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Laura Coates Live
Chaos Of The Last 99 Days Until The Midterms; Trump Asks Supreme Court To Let Him Curtail Mail Voting; DNC Chair Under Growing Scrutiny Amid Party's Mounting Debt; Savannah Guthrie Issues New Plea To Mom's Abductor; Bryan Kohberger Seeks To Withdraw Guilty Plea In Idaho Murders; Howard University Unenrolls Hundreds Of Freshmen Over Unpaid Finances. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired July 27, 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]
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: But that's individual candidates.
TONY KINNETT, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": But I've also heard that people that are going to the United States Senate eventually are managing their campaigns very well. And I would say that's a good example.
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR AND FORMER PENTAGON DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: I would say that raising money, though, is not a form of governing. And so if like to that viewer's point of like, I'm assuming they're talking about the DNC, like the DNC is not the government and how to manage money in the government and how to --
PHILLIP: Let that be the last word. Thank you very much for watching "NewsNight." Don't forget, you can stream my new show, "Confessions and Obsessions," any time on the CNN app. "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Tonight, President Trump tries to pivot away from his problems. Democrats go after each other. Welcome to the chaos of the last 99 days until the midterms. Plus, Trump tries another way to curb mail-in voting. How? By trying to get the Supreme Court to intervene. And Savannah Guthrie's new plea nearly six months since her mother went missing. That's all coming up on "Laura Coates Live."
My opening statement tonight, we are 99 days out from the midterms and both parties got 99 problems but picking a villain ain't one. Just look at President Trump who has no problem pointing the finger at Democrats even though Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They are siding with the radical left communists, taking over the party. They also want to fire the police. They don't want police, and they don't want prisons anymore. You'll live in squalor. You'll live in fear. You won't have police. You won't have firemen. You won't have anybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That speech was in Michigan and it was billed as a showcase for Trump's economic record. But he spent plenty of it selling something else. Fear of what Democrats would do with power. His message is that Democrats are the problem. But if you want to know his biggest problems, all you got to do is listen to what he said before the speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I have not been here very long. I inherited the worst inflation in history from Biden. But, of course, we are going down rapidly. And as soon as the worse is over, you can have -- you can see (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Two huge issues dogging his presidency and his party, bringing prices down and keeping the United States out of another long war. You can tell the size of the problems by how he's trying to explain them away.
Trump did not inherit the worst inflation in history from Biden. In fact, it's actually higher now than it was when Biden left office. As for Trump saying he hasn't been there very long, I mean, the calendar would like a word because we're about a year and a half into his second term. And, you know, speaking of timelines, many Americans aren't buying the idea that the Iran war will be over any time soon. Thirty-seven percent believe it could drag on for months and 21 percent even say years. So, yes, problems. But Trump doesn't have a monopoly on them.
Democrats have some of their own. They are in a battle over what their party stands for, who should lead it, and how they should take on President Trump. They're doing their own finger-pointing. You see that fight on stage tonight in Michigan during the Senate debate between establishment favorite Haley Stevens and progressive outsider Abdul El-Sayed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL EL-SAYED, MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Chances are you're going to see an ad, probably two of them, on behalf of AIPAC for my opponent in the next commercial break. That's what that buys you, lying about a record around President Obama's endorsement or lying about me and my character.
REP. HALEY STEVENS (D-MI), MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I have released my full tax returns and Abdul still hasn't. We need to ask him, what is he hiding? What are the Republicans going to uncover in the general election that they will use against him?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: The Michigan primary next week, that's going to be a critical test of where the party stands. And you can expect the mudslinging to only get messier. Democratic Senator John Fetterman was more blunt about what he thinks of El-Sayed after the candidate used the phrase "ogre on a pike" to refer to Fetterman on a donor call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D), PENNSYLVANIA: If he wins, that means there will be a celebration over the GOP. A hundred percent. So maybe, like, reconsider. Like, we really want to win. Stop picking hot messes like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: And it's numbers like these that may help explain the blame game. The party was basically break-even in net favorability in 2018. Now, 24 points underwater.
[23:04:59]
So, with 99 days until the midterms, President Trump seems settled on who his villain is. And Democrats, well, they're still fighting over who plays the part.
I want to begin with Jeremy Allen, the executive editor of "The Michigan Chronicle," the state's largest Black-owned newspaper, Joe Crowley, former Democratic congressman from New York, and Shermichael Singleton, CNN local commentator and Republican strategist.
I'll begin with you, Jeremy. Thank you for being with us today. I mean, Congresswoman Haley Stevens was repeatedly pressed on whether the tens of millions in funding boost from the pro-Israel group AIPAC should concern voters. Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVENS: Absolutely not, Roop. Look, I have been very clear, consistent, and transparent. And I have continued to be. I want to see long-term peace. I want to see a two-state solution.
ROOP RAJ, FOX 2 NEWS HOST: But no concern about the $46 million plus spent on the behalf of AIPAC. That should worry people about perhaps you doing their bidding should you win the seat.
STEVENS: Well, I don't think there's much difference between super PACs going in for Abdul or super PACs going in for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, you've covered Michigan voters. How does that -- both sides are doing at defense land?
JEREMY ALLEN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE: I don't think it lands very well with Michigan voters because, you know, there has been a huge concern. There's going to be an initiative on the ballot in November in Michigan about removing corporate money from politics. And this question that Haley kind of danced around for a minute before eventually answering is a question that's on the mind of so many Michiganders. You know, if you're getting all this money, what are you going to have to pay for it eventually? What's going to come on the back end of it? And I don't think she satisfied the viewers and the voters with some of her responses.
And, you know, to El-Sayed's credit, he continued to push the issue with her and continued to bring up that point about the AIPAC funding throughout the debate tonight.
COATES: We know this has been a huge issue over across the board. I mean, Joe, during the debate, Abdul El-Sayed, he faced questions about whether he identifies as a Democratic socialist. This is obviously a part of the conversation among Democrats. Here's how he answered that question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EL-SAYED: When it comes to the question of socialism, I'm not a socialist. I'm just a capitalist who understands how capitalism works. The biggest threat to capitalism was never the idea of government regulation. It was always monopoly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, I saw Shermichael smirk.
(LAUGHTER) What's your reaction to that?
JOE CROWLEY, FORMER NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE: I think there's a little bit of a dance going on here. I think --
COATES: But why?
CROWLEY: He likes the idea of Bernie Sanders and AOC supporting him. And at the same time, he knows it's really tough to get elected in a state like Michigan where they make autos, where they have factories, where people work for a living, where I think even amongst African- Americans, socialism is not something that they're interested in. And so, I do think that there's a little bit of that going on right here.
I think, you know, when it comes to Bernie, it's an old person with old ideas. When it comes to AOC and others, it's a new face with old ideas from my standpoint. This notion of socialism is something that has popped up throughout. It's also part of the big tent that Democrats are a part. You can win in very deep blue districts and states, but when it comes to a state like Michigan or a nationwide race, it's much, much more difficult for them.
COATES: Let's talk about an issue of spending, Shermichael, because this continues to be top of mind across the country. In addition to the Democratic identity and Republican identity, is it MAGA? Is it Trump? Is it something different? Are Democrats DSA or otherwise? But the funding issue across the board continues. And Haley Stephen says that Republicans are spending to prop up El-Sayed because they think he is their easier opponent. Which of these two does your party actually want to face?
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Oh, El-Sayed, I mean, one, you look at his numbers with Black voters. They're in the trash. I mean, Congressman Clyburn made a clear indicator of who he thought was the better of the two candidates, and it wasn't Mr. El-Sayed for a reason, right?
And I don't think you can dismiss that as a Democrat. That is the base of your party just as MAGA would be the base for a Republican candidate. I don't see how you make it out of a primary, let alone win a general election without your base, number one.
Number two, a lot of his ideals, whether it's on foreign policy, whether it's on economics, whether as it relates to policing, defunding policing, and other previous statements he has made in the past, don't resonate with hardworking blue-collar people.
This isn't my opinion. You look at a lot of the available public polling that suggests he is way to the left of where many hardworking Michiganders currently are. So, we would absolutely want to run against him because I think we would defeat him.
COATES: Jeremy, CNN spoke with dozens of Black voters in Michigan. Many are skeptical of El-Sayed. But some have been influenced by the barrage of T.V. ads on his past remarks, his support for the uncommitted movement in 2024. Others are saying that his opponent, Haley Stevens, has been very present in their communities. Is this resistance proof of just how difficult it is for a progressive, grassroots candidate to try to break through in Michigan?
[23:10:01]
ALLEN: Yes. I think what you have, the dynamic that's at play, is that, you know, there are just so many, you know, kitchen table topics that pass through that progressives kind of speak a little bit larger to, right? And so, what I mean by that is that, you know, they want their economic conditions to improve today. And sometimes, the ideas that are presented to them are a little bit too big to see. And he's not really talking directly to the issues that people need solutions for today.
And so, when it comes to what these candidates are looking for, I don't think the term progressive is so off-putting to folks because, you know, so many, especially Black voters in the state of Michigan, require someone who is going to act on their behalf. And oftentimes, the word progressive can align with that. But I think the rhetoric that he continues to put out throughout the campaign, again, it's not speaking directly to the major issues that are right in front of so many voters' eyes.
COATES: I mean, Joe, you know full well the most effective way to win a campaign is to be the first to identify and describe your opponent, right? And so, there seems to be consistently a game of labels.
CROWLEY: Yes.
COATES: Which label can be unclear or ambiguous enough or damning enough to be associated with something you don't like? That seems to be what's happening among the Democrats. But even within the Democratic Party, though, there's a circular firing squad about who's under that big tent. Is that going to serve nationwide?
CROWLEY: Well, there's a big cancellation culture that's going on here. Identifying someone as a corporate Democrat, for instance, is something --
COATES: Right.
CROWLEY: -- that the DSA loves to do. It was done to me.
COATES: Yes.
CROWLEY: It's done to many Democrats today. And describing -- Bernie has described Haley Stevens as the billionaire class. Last time I checked, Haley Stevens --
(LAUGHTER)
-- she's lucky she has maybe a hundred thousand dollars to her name. She's not a billionaire in any way, shape or form. And, you know, El- Sayed actually said, you know what Democrats fear about me more than anything else? Do you know what Democrats fear about me? Me getting elected. Why should Democrats fear a Democrat getting elected? And so --
COATES: Why?
CROWLEY: Well, I don't understand. I have to ask him that question. I -- you know, because I think Haley Stevens has been someone who has been in the trenches. She has a congressional record. She has worked her tail off. She's homegrown. You know, her folksiness about her is unique, I guess, to Michigan. Some may think it's a little quirky. I think it is kind of cute. So, that's from my perspective. She's really a homegrown woman.
And so, I think, you know, we're so removed from this race because we're not physically there. I think when all is said and done, I think some of my quirkiness is going to shine through, and it's going to be positive for them.
COATES: Well, I mean, as I say, it might be the Democrats. If another person who is within the ilk of democratic socialism or in that world wins, it might shift the way the party has to identify or project itself other places.
But, you know, despite the rising costs that are happening because of the Iran war, and they are rising and exorbitant, President Trump is saying that Michigan is still thriving. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: Jobs are up. Inflation is down. Our border is secure. Factories are opening at record levels. Investment is booming. Michigan is thriving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Do you buy that message?
SINGLETON: Look, the numbers are a mixed bag. And I've always argued that I think it's best for the party to acknowledge the pain points of many Americans. That said, as a strategist looking at the current predicament of my party economically, our message isn't that strong there. We can be transparent about that.
However, I think this DSA conflict amongst our Democratic friends presents a unique opportunity for Republicans to message not necessarily about the economy but on these issues of you may not like everything we're doing, but do you want these guys who are going to defund the police or who are going to control rent, who are going to say grocery stores should be controlled and pricing should be controlled by local governments.
Most people will say no, and I think it's why most people of color, who are very pragmatic in the conservative sense, are looking at some of these pronouncements and are saying this stuff doesn't work, this isn't realistic, this isn't tangible. I have problems, but I need you to show me step-by-step how you're going to resolve them. DSA candidates have continued to fail to do that in a broader way.
CROWLEY: Donald Trump has never lived in the real world. He has never gone hungry. He has never worried about anything that is going to happen to his life. He cannot relate to people who right now are struggling to make ends meet. And I think that's what breaks through to Michiganders. It is what I'm told to call them.
COATES: It would be funny to watch Donald Trump try to play "The Price is Right."
(LAUGHTER)
I think he wouldn't be able to get the numbers at all. I mean, you can laugh if you watch him. I go, no.
(LAUGHTER)
I mean, imagine -- I'm just saying, like, can you imagine? Maybe Plinko. That's a good one.
(LAUGHTER)
Jeremy, Joe, Shermichael, thank you so much. Still ahead, Trump not giving up on his mission to limit mail-in voting as he now asked the Supreme Court to give him the assist.
[23:15:00]
Are they going to do it? Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: If David Hogg wants to take it over, I ain't stopping you. Go ahead, man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Bet you didn't have that on your bingo card. James Carville in bed, musing about David Hogg taking over the DNC after a stunning report reveals a crisis under the committee's current leader. David Hogg is here to respond to all of it tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Well, Trump is not giving up. He really wants to limit mail-in voting ahead of this November's midterms. And now, he's asking the Supreme Court for help. Specifically, he wants the court to let him implement an executive order that he signed back in March. That would require states to submit lists of eligible mail-in voters to the Postal Service. And anyone not on those lists wouldn't get a ballot.
[23:20:00]
The lower courts blocked it after 23 Democratic-led states argued that states run elections, not the White House. Now, Trump is asking the justices to step in.
Joining me now is best-selling Supreme Court biographer and former federal prosecutor, Jeffrey Toobin. He also has a new column in "The New York Times" titled "What's the Worst Thing Trump Can Do in the Midterms?" Jeffrey, good to see you. I want to hear you answer that question.
But earlier this year, the Supreme Court sided against Republicans over a mail-in voting challenge. They upheld Mississippi law that allowed ballots to be counted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day. Does that inform us at all about how the justices may view this latest attempt?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CONTRIBUTING OPINION WRITER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES, AUTHOR, SUPREME COURT BIOGRAPHER, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: You know, counselor, I don't really think so. I think those are -- the issues are very different in the two cases though mail-in voting is involved in both. But, you know, just before we get into this, just isn't it amazing how obsessed Donald Trump is with this issue? I mean, we are in a war. We have economic problems. Immigration is a huge issue that he used to care about a lot. But all he wants to do is talk about limiting voting, whether it's mail-in voting --
COATES: Why do you think that is?
TOOBIN: You know, that requires probably the kind of psychiatric training that I don't have.
(LAUGHTER) But, you know, I think he's afraid of being impeached again if the Democrats retake the House. I think that's a big part of it. I think he wants to be vindicated from his lies that he has told over and over again about the 2020 election.
But, you know, it's not fake with him. I mean, he really cares about this more than things that the American people care about. And he's going to keep pushing it. And even if he loses this, as I expect he probably will, there are other avenues that he's going to use to try to prevent both mail-in and in-person voting in the midterms and beyond. And this is going to be something over the next 100 days that is going to be part of the news absolutely every day.
COATES: I mean, in your new column, you write about how Democratic Congressman Joe Morelle is worried that the real danger begins after the midterms, not before. What is the scenario that keeps him up at night?
TOOBIN: Well, you know, this is just another example of how Trump and his allies could try to mess with the results. One thing I didn't know until I started working on this piece for the Times was that the actual way that the members of the House are picked is the clerk of the House, who is a civilian employee of the House, gets the results from the states of the 435 races, and then he makes them into a roll, a list, and then that list is presented to the incoming House on January 3rd after the election.
The issue that Congressman Morelle, who's from upstate New York, is concerned about is what if Donald Trump says, well, this election was a fraud, and I am going to put in my own person, that is Speaker Johnson is going to fire the clerk whose name is Kevin McCumber and put in his own person, and I'll do my own roll of the people I think won the elections, and that would be a continuing Republican majority.
What would happen then? That's the issue Morelle is concerned about, and it's an issue that I certainly wasn't aware of, but it is a potential problem early next year.
COATES: So much for checks and balances. Jeffrey Toobin, thank you. A great article. Up next, crisis at the DNC. Its leader, Ken Martin, under pressure over a new report that says the committee is broke, dysfunctional, and dragging the party's chances in November. My next guest may not be surprised. David Hogg, the former vice chair of the DNC who clashed with Ken Martin, is live with me on that and much more, next.
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[23:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: A Category 5 political firestorm is hitting the DNC tonight after "The New York Times" revealed the drama and dysfunction within the organization with party chairman, Ken Martin, at the center. Among the allegations, according to the Times, Martin threw his phone at the desk of a junior aide while scolding that person, allegations he mismanaged party finances and contributed to the party's $2 million deficit, and claims donors are losing faith in Martin.
Now, the Times reports that Martin is paralyzed by the leaks coming from within the organization, telling a staff -- quote -- "It pisses me off when I see leaks out of this building," adding, "no more." Martin did not comment on the phone allegation. The sources told the Times the resources spoke to Martin about his behavior. There's no love lost between Martin and my next guest. In fact, last year, Martin blamed him for -- quote -- "essentially destroying any chance to lead the party."
Well, David Hogg joins me now. He was removed as DNC vice chair when he created a super PAC to primary vulnerable House Democrats across the country. David, welcome back to the show.
DAVID HOGG, FORMER VICE CHAIRMAN OF DNC, CO-FOUNDER OF LEADERS WE DESERVE: Thank you.
COATES: What do you think? Should Martin resign as chair of the DNC?
[23:30:01]
HOGG: Yes. Fully. I mean --
COATES: How do you feel really?
(LAUGHTER)
HOGG: I mean, I couldn't say it more simply than that. Let's just walk through the past 18 months, all right? So, it starts out with him getting elected, running on the idea that he's going to release an autopsy as one of his marquee things that he's going to do to hold the party accountable and actually say, what are we going to do differently after this election?
Then, in the midst of that, obviously, I start talking about our primary challenges, we have our back and forth, and he continues to say that the biggest problem that he's having with his leadership is me, I'm undermining him as a -- at the time, 25-year-old, right? If that's your biggest problem as the chair of the opposition party to Donald Trump, your priorities are not straight.
Then the autopsy comes out. It doesn't talk about any of the actual issues that decided the election, it doesn't talk about Gaza, it doesn't talk about inflation, it doesn't talk about the president's age, and it doesn't even include a conclusion.
Then you add on top of that that they are $2 million in debt 18 months into this. Your job as the chair of the DNC is to raise money. And if you can't raise money, let alone not throw your phone at staffers and not raise money, I don't know what you're doing there because it's not your job.
COATES: There are people like House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said he's standing by Martin, as do other Democrats like Senator Cory Booker. But James Carville, he has a different idea. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARVILLE: Maybe it could be somewhat relevant. I have no idea. If David Hogg wants to take it over, I ain't stopping you. Go ahead, man. I don't really care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: You want the job?
HOGG: No. Well, let me tell you this much. The fact that James Carville, who just less than a year ago was calling me a -- quote -- "twerp" for going out there and challenging asleep-at-the-wheel geriatric Democrats that are literally passing away in power and potentially costing us a future majority, he went from that to saying that I should be running that as a testament to where we are. James Carville and I agree on very little, including me being chair of the DNC. I don't think that I should be.
But what I do know is that there is any number of people that could do a significantly better job than Ken Martin, that would help to raise money for the institution, and also wouldn't throw their phone at staff.
COATES: Like who?
HOGG: I mean, there's any number of them that are out there that I would leave up to the DNC members to decide because, clearly, they're not very interested in what I think because I went into that institution to try to change it and say we need to bring in some fresh blood, and you saw what happened with me. I tried to fix it on the inside. It was very clear that that was not welcome.
COATES: So, we're 99 days away from the midterms. Democratic voters have concerns about the ability to mount an effective opposition to Republicans who control the House, the Senate and, of course, the White House. Does this report give you concerns that Democrats could be successful in the midterms?
HOGG: Well, thankfully, the DNC is mainly focused on the presidential. I'd be much more concerned if this was going on at the G-Trip, for example. Thankfully, it's not.
COATES: So, this is not part of a larger issue for Democrats in general. This is the DNC view specifically.
HOGG: I think this is really centered at the DNC right now. The amount of money that they're failing to raise over the past 18 months is not because Republicans are doing an amazing job and the American people are super happy right now. Prices are skyrocketing.
And meanwhile, there are Democrats like Zohran Mamdani that are delivering. As gas prices have gone up by double digits, he's working on delivering time and time again across New York City just like he did with unveiling the city-owned grocery stores with prices that are 30 percent lower.
And, thankfully, our party is working this out through our primary process. I know that upsets a lot of people in the establishment that are invested in keeping everything the same.
But here's the deal. We lost for a second time to Donald Trump. We cannot go out there to voters again and say, you know what, we're not going to change anything except just the lipstick that we're putting on the pig, that is our messaging, and not address the actual messengers of our party. That's what's going on here.
And what I do know is that the committees really need to have the money to win back the House. They're raising that money right now. And they are not $2 million in debt, thankfully. But this matter, especially with the recent Supreme Court decision about how all the committee spending can actually go.
We need a DNC chair who can actually go out there and raise money. That person is not Ken Martin. And we don't need another 18 months to figure that out. That is a decision that can be made now by Ken, by resigning himself, which he needs to do if you're watching this, Ken.
COATES: You're a progressive. The left-wing of the party is having quite an electoral moment. You've mentioned, for example, Mamdani, as one example, especially among Democratic socialists in particular. There is one DSA leader, though, who was asked what the party's platform supported and what it does not. And some Democrats are nervous about what she said. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNON BREAM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Replace the presidency and Supreme Court as we now know them.
MEGAN ROMER, CO-CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA: Yes.
BREAM: Abolish ICE.
ROMER: Absolutely.
BREAM: Abolish borders and give amnesty to anyone currently in the U.S. illegally.
ROMER: As a long-term plan, yes.
[23:35:00]
BREAM: Defund the Pentagon.
ROMER: Absolutely.
BREAM: Abolish prisons, at least in large part.
ROMER: Yes. Again, as part of a long-term program, yes.
BREAM: OK. So, no prisons. Government or public ownership of most large corporations.
ROMER: Yes. Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: What's your reaction to that? Is that a platform that most Democrats would support going into the midterms or even, as she's distinguishing, a long-term solution?
HOGG: Well, I think this is why we have primaries to begin with. It's to let people figure out what type of Democrat they actually want to represent them. Sometimes, in a place like New York City, it may be somebody who is more closely aligned with DSA. And in other places, it may be somebody who's more aligned with a more moderate position. We are a diverse country. We are also a diverse party.
But I think for a long time in our party, we've heard moderates in the establishment say over and over again, we're a big tent party, we're a big tent party. And they use that against the left side of the party which does exist to say, you need to just shut up and vote for the very moderate Democrat and accept that they're just going to be moderate, but then when there's a candidate who's more representative of a much more left-wing constituency that is on the left side of the party, all of a sudden, it's, no, no, no, we can't have that.
Either you want a big tent as a party or you don't want a party at all because a tent that's divided, you know, with a left and right side, where only one of them is supportive, is going to collapse in on itself.
And I think similar to, as you can imagine, there are parts of the Democratic platform that I don't agree with, there are many parts of the DSA platform that I don't agree with.
COATES: Such as abolishing prisons?
HOGG: Sure. Exactly. Right. That would be one of them. And there's a number of things I also don't agree with. Abolishing NATO, for example. I also don't think that Russia is the victim in the Ukraine war.
But I simultaneously know that the status quo of Democrats is not acceptable and not sustainable for our party to continue on. And what I want is a party where people can feel properly represented on the left side of the party and the right side of the party.
But, ultimately, what matters most is that the American people know that Democrats are the party that will fight back against Donald Trump and his corruption and actually deliver for them. That's part of why these left-wing challenges are succeeding, because they're rejecting the idea that we should have Democrats that continue to take corporate money from the same corporations that have screwed us over our entire lives. That's why we do have leaders we deserve. We were Zohran's largest funder in that primary, and there's going to be a lot more of them out there.
COATES: David Hogg, thank you for joining.
HOGG: Thank you.
COATES: Up next, Savannah Guthrie breaking her silence to issue a new and very specific message to whoever took her mother. Could it mean there's movement in the investigation? Plus, Bryan Kohberger defiant in prison and now demanding a trial as he now complains he never should have pled guilty. Tonight, why the family of one of his victims says, bring it on.
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[23:40:00]
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COATES: Nearly six months since Nancy Guthrie was taken, her daughter, Savannah, is now issuing a new plea. She took to Instagram to share what she called a very specific message, one that appeared tailored to whoever took her mother. Here's a part of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS ANCHOR, DAUGHTER OF NANCY GUTHRIE: We have done our part. And we will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts. The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place. And I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So, I'm asking you, begging you to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing.
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COATES: Joining me now is Frank Figliuzzi, former assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division and the host of "The Frank Figliuzzi Show" on Substack. Frank, good to see you. First, I want your professional assessment on the why now. Is it possible the FBI or the family has some new information that motivated this plea?
FRANK FIGLIUZZI, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR COUNTERINTELLIGENCE, SUBSTACK HOST: It's certainly possible. But I can't overlook the obvious, which is we're right about at the six- month anniversary of Nancy's disappearance. And it's not uncommon at all for anniversaries to prompt this kind of message. Why? Because it keeps it in the public eye. But more importantly, it reminds the captor that he's not going to escape the reality that he's in. It's a reminder.
Now, yes, could it also be that the FBI has something and wants to kind of tickle the wire, as we call it? Maybe they've got a possible suspect, and they want to see if this prompts action on his or her part. That's possible. And lastly, Laura, it also could be the exact opposite, which is that authorities are absolutely nowhere, and this is an attempt to get somewhere.
COATES: I find myself with every message that either she alone or her family collectively puts out. I'm combing through the words, trying to identify any clues. I mean, a lot of lines jumped out at me in this one. We have done our part. She says, I know you have tried to do things the right way. What are you reading?
FIGLIUZZI: There's a lot in this short message. It is very well- crafted. It is professionally-crafted. Does that mean the FBI helped to script it or some other professional in the security ransom kidnap business? Yes, some professional had a hand in this. It's very well done.
Why do I say that? First, it clearly is customized to remind the captor of what has been happening. We had a deal, right? We did our part, right? And the implication, it's time for you to do your part.
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We know you tried to do the right thing. That harkens back to a second ransom note, if you recall, where the captor, if that's the person, said she's dead. Something to that effect. We lost her possibly to a heart ailment. We weren't understanding the serious nature of her illness.
And she's giving him a rationale, an out, a face-saving measure. We know you tried to do the right thing, but we think there's a path here to do the right thing again. Very customized message, appealing to his humanity and showing Savannah's humanity. We're never going to fill that hole in our heart. The gap will always be there. The more you humanize yourself and the person you're talking to, the more likely you'll be successful.
COATES: Six months of agony for this family. Frank Figliuzzi, thank you so much.
FIGLIUZZI: Sure.
COATES: And as always, anyone with information is asked to call 1-800- CALL-FBI. Now, to the stunning reversal in the Bryan Kohberger case. Kohberger says he now wants to take back his guilty plea and go to trial. Kohberger claims that he was -- quote -- "convinced to falsely confess to the murders of four University of Idaho students." He has even filed a formal petition to reopen his case, blaming his lawyers, and suggesting his plea was based on threats and false information. Now, remember, of course, Kohberger gave away a lot of his rights when he agreed to plead guilty.
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STEVEN HIPPLER, ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT JUDGE, IDAHO 4TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT: Defendant, as part of the plea agreement, waives his right to appeal as well as his right to appeal the sentence and his right to seek leniency for reconsideration of the sentence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Legally, let me tell you, that means that courts are very skeptical of these kinds of post-trial motions. In other words, it is a long shot, and I do mean that in the most gracious and generous way.
Joining me now is the journalist who literally wrote the book on Kohberger, Howard Blum, author of "When the Night Comes Falling: A Requiem for the Idaho Student Murders." Howard, in a filing, Kohberger points the finger directly at his legal team. He claims they failed to review key evidence that could clear his name. I think they had discovery for several years before he took this plea. Do you buy any of that?
HOWARD BLUM, JOURNALIST, AUTHOR: Not at all. I mean, if you're going to blame anyone, the real blame should be put on the prosecution. They allowed this plea to go into effect without an allocution.
Kohberger never had to answer all the questions he's talking about now. They could have resolved this from the get-go. They could have said, OK, if we're going to give you a plea deal, you have to tell us what happened. What was the motive? Did you ever know these young people? How did you escape from the house? He did not have to explain anything. And that was the deal that was cut. And why did they not have to explain anything? Because they did not want to get into the details.
But now, he's like the person who killed the old saw. You kill your parents, then you want mercy from the court because you're an orphan. This is not going to fly, and it doesn't make any sense. And the prosecution, because of their negligence and refusing to answer questions about the evidence, is going to pay for it now.
COATES: Had they secured that full admission, it would be very difficult in a trial not to either use or to have the community be aware of that. The families of Kaylee Goncalves, they described Kohberger in a statement as -- quote -- "the mosquito you just can't seem to swat. Regardless of how this turns out, our family is 100 percent ready. An actual trial this time? Let's go! We are confident he will get the death penalty that he escaped by pleading guilty the first time around."
Do you think that Kohberger's willingness to try to re-traumatize these grieving families, does it track with the sociopathic tendencies you have written about?
BLUM: Look, Kohberger definitely wants to have the last laugh. He wants to be in control. This is what this all is about. He is, I believe, keeping secrets. Not everything has been told about this case. He knows the answers. He has been toying with us from day one.
I think since the gag order has been lifted, new evidence has come out. I've been writing about this. New evidence, which is raising questions. Was it possible -- was it possible for one person to have committed these murders within the nine to 10 minutes timeline? It doesn't seem possible at all. The stab wounds on the victims, some are 54 stab wounds, another 34 stab wounds. They fought back. Can you do that in nine minutes on two floors of a house? The prosecutor himself has talked about another weapon being possibly involved.
[23:49:58]
There are too many questions that still exist and raise the possibility that someone else is involved. I think this is the big secret that Kohberger is holding on to and that someday, perhaps, might be revealed when he loses, as you say, this case for a new trial.
COATES: Howard Blum, thank you.
BLUM: Thank you.
COATES: Up next for us tonight, imagine getting into your dream school, only getting an email saying, actually, we took you off the enrollment. It's happening at Howard University and it's causing major backlash. One of the students who's impacted is live with me, next.
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COATES: Normally, the last week of July brings excitement and anxiety for incoming college students. They're getting to know their roommates. They're furnishing their dorms.
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They're buying their books. But for hundreds of students at Howard University who were getting ready to go to Washington, D.C., well, they are now in limbo. They have been unenrolled because Howard says they owe unpaid tuition. Incoming freshmen say they get tired of getting emails just last week saying they missed their payment deadline window. Therefore, they won't be attending one of the most iconic HBCUs in the country.
Its alumni have become politicians and leaders like the former vice president, Kamala Harris, acclaimed in the arts and literature and much more. The university also boasts an endowment of $1.7 billion but tuition is $51,000. And the need? Great. The education department says more than 60 percent of Howard students receive some form of federal financial aid. Now, some students say the way Howard has responded is only adding insult to injury.
One of the students who was unenrolled joins me now, Dwayne Irvin, who is supposed to be an incoming freshman at Howard. Dwayne, thank you so much for being here. I mean, you are supposed to be headed off to the Hilltop soon. But now, you don't even know if you'll be able to go. Walk me through what happened. How did you feel when you received an email saying you were unenrolled?
DWAYNE IRVIN, INCOMING HOWARD STUDENT WHO GOT UNENROLLMENT NOTIFICATION: Yes, yes, yes. So, thank you for having me, Laura. So, it was out of nowhere. It was very random. So, it was a random Wednesday night and -- well, excuse me, not even night. It was the afternoon, around 2 p.m. And out of nowhere, I received the email informing me that I was kicked out due to my balance not being paid.
But here's the interesting part. I still had active scholarships on the way to pay for that balance. I've already had a scholarship posted to my account. So, for me to receive that email, I was just in total shock. I was not ready for that whatsoever. I'm supposed to move in next Monday. Next Monday, OK? So, seeing that, it completely throws my plans out the window because I don't know what to do now.
COATES: I mean, when you first got that letter, given that you had different scholarships waiting, you must have thought this was a joke, that it couldn't even be real. I've seen some of the documents that you've sent over. They're like form letters. Did you think that, somehow, you had some hoax happening or did you know it was real?
IRVIN: Yes, I completely thought it was a glitch. I was like, OK, maybe there's a system glitch, something happened because, you know, situations happen. You never know. But when I reached out to actual university officials, I soon realized this wasn't a glitch. This was reality. Five hundred students have been kicked, including myself. And our path to be at the Mecca this upcoming fall semester was essentially eliminated. So --
COATES: How did that feel to you, Dwayne, when you realized that? I mean, obviously, it is the end of July. School is supposed to start in a matter of weeks. You're going to move in next Monday. And, obviously, you've turned down supposedly other offers as well, right? And you presumably have other offers. You don't have a backup plan. No college student does at this point in time. So, now, what?
IRVIN: That's a great question. I mean, me and my family are still trying to figure it out. I've been reaching out to other schools that I did apply to and get in and see if they could accommodate me just in case, you know, Howard does not, you know, re-enroll me back as a student.
But like you said, this throws a lot of college students' plans out the window. We're just flabbergasted at the moment, we are left without any type of academic path at the moment, and we're scrambling for help at this point, reaching out to different support groups, trying to get as much resources, you know, trying to bring in some more scholarships for a possible alternative path to a different college.
But, yes, that timeline is growing very, very slow. While there are still schools that have rolling admissions, I mean, they close soon. I mean, if they close, they close, and you are kind of just left without an option.
COATES: Howard University says in a statement that it's -- quote -- "reviewing information related to enrollment status and will consider relevant circumstances regarding pending scholarship awards and financial aid resources for impacted students" -- unquote.
Do you feel like the university is adequately helping students like you and what could they do to make this right? IRVIN: I do believe they are trying to, you know, right the wrong that they did. There have been students that I'm very, very close with that have been reinstated as a student, but there's also still a big portion of students that hasn't been reinstated, including myself.
COATES: Dwayne, for you and so many others, Howard University is your dream school. It had financial issues, as you can imagine and know, in the past.
[00:00:00]
Has this changed your perception of Howard or your interest in still attending?
IRVIN: This is an interesting question because Howard has been my dream school since the seventh grade. I picked the collectability over the affordability. So, I am disappointed in Howard's actions, but I don't think it changes my, I would say, perspective on Howard because Howard is still the number one HBCU in the country.
COATES: And you would attend if you were reenrolled. Is that right?
IRVIN: I will attend. Howard is my dream school. I would not give it up for a million dollars.
COATES: Dwayne Irvin, we'll be thinking about you and following. Let us know what happens, will you?
IRVIN: Will do. Perfect. Thank you.
COATES: Thank you all so much for watching. "The Story Is with Elex Michaelson" is next.
