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Laura Coates Live

Blanche Nomination Stall Amid GOP Pushback; Fauci Takes the Fifth; U.S. Strikes on Iran Ramp Up. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired July 29, 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]

JASON RANTZ, SEATTLE RED RADIO HOST, AUTHOR: I'm just being honest about how long things take.

CHRISTINE QUINN (D), FORMER SPEAKER OF NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE: Wasn't the tariff on-off kind of something that raised costs and food. So, and the President flipped that on.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, all right.

RANTZ: But I'm saying the recovery.

PHILLIP: Let me get to the second question.

QUINN: He could flip it off. It happened quickly.

PHILLIP: Or the second comment, quote, "why do I need to put anything in writing if I'm telling you?" As a lawyer, I'm guessing Todd Blanche already knows the answer to that question.

I don't know if there are any lawyers left on the table, but --

ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, FOUNDER AND CEO OF BLUEPRINT STRATEGY, LLC.: I'm going to stop.

LYDIA MOYNIHAN, CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK POST: I'm looking at you.

SEAWRIGHT: I'm going to ask you, lawyer.

PHILLIP: I think that's all.

SEAWRIGHT: We owe everything to you on T.V.

MOYNIHAN: You weigh a lawyer on T.V.

PHILLIP: Thank you for watching "NewsNight." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Tonight, Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general stalls. Two GOP holdouts demand he sign the death certificate for the DOJ's controversial fund or they ain't budging. Senator Cory Booker is here to weigh in on who will blink first. Plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci pleads the Fifth more than a hundred times and triggers a new effort to see him behind bars. His former colleague, Dr. Deborah Birx, will join me live tonight. And U.S. strikes on Iran ramp up again even as poll after poll after poll shows Americans want the president focused on something else. Tonight on "Laura Coates Live." My opening statement tonight, oh, it's a bumpy ride, all right, most of all for Todd Blanche. The acting attorney general's bid to drop the acting from this title is now hanging by a thread. And Senator John Cornyn is holding the scissors. Texas Senator admitted just last month there was an upside to having nothing left to lose. He was fresh off his defeat in the GOP primary, warning the next seven months in the Senate could get pretty rough. He said outgoing Republicans had a little more freedom, more leverage, some cards to play. Well, tonight, he is putting his cards right there on the table. Cornyn has now forced the judiciary committee to postpone tomorrow's vote on Blanche's nomination. And his message to the DOJ is this: No written guarantees, no vote for Blanche

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: It was not responsive to my concerns. I mean, we've heard from them. It's just that they refuse to commit to writing what he testified to under oath.

UNKNOWN: You are not yet ready to vote in favor of Todd Blanche's nomination?

CORNYN: That's right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: And not the only Republican ready to pump those brakes. Senator Thom Tillis is right there with him. Now, Blanche, he needs both to keep his nomination alive. And they, they want the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund dead and buried. They want to make sure the IRS settlement doesn't shield President Trump from future IRS audits or his family. And they want it in writing. All of it.

Now, Cornyn says it's about proof. It's dead. Trump thinks it's about payback for something else.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I thought it was pretty routine because he's so good. He just wouldn't find a better person. So, I don't know. Maybe John Cornyn is upset with me because I didn't endorse him. I don't know what it is. But I haven't heard that there's a problem. I heard he's going through quite nicely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Have you heard that? Not sure where. But not much routine, is there? And the president should probably know that Blanche's bid is on thin ice because he showed up at the White House earlier today and back on Capitol Hill. Cornyn is not denying that he definitely has some cards to play. But he, like Trump, must be wondering if that old saying is true, that the White House always wins.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not having him to run for re-election anymore has freed you up to be more independent from the president. Do you acknowledge that? Have you noticed?

UNKNOWN: You've been extremely clear in what you want. Why don't you think --

CORNYN: Thank you.

UNKNOWN: Why don't you think Todd Blanche --

CORNYN: Do you tell the DOJ that?

RAJU: When the president says that you're doing this as a political vendetta, what do you say?

CORNYN: That's a convenient excuse and happens to be untrue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: And with me now, Democratic senator from New Jersey, Senator Cory Booker who, of course, is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator, thank you for being here. We have just learned this evening that tomorrow's judiciary committee vote on Todd Blanche is now postponed. Do you expect senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis to ultimately pull their support or is this it?

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), NEW JERSEY: We'll see. I think that they're in negotiations with the White House over something that should have been settled a long time ago. This slush fund and the tax immunity that they're getting is just so outrageous. But this is just one of the many disqualifying things about Todd Blanche. So, I'm hoping people will continue to speak up.

[23:05:00]

Perhaps, this is one of those moments where somebody that is so screamingly unqualified for this position or disqualified for this position might actually fail.

COATES: And yet the president thinks that Cornyn is not thinking about that. He's thinking about settling a political score. Cornyn, of course, says that he's not. But do you read something personal into this or is this something different and distinct to you?

BOOKER: Look, there's no love lost between them. That's clear. But what Cornyn seems to be bringing up is something that should outrage all Americans. It's that this slush fund that could be used for people like the folks that stormed the Capitol, that beat police officers, that this fund is just unjust and not right, just like judges have said, at least one judge has said.

And then you add to that the fact that this is something that Donald Trump really wants, which is tax immunity. Remember, this is a guy who has made over a billion dollars in office. His sons are raking in the cash in their dealings with foreign nations and contractors with the federal government. And what this slush fund and this deal gets them is tax immunity. Here they are potentially breaking a lot of laws but, suddenly, they could keep unjust enrichment even if they're violating tax laws if this thing goes through.

So, I think it's substantive on its face, and I'm glad that that might be something that we see, which is in writing, that this is over. But, ultimately, I don't know how this is going to end, but I'm glad to see the two of them standing strong, and I hope we see more Republicans come forward and do the same.

COATES: And, senator, the idea that somebody who wants to be the attorney general of the United States would not do the very thing they would require of a criminal defendant who wanted to plead guilty, for example, or somebody who's a party to a contract, that he will not put in writing what he is professing publicly, that speaks volumes to me as a former prosecutor, that he might not have a handle on the credibility of the institution and what a court would say if we took those actions.

BOOKER: Yes, this is the insanity of the moment we're living in. I hope Americans heard what you just said. We are living in a reality where the person that's going to be the highest law enforcement official in our country isn't doing the basic things that a first-year associate would be required to do at any law firm.

This is a guy who has broken ethics laws, who has broken the rule of avoiding the appearance of improprieties, who broke a bipartisan Epstein law that said he had to release the Epstein files. He didn't even meet the deadlines. And then when he finally released the documents, he redacted all the powerful people from accountability but released the names of the victims and their telephone numbers and their addresses and images.

Any one of these things should be disqualifying. Any one of these things should get you disbarred. And yet this guy is going forward in a position as acting, still going after people like Comey for seashells in the sand. Thank God we have two Republicans that are speaking not about all of these things but, at least, they picked a couple things that is absolutely absurd. How could it come to this that we continue to let Donald Trump put such unserious people up for such serious national security positions?

COATES: Let's talk about the prospect. Maybe a hypothetical. We don't know how this is going to end. But let's just say that Blanche's nomination really is blocked. What would be to stop Trump from just keeping him on as an acting attorney general? What would be the recourse you would take to stop his tenure?

BOOKER: Well, there are limits to the length of time somebody can be acting and, obviously, we would do everything we can to enforce those limits. But let's be clear. Donald Trump has made it clear to everybody, whether it's the DNI head with Pulte or this position with Blanche, he only wants people in powerful positions that will do exactly what he tells them to do.

And that is the problem, and that's why less than a hundred days from now, this election is so vital because, right now, no one is holding him or his agencies accountable for the jobs they swore an oath to do, and we're seeing Donald Trump pervert the noble missions of a lot of these institutions like the Department of Justice, and no one is calling him to account.

COATES: Senator Cory Booker, thank you so much.

BOOKER: Thank you very much.

COATES: Tonight, we're getting a brand-new look at the federal investigation into former FBI director, James Comey, over that very 8647 seashells arrangement in social media posts. And let me tell you, these newly-released court filings by Comey's lawyers, they expose a series of head-scratching moves.

So, we're opening the case file here tonight. Exhibit A, the mafia consultant. The government recruited infamous Gambino mobster and Trump supporter, "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, as an unofficial jargon consultant.

[23:10:04]

The strategy ultimately backfired when he flatly shut down the theory, pointing out that real mobsters would never use such an obvious cliche, which bring us to exhibit B, the surveillance shortcut. Following pressure from DOJ, the Secret Service wanted to track Comey. Officials knew they lacked the imminent threat required to have an emergency ping, but they tracked his phone, anyway, even after agents warned that, legally, it was a bad idea.

Finally, bring you exhibit C, the president's briefing loop. The filings revealed President Trump wanted to be kept in the loop and in the know as the probe unfolded. Secret Service agents wrote that Comey's case was a hot topic on Air Force One, and the president personally requested the agents' notes from the first interview with Comey. Why? So he could use them for a press conference later that day.

Here to break it all down is the former district attorney for Westchester County, Mimi Rocah. Mimi, so good to see you. I mean, the case file is as it is. And when you see it and you see a case where the government brings in a convicted mobster-turned-Trump ally to try to translate the slang after struggling to actually gather supporting evidence, you've got to ask yourself, is this the new due diligence or is this a sign of desperation?

MIMI ROCAH, FORMER WESTCHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY FOR SDNY: Absolutely a sign of desperation, Laura. This isn't just any cooperator, this is a failed cooperator. I mean, no legitimate prosecutor, frankly, would rely on "Sammy the Bull" Gravano at this point. I say this as a longtime mob prosecutor. He has been caught in so many misstatements and lies. And even the preposterous basis that they went to him in the first place because, you know, Comey, as a mob prosecutor, did some cases with Gravano, and so somehow Gravano can read Comey's mind as to what Comey thought this meant, I mean, it is desperation on top of desperation.

COATES: And to be clear, they were trying to have some evidence that his statement in this contemporary setting, that he had no idea this would have a violent connotation or a threatening connotation. They were trying to dispel that by going back to say, aha, see, in other files, you knew what it meant, you knew what that meant, and now you're trying to fool the American public that it didn't pan out.

I want to talk about the Secret Service bypassing the warrant requirement to track Comey. I mean, when agents write down in black and white that what they're doing is legally a bad idea, and then they go ahead and do it, I mean, how is a prosecutor going to defend that in court?

ROCAH: They can't. They can't, Laura. I mean, that's absolutely one of the worst things that, you know, can happen in a case, is that you have the agents who are on the ground, and that's who you rely on to make decisions about safety and imminency of threats. If I recall, you know, the president was actually out of the country at the time of this alleged -- quote -- "threat."

And so, it's no wonder that there was -- I mean, there are many reasons why, but that alone would be a reason why there wouldn't be exigency. And the admission of that, the, you know, candid statement, assessment by someone in law enforcement, should have had them just stop in their tracks and not try to do that and do, you know, what eventually happened, which was do an interview that Mr. Comey fully agreed to and further confirm that he was not a threat.

COATES: And, as you know, the president, according to the reporting in the files, the president wanted to be in the know of it, was interested. It was a hot topic on Air Force One. Given that Comey has made an argument, this is selective, this is vindictive prosecution, how will that factor in?

ROCAH: Well, I mean, that's exactly right, Laura. This goes to the vindictiveness. There is no way for a prosecutor to claim that this is just a case being brought based on facts, based on law, you know, based on proper motivations when you have the president of the United States overseeing it, not only ordering it.

I mean, we have all that evidence that we've all talked about now for months. We have the president saying go get this guy and saying all sorts of things about him publicly, disparaging personally, and calling him, you know, a criminal, essentially.

[23:15:01] But now, you have him actually involved, essentially, in the case itself, wanting to see the product of these investigators that he has set out on someone. It is just a true abuse of the power of DOJ, not just the entire case, but now we see in today's filings, which are excellent, by the way, I mean, thank goodness Mr. Comey has just, you know, really excellent legal team to expose this kind of abuse of power, which is what this is, and not just the case as a whole, but at every level and every step of the way to get the case brought.

COATES: He still has a First Amendment argument about political speech as well. We'll see how that pans out, among others. Mimi Rocah, thank you so much.

Remember, you are all part of this show. Text us your questions, your comments, 818-972-7272. Give me your first name and your city or state. I'd like to know who I'm talking to. We'll answer them later in the hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: Here I am sitting in front of you six years later, saying, who the (bleep) do you think you were for doing that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: So much for decorum. Republicans tearing Dr. Anthony Fauci after he pleads the Fifth more than a hundred times in a hearing that ended with a new push to now see him behind bars. Dr. Deborah Birx worked with Dr. Fauci during COVID, and she's live with me, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FAUCI, PHYSICIAN, SCIENTIST, IMMUNOLOGIST, FORMER CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FORMER DIRECTOR OF U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. I respectfully decline. I respectfully decline. I respectfully decline. I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Senators heard that phrase from Dr. Anthony Fauci 112 times today as he repeatedly refused to answer questions about his response to COVID that were directed at him. Senator Rand Paul ordered this hearing. And tonight, Paul is suggesting that Fauci could be held in contempt for refusing to answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: There is a legal question that attaches to this. Can the Fifth Amendment be taken or can you ask for the Fifth Amendment protections when you've already been granted immunity through a pardon? I don't think this has ever been truly and fully adjudicated. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: I guess you're right, Senator Rand Paul. It hasn't technically been totally settled. But even bringing charges against Fauci would be an uphill battle. Why? Well, for starters, President Biden's preemptive pardon of Fauci, it covers anything Fauci did after January 1st, 2014, through the date the pardon was issued, January 20th, 2025. That's when Biden left office. So, obviously, this includes his time responding to COVID. But the pardon covers only federal crimes. So, considerably, he could still face state charges or local charges or even civil lawsuits as well. So, it's not all- encompassing at this level.

And even, well, another important note about timing, pardons are not indefinite. It's not the sort of perpetual get-out-of-jail-free card for the rest of your life. Your stagecoach, it turns back into a pumpkin for anything you do after the pardon is issued, which brings us to today, because the Florida A.G., they are saying he is launching an investigation into Fauci's -- quote -- "lack of candor to Congress."

As Senator Paul's contempt of Congress pursued, the Senate can only refer the issue to the DOJ. So, the real issue there for the federal cases would be whether the DOJ under Trump would even pursue it. And to be clear, they would have to argue in a court of law that it is a violation of the law to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights when it is clear that even a presidential preemptive pardon would not go far enough to protect someone across all boards. Good luck.

My next guest worked alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci on Trump's COVID task force, and some lawmakers want her prosecuted as well. Joining me now, Dr. Deborah Birx. Sorry I speak to you for this reason, doctor, but I am dying to know your reaction to Dr. Fauci's decision to plead the Fifth.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, FORMER CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: Let me start with I've known Dr. Fauci a long time, and I think many of us respect his long contribution to science and his running of the National Institute of Allergy and Immunology, had tremendous breakthroughs, and we all honor that.

But I think what we all heard in the hearing is real frustration with the COVID response across both the Trump and Biden administration, and real frustration still at the American level. Listening to it, I was quite humbled by even what Senator Fetterman said, when he said, you know, as lieutenant governor, and I just hoped every day that I was getting the balance right between saving lives and saving people's work and life and school. And I think that's what lingers today. And I think you've heard that frustration from individuals, particularly on the right.

The lingering effects of COVID, and we live that in my own family, I have a granddaughter that had to do extensive speech therapy because of the masking, I have another daughter that's in extensive reading therapy, and I had a daughter that had to deliver without her family there. So, I mean, this is -- this is the American experience. Yes, a lot of what we did saved lives, but we have to be humble enough to really step back and say, did we explain things adequately to the American public? Did we give them the information so that they could make good decisions on their own? And let's be clear, a lot of these decisions were made at the state level, and that's why I spent a lot of time in the states.

[23:25:02]

But I'm impressed, and I think rightly so, that there are still lingering effects of the shutdowns, and there are still concerns today across the American fabric of life of the impact that it has had.

COATES: I think we haven't even scratched the surface on the long- term impact on what that experience has done to so many people, and those are the ones who were able to survive the pandemic. But I do give a lot of credit to the idea that it was obvious in a pandemic like that. People were building the plane as they were trying to fly in the plane and trying to figure it out in real time with extraordinary consequences.

But the humility aspect that you speak about is one where they attacked Fauci today. They singled him out because they believed that his fame was somehow clouding his ability to focus on the real task at hand.

And in one of the diary entries Senator Paul released, Fauci wrote -- quote -- "It is not hyperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable persons in the world."

Now, obviously, this is a diary entry that I'm reading. I'm not sending an affect to it whatsoever. But were you surprised to see him talk about himself in this way? Do you think that it trumped his ability to deal with the gravity of COVID?

BIRX: I think for all of us who have worked alongside him for so many decades, we're surprised by the diary. One, because it was on the HHS servers, that's my understanding. And all of us know, if you use government equipment, nothing is private. And to put private thoughts in a public server is difficult to understand. I mean, very difficult to understand.

And difficult to understand taking the time to write those things when there was so little time for anything that first year. I mean, I know how little sleep I got. And I just -- I don't understand it, to be frank.

But, on the other hand, we all have private thoughts. I think none of us would want our private thoughts released in transcript in that way. So, it is very difficult. I think there are some things in that diary --

COATES: But do you think -- do you think, doctor, that it compromised his ability to handle COVID and to deal with the gravitas? BIRX: I think, you know, the only thing in the diary that people could say that could compromise objectivity are these relationships with the media. Because when we're a public official, we have to be very careful about our relationship with pharma and diagnostic companies and certainly with the media. We don't want to ever be perceived as getting special favors or compromising any objectivity. I think that was a surprising part in the diary.

But, you know, I think what will come out of this are policy reforms for federal officials. I don't think anyone deserves that kind of grilling. That has been a federal servant for those number of years.

But what I heard in people's voices is a real need to understand the decision making and to really have that discussion to create a roadmap forward so this doesn't happen again. When you have to mandate, it means you didn't spend enough time on education so that people can make the choices for the health of them, themselves, and their family. Mandates are a shortcut that you use in a crisis, and those mandates went too long.

COATES: Congressman Thomas Massie does not think that this should end with Dr. Fauci. He said that you should be prosecuted in part because you don't have a pardon from President Biden. Are you concerned you will be next?

BIRX: No. I am a very transparent person. Everything I've written during COVID is in the National Archives. Anyone has access. There are 25 banker boxes of everything that I did, every piece of paper that came across my desk, and every email that I sent out, not emails that came to me, but emails that I sent out, because I think transparency is important.

That is available to every American who wants to go and look at that. I think that is important. But I think the message to all of us is we have to really understand and explain more clearly the decision-making during those first two years.

COATES: Dr. Deborah Birx, thank you.

BIRX: Thank you.

COATES: Joining me now is CNN political commentator Karen Finney and Bob Cusack, editor of the Washington Examiner. Glad to have both of you.

[23:30:00]

I mean, look, transparency is the operative word. Another word is trust that I think about when it comes to the period of COVID and the aftermath when science was on trial in many respects. People do have legitimate questions and frustrations, Karen, about Dr. Fauci and the entire COVID response. But was that the motivation, you think, of the hearing today, to get those answers because --

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO HILLARY CLINTON: No. COATES: -- it wasn't the most direct route to do so?

FINNEY: Absolutely not. That's one of the many things that was so problematic about what was on display, right? It was not about, as Dr. Birx said, let's make sure we're creating the roadmap so that, God forbid, something like this should ever happen again, we know we have plans in place, we have information.

You know, we also, frankly, were fortunate to have experts who had been through other health crises and could apply that experience. You know, I think what you said is so true. Sorry, I'm getting emotional because I actually had brain surgery during COVID. I was in the hospital by myself. And, you know, I'm grateful to Dr. Fauci and to the people who were, I believe, trying to keep us safe. They were doing the best they could.

And it was a very frightening time because you didn't know -- things were changing so fast. And, obviously, the science. I remember Dr. Sanjay Gupta talking about how they're really learning what this virus is in real time, and then trying to figure out what's the best way to keep everybody safe. So, it's unfortunate they didn't use the time to really explore those questions.

And, frankly, what I think more Americans care about is, where are we going from here? We talk about -- what about the education loss? What about the impact that it had on kids who lost time in school and socializing? Let's talk about how are we going to deal with that, with the mental health crisis. Let's not just spend our time on a vendetta.

COATES: Karen, thank you for sharing your personal journey. And we love you. You have never been alone in my heart. I can tell you that.

Bob, let me ask you. Given what Karen has described and what many people feel, you know, we do want answers, we do want this to never happen again. But do hearings like this or the journey professionally of Dr. Fauci and others, do they look at this and think to themselves either, one, I'm not signing up for public service, this might be ahead of me?

BOB CUSACK, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Right.

COATES: Or two, they ask themselves, well, hold on a second, Am I really going to be at risk for criminal prosecution if I don't get it right? That could apply to any number of civil servants across this country.

CUSACK: Sure. I mean, I think the emphasis of the hearing is a bit off. Having the hearing is a good thing because mistakes were made. Schools were closed for far too long.

COATES: Yes.

CUSACK: Mandates as Dr. Birx went on. Listen, Dr. Fauci has a huge ego. It's very weird to be writing, I'm the most talked about person in the country. I think one person would dispute that, the president probably. But overall -- COATES: He would always dispute that.

(LAUGHTER)

CUSACK: But we need to learn. I mean, listen, also, I think the media did treat Fauci with kid gloves. In January of 2020, he did downplay the threat of the coronavirus. And we need to know, if this happens again, what are we going to do and what do we learn?

And I do think, too, remember, he had a falling out with Robert Redfield, the former director of CDC, because Redfield said he was saying, I think it came from the lab. And Fauci mostly said, no, probably the wet market, and he wrote about that as well.

But overall, I don't know why that became so partisan, that maybe it came from the lab, maybe it didn't. We still don't know. We'll never know because China I s not answering any questions.

So, I think, overall, what Dr. Birx said is right, is that, you know, Fauci is 85 years old. Putting him in jail, is that going to save anybody's life? No.

His work on AIDS was legendary, but he made some mistakes. This was a very difficult thing to do. Also, the masks, as far as don't get the masks, Fauci said that because, well, he wanted the health care workers to do it. That's not new. We knew that already.

So, I think that Congress should be holding a lot of hearings on this, we're learning new things, and then try to figure out how to save lives if this, God forbid, happens again.

COATES: And, of course, the real question will be whether this aligns with the priorities of voters today in 2026 or whether this feels like a more intellectual pursuit. I don't know. Lawyers will decide. Karen, Bob, stand by. We have more for you.

Up next, we have a lot more, I'll tell you. Up next, we've got more information about the cycle of war ramping up again. Trump is back to striking Iran with no end in sight as new polls paint a brutal picture of the president standing with the American public. And I do mean brutal. Congressman Byron Donalds responds to all of it, next.

[23:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: Breaking news, CENTCOM says it just completed a new round of strikes on Iran tonight. The Pentagon says it is retaliation after Iran fired several ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan yesterday. Trump alluded to this new escalation earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming. They're asking us not to do it. But they, nevertheless, took a shot. So, it's our turn. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: We're still working to learn the scope of these strikes. But it suggests yet again that this war isn't ending any time soon. And Americans are running out of patience.

[23:40:00]

A new CNN poll finds that 74 percent of Americans do not believe the war is worth the cost. Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds joins me now. He's also running for governor of Florida as well. Congressman, you know, there was a CNN poll that found 73 percent of Americans do not believe the president is paying enough attention to the most important issues to them. He only gets 30 percent support on the economy, 25 percent support on inflation, 21 percent on gas prices. Do you think the American people are wrong in their assessment?

REP. BYRON DONALDS (R), FLORIDA: Well, I think the American people, obviously, are focused on the price of the pump. Everybody is. But if you look at the overall economy, it is growing actually quite healthily. Our job growth is up, investment in America. A lot of the prices in our economy have stabilized from the years of the Biden administration.

But, yes, gas prices are higher because the Iranians want to use the Strait of Hormuz as a cudgel against the left because they want nuclear weapons, and they want to be able to terrorize with impunity.

President Trump is doing the right things. He's telling the Iranians, no, you're not getting nukes and you're going to leave the Strait of Hormuz open. And so, we have a conflict. When this whole conflict gets resolved, those gas prices are going to come tumbling down just with oil prices, and I think then the American people will see all the other fruits that are happening in America's economy today.

COATES: If you follow that thread, that this is all due to Iran and President Trump is the one that started the war with Iran, and I understand Iran's past as well, then shouldn't the connective tissue then be Donald Trump? Isn't that the issue?

DONALDS: No, I don't think so, and here's why: The Iranians were very close to having weaponized material for a nuclear weapon. If that were the case, they would actually be able to hold the Strait of Hormuz up for anything, regardless of if there was a military conflict or not.

The president, in my opinion, made the right decision in making sure that he did what was necessary so that they could not build nuclear weapons and put them on the tips of their ballistic missiles.

We already know because of this conflict that the Iranians can shoot ballistic warheads 4,000 kilometers from their missile batteries. That touches our allies in Europe, touches military bases all through the Middle East. That is destructive capability that the Iranian regime simply cannot have. And so, yes, they have caused for the strait to be closed or to be hampered because they want to inflict economic harm the same way they want to inflict terrorism on the world stage. The United States is saying no.

And what we're starting to see now is that some of the other Arab nations, namely the Saudis and others, are starting to stand up as well and saying enough of this. You cannot let a theocratic dictatorship just have control of the seas and have controls over energy supplies.

COATES: The word "enough" is what I'm interested in because there are many Americans who think it's unfair to shoulder the economic burden of this war. There are members of -- service members who were deployed in the region who are also concerned for obvious reasons. The president, if you believe he was right to enter the war, he seems to have no right way to exit the war. So, what should Americans know?

DONALDS: Listen, this is a -- this is a conflict that's going to be very tough because the Iranians lie. They lie all the time. For every deal that has been cut in the past, what have we actually seen? We've seen the Iranians go back on that deal or they use the money from that deal to actually improve their weapon systems, improve their ballistic systems, build drone technology.

But the truth is you have to make sure they don't have nuclear weapons. That's how we started this. We've actually made sure that that hasn't been the case.

What we're dealing with right now is actually having an early opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Remember, there was a memorandum of understanding in place that President Trump and his team negotiated. And what happened? The Iranians went back on that deal when they started firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. That has taken us back to where we are right now.

COATES: And yet, prior to the war, it was open. But congressman, I want to move on to A.I. data centers because you know they're becoming a big political issue. You've been pretty open to them with regulations. But the man who could be a Democratic opponent, David Jolly, he wants a full year pause. I actually spoke to him last week. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID JOLLY, FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Donalds hasn't proposed a single boundary. Donalds's boundaries are big tech has to pay for the water that they want. They have to pay for the energy they want. He has actually referred to using private water. That's not a thing. That's not actually a thing. We don't have private water. We create private rights around water. But understand, if we say to data centers, as long as you drill down into the aquifer, you can drill as much as you want. As long as you give me the campaign money, you can plunder all the water.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: What is your response?

[23:45:00]

DONALDS: I'm going to spend the next couple of months fact-checking Mr. Jolly. Number one, it is Florida law today signed by Governor DeSantis that utility rates for Floridians will not go up because of a hyperscale data center. That is law in our state. Governor DeSantis signed it. Utility rates are set by our Public Service Commission, not by utility companies. And so, we're not going to see utility bills go up for Floridians.

Number two, when it comes to water, in our state, they have to get a consumptive use permit from our water management districts, the same way golf courses have to, the same way plan unit developments have to. And what we want to see are closed-loop filtration systems on these hyper-scalers so that they don't take water every single day. They actually treat that water on site and recycle that water for cooling purposes.

COATES: There has been some questioning of to whom you are beholden. Politico reports that at least four developers hoping to build data centers in Florida have donated more than $800,000 to your campaign. Other companies, A.I. companies outside of Florida have also contributed. Are you concerned people will see that and think that that's the motivation for your support?

DONALDS: Listen, my hope is that when people look at our campaign and look at the policies we are proposing, there is one focus only, and that is making sure that Florida remains the best state in all of America and that we protect the Florida dream for everybody.

COATES: That sounds similar to a vision of the current governor that you don't have his endorsement. Why do you think that is?

DONALDS: Well, look, I think that's something that's going to happen over time. Let's be very clear, I've been able to have endorsements from most Republicans in our state.

COATES: But not Governor DeSantis. Why?

DONALDS: Governor DeSantis and I, we agree when it comes to policy. Look, we agree when it comes to policy, and we'll take care of that in due time. I really would love to have Governor DeSantis's support because what we want to be able to do as the state's next governor is build on the success that he has brought to Florida.

David Jolly doesn't want to build on that success. He wants to tear down what Ron DeSantis has done in our state. And look no further than how David Jolly -- what his response was to COVID-19. David Jolly agreed with Dr. Fauci about the lockdowns. He would have locked down Floridians while Ron DeSantis made sure that people could be free.

And look at the results. Not only did Florida thrive, but we had people coming from other states choosing Florida while David Jolly left Florida, he chose Pennsylvania, and then ridiculed Ron DeSantis along the way.

It's very clear this November what the choice is, building upon the success of Ron DeSantis or somebody like David Jolly who wants to tear down that success, which so many Floridians and, quite frankly, Americans have chosen year after year after year.

COATES: Sounds like this is right for a debate. Congressman Byron Donalds, thank you so much.

DONALDS: Thank you.

COATES: Up next, it's the part of the show where you get to weigh in. We're going through your questions and comments as we speak. Keep them coming, everyone, because Karen and Bob are back with me to answer them live, next.

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[23:50:00]

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COATES: We get lots of questions from you guys tonight. I want to start answering them, shall we? Just a reminder, if you want to participate, you can text us your question at 818-972-7272. Give me your first name, your city, your state. I want to know who my friends are.

Karen Finney and Bob Cusack, they are back with me. All right, here's a question, we got Jay from North Carolina, and he asks, why would anyone want tax immunity if they were not doing anything wrong? Bob, do you want to take that one?

CUSACK: That's a tough one because I'm a friend of everyone. What does he mean by tax immunity?

COATES: I think he's talking about Trump and Todd Blanche.

CUSACK: Oh, Todd Blanche. OK.

FINNEY: The second part of that.

CUSACK: Yes. That's a good question. You know, listen, I think with the Blanche issue is, as far as just on the political side, you can't trust this administration, and Republicans, even in the Senate, can't trust them. That's why John Cornyn and others want -- basically say, I want this in writing, that this slush fund is done.

FINNEY: But why do you think, just because they write it down, that means they wouldn't --

CUSACK: That's a good point.

FINNEY: I mean, they're breaking laws. So, what makes them think, like, oh, sure, I'll sign the paper?

CUSACK: That's illegal.

COATES: That tells you what (INAUDIBLE) that's the thought as well. On this question we've got on Dr. Fauci pleading the Fifth today, Chris from Texas says, I am politically independent, as we all should be. Fauci not answering a single question after our taxpayer dollars paid his salary for decades is complete garbage. Really tired of there never being any consequences for anybody in Washington D.C. Karen, what do you want to say?

FINNEY: Yes. You know, look, it goes to the fact that these hearings are not designed to actually extract information and answers. They're so performative. It is all made for T.V.

CUSACK: Yes.

FINNEY: All the back and forth because those members, they want the clips that they're going to put on their social media. So, yes, I think we all want answers. Unfortunately, that was not the forum to get answers.

COATES: Then what is?

FINNEY: Well, you know, perhaps, some kind of -- I hate to say this but we did it after 9-11. You know --

CUSACK: Bipartisan.

FINNEY: A bipartisan --

CUSACK: Commission.

FINNEY: -- effort where we really study it and really come out with recommendations for, OK, if it ever happens again, what are the things that need to be in place and how do we go forward and do it?

CUSACK: And that's also important because we're losing ground to China where, obviously, the virus came from. And I think, you know, every year that we don't realize what we did right and what we did wrong, regardless of the virus, on education, on how we can get kids math and reading, I think that should be what the 2028 candidates talk about a lot.

COATES: We'll see if they do. Dave from Connecticut says this thing: Can someone tell the GOP senators that no one cares about Dr. Fauci? We care about the economy and what you're not doing about it. Can either of you tell them that?

[23:55:00]

(LAUGHTER)

CUSACK: Yes, I will.

COATES: OK.

FINNEY: Yes. (LAUGHTER)

CUSACK: That Connecticut question is basically what voters are talking about now. And Joe Biden and the Democratic Party in 2024 lost their way because they didn't talk about that. And I think Republicans to some degree are not showing empathy. Trump is saying the economy is great. Obviously, that is kind of what Joe Biden did. He didn't show empathy. Trump is not showing empathy. That is why Republicans could have a tough election come November.

COATES: Yes, a lot of questions, too, about the decorum or lack thereof today as well. We have another one here. On 73 percent of Americans saying the president hasn't paid enough attention to the country's biggest problems, a viewer from South Dakota simply asks, only 73 percent?

(LAUGHTER)

I mean, that's quite telling.

FINNEY: It is telling. But I think, you know, the polls are always just a snapshot of how people are feeling. And 73, just for those who don't follow point, that is a big number, that is a big deal. Any time you're getting over 50 percent, that means more than half of the country, that means that is a bipartisan feeling. Trust me, politicians pay close attention to those numbers, you know, particularly for those who are on ballots this year.

COATES: We will see.

FINNEY: They are nervous about it.

COATES: We will see. Karen, Bob, thank you both so much. And thank all of you for your questions and for watching. Elex Michaelson is coming up, next.

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