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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump Stumps, Dems Clash In Critical Battleground Michigan; Trump Threatens More Strikes If Iran Doesn't Make A Deal; Savannah Guthrie Breaks Silence In New Message To Suspect. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired July 27, 2026 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What local firefighters say is that they believe they have a small window of opportunity, overnight, to try and bring it under control. Then what happens on Tuesday -- on Wednesday is that temperatures rise and France will be faced with yet another heatwave.
John.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: More to come.
Melissa Bell, thank you so much.
That's all for us tonight. I'll see you back tomorrow morning at 07:00 a.m., alongside Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan for "CNN NEWS CENTRAL."
The news continues. "THE SOURCE" starts now.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Tonight. President Trump defends his war and his economy as he tests out a new line of attack against Democrats.
I'm Boris Sanchez in for Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
As July turns to August, Republicans are on the rose. The President's approval rating is near historic lows. His handling of the economy, which propelled him to his second term, has taken a big hit. His war in Iran appears to be stuck in a deeply unpopular quagmire.
And he's left fixated on forcing through new voting restrictions, including a new appeal to the Supreme Court today, while resorting to new campaign trail messages like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This is maybe going to make news because I've never said it, I'm just thinking about now. When they take something over, it's always dirty. The sidewalks are dirty. The people are -- I hate to say this -- not clean. OK? The curbs are loaded with you know what. The smell is terrible. I mean, I see it happening to cities, blue cities, they're all blue; they're all blue.
We don't have problems with the Republican-run cities, I mean, for the most part. But they're dirty. I said to somebody about a certain city. I don't want to say the name of it, but it's run by the radical left. I said, How is it doing? Because I love it. And they said, It's filthy dirty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Part of his remarks today in Michigan, in what was billed as a speech touting his economic policies, his tariffs, and the auto industry, standing next to a muscle car with a message that no longer contains the power it once did.
Democrats appear ready to pounce, but you wouldn't know it from some of the infighting currently roiling the Democratic Party. Some three- ish months until the midterms.
Exhibit A, perhaps, is the Democratic debate tonight in Michigan, where a Democratic socialist and a moderate establishment candidate are clashing in their final face-off before next week's Senate primary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HALEY STEVENS (D-MI): Look, we need proven fighters in these positions, and that is what I have done time and time again. I've got the receipts to show it, and this is also why Governor Whitmer and A.G. Nessel, you know, two proven fighters who want to see results, have endorsed me in this race.
The only thing that ever motivates my work is the people of Michigan, the people who I hear from. You know, my opponent is on these big podcasts. You know, he's running a podcast himself. These folks are making fun of the way I sound. But yet, I sound like the people who need help.
ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: So I just want to say the difference between us is $46 million of AIPAC spending. They've set a record in this race to help elect my opponent because they know that she'll be a reliable vote, just like she took last week to send your tax dollars to a foreign government that is aiding, arming, and abetting the very people who want to foreclose on the possibility of Palestinian self-determination.
Look, at the end of the day, my job is to take care of you here. I want to be your U.S. senator. I want your tax dollars spent in Michigan, to provide schools in Michigan, to build health care in Michigan, to build roads in Michigan. And I think that money sent over there to kill kids and women is the worst use of our tax dollars. And yet, that's exactly what $46 million in spending will buy you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Congresswoman Haley Stevens is running as a pragmatic legislator focused on manufacturing jobs and electability. While former County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed is making the case for a more progressive agenda, centered on expanding health care and reducing the influence of big money in politics. Their differences on Israel and the direction of the Democratic Party are what Republicans are hoping to exploit to blunt Democratic momentum. And it's not a stretch to say that this race could decide control of the U.S. Senate.
Separately, taking a look under the hood, there's this New York Times reporting about the Democratic National Committee, and its Chair, Ken Martin.
[21:05:00]
Listen to this. Quote, "Mr. Martin's fraying nerves are showing. In a pique of frustration in early July, he threw his phone at the desk of a junior aide while upbraiding the person. The phone-tossing incident resulted in a formal complaint to the D.N.C.'s human resources department." End quote.
The Times goes on to say: None of the party's problems are more acute than money. For more than a decade, the D.N.C. has transferred millions of dollars every election to sister committees responsible for winning the House and Senate. But the national party is now so short on cash -- even after taking out a $15 million loan last year -- that officials have privately conveyed to congressional leadership that there will be no such transfers in 2026.
So, momentum versus money. From coast to coast, the party's ideological divide is testing whether unity against Donald Trump can keep a fractured coalition together without him on the ballot.
Let's discuss with some of our top political sources.
First to you, Paul. What did you make of the performances in Michigan tonight? Who could win next week?
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's a coin toss. But I have a favorite. I think most Democrats -- I don't live in Michigan -- but they want to see Haley Stevens because they think she's a stronger candidate. It's not about left, right, establishment -- centric. The only thing Democrats want is to win.
You know, 51 Sundays a year, I'm at St. Luke's Catholic Church. But on Election Day, I am a member of Our Lady of Victory. OK? We got to win.
(LAUGHTER)
BEGALA: And the governor, who knows her state, says that Haley would be a stronger candidate.
Mike Rogers, the Republican certain nominee, has said that on a donor call. He said, If they nominate Abdul El-Sayed, we'll be in pretty good shape.
So, that's the only thing I care about is Democrats winning, and it looks like Haley Stevens is a better general election candidate.
SANCHEZ: We've seen in recent weeks, Ameshia, a number of progressive candidates embraced across the country. Some specifically that criticized Israel policy. Those were in pure blue states, though. This would be in a battleground state that undoubtedly would tilt control of Congress. What would it mean if Abdul El-Sayed won?
AMESHIA CROSS, FORMER OBAMA CAMPAIGN ADVISER, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: It would quiet a lot of the talk about how far the DSA can go. Because as previously stated, winning in a super blue state, one that is hugely progressive, is not necessarily extremely surprising. But doing it in a place that is, as what I would consider, as much of a slice of American pie as Michigan happens to be, it is a state that could go in either direction in almost any election.
But also, El-Sayed has been very clear about where he stands. Not only is it pushing against what we've seen in terms of Netanyahu's abuses of power. But in addition to that, he is really trying to reset what is possible.
And they think that when you see a Haley Stevens, she is toying the line. It's -- she is a moderate candidate. She stands in the same wing as that we've seen time and time again.
Younger voters like to see him. But I do think, and we had this conversation a little bit before the show started, his problem is also going to be in the black community. DSA candidates writ large, with the exception of the current New York mayor, have had a really hard time getting the black vote. And I can go through 5,000 reasons why that is. But unfortunately for El-Sayed, in Michigan, specifically, in the places that he is going to have to really come out strong, he's going to need that vote. And right now, he's coming up short.
SANCHEZ: Before we get to the Republican side of the table. I do want to ask about this recording of El-Sayed that was obtained by Politico. This was a private Zoom call with donors, and El-Sayed was talking about what victory over Haley Stevens would mean. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EL-SAYED: If I win, you're just like, well, y'all came at me, so now I get to come at you. And you know, primarying people like John Fetterman, I have no problem to do that. Like, I'm looking forward to it. And people like, ah, we don't primary in the Senate. I'm like, watch me do it.
Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There was a pregnant pause there before he said ogre, right?
I do wonder -- I should clarify: the El-Sayed campaign told Politico that he was speaking metaphorically about his intention to primary Senator John Fetterman.
Is that kind of talk welcome in the Democratic Party right now? Describing a fellow Democrat as an ogre that you want to put on a pike.
CROSS: Considering the fact that -- I wouldn't have used that language. But considering the fact that John Fetterman seems to find a very cozy relationship with Fox News and the like, considering that he's somebody that Republicans kind of want to embrace and bring in, I don't think that that type of commentary is going to set off a ton of Democrats because many feel like John Fetterman put on a different cloak the minute he got into office anyway and has aligned himself outside of what the party wants to see.
With that being said, language matters here, and I do think that El- Sayed could have probably said that a little bit with a different temperament. But nobody is going to fight him about John Fetterman. He's been quite disappointing to a lot of people in the party.
BEGALA: Yes, I've disclosed I'm not for Abdul.
Toughen up, Buttercup. I mean, if people are hurt by this, they need to get in a different line of business. John Fetterman's a very tough guy, and he's been called worse things by better people. So, I don't think -- I'm kind of on a -- I don't approve of what he said, but it doesn't bother me in the least. I'm sorry.
SANCHEZ: Doug?
BEGALA: I'm a horrible person.
SANCHEZ: Do you agree with that assessment that Mike Rogers would rather see Abdul El-Sayed than Haley Stevens, come November?
[21:10:00]
DOUG HEYE, FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Not only Mike Rogers. I think every Republican who's on the ballot would rather see that because this is part of what they're running against. And every DSA candidate or now party official -- we saw one on Fox News, Sunday -- is really advertising for exactly what the Republicans want some of their messaging to be. So, they'd say, Bring it on.
And if El-Sayed wants to talk about who he's going to primary in the future before he even gets there? I think that's not the argument I'd be making if I were advising his campaign. But Republicans want him to keep on trucking all day long.
SANCHEZ: Ambassador Flake, I'm curious to get your thoughts on some of what President Trump said today during the speech, visiting Michigan at General Motors, stumping for Mike Rogers, touting his economic record.
Let's listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You're going to see the results very soon. I'm a little bit upset because, in two and a half years you may have a different president. May. And -- and that president will be saying how great the economy is doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So he talks about how great the economy is doing. Michigan's unemployment rate is higher than the national average. It's at 5 percent.
JEFF FLAKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY, FORMER U.S. SENATOR (R- AZ): Right.
SANCHEZ: Detroit's is actually even higher at 5.5 percent. So, how does that message land with those voters?
FLAKE: Well, we've said this a million times. The problem with Joe Biden, you know, coming into the last race, and then Kamala Harris', You can't describe something that people aren't feeling. You can, but nobody's going to believe it. And I think that's the problem they're going to have.
They would catch a big break in Michigan if El-Sayed is the nominee. I can tell you, coming from a state that tends to nominate people who can't -- Republicans who can't win in general.
(LAUGHTER)
FLAKE: Mike Rogers, who I was elected with in the House in 2000, Mike is not an extremist. He is a solid Republican and just waiting for that kind of contrast. And it only takes one or two Democratic socialists, or those who lean that way, to color the whole field.
Because, I mean, I can remember in 2012 when I ran for the Senate, you had Richard Mourdock, you had Todd Akin, the legitimate rape comment. That knocked a couple of percentage points off of every Republican running out there, just with a few. And this whole Democratic Socialist movement tends to kind of do the same because Republicans can point to those people--
(CROSSTALK)
CROSS: But does it though? Because the guy who's running for governor of Georgia, who made a similar comment, by the way, when it comes to rape, he was trying to legitimize it--
FLAKE: Yes.
CROSS: --if there's brutality, then that counts. If not, then whatever.
He's still the Republican nominee, and Republicans have not stood away from that. They actually pushed against candidate from many moons ago. They have not pushed against him, and everybody's not saying, Well, Republicans are, you know, they just need to stop running these people. They actually are still aligning around him.
FLAKE: Well, they shouldn't.
CROSS: We're in a very different -- I'd just say, we're in a very different state of--
(CROSSTALK)
FLAKE: I'm not defending that comment at all. I'm just saying it much -- much easier for Republicans, like Mike Rogers, if people who lean Democratic socialists are on the ballot.
HEYE: So, easy to say that you're aligned with the assessment that for Republicans, El-Sayed winning would be easy gift?
FLAKE: Oh, you bet. You bet. You bet. Easy gift.
BEGALA: Coming back to President Trump going to Michigan.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BEGALA: I don't know who his political advisers are, but I want to thank them on national television.
(LAUGHTER)
BEGALA: Thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
Trump is 24 points underwater in Michigan. He won by 1.4 two years ago, that's good for him, that's impressive. But he's down negative 24. So, he dropped 25 points in two years.
So, if the Democrats had any money, Ameshia, what I would do is buy another plane to replace that broken one from the Qataris and give it to Mr. Trump -- President Trump, if he promises only to go to swing districts and swing states. He's the best thing Democrats have going on.
SANCHEZ: I do want to pivot to some of the issues over at the DNC outlined in this New York Times reporting.
BEGALA: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Doug, you were communications director for the RNC.
HEYE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: What did you make of that report about Ken Martin getting agitated and throwing a phone, and also the issues over money over at--
HEYE: Yes. When I worked for Michael Steele at the RNC, he was agitated a lot, as was I. Nobody threw phones. But the stories and headlines I've seen, not only are very familiar; they're actually pretty milk toast compared to some of the things that we dealt with.
You still have to put your head down, do the work that you're supposed to do, and ultimately try and continue to raise all the money that you can. And the reality is, it's tougher in this environment, when the DNC says that, that's true. When I would say that in 2010, like we've had the Citizens United decision. Life's a little harder for us now. The press sort of downplayed it. I think now they get it a little bit.
But the problem for Ken Martin, it was the same problem for Michael Steele. The calls are coming from inside the house. Your own team is leaking against you. And if your consultants turn against you, and all of a sudden state party chairs start calling for you to step down, your pressures get really, really serious really quick. Doesn't matter -- what members of Congress necessarily do. They are not voting members of the committee. State party chairs and committee men and committee women, they can make your life very difficult.
SANCHEZ: And yet, Ambassador, if you're running for office, you're counting on--
FLAKE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: --a committee that is organized--
FLAKE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: --and especially well-funded.
FLAKE: The money matters. You've got to generate to get out the vote and everything, and that matters a lot. And so, the inability to raise money is just a symptom of the broader problem there, it seems. But yes, for Republicans, that's a gift again, so.
[21:15:00]
HEYE: It's also really hard, if you're in the minority, to raise money for a party committee when you don't have an incumbent president. That was true for the RNC in 2010. Obviously, that's true for the Democrats now. They're in a really tough position on that.
SANCHEZ: Everyone, please stick around. You will be back in just a bit.
But first, as I noted, Kaitlan is wrapping up some much deserved time off.
Last Friday, though, she was honored at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now the Broadcast Award for Excellence Under Deadline Pressure.
And this year's winner is my colleague and very good friend, Kaitlan Collins of CNN.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE) BLITZER: Reporting by CNN's Kaitlan Collins on historic showdown in the Oval Office, between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, launched a memorable day of non-stop insight and analysis, including her exclusive interview with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Judges were awed by the depth of knowledge, access, and context that Kaitlan brought to coverage of a meeting that unraveled before the world's eyes.
The WHCA is pleased to honor the deadline reporting of CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Kaitlan will be back anchoring THE SOURCE tomorrow.
And if you can't wait till then tonight, Kaitlan will be on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. Here's a quick preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: One of the best parts of the Dinner was Wolf reading the descriptions of the awards--
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": In front of him.
COLLINS: --and why people, why the reporters got them. You know, my colleagues who also did esteemed reporting, great reporting, deserved those awards. And so, I loved hearing Wolf read the descriptions of what they were and why people got them.
In terms of my reaction. I've always felt this, regardless of who's the president, whether it's Joe Biden, Donald Trump, those are the two I've covered. It's really not about me, and I don't want it to be about my reaction. And so, I think if you let it become about that, then it becomes a back and forth between the two of us.
And instead, I think it's more effective to remind people, in those moments, when he is insulting me, or when he is criticizing me, about the question I asked, or the reporting that I did that he was so angry about in this moment, and the fact that I got an award for it really bothered him clearly. And so, I just think in those moments, it's important to put the reminder back on the work, on the question, and on the non-answers that we get.
STEWART: It's a--
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: You can catch the rest of Kaitlan on "The Daily Show" tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on Comedy Central.
Still to come here on THE SOURCE.
The President says he paused strikes on Iran to allow for talks. Though Iran says there are no talks currently underway. So, what is next?
Plus, he also wants the Senate to cancel August recess until lawmakers pass his election bill. So, how did the Senate Majority Leader respond?
And Savannah Guthrie posting a new plea to her mothers' kidnappers. That and more, next.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You know, Iran took a beating over the last 14 days, and they asked us very nicely, Please stop. Let's meet.
And that's what we are right now. We'll see what happens. If we don't make a deal, we go back to the same thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: President Trump is warning of resumed strikes on Iran if there is no new ceasefire deal. But talks to make that happen have not yet made it off the ground.
The President's new threat follows an accusation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alleging over the weekend that Russia is feeding Iran, satellite images of U.S. bases.
When asked about it on Air Force One today, Trump said he'll go straight to the source to find out if it's true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, we'll find out if that's true. I'll ask Putin about it. We'll find out.
So, they may be giving, but if they are, it hasn't worked out because they have no army, they have no air force, they have no navy, they have no nothing. So, it hasn't worked out well. I don't think -- I don't think they've been doing it, certainly not at a high level. And if they have, it has been very unimpactful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I should note: Iranian strikes have killed and injured U.S. troops stationed in the region in recent weeks. My source tonight is Amos Hochstein. He was White House senior adviser to President Biden, and the lead U.S. negotiator for Israel and Hezbollah's 2024 ceasefire agreement.
Thanks so much for being with us.
First, on Trump's threat. Iran's foreign minister says, there are no current negotiations with the U.S. What do you make of that discrepancy? What needs to happen to get both sides to the table?
AMOS HOCHSTEIN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, MANAGING PARTNER, TWG GLOBAL: Well, first, we're in a cycle. We're in a new normal of a few couple of weeks of strikes. Then we have a couple of weeks of so-called talks that break down, and then we have strikes again.
Look, there are -- probably the truth is somewhere in the middle, there's probably not real negotiations, but there are probably some talks between Steve Witkoff, or the Qataris and others, exchanging messages, but they're not serious. And the Iranians know the difference between serious negotiations and not.
[21:25:00]
The President didn't stop these strikes because they sustained a lot of damage in Iran. He had no choice because two war fronts are colliding. The Ukrainians have taken out an enormous amount of energy infrastructure in Russia. The Russians used to be a 11 percent of exports of diesel around the world. They cut it to zero. Oil prices went up real fast, in July, during the strikes, much faster than last time. They went up from $70 to a $100, gasoline went up to $4.10, and they were marching really fast.
Because, the tools Donald Trump had to mitigate that are diminishing. So, if you do more strikes, the economy is going to crater. So, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, of more strikes doesn't change the facts on the ground, but it does damage the American economy.
SANCHEZ: So, if more strikes doesn't change the facts on the ground, what would then change Tehran's calculus? Because in the past, they only respond to pressure and maximum pressure, if that. No?
HOCHSTEIN: I agree. It's very hard to believe that the Iranians will somehow make big concessions at the negotiating table that they were not willing to make in the battlefield, while they were just sustaining losses.
However, look, the MOU was a good step forward. I thought it was a bit of a surrender for the United States, compared to what we had wanted to achieve in this war. We were given -- we were only negotiating on the Hormuz and not about any of the fundamental issues of regime, and missiles, and nuclear, and terrorist proxies.
But it was so hurried, they ended a war with a one pager or one and a half pager, where one of the articles, Article 5, basically was -- enabled the Iranians to say, You agreed that we'll control the Strait, so why are you bombing us now?
SANCHEZ: It was kind of a Rorschach test. It was very ambiguous, right?
HOCHSTEIN: Exactly. Very ambiguous.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
HOCHSTEIN: And said Iran will make arrangements to open it. Means, I control it.
SANCHEZ: Right.
HOCHSTEIN: Iran is not going to cede control of the Strait. So, they have to go back with something more creative.
If we're going to say -- if Donald Trump's going to say, The only way I negotiate is if I get some kind of big victory out of it? I think that's off the table. That's not going to happen. So, you got to take a deal, the kind of deal that's available to you. Because more war hurts Iran, but hurts us as well.
SANCHEZ: I want to ask you about Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the White House, tomorrow, for a separate meeting.
On Air Force One today, President Trump acknowledged that they are not in full agreement on the war with Iran.
I guess, moving forward, if they take that sort of deal that you can get, does Israel have to be on the same page with the U.S.? Or would we find ourselves in a similar situation, having to decide whether to defend Israel or stand back?
HOCHSTEIN: Look, as long as -- it's a remarkable circumstance where one, the United States and Israel are not on the same page during the Trump administration.
Two, over the last several weeks of strikes against Iran, Iran has struck the Middle East, but not Israel. So, Israel suddenly became the safest country, the only safe country in the Middle East. Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain were all attacked. Israel was not.
I don't think Israel -- Prime Minister Netanyahu, in my opinion, is not here to talk about Iran. That's just a cover story. He is here because on October 27th, there'll be an election in Israel, and he has a real challenge, and he feels that he is losing the support of President Trump, which in Israel still matters, and he's here to realign and to figure out what's going on to stop the hemorrhaging.
That is why he's here in Washington this week. It's to get back on the same page with President Trump, whether it's about Iran or anything else. Bibi will do whatever Trump wants right now because he wants Trump's support--
SANCHEZ: Come election season
HOCHSTEIN: Come election season.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
President Zelenskyy will also be at the White House tomorrow. What do you make of his allegation that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence?
I should remind people that CNN reported months ago, in March, that Russia was providing intel to Iran, showing U.S. troops and movements.
It seems like a legitimate claim from the Ukrainian president.
HOCHSTEIN: Look, we know from my previous years in the White House and since, Russia has had a very strong defense ties with Iran. That has been going on for a while. Iran was manufacturing the killer drones that Russia was using in the war against Ukraine to kill the Ukrainian civilians. So, it is not surprising at all.
Russia is not a friend of the United States, and this war is good for Russia. Because while they're taking a beating on the war front in Ukraine, oil prices going from 50 to a 100, it's the only good thing that Putin has is raising the prices. And America is distracted, the President is distracted, our economy is going down. So, for him, the war is a good thing. So, supporting Iran in a sort of a secret way and giving some positions and using satellites, and I think he's helping them in other ways, is not surprising at all. It's to be expected.
SANCHEZ: Amos Hochstein, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate the time.
So, up next. We're less than a 100 days from the midterm elections. And today, President Trump asked the Supreme Court to let his administration enforce an executive order on mail-in voting. Our political panel returns in a moment.
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Tonight, President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to greenlight a sweeping executive order targeting mail-in voting, setting the stage for a major legal battle over federal elections with midterms just 99 days away.
Lower courts in nearly two dozen states already blocked the President's order last March, giving new powers to the Postal Service and Homeland Security Department to screen state voter rolls for potential non-citizen voters.
[21:35:00]
To be clear, improper or illegal voting by mail remains exceedingly rare. The administration has never provided evidence of widespread fraud on a scale that could influence the outcome of an election.
But the President, who has repeatedly voted by mail himself, talked about election conspiracies during his visit to Michigan today, pushing his bill to overhaul federal elections that has stalled on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We will pass the SAVE America Act through the Senate. Hopefully, the Senate.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: Call your senators and put pressure on them.
Hopefully, there will be no mail-in ballots. Mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt, except for illness, disability, military deployment, or travel. If you're in the military, you're far away? Absolutely. If you have to go someplace? Absolutely. But mail-in ballots have proven to be a disaster. We're the only country in the world that, in this form, does them. There's no other country in the world. Because they're crooked, they pass through too many hands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: We should note, the U.S. is not the only country that uses mail-in voting, as the President claims. Dozens of others, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, and many others, allow it.
Our political sources are back with us now.
Doug, I want to start with you. When Republicans say they want the President focused on midterms, a message of affordability, what do they make of him attacking mail-in voting?
HEYE: Donald Trump has an amazing ability to take Republicans off message by going off message himself. We know what's scripted in his events. He was supposed to talk about the economy, the bridge that's open, connecting Canada and Michigan. But it's all these other topics that take everybody's attention off where they should be.
And when you showed the map, one of the states that was in there was my home state of North Carolina. The second campaign I ever worked on was when Lauch Faircloth beat Terry Sanford in 1992, and we did that by what we called the absentee ballot chase. And we would send people an absentee ballot, and we would chase the ever living hell out of them until they returned that ballot. It's why we won. It's why Republicans had a real advantage on mail-in and absentee ballots until Donald Trump came along.
SANCHEZ: And Paul, what does this push between his effort to make this request to the Supreme Court, his effort on mail-in voting, and his pushing of the SAVE Act tell you about what the remaining 99 days of the campaign season looks like?
BEGALA: Well, actually, I think he's going to fail on that, right? He doesn't have the votes.
FLAKE: Right.
BEGALA: Jeff served in the Senate. He could tell us.
But I think there's a strategy here, and I think he seeks to undermine our democracy. He wants to tell -- I say that fully aware of the gravity of that charge. He wants to tell us that our votes don't count; they don't matter.
Those votes are sacred. Some I've won, some I've lost, but they're all sacred.
And he's trying to -- he's lying to the American people and telling them that their votes aren't fair or accurate or honest, and that undermines the entire democracy. I think he's doing that because he knows he's going to lose the midterms. Look, Democrats are going to -- certainly win the House, maybe win the Senate, so he's setting the stage to undermine our democracy after 99 days. That's my worry.
SANCHEZ: The President, Ambassador, is pushing Senate Republicans to stay in town through August recess until they pass the SAVE Act.
Here's what he said about it today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Why do you want the U.S. Senate to stay in town? Should they be out across the country?
TRUMP: Why? What a stupid question for you to ask.
REPORTER: Should they be out and campaigning though?
TRUMP: What a stupid question.
Why do I want, the SAVE Act has to be done. They shouldn't leave town. I'm not going to stop them from doing it, but they should get the SAVE Act done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I think the reporter there was trying to make the point that this recess is very important to senators and Congress people who are trying to get re-elected.
FLAKE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: How do Republicans make this request from Trump to stay through this important time for them?
FLAKE: Well, I mean, the smell of jet fumes that affects every politician at home, whether it's the August recess or right before elections. So, no -- I don't suppose they'll be staying in town.
He doesn't have the votes, and he shouldn't have the votes. Since when have Republicans, who have always been suspicious of centralized power, wanted to have the federal government more in charge of elections? The fact that votes are dispersed, and the power to regulate votes is dispersed, is the best protection we have against the fraud that the President talks about.
So, yes, he doesn't have the votes, and they shouldn't stay in town for that reason. Maybe some other reasons, but not that one.
SANCHEZ: Ameshia, Senator -- Senate Leader John Thune tried to make that case about not having the votes to President Trump, unsuccessfully. He also rejected killing the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act, despite Trump's demands. How are Democrats viewing Thune's response to Trump, his ability, seemingly, to stand up to him?
CROSS: Well, I think that Democrats are excited that we're finally seeing some level of Republicans actually, you know, owning the muster, but also being smart enough to recognize that the SAVE Act, as well as these voting rights threats, to a point made just a moment ago, are threats against our democracy writ large.
[21:40:00]
This is a president who has gone out of his way to keep repeating the same thing over and over again because, he assumes that the more that he says it, the more somebody out there is going to believe him.
But more importantly, he is trying to diminish faith, and I would argue every federal system, with the exception of his own power. So, he is trying to diminish it in Congress. He is trying to diminish it in the courts. You name the system, he is trying to diminish the public's belief in it.
But he is also trying to enshrine himself as the only person who can be the path forward for the American people. And I think that everyone should be frustrated by it because not only does it threaten your vote, your choice, whether or not you even have the right to access a polling place, regardless of race. Because the SAVE Act goes beyond him trying to limit black people. He's been doing that forever. This is about a lot more than that.
And I think that, at this point, there has to be a recognition that this is a president who will do anything within his power, and many things outside of it, to totally reshape the way we envision our government.
SANCHEZ: Speaking of Senate Republicans, Ambassador, I want to ask you about this image, newly released, of Senator Mitch McConnell. He's been absent, given illness. He released a new statement along with the photo. It's from yesterday. He's seen next to his wife, Elaine Chao.
The statement says he's still undergoing intensive physical therapy after what they say was a fall in June. His doctor states, quote, "He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office."
Democrats have been calling for McConnell to resign his seat amid this extended absence. You and your colleagues together in the Senate -- or you were colleagues with him together in the Senate. Should he step down if he can't do his job?
FLAKE: Well, over an extended period of time, if he can't. But I don't think we're there yet, and I think we ought to cut him some slack.
I've been in the Senate, but I've seen a number of members stay far too long when they should have retired.
He's at the end of his term. He's had a tough road of it in the last little bit, but I'd cut him some slack, certainly.
SANCHEZ: Notably, he is retiring.
FLAKE: Yes. Yes. He's not running for re-election.
SANCHEZ: He's not running for re-election.
FLAKE: It would be completely different if he did.
HEYE: And ultimately, there are five legislative weeks left between now and the election, so.
FLAKE: Yes--
(CROSSTALK)
FLAKE: And then the lame-duck session. So, the actual impact on this is pretty minimal.
FLAKE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Got it.
Paul. Before we go. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had a message for McConnell. He says that either the state's senior senator should explain his long absence, give details about his health, or resign.
He sent a blunt letter to McConnell, and we have a portion of it. He says: I am addressing this letter to Senator McConnell under the assumption that he is capable of reading and responding verbally, and not incapacitated by means of consciousness or cognition... As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign.
He also sent a letter to Leader Thune as well.
Do you agree with how Beshear is handling this? Should he perhaps, as the Ambassador said, cut him some slack?
BEGALA: Well, I think many of his colleagues would cut him slack because they work with him. But McConnell works for the people of Kentucky. So does Andy Beshear. They do have a right to have a senator.
And you know, Thomas Jefferson said this at our founding: when a person assumes a public office, they become a public trust, right? They become public property. And McConnell owes us that kind of disclosure.
By the way, for people who don't know him. I do. Andy Beshear is like one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever met in this business. He's not a horrible flamethrower like me. He's actually a really decent, kind person. So, for him to be saying that, it must be very, very grave. And we are -- we should know that.
I will also note, I'm very glad Senator McConnell has good health care. Taxpayers pay for it. He opposes that health care for those same taxpayers. I'm glad he has medical leave. He opposes that for taxpayers. It's the only job in the world where the hired help gets better benefits than the owners.
SANCHEZ: Ameshia, quick 10 seconds. Your thoughts?
CROSS: If it was five weeks left or two weeks left, the public deserves to know. They elected him. They supported him. And I think that it is really messed up, first and foremost, that this has gone on for this long because it kind of seems like a charade at this point.
I fundamentally believe he is still alive and he is in the hospital and that he is incapacitated. But to be incapacitated, you still have to issue to the public, the public that supported you, the public of the state in which you reside and you benefit from, to know what exactly is going on. This is just wrong, and it's been too long. And a static photo does not help, especially in the new world of AI.
HEYE: We should -- we should remember though. Who did Mitch McConnell beat for the Senate in 1996? Andy Beshear's father.
SANCHEZ: Important historical note.
Everyone, appreciate the lively conversation. Thank you so much for being with us tonight.
Up next. We have a new video. Savannah Guthrie asking her mother's kidnappers to do the right thing. Our law enforcement source will join us next.
[21:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Tonight, a gut-wrenching new plea from Savannah Guthrie, breaking weeks of silence over the abduction of her mother Nancy, with the release of a brand-new video urging her mother's kidnapper to quote, Do the right thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, AMERICAN BROADCASTER & JOURNALIST: I'm coming on today with a very specific message. It has been months since our mom was taken from us. Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed. 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. [21:50:00]
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. Help us bring this situation to an end. For all of us, no matter where we've been and what we've done, I believe there is always a way home. Please make the right choice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: My source tonight is former FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe.
Andy, great to see you as always.
What stood out to you about this video?
ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yes, so there's clearly two audiences for this video, right?
The primary audience is, of course, potentially the person who sent the second letter that investigators believe is actually from the kidnappers. That's the letter in which the Guthrie family was essentially informed that Nancy Guthrie had not survived the kidnapping. And that letter, if you read the details of it, as we heard a lot of that in the last few weeks, seems to express some level of regret, there are hints of regret in the language that's used there. The fact that they made this notification at all. That's the primary audience here.
The family, and particularly Savannah, who's been so brave throughout this entire horrible experience, is trying to make a human connection with that person to just mine some little bit of humanity that might force, you know -- force them to reveal some information about her location.
The second audience is the general public. They have got to keep this issue in the mind of the general public because that's your -- likely, your best source of leads going forward.
SANCHEZ: So, when you hear her say, I know you've tried to do things the right way. What is the thinking with delivering that message?
MCCABE: So, the thinking there is to try to appeal to this person's humanity, to their good side. If you can actually take a minute to think about somebody who's involved with a kidnapping having a good side, it's a -- it's a stretch, it's a long shot. But to make that human connection could create the compulsion on the part of that person to actually provide some detail about her location.
SANCHEZ: She also says in the message, quote, "We have done our part."
How do you read that? Is there anything to discern?
MCCABE: You know, there may be -- there's always the possibility that there's more going on behind the scenes that we don't know about.
SANCHEZ: Sure.
MCCABE: So, there might be more there. They may be in possession of another communication from -- from -- that they believe are from this group. We don't know that.
But it certainly seems to, in the least case, refer to the fact that they've been there from the beginning, supportive of their mother. They've reached out to this group of kidnappers on several occasions. They've never been hostile. They've never been aggressive or threatening. They're simply asking for help to be reunited with their mother.
SANCHEZ: It's obviously been months since she went missing. I wonder, when you add in the ransom notes that were made public last week, do you think that played a role in releasing this video. Is there much more that the family or investigators can do at this point, but a direct plea?
MCCABE: There's always more that you can do. But as time goes on, you get further and further away from that crime scene, you get further away from the ability to collect physical evidence that might lead you to the perpetrators.
Now you're really trying to throw out a net to collect intelligence or information or leads, and that's really why they need to keep it in the public eye. That's why these videos are so important.
Even if it seems to be treading over the same ground again, you never know when it's going to shake something loose. Somebody who knows somebody, who heard something, who may have seen something suspicious and has the gumption to call it in.
SANCHEZ: Are you surprised we've gone this long without even a name or a suspect, even after the footage of that person at the door was released?
MCCABE: If we take the notes on their -- you know, if we take the notes at face value, then no. Because if in fact she died shortly after the kidnapping, as they maintain in the second node, it's likely that these people went underground with this whole thing, put it behind them. And so, we didn't have that extended period of negotiations of repeated contact, all of which creates additional investigative leads, IP addresses, phone numbers, things like that.
SANCHEZ: Sure.
MCCABE: So, at this point, the fact that it's as cold as it is, I think, reflects the fact that she likely expired soon after the kidnapping.
SANCHEZ: Andrew McCabe, appreciate the expertise. Thanks for joining us.
Up next. The Source Code. We're giving you a number at the center of a story in the news. Can you guess the story? Tonight's Source Code, 1834. The answer, when we come back.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Tonight's Source Code is 1834. That's the year that Alabama's Fort Morgan was completed, where these cannonballs were stolen from, before a TSA officer found them in a checked bag at Gulf Shores International Airport earlier this month.
We believe that these cannonballs were wrapped in paper towels, five of them in all. The largest, the size of a grapefruit. The smallest, only about an inch wide.
[22:00:00]
The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office and TSA bomb experts confirmed that they didn't contain any explosives.
As you might expect, the officer who found them noted that he's never seen anything this unique in his X-ray machine, likening the projectiles to an artifact from an "Indiana Jones" movie.
Kind of looks like a meatball, if you ask me. Maybe I'm just hungry.
Thank you so much for joining us tonight.
Kaitlan is back tomorrow.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts right now.
