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Smerconish

What Do EU Election Results Mean For U.S.; The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again; Princess On The Balcony; Kevin Costner Shares His Passion For The American West. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired June 15, 2024 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[09:00:40]

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST: Are they dueling canaries in a coal mine? I'm Michael Smerconish in Philadelphia. This week came two different events that might forecast the outcome of the 2024 American election. First the elections in Europe that leaned right and second the arrest of eight foreign nationals believed to be affiliated with ISIS, who entered via the Mexican border.

I have amazing expertise on hand to discuss each Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and Richard Clarke, former adviser to three U.S. presidents first to the EU elections last weekend, which saw right wing populist parties score big wins driven in part by border politics and inflation.

Far right parties won 134 of the European Parliament's 720 seats, forming a substantial bloc against mainstream parties assembling coalition's that are needed to pass laws. The right gained significantly in the union's three biggest countries, France, Germany and Italy. In France Marine Left Pen, RN party won more than 31 percent of the vote, more than doubling President Emmanuel McCrone, its coalition party, which had only 14.6 percent of the vote. That prompted McCrone to dissolve the National Assembly and call for a risky snap election.

In Germany, the right quote Alternative for Germany party had its best ever showing. And in Italy, the anti-immigrant and right wing incumbent Giorgio Maloney's Brothers of Italy also won. Many are now wondering that this is reminiscent of June in 2016, when the U.K. voted in favor of Brexit, which ended up foreshadowing Donald Trump's victory that fall.

Joining me now is Kurt Volker, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO. He also served as the Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations. What do you think, Ambassador? Is this a canary in a coal mine? How predictive do you believe the EU elections are of the United States?

KURT VOLKER, FMR. UNITED STATES SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS: Well, you know, as always with things, there are similarities and their differences. There are frustrations in Europe with immigration, just like there are in the United States, frustrations about the economy, just like there are in the United States. But the patterns here are a little bit different. In the U.K., they're going to have a general election July 4, and it looks very likely that -- and in Germany and France, two of the countries you just mentioned, the losses for the incumbent seem to be more frustration with the incumbents than about an ideological direction.

SMERCONISH: I think, yes, we're having trouble with the Ambassador. Let's hope to get him back and move on to Richard Clarke, if we can, okay, gang?

On radio, I often say that the election will be influenced by people we've never heard of and events we could never imagine. Well, this week came news that eight Tajikistan Nationals with potential ties to ISIS were arrested in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York on immigration charges. The suspects crossed into America from our southern border, and Michael Morel, the former acting director of the CIA and Harvard Professor Graham Allison, they just outlined for the journal Foreign Affairs. This piece titled The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again, saying that officials are sounding the alarm for the potential rise of terror and gaps of security at the border, adding, "the fact that several serious plots in the United States have been foiled point to an uncomfortable but unavoidable conclusion. Put simply, the United States faces a serious threat of a terrorist attack in the months ahead." So could a National Security threat coming across our borders upend the U.S. presidential election?

Campaigns often game theory, just the sort of scenarios. In fact, in 2008, Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism coordinator, helped then candidate Barack Obama plan a response to a hypothetical attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear program. Clarke and his team later found out that that potential scenario almost happened. But the Bush White House had to intervene. Today on smerconish.com, he's published a theoretical analysis of terror and how it could upend the 2024 campaign.

[09:05:00]

Joining me now is Richard Clark. He's a former adviser to three US presidents and coauthor of warnings finding Cassandra's to stop catastrophes. So Richard Clarke, welcome back, game this out, and God forbid if something were to occur, how would it be responded to by the Biden administration and how might Trump seek to take advantage?

RICHARD CLARKE, FMR. WHITE HOUSE COUNTERTERRORISM COORDINATOR: Well, I think something like this could happen. The FBI director Christopher Research has been publicly warning about it. Something like this did happen in Moscow in March of this year, an ISIS attack that killed 130 People at a concert. So let's imagine the concerts in the United States and it happens in September, or October, the October surprise. You know what Trump will say? He'll say this is a sign that Biden fell down on the job, that Biden was weak, that Biden abandoned Afghanistan, even though Trump would have to. And he will say that these people came across the Mexican border, whether or not we know at the time that they did. All of that will hurt, you know, the Biden campaign a lot unless it inoculates itself now. And how will it do that? You mentioned the article in Foreign Affairs in which Morel [ph] and Allison suggest something. They suggest that we do now a 1999 style alert.

In 1999, Bill Clinton asked me to put the country on alert, under terrorism alert in December of that year. And we shook the trees. We looked everywhere. We questioned everybody. We augmented all the personnel we could and we stopped two or three attacks. That's the kind of thing that Biden needs to do now.

SMERCONISH: Do you think that those forces that are antagonistic toward the United States, whether it's Putin and Russia and the submarine in Cuba, whether it's China and Xi, whether it's North Korea, whether it's ISIS are acting in the manner that they are so as to impact the outcome of the U.S. election?

CLARKE: There's no doubt that Russia and China want to affect the outcome of the U.S. election, not only by their overt actions, but by their covert actions. They're both engaged actively in U.S. social media, through fake accounts, trying to promote, frankly, the Trump narrative. And we know that they want that outcome and we can expect that they will do something in October as the time gets closer to the election.

SMERCONISH: Richard Clarke, some might be surprised to hear that the game theory aspect of this takes place, that in a campaign, such as we're in the midst of right now, they actually do prepare themselves for possible scenarios. Can you say any more about the role you played in 2008 as I described in your introduction?

CLARKE: Yeah, Susan Rice was the National Security Adviser for that campaign. And she asked me to put together a group of so called dirty minds, people who could think of bad things that could happen, not paranoids. But people with experience who could look at tea leaves and see what could happen in the next two or three months. Now we should be doing this all the time. But we do it almost every election season, the campaign and the administration put together little secret cells, to think about the unthinkable, think about what the opponent, not the campaign opponent but the foreign policy opponent might do. And how you would react to that kind of surprise so that you have a script in advance.

You have thought it out in advance. You're really not caught flat footed when it happens. We came up with about 10 scenarios for Obama and thankfully, none of them happened. But as you pointed out, the Israeli bombing of Iran almost happened.

SMERCONISH: Ambassador Volker, if we've reestablished our connection, and I hope that we have, can you give us a final thought on what I'm discussing with Richard Clarke? How might the international perspective influence the U.S. election?

VOLKER: Yeah, I think that Richard is exactly right, that the prospect of a terrorist attack is real, that the social media engagement of China and Russia in our election is real, and it is aimed at influencing the election. Now that -- social media, but a terrorist attack would clearly have an effect probably people rallying around the President. SMERCONISH: Gentlemen, thank you both, appreciate your expertise as always. What are your thoughts at home? Hit me up on social media? I'll read some responses throughout the course of the program from the world of X formerly known as Twitter. It's only a matter of time before someone who crossed the border illegally is involved in a terror attack. Will it be before the election? Who knows? Chuck Baker, we all hope that you're wrong. But the sheer volume when

you stop and think about I think the number was close to 300,000 and counters last December, which set a record.

[09:10:20]

You know, the sheer volume of those who've come across the border, make the odds high, that there will be maybe not an act of terror, but acts of serious crime, be they murder, be they rape. And we've seen that borne out and when they are, you can rest assured they'll be shown on a loop and made fodder for this campaign. I want to know what you think go to my website its smerconish.com and answer today's poll question. It actually directly relates to me asking Ambassador Volker about the significance of the EU election. Will the MAGA movement Outlast Donald Trump? Some think that it's a phenomena simply tied to him. Me, I look at the results in the EU and I say there's something much larger than Trump that's taking place, and it's all around the globe, largely driven by migration and porous borders.

Up ahead, you're looking at Catherine Princess of Wales earlier today when she made her first public appearance in months on the Buckingham Palace balcony attending King Charles birthday parade known as the trooping of the color. We're going to get a report from London and smart phones aren't just $1,000 toys. They contain our entire lives, including banking and credit card data, which is why street thieves keep grabbing them.

In London, one is stolen every six minutes. What can you do to prevent it? What can you do if it happens to you? Plus, I sat down with acting legend Kevin Costner to talk about Horizon. His long plan, multipart western feature film that he stars in directed, co-wrote, and invested 38 million of his own dollars. Why did he pursue it this way?

Be sure to sign up for my smerconish.com newsletter where you're going to find exclusive content from political cartoonist. Can I say this? Steve Breen drew that for us this week. Can you read the SoundCloud, Hunter on the top bunk Trump down below? You know, nobody loves his country more than I do. Believe me. I've sacrificed so much more than any President yada, yada, yada. Yeah, that is Hunter Biden receiving the harshest possible sentence.

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[09:16:50]

SMERCONISH: Earlier today, Catherine, Princess of Wales made her first public appearance since March. She stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the trooping of the color parade. That's a 260 year old tradition honoring the sovereigns birthday in this case, that of her father in law, King Charles. This followed the princess releasing an update about her cancer and chemotherapy treatments in which she said she was having good days and bad days. She also said the treatments will continue for a few more months and that she's not out of the woods yet.

Joining me now from Buckingham Palace is CNNs Anna Stewart. Anna, tell us more. I wish her Godspeed. We all wish her Godspeed. She looked thin. I guess that's to be expected.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. She looked, perhaps thin but she also looked incredibly well, I thought and had a smile on her face. And I think for the public, it was just fantastic to see her after so many months while she's been recovering and undergoing treatment for cancer. Of course, she is not out of the woods yet. We're not expecting to see her regularly at events like this and big official events. It's going to be a case by case basis. And we believe the Princess of Wales will sort of liaise with her medical team each time to see or not whether it works and whether she's actually just feeling good on the day. Today was one of those good days.

And it was rather fitting because this was, of course, the King's birthday parade. It's also called Trooping the Color, which was a big military event that there's a way to market. And the regimen that was part of this today is actually the regiment the Princess of Wales is curdle off. So it's particularly fitting that she was able to be there. And I have to say, each year this is the event that really royal fans love the most because it's the one that brings the whole royal family together. Because at the end, you see them gathering on that balcony at Buckingham Palace just there behind me and you see them gathering to waive to the crowds and see a fly pass.

And really that's a snapshot in history because each year, the same day each year, you see who's on that balcony and it changes over the years. Under Queen Elizabeth II, that was quite a large group normally on the balcony 40 or more people extended family. It's become a really slimmed down monarchy at this stage with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, of course departing for the U.S., that's only made it slimmer. And so in recent months with both the King and the Princess of Wales, undergoing treatment for cancers, that's been an even more sundown monarchy. So really for the public, this was a really crucial moment to see them all together up there.

SMERCONISH: Anna, is there anything else on the summer calendar summer traditionally a slower time for seeing the Royals when might we next see her?

STEWART: So I think what we're going to have to do is really look at what's called the court circular, it's incredibly old school and very British, oh, I can hear thunder now that is also very British. And that will just be a list of general events that the Royals would be a part of. There's nothing as big as Trooping the Color coming up in the diary. But it will be week to week whether or not there's maybe a foundation event or a charitable event that the Princess wants to be a part of, that -- and she feels that she can be a part of. So I think there won't be anything significant in the diary. And as you say, to be honest, the Royals do take a lot of the summer offs and vacation so I think it will be a quite a few weeks ahead. [09:20:02]

SMERCONISH: Anna Stewart thank you for your report from Buckingham Palace We appreciate it. And now to another story from London. Mobile phone theft is rampant. And our whole lives are stored in these little devices, everything from our personal photos to our finances. You're walking down the street, you're sitting in a cafe suddenly you're the victim of a mobile phone mugging, sometimes by a pedestrian walking by, sometimes by someone riding on an e-bike. When I was in London last week, the tabloids were filled with stories of such incidents. One thief finally apprehended had stolen two dozen phones in one day. And it's not just the $1,000 phone they are after, it's all the data on them, including banking and credit card information.

According to the trade group Payments Industry Intelligence, in the year ending this past January, there was a 33 percent increase in reported mobile phone theft in the United Kingdom, with losses from mobile banking fraud, increasing 17 percent to nearly $24 million, with an average loss per victim of nearly $3,000. I happen to have witnessed an attempted theft on my trip to London last week. Last Saturday afternoon at a time when I would normally be here delivering this program, my wife and I having a beer with our frequent CNN guest, NYU Business School Professor Scott Galloway in Marylebone, sitting in an outdoor cafe, all of a sudden, there's this explosion of activity. People shouting, gathering round right where we were, and one man had another by the throat, screaming to a woman who was at the next table he tried to steal your phone.

Apparently, this guy had walked up with papers in his hand, laid them down as if to ask her a question when his real intent was to scoop up her phone. They called the police, the police didn't arrive, the guy was ultimately let go and fled the scene. But it raised the question like what can you do to prevent this type of an outcome and what do you do if it does happen?

My next guest has the expertise and the firsthand experience. David Burch is an advisor and global commenter on digital identity and digital money. Wired Magazine named him a top source for business information. His books include identity is the new money and he wrote this piece for Forbes, my iPhone was stolen, I survived, so did my bank accounts. Welcome to the program. Tell me what happened to you.

DAVID BIRCH, WROTE FORBES ARTICLE, "MY iPhone WAS STOLEN/SURVIVED": Hey, Michael, well what happened to me was exactly what you just described. I was sitting in a cafe actually having a business meeting talking with a colleague of mine. And a woman came up waving some papers around, she puts the paper on the table. You know, you waive her away and she goes, a few seconds later, you glanced down, and my phone was gone. And I knew she'd taken it. So I -- I ran out the door after her. But there was a car waiting for her, she jumped into a car drove off, and my phone was gone. So I panicked for a couple of seconds but then I did what I think most people should do in these circumstances, which is I went straight to -- I went straight online, use my friend's laptop.

And I logged into iCloud and change my password, reported the phone as stolen, wiped all the data from the phone, and made sure all that was taken care of. That's number one most important thing is to stop them from getting into your cloud so did that but then I used the --

SMERCONISH: Is there any -- David, is there anything that --

BIRCH: -- this phone to call --

SMERCONISH: Is there anything that can be done -- is there anything that can be done in anticipation as a preventative measure? Is there anything that we can do to protect ourselves should this happen?

BIRCH: Okay. No, I mean, if you're going to have your phone out in public, there's not much you can do to stop it is the honest truth because you're walking down the street with $1,000 in your hand. And for the -- for the thieves, that's very tempting. But I -- I think what you said is correct, it isn't just that they're stealing the phone, because obviously, the phone is -- is worth some money. And they'll either send it on or they'll send it abroad to be broken up for parts or something like that. But I wasn't worried about the value of the phone, I had insurance, you know, my insurance covered the phone.

What I was worried about was the data and stopping people from getting access to that data is -- is the number one job. I did what everybody should do, because I turned off previewing the messages when the phone is locked down because the criminals use that. There are lots of banks credit card companies, they'll send one time passwords to the phones, and you can see that pop up on the screen before it disappears.

You need to turn that off to stop them from doing that. You need to change the password right away so they don't get into it. And then you need to call the phone company to block the phone which is also good idea. And then I call the police. Don't call the police first. Make sure the phone is safe and make sure your data is safe then call the police kind of just say that -- that kind worked pretty well for me.

SMERCONISH: David these don't seem like they're run offs. They seem -- they seem --they seem as if these are organized crime rings. Can you address that?

[09:25:05]

BIRCH: You know, you're absolutely right about that, Michael, because you know, the idea that these kids that are riding up on the bikes, and taking the phone, you know, the idea that they're sort of IT specialists who are going to know exactly what to do with it. No, that's not true. These gangs, so the kids are stealing the phones, they're handing them on to gangs. And the gangs are then conducting the frauds, which is what they really want because remember, you know, if I steal your phone, I'm stealing $1,000. If I can get into your bank account, I can steal $100,000.

So that's what they really want. And in fact, after my phone was stolen, because I had locked it up, and there's nothing they could do with it. For a few weeks, I would get messages. Hello, this is Apple, we found your phone, please log in here to prove it's yours. Hello, this is your phone company. Please log in here to prove this phone is yours, et cetera, et cetera, because the criminals desperately need to get into the phone. What they want is the data, not the phone. So, you know, I'm just saying to people, it's all about protecting the data.

SMERCONISH: I'm happy to have the conversation with you as almost a public service announcement for people in the states who are traveling abroad because this seems to be an issue in major European cities. I haven't seen evidence that it's as out of control here in the States as it is overseas. But my hunch is it will soon come this way, if not already, you get the final word.

BIRCH: No, no, I think it's growing quickly in all major cities. But I think what's happened is people's awareness of it, fortunately, is starting to go up. And the tech companies actually are helping here because Apple and Google have introduced new services to make it harder for people to change their passwords after they've stolen your phone and that kind of thing. You know, if people would just spend a few minutes going through their phone settings, going through their security settings, making sure all of that is turned on, it's a much better -- it's a much better way to protect yourself.

When the phone gets stolen. Honestly, Michael, there's a really a limit to what the police can do. They just, you know, there aren't enough policemen to go and track all of these phones. So you just need to get the phone set up to make sure your data is safe. Unfortunately, it's the modern world, I don't think there's anything we can do to stop these kids at the moment.

SMERCONISH: Yeah, and I'm taking away a number of bits of advice from David Birch, not the least of which is that the first call should be to your service provider and not to the police. Thank you for being here. We appreciate it.

BIRCH: You're more than welcome. Bye Michael.

SMERCONISH: Social Media reaction -- thank you, sir. Thank you. But social media reaction, a lot of long distance connections on today's program, doing the best weekend can. Ken, how about we reestablish law and order make the penalties for trafficking in stolen property and stealing severe. Thieves steal our quality of life, which is contrary to our constitution? Okay, all of that is true. This is a particular issue that I wanted to focus everybody's attention on because it's, I mean, it's -- where's mine? Right here. It's not you know, it's not your phone. It's your life.

It's all those family photographs and it's the banking information and it's, it's absolutely everything, and I don't think of it walking around on the streets in Philadelphia, or being abroad as walking around flashing $1,000 in my hand. But actually that's what it is. So be alert. I want to remind you go to the website its smerconish.com. Will MAGA the movement out last Donald Trump?

A lot of voting on this today, make sure you go into smerconish.com. When -- when Trump is no longer a dominant influence on our political scene, will MAGA still be what it is today? Will someone else pick up the mantle or some other combination of people? That's what I'm asking in today's poll question. This is exciting. Still to come to time Oscar winner Kevin Costner, fronting millions of his own dollars for his newest film about the American expansion out west. Despite the high price tag Costner says it's not always about the money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN COSTNER, HOLLYWOOD ACTOR: I make my stories until they're done and I knew that there was four movies here. And they are linked and they are built like a novel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[09:33:53]

SMERCONISH: Academy Award-winning director Kevin Costner is about to debut his latest Western film. It's called "Horizon: An American Saga."

The veteran Hollywood actor is not only the star, director, and screenwriter of the four-part series, he's also fronting 38 million of his own dollars to produce the first two installments. The entire series estimated to cost more than $100 million. Chapters one and two will premiere only in theaters on June 28, then on August 16. The film captures the dangerous and devastating journey of the American expansion out West during the Civil War era.

Audiences at the Cannes Film Festival gave the film and Costner an 11- minute standing ovation last month. The advanced reviews, they've been mixed. I thought it was terrific. And here's my interview with Kevin Costner on why this passion project that he conceptualized back in 1988 was worth taking that risk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SMERCONISH: I thoroughly enjoyed your movie.

KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR AND FILM PRODUCER: Thank you.

SMERCONISH: I watched it on my home television because it was an advance and I thought to myself you would probably think that's heresy because this is a movie intended for a big screen.

[09:35:05]

COSTNER: The reality is that there is a -- there is a difference. But the movie still has to speak to you whether it's this big or this big or this big. And the only way that happens is if you somehow buy-in to what's being said, what's being filmed, how it has been linked together.

SMERCONISH: For me, you know, growing up, going to the movies was like an event. And the theater in my hometown, which still exists, the County Theater in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It was a happening and I kind of got that feel from just the tone and the vibe of your film. And I guess that's what was intended.

COSTNER: For me, it's a film that needs a curtain.

SMERCONISH: Right. Totally.

COSTNER: It needs to open. And what happens is -- and you think to yourself, something magical can happen.

SMERCONISH: "Horizon: An American Saga." What's intended with the subtitle?

COSTNER: There's probably more to it than there should be. I make my stories until they're done. And I knew that there was four movies here. And they are linked and they are built like a novel for me.

Sometimes people say, what's the book you're reading? Is it any good? First hundred pages were -- but, man, did it -- boom. But you can't have a boom unless you have those first hundred pages. You can't have it.

You lay the framework. You lay how people are going to look, how they're going to move, the landscape. And so, I'm in love with that. I'm in love with the first hundred pages.

SMERCONISH: Is it all going to converge? I mean, it's you and it's Sienna Miller. You're on horseback. She's with child. There's the wagon train. They're the settlers who are battling the elements. And it -- to some extent --

COSTNER: Yes.

SMERCONISH: -- indigenous. It's coming together.

COSTNER: Well, what happens is people were -- there was a promise of the West which is if you were mean enough, tough enough, smart enough, you could own something. And fliers were being made in Chicago. That's why I ended that moment. There was a man flipping things.

SMERCONISH: Right.

COSTNER: And it's just a lie about what occurs. And he's -- they become more elaborate. You can catch a trout in that river. And yet -- and he will show up and he will be dealt with. And you'll love it.

And so, for me, it's a big secret what each one is. Not a secret, it's more of a surprise.

SMERCONISH: When I go to the movies with my wife, I'm usually there for the gratuitous, sex, violence, some profanity. And then on the way out I'll say to her, so what was that all about?

Is there a message to this? Or is it pure entertainment?

COSTNER: The message is that if you can't place yourself back 150 years, you're not going to understand the need of water, and the idea of bathing. And maybe you need to watch what other people do and get up early, do what they do.

So, we think, oh, yes, we've heard there's water in the desert. But what happens is I like to go that extra step where -- and one guy won't talk to his wife, and the guy goes, well, I will. And the guy -- you go expect to understand, quit looking, and they're -- they're just as mean.

I liked the literacy of movies. So, maybe there's no lesson but it's like, can you feel that that could have been you seeing your son come back into a room when he should have disappeared down a hole?

SMERCONISH: Yes.

COSTNER: And there's no moment at that point. That's why he simply says to him, are you ready?

Are you ready to die? That's what he -- I didn't add the line die on purpose. I just said, are you ready? This is, I think so.

SMERCONISH: The two-step release is also very unique, come in June, come back at the end of summer. It occurs to me that if I hadn't seen "Fast and Furious" one through 27 and I went to see 28 it wouldn't matter.

COSTNER: It wouldn't matter.

SMERCONISH: Right. In this case, it's going to matter.

COSTNER: It is going to matter. And, you know -- and three is -- two is just dependent as -- on three and four as -- and there's -- I'm not making it up. It's done. It's written. It's where it's going.

And it's just a story to, perhaps, revisit. It's language. Language is the star of the movie. Women are the star of my Westerns quite honestly.

SMERCONISH: You got a thing for the American West. You, obviously, are passionate about this. You've been working on it, literally, for decades. And it's been in the press and you've confirmed it. You've written a big check to make it happen. Why are you so passionate about "Horizon"?

COSTNER: It has been a series of checks.

SMERCONISH: Are the checks over or get two more movies worth?

COSTNER: No, I -- no, look -- I mean -- listen, I've been so happy that -- some of the things that have happened to me, and I have been able to amass a certain thing.

[09:40:03]

I appreciate what I have and I want to try to protect it but not protect it to the point that I can't make a move and risk that to do this because this is what is speaking to me. You know, I was just going somewhere. My relationship with an audience is to take them to a place that surprises me because I believe it will surprise them, that they will find honor in the way people live, and they'll find dishonor in the way people conduct themselves. And now, maybe, have a little empathy for both.

SMERCONISH: Final question, you know, I'm a political guy. People love looking at your last project through a political lens. Surely you know that, right? It's like championed in some states. Maybe even more than others. Do you think about that in terms of what your work and how you're perceived politically?

COSTNER: No, not really. You know, the one thing I love about America is you can go in that booth and you can still close the curtain on what it is you think and do what you feel is right. And there's times when you can -- you feel like your voice needs to be heard. And there's other times when you need to listen. I can see -- I see things really clearly for myself.

This country means an incredible amount to me. The flag means something to me. The people who -- lives cut short defending it -- it's like, you know, we have something to protect, something to push forward, and we've -- and the only way we get there is to lose our ego and to fall back and have a higher understanding what public service means.

SMERCONISH: Good luck with "Horizon." Thank you.

COSTNER: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMERCONISH: I love that last answer. Love that last answer about his faith in America and love of the flag. Governor Dutton, "Yellowstone," for those of us who are -- who are fans.

Good flick. Go see it. Kind of gutsy. You got to go see it on the big screen, and he has got the first to installments. So, it's like, go in June, come back in August.

Still to come, more of your best and worst social media comments. Don't forget to vote on today's poll question at Smerconish.com. The MAGA movement, is it going to outlast Donald Trump?

And while you're there voting, sign up for the free and worthy daily newsletter. I mean, come on, Scott Stantis drew this for Smerconish.com this week. Pretty cool, right?

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[09:46:55]

SMERCONISH: There's another editorial cartoon from the Smerconish.com daily newsletter this week, Rob Rogers. Come on, Rob Rogers drew that. Does that not sum it up? And there's such truth in it. It makes it harder now for Trump to say, well, it's all a weaponized DOJ. There is a flip side to it which is to say it removes from President Biden's arsenal, I'm sure a line that he was going to use repeatedly at the upcoming debate here on CNN to repeatedly refer to Donald Trump as a convicted felon. But I love these editorial cartoons. And I also love your social media reaction.

Catherine, what do we have? Some more of what came in during the course of today's program.

Why would external forces try to influence elections in favor of Trump when they have you doing that every week?" says Rajiv.

I asked -- I asked the question of Richard Clarke and Ambassador Volker as well. I don't think there's a coincidence in the fact that Putin all of a sudden is, you know, off the coast of Florida and in Cuba. Although, Admiral Stavridis tells me that happens with regularity and some of the other world events that we described. I'm sure it's their way of trying to put a thumb on the scale of the American election. Unlike me just calling balls and strikes.

More social media reaction. What do we have?

To update Carville's maxim for Clinton's '92 election campaign, it's the immigration, stupid, says, That Reeling -- well, it's not only the immigration. I am a believer that there's something going on globally and that we tend to be myopic here in the states and focus only on our own political dynamics. And I'm guilty of that as well until I have a trip that takes me abroad.

But the commonality that I see of the E.U. election and the American election in similar fashion to what was represented in Brexit in June of 2016, and then Trump getting elected that November, it's a combination of demographic change globally, migratory change, or porous borders, and migration which is taking place amidst climate change and only going to get worse, a lot of folks being driven out of where they've been living heretofore. And the perception among many that they've been forgotten.

In a world of such change, they've been forgotten and they look to someone like Marine Le Pen in France, or to Meloni in Italy, or to Trump in the United States as being, you know, their saving grace. So, the poll question today, which asks whether MAGA is going to outlast Donald Trump, my answer to it is, yes. I think it's wishful thinking for many to think that it ends with Trump, whatever it is.

Vote on today's poll question. You'll get editorial cartoons if you sign up for the newsletter as well. Can we show one more? Jack Ohman drew this for us this week. Yes, good stuff. Back in a moment.

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[09:54:27]

SMERCONISH: So, there's the poll result so far at Smerconish.com. Interesting, nearly 30,000 have voted. Will the MAGA movement outlast Donald Trump? Let's call it a 60-40 vote. I think there's some wishful thinking in that. I'm not convinced. Some of the social media that came in during the course of the program includes this. What do we have, Catherine?

Per the poll, I believe we're at an inflection point where both parties are going to evolve after this election. The outcome of the election and the aftermath will dictate what type of evolution, evolutionary track, will take place in America. A new era awaits us.

Oh, my God. Garrett, from, you know, your lips as they say.

[09:55:04]

I hope that's the case. I don't know. I don't know. And I don't think that what this movement represents ends with Donald Trump.

Frankly, I look at it as the latest incarnation of a lot of the same sentiments that we saw on the Tea Party movement. The MAGA movement to me is a continuum from where we were in the Tea Party movement. And as long as there's demographic change, as long as there are porous borders, and migratory changes, and climate change fueling all of that, and you'll have a certain segment of society saying, hey, we're being forgotten, we're being left behind in a world of change, then MAGA continues and with some justification.

Quickly, one more. I think I've got time. What do we have?

I'm tired of all the depressing political news. Let's lighten up the mood. Are you going to Vegas to see Dead and Company at the Sphere?

I'm dying to go. I don't have tickets yet. And do you know that the Eagles are coming next? Not the Philadelphia Eagles but the Eagles band are coming next to the Sphere. So, I'm going to get there. See you next week.

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