[0:00]It was a Senate squeaker in Michigan. Abdullah Elsa narrowly defeats Haley Stevens. Other progressives win, too. But that's not the whole story there or
[0:10]in other primary states. New Mexico sues the Trump Justice Department, accusing it of stonewalling its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's Zoro Ranch.
[0:20]Attorney General R. Torres joins us. Republicans feeling the heat. North Carolina Congressman Chuck Edwards abandons his re-election bid after being
[0:30]accused of sexual harassment. Ohio Congressman Max Miller, accused of spousal abuse, defiantly digs in. Hello everyone, I'm Major Garrett in
[0:48]Washington. Let me welcome you to the takeout. Grand summation situation [music] is nonsense. Political journalism can fall into an arrogant pattern of
[1:00]pretending it can explain what an election means. Sometimes it can, but often it can't. Voters know this and understandably resist, resent, might be
[1:10]a better word, allencompassing explanations or what's that word? narratives that pulverize myriad
[1:17]subtleties into one tidy hot take. This is not that. Yesterday's primaries were
[1:27]a delightful clash of signals and results. Yes, progressives won in some places. They also lost in some places. And even some progressive wins, I know a
[1:38]wins a win came with asterisks such as Abdul says victory in Michigan's Democratic Sentin race. much closer much much closer than polls or Elsa's
[1:48]carefree pre-election self-confidence would have suggested the progressive winner in Michigan's seventh congressional district William Lawrence who I'm glad to say will join us shortly
[1:59]must face the fact that two so-called establishment challengers in that race on the Democratic side in that Lancing district together attracted 56% of the
[2:08]vote to his 44% another Democratic socialist Donovan McKenna defeated did Congressman Shri Tanadar in Michigan's 13th district, but that could have been as much about
[2:20]racial cohesion as Democratic Socialists of America momentum. McKenna is African-American. Tanidar is an Indian immigrant and the first non-affrican-American to represent that
[2:31]Detroit district since the 1950s. There was one more anomaly in Michigan's eighth congressional district Republican primary where the Trump endorsed
[2:41]candidate Amir Hassan lost by 17 points to Thomas Smith. A candidate who stay with me now suspended his campaign a
[2:52]month ago. Mr. Smith Thomas now wants to go to Washington and intends he told reporters today to reactivate his campaign for the general election. Back
[3:02]to Elsed for a moment. His victory did disprove one [snorts] super tired campaign cliche that money always dictates outcomes. Elsa Ed was,
[3:12]depending on how you count it, outspent 10 or 11 to1 and still prevailed. Progressive Cy Bush, however, lost her rematch against establishment Democrat
[3:23]Wesley Bell in Missouri's first congressional district, and it was a blowout. You can see there all the forces Elsad ran against in Michigan
[3:32]were with Bell in Missouri and he won. Let's go to Kansas, which Trump carried by 16 points in 2024, where voters there
[3:42]decisively defeated a MAGA backed referendum to overhaul the state supreme court by providing for direct election instead of appointment by the governor via a nominating commission. This
[3:53]referendum was a proxy abortion fight as Kansas conservatives believed elected Supreme Court justices would overturn the state high court's 2019 opinion that
[4:04]upheld abortion access. By the way, so-called establishment Democrats cruised to House victories in Washington
[4:13]and Virginia. So, it's a mismatch mishmash. There's no through line. Voters did what they regularly do.
[4:23]Choose among available options, blend the national mood with local realities, and make the best choice in that moment. Voters do not live reflexively
[4:34]ideological lives, though we in this business often suggest they do. Yes, there are broad patterns in national election, but primaries are often
[4:44]complex, non-catategorical, and random. Good news here. We embrace the random, the complex, and the non-catategorical. To help us along in
[4:56]that process, we turn to Ed O'Keefe in Detroit. Ed, take it away. Major, good to see you. And, you know, uh, if the Democrats who won the primaries here in the city of Detroit
[5:08]prevail in the congressional races in November, this entire city will be represented by Democratic socialists. Something to ponder. But we are focused primarily here today on the Senate race.
[5:18]Abdul Elsay had uh eaked it out. Around 10 a.m. Eastern, CBS News and other news outlets called it once Wayne County, where we are, reported the remaining 14,000 votes and uh ensured that he had
[5:28]enough that uh he could be declared the winner. And so he was. and he spent the hours just after that starting to unite the Democratic Party of Michigan behind him to take on Mike Rogers, the former
[5:39]congressman and FBI agent who has more than 40 more like 60 million potentially pledged to him to start spending against it. Uh it was a notable event here in downtown Detroit where one of his
[5:51]primary opponents, Mali McMor, showed up, the chairman of the state party showed up and they made clear the Democrats are going to unite behind him because they understand the stakes. Notably during his remarks, he singled
[6:01]out Jewish voters in this state to say to them, "I'm concerned about your safety just as I am my own children." That addresses concerns that his views, his stridently critical views of Israel, are potentially seen by some as
[6:13]anti-semitic and that he would be too extreme to serve in the Senate. Notable that he went there almost immediately in his first speech as the party nominee. But in questions, we asked him about what happened back in March here in the
[6:25]Detroit area. There was a synagogue that was attacked by a car that was driven through the front door. Federal officials later said this attack was inspired by Hezbollah because the person
[6:35]who did it had relatives who had been killed in an Israeli strike and had ties to Hezbollah. And in response, Heladed, who's a former public health official, wrote a lengthy statement and said later
[6:46]things like, "Hurt people, hurt people." In essence, as it was seen by his critics, justifying that attack on the synagogue. He denounces the attack itself, but we asked him today about
[6:58]that statement. Take a listen. >> It's that part of your statement that has caused a lot of concern for Jewish voters. Republicans are going to seize on it. What did you mean? And do you
[7:09]regret saying it? >> What I mean is that hurt people hurt people. Then maybe if we're serious about ending the hurt, we should stop hurting people. That's what I mean. I condemn the attack. It was a vile
[7:19]anti-semitic attack. And I think it's important for us to to be asking the big picture question about what's happening now. You've got a Republican party that is morally bankrupt, that is actively
[7:30]hurting people. And I think if we're serious about addressing a lot of the crises as they stand, maybe stop trying to divide people from each other. Stop trying to pass policies that have us
[7:40]going to war instead of investing here. Stop trying to nickel and dime people at every turn because of the corporations you support and do favors for. And so, look, I I stand in solidarity with my
[7:52]Jewish sisters and brothers and we can condemn anti-semitism and at the same time we can be talking about how we bring people together and we can be
[8:02]talking about everybody's pain. >> We'll see if that's enough to assuage his critics, but it is that kind of rhetoric that is going to be seized on by Republicans as they seek to define
[8:14]him to the general election voting population. major >> and Ed to this point about unity it is an imperative every Democrat agrees with
[8:23]that that's a rhetorical posture evidence that it could be real uh give it a few days we'll see because
[8:34]there's a handful of leaders that still have to sort of be seen with him and make clear that they are supporting him look uh Congresswoman Stevens did measurably better with black voters with
[8:44]older voters that participated in this record turnout primary and to some extent in parts of the state with workingclass voters. Those are three elements of a Democratic win usually in this big state. So he's got to win them
[8:55]over. If he can start to do that in the coming weeks, it'll be a competitive race no matter what. But he'll be in better shape. And important to point out, he has the support, he's had the support of big labor unions in this state like the United Auto Workers
[9:06]Union. They have a history of turning out voters. So that's what gives them at least some confidence that ultimately this is something they can pull off if they can make sure that all that money coming from the Republicans doesn't overwhelm Major
[9:18]>> comprehensive as always. Ed O'Keefe, thank you very very much. William Lawrence joins me now. He won last night's Michigan Congressional Democratic primary in the seventh district. William, it's great to have
[9:29]you with us. I appreciate your time. First of all, congratulations. I mentioned at the top of our show something that you no doubt know. Your two comparatively moderate challengers on the Democratic
[9:40]side got more vote in this primary than you did. How problematic is for you? Is that for you? And how do you try to get them and their supporters more importantly on your side for a hard
[9:51]fraud general? >> Well, thank you, Major. It's a pleasure to be here and we're just thrilled with last night's result. I got to give all the praise to our team and the thousand
[10:02]plus volunteers who were knocking doors across the seventh district and the results to us look like a strong showing in every single corner of the district.
[10:11]Um, I did uh very well in the Lancing area, which was anticipated. But I also won in Livingston County and in Clinton County and Eaton County, all of which
[10:21]are more uh suburban and rural areas where some folks had doubts uh that we would be turning out the vote. So, I'm thrilled with the result. I I'm glad to
[10:32]have Ambassador Brink and Matt Masdam both on my team and doing the real job, which is to beat Tom Barrett in this general election. >> So many have said in the Democratic
[10:44]party that you're simply too leftist for this district. How do you respond to that? Folks should come out here to Mid Michigan and knock on some doors with us
[10:55]because what we're hearing is that people across the political spectrum, Democrat, independent, and Republican are sick of corporate funded candidates on both sides of the aisle. They're sick
[11:05]of AI data centers pushed by billionaires in Silicon Valley bullying their ways into our small towns. They're sick of these endless wars around the world that are expensive and have not made us any safer while we can't even
[11:17]afford good housing and health care for the people of Mid Michigan. So, those are the issues that we've been campaigning on and connecting not just with Democrats but with independent and Republican voters. And these are issues
[11:28]on which Tom Barrett is deeply vulnerable. He's voted for our health care premiums to rise. He's voted to kick hundreds of thousands off of Medicaid. and he's voted to fund this
[11:39]outrageous war in Iran which is causing the cost of gas and groceries to go through the roof. And he hasn't held a single town hall because he knows he can't answer for his record. So I cannot
[11:49]wait to continue doing the work of earning trust from every single voter across this district. And nothing about de democratic socialist of America
[11:59]agenda either on borders or police or those related issues are vulnerable for you.
[12:09]>> Well, that agenda is not my agenda. My agenda is built um by listening to people here in Mid Michigan. And as I've said, the major points that are really
[12:19]bringing people together are stopping these data centers, stopping these endless wars around the world, including stopping endless arm shipments to Israel to commit war crimes, and bringing that
[12:31]money home to invest in good housing and healthcare for the American people. >> So, just summarize for me, when you think about the Democratic Socialist of America agenda, what do you ascribe to
[12:42]and what do you not ascribe to? Well, one point that I certainly disagree with is that uh I don't believe that we should be uh nationalizing all
[12:54]major industries at this time, which is something which is in the recent platform. Uh, but I do believe that we need to make major investments in good housing for all because we've got a the
[13:05]rent is way too darn high and we have a deficit of truly affordable housing and it's holding people back and preventing people from getting a start in life and we have to do something about that
[13:16]urgently because it's costing us every single day. >> What about nations without borders and fewer if no prisons at all?
[13:26]I believe that the United States and every country has a right and a duty to enforce its borders. Um, and I do
[13:37]believe that, you know, there we have too many people incarcerated in this country. Um, but, uh, that position that you just named is certainly not my
[13:46]position. Um, and that's why again we're staying focused on the issues that are uniting people here in the district. William Lawrence, I appreciate the time very much. Thank you.
[13:57]>> Thank you, Major. >> CBS News election law contributor David Becker joins me now. David Ed O'keefee made reference to this, but the turnout was off the charts in Michigan yesterday. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the previous record
[14:07]was 2.1 million in a midterm primary. They hit 2.4 million in this one. Uh really remarkable. And even more impressive, Ed also mentioned this. We learned in a very very close race, a
[14:17]race divided only about 14,000 votes decide between the two Senate candidates and the Democratic side. Um we heard we learned about it in the morning. 99% of all the votes were counted by the
[14:28]morning. Really impressive, particularly for a state like Michigan, which is over half male ballots that were voted in this election. So all credit to the election officials who worked overnight and overtime to make sure that we had a
[14:39]clear result, even though it was very, very close. Even though the president tried to raise hackles about Wayne County and Detroit today, doing as he did in 2020 baselessly. >> Yeah, I we're going to keep hearing
[14:50]that. Of course, we heard that in California earlier. Wherever the president doesn't like the results, he has some complaint that he's going to make about it. But the fact is every time these election officials, their
[15:00]work has withtood that scrutiny every single time. While the president is complaining, those workers are working overtime. There are Democrats and Republicans. Even in Wayne County, even in Detroit, there are worker watchers
[15:11]and observers. It is all done under transparency. And that's why all of the elections we've had have withstood all of the scrutiny that have been applied. >> I want to show our audience something that's pretty unusual. It was a
[15:21]handwritten note to the Federal Election Commission from the candidate I mentioned earlier in Michigan's 8th district. Tom Smith says, uh, "Dear FBI inspector, this is because he said they
[15:32]couldn't access this via email or the web server or whatever. uh FEC. Uh this is to notify you that Tom Smith for Congress was a late entry into the race for Michigan's 8th congressional
[15:43]district and has raised only $1,850. We therefore per your email to us on 79, meaning July 9th, will not file a report until the next deadline for filing, technically suspending his campaign. He
[15:55]can get back in. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he can. I mean, he's he's done that. He won the Even though he suspended his campaign, somehow he won. Yeah. I mean, uh, look, >> whether
[16:06]the voters get to decide, right? Um, we we can think it's odd how the voters have chosen. We can disagree with how the voters have chosen, but sometimes create for us a mishmash.
[16:18]>> Exactly. And that's a case where I guarantee you the results of that are going to hold. The the election officials in that district did a did a really great job. Before I let you go, very quickly, there is a tote board that you and I keep track of of the times
[16:29]that this administration has tried to access or demand from states sensitive data on voter roles. What's the tote board now? >> Well, they've sued 30 states in DC, 31 cases. As of now, they have a perfect
[16:41]record. They are 0 and 20. They have lost all 20 cases that have been decided, a majority of them before Republican judges. Eight of those 20 judges appointed by President Trump himself. >> David Becker, great stuff as always. I
[16:52]appreciate it. We turn to the war with Iran now. It goes on and lots of other things around the region. President Trump touting progress on the potential reopening of the Straight of Hormuz. And
[17:04]please, I beg of you, stop me if you've heard this before. A deal could be made as soon as today or maybe tomorrow. CBS News national security analyst Aaron Mlan joins me. Also, as you well know,
[17:14]host of the School of War podcast. Where are we, Aaron? I've been doing election stuff all day. What's been happening in the wider world? Uh major I think we're about as close to a deal to reopen the straight of Hormuz as we were yesterday
[17:26]and the day before that and probably as we're going to be in the weeks to come. Uh there have been talks between the Iranians and the Omanis, of course, the two countries that stand a stride the straight of Hormuz about how they would
[17:36]manage traffic through the straight, but Iran has said repeatedly that they will not seed what they see as their right to control traffic through the through the straight. Something that the Trump administration has repeatedly rejected.
[17:47]So it's not totally clear to me what we mean when we say that a deal to open the straight of hormuz is at hand. >> And this [snorts] idea of some sort of fee or toll hangs over these talks, does it not?
[17:58]>> The fee is one aspect of it. Whether you call it a fee, a toll, a service fee, um something you're paying for safety services, whatever it is, if someone's paying the Iranians to go through the straight, that is not a situation that
[18:09]existed before the war began. And the United States has said repeatedly that it would be unacceptable. Remember, in the memorandum of understanding, there was a 60-day period where they couldn't do it. Um, we're still technically within those 60 days. So, we'll see if
[18:20]there's some other sort of um trick like that in anything that comes out between the Omanis and the Iranians. >> Aaron, you pay very close attention to military capabilities and there was news this week confirmed by CBS and other
[18:31]news organizations that the Pentagon has virtually gone through its available stockpile of precision offensive missiles in the region. How big a news is that?
[18:42]>> Uh, it's concerning. Um uh this seems to track back to March and April during the real peak of the violence. There was a really high rate of fire back then. The original cause of it seems to be that we thought this was going to be a short war
[18:53]over in a few days, maybe a couple weeks, but it extended. And so this stockpile of the attacks, which are the older style of missiles, and then the precision strike missiles, the newer variant, both reportedly have run very
[19:04]low. That's in addition to about half of the cruise missiles that we have that are shot. Um a substantial portion of our defensive air interceptors. All very concerning. all a problem for deterrence around the globe.
[19:14]>> And people who cover the building, the Pentagon, often talk about that the Pentagon has plans for everything. But plans are only good if you can carry them out. Does this limit options?
[19:25]>> Well, here Major, the point I'd make on this question is I think what this shortage really tells us is it's less that we're in trouble with China now as a result of this war. Actually, the truth is more alarming. It's that we were never in a good position to deter
[19:37]China if after only >> So that's another theater that hasn't even opened yet, but potentially could be one. >> That's right. If after only few months of war of varying intensity with a middle power like Iran were this badly off on munitions, how would it have gone
[19:49]in a higher intensity broader? >> Super kinetic. >> Exactly. I this this there are just alarm bells all around on this issue. >> Well, that's comforting. Alarm bells all around. Aaron Mlan, thank you very much. Still to come, New Mexico wants
[20:00]unredacted Epstein Epstein [music] documents in federal possession, especially those related to Zoro Ranch. Attorney General R. Torres tells us why. Also, a man arrested over the weekend
[20:11]near a Trump golf course before a planned presidential visit. He had ammo [music] in his pockets and a firearm in his truck. Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson sidesteps domestic abuse
[20:21]allegations facing Ohio GOP Congressman Max Miller. It's all about the process playing itself out, the speaker says. The Takeout returns in 90 seconds.
[20:32][music] Welcome back to Takeout. We here have spent a lot of time focused on New Mexico and the Epstein files because
[20:43]there's a lot of talk in Washington, but New Mexico is actually trying to figure things out to see if there's anything that's still prosecutable in this matter. And today, it sued the Trump
[20:53]administration to obtain unredacted access to the Epstein files that have not been publicly disclosed. The state's attorney general, Al Torres says Todd Blanch, the deputy attorney general and
[21:04]nominee to become act full attorney general and the justice department his word stonewalling his investigation into Epstein and the focus there in New
[21:15]Mexico on Zoro Ranch property just outside of Santa Fe. Want to welcome back New Mexico's Attorney General R. Torres. So what is the nature of this lawsuit? What do you want and why did
[21:26]you file it? So, Major, it's it's been 173 days since we first asked for unrestricted and unredacted access to the complete Epstein files. We've made no fewer than
[21:37]10 separate attempts both at Maine Justice, the Southern District of New York, even here in the District of New Mexico. And all we have uh received from the Department of Justice, despite
[21:47]public assurances of cooperation, is stonewalling and obstruction. And so fundamentally, we're asking for a district court judge to order the United States Department of Justice to grant us this access so that we can advance our
[21:59]ongoing criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's conduct here in Zoro Ranch. >> What do you believe is there that's relevant to the ranch and your investigation? For example, how many
[22:10]times do you think it's mentioned? So, we we know from what is publicly available that Zoro Ranch has referenced over 13,000 times in the publicly
[22:21]available uh files that have been submitted and made um available under the Epstein transparency act. The problem is is that most of those records are either completely redacted or
[22:32]partially redacted. And so we are concerned that we can't be able that we won't be able to identify potential co-conspirators, witnesses, cooperating information or any leads that may
[22:42]advance this investigation and bring us to a place where we might still be able to bring a prosecutable case here in the state of New Mexico. When you talk to survivors, what do they believe they
[22:54]that can be found there and what what leads do they believe can and should be pursued relevant specifically to Zoro Ranch?
[23:04]Yeah, I've been I've been very uh cautious with survivors because, you know, I I don't want to set expectations too high. They've been through too much and and too much disappointment all
[23:14]these years. But one of the things that I know has frustrated them, including um in DOJ's response today, DOJ responded to the lawsuit by saying that they can't turn this information over because they
[23:26]they have to protect the privacy rights and interests of survivors. the survivors just put out a a a statement that says that's laughable. And it's it
[23:35]really is um a disgraceful excuse to try and hide behind the privacy rights of survivors and use that as an excuse to not cooperate with our investigation.
[23:45]They know that we are working towards um the possibility of building um a case that is still viable and prosecutable. That's what they want. That's our
[23:55]commitment to them. And the longer we wait and delay from the Department of Justice, the more we are set back in terms of reaching that goal. >> Mr. Attorney General, are you edging
[24:06]toward more strident language than non-ooperative? >> Well, look, I I I'm a former federal prosecutor here in the state. What I can
[24:17]tell you is that the way that this has been handled from the beginning is disgraceful. It is not in keeping with the norms. practice.
[24:28]>> I you know I think there is a cover up to a certain extent that that um has been animated by the administration for reasons that I I fully uh don't know the
[24:40]motivation or the rationale. I think they would all be much better off if they just you know made it all transparent, made it available, cooperated with our investigation. I
[24:51]think it leads to a lack of trust not only on the part of survivors but on the part of the general public that they have something to hide. Um but it really undermines faith and confidence in our
[25:01]judicial system in our justice system that we're we're going to be able to do this in a professional and competent and transparent manner. >> Before I let you go, Mr. Attorney General, you said you do not want to set
[25:11]elevated expectations. You're not telling my audience that if you get access to this information, bang, there's going to be a prosecution. No, I don't. As a prosecutor, I don't we
[25:22]don't say that in any case under any circumstances because I've been doing this work far too long. What I do know is that there's relevant information that would be helpful for my investigators and my prosecutors, both
[25:34]to advance uh existing theories and ideas about how we might bring a prosecutable case. But we won't know that until we test that evidence, until we see that evidence. And so it's
[25:46]essential for people to understand that this is gaining access to this is necessary, but it doesn't guarantee that there's going to be a prosecution. But what I can tell you is that we can't
[25:56]complete this work if we don't have the cooperation of federal law enforcement agencies and the acting attorney general of the United States. >> New Mexico Attorney General Ronald Torres, Mr. Attorney General. Pleasure.
[26:06]Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> Coming up, first the plume of lunar debris, then a crater. All part of a SpaceX lunar lander that accidentally
[26:18]crashed into the moon. More on the rise of lunar litter. Really? Seriously? That's next here on the Takeout. Welcome back to Takeout. Thanks for
[26:30]hanging out with us. Welcome to the conversation corner. Here is a look at what else we and now you are watching this evening. A man was arrested near the Trump National Golf Course in Los Angeles over the weekend. That was just
[26:42]a day, days rather, before President Trump was to visit. Investigators say Janine John Tail was taken into custody during a security check. They found ammunition in his pockets and a loaded
[26:53]gun in his pickup truck. He faces a federal gun possession charge, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Tails initial court hearing was scheduled to occur today, but it was
[27:05]canled. wasn't intentional, but a SpaceX rocket, kind of a lunar lander, crashed into the moon. 4-tonon rocket traveling at roughly 5,400 mph slammed into the
[27:17]lunar surface early this morning. By the way, that's twice the speed of a bullet. The collision was not visible to the naked eye, certainly not mine, but a telescope in Chile spotted the debris
[27:28]plume. It created a crater that's going to be roughly measured about 100 ft wide and 16 feet deep. The relationship between progressive candidates and
[27:38]Jewish voters has been a central focus this election cycle. Editor-inchief of Jewish Insider Josh Kushau has a new piece titled DSA's Achilles heel goes
[27:49]beyond anti-semitism. He argues, quote, "The reality is that these candidates are politically problematic to the overall public for reasons that go far
[27:59]beyond their views on Jews or Israel. The same Democratic Socialist of America platform that rejects a Jewish state and condones terrorism also is one that
[28:09]envisions abolishing prisons and defunding the police and backs open borders." Earlier, we discussed the state of the Democratic Party, Jewish voters, as well
[28:20]as Abdul Elsed's Michigan Democratic Senate primary victory. Please take a listen. Josh, you've covered politics for a very long time and you have
[28:31]recently, last four years or so, begun to specialize in politics in Jewish America. What's going on and how do you look at what we saw in Michigan last night as an example?
[28:42]>> Well, look, Major, Jews are the news all too often, frankly, if not for all the good reasons uh lately. And and look, the the Michigan Senate race was one of
[28:51]the most heated uh examples of of a that indicated the divides within the Democratic party. You've seen it on the right. We saw that uh in recent
[29:01]elections. But now the Democratic Party is really facing a a reckoning of what ideological direction it wants to go in and increasingly on issues relating to
[29:11]Israel, Middle East policy, how to deal with anti-semitism. those debates and those arguments and frankly a tolerance of of a of a more
[29:20]radical view was front and center uh last night in the Michigan Senate race. We were seen in a lot of Democratic primaries across the country. >> And with Democratic Socialist of
[29:30]America, even though Abdul sayed is not a member of that part of the Dem Democratic Socialist of America, he has many policies that are somewhat similar,
[29:40]very critical of Israel. Is this trend line within the Democratic party from your perspective, Josh? about Israel, about Jews, or is it about Benjamin Netanyahu?
[29:50]>> Well, it starts with the fact that even though Elsa does not identify as a Democratic socialist, some of his closest allies are on that wing of the party, Bernie, I mean, even going back
[30:02]to when he first ran for statewide office, he ran against Governor Gretchen Whitmer unsuccessfully back in 2018. Uh Bernie Sanders was his biggest champion.
[30:11]D Sanders is a small D democratic socialist. We're now seeing the rise of a capital D party democratic socialist uh in you know institution that is even
[30:21]further to the left. Hassan he's a influencer who I I >> was with the day before the election. Yeah, I would call him, you know, there's a lot of uh stories written
[30:32]about his extremism, but he's, you know, anti- American. I would say he supports totalitarian regimes or said nice things about countries like China, Cuba, uh and he certainly has been very pro- Hamas or
[30:43]said things that along the lines of I I I would rather support Hamas over the state of Israel. So the these are the kind of worldview uh that someone like per represents and he was campaigning with
[30:54]>> and historically would have been shunned within Democratic circles. This is the type of candidate when I talked to strategists involved in the race, they were shocked even in a Democratic primary that someone like that would be
[31:06]embraced by a serious candidate for statewide office. But not only was he was he campaigning with Elsa early on, he was the one of the I would call him one of the leading surrogates along with
[31:15]AOC and Bernie Sanders in the closing weeks of the Michigan Senate primary. >> So from where you sit, Josh, where do these things head in the future? Is this
[31:26]something that's going to be on a track that Democrats are going to have to continue to reckon with as election cycle after election cycle? >> We are in this very strange political moment. It's not just the Democratic
[31:37]party. You're seeing this on on the right as well where there's a increased tolerance for extreme views, what was considered out of the mainstream stuff you wouldn't say on the campaign trail.
[31:49]>> Oh, right. It's Holocaust deniialism. Nick Fuentes and and and and and Tucker Carlson and people like that that again JD Vance, vice president was was asked if he would condemn some of these
[32:00]figures and he also kind of tiptoed in a you know in a very unusual line to on those types of controversial figures. But the extreme is becoming closer to the mainstream. And the penalty that you
[32:11]would pay if you were a serious candidate for office in in being aligned or embracing some of these very uh exotic views is not what it used to be. And that's the test that Michigan is
[32:22]going to is going to really provide. >> And Josh, you mentioned somewhat glibly off the top, the Jews are the news, but for Jews in America, it shows up in polling data all the time. They feel
[32:33]increasingly insecure about their safety and about their place in the American conversation. That's been a trend line since basically October 7th, 2023.
[32:44]What do you see in that space? >> Jewish voters, which Jews have always overwhelmingly been Democratic and including in the most recent presidential election, about 65 70% of
[32:54]Jewish voters voted for Kla Harris. those Democratic voters, mainly moderate Democratic voters, are now experiencing increasingly politically homeless. They
[33:04]they they don't necessarily associate themselves with Trump and and even, you know, they may agree with Trump's policies on Israel and the but they don't feel comfortable associating themselves in Trump's Republican party,
[33:15]but they are estranged increasingly from the Democratic party that they once called home. I think moderates overall, like if you're a moderate, if you're kind of a centrist Democrat, the est we call the the establishment leaders of
[33:27]the party are losing power, losing influence. Chuck Schumer, you know, had very little say in this in the, you know, the trajectory of his candidate, Haley Stevens. But you're also seeing
[33:38]Jews caught in the middle because they tend to be more moderate, more mainstream, and this radical view towards Israel and towards the Middle East that's percolating within the party is kind of drawing the the Jewish vote out of the equation.
[33:49]You can listen to my full interview with Josh Crushau on your favorite podcast platform. Coming up, House Speaker Mike Johnson says [music] he wants the probe into Max Miller to quote unquote play
[34:00]out. What does that mean? We'll discuss when we come back. You're watching the [music] takeout. Welcome back. Other part of the
[34:14]conversation corner, just switch chairs. Republican Congressman Max Miller. He's under some pressure to end his campaign for re-election, but he's defying that. And there's a deadline, a second one on
[34:25]ballot status, which is approaching quickly. So, all this is really getting sort of pressurized. The two-term congressman has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate allegations of
[34:35]domestic abuse raised by his ex-wife. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Politico that there's a process now and he wants that process to play out, but he said those allegations are serious. CBS News
[34:47]contributor Mark Caputo joins me now, White House reporter for Axios. So Mark, you're very dialed in to the Trump White House. Max Miller is known to the president. He's known to the first Trump
[34:58]administration. He's known to the second Trump administration. What are you hearing? Well, as we reported the other day, President Trump, while publicly saying he wasn't going to get involved,
[35:08]personally called Max Miller and asked him sort of to drop out, but he didn't quite clearly say, "Hey, you need to drop out." He just said, "Things are looking bad for you. It's not looking good." And strongly sort of urged him to
[35:20]consider, but there was no direct ask. And publicly, Trump has said that he likes Max Miller. He likes Miller's ex-wife. It's a sad situation. and he's
[35:31]sort of neutral in it. So the pressure point that could be most brought to bear on Miller, President Trump, is not there. >> And the president also knows Bernie
[35:43]Moreno, senator from Ohio, Max Miller's father-in-law. His daughter is the litigant in this very ugly divorce case. He said yesterday his family has been in
[35:54]the seventh ring of hell. And today he basically implied that Max Miller, a sitting congressman, has pretty serious mental health issues that need to be addressed.
[36:06]>> Well, welcome to the ugly world of divorce cases and custody cases. And a further wrinkle in here is that Donald Trump's Bedminster golf course was where
[36:15]the Millers got married. So, it's an incredibly sort of very personal internal MAGA situation where no one really wants to deal with it. Now, there are voices in the White House and
[36:27]Trump's political operation that wanted the president have talked to other reporters about trying to get Max Miller out of the race. But our best understanding of Miller's thinking here
[36:39]is that he believes that if he quits, he looks guilty. He says he's not guilty and therefore he's going to stay in and fight. It's the only place that sort of
[36:48]affords him a clear bully pulpit. You know, nothing makes someone sort of less interesting or less quotable than being former like former congressman Max Miller. Well, he's probably not going to
[36:59]be quoted that much and spoken about that much. And people are going to say, well, he resigned amid pressures that he uh allegedly beat his wife and allegedly beat his or hurt his child. So, he's staying in for that very sort of
[37:10]personal reason. There are a lot of Republicans who think that as a result, Miller is being too personal about it and not thinking about the broader party.
[37:19]>> So, let's talk about Chuck Edwards uh from North Carolina, Republican, accused by the House Ethics Committee this week of persistent, unprofessional,
[37:30]and inappropriate conduct toward female staffers, sexual harassment, hostile workforce. He was defiant for about a day. Then at about I think it was 3:23
[37:40]a.m. this morning posted on social media he was not going to seek re-election. So defiance can sometimes evaporate.
[37:50]>> It can. In Edward's case, you know, he has text messages. This is a 65year-old guy who's been married for a long period of time where it's quite clear he was
[37:59]engaging in or wanting to engage in inappropriate relationships with younger women in Las Vegas and the like. And you know they're pretty I you know in the in the most sort of raw and basic term
[38:11]pretty pathetic messages for a man his age married man. And so I think he at to your point at 3:23 in the morning realized that this just wasn't worth it
[38:21]at this stage of his life and has called it quits. Max Miller is a much younger guy and this is a very personal fight for him. It's a a custody fight, a divorce case and so the dynamics between
[38:33]the two are very different. Maraputo, Axios, CBS contributor. Always great stuff. Thank you so much. >> Coming up, Arizona's Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs. She's going to pick a
[38:43]Republican as her running mate as she prepares for reelection. Our political panel will evaluate that and a lot more political news when we come back. You're watching the Takeout. Welcome back to Takeout. Welcome to the
[39:00]Takeout Tavern. Reporter panel time. Matt Brown, politics reporter for the Associated Press. Igor Babek covers the Senate for notice. Remember that's news
[39:08]of the US. So Abdul sayed one was closer than people expected in Michigan. But one of his earliest backers, Bernie Sanders, talked to reporters today about what this all means. Play it.
[39:19]>> What I hope everybody appreciates is that what happened in Michigan yesterday is literally unprecedented in modern American history. What Abdul had to do is take on the
[39:31]entire Michigan Democratic establishment. He took on the national Democratic establishment and then in a way that I have never heard of. I don't
[39:41]think anybody has $60 million in super PAC funding. An unbelievable amount of money. >> The key thing there, he took on and
[39:51]therefore defeated the Michigan Democratic establishment, the national Democratic establishment. huge, huge. >> What's Sanders driving at there? >> Oh, well, he's driving at wanting to
[40:01]change the composure of the Senate Democratic caucus. That's the long-term goal. >> And the Democratic party at large, >> 100% 100%. They want to prove that a progressive candidate, somebody who's a
[40:11]fighter, an insurgent candidate can win in a battleground state like Michigan. And it's not been done before. They want to put this on the map. >> How much are they held back or maybe humbled this morning that this victory
[40:22]wasn't as large as a lot of progressives thought it was going to be? I mean, one progressive interest group put sent out an email like at six o'clock last night, ready to go, post this as soon as he's declared the winner.
[40:34]>> I got that email. [laughter] >> You know what I'm talking about. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think they wanted a resounding victory to get it. >> They didn't get it. They wanted to, you know, quiet the questions and I think that those are still going to be out there a little bit. >> Bad your perspective.
[40:46]>> Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think that this is obviously something that progressives been very focused on this year as their bellweather to prove the case ahead of 2028. So, you know, Bernie Sanders internalized that people were scared of the electability question in
[40:58]2020 and progressives want to put that to bed. So, not just winning in a deep blue place like New York or even Denver, but really winning for a progressive Democratic socialist back candidate like Abdul Saiad in Michigan could really
[41:09]make that case for them and they are realizing that it's still going to be a very uphill battle against Mike Rogers going into the general election. >> And Basher, the governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Democratic
[41:19]governor, possible 2028 candidate for the presidency. He's currently the head of the Democratic Governor's Association. Yes. Among many, many others. Uh was in Michigan and was asked some questions about what all this
[41:30]means. Here's part of his answer. >> Well, I think that regardless of who the Democratic candidate is, the contrast with today's Republican party is going to be enormous. Uh today's Republican
[41:41]party is the party of Trump. It means you're the protariff party. It means you're the anti-healthcare party. It means you're the party for kicking kids off their food assistance, more kids
[41:51]going hungry every single day. Uh, and I think there are a lot of Republicans out there that don't support that and thus are going to vote differently. Right now, we need a change in our country. We
[42:02]need a Senate and a Congress that will actually do its job and be a check not just on this president, but any president. >> So, the translation of that is Abdul said, "Wait a minute, I'm talking about
[42:12]Republicans." [laughter] Matt. >> Well, exactly. I mean, the party realizes that the stakes like this and can't lose seat for Democrats is something that they do have to come somehow figure out how to come together now that he is the nominee. And even
[42:24]though his positions are in some cases not popular with the general electorate, they do believe that maybe with, you know, Senate Democrats and their pack coming in and supporting him that they might be able to paper over some of that. But that's really the only option
[42:35]that the establishment has in this case. They really did get a route here um by being shown that Stevens wasn't able to succeed in defeating Elsa in this case >> even though there was so much money behind her. Eigor. >> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Um I think that
[42:46]Democrats are going to have to grapple with this election and what it means and you know talking to some of them now reminds me of talking to Republican elected Republicans back in 2016 back in
[42:57]2020 when you asked them about Trump. They would immediately shift to you know what's wrong with Democrat what you know let's just ignore it and it didn't work and look who's you know >> acting as if Trump was a kind of albatross when the next thing they know
[43:09]he's not the albatross. He is the decisive factor in re-imagining the composition of that underlying party. And Democratic socialists and progressives want to do that very thing.
[43:20]>> 100%. That's where the energy is. >> They they really have much higher aspirations than just winning a seat here or a seat there. There's there's a kind of a transformational motif to this, is there not?
[43:32]>> Absolutely. And and you know, to your point about the White House, this is a battle for >> because there 2028 implications. They want to be the ones to sort of >> Absolutely. Yeah.
[43:42]>> If not be the deciding factor, a bigger factor than they have historically been. >> They want to be the driving force. The hard left of the Democratic party wants to be the driving force in this transition. And I mean just earlier today Bernie Sanders had another um
[43:53]press conference with reporters where he said that he wants this to be an unstoppable force that will be a transition of the Democratic party to his vision of how they should be engaging with politics which is something that on the one hand maybe you
[44:05]know a core amount of the Democratic voters might be interested in after the 2024 election defeat. But on the other hand this might be something that is an anathema to excuse me um to the broader
[44:16]electorate here and could spell you know doom for the party if it doesn't prove to be more popular with independence and moderates. Anathem is a word we accept here at the Takeout Tavern. Gentlemen, thank you. Your first time here. Appreciate it very much. Matt Brown, Eager Bobic, thank you very much. Quick
[44:27]reminder, The Takeout is available, I tell you this all the time, as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere else. You can find each show there and along with our long form interviews of which I'm happy to say we
[44:38]do many. Happy [music] Wednesday, everyone. This is the takeout. Relentless and curious, reliably civil, occasionally clever. Daily report next. >> [music]