's funneling the money tomorrow, a lot going to build the ballroom.
This is something that future presidents will be able to have, be able to use and be able to entertain world leaders at. It's significant and symbolic, but again, this is a man who can do a lot of things at the same time. He can lower the cost of prescription drugs. He can claw back money from fraud and he can build a ballroom.
NAVARRO: Yes, he can steal, grift and then meme at the end, send memes out in the middle of the night.
SETMAYER: Exactly.
SIDNER: We're going to leave it there. We will be right back with a new CNN projection.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:59:26]
SIDNER: We've got some breaking news to leave you with. CNN projects Keisha Lance Bottoms will be the Democratic nominee to be Georgia's next governor. The former Atlanta mayor and Biden White House official beat out the Cobb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former state Senator Jason Estevez and former Republican Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, who is running as a Democrat. She earned more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. She will face the Republican candidate who has to win their runoff.
[23:00:00]
If elected in November, Lance Bottoms will be the first woman and first African American ever to lead the state. Thank you so much for watching "NewsNight" tonight. You can stream the show anytime with an all access subscription in the CNN app or at CNN.com/watch. "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.
