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Laura Coates Live
Platner Wins Maine Dem Nomination, Will Face Sen. Collins; U.S. Strikes Iran Over Downing Of Helicopter; CNN Projects Hilton Advances To November Race; Stephen A. Smith And Trump Feud Over Knicks Loss. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired June 09, 2026 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
ADAM MOCKLER, COMMENTATOR, MEIDASTOUCH NETWORK: We are going to see Obama's faces on the building. It's going to be amazing.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: L.Z.
LZ GRANDERSON, OP-ED COLUMNIST FOR LOS ANGELES TIMES, PODCAST HOST, VISITING SCHOLAR AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY: I'm a sports fan. I want to see Aaron Donald come out of retirement, play alongside Myles Garrett for the L.A. Rams.
PHILLIP: All right.
SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR, FORMER DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: I want to see the Spice Girls come back there, my favorite girl group. They're still the best one. So, I want to see the Spice Girls come back.
GRANDERSON: Is that what you want? Is that what you really want?
SINGH: That's what I really want.
(LAUGHTER)
T.W. ARRIGHI, VICE PRESIDENT OF PUSH DIGITAL GROUP, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS AIDE TO LINDSEY GRAHAM AND MIKE POMPEO: Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr. I want to see him come back and lead the 2028 Olympic flag football team for America added to a sixth race.
PHILLIP: All right, everybody, thank you very much. Thanks for watching "NewsNight." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good evening, everyone. I'm Laura Coates on this busy election night in America where all eyes are now fixated on Maine in a showdown that could decide control of the Senate. Democrats have officially picked scandal-plagued Graham Platner as their nominee. He is the progressive oyster farmer and combat veteran, a political newcomer who has made some Democrats uneasy over his past personal controversies, and he addressed some of those controversies in his speech tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GRAHAM PLATNER, MAINE SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Redemption is not just some simple or easy destination. It's a journey. I've made mistakes in my life, mistakes that I regret, that I live with, and that I continue to learn from. And I'm still far from perfect. But every day, I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little bit kinder than I was the day before. And if you give me the chance, I will be a senator for the people who cannot afford to buy a senator.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Platner will take on Republican Senator Susan Collins in November. Republicans need her in order to keep her seat, to have a chance at keeping control of the Senate. But tonight was not really about whether Platner would win his primary. Democrats are watching how he wins. His most high-profile challenger, Governor Janet Mills, suspended her Senate campaign in April. But her name, it was still on the ballot. And votes for her, they still count. So, the number of votes Mills pulls could be a warning sign for Platner, a sign that some Democrats aren't sold on their nominee, even in a race they badly want to win. Well, right now, he's at about 71 percent with about 44 percent of the vote in.
A team of political analysts are here with me at the table for the hour to go through all of it. But first, I want to go to Alex Seitz- Wald in Camden, Maine. He is one of the top political reporters in Maine, covering this election as deputy editor of the Midcoast Villager. Alex, so good to see you. I mean, look, 44 percent of the votes in. Platner got 71 percent. The math is obviously mathing, but what does that signal, so far?
ALEX SEITZ-WALD, DEPUTY EDITOR, MIDCOAST VILLAGER: Well, I think if Platner finishes the night around 72 percent, he's got to be feeling pretty good with that. Also, the gubernatorial candidate that he supported, Troy Jackson, has been overperforming, and I think he's got to feel pretty good about that. That said, you know, that 20 percent of Janet Mills supporters, if you're voting for Janet Mills at this point, that is a protest vote. And I talked to a lot of Democrats who said they were going to rank Janet Mills as a protest vote.
So, I think it would make sense for him to concentrate a lot of his efforts between now and November on that segment of Democratic primary voters to make sure they stay inside the party and don't vote for Susan Collins because she does have this track record of being able to peel off Democratic voters, and that's how she wins re-election, you know, time and time again. And I think his speech tonight was an attempt to move in that direction, to shift the focus from him to Collins and to remind Democrats and Mainers why so many of them have wanted to replace her for so long.
COATES: Just to be specific, they're protesting the scandal or something else?
SEITZ-WALD: Yeah, they're protesting the scandals, the questions about Graham Platner. They just don't feel good about Graham Platner. And I've talked to a lot of Democratic voters who said they've -- especially women who feel they are in this difficult situation. As one voter put it to us, I feel sickened that I have to vote for him. So, most of them will vote for him, but they don't love that, they feel compelled to.
COATES: CNN's Arlette Saenz caught up with voters at the polls earlier today. Here's what some Democrats had to say about Platner and also Janet Mills. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN LEAVIS, MAIN DEMOCRAT: I supported Janet Mills even though I know she dropped out of the race.
[23:04:58]
I couldn't, honestly, support Platner even though some of the things that he says are really good.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Why did you think she was the only viable candidate in this race?
ANGELA WHEATON, MAINE DEMOCRAT: Because we don't want a Democratic Trump in that office for our state
ZACK, MAINE DEMOCRAT: In my opinion, everyone has a little bit of like baggage. And it seems like he's for what he really stands for. It seems like he's really trying to make a difference in Maine. I was OK with voting for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, what do you think? I mean, given the variety of answers, obviously, this just a small group of people, but can the Platner campaign succeed in November ultimately against Susan Collins without the Democrats who did not vote for him today or may continue not to feel like they can?
SEITZ-WALD: It would be very difficult, too. He would have to find a lot of voters that have not previously come out. Maine is one of the highest turnout states in the country. So, there's not a lot of extra juice to squeeze, so to speak, in bringing new voters to the polls. So, I do think he really needs to concentrate on bringing those voters back into the polls.
Look, a lot of people look at Maine, and they know it's a blue state. They see that it hasn't voted for a Republican president since 1988. And they assume Susan Collins will be easy to beat. But that's just not the case. She's one of the last politicians in America who can every single time win over split-ticket voters. She did it in 2008, she did it in 2014, and she did it in 2020 when she won by nine- percentage points against a non-controversial, well-qualified Democrat who outspent her two to one.
So, any Democrat is going to have their work cut out for them against Susan Collins. And the types of voters that really make the difference for her are older, educated women, moderates, and that's who, I think, Platner is going to have to be focusing on between now and November.
COATES: Really insightful. Alex Seitz-Wald, thank you so much. Joining me now at the table, an all-star panel of campaign veterans, CNN political commentators, Brad Todd, Karen Finney, and Xochitl Hinojosa, whose sister is running as a Democrat for governor of Texas, and CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings as well.
I mean, Karen, let me begin with you because that was a really important note in terms of the track record of success for Susan Collins in Maine, even against a non-controversial Democratic candidate. Given where we are right now in terms of Platner's controversies, yet the voters don't take issue with them fully, is this a cakewalk for a Democrat or Susan Collins?
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO HILLARY CLINTON: Oh, nothing is a cakewalk for Democrats. I'm going to say that every day of Election Day and hope my Democrats are listening. Look, I think what Alex was just talking about is part of why Susan Collins has had such staying power. However, what we've seen in the last couple of years, independent of how you feel about the Democrats in the race, she has been underwater in the polling and people have been angry with her.
I remember very clearly when she voted against the Women's Health Protection Act, which was seen as one of the best chances to protect women after the fall of Roe v. Wade. People in her state were furious, and her numbers started tanking then. So, the fact that she has -- she's not, you know, a monster, which is the Republican talking point. Democrats are not saying that. But she is vulnerable, and that is why this race was seen as a potential pickup this time around.
COATES: The establishment has been under a microscope and under attack, the incumbents, in variety of ways. I mean, listen to what Platner had to say to the so-called political establishment tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLATNER: Now, the national pundits, the political establishment, they keep looking for that one story, that one headline, that one moment in my life that they can define the campaign by. But in trying so hard to understand me, they failed to understand that this is not about me at all, this is a movement about us.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Why are you chuckling, Scott?
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, SALEM RADIO HOST: Because when you're as damaged as this guy, I guess I would also say it's not really about me because if it is about him, they're in real trouble. It sorts of makes me laugh. They're looking for one story. They were looking for one, and they found like 20. Let's just start with the tattoo. Democrats have spent 10 years here and everywhere else, calling every Republican from Donald Trump on down a Nazi, a Nazi sympathizer, and a fascist. And tonight, the Democratic Party sent a message. You know what? Nazi tattoo, perfectly fine with us. That is what they are now saddled with.
The campaign is about him. There is not one story. There is a troubling list of behavioral issues on this guy. His entire narrative is a lie. They're not going to be able to take the focus off of Graham Platner.
FINNEY: But Donald Trump is exactly the same. And somehow, he seems to win. And -- hold on.
BRAD TODD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: But on the -- Graham Platner is on the ballot.
FINNEY: But on the tattoo, though, the difference between he and Donald Trump is --
JENNINGS: Is that he has tattoo and Trump doesn't?
(LAUGHTER)
FINNEY: -- Trump is perfectly happy welcoming Nazis up to the White House.
[23:10:00]
JENNINGS: Oh, come on, Karen.
FINNEY: That being said, Graham Platner -- I think Platner's problem, too, and I've talked about this before, he has talked about the tattoo. He has tried to say, look, this is what my life was like as a 20 something in the infantry. This is what I learned.
COATES: Well, he says he didn't know that it was --
TODD: Until after it was a problem in his campaign.
FINNEY: Hold on. In the longer interview, when he said that, he talked a lot about what that culture was like. What I think the problem that he had, I think it's why there were a lot of women behind him tonight, the problem was --
JENNINGS: You think they were behind him, not in front of him.
(LAUGHTER)
FINNEY: -- he didn't have that -- well, you could say that. Let's ask E. Jean Carroll, how she feels about being anywhere in the dark space --
COATES: I want you to finish your point because it's interesting.
FINNEY: So -- OK. So, I think the challenge that Platner has had is the way he responded when this text information, this information that came out, was very different. That sort of, I'm going to sit down, I'm going to tell you my story, I'm going tell you, that just fell off brand. And now, it appears that the voters of Maine are OK with it. They've made their peace with it. But we'll see if that --
TODD: It's Democratic primary voters.
COATES: I want to ask this question. I want to hear your point. But one of the things he talked about, it's not -- this is not about me, it's about them, it's a movement. That did harken back to some of the statements that Donald Trump said in the campaign as he talked about they're not really against -- after me, they're after you, I'm standing in the way and in between. There was some reminiscence comment that I think he was drawing a parallel to, whether he meant to or not. Will that work here?
TODD: Oh, I think part of what is attractive about Graham Platner to Democrats is that every Republicans say he's awful. And I think Democrats are attracted to the badness. They want a mercenary who they can send to Washington, who will use no morals, no scruples, no anything. I think that's part of the appeal. But, you know, tonight, Graham Platner --
COATES: Wait. Hold on. Is that because you think -- is that because you think Democrats have been accused for so long of playing checkers while others have been playing chess, and now Democrat voters want somebody to meet the moral high ground?
TODD: Yes. I think -- I think that Sara Gideon was the opposite. Sara Gideon was an establishment Democrat who lost to Susan Collins in 2020, who was a state legislator, who played by the rules. They want the opposite of that this time. So, badness is part of his attraction to them. But tonight was just Democratic primary voters. Karen says Maine has made peace with it. Only Maine Democrats have.
FINNEY: I said the voters made peace with that.
TODD: Maine Democratic voters.
FINNEY: OK. They voted tonight.
TODD: But Maine -- but here's the thing. Maine has -- 34 percent of its voters are registered Democrats, 30 are Republicans. That means you can't win without half the independents effectively. Tonight said nothing about that.
And Susan Collins has a great appeal to Maine independents. She voted against the Affordable Care Act under Barack Obama. She voted for Barack Obama's stimulus bill. She voted for Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor. She voted against repealing the ACA. She is the most independent -- she is the most independent senator of both parties.
XOCHITL HINOJOSA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR FOR DNC: Well -- but what I'll say about this is that what it seems have happened is there's something about Graham Platner and what he said tonight. That's right. I mean, there is a lot of talk about what has happened. And I disagree with his actions. I do not think that the party should be defending him. But it seems like the people of Maine are potentially on a road to electing him. And it is national pundits and others that have been talking about the allegations instead of affordability, which I think is a big problem for Democrats because that's what we should be talking about, lowering prices for Americans instead of his New York Times allegations.
But I think that the reason why he is doing well in the state and will probably continue to do well is there's this anti-incumbent sentiment that is happening right now. People don't want more of the same. They don't want Susan Collins anymore. Now, they might not love Graham -- they might not love Platner here, but they're willing to vote for him to take a chance. And I will say Democratic Party is very different than the Republican Party. Democratic Party, many people have come out to speak out against Graham Platner and to talk about how the allegations are terrible.
And you know what? I hope we don't see anything else on him. And if we continue to see, I don't think that Democrats should be pouring money in Maine. I think they should be pouring money in places like Iowa and Texas and other places that we can win. But the difference between the Democratic Party and Republican Party is that the Republican Party, no matter what, will still stand by people like Ken Paxton, who is deeply flawed, like Donald Trump. All of these people, they will hold their nose, and they will support them and pour money in versus Democrats who will not do that.
COATES: Are saying distinction -- hold on a second. Are you saying -- excuse me, one second. Are you saying, because I think some people might interpret what you said as a distinction without a difference, that both are holding their nose and compartmentalizing behavior and that Democrats are different from Republicans for doing just that? Is your point that they are reacting to what Republicans have done and now they are playing a different game or do you think it is qualitatively different?
HINOJOSA: Well, I do think that there have been some Democrats that have spoken out against Platner. And I -- if something else comes out, I will say that I do not see a lot of people in the party supporting him and sending money --
COATES: Let me -- let me play a Super PAC. Let me play a PAC. I want your response to this, both of you, please. A Super PAC supporting Senator Susan Collins released a new ad. Surprise, surprise. And guess who features prominently? Watch.
[23:15:01]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Graham Platner blamed women for getting raped. Who says something like that?
UNKNOWN: Platner said women should take some responsibility for themselves and not get so effed up they wind up having sex with someone they don't mean to. What's wrong with this guy?
UNKNOWN: Platner said to avoid rape, women should act like an adult for eff sake. He's an awful person.
UNKNOWN: Graham Platner is dangerous.
UNKNOWN: I would never vote for Graham Platner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Meanwhile, Platner is calling Susan Collins spineless and corrupt, going after a record, and that she is only bipartisan when it doesn't matter. Obviously, we've got an ugly Senate race ahead.
JENNINGS: You know, Xochitl, you said something that I think actually is the next thing here. What if something else comes out? There are all sorts of discussion behind the scenes here in politics in Washington. We're just at the tip of the iceberg on Graham Platner. We haven't even touched on the fact that he had an account on this Kick platform, which is basically known as a child sex exploitation platform out there. That has not been explained.
COATES: Wait. Hold on. He has not been accused of child sexual assault, exploitation or anything like that.
JENNINGS: I'm just saying --
COATES: I know. But the intimation, you say, I'm just saying, suggests that he is on a site where he is --
JENNINGS: He was on a site.
COATES: I'm telling you, there's no allegation in that realm, but finish your point.
JENNINGS: My point is you got that laying out there. There are other women that we haven't heard from yet, that apparently "The New York Times" refused to talk. They're going to talk, I assume, at some point. There is more. And right now, you've got Democrats going out on a limb, and Graham Platner and his background is the one holding the saw. I wouldn't be out on that limb too much if --
TODD: You know, Graham Platner was reckless before these allegations. He said last summer that if you disagreed with elected officials, you should not let them dine in peace in public. So, reckless people do reckless things. We'll find out more.
COATES: The big question of everyone out there. I thought the tip of the iceberg didn't really matter when you had others who were doing a lot. We'll see if the voters think so. Stand by, everyone. The panel will be with me for the hour. I almost said four more hours. No, they are not.
(LAUGHTER)
But they'll be answering your questions and comments a little later on. Send them to us at cnn.com/asklaura. You can text us, 818-972- 7272. Just make sure you include a first name, your city or state. The number again is on your screen, 818-972-7272.
But first, we've got the breaking news out of Iran. Trump ordering a retaliatory strike after he says Iran downed a U.S. helicopter. Did the elusive Iran deal just even get harder? And later, our question for tonight, are Republicans still claiming the election is rigged now that Steve Hilton has made it to the November runoff in California's governor's race? The panel takes it on, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Breaking tonight, U.S. Central Command says the military has now completed a fresh round of strikes against Iran, targeting sites near the Strait of Hormuz. The president says the strikes were in response to Iran downing a U.S. Apache helicopter. He is telling ABC News tonight, I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is. A U.S. official says the strikes were meant as a warning shot to Iran, and they will not impede negotiations to end the war.
But Iran is responding, launching drone attacks toward U.S. targets in the region. Their foreign minister says, our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered.
Scott Jennings and Xochitl Hinojosa are back, also retired rear admiral, Mark Montgomery, and lead global security analyst from Washington Post Intelligence, Josh Rogin. OK, a lot to unpack. Admiral, I want to begin with you because I wonder if you're worried that this conflict may be escalating to a new level we have not yet seen.
MARK MONTGOMERY, RETIRED REAR ADMIRAL, U.S. NAVY: So, I think the president is trying hard not to let that happen. He's trying to keep a lid on it by saying out loud proportionate responses. I think he's probably trimming the CENTCOM strike packages to -- they're more aggressive than last week when the weapons missed. You know, they fired at a number of ships, nothing hit. We did a proportionate response against radars.
I think when we look at battle damage tomorrow, we'll see radars, plus missile sites, plus stowage, plus some command and control, but still all about the maritime targets in the Bandar Abbas-Strait of Hormuz area. In other words, proportionate in target selection, if not numbers, with the idea of trying to keep a lid so he can move forward with what he hopes is an opportunity for a deal, which may or may not be realistic.
COATES: I mean, you have to wonder whether this is going to impact -- I mean, how could it not impact at least the conversations about negotiation? But here is the vice president on a timeline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: How soon? Could the deal happen before the midterm elections?
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Oh, absolutely. You know, I think we're going to know a lot before the midterm elections. Look, I think that the deal could happen in the next week, but the deal could also happen months from now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: OK. Well, here's what the president has had to say about this as well. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They're begging to make a deal.
I think they want to make a deal very badly.
Iran is dying to make a deal.
We're going to end that war very quickly. They want to make a deal so badly.
We're close to a very good deal.
We're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, we've heard from Trump more than like 38 times. It's just around the corner. You heard Vice President J.D. Vance say something different. Which one has the moralistic timeline based on your reporting?
JOSH ROGIN, LEAD GLOBAL SECURITY ANALYST, THE WASHINGTON POST: None of the timelines offered are realistic because none of them match the facts that we're seeing on the ground. In the last week, we saw the Iranians attacked northern Israel with ballistic missiles. They bombed the Kuwaiti airport. They just attacked Bahrain. They shot a U.S. helicopter out of the sky.
And Trump's response is, no big deal. He didn't want to respond. He didn't want Israel to respond.
[23:25:00]
He said the Kuwaiti attack was no big deal. He didn't want to respond to the helicopter attack either until he was convinced, reportedly, by his generals today to do this limited attack. So, Trump's message is don't believe your eyes, everything is fine, we're very close. That's obviously not true.
And what Vance offered is a slightly more honest picture, which is that this could take several months. The problem is that Vance doesn't seem to think that's a bad thing. He doesn't seem to realize that Americans are suffering, our allies are getting bombed, our alliances are getting weakened, and the war is dragging our economy into an abyss.
And just to say it could take a couple of days or a week or several months is completely unacceptable answer to the American people after they entered a war with no justification, no legal explanation, no strategy, and no realistic plan for getting us out of this thing.
COATES: Is Vance's message the stronger one for the American public, more well received or -- I mean, is that not even the question?
JENNINGS: Well, I think the president has been asked questions about politics in the middle of this, and he has been pretty honest. He said, I'm not going to let politics interrupt what I think I'm doing for the purpose of national security. That's a pretty honest answer. I think it's actually the correct one that you want out of a commander- in-chief.
What Vance is saying there, I think, is basically true. You could get something now. It could take a long time. The third option, of course, is you never get anything.
And in conversations that I've had with senior administration officials, they've always -- even though -- even in the calls where they've been projecting some optimism, they've always said, look, you know, it's possible this all falls apart.
To Josh's point, I mean, we have seen a lot of provocations from the Iranians lately. I think the president has shown some restraint. I'm glad we struck back today. I mean, truthfully, this afternoon, I didn't want a proportionate response. I wanted a disproportionate response because you can't let the enemy, you know, attack American troops in theater like this and let them feel like that they can do this with the community.
ROGIN: I think --
COATES: I want to ask -- I want to hear from you as well. But Admiral, I mean, the idea of a disproportionate response, talk to me about the evaluation thought process in that, number one. But also, if Iran is able to retaliate, does that undercut Trump's claim that the military in Iran has been destroyed?
MONTGOMERY: So, first of all, disproportionate response, that would be attacking like economic targets. Wat the Israelis did the other night when they hit a petrochemical plant, you know, attacking gas fields, things like that. But if you do that, it is going to go into a full- scale war pretty quickly because they will -- they probably still -- even if the president is right, they only have 20 percent of their ballistic missiles left, which I tend to believe him more than the 80 percent that you might hear, 20 percent of 3,000 is about 600, 700. That's a lot of ballistic missiles they can still fire.
And they probably won't waste them on Israel anymore since Israel is shooting them down. They'll put them in the Jordan, into Saudi Arabia, into UAE, Qatar and Kuwait.
ROGIN: Yeah. I just think it's bizarre to say that the president is being honest when you just played that whole clip of him saying several times, 37 times, that we were days away from a deal. Obviously, that wasn't true. Obviously, it's not true. Obviously, he's not being honest with the American people about that.
And let's look at the other things that he's saying. He's saying that they -- we've completely decimated their military, that they're about to give up all of the nuclear dust, that they're -- that they really want a deal. None of those things are true. And that's the gaslighting that we're getting from the president. War is peace. It's about as clear as Orwell would have described.
HINOJOSA: Well, to that point, I think the American people are losing -- they don't really trust the president at this point. They can't take his word. He believed that -- he said at the beginning this would only take a few weeks. You're right, we might not get anything out of this. And from everything that we can tell, there was no clear plan to get out of this in the first place. And I think the American people are starting to see that.
If we head into the midterm election and there is no deal, people are going to be hurting regardless past the midterm election, maybe well into next year. And Trump has nothing to show for it. This is not only a big problem for his party, for Congress, this is a problem for Donald Trump's presidency. And he will -- he is about to become the lame duck president moving forward.
COATES: More ahead. Admiral Montgomery and Josh, thank you both so much. Scott and Xochitl, stick around because up next, remember when Trump said they're cheating the vote count in California? Republican Steve Hilton just advanced in November. So, what's the excuse now? Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN A. SMITH, TELEVISION PERSONALITY, RADIO HOST, SPORTS ANALYST, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, ACTOR: They disrupt the momentum that they had built just because you want to attend the game. I call it narcissistic and selfish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Stephen A. Smith digging in on blaming the Knicks' loss on Trump. The president now firing back with some insults. Stephen A. will be with us tonight to respond.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: More election results tonight in California. The governor's race is now set. Republican Steve Hilton is advancing to the general election to face Democrat and former health secretary, Xavier Becerra. Hilton is a former Fox News host who has been endorsed by the president. Both men are vying to replace outgoing governor, Gavin Newsom.
My panel is back with me now. Xochitl, I mean, Hilton believes that he has a chance because of frustration that Californians have against Democratic candidates. But he has also been endorsed by Trump. So, which is going to be prioritized by voters?
HINOJOSA: He doesn't have a chance.
COATES: He doesn't, you think?
HINOJOSA: He does not have a chance. I -- listen, California is a blue state. It is one with a very heavy Latino population.
[23:35:00]
That is one of the reasons why we have Becerra, who ran for governor and won in a very, very crowded ticket, because they carry a lot of the vote in the state.
And so, I do think that this is now a choice election. This is an election. This is not an election between two Democrats. It's between a Democrat and a Republican in a blue state. And it'll be the choice between Xavier Becerra, who has been in Congress and delivered for his constituents, versus Hilton, who has not done that and has been endorsed by Trump. And those -- and now, this race and Xavier Becerra will make clear the choice between the two.
COATES: Isn't there a third-party issue, though? The third party being a figurative one, and that is claims of election fraud that now the voters have to contend with? I mean, is that going to impact Republicans who are being told by their president that this is fraudulent? Oh, except for Hilton.
HINOJOSA: Hilton doesn't think that.
(LAUGHTER)
TODD: Well, let's be -- let's -- surely, we could all agree that California's system is crazy. The fact that in a modern country, it takes two weeks to count the ballots. I'm from Tennessee. Sixty percent of our votes early. We count them all on Election Day. They
get them all done.
And so, it is possible. I don't know what it is with California Civil Service Union that stops them from doing this. But it undermines confidence in the electorate. I mean, people need to be able to see the election results in a very timely manner. California State employees just refuse to let it happen.
COATES: But is that confidence internal or external? I mean, I hear it from non-Californians.
FINNEY: I was going to say, having grown up in California, Californians are weird. So, like, you're trying to apply a standard that doesn't apply. I mean, come on.
COATES: You said it, not us.
FINNEY: I said it. I'm happy to say it. I mean, I went to Berkeley High School. Weird. Look, I think, I mean, to Californians, they've just accepted this is how it goes. And I, with the understanding that, of course, the rest of the country sort of flips out, I agree with Xochitl. It is a blue state. And now that the choice is between a Republican and a Democrat, it is much better for Xavier Becerra. Who else was a former attorney general who did a really -- who did an excellent job in California?
I think the challenge, though, he is going to have to make the case particularly because he's running against someone who will be well funded. He's going to have to raise the dollars and make a strong case for what is he going to do to move California forward from where they are now. You don't have to attack the current governor to do that. But people in this environment where people want something different, even if you are in the same party, you better have something new to say.
COATES: What is the strategy for Hilton going forward, knowing that, as Xochitl has pointed out, a Trump endorsement may very well be a liability statewide?
JENNINGS: Well, I mean, the strategy is obviously to ask the correct question, which is, are you going to continue to vote for running this beautiful place into the absolute ground? I mean, California is a disaster. Cost of living is a disaster out there. It's more for everything because of the state's policies. Education system is a disaster. Thing after thing after thing is a disaster.
Democrats have nominated Becerra. A really smart Democratic operative told me a couple of weeks ago, probably the weakest link in the Biden cabinet. And -- oh, she's sitting right here.
(LAUGHTER)
And so, I mean, honestly --
COATES: She's trying to giggle away that statement. We have a meteor (ph) right now, Xochitl?
HINOJOSA: I'll address it (ph).
JENNINGS: Look, I mean, the Democrats have nominated someone to replace their worst governor, someone who was the worst cabinet member in the worst Democrat presidential administration in modern history. This is not a recipe for like positive outcomes.
HINOJOSA: So, I will say -- so, I will say that -- I mean, the entire Democratic or the entire ticket, I think people were very underwhelmed by it. And I do think that Xavier Becerra is going to have to put some really smart people in with him if he does win because this is a state that will be targeted by Trump. He needs to be fighting. And we haven't seen him do that so far. But I have hope that if he puts the right people around him, that he will be able to do that. COATES: I have people around me. We got your questions coming up later in the hour. We'll get to him as well. So, stand by, everyone. But first --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You need a high I.Q. I'm not sure that Stephen has that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: We will be back with Stephen A. Smith for blaming the Knicks' loss on his -- quote -- "selfish attendance" at MSG. Stephen A. with me next to respond.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: In less than 24 hours, the New York Knicks will take the court at Madison Square Garden for game four of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. But this time, President Trump will not be there. He was booed during the national anthem before last night's game three, which the Knicks did lose 115 to 111. Now, Trump is a lifelong Knicks fan. But other fans like Stephen A. Smith warned Trump to stay away from the garden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: If the New York Knicks lose game three, this is on Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Mr. President, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, who has talked about running for president, said he would blame you if the Knicks lost the game. How do you respond to that?
TRUMP: I think he's a nice guy. But you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high I.Q. I'm not sure that Stephen has that. I don't think he does, actually.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Well, here to respond, Stephen A Smith himself, host of "Straight Shooter" on Sirius XM and "First Take" on ESPN. Stephen A., you know, you say that you're not offended by Trump's comments, but you went in on the president today, even accused him of sleeping at the game. I know it's an accusation, much as an observation, but what do you want to tell the president tonight?
SMITH: Well, if he's not going to show up to game four, thank you very much for not being hard-headed this time and listening because you disrupted the mojo that the New York Knicks fan base was building for this team to come home to after winning games one and two in San Antonio during the NBA finals.
It has been 27 years since the New York Knicks have been to a final. It has been 32 years since they've had a chance to win a championship because there was no way in hell they were going to win a championship in 1999 against David Robinson and Tim Duncan when Patrick Ewing was out with a broken wrist.
[23:45:05]
And it was -- and obviously, it has been 53 years since they won a championship. Donald Trump was around. Donald Trump is not lying. He has been a lifelong New York Knicks fan. We saw him at the games all the time before he was running for president. All the time. He definitely is a New York Knick fan and what have you. So, he knows about the suffering, he knows what the city has gone through, and he knows the slightest thing can disrupt the momentum in the world of sports.
And to me, he should have been highly sensitive to that. Six to 7,000 people having to be removed or displaced, not allowed to have the watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden with that fervor, that momentum, that vibe that has been unseen by a New York Knicks fan base in decades. And you would get in the way of that? He should have been ashamed of himself for disrupting that and showing up to the game in game three.
And I do blame him for the loss because, as far as I'm concerned, it disrupted the momentum. I'm a New York Knicks fan. Everybody knows that. So is he. So are all of us as New Yorkers. And in the world of sports, you do get a bit superstitious at times. Whatever is working, don't disrupt it. The New York Knicks won 13 straight playoff games, too shy of a record tying the Golden State Warriors of 2017. And it got ruined the moment Donald Trump showed up. Damn right, I blame him. I said it before, and I'm saying it again.
COATES: I understand in terms of what it is like for the fans outside who could not be at the watch parties and beyond. And, of course, you've mentioned superstition. But what do you say to people who say, hold on, all the things you mentioned, he's a fan. It came down to how the Knicks performed, not how Trump was present. What do you say to those who look at that and say, hold on?
SMITH: They're obviously culpable because their on-court performance ultimately speaks volumes. But when you talk about momentum shifting, it matters when you have a rabid fan base. Go to a game back in the day when Klay Thompson and Steph Curry were playing together for the Golden State Warriors. Look at that environment inside the Oracle and tell me that didn't matter. Go to "The Heatles," which they said was the short for "The Beatles," when they talked about LeBron James, Chris Bosh, D. Wade and the crew (ph) in Miami, and look at what that environment was like and how intimidated it was for people to go up against them. It wasn't just your play, you feed off the adrenaline of a fan base. And none of that compared to the New York Knicks in New York City. Look at how people in the streets are acting when they want a playoff game. Because this is foreign to us. It's different. Walking in the Madison Square Garden. It's different, Laura. It's not what everybody -- you know, you don't find it everywhere. And when you have that kind of momentum, it has a palpable effect. It definitely can work for you. It definitely can serve to intimidate opponents.
The New York Knicks had all of that going for them, won 30 straight playoff games. Usually, when something like that is happening, you don't mess with it at all. You don't do anything different. And this man comes along, and you got to have security details, shops got to be closed, watch parties got to be canceled, all of this stuff that was going on, just because he wanted to be selfish and show up and disrupt their mojo. I'm not playing. Everybody else is joking around. I wasn't joking around. I was worried about them losing game three because he showed up. He showed up, they lost game three. See what I'm saying? That's how I feel about it.
COATES: For the Knicks, one of the stars, Jalen Brunson, was asked about whether Trump was a distraction. He said it didn't bother him. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Do you think it was like too many side noises? Was it a bit destructive for you guys?
JALEN BRUNSON, BASKETBALL PLAYER, KNICKS: Not necessarily. No matter what the narrative is or what's going on, we have to be professional and do what we need to on the court.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: I will note, he did say not necessarily, not no. How do you see that?
SMITH: Well, Laura, Laura --
COATES: Stephen.
SMITH: What is Jalen Brunson or any other players supposed to do? Well, you know what? I mean, it was a vibe out there, and the vibe wasn't there because the president showed up. So that's why I played badly, that's why I struggled. What is he supposed to do? He's supposed to admit that? I mean, the man was born at night, not last night. And I'm just being facetious because I don't know when he was born. I'm just telling you, this is what the situation is.
COATES: I got to ask you because when the president was asked about your views, he didn't really address this. He instead went to talking about your I.Q. and your -- what he called maybe a potential run for your presidency. I know you have not said that you are running for president, although many people have wondered, myself included. But what is your reaction to the president of the United States questioning your I.Q.? SMITH: He questioned it about everybody, from Maxine Waters to Hakeem Jeffries to the Megyn Kellys of the world, the Tucker Carlsons of the world. It isn't just Black folks, it's white folks, too. I get it. I understand it. It's his default position when he really has no comeback because he knows, as a New York Knick fan, he had no business being there.
[23:49:56]
But if he really, really wants to get down to the nitty gritty and really want to challenge me about my I.Q., I welcome a sit down with him, I welcome him on the debate stage.
You know, you're the president of United States. You've joked around about circumventing the 22nd Amendment and running for a third term. Well, if you can pull off those strings, particularly the pull that you've got with the FCC or anything like that, why don't you find a way to allow me to keep my money and my job at ESPN and SiriusXM and still walk on that debate stage?
I will be happy to show up against President Trump. Since you think that my I.Q. is questionable, you want to find out? Want some? Come get some. I'll show up.
COATES: Well, the only moderator that will work would be Laura Coates. Stephen A. Smith, I'll see you there. Thank you.
SMITH: Here we go. Here we go.
COATES: Here we go. A quick break, and then we're back to answer your questions with the panel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Oh, good, it's time for your questions or mine. You can always send them to us at cnn.com/asklaura or just text us, you got your phone with you, 818-972-7272.
And my panel is back. All right, Shonte (ph) from Texas asks, Scott and Brad, why can't you guys call out with the same energy the very crooked Ken Paxton?
TODD: I've said Ken Paxton's endorsement was a hundred-million-dollar mistake. I've said he's going to be a big lift. I think it was a political mistake. John Cornyn would be a (INAUDIBLE). Ken Paxton puts the Republican majority in a lot more serious trouble.
COATES: Scott?
JENNINGS: Call me when Ken Paxton is discovered with a Nazi tattoo. There is no equating in this.
FINNEY: Oh, Scott (ph) --
JENNINGS: There is no equating. The man had a literal Nazi tattoo.
FINNEY: He is corrupt.
JENNINGS: Literal Nazi tattoo.
FINNEY: Paxton is corrupt. OK, how about --
JENNINGS: How is this not disqualifying on its face?
COATES: All right, well, Shonte (ph), you just triggered something.
(LAUGHTER)
One viewer from Ohio asked this question. How can Dems point the finger at Trump's immoral behavior and then elect a candidate like Platner? Two wrongs don't make a right. Karen?
FINNEY: You know, again, I think what we're seeing is the primary voters of, my correction, of Maine are the ones who are making this decision. I would venture to guess that there are some who did not vote for Trump who will not vote for Platner.
COATES: Henry from L.A. asked this about Graham Platner. Why not fight fire with fire? I'm sick of going high when the Republicans go low. Democrats better wake up to the new reality. Xochitl?
HINOJOSA: I think Democrats have been fighting hard, and I think they will continue to fight hard. I don't think that we should stand for the same thing that Republicans stand for, like protect, you know, those politicians who are corrupt or have allegations against him. But I do think that you have some candidates who are finally out there fighting against the Republican Party.
COATES: All right. Let's go to Port Jefferson Station, New York. All right, this is Joshua. Here's the question. We live in a time in which the president, Supreme Court, and Congress have all had successful careers despite major scandals related to sex. Are we past the era of voters caring about these types of scandals? Let's ask everyone. Karen?
FINNEY: No, I don't think so. I think one of the defining differences is, obviously, if violence is involved and if someone has been harmed.
COATES: Brad?
TODD: No. I think this is a big test of the "Me Too" movement. Kirsten Gillibrand, the senator from New York, really has played a key role in Al Franken being taken out of the U.S. Senate. She was a leader in it. She's now driving the funding decision for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. I really hope she will walk away from Graham Platner like Cory Gardner walked away from Doug Jones.
COATES: Scott? Xochitl? JENNINGS: Well, I don't view this as a sex scandal. I view this as a scandal of abuse. And, again, not to continue to beat this drum too much. But Nazi tattoo on his chest that he has been proven to have lied about. I think this is not a sex scandal. It is a character scandal and an abuse scandal. I agree with what Karen said.
(CROSSTALK)
FINNEY: But are you saying that Donald Trump is lying when he said he didn't know --
JENNINGS: You said violence. You said violence in different story.
FINNEY: No, no. I meant in the big picture. The question was, have we moved on from this being an issue? I was speaking in the -- but my question is, did Donald Trump -- was he lying when he said he didn't realize that certain individuals he has invited to Mar-a-Lago were Nazi, racists, white nationalists? You didn't know? Are you going to lie?
JENNINGS: You are never going to equate the Democratic Party nominating a loser with a Nazi tattoo to anything.
FINNEY: At least --
JENNINGS: If you want to defend it, go ahead. That's on you, not the rest of us.
FINNEY: OK.
COATES: Heather from Canton, Michigan asks this question. How can Donald Trump say there was fraud in California after Steve Hilton advanced to the runoff? I'll hear from you, Xochitl.
HINOJOSA: Great question. I have no idea. All of a sudden, Donald Trump says there's fraud whenever his candidate does not win, and then claims there's not fraud whenever he wins. So, you know.
TODD: I'm going to try to explain this in lightning round format. When you allow absentee ballots to be mailed on Election Day, you invite people to think they were cooked up. How do I know that? Because last week in Tennessee, the state Democratic Party had to eradicate two May primary elections because someone did exactly that. And so, you just can't let absentee ballots be mailed in on Election Day. You just can't. They have to be in the door by the time the polls close.
HINOJOSA: But it's also every time Donald Trump and his allies lose, then it is fraud. That's really the only time.
TODD: It doesn't mean absentee ballots don't lead to fraud.
HINOJOSA: Let's just say that's the only time.
COATES: All right, we got California. Anthony from San Bernardino, California asks, will Laura Coates be Stephen A. Smith's vice- presidential running mate in 2028? JENNINGS: Definitely. Yes.
FINNEY: No. Her at the top.
COATES: Oh.
FINNEY: Her at the top.
COATES: I was going to say me --
FINNEY: Like in the V.P.
COATES: -- me second to a man?
(LAUGHTER)
I never really thought about that.
[23:59:59]
But I do love a front row seat as long as he does not indulge in a --
HINOJOSA: We need more women. We need more women after all these allegations. That's all I'm saying.
COATES: Thanks, everyone. Let's go -- wait, quickly, hold on. Tell me your Knicks tomorrow plan was happening. Do you believe Stephen A. Smith? Is it a domino --
HINOJOSA: Spurs.
FINNEY: No. Knicks, baby.
HINOJOSA: Spurs. Go --
TODD: This is not about Mojo. It's about --
HINOJOSA: -- Spurs. Go, Spurs.
COATES: Scott?
JENNINGS: I'm for the -- I'm going to be for the Spurs.
HINOJOSA: Yes! Woo! Oh, my God!
(LAUGHTER)
COATES: Elex Michaelson, here's your show.
