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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Second Woman Who Dated Platner Describes His Violent Behavior; U.S. Strikes Iran In Retaliation For Attacks On Commercial Ships; El- Sayed Slams Schumer On Debate Stage Amid Dem Party Rift. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired July 07, 2026 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But if the House flips to the Democrats in the midterms, Courtney thinks he may have better luck.
And one other note, Anderson. When I spoke to the Executive Director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, he emphasized how long Air Force One planes stay in the fleet, pointing out that JFK's presidential plane was actually in use through the Clinton years. Al Gore was the last person to use it. He said, it's like a food chain that new ones come online, but the older planes are still needed, so that those just get knocked further down that food chain, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Well, Randi Kaye, thanks so much.
That's it for us. The news continues. "THE SOURCE" starts now.
SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: Graham Platner hangs on, even as he hemorrhages support, and Democrats scramble for a replacement.
I'm Sara Sidner in for Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Breaking tonight. Sources say, the battle has begun inside the Democratic Party over who might replace Graham Platner on the ballot in Maine. And he hasn't even dropped out of the race yet.
Platner's Senate campaign further imploded today when he lost the support of one of his biggest and earliest progressive allies. Senator Bernie Sanders joined the chorus of Democrats, calling on Platner to step aside, after a former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, accused him of raping her in 2021, an allegation Platner has denied.
At this hour, Platner is still in the race that Democrats believe could decide control of the Senate. But his campaign is on life support. It is no longer running ads on Facebook or Instagram. As a person close to the campaign is telling CNN, quote, I think he knows it's over, but he wants to use the movement he created to have a voice in who replaces him.
Sources tell CNN, several Democrats are already waiting in the wings, or in at least one case, already making their pitch to voters, right here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TROY JACKSON, FORMER MAINE STATE SENATOR: There's a movement here in Maine, and across this country, of people that are fed up with health care not being offered to everyday people, you know, with prescription drugs, workers' rights.
And short timeline, obviously money, and all that is going to be a challenge, but I definitely think it's doable because, the message, the movement is right, and that's what's important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Now, as Platner weighs his next move, another one of his ex- girlfriends is speaking out for the first time on camera. Lyndsey Fifield, who first spoke to The New York Times, told our Jake Tapper that she dated Platner from 2013 to 2014, in Washington, D.C. She described a controlling and violent partner who she says was hostile and callous towards women's feelings.
A warning that this interview includes graphic details of domestic violence that viewers could find disturbing or triggering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: When Jenny told her story, what, if anything, aligned with your experiences?
LYNDSEY FIFIELD, PLATNER ACCUSER: The eyes.
TAPPER: The dead eyes? Where he couldn't hear your protests?
FIFIELD: I just know exactly what that looks like. I know exactly what it looks like, and it's -- that is something that I feel like people need to understand is it was almost like looking at, like, a pit bull, where they just -- there's -- it's nothing like -- but not just nothing, but like a capacity for violence, and you see it, and you know it's there, and it's terrifying, and I -- but also, yes, a deafness to anything that, you know--
TAPPER: Consent?
FIFIELD: Yes, like I'm going, like this is going to happen, and I think that was the hardest part.
Oh god, I'm sorry.
TAPPER: Jenny also talked about unprotected sex as something she didn't want to happen that he -- that he made happen. Is that something you experienced?
FIFIELD: Yes. So that was something that was really, I think, the worst and most violating part.
TAPPER: Right.
FIFIELD: This was a relationship that went on and on and on, and that even after my roommates and people were like, This has to stop. Then it continued in secret, where we continued to see each other, even after I had told people, like, No, I'm really -- I'm really done, like, we're really broken up this time, like I'm not. They'd be like, Are you sure? And then you know that it's -- it's humiliating. It is embarrassing that I continued to go back, despite abuse for--
TAPPER: But a lot of them -- a lot of that -- a lot of that you were -- what you're motivated by was trying to protect him.
FIFIELD: I was trying to help him, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: In a statement, the Platner campaign told CNN, Fifield's allegations are categorically false, and comes from a person with a well-documented political agenda.
My lead source tonight is Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California, who called on Platner to drop out immediately last night.
Congressman, thank you so much for being here.
[21:05:00]
Well, look, we first heard from Jenny Racicot on CNN, accuse him of rape about 24 hours ago. Four hours ago, another woman came forward, as you saw there, Fifield, detailing more alleged violent behavior. Nine hours it has been since Platner's biggest backer, Bernie Sanders, called on him to exit the race. Are you surprised that he hasn't done so yet?
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): I mean, frankly, I am. There's just no question that Mr. Platner should resign from this nomination, from running for Senate or any office. He should focus on his personal life, focus on these allegations that are incredibly serious, and he should allow the Maine Democratic Party to move on and bring in a new nominee.
These allegations, and the way they have been described in the interviews, in the media reports, are incredibly serious, and we have to be a country where we push back on this. I mean, rape, the abuse of women, this cannot be something where our nominees or elected officials carry into office.
And so, I commend these women for the courage, and I look forward to the Maine Democratic Party moving forward and putting in place a new nominee.
SIDNER: Look, Platner has had several other scandals, if you will, including a now-covered tattoo of a Nazi symbol, controversial Reddit posts, and allegations of violent behavior from other women.
Your Democratic Senate colleague, Mike Quigley, called for Platner to resign, back in June, before this rape accusation. And this morning, he said to me, and I'm quoting here, I wish I was wrong about everything, but it was pretty obvious before the primary this was a person not fit for public office. So, why did you need this final straw to call for him to step aside?
GARCIA: Yes, I mean, look, I never had endorsed Mr. Platner. I had obviously concerns, like many members of the Congress, about him and some of his actions. But what was revealed in the last couple days just rise to a completely different level than what had been known before, and it's incredibly clear now that he should not be the nominee.
Look, the people of Maine, and certainly Democrats in Maine, made him the nominee in this race. They believed in him.
I think also, it's pretty clear now, and folks that I'm talking to on the ground, that they are -- they're united in rejecting Mr. Platner moving forward, and in fact want someone to represent the Democratic Party, any nominee, to ensure that we flip that seat in the Senate.
And so, I think it's really, really sad, this moment. What's happened, of course, to the community, to the residents of Maine, certainly to Mr. Platner's family, and most importantly, to the survivors who have had to go through this. I think all of our hearts are with all of them. But we now have to move forward, and Mr. Platner should resign tonight and allow the country, and most importantly, Maine, to move forward.
SIDNER: I do want to ask you about how to move forward. Maine Democratic -- Democrats are saying, Look, we have to have an open, transparent process. And they're floating this idea of maybe a mini convention or maybe a caucus. How should your party go forward to pick Platner's replacement?
GARCIA: I think it's the job of the national party to get out of the way and allow the Maine state party and the Democratic delegates to pick the nominee. Those are the folks that are on the ground, right now, that are actually, of course, dealing with this fallout.
So, whether that's going to be some type of mini convention, whether that's going to be the delegates gathering together to see where the interest is. Certainly, there are, I think, three or four really strong candidates that have kind of appeared to have some level of interest. That is a positive thing.
And broadly speaking, I think we have to understand that this is going to be a close contest. It's also likely could really shake up control of the entire U.S. Senate. And so, I, and like -- all of us in the House, we just want the Maine Democratic Party to be able to move forward. And again continue to encourage, Mr. Platner should step down from his nomination tonight, immediately, and allow the party to move on.
SIDNER: You have been very clear today on what your thoughts are on what should happen next.
Congressman Robert Garcia, thank you so much. Appreciate you coming on.
All right. Our top political sources are here.
New York's former mayor, Bill de Blasio, sitting by my side here.
And CNN Political Commentators, Karen Finney and Shermichael Singleton.
All with us.
I'm going to start with you, Mr. Mayor. Look, you've got all these Democrats. You've got Sanders, Warren, Khanna. They were sort of seeing this slow-motion trainwreck happening in front of them, but it took a while for them to say, This is it. Does that hurt the Democratic Party, you think?
BILL DE BLASIO, (D) FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: I don't, honestly. Because first of all, right now that we've gotten this horrifying information, everyone's speaking with one voice that Platner needs to get out of this race.
But the second reason I don't think is because his underlying message. So, the messenger has proven to be an absolutely inappropriate candidate, but the message was actually very powerful and meaningful, and it was resonating. We could see it in the people of Maine, the way they embraced him in the primary, the way the public opinion polling obviously shows he's very competitive against Susan Collins up till now.
[21:10:00]
So, I think this is a case where there was such a yearning for an outsider, a voice that could connect with working people, including folks who had drifted towards Trump over time. It's understandable that that was in the front of people's faces.
But now, it's time to clear the decks and get a candidate in who is not a status quo candidate, someone who can represent that same kind of change, but obviously with a clean and decent record.
Troy Jackson, who you saw earlier, I think, is a really interesting example of that. Comes from a fifth generation member of a lumber worker family, a guy who's been active in terms of fighting for working people's rights in Maine, but has also been vetted because he's been in public life for a long time. That's the kind of candidate who could beat Susan Collins.
SIDNER: I hate to say this, but that sounds like an endorsement.
DE BLASIO: Right. I don't--
SIDNER: And he hadn't even jumped in yet.
DE BLASIO: I don't even know him, but I can tell you that in terms of the profile--
SIDNER: Yes. DE BLASIO: --what I'm hoping for is just not a traditional sort of professional politician, but someone who actually can relate to the working people of Maine.
SIDNER: All right, let me ask you, Karen.
First, I want us all to listen to what we heard today from Lyndsey Fifield, what she said about Platner. Finally hemorrhaging support among Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIFIELD: As much as I'm grateful and I'm glad and I hope that those -- that finally this was enough, finally, there is also that feeling of pain, of like, But my accusations weren't enough?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, SENIOR ADVISER, HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 CAMPAIGN, FORMER DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yes.
SIDNER: Do Democrats have a bit of soul searching to do, maybe an apology to make?
FINNEY: I think everybody in this country ought to take -- do some soul searching about this. This is not -- let's not make this just a partisan issue, Sara, come on. We are talking about -- we went through the Me Too era, and we said believe women, and we had a backlash of the manosphere.
Now, I will say, as somebody who I hadn't been tracking this race as closely as I wish I had, the New York. She also talked about how she was disappointed in the reporting in The New York Times, which called it abuse and didn't quite say all of the things that she said.
And I agree with Mayor de Blasio, that now that we've actually really heard more about what we're talking about, it's very clear we are all on the same page. And I certainly hope anyone who may have disparaged any of these women should absolutely apologize.
And look, I think one of the most important things that Sara, to remember is, the voters of Maine have a say. And even when they have heard some of these allegations, they, you -- we saw -- I mean, John King was up there. There was plenty of reporting of people saying, Well, I guess we're still going to vote for him. But then -- but now it's -- that's not an option.
And it really shouldn't be an option that he -- I don't know what kind of -- what he's thinking about the fact that he wants to have some kind of influence on who replaces him. You know what, buddy? You don't get that choice. You got to get out and do the right thing.
Also because, the last thing I'll say, it's not just about him, and it's not just about Maine. When we talk about controlling the Senate, we're talking about protecting voting rights in this country, we're talking about the war in Iran, we're talking about putting a real check on Trump's power. So, it's time to get out of his own head and get out of the way.
SIDNER: Strong words from you, Karen. As we expect.
Shermichael, I want to go to you.
Look, obviously Republicans, all they have to do is sit back and watch this mess, right?
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: And do nothing, yes.
SIDNER: I mean, that's what is happening. There are not tons of them coming out. I mean, there's a few. But they don't have to.
But while Democrats are struggling with Platner. We've got Marjorie Taylor Greene, for example, calling for Mitch McConnell to resign. There's been a little bit of transparency, very little, except for today, about his three-week hospitalization. Is this going to be a problem going forward, you think, for Republicans?
SINGLETON: I'm not necessarily sure if it will be an electoral problem any more than it is a voting problem. I mean, we have a very slim majority in the Senate. We certainly can't afford to have a senator not present to vote.
I'm not exactly sure what's going on with the former Majority Leader. I hope he's doing OK. I've checked with a few folks who have worked for him in the past, and the message appears to be the same that we've reported on, that he's recovering. I hope that is true.
But I just want to touch quickly on the Maine issue, Sara, if you will allow me to. This is a real conundrum for Democrats. And for whatever reason, Platner believes he still has some type of an upper hand, which I think is very intriguing.
Now, you heard Mayor de Blasio, and then you also heard Troy Jackson, talk about the message and the movement. But I would argue that the messenger, the person who can articulate this moment, is as equally as important on my side, and I would say Democrats would probably strategically agree, having the right person to articulate the moment also matters.
[21:15:00]
And so, merely replacing him with a vetted candidate doesn't necessarily mean that that person can enthusiasm -- increase enthusiasm among Democratic voters, can build the level of volunteer, or a core base that you will need to engage, and turn out your base, and also some of those Independents. And so, being vetted is not merely enough.
So, as I look at this race, I look at Susan Collins being in a much more stronger and solid position than she was just a week or two weeks ago, regardless of who Democrats ultimately nominate. Because, I do think morale is ultimately going to be lower as a result of the guy that they really wanted having so many personal issues. SIDNER: Mr. Mayor, I'd like you to speak to that. Because we do have Platner trying to find still some power here, even though he has not yet left the race, but saying, Well, if I do, then I'd like to have some say in who replaces me.
What do you make of that? And what do you make of Shermichael's sort of analysis there, that at this point it's Collins who holds the reins right now in this race?
DE BLASIO: Well, I hate to disagree with my friend, Shermichael, but I really think that train already left the station in terms of Collins because, she has too often wrapped herself in Donald Trump in a way that I don't think she can, this time, get out of.
Look, the President has a 30 percent approval rating. Maine is a state that supported Kamala Harris in the last election. This is a situation where a new, fresh face against someone who can really speak for working people in Maine and can present a vision of change, not a status quo politician, can absolutely get in and re-energize Democrats and get people to focus again. I think that -- look, Donald Trump has always been the issue in this race. Let's face it.
Platner has no rights anymore. He's let people down. It's absolutely inappropriate. A guy like him should have said, Here's who I was, here's what I've done. And it would have been obvious he shouldn't be a candidate. So, he let people down. He did not tell the whole truth. He has no rights.
But what the Maine Democratic Party should learn from this is not just about a flawed individual who did something wrong, but that the message of fighting the status quo and saying that everyday Mainers are hurting economically, they are barely making ends meet, they want change, and they need someone who will take it to Donald Trump and Susan Collins.
That part has to be remembered, and they've got to find a candidate with that kind of vigor, that kind of energy, and someone -- look, I mentioned Troy Jackson -- there are others. But someone who comes out of that progressive wing of the party, someone who has the Bernie Sanders movement behind them, I think, is exactly what we need in this case to turn the page.
SIDNER: All right.
And just to be clear, we have heard from Platner, who has denied the allegations against him, as there are though growing number of women coming forward.
Thank you to everyone on this panel for walking all of us through a lot this evening.
All right, coming up. The battle inside the Democratic Party just getting started. My inside source is Bernie Sanders' former chief campaign strategist.
Plus, all eyes on another critical race for Democrats wanting to take back Congress. See what happened at tonight's fiery debate in Michigan, the all-important state there.
And a CNN Exclusive: what Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told Dana Bash about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Those stories and more ahead.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: All right, we got some breaking news for you. There are new explosions in Iran tonight, as the U.S. launches retaliatory strikes, it says, after Iran fired on three commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz earlier today. A U.S. official tells CNN, quote, This is punishment, end quote.
Iranian state media reported, moments ago, that several blasts were heard on Kharg Island, a vital hub for Tehran's oil exports. The U.S. also reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales, which Iran calls a clear violation of the memorandum of understanding that the U.S. and Iran signed about three weeks ago.
The new attacks are happening, as Iran holds a multi-day funeral for the late Supreme Leader, and threatens to upend efforts to resume peace negotiations.
On Monday, President Trump said that the U.S. would either reach a peace deal with Iran or quote, Finish the job.
We'll bring you updates as we get them from Tehran.
Meantime, tonight, Maine Democrats are scrambling for a plan to quickly replace embattled Senate nominee, Graham Platner, who, by the way, has not resigned as of yet. Sources are signaling to CNN, it is now a matter of when though, not if, Platner will end his campaign in the wake of a rape allegation.
It's an accusation he has denied, but has led even his staunchest allies to rescind their endorsements now. That list now includes Senator Bernie Sanders, who had stood behind Platner when he faced previous allegations. But now, the Progressive leader released a statement saying, quote, "I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside."
My source tonight served as the chief strategist for Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign. Tad Devine is with us. His new book offers a firsthand account of how he says the Democratic establishment stopped Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential bid. It published today. It is in stores now. It is titled "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie."
So, I guess the first question is, what's this book about? No, I joke. I joke. Clearly, the title--
TAD DEVINE, CHIEF STRATEGIST, BERNIE SANDERS 2016 CAMPAIGN, SENIOR ADVISER, JOHN KERRY 2004 CAMPAIGN, SENIOR ADVISER, AL GORE 2000 CAMPAIGN: Well everybody's going to know. SIDNER: --the title says it all.
DEVINE: Yes.
SIDNER: Let us talk about what is happening with Platner.
DEVINE: Sure.
SIDNER: I will get to your book in a minute. But it speaks to the establishment progressive divide that we are in right now. Are you surprised at all that Bernie Sanders stayed with him this long, but then finally said, You got to get out, and Platner has not done so yet.
[21:25:00]
DEVINE: Well, I'm not surprised he said, You got to get out. I think Bernie is right. I think Mayor Mamdani is right. I think Chuck Schumer is right. OK?
I think, across the board in the Democratic Party, people realize, this Senate seat is too important, not just to the Democratic Party, but to America. OK? We have to have a change in leadership in Washington. It's a crucial Senate seat. Collins is a tough one to beat. I did a losing race against her, 30 years ago, OK? And so, I know how tough she can be.
But I want to tell you, I think what they say is right. Platner needs to go. And hopefully, the Democrats in Maine will understand that what voters in Maine, Maine people are looking for, is change, is new leadership that Platner embodied in his message. And now, we need someone who can take it on, who doesn't have the liabilities that he brings to the race.
SIDNER: We're seeing this sort of wave of progressives, not just here in New York because a lot of things -- people thought that was a New York story. But we're seeing this in other states, in other cities. And now, you have sort of Platner come along, and people were very excited about him, and then all these things started tumbling out.
He faces a July 13th deadline for candidates to withdraw from the ballot. If he does, the state Democratic Party would then have two weeks, which is a pretty short amount of time when you think about it, to put forward a replacement candidate.
In your book, "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie," you wrote, and I want to put the quote up here. You wrote this: the Democratic Party must stop impeding voters from determining the outcome of primaries. The enduring system is structured to heavily favor party insiders. The result, as we have seen repeatedly, not just in presidential elections but in many down-ballot races as well, is that it undermines the chances of the strongest candidate to prevail.
So, in this case, what are you worried about? And do you think Democrats will do the same old thing that you are talking about in this book? DEVINE: Well, I hope they don't. OK? If the Democratic Party apparatus in Maine decides that a governor who ran in a primary against Platner and was rejected summarily by the voters suddenly becomes the nominee? Then they're making the same mistake that the Democratic Party made in 2016. They're trying to substitute their judgment for the judgment of people.
We need to listen to voters. That's what my book is about. It's about listening to the voters because, the voters get to decide. The more we empower them, the more likely we are to acquire power.
SIDNER: Why do you think that progressives are winning in many races, to the surprise of some? Because some of the people they are beating, not only have been in Congress for a very long time, but they're progressive themselves.
DEVINE: Well because, people want change. They desperately want change.
Listen, Donald Trump is a threat to America and the world right now. People understand that, and they're participating in the democratic process, right now, in the primary process, to find candidates who are willing to stand up and fight against Trump in everything that he's doing to this nation. They want people to take him on.
And I think we have to recognize what they're doing. Because if those people are rejected, they're not going to show up in November. That's what happened in 2016. And we don't want it to happen again in 2026.
SIDNER: Last week, The Wall Street Journal interviewed two independent activists who handpicked Platner, and helped kind of push him to the fore to the front of Maine's Senate race. And I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON ZITNER, REPORTER AND EDITOR, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: How did you find Graham Platner?
DANIEL MORAFF, SENIOR STRATEGIST, PLATNER CAMPAIGN: Well, so I mean, we went through thousands and thousands of prospects. We, you know, through a number of means, you know, assessed just a huge amount of people. Then, you know, Leanne pulled up this video of this guy with an oyster farm.
GRAHAM PLATNER, AMERICAN POLITICIAN: My name is Graham Platner, and I live in Sullivan, Maine, the owner of Frenchman Bay Oyster Company.
MORAFF: And then she pulled up his FEC history and saw the money he'd given to Bernie Sanders and some other people. That was enough information to know that we had the best prospect that we had maybe ever seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Do you think that there is a different standard for vetting candidates who are not establishment candidates who have sort of been raked over the coals by the Democratic establishment?
DEVINE: Well, I think the process is different. But the vetting needs to be done on everybody. You have to pass a threshold of credibility if you want to be the President of the United States, a United States senator, a member of Congress, or the mayor of your hometown.
And that scrutiny should occur. It should occur within the ranks of the party, and it should particularly occur within the ranks of the press. That's something that I think Trump would like to stop. But the press has to recognize it's a principal part of their responsibility to vet anyone who runs for high office in this country.
SIDNER: I know you're excited about the book. It is a very plain message. How Democrats Screwed Bernie.
[21:30:00]
I was covering the 2016 election, and remember the long lines in places like Seattle and around the country, and it was a -- it was the big crisis then, for Democrats, at the time. And now we're in a different time with a different crisis. We'll see how this one plays out.
Tad Devine, thank you so much for coming on.
DEVINE: Great to be with you.
SIDNER: And again, his new book, "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie," is in stores right now.
All right, up next. The fight to be Michigan's next senator, taking center stage. See the biggest moments from tonight's Democratic debate there. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HALEY STEVENS (D-MI): My opponent wants to make this race about lies and attacking my integrity and the work that I have done for the people of Michigan.
[21:35:00]
ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE IN MICHIGAN: So, if we want to talk about lies, I think it's really important for us to understand who's paying for them and what was said on the backend to allow them to be told. Because $40 million just -- it doesn't come for free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Tonight, a tense Democratic Senate primary debate has just wrapped up in Michigan, where candidates, Abdul El-Sayed and Congresswoman Haley Stevens, are locked in a proxy war for the future of the party, with the establishment wing of the party backing Stevens, and the rising progressive flank backing El-Sayed. The challengers faced off over a key issue dividing Democrats ahead of November midterms. That dividing issue: Israel and AIPAC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EL-SAYED: AIPAC has spent tens of millions of dollars in attack ads against me or ads lying about the Congresswoman's record. They clearly want one individual, and it's not me.
STEVENS: No one owns my vote, and no one owns my policies. Anyone who is contributing to my Senate campaign is doing so because of my proven record of fighting for Michigan.
EL-SAYED: If Congresswoman Stevens makes it, or Mike Rogers wins, either way, Israel will win. AIPAC is perfectly fine with either of my two opponents because they know that they will have a comfortable, reliable vote in the U.S. Senate.
STEVENS: Abdul, you talk about getting money out of politics and putting money in people's pockets. But who is putting money in yours? What are you hiding?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Yowza.
My political sources are back with me now. I'm going to begin with Karen.
Karen, look, when you look at support for Israel among the Democratic Party, it has lessened, something that Dana Brash brought up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. Will this sort of be a bellwether on where the party stands on Israel and AIPAC, based on who voters choose in this particular election?
FINNEY: Well, look, I think there's two issues playing out in this election that we're seeing play out in other elections. And yes, part of it is about Israel and support for Israel, and what your posture is, whether it's about funding for Israel to support Netanyahu, whether it is how you feel about October 7th, and what has been happening in Gaza, and what the responsibility is to the Palestinian people and what they have endured. In addition to that, there is -- and AIPAC is part of that, but at the same time it's all -- it is about money in politics.
I mean, one of the thing -- the themes that we're seeing over and over again, and I've done polling where voters are saying, Corruption in Washington is part of why my costs are too high, and people are -- the people in Washington are only listening to the big-moneyed interests. I mean, people are furious about it.
And so, that is another piece of this, and I think that's part of why Abdul said that, right? Because that is part of the argument that people are very angry about money in politics, and you're hearing people talk about not taking corporate PAC money. I mean, these issues have been swirling around. Full disclosure, I'm on the Board of End Citizens United, so it's an issue that I -- is near and dear to my heart, but.
So, I just think it's important we recognize that both of those pieces are playing out, and they will, they both play, I think, a big part in what happens in this Michigan Senate race. In addition to, frankly, the core issues we've just been talking about, in terms of costs, concerns about Trump, concerns about the future of the country.
SIDNER: Yes, it is the economy, stupid, but it's also about other issues, and this has been laid bare in many different places.
And as you alluded to, Karen. You know, Mayor, when you look at what's happening in Michigan, and that the arguments going back and forth, and the way people are seeing it. Do you think this is going to be a major factor for any presidential candidate, where they stand on Israel and whether or not they have taken money from AIPAC?
DE BLASIO: Yes, absolutely.
Karen's making a really powerful point. These two things have merged now, this question of money in politics.
So, it's really powerful to remember since that Citizens United decision, years ago by the Supreme Court, flooding our system with money. Not just Democrats think that was a horrible mistake. Republicans and Independents also believe our system is too dominated by big money.
And now you have more and more candidates calling out the billionaire class the way they should, and saying they're not paying their fair share. While, meanwhile, AIPAC, I think very unwisely decides to put massive amounts into these races.
And so, now you have the anger about money in politics, the anger about what Israel has done, Netanyahu has done, to the Palestinian people, and they're merging. So, I think all Democrats will be asked, Where did you stand on this, and how are you going to change this situation?
SIDNER: Yes, we are starting to see that play out.
Karen, El-Sayed also had some pointed words for Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, when asked about the shift inside the party right now. Let's listen to that.
[21:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EL-SAYED: I'll tell you this: it won't shift if we continue to elect leaders who take money from the same corporations who have broken with the interests of the American public. Chuck Schumer desperately wants one of us to be the next senator, and it's not me. So, if you want your politics dictated to you by AIPAC or Chuck Schumer, then I'm not your guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FINNEY: Yes.
SIDNER: Is Democratic leadership in D.C. kind of on notice here, Karen?
FINNEY: Well, yes, but Democratic leadership, I mean leadership, both parties, is always a little bit part of the -- you know, I remember when Pelosi was made the issue, and so that -- you know, that happens from cycle to cycle. And again, you heard him come back to that central message about money in politics and power, and whether or not.
But look, the thing I do want to say is, I do think people feel like they want a change. And I think part of what is happening in this cycle and what we will see in 2028, people want to know where are the big ideas. They're ready to move on to big ideas. And so, my advice to our party is we have to be the people of big ideas. I think that's part of why some of the candidates who are defending the status quo, not going to make it across the finish line.
SIDNER: Yes, there are a lot of things converging, is what I hear you both saying that we have seen happen. It's not one particular thing, but it all boils down to what kind of influence somebody has over the lives of Americans, and their economies, their personal economies as well.
Mayor de Blasio. Karen Finney. Thank you both so much.
DE BLASIO: Thank you.
SIDNER: All right, just ahead, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sits down for an exclusive interview with Dana Bash. What he had to say about New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his relationship with President Trump. That's ahead.
[21:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Less than four months out from the midterm elections, one key issue has increasingly become a litmus test in Democratic primaries: U.S. support for Israel.
A new AP-NORC poll finds that a majority of Democrats, about 58 percent say the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, up from 45 percent nearly two years ago. And when it comes to Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, he is particularly unpopular among Jewish adults. Roughly 60 percent view him unfavorably.
Earlier today, CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent, Dana Bash, spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu about criticism of his government, including his response to New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel's government.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I want you to listen to how the Mayor of New York City responded when he was asked if he supports Israel as a Jewish state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NYC, NY): I've said time and again that I support the State of Israel as a state with equal rights. I believe that any state that privileges--
JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: As a Jewish state is the question.
MAMDANI: I think any state that privileges one religion over the other is one that I can't tell you I support, whether it be Israel, or Saudi Arabia, or anywhere else. And a lot of that comes back to a fundamental belief that we should all be considered equal, no matter what our faith is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Your response?
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Well, he conveniently forgets that the only democracy in the Middle East is Israel. 20 percent of our citizens are, in fact, Muslims. They're not Arabs -- but they sit on the Supreme Court. They're in the Knesset, our parliament. They share every walk of life. That's the only place in the Middle East where you actually have this equality that he's talking about.
But he has supported, or his supporters have supported, Hamas, these people who murder people, who beheaded our men, who raped our women, and then murdered them, burned babies alive, and so on. He said, the river to the sea, he supports them. This is -- this is not mere cynicism. I mean, it's ridiculous, it's absurd.
BASH: Some American Jews in Congress, who support Israel and support what you just said, say that a lot of the actions by you and your government are making Jews in the United States unsafe.
Congresswoman Haley Stevens, she's running for Senate in Michigan, said Benjamin Netanyahu has made us less safe. He has frankly put Jews in an uncomfortable position across the country.
Have you?
NETANYAHU: Well, it's made her -- it's made her uncomfortable because she can't stand up for the truth. She's trying to probably excuse anti-Semitism. You know, I--
BASH: She's not. She's -- I mean I -- I just want to explain, she's somebody who--
NETANYAHU: You know, I can only tell--
BASH: --supports Israel, she supports funding Israel, which is diminishing big time among Democrats and even some Republicans in the United States Congress. NETANYAHU: Well, let me tell you, we track support, and I'm obviously concerned when people raised that. And I've looked at the -- the Gallup polls, OK, and they were interesting, and other polls, and you see the decline in support for Israel, OK? And it's years before, several years before the Gaza war took place, OK?
And you ask, Why did that happen? Well, the one correlation you see, which is almost a perfect correlation, is the penetration of TikTok and other social media in the United States. And as the penetration increases, the support for Israel decreases. And let me tell you something else, the support for America decreases. The number of people who say they're not proud to be Americans. It's just correlation.
BASH: Right.
NETANYAHU: So, I think that what has happened here is that there are several countries and organizations that have penetrated the social media, have abused them by putting in bot farms and other things to -- especially directed at young Americans -- to not only to hate Israel but also to hate America. And you know what? Those who say they hate Israel usually end up hating America.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: Dana joins us now.
[21:50:00]
And it was such a good interview, very thorough interview that you -- that you did. Do you think Netanyahu's answer, and his really placing much of the blame on people disliking him, and then subsequently Israel, that he pointed to social media. Is that something that you think is going to sway critics at all?
BASH: No. It takes a lot to sway critics, especially these days. You've been talking a lot about it on this show.
He definitely has an important point that the way that the algorithms are working, and the fact that he alleges, and others have too, that this is being done systematically, and has been for years, even decades, by foreign actors, who don't like Israel, to sort of insert the anti-Israel ideas into -- into the sort of mainstream of social media.
However, after that point, that part of the interview, Sara, I pushed him on just that. Well, can it be both social media and also your actions, your policies? And then we went into a discussion about Gaza.
So, it's not going to sway critics, but it is only part of the story.
SIDNER: Yes, I mean, you talked about the pictures coming out of Gaza, and that having such an impact on people, as they watched the suffering that happened there during the war.
I do want to ask you about something that you have reported, and anyone that has sort of covered this has reported, just how frayed the relationship is between Trump and Netanyahu. Especially recently, in one call, Trump even called Netanyahu, quote, effing, with the full F- word, crazy.
You addressed this strained relationship with Netanyahu. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: He obviously imposed ceasefires in Gaza, in Lebanon, on Iran. He made you turn fighters back from attacking Iran last summer. He's told you what you can and can't do in Hezbollah. Who is calling the shots for Israel?
NETANYAHU: I think there's a wide misperception. Everything you said. Because, a lot of these things, some of them were not true, and some of them were agreed in advance, and some of it, yes, we had occasional disagreements.
Look, he is the President of the United States. He does what is good for the United States. I'm the Prime Minister of Israel. I do what is important for -- what is good for Israel. And most of the time, these things are identical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: What did you make of his answer? Because he sort of went on to say, how strong the U.S.-Israel ties are.
BASH: Yes, and the argument that he makes is that allies, just like families, have disagreements, and he didn't shy away from the fact that he and the President have had disagreements.
But Sara, the first thing we discussed in this interview today, which was very likely why he wanted to be on television, is what the President was doing, is doing at the NATO summit, which is being held in Turkey.
And just hours before our discussion, he said, sitting next to the leader of Turkey, Erdogan, that he was considering sending American fighter jets, F-35s, to be purchased by Turkey, which is something that is anathema to Netanyahu and to Israel.
And so, part of what Netanyahu wanted to do is to push back on the notion that Turkey and that Erdogan are, that they're a good actor, they're not really allies, he doesn't think, and should be of the United States because of harboring terrorists and other things.
And that is another example, one that happened today, of a widening rift between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. He tried to have this conversation with President Trump in private. He obviously wasn't successful, so he went public with it.
SIDNER: Yes, and he's certainly sending a message by talking to you, to try and have some influence there as well.
Fascinating interview that you did.
BASH: Thanks, Sara. Good to see you.
SIDNER: Thank you so much, Dana Bash, for staying late.
BASH: You too.
SIDNER: And of course, Dana Bash, on every day during the week on INSIDE POLITICS at Noon Eastern, and Sundays on STATE OF THE UNION that begins at 09:00.
Thank you for being here, Dana. Appreciate it.
BASH: Thanks, Sara. Good to see you.
SIDNER: Up next. The Source Code. We're giving you a number at the center of a major story in the news. Can you guess the story? Tonight's Source Code is 21. We'll be back with the answer.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Tonight's Source Code is 21. It was on that floor, in a high rise here in New York City, that construction workers first noticed this. Look at that. Beams bending like cigarettes, as one worker described it, prompting an immediate evacuation from the high rise and nine nearby buildings in Midtown Manhattan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're getting reports from the construction that two columns buckled on the 21st floor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The construction company has done a roll call. All construction workers are accounted for at this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: This is nuts, y'all. New Yorkers and travelers alike have described a scene of chaos around the former Pfizer building.
Officials say, the high rise, which is located really in the heart of the city, near Grand Central and the United Nations, was being converted into apartments.
Fortunately, there have been no injuries at this time. And a collapse zone is now in place.
[22:00:00]
Here's New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAMDANI: Two structural columns have buckled, in addition to multiple cracks and sagging floors. The building remains unstable. Since arriving on scene, we have witnessed additional movement in one of the compromised columns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: You got to ask, where were the inspectors when this part was being built? A lot of questions about this.
But that building, there is a fear it's going to collapse. A lot of people have been evacuated around it. It is a mess down there.
As for us, thank you so much for joining us.
And we will see you tomorrow on "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" at 07:00 a.m. Eastern.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts right now.
