[0:00]The redistricting battle in Texas escalates as Governor Greg Abbott issues arrest warrants for the Democrats who fled. New Epstein subpoenas. A House committee wants testimony from Bill and
[0:12]Hillary Clinton. This says the Department of Justice considers releasing parts of their recent interview with Galain Maxwell. Preventable disaster. A new report finds
[0:22]the Titan submersible tragedy could have been avoided, pointing the finger of blame at the company's CEO.
[0:30][Music] Hello everyone, I'm Ouija Jen in
[0:41]Washington in for Major Garrett. Welcome to the takeout. The political battle in Texas over redistricting remains in a heated deadlock. The state house once again failed to reach a quorum for the
[0:52]second day in a row as Democrats who fled remained outside the state in their effort to block the redrawing of the congressional map. Republicans voted to issue civil arrest warrants for those
[1:03]Democrats. They remain defiant though. Those warrants effectively symbolic as state authorities are powerless to make arrests outside of Texas. The issue only escalating though as California Governor
[1:15]Gavin Newsome says he has a redistricting plan ready to go for his state if Texas passes theirs. And President Trump, the one who initiated this move in the first place, weighing
[1:25]in again about getting those five House seats. We start right there from White House reporter Olivia Renady. Olivia, it's great to see you. Um, so I want to play first what President Trump said
[1:36]this morning during an interview with CNBC about this redistricting fight. You notice they go to Illinois for safety, but that's all gerrymandered.
[1:47]California is gerrymandered. We should have many more seats in Congress in California. It's all gerrymandered. And we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor and we have good people in
[1:59]Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know. And uh we are entitled to five more seats.
[2:09]So Olivia, President Trump has made clear what he wants. How is the White House handling this standoff? >> Well, Ouija, you heard the president there say they're entitled to these five
[2:21]more seats. And in reality, what they're looking at is 2026 and those midterms. That's why this is happening because the White House has seen that the one big beautiful bill that was passed is
[2:32]polling particularly low among Americans. Our own CBS polling found that as well. So, in an effort to really insulate them from perhaps changes to the House majority in the 2026 midterms,
[2:43]they're getting ahead of it with the president saying he wants five more seats in Texas and even they're entitled to it. And the reason why they're saying they can do this is him pointing to Illinois and California saying, "Well,
[2:55]they've done it, so why can't we?" So, the White House really making a PR pitch effort today and CNBC with Trump going out there saying that this is something they're pursuing and that they hope Texas Democrats are able to accomplish
[3:07]it. Texas Republicans, excuse me, >> Olivia, it's pretty clear that for now at least, these Democrats aren't going anywhere. Has the president or the White House indicated that they're going to
[3:18]use any federal resources to try to change that and bring them back to Texas? Well, it's one of the outstanding questions we have to the White House today. What are you going to do in order
[3:29]to bring them back from Illinois and New York and all these places where these Texas Democrats are seeking shelter? Whether they'll use those federal resources because as you mentioned, even
[3:40]though Governor Greg Abbott said that he wants to use uh Texas law enforcement, they really don't have jurisdiction outside of Texas. So, they're kind of in this wait and see mode as of right now.
[3:50]But Senator John Cornin of Texas actually sent a letter to Cash Patel, the director of the FBI, saying that this is timesensitive. They want to have those Texas Democrats back and therefore
[4:01]he is asking for the FBI's help to bring them back to the state. Ouija, that would amount to certainly an escalation in this fight.
[4:11]And Olivia, as this all unfolds, there's a pretty prominent Democratic governor, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, who met with the president at the White House today. She's done so several times
[4:22]already this year. Why was she there? >> Well, I'm told by sources that this was actually a request that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Whitmer made
[4:32]several weeks ago when she had some federal funding that was approved for a disaster that happened in Michigan. when she was on the phone with the president allegedly she asked him if she could come visit to talk about how tariffs and
[4:43]Medicaid are impacting people in Michigan. There's also an air base out in Michigan called Selfridge that she's been working to get more fighter pilots out of. So that's something they've been
[4:53]working on the White House with. The timing of it is always interesting, Ouija, because of course you see governors in Illinois, New York, and California allying with Texas. And then
[5:04]you have Governor Gretchen Whit, excuse me, Governor Gretchen Whitmer here at the White House. >> Yes, it's a very interesting update. Thank you so much, Olivia Raldi. Joining
[5:15]us now is former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tom Depri. Tom, it's so great to have you here. So, we just heard some of the details about what's happening and we know that Governor Greg
[5:27]Abbott has ordered the civil arrest of those Democratic lawmakers who fled, but how does that work? Do they have any way to arrest them outside of Texas? >> It's a tough process for the governor of
[5:38]Texas. Uh, typically Texas law enforcement authorities, whether it's the Texas Rangers or others, their jurisdiction is confined to the state of Texas. They don't have a roving mandate to go around the United States and grab
[5:48]people from other states and bring them in. I think if the Texas governor wants to enforce this order, he's going to need to enlist some other law enforcement authority. Either the law enforcement authority of the states
[5:59]where the Democrats have fled to or possibly the federal government. We've heard that they've tried to get the FBI interested in this, maybe helping them enforce it. I think that could be a bit of a stretch. Typically, this is not something that the Federal Bureau of
[6:11]Investigation would enforce, but the governor is limited in that he really can't send his particular Texas authorities out through the United States to enforce Texas law. What about removing them from office? Can he do that?
[6:22]>> You know, they've talked about going after them under an abandonment theory that the idea is being these Democrats have simply abandoned their duties as state legislators. It's an untested theory. Personally, I think it's probably a tough theory to get at. It's
[6:34]not clear to me that they've really abandoned their jobs. They've really made a strategic decision to deprive the legislature of the quorum that it needs. But look, if Governor Abbott actually pursued this and tried to remove them
[6:45]from office, it's something that would be litigated up through the Texas courts. And it's possible that a Texas judge, particularly one that's sympathetic to the governor, could find a basis for abandonment. But again, it's an untested novel legal theory. And I
[6:56]think it would be an uphill battle. >> Can you help us understand the legality of the restricted redistricting plan in the first place? I imagine some folks are wondering, wait a minute, how can
[7:08]you just redraw a map because you want more, you know, members of Congress from your party? The idea of redistricting is something that has bedeled courts in the United States really from the founding.
[7:19]I mean the whole idea of a gerrymander actually comes from one of the founders Elvis Jerry. This in this case what's happening is Texas is trying to do what's known as a political gerrymander where they want to redraw the districts
[7:30]to maximize the number of Republicans that get elected. Whether or not it's legal certainly it will get challenged in the courts. But look, the fact is the United States Supreme Court has been fairly differential to state efforts to
[7:41]redistrict. They've said, "This is not something that we, the courts, want to get involved in. We're going to leave it to the political process." So, the truth is, states do have pretty broad discretion and how they want to draw
[7:52]their district lines, even when they wind up looking like something absolutely crazy, like a salamander or something else snaking through the state. The courts have typically said, "This is a job for the politicians, not for the judges."
[8:03]>> And to be clear, it's not just Republican states. Democratic states have attempted to do this as well. New York's got struck down after the last census. >> Illinois, right, too. Yeah.
[8:12]>> And now Governor Gavin Newsome over in California saying, "Wait a minute. I have a reptile ready to draw as well." Can he do that?
[8:22]>> Well, yes. I mean, look, the we've seen, as you note, other states, New York, Illinois, maybe California, they too have done these political gerrymanders. And what they are saying to Governor Abbott and frankly to any other red
[8:33]state governor who might get the itch to redist. If you guys are going to go all out, maximize the number of Republican seats, we're going to do the same thing and maximize the number of Democratic seats. Some states have already done it.
[8:45]Illinois is heavily partisan, jerrymandered in favor of Democrats. I think maybe that's kind of what Texas looked at with a bit of envy and said, "We want to do the same thing here for Republicans." But yes, Gavin Newsome, other Democratic governors are paying
[8:56]very close attention to what's going on in Texas and saying, "If you were able to get this through in your state, we're going to do the same here." >> Yeah, he says he is not rolling over to the Republicans. And Tom, thank you so
[9:06]much for always making us smarter. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Appreciate it. >> Turning now to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas to a number of big names. The
[9:17]panel wants depositions from former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, multiple former attorneys general, and FBI directors. The committee also issued a
[9:28]subpoena to the Department of Justice for the complete Epstein files. Jake Rosen joins me now. Jake, great to see you. Tell us why the oversight panels opinion the Clintons. Why why do they
[9:40]want to hear from them and will they get the files that they're asking for from the DOJ? Well, whether they get the files or not remains to be seen, Ouija, but what today's move by House Oversight
[9:50]Chairman James Comr and some Democrats on that committee really causes another rift between Republicans over this Jeffrey Epstein saga after there was a move to potentially hold an entire
[10:02]Housewide vote on releasing the Epstein files. Speaker Johnson, as we've covered, dismissed the House for a number of weeks this summer. And to circumvent that, the House Oversight Committee, whose job is oversight of the
[10:13]federal government, is clearly not taking that uh in stride. They're moving to not just push the DOJ to get those files, but to potentially ask for more
[10:23]information about what the Biden DOJ spoke with between the DOJ and FBI uh relating to Jeffrey Epstein. And in addition to that, bringing in past government officials as you just listed
[10:34]out, including former president and his wife to who have ties to uh Jeffrey Epstein for sure, but who also were part of governments including Secretary of State Clinton, which were investigating
[10:44]Jeffrey Epstein for a number of years before he eventually reached a plea agreement in one jurisdiction and then as we know was charged in another. Certainly this is not going to go away. Whether some of these people can be
[10:56]compelled to testify, however, is another story. very unlikely uh outside of a voluntary deposition that former President Clinton would actually sit in front of this committee. >> And Jake, I want to talk about Gain
[11:07]Maxwell because CBS News has learned there are ongoing discussions about making public some of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch's conversation with her. What can you tell us about that?
[11:17]>> Well, that's right. For that two-day conversation that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch had with Maxwell in Florida before she was moved to a lower security prison. That conversation as it would be standard operating procedure
[11:29]for any kind of high-profile interview like this would obviously be recorded and would then a transcript would be taken of what the Department of Justice spoke to her and her attorney about. Uh
[11:40]the deputy attorney general said at the time after day one of that meeting that they were going to release information at the proper time. Now CBS has learned that the Trump administration as high as the White House and Department of
[11:51]Justice are working on how to release that. Is it a full transcript and full uh audio? Is it some kind of edited version of that? As we know, the Department of Justice and Trump administration have pledged full
[12:02]transparency, and we've gotten far less than that over the last couple of weeks as the Trump administration just can't seem to skirt this issue. This potentially would alleviate that, although we it's very likely that
[12:13]Maxwell may have mentioned victim's names specifically and redactions would have to be made. >> All right, Jake Rosen, thank you so much for all your reporting. While phoning into CNBC this morning,
[12:26]President Trump defended his decision to fire the labor statistics commissioner following a disappointing jobs report. >> I think when somebody says the commissioner is not involved, I don't
[12:37]want to get into any arguments with anybody, why should I? She's a very nice woman. >> Exactly. >> But when they say that the, you know, that nobody was involved, that it wasn't
[12:46]political, give me a break. CBS News Moneyw Watch correspondent Kelly O'Grady joins me now. Kelly, it's great to see you. I wonder what the
[12:56]reaction has been on Wall Street. Um, and what does this action mean for whoever becomes the next labor statistics chief? How could it impact their credibility?
[13:07]>> Well, it's great to be with you, Ouija. You know, from the market perspective, we did see a big drop when that weaker jobs report came out, especially with all of the revisions that has been at the heart of the president's criticism
[13:18]of this most recent report. But the investor reaction was mainly about the weakness in the labor market that we're seeing, not necessarily this questioning
[13:28]of the credibility of the data. To your point though about what this might mean for the next uh commissioner, whomever that might be. I mean, number one, they're not the only person that's
[13:39]responsible for those numbers. There's a whole team of people that is going to be doing that job ongoing while that person uh remains to be named, but I do think there's going to be so much scrutiny
[13:50]about the credibility of those numbers. I would expect that person, the very first thing that they would do is to really sort of get in there of how this data is collected. I know you've been doing a lot of reporting on this.
[14:01]There's it's phone calls, it's faxes, it's sort of antiquated way of gathering data. And I would expect with all of that scrutiny on revisions, which are
[14:11]very common, there would be a push to improve and update how the Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers that information. >> Uh the president also said this morning he intends to quote substantially raise
[14:23]tariffs on India over its Russian oil purchases within the next 24 hours. This is something we've both been following closely. Talk about how that and Trump's
[14:33]other tariffs could impact Americans. So, broadly, I mean, we've been saying this for a while that we do expect, depending on how businesses react and absorb those tariffs, prices to go up
[14:44]for Americans. We have a slew of new tariffs that are going into effect on August 7th, higher tariff rates. And I actually spoke with the Fed of uh president of the Cleveland Fed, and she said that's part of the reason why they've been holding rates. They want to
[14:56]see what happens when it comes to inflation. The India one is very interesting because this is about putting economic pressure on India trying to get them to not buy oil from Russia. One that could mean higher
[15:06]prices for Americans. It could also mean higher oil prices in general if you don't have that Russian supply going into the market. But we I think the broader question is what does this mean for another big buyer of Russian oil?
[15:18]China. We have trade negotiations that are going on with them. And I don't think a lot of analysts expect President Xi to just say, "Sure, we're gonna, you know, push our our Russian ally out into the cold and stop buying oil from them."
[15:30]So that could complicate those trade negotiations significantly. Ouija, >> yes, we are certainly watching that big one very closely. Kelly O'Grady, thank you as always. >> Why did you cut SNAP and healthcare
[15:49]research? We do not have unlimited money in the United States. >> Town hall tensions. MAGA Congressman Mike Flood faces the music as
[15:59]constituents grow hostile over Trump cuts and the Epstein files. [Music] Murder, violent crime, motor vehicle thefts, they all declined in 2024. The
[16:10]new crime stats from the FBI and what's behind the drop. Israel weighs its next steps in Gaza as House Speaker Mike Johnson visits the
[16:22]occupied West Bank. A look at what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could decide. The takeout returns in 90 seconds. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will
[16:40]meet with his security cabinet this week as Israeli media reports he is preparing to push for a full military takeover of Gaza. Last night, he met with US officials in the West Bank, including
[16:52]House Speaker Mike Johnson. Andrew Boyd is the former chief of operations for the CIA counterterrorism mission center. Andrew, great to see you. Can you walk
[17:01]us through what an Israeli Thank you. >> Can you walk us through what an Israeli takeover of Gaza would look like? What does that mean?
[17:13]>> Well, the Israelis have occupied Gaza before and and and there's it's it's a very complicated issue for for Netanyahu where wherein he's getting quite a bit of oppos opposition uh from even his
[17:24]chief of staff and the Israeli Defense Force uh Ayal Zamir. Um, I think there's actually a a large contingent of retired security officials in Israel who are
[17:34]also opposed to it, who claim that one of the three goals that Netanyahu's established in Gaza, the defeat of Hamas, the return of all the hostages, and eliminating permanently Hamas as a
[17:45]threat to Israel. A lot of these retired security officials, generals, intelligence officials would argue Hamas has already been defeated. And from a strategic perspective, they don't pose a
[17:55]threat. But what does pose a threat in the in the minds of these retired security officials and possibly even uh active duty officials is that Israel's reputation in the world allowing
[18:06]starvation to happen in Gaza uh is is is going to be have a dilitterious effect permanently on Israel. Um and and in reality Netanyahu is making these moves
[18:17]to to uh satisfy the far right of of his party. uh whereas the majority of Israelis uh are opposed to this move and o reoccupying Gaza.
[18:28]>> And Andrew, with every big development in this conflict, the concern is always an expansion of the conflict. What could this occupation mean for the stability
[18:38]of the region? >> I I don't really think that's the issue. I think for it this is really an an internal issue for the Israelis and obviously for the Palestinian the
[18:49]innocent Palestinians not Hamas but the innocent Palestinians who are who are suffering from this. I I I do think this is an ex existential issue politically uh within Israel and its reputation uh
[19:01]globally. I I do not think the conflict in Gaza is going to lead to wider conflict. And we do need to contrast what has happened with in Gaza with the
[19:11]extraordinary victories that Israel has had over Hezbollah and then multiple times since October 7th, 2023 over the Iranians. These are very different
[19:21]things. Um and and but I I really do not think anybody is interested in expanding this conflict. And to your point about the humanitarian catastrophe, Israel now
[19:31]says it will allow controlled entry of some goods into Gaza through local merchants. Uh what do you make of officials giving that a green light? Is
[19:42]it anywhere near enough? >> I I I you know, I'm I'm I don't do humanitarian aid, but my understanding from the United Nations and others is that is a drop in the bucket for for
[19:54]what is required for Gaza. uh from a humanitarian uh food uh medical supplies and even for you know merchants to be able to sell goods so so that they have a living. I I I really think that's that
[20:05]that's theatrics. Um in order for the people of go the innocent people of Gaza to survive they have to actually have a a a constant flow of of food and medical
[20:16]supplies. And I actually think that's what the Trump administration wants as well. When Steve Whiteoff, the President Trump's representative, was in Israel, he was looking for a comprehensive uh
[20:27]truce, a comprehensive peace plan that would include adequate supplies for Gaza, as well as all the release of all 20 living hostages uh and and a a
[20:37]ceasefire. Um and I think it's a shame that that that has not been implemented. And speaking of those hostages, we have seen the horrifying images of the video
[20:47]that Hamas released of one of them. Can you tell us more about what you know and and why Hamas is putting this out right now?
[20:59]>> I mean, Hamas is violating uh you know, every standard uh in in warfare. Uh I mean, the list would be endless. um show
[21:08]showing civilian hostages uh clearly not adequately fed. But what what they I I assume from a propaganda perspective what Hamas was trying to achieve was to
[21:18]to show uh you know the contrast and to put pressure uh on Netanyahu showing Israeli citizens starving and and and frankly it has had that effect. Um
[21:29]there's been greater protest in Tel Aviv uh demanding that these hostages be released. Andrew Boyd, we have to leave it there, but thank you so much for your time today.
[21:41]>> Thank you, OA. >> Well, just last month, President Trump signed an executive order he claims would end crime and disorder on America's streets. But new stats show it
[21:52]may not be as big of a problem as the White House might want you to believe. That's next on The Takeout.
[21:59][Music] Welcome back to the Takeout. Here's a
[22:10]look at what else we're watching this evening. Sources tell CBS News the Justice Department is seeking to indict the man accused of killing two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington on
[22:21]federal hate crime charges. Rodriguez has already been charged with first-degree murder for killing Yaran Lechinsky and Sarah Mgrim in May as they
[22:31]left the Capitol Jewish Museum. The DOJ is expected to pursue the death penalty in the case. A grand jury has been convened to hear the Justice Department's evidence. Ukraine says
[22:42]Indian components have been found in Russian attack drones. A senior aid to Ukrainian President Zalinski is making the claim on social media. Officials say this isn't the first time Indian parts
[22:54]have been found in weapons used against Ukraine. The news comes as the Trump administration accused India of helping to fund the war by importing Russian oil and threatened to raise tariffs against
[23:05]India to 25%. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinsky says he spoke with President Trump on the phone this morning. He called it a productive conversation and
[23:15]thank Trump for efforts to end the war. A Confederate statue toppled during protest in Washington DC over the killing of George Floyd will be
[23:25]restored. The statue of the Confederate general and Freemason leader Albert Pike was torn down and burned during the June 2020 demonstrations. The park service
[23:35]says the decision follows executive orders urging federal agencies to quote present a full and accurate picture of the American past. Pike's statue was targeted for his role with the
[23:47]Confederacy and alleged association with the Ku Klux Clan. A new report from the FBI reveals crime in the United States decreased in 2024. The FBI defines
[23:59]violent crime as murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, which saw a 4.5% drop compared to 2023. I am joined now
[24:10]by former FBI assistant director Brian Boutig. Brian, it's great to have you here. >> Thank you for having me. >> Can you walk us through the most
[24:20]important takeaways from this year's numbers? >> I think it's important to understand that these are 2024 numbers as well,
[24:29]too. So, all of the data for 2025, the last 8 months, isn't included here. But it's very important to look at the decrease in the murder rate uh almost
[24:39]15% and all violent crime and property crime decreased significantly uh from 2023 to 2024. So there were significant
[24:49]changes in uh national crime patterns. It's important to also recognize that this doesn't always fit every city. There are some cities that probably had no violent crime last year and others
[25:00]that are probably driving the statistics up. So all crime really is local and you really need to extrapolate this data down to your individual city to see uh what the changes uh are in your
[25:12]particular area >> and it seems like sometimes at least it does come in waves like we saw a major spike during co how do you assess what we're seeing now compared to then and
[25:24]did the pandemic have a factor in all that crime >> I think if we look back to the 20134 time period when you had Trayvon Martin and the Michael Brown shooting. There
[25:35]was a there was a pendulum swing against law enforcement at that particular time where public sentiment wasn't necessarily uh in law enforcement's favor. There was a lot of beginning of
[25:46]the defund the police movements and a lot of things that had an adverse impact on policing in America. And one of those would be recruiting. You couldn't get officers to take this job. Uh but in the
[25:57]last since really since the COVID time period, the last couple years, the recruiting and retention efforts that have been made are starting to pay off because now you have more officers on
[26:08]the street than you did uh several years ago. And it takes a few years for an officer to go from being trained to actually having an impact on crime. And
[26:18]Brian, even though crime went down last year, the report found violent crime still occurred on average every 25.9 seconds. So, what tools and tips can you
[26:29]offer us for staying safe to avoid violent crime? >> Personal awareness of what's going on around you. So many people are walking with their faces down in their phone,
[26:40]looking at the ground, looking at their phone, and being distracted is the number one thing that somebody is going to look at to target you for being the victim of a violent crime. So being
[26:51]aware of your surroundings when you're in parking lots and walking around outside, uh just that that personal awareness. >> That's great advice. Thank you so much, Brian Bay.
[27:03]>> Thank you for having me. Well, the Coast Guard reveals who was to blame for that deadly Titan submersible disaster. What a new report says about
[27:12]the 2023 implosion as it traveled to the wreckage of the Titanic. You're watching the Takeout.
[27:20][Music] The Coast Guard says the Titan submersible disaster in 2023 was
[27:30]preventable. In a report released today, it found the exploration company Ocean Gate used quote intimidation tactics to evade regulations. Officials also found
[27:41]co-founder and CEO Stockton Rush ignored inspections and maintenance. Five people were on board, including Rush, when the vessel imploded while on an expedition
[27:51]to see the wreckage of the Titanic. CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue joins me now. He has been reporting on the Titan submersible for years now. So
[28:02]David, I wonder what stands out to you from this report. There's nothing entirely new here, but it is a nice compendium in this 330 page
[28:13]PDF of all the things that went wrong and it was just about everything. I mean, they were cutting costs. They stored the submersible for the winter in
[28:25]Massachusetts without even a tarp over it. Um they dragged it to the location of the Titanic 400 miles just bobbing
[28:34]along in the six-foot waves on a rope. Uh these were not conditions that would lead it to be in in great shape during those final dives. >> And David, you've even interviewed Rush.
[28:45]You spent time on the Titan. Is there anything you can remember either from talking to him or being on board that you're now seeing in words spelled out
[28:56]in this report? I mean, it was clear that money was already an issue this the summer that I went on that thing um in 2022. Uh
[29:07]Stockton told me that they were spending a million dollars a summer just on gas for the ship that took the thing out to the Titanic. that he was not making
[29:18]money even with a $250,000 ticket price. Um there were signs that he was um I would I don't know if it's cutting corners, but he was not investing in
[29:29]fancy stuff. So he told me that the he drives the submersible with a PlayStation controller. >> Wow. >> Um he showed me that he got this the cameras from Home Depot. He said that
[29:41]the light that along the top of the submersible was a handle that was also a light. He proudly said, "I got that off of camperworld.com." So I asked him if this all seemed a
[29:52]little jerryrigged for something as important as something taking people thousands of meters down. And he said, "No, all you really care about is the
[30:02]hull, the the carbon fiber cylinder. As long as that is solid, everybody will live," he told me. And he was wrong about that part,
[30:12]>> right? Well, I mean, it's one thing to see what you need to see, but there are also rules, right, that sort of guide this space. And the Coast Guard's investigative board is calling for more
[30:22]regulations on submersibles like the Titan. What do you expect to happen on that front? >> So, there aren't rules. So, this this operation was operating in international
[30:34]waters. There's no jurisdiction. He was under no obligation to license or get inspected or get certified by anybody because he was beyond our jurisdiction.
[30:44]So what the Coast Guard does say is maybe the international maritime body should get together and come up with some regulation so nothing like this could happen again.
[30:53]>> Do you think that's going to happen? >> Uh I don't know. And I don't know that it's that urgent because I don't think anyone's going to be signing up to go to
[31:04]the Titanic again anytime soon. I think this disaster has put quite a chilling effect on any operations that would that would want to be taking people down. I
[31:15]mean, this was not the first company that took tourists to the Titanic. Um, all the previous ones though were the traditional subdesign of a big metal sphere where the pressure is pushing in
[31:27]on all sides equally and distributing itself that way as opposed to this carbon fiber cylinder idea which was brand new and untested. >> Well, it is still untested. It's all
[31:39]very fascinating and we thank you for your reporting, David. >> My pleasure. A flood of criticism. Constituents read
[31:50]this Republican congressman the riot act. More on Nebraska Representative Mike Flood and the fiery crowd next on the takeout.
[31:59][Music] Nebraska Republican Congressman Mike
[32:11]Flood faced a fiery crowd of constituents at a town hall last night in his home state. He was pressed on a range of issues including the Epstein files, the Trump administration's mass
[32:22]deportations as well as federal cuts. Take a listen. >> Why did you cut SNAP and healthc care research? We do not have unlimited money
[32:32]in the United States. [Applause] >> Our Caitlyn Huey Burns joins us now. Of course, she covers Congress. She's a close friend of the show. And you can
[32:44]tell us, Caitlyn, about last night in Lincoln, Nebraska, because these constituents did not hold back. >> Yeah, exactly. And what's interesting about this district, it's the first congressional district in Nebraska. It
[32:56]is a very Republican red district. Mike Flood run ran and won his seat by about 20 points uh last election. Donald Trump won this district. So what we're seeing
[33:07]here is he was in a more liberal area of the district and you're seeing this outpouring of anxiety about this bill. Now there are outstanding questions
[33:18]about who was in this crowd, whether they are more liberalleaning um and the like, but nonetheless he represents them. So they were raising concerns about what's in this bill,
[33:28]namely cuts to Medicaid, cuts to SNAP, cuts to other government programs. And this comes against the backdrop of this is the time that Republicans are out there trying to sell this bill to their
[33:39]constituents and to the public. And talking to my sources on Capitol Hill, a lot of them have been saying that their strategy here is to talk about the tax cuts, to make clear to their
[33:49]constituents about the extension of the Trump tax cuts, new tax relief, and yet what we're hearing is these concerns about other elements in the bill. >> Well, these U voters covered a lot of
[34:00]ground. It wasn't just the big beautiful bill. They also pressed him on immigration. Yeah. >> Here's what they said. >> An ice burning through 8.4 4 million a
[34:12]day to illegally detain people. How much does it cost for fascism? How much do the taxpayers have to pay for a fascist country?
[34:23]Americans went to the polls in November and they had a choice between a Democratic candidate that had an open
[34:32]border, no enforcement, fentanyl, drugs, human trafficking. and they had a choice between that >> and a candidate that said close the
[34:44]border. >> So, as you mentioned, this is a more liberal part of the state, but he does represent them. But is it a fair representation of um how you know
[34:56]Nebraskans overall are reviewing Trump's policy and reviewing flood support of Trump? Well, this is what's interesting is that during August recess, this is when we're starting to get those pulse
[35:07]checks to see how people are feeling about the Trump administration, how they're feeling about the legislation, how they're feeling about executive orders, and we're starting to get a little sense of it. It is early on in
[35:18]this year if you think about it. Um, but what I will say about Mike Flood and why that isn't very notable town hall is because there are so few of these town halls actually happening over this
[35:29]recess. Several months ago, Republicans were advised by their leadership not to have these kinds of town halls because their argument was they're kind of, in their words, infiltrated by Democrats and it's just not worth the headlines
[35:41]that they get out of it. But Mike Flood had made the the bet, well, I'm representing them. I should go and hear what they have to say. This is the feedback he's been getting from that particular group. But it is notable that
[35:52]Republicans are wanting different kinds of messaging to to do around this bill. not necessarily town halls, but you know, appearing in front of different projects and the like to start to gain
[36:03]more headlines. And I can bet after town halls like this, they're going to continue to advise them not to do them. >> Well, the White House is trying to find some way to sell the bill. But thank you
[36:14]so much, Caitlyn Huey Burns. >> Mail and ballot voters in Texas will now have to prove who they are. President Trump celebrates the move that was once
[36:25]the focus of a Biden administration lawsuit. You're watching the Takeout.
[36:30][Music] A federal appeals court has upheld
[36:44]Texas's requirement that voters provide a driver's license or other identification number for their mail and ballot to be counted. President Trump applauded the decision on Truth Social,
[36:54]writing, quote, "This is great news. Should be nationwide." Let's bring in our panel. Former director for the office of the DNC chair, Hima Moore, and Republican strategist Lance Trover. Great to see you guys.
[37:06]>> Thanks for having us. >> So, Ha, let's start with you because this is a blow to civil rights groups that were fighting against it. The Biden administration um you know, tried to sue to block it. Yeah.
[37:17]>> What do you think the impact is? I think it's Look, we are in a point now where we're thinking about 2026 and 2028. So, this is a little bit politically motivated, but look, I was telling Lance in the green room, Texas has now become
[37:28]ground zero for all these political fights right now. Be it melon ballots, be it uh uh looking at the congressional districts. And so, I think what Democrats are going to be upset about is
[37:38]this allows for many voters who have traditionally voted in these elections to not or to have some sort of barrier. So, that's been sort of their argument. And so I think I most Democrats I've spoken to today do not agree with this
[37:50]obviously, but I do think Democrats are trying to figure out a way to handle these sort of fights across the country. Texas is the first one. It's going to happen in other states as well, but I do think this is a race of 2026 into 2028.
[38:01]>> Lance, do you think that we're going to see more states follow suit? >> I mean, I think it's quite possible. Well, I mean, I I I don't know what's wrong with having needing voter ID, and it's frankly, and this is another area where your party wants to go with where
[38:12]15 or 20% of the country is because 80 85% of this country supports voter ID. I mean, it's not this is not up for debate. It's like many of these other issues. And so, I think it's just another example of Democrats taking the side of the super minority in this
[38:24]country. And I'm not sure why after the last election, they continue to do that. >> Well, we'll see the impact to your point. >> Yeah. But I think when you think about this, I think what Democrats are saying, particularly in Texas, is you've got to have other policies that allow for
[38:35]people to get access to IDs to make sure that they are available in a way that's going to be thoughtful, in a way that's going to be useful to the to the citizens of these states. And so it's not just about taking votes away. It's about making sure that people have a
[38:46]process to get to these IDs, to get to legal status, or whatever it is that's causing for these barriers to be in place. And Lance, I want to turn to the Federal Reserve chair because President
[38:56]Trump has made it very clear he is ready for Jerome Powell to go. There's no debate on this. >> Yes. Well, he called into CNBC this morning and he actually made some news and said that the Treasury Secretary,
[39:06]Scott Besson, was not in the running for it. Take a listen. >> I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is. I will I'll take him off the because I asked him just last night, is this something you want? Nope. I want to
[39:18]stay where I am. Um and earlier today he said at least the two Kevin's Kevin Hasset um is one of them is on the short list. Who do you think it's going to be Lance because
[39:29]he's also made clear it's got to be somebody who agrees with him. >> Yeah, no question. I mean I'm not here to speculate on what the president is do. I I will I will leave that up to much smarter people than me. I I think
[39:41]what's interesting to me about this is he clearly really likes the economic team that's around him. And this is again another big difference from one of the first term where we saw a lot of different movements that we have not
[39:51]seen in this term. Uh Bessant and these guys Kevin has it he really obviously likes them and trusts them. They are part of his inner corn inner circle certainly when it comes to tariffs and things of the like. And so that to me is
[40:01]the change that we see from you know eight eight years ago when we had a lot of turmoil term. No he wants to keep his folks in in place >> for sure. Um I want to play another clip from the president because he this is a
[40:12]very long interview. you know, sometimes he keeps it going. Um, and he talked about a potential third term. >> Are you going to run again? The constitution? >> Probably not.
[40:24]>> Okay. >> Probably not. >> You're not going to. >> Hi, Miss. So, he says probably, but the probably is, you know, the active word here.
[40:34]>> Look, I look, I think President Trump is really good at making news, and we tal we we spent the whole entire interview talking about what President Trump said today. And so I don't think he's going to run for a third he can't I mean he's not going to run for a third term.
[40:46]Republicans in in the House and the Senate and governors are are waiting for the moment that President Trump's not on the ballot anymore. They there have been people who've been waiting for eight years to run for president and governors and senators and all that. So I think
[40:58]President Trump knows what he's doing. He knows that we're going to have this conversation today. But I do not think he's I do not think he intends to run for he and when he was when he became a former president this last go around. I don't think he enjoyed he kept running
[41:09]for president. He did not have an enjoyable former president experience. I think as an 81y old 83y old, he's going to look forward to being a former president and having all the trappings. He's building a new a new ballroom at the White House. He has a new plane. So,
[41:20]I think he's thinking about legacy right now, not about a third term. >> I'm glad you brought that up because I was over at the White House this morning and we all scrambled because we saw Secret Service on the roof and then
[41:31]Trump popped up on the roof. Watch. Something beautiful. >> What does that mean?
[41:39]>> What do you four ways to spend my money? >> What are you trying to build? >> Sir, you improve
[41:50]your missiles. Say more. Are you building missiles? >> So, he was taking a tour there with the architect of that ballroom. He was
[42:01]joking about building missiles. What do you make of this walk? >> We talked about this before. I mean, I think in the green room, like every president usually puts their stamp on the White House and and he's not going
[42:12]to be any different. And he's he is a builder by trade. That's what he does. And I I actually think the idea of a ballroom is good. We were both I think we were in agreement on that, right? That that we're and and the changes that he's making. I suspect that there will
[42:23]be more changes coming. And I I think Yeah. I mean, and and him being on the roof. I mean, that's the type of thing that people like about Donald Trump. He's just authentic. He speaks to them. He talks like them. He's out on the roof. That's just, you know, that's the
[42:34]those are the types of things that people like in Donald Trump. >> I but I think Democrats have to stay focused. I think these these these distractions I think one to Lance is correct that the president has a right to do this and his legacy is is in in
[42:45]his his hands. But I think Democrats have got to stay focused. What is the the policy issues with Donald Trump is not about building a ballroom or building another wing of the White House. It's about voting rights in
[42:55]Texas. It's about uh making sure that the numbers of Congress are reflective of people's wishes in these states. And it's about the big beautiful bill. It's about tariffs. It's about not lowering
[43:05]costs. This distraction of the White House and all that is all a distraction right now. And I think Democrats have make sure they they've got to stay focused on the policy issues and the politics of it because in just a half a
[43:15]year we're going to be looking at 2026. We're going to look at the new Congress. We're Donald Trump's going to be a lame duck president very shortly if not already. And so these tactics that he's pulling right now are political theater
[43:26]in some ways. And I think it's his right to do it, but Democrats have not have got to stay focused. Lance, quickly, final word. >> I mean, they can try. I think the president's had a very successful six months going into that. And I think they have a lot to talk about going into the
[43:38]next election. One big beautiful bill, tax cuts, a border that is closed, doing everything that he promised him he would do. >> And we're only eight months in Atlanta. >> Don't remind us. >> Thank you so much for being here. Well,
[43:49]that's it for the takeout today. Stick around because the daily report starts right now.