It’s been over a week since New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill revealed that thousands of noncitizens were illegally added to the state’s voter rolls, allegedly due to software error. The Elitist Media Evening News got right on top of the story before allowing it to vanish.As we noted at the time, it was a good thing that the story was reported. Subsequent developments, though, have not. The media took Gov. Sherrill’s version of events at face value. But the software company pushed back, saying the state overrode the system in order to register noncitizens to vote. Per Fox News:The vendor that Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill blamed for a "software error" leading to illegal voting in the Garden State denies wrongdoing and is instead pointing its finger back at the state.IDEMIA is a French multinational company that provides identity-related security services. Sherrill appeared to divert any government blame for 6,600 noncitizens being added to the voter roll onto the software company used by the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).The company said, ultimately, that the voter registration buck stops with the state.The article goes on to note that IDEMIA has been working with the state for over 40 years, specifically on the matter of voter registration subsequent to obtaining a New Jersey driver’s license.This raises a broader concern. For how long has noncitizen registration been an issue in the Garden State? Per Politico:There’s little to stop noncitizens from registering to vote if they want to, or even by mistake. And election officials and campaign consultants from both parties believe that the number of noncitizens being added to the voter rolls is significantly higher than the 6,600 Sherrill cited — because the state has been automatically registering drivers since 2018, and her figure covers only June 2023 to June 2024.“It’s the honor system,” said Hunterdon County Board of Elections Administrator Beth Thompson, who also leads the New Jersey Association of Election Officials.It’s unclear how many noncitizens have registered to vote in New Jersey beyond the one-year period Sherrill cited. The Trump administration gave a preliminary estimate of around 35,000. While New Jersey political insiders don’t know if that’s true, they’re almost certain it’s more than 6,600. Some speculated it could be slightly more. Others said it could be even above the Trump administration’s estimates.There’s no way of knowing how many noncitizens are registered to vote in New Jersey because the glitch spans multiple administrations and the state’s on “the honor system.” This warranted further investigation, which hit a roadblock. Gov. Sherrill’s refusal to comply with a Department of Justice investigation has not triggered a House investigation into the state’s electronic “motor-voter” registration practices. Per Just the News:The committees are asking Caldwell’s office to turn over all documents “referring or relating to any alleged software errors that resulted in noncitizens registering to vote or the purposeful registration of noncitizens,” including how the glitch was discovered and about the subsequent investigation.“New Jersey officials have spent years dismissing concerns about noncitizens on the voter rolls and telling the public that the safeguards work. Now that those assurances have proven false, we are not going to accept more excuses or allow them to avoid answering for what happened,” Rep. Van Drew said in a statement. Van Drew represents New Jersey’s Second Congressional District.“This issue is not going away. At some point, state officials will have to turn over the records, explain what they knew and when they knew it, and show whether federal election laws were followed. This is exactly what congressional oversight is for,” he said.  “Every American citizen deserves confidence that their lawful vote is protected and never diluted by an ineligible ballot,” Van Drew added.A congressional investigation into mass noncitizen voter registration is a significant story, and should lead the evening news. After all, this isn’t just about New Jersey. How many states are currently experiencing similar vulnerabilities that we don’t know about? Unfortunately, we don’t know because none of this has made it to the Elitist Media Evening News. Instead, you’ve been bombarded with stories about squirrels and nonlethal aviation mishaps. As we are often reminded: what doesn’t make it to the evening news is at least as important (if not more so) than what does.

PBS's Firing Line on SnapStream Socialism really appeals mostly to one kind of person: wealthy, virtue-signaling elites. And, as it so happens, that’s who makes up the liberal media class. The media has been falling into step with the radical Democratic Socialists of America, who are slowly taking over the mainstream Democratic Party and have over 120,000 dues-paying (ironic, right?) members. PBS’s Margaret Hoover on Friday’s Firing Line was the latest to join the trend of inviting socialist politicians on-air and then not pushing back on any of her ridiculous answers.Hoover was joined by Melat Kiros, a DSA member running for a Colorado Congressional seat. Hoover started off by crediting the DSA for “making history” before tossing Kiros a softball: "To what do you credit the surge in interest and support for socialism?" Kiros served up a word salad answer that would give Kamala Harris a run for her money:I credit the reality that working people are facing right now and the agency that voters have taken back in choosing a different path. You know, there are incredible wins that are happening all across the country and, of course, here in our own district, where voters are saying it's no longer enough for the establishment or leadership to say 'things are going to get better.'Just like, hold on. Voters are taking back that power and saying 'this isn't working for us anymore. We want something different.' And I think democratic socialists have presented a kind of vision that's actually in line with the values of the voters.  Melat Kiros, radical DSA Congressional nominee, answers soft-ball questions with word salads that would make Kamala Harris run for her money (or her tequila, whichever's closer)Source: Firing Line on PBS, 7/31/26 pic.twitter.com/Vbdl90coWS— Cici Marie (@Cici_Marie_1776) August 3, 2026 Despite that answer making exactly zero sense, Hoover didn’t ask for clarification or push back. She simply moved on to praising the DSA’s poster child, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani:Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, despite constant criticism from the right, and fearmongering from the right about socialism, has a 58 percent favorability rating. Is that kind of success something that you think is achievable here in Colorado? Mamdani just announced plans to open government-run grocery stores in New York. He ran on that promise. There was no “fearmongering from the right” necessary; you only had to look at Mamdani’s platform to know he’s aspiring to dismantle capitalism.“I think it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people in the same way that capitalism means a lot of different things to different people,” Kiros blabbed. “And I think the kind of socialism that Mamdani is practicing, that, you know, a lot of us that identify as democratic socialists are also hoping to practice, is one where we actually deliver for working families.” Mamdani is destroying NYC, and the libtard media kisses the ground he walks onAnd now the Dems can't define the word 'socialist' just like they couldn't define 'woman' pic.twitter.com/A18TVJF62g— Cici Marie (@Cici_Marie_1776) August 3, 2026 The word ‘socialism’ is now getting the same treatment as ‘woman’: Democrats can’t define it, because once they do, their ideology falls apart.But, of course, Hoover didn’t offer the slightest shred of opposition. Her questions just continued to prop up Kiros’s radical left stances:If Democrats take back the House of Representatives in November, as many project they will, how would you ideally hold President Trump accountable?Why are moderates wrong when they warn that the [DSA] movement undermines the party's chances of winning in November? So, it sounds to me like your indictment of the modern Democratic Party or the mainstream Democratic Party is that they have failed to represent workers.But since when have we had unfettered capitalism in this country? . . . We've also never had unfettered socialism. But Kiros’s most outrageous claim, which Hoover accepted at face value, was that socialism “is the only [economic philosophy] that's actually capable of delivering things like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Socialism is the only economic philosophy that can deliver Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?Even spineless Hoover couldn't believe it. pic.twitter.com/R3u59iBjdN— Cici Marie (@Cici_Marie_1776) August 3, 2026 The Founding Fathers, some of the richest men of their time, were socialists and wanted to build a socialist country? Hoover just took in all these insane answers....like a vacuum.The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: PBS's Firing Line with Margaret Hoover7/31/268:31:47 p.m. EasternMARGARET HOOVER: Melat Kiros, welcome to Firing Line. MELAT KIROS: Thanks for having me. HOOVER: You have just won a tight or contested Democratic primary--KIROS: yeah.HOOVER: --in Denver, Colorado, that ended up not being quite so tight.You defeated a 15-term incumbent who was elected when I was in high school. This is my hometown. And you've joined a slate of democratic socialists who have won upset primaries across the country as we lead into the midterm elections. There are now 120,000 members of the DSA, the Democratic Socialists of America. And the organization is - it's frankly - it's making history. To what do you credit the surge in interest and support for socialism? KIROS: I credit the reality that working people are facing right now and the agency that voters have taken back in choosing a different path. You know, there are incredible wins that are happening all across the country and, of course, here in our own district, where voters are saying it's no longer enough for the establishment or leadership to say 'things are going to get better.'Just like, hold on. Voters are taking back that power and saying 'this isn't working for us anymore. We want something different.' And I think democratic socialists have presented a kind of vision that's actually in line with the values of the voters. HOOVER: Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, despite constant criticism from the right, and fearmongering from the right about socialism, has a 58 percent favorability rating. Is that kind of success something that you think is achievable here in Colorado? KIROS: Absolutely. I think it's achievable anywhere. HOOVER: Tell me how. KIROS: You know, I think what's happening right now is folks are actually starting to learn what socialism really means. I think it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people in the same way that capitalism means a lot of different things to different people. And I think the kind of socialism that Mamdani is practicing, that, you know, a lot of us that identify as democratic socialists are also hoping to practice, is one where we actually deliver for working families. At the end of the day, government is supposed to be of, for, and by the people, and it's supposed to be actively making our lives better.And if you have a government that is not operating efficiently or effectively to the means that the voters have asked for in their elections, then that's a failure. And it's our responsibility to fix that. And I think Mayor Mamdani has done an incredible job of showing that government can work for people and specifically work for working people. (...)8:35:00 p.m. HOOVER:  If Democrats take back the House of Representatives in November, as many project they will, how would you ideally hold President Trump accountable? KIROS: Well, when we take back the House, we'll also be able to haul in every single administration official for questioning.We'll be able to submit document subpoenas, and not just for the sake of theater, right? There are real harms that are taking place right now as a result of this administration. The fact of the matter is, we have Donald Trump as president for a second time because we didn't hold him accountable the first time thoroughly enough. And I really hope that this is an opportunity that Democrats see to show that we've learned our lesson and that we are going to be holding folks accountable. HOOVER: To what extent does that trigger or escalate a cycle of investigations to every new administration when they come into power? KIROS: It's going to be our responsibility as a party to set the standard for that - whatever we hold the Trump administration accountable for, that we're not tolerating within our own ranks. I think you make a really great point in that it can't just be about, you know, vindication for the Trump administration. I think the point of holding the Trump administration accountable has to also be in line with presenting our vision for how government should be operating.There has to be a certain level of accountability, because if we just let the accountability go because we're afraid of the retaliation of investigations that are going to get done-- HOOVER: There's a fine line, isn't there? KIROS: Exactly. HOOVER: It's hard to draw that line. KIROS: Yeah. HOOVER: There's a Pew poll, a Pew Research Center poll earlier this year found that twice as many Americans dislike Democratic Socialists as like them, or Democratic Socialist leaders as like them. Why are moderates wrong when they warn that the movement undermines the party's chances of winning in November? KIROS: Well, I think first and foremost, I think the framing sometimes when we're talking about democratic socialism and moderate stances takes away, you know, the agency of the voters who voted for a candidate, for their values or their platform and the issues that they're talking about. And I think, when we talk about democratic socialism, we are up against decades of misinformation, of, you know, mischaracterizing what democratic socialism even is.And, you know, frankly, a lot of Red Scare tactics that are reigniting right now as a result of a lot of the ones that we're seeing from DSA.And I think the best way we can show what we actually mean is to just do the job that we are setting out to do. And, you know, the way that I always describe it for folks is that democratic socialism is first and foremost about democracy, right? You know, a truly functioning democracy requires an active electorate that's actually participating. And we can't expect single moms that are working two jobs to take care of their kids to be as active in their elections when they have to worry about paying their rent the next month or paying down medical debt, right? And so part of the socialism piece is about making sure that people's most basic needs are met so that they have the room and the space to be active participants in their democracy. SHOOVER: So, it sounds to me like your indictment of the modern Democratic Party or the mainstream Democratic Party is that they have failed to represent workers.KIROS: Absolutely. Yeah. I'm a proud Democrat because of the things we've accomplished in the past that are very much in line with Democratic socialist values, right? The Civil Rights Act, the New Deal, Social Security, fair labor laws. Every single one of those achievements was about bringing power back to the people and making sure that they have ownership and agency over how certain decisions are made, especially when their labor is actually responsible for a lot of the growth that we're seeing in our country and our economy. HOOVER: You know, you've just said you're a Democratic Socialist, but you're a proud Democrat. New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer recently said - I know you're smiling because you know the quote - said, "The DSA are not Democrats. They're socialists who want to hijack the Democratic Party. The Democrats have a big tent. That's our strength. We embrace a range of ideas -- but there is no room for anti-American bomb-throwers who oppose our ideas, values, and leaders."What's your response? KIROS: I don't think there's anything more American than subscribing to an economic philosophy that, as the evidence shows, is the only one that's actually capable of delivering things like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I really can't think of anything else. HOOVER: Socialism has proven to deliver on the values of the Declaration of Independence more than capitalism has.KIROS: Yeah. You know, when we talk about capitalism, you know, one of the things that folks talk about with capitalism as a theory is that it's responsible for, you know, delivering people out of poverty here in the U.S. HOOVER: More people out of poverty around the world than any other economic system. KIROS: Yes. Which isn't the entire story. At the same time that a lot of folks were getting delivered out of poverty, there were a lot of social safety programs that were also being created at the same time. A lot of fair labor laws that were being enacted. You know, rights that workers were taking back to make sure that they were not working in unsafe conditions, to make sure that they were earning fair wages.That is not capitalism, right? Unfettered capitalism is where the capitalists, the owners of the means of production, are the only ones that are calling the shots. And you are lucky to have the job and you just have to deal with the conditions. Socialism is about delivering democracy in the workplace and making sure that workers have a say about the conditions that they're working in, about negotiating for the kind of wage that would be fair for the labor that they're contributing to whatever industry it is that they're working in. And I also think that, you know, when folks think of capitalism, I think they think of free markets and competition and, you know, innovation. And...HOOVER: What do you think of? KIROS: I think of monopolies. I think of--HOOVER: But that's not capitalism if it's a monopoly. KIROS: Well, and that's the question, right? Because in--HOOVER: I think that-- that's the--KIROS: -- an unfettered capitalism, it does end up leading to monopolies. So if there's no government intervention? HOOVER: Right. But since when have we had unfettered capitalism in this country? KIROS: Never. But we've also never had - we have always had a mixed economy.HOOVER: Right. KIROS: And that's a part of the--HOOVER: We've also never had unfettered socialism. KIROS: Exactly. (...)8:43:11 p.,.HOOVER: So, the Democratic Socialists of America have just released a new platform. I'm sure you're familiar with it, I'm sure you've been asked a lot about it. KIROS: Yeah. I mean, you know, our platform is, we really put the democracy into democratic socialism. And our platform is one that is voted on in a democratic way through our members. And it's one where it is almost certain that not every single member actually agrees with the entirety of the platform. HOOVER: Sure. You've been really clear that the parts of the platform you agree with are Medicare for all, universal child care, reducing corporate influence in elections.You've also rejected this notion that you would abolish the Senate. And you've been really, really clear that you are not for leaving NATO or getting rid of NATO. You also don't support defunding the police. Is there anything I left out? KIROS: No. No, I think that's pretty much it. HOOVER: Okay. Then, because you've had outside groups pay for attack ads linking you to the platform and aspects of the platform that had not previously been clear that were your position, I want to tick through several of the items and just tell me like, yes, no, yes, no, if possible. And if there's something that we need to come back to, we can come back to it. KIROS: Yeah. Okay.HOOVER: Expanding the size of the House. KIROS: Oh, I've seen some really interesting proposals that I'm open to. HOOVER: So have I. Ranked choice voting in all elections. KIROS: Yes. HOOVER: Me too. And I'm not a Democratic Socialist. Giving voting rights to non-citizens. KIROS: I haven't seen a proposal that's convinced me.HOOVER: Okay. Statehood for D.C. KIROS: Yes. HOOVER: So are most Democrats. 32-hour work week. KIROS: Yes. HOOVER: Defund the Department of War. KIROS: Let's go back to it, with calling it the Department of Defense--HOOVER: With nuance. We'll go back. Let's go back to that. Let's go back to it. KIROS: Yeah.HOOVER: End all foreign wars and close overseas military bases. KIROS: End all foreign wars for sure. I want to hear more about ending or closing military bases. HOOVER: Establish public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries to ensure democratic control and accountability to the people. KIROS: The only ownership that I've -- for proposals that I've seen that I'm interested in are related to utilities, like water and energy. I think there's a really compelling case there. HOOVER: But you don't think the government should take over Apple? KIROS: No.HOOVER: Ok, got it.(...)8:54:28 p.m. HOOVER: Ok, let's move on. Republicans have seized on the label of democratic socialists. In June, President Trump said, "These are hardcore, godless communists. . . This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence." So, first, are you a communist? KIROS: No, I'm not a communist. HOOVER: How do you tackle the criticism that some members of the DSA, including half of the DSA leadership, seem to call themselves communist? KIROS: Yeah. Well, some members of the Democratic Party are proudly proclaiming themselves as capitalists, And it's a big tent, right? But again, at the end of the day, it's up to the voters, right? Until a self-proclaimed communist actually wins an election, then it's just noise from the Republican Party. There's no one who's actually winning with that. HOOVER: Why are they using that rhetoric? KIROS: Because I think the Republican Party, and frankly, the oligarchy that largely stands behind the Republican Party can see that our message of, in its most basic form, economic populism, is actually resonating with voters.Bernie and AOC came to Denver and got 35,000 people to show up to talk about fighting the oligarchy and fighting for economic populism. Republicans know that this is the message that is going to not only root out Trump, but root out the conditions that led to him rising in the first place. And I think if Democrats are actually interested in winning again, then they would heed those words and follow the voters where they're at, meet them where they're at, and start taking on some of these policies for our own platform. HOOVER: Melat Kiros, thank you for joining me on Firing Line.KIROS: Thank you for having me.

Screenshot from Snapstream/CNN CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan hosted a Sunday night special on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper tilted "The Left Insurgency," promoting radical leftist Hasan Piker's designs on the Democratic Party. News analyst Jorge Bonilla and Senior Research Analyst Bill D'Agostino discussed this special and the fight over Fauci and Covid. When Jorge began tweeting video during the show, Donie started mocking him and the MRC on X. “When @BonillaJL was a kid he dreamed of being the guy who was clipping cable news on a Sunday night.” Isn't it interesting that he's suggesting people watching his CNN show are losers?Later, the CNN troll added: “Jorge is on the Sunday night shift for the Robert Mercer-funded ‘Media Research Center.’ If, unlike him, you haven’t been paid to watch our show live it’ll be available from tomorrow morning to watch on the CNN app in the US.” The "Cable News Network" has to put the MRC in quotation marks. We're proud to be clipping very biased CNN programs. It's more honest work than celebrating people like Hasan Piker, who adores communist mass murderers, Hamas terrorists, and 9/11. None of that came up in this show, and they didn't spend time on the crazier parts of the DSA platforms, like abolishing the Senate, the president, and the Supreme Court, not to mention abolishing prisons and the police.The first DSA critic to emerge in this hour was James Carville, 27 minutes in. Several others surfaced, but Donie was their to question their argument that Piker and his pals were "poison" for the Democrats.Usually, Donie's wading into MAGA crowds trying to find the dumbest conservative in the wildest patriotic dress. A year ago, he tried the same gambit with the most Trump-friendly reporters at the White House, like Lindell TV. He suggested they weren't "real journalists." Apparently, the real journalists are publicists for the far-left extremists. No one in that crowd is considered stupid or embarrassing. Enjoy the podcast below.  

MS NOW/SnapStream Ahead of Tuesday’s Michigan Democratic Senate primary between Abdul El-Sayed and incumbent Representative Haley Stevens, MS NOW Capitol Hill correspondent Ali Vitali previewed the race on Monday’s Morning Joe and spent most of her report on Israel and AIPAC, used frequently in attacks on Stevens. In her own later analysis, frequent Morning Joe guest Katty Kay said affordability was really the “primary concern” of the race, and promoted a comparison of El-Sayed to “an early Bill Clinton.”Vitali began her report, “The mittens are off in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary,” and labeled the election as an “intraparty brawl.” On Monday’s Morning Joe, Ali Vitali previewed the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and focused heavily on Israel and the prevalence of AIPAC, a focus of El-Sayed's campaign, in what she called an “intraparty brawl.” pic.twitter.com/tjHB18X2qH— Nick (@nspin310) August 3, 2026 After multiple clips played of El Sayed railing against money poured into the race, Vitali began to parrot his points:El-Sayed is running as a political outsider, bucking the progressive label but boosted by and sounding like many of them.Vitali returned to the issue of election money, as she explained, “The money is central, especially with groups like the pro-Israel AIPAC spending millions to back Stevens.”El-Sayed then stated in an interview with Vitali, “This is a record spend. Now, the big difference is I'm fighting for Medicare for All. I'm willing to say we need to abolish ICE.”As images from Gaza played on screen, El-Sayed remarked, “To me, it is about why are we sending bombs and tanks for no reason to other countries? That doesn't make sense to me.”Vitali continued to focus on Israel in her questions to Stevens: “Is there anything that would make you reassess the U.S. Aid posture towards Israel right now?”In its own form of a promotion of a candidate, Vitali touted Stevens’ “past work with President Obama” and also her work on “affordability.”After the report, former Obama Communications Director Jennifer Palmeri noted the focus of Gaza in the primary campaign, but asked: “Do you have a sense from reporters - from voters, you know, what is weighing most heavily on them and when they're making this choice on the Democratic side?”Vitali answered, “The idea of Gaza certainly is one of the big litmus tests here,” but turned to the war in Iran and everyday costs: “I also heard a lot, though, when I talked to voters, both Trump voters and Democratic voters, that cost of everything is weighing on them. I think the biggest difference was how much patience or leeway they are willing to give the president, for example, on something like gas prices, that they are connecting to the war in Iran." After the long report on the Michigan Democratic Senate Primary, Katty Kay said the real leading issue of the race is affordability, not Israel, as was heavily featured in Ali Vitali’s report.She also shared a comparison from Ron Fournier that compared “El-Sayed to an early… https://t.co/TiWkfPG4l7 pic.twitter.com/bB4lbVmKKO— Nick (@nspin310) August 3, 2026 To close, Katty Kay disagreed with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and said the race wasn’t as much about Israel/Gaza, as was primarily featured in Vitali’s report, and more about “affordability”:And one of the things that she was pointing out is that this has become kind of an election campaign, this Senate race, that got into a fight between about Gaza and Israel. But actually, that is not the primary concern, as Ali was saying, of most Michigan voters. Their primary concern is the concern of voters all around the country. And that's affordability.If affordability was the primary issue, it certainly was not the main focus of the piece.She then promoted a comparison of El-Sayed’s talents to former President Bill Clinton:"And if he does [win], is that because he's a Progressive, or is it because he's a particular political talent? I mean, you've got Ron Fournier comparing El-Sayed to an early Bill Clinton. That's an extraordinary endorsement of his political talents."The transcript from Morning Joe is below. Click "expand":MS NOW’s Morning JoeAugust 3, 20267:41:40 AM Eastern(...)ALI VITALI: Yeah, you're right that there's a lot of eyes on this race, because what we're talking about here is really what does it mean to be a Democrat from Michigan in 2026? The Mitten State is always a battleground, but Tuesday night, the battle between two Democrats, who each say they are best positioned to win this toss-up seat in November with two very distinct messages.[Cuts to video]The mittens are off in the Michigan democratic senate primary.ABDUL EL-SAYED (D-MI): I have no doubt that if you're a corporate PAC, Congresswoman Stevens is really good at getting stuff done for you.REP. HALEY STEVENS (D-MI): It was offensive to hear my opponent say I can't string together two sentences. I certainly did that on the auto rescue.VITALI: This intraparty brawl between doctor Abdul El-Sayed and Congresswoman Haley Stevens will say as much about this perennial battleground as it does the future of the Democratic Party.EL-SAYED: [To crowd] Money out of -CROWD: Politics!VITALI: El-Sayed is running as a political outsider, bucking the Progressive label but boosted by and sounding like many of them.SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): This is an election between Abdul and the billionaire class.EL-SAYED: This is the money versus the many.VITALI: The money is central, especially with groups like the pro-Israel AIPAC spending millions to back Stevens.EL-SAYED: This is a record spend. Now, the big difference is I'm fighting for Medicare for All. I'm willing to say we need to abolish ICE.VITALI: They also differ on continued U.S. Aid to Israel.EL-SAYED: To me, it is about why are we sending bombs and tanks for no reason to other countries? That doesn't make sense to me.VITALI: You've spoken specifically about Israel, but I wonder how that would manifest when it comes to aid of other kinds. So, for example, if you're in the Senate and a Ukraine aid package comes up, would you vote against that?EL-SAYED: So, what I'm against is unconditional foreign military aid. Ukraine aid is not unconditional. We're not just funding the military of Ukraine because we want to. We're funding the Ukrainian military because they are actively fighting a war against a guy who transgressed against their boundaries. That's conditions.VITALI: [To Stevens] Is there anything that would make you reassess the U.S. Aid posture towards the Israel right now?STEVENS: You know, look, I'm running for a six-year term and that is certainly a long runway for issues to continue to evolve. I want the U.S. and Israel to be working together to get aid into Gaza.VITALI: Stevens’ closing pitch is all about receipts.STEVENS: I'm a tough as nails Democrat who wins races and who fights and delivers for people when it matters most.VITALI: Touting past work with President Obama and flipping her House seat while promising action on affordability.STEVENS: We need a manufacturing champion in the halls of the United States Senate. Meaning jobs, meaning lessening our dependence on China through our supply chain to lower those costs.VOTER 1: I’m a fan of Haley Stevens.VITALI: She's backed by most of Michigan's top Democrats.GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): There are few leaders, few leaders with more fight in them than Haley Stevens.VITALI: What should voters read into not just the closing message, but the closing messengers in this race?EL-SAYED: You know, Michiganders understand that the Democratic Party has been a little clique in Michigan for a very long time. And that clique always likes to uplift its own.VITALI: Is Whitmer in the clique?EL_SAYED: Look, corporate Democrats have made their choice. And I think it's time for the folks in Michigan to make theirs.STEVENS: These are folks who fight and win for Michigan. They win tough races. That's what's at stake right now.VITALI: This will be a tough race.TRUMP: Great to be back in Michigan.VITALI: Republican Mike Rogers is back on the ballot after a narrow loss in 2024. So this primary is paramount.(...)7:45:21 AM EasternVITALI: Do you worry about what people say: Can he win? Can he beat the Republicans?VOTER 2: I don't give a crap about that anymore. I'm tired of that negotiated politics.[Cuts back to live]VITALI: That negotiated politics, I think, was a sign of the frustration and pushback on traditional ideas of who's electable. And that's a very real strain within the Democratic Party right now. As we all know, if that sentiment prevails, that's likely good for El-Sayed. There are polls that show him with momentum. But Stevens is the candidate who beats Rogers in the general. Ultimately, we will see.But this seat is a must-win for Democrats if they have any hope of reclaiming control of the Senate. And on Tuesday night, voters are going to give us some real answers about what kind of candidate Progressive versus moderate, insider versus outsider, that they think can win in a battleground.JONATHAN LEMIRE: Jen, you know Michigan really well. What are your thoughts here?JEN PALMERI: Well, first of all, it's obviously a very important Senate race, but also the sort of opening bell of the 2028 race. Because if El-Sayed wins and then goes on to win Michigan, that proves that. And he has said he's not a democratic socialist, but obviously very Progressive. Has made Gaza a big issue that I think gives that side a lot of momentum going into 2028. And if Haley Stevens holds on, goes on to win, that puts you in a different footing. But Ali, what does it feel like on the ground? What are people worried about? How - I know, you know, Gaza was a huge issue in 2024. Hurt Kamala Harris then. Do you have a sense from reporters - from voters, you know, what is weighing most heavily on them and when they're making this choice on the democratic side?VITALI: I'll give my sense as a reporter. The idea of Gaza certainly is one of the big litmus tests here. And I think for Democratic voters, that is something they are grappling with in Michigan.I also heard a lot, though, when I talked to voters, both Trump voters and Democratic voters, that cost of everything is weighing on them. I think the biggest difference was how much patience or leeway are they willing to give the president, for example, on something like gas prices, that they are connecting to the war in Iran? And I think the consistent thing I heard was whether or not they wanted to have patience or give him leeway on the issue, was that they never felt like the war itself was explained to them. And so I think that's one of the key pieces of this. But for Democrats broadly grappling with this, the reason that I think it's such a test, and I love that you frame it through 2028, Jen, is because this is really one of the first battleground states where consistently we've seen Democrats put up, quote unquote, “moderate candidates,” people like Elissa Slotkin, to win in purplish states. This would be the first real test if El Sayed wins, if he goes on to win in November of seeing a more progressive candidate win statewide. And I think that might change some of the strategy around what electability looks like in 2028.(...)7:48:56 AM EasternKATTY KAY: We definitely need to add Detroit to our to our tour. Jonathan, clearly. Look, I had a conversation with Debbie Dingell, the congresswoman from Michigan last night. And one of the things that she was pointing out is that this has become kind of an election campaign, this Senate race, that got into a fight between about Gaza and Israel. But actually, that is not the primary concern, as Ali was saying, of most Michigan voters. Their primary concern is the concern of voters all around the country. And that's affordability. And I think the real question for Abdul El-Sayed is he being - if he wins on Tuesday and the polls suggest he may well win on Tuesday - can he kind of prove those other general election polls wrong? Can he prove that a Progressive can actually win statewide? And if he does, is that because he's a Progressive, or is it because he's a particular political talent? I mean, you've got Ron Fournier comparing El-Sayed to an early Bill Clinton. That's an extraordinary endorsement of his political talents. And is that really why he's up against Haley Stevens, who most people in Michigan would accept is not a great candidate? Her team has not been particularly good. So, what was the real race here about? Was it about progressivism? Was it about Gaza/Israel, or was it just that he's been great on social media. He's a very good political athlete, and she isn't. And is that why he's ahead in the polls?(...)

David French Morning Joe 8-3-26 New York Times columnist David French appeared on Monday's Morning Joe to promote his latest alarm: the world is “walking a path toward a world war.”In his Sunday New York Times column, titled “The War That Could Swallow the World,” French wrote that Trump has lost control of the conflict with Iran. Host Jonathan Lemire read key passages on air:“The only thing worse than President Trump starting an unconstitutional war is Trump losing control of that war. I’ve often wondered what it was like to be alive in the summer of 1914, much less 1938 and 1939. When did people start to realize that the world was on the brink of catastrophe? Speak up too soon or too frequently, and you look ridiculous, like the Chicken Little of World War. Speak up too late, and you live, if you live, with bitter regret. "I do not think that World War is inevitable, nor do I think it’s probable. But it is now more possible than it has been at any other time since the end of the Cold War, and the American government is led by the worst rulers in the modern history of the United States."French expanded on the theme in his Morning Joe appearance. He said Trump never expected the war to spread across the region the way it has, with the Houthis entering the fight and threatening the Red Sea. He also cited a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel, reported Russian assistance helping Iran target U.S. bases, a Russian missile landing in Poland, and Chinese missile supplies to Iran.“This war is not in his control,” French said. “And right now, every combatant in every one of the major world conflicts is escalating… These two conflicts to some degree are merging. And they’re expanding. And this is extraordinarily dangerous.”He closed by asking which world leaders are serious about resolution: “I don’t see anyone quite yet.”  Catastrophize Much? David French Says 'World Walking Path Toward a World War' pic.twitter.com/XDw0F6eXsq— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) August 3, 2026 French hedged carefully. On the one hand, he wrote that "world war is neither inevitable nor probable." On the other, in the same column he darkly proclaimed: "The world is walking a path toward a world war, and no one — including the president of the United States — seems to be in command of events."French's solution to the allegedly looming catastrophe? Vote Democrat! Or as he put it in thinly veiled terms in his column:“Our future may depend in part on American voters deciding to give Congress a spinal transplant."The Iran campaign has not gone according to Trump’s early expectations. Escalation risks and operational setbacks are legitimate subjects for debate. But turning those challenges into world war fear-mongering, complete with a partisan Democratic pitch? Auditioning for a 2028 Democrat hopeful speechwriting gig, David?Here's the transcript.MS NOWMorning Joe8/3/266:17 am EDTJONATHAN LEMIRE: David French, your latest opinion piece for the New York Times is titled " The War That Could Swallow the World," and in it, you write in part this: "The only thing worse than President Trump starting an unconstitutional war is Trump losing control of that war. I've often wondered what it was like to be alive in the summer of 1914, much less 1938 and 1939. When did people start to realize that the world was on the brink of catastrophe? Speak up too soon or too frequently, and you look ridiculous, like the Chicken Little of World War. Speak up too late, and you live, if you live, with bitter regret. "I do not think that World War is inevitable, nor do I think it's probable. But it is now more possible than it has been at any other time since the end of the Cold War, and the American government is led by the worst rulers in the modern history of the United States. "Our future may depend in part on American voters deciding to give Congress a spinal transplant. But that requires us to do something that democracies have rarely, if ever, done successfully. See the catastrophe coming and act decisively before a terrible war swallows the world.LEMIRE: David French, obviously an ominous warning there. We have seen signs in the recent week or two that this war could expand. Other countries, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, more getting involved. Tell us more as to why you think that might just be the beginning and this could expand much further and in a much more disastrous fashion. FRENCH: Well, consider this. When I said at the very beginning Trump has lost control of this war, I don't think that when he walked into it, he expected it would be spreading across the region the way that it has. He's said as much. I don't think that this is what he wants: to have the Houthis enter the conflict and begin to try to control the Red Sea. Already in the region, it's expanded beyond Trump's control and beyond Trump's reach. And then you have these other really ominous developments. You've had the Ukrainian strike on an Iranian boat that Ukraine claims was transporting weapons and other related war material between Iran and Russia. You've had information and evidence that Russia is helping Iran target U.S. bases, making Iranian strikes more comprehensive. At the same time, Russia continues to be undeterred, even though it's taking massive battlefield losses. You recently had a Russian missile landing in a Polish field. There have been drones that have crossed into Poland, first missile from Russia that we know of that's crossed into Polish airspace impacting in Poland. And just again and again and again, you're seeing China supply missiles to Iran reportedly. This war is not in his control. And right now, every combatant in every one of the major world conflicts is escalating. And so this is a situation I wanted people to begin to try to move their eyes just from focusing in on the in and outs of each ceasefire or false ceasefire or each deal or each fake deal and instead take a bigger, broader view. These two conflicts to some degree are merging. And they're expanding. And this is extraordinarily dangerous. And which of our world leaders, which of our world leaders is serious about trying to reach a resolution?  I don't see anyone quite yet.