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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Supreme Court Backs Trump's Order to Curb Mail Ballots; Slew of ICE Arrests Spotlight Trump's Aggressive Agenda Again; Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Leaders, Reporter; Supreme Court Backs Trump's Order To Curb Mail Ballots. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired August 24, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Bianna Golodryga, in for Jake Tapper.

We are following breaking news tonight, a significant win for President Trump at the United States Supreme Court. It just granted the president permission to implement his executive order overhauling and restricting the mail-in ballot system. This isn't over, though. Additional legal challenges could stand in the way of this plan before the November midterm elections.

Still, this ruling brings new uncertainty about voting rules for the midterms because it keeps open the possibility that Trump will impose policies outlined in the order, which gave the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security unprecedented roles in the running of elections.

Let's go straight to CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House. So, Kaitlan, walk us through how the White House is viewing this ruling and the practical impacts that it could have on U.S. elections.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, there's no formal response from the White House yet to this ruling, but I'm sure the Truth Social post is coming any moment because, obviously, the White House is viewing this as welcome news, given it's a win for them and the executive order that the president signed, and a loss for these Democratic-led states who were challenging several provisions that are in this actual order, essentially arguing, one, against the substance of it, but also in the implementation of it this close to the midterm elections.

And so that is really going to be a key question here in terms of the merits of this ruling and what that means going forward. Because just because the Supreme Court is saying that for now provisions of this can be carried out, it doesn't mean they will, because, obviously, we do anticipate further legal challenges to this from several states. One of the provisions that's related to what the post office can send out when it comes to these mail-in ballots is still being challenged in a separate court. And so that hasn't yet been ruled on. And then, of course, the provision of this that requires and wants the Department of Homeland Security to have basically a list of people that they believe are eligible to vote in conjunction with these states.

I mean, there are major questions when we are just about ten weeks out from the midterm elections in terms of how that would be carried out, even if it does move forward without these legal challenges this close to early voting and mail-in voting that so many voters in so many states, including a lot of the president's own supporters, have used in the past. I mean, the president himself has used mail-in voting as well.

And so I think that's still a question, even though the White House is viewing this right now in the immediate aftermath of this decision by the Supreme Court against the dissent, of course, of those liberal justices on the court. They are viewing it as a win, but it's still a big question mark over what this is going to look like when we're getting this close to the midterm elections, and what kind of chaos and potential uncertainty is going to be injected into that as a result of this and this decision by the Supreme Court.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Kaitlan Collins at the White House for us, thank you so much.

Don't miss Kaitlan on her show, The Source with Kaitlan Collins. Her guests tonight include the Canada U.S. trade minister, Dominic LeBlanc. That's tonight at 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

For more on the breaking news, let's bring in David Becker, CEO and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, and Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor. Welcome, both of you.

David, let me start with you. What is your reaction to this ruling and its timing?

DAVID BECKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER, CENTER FOR ELECTION INNOVATION AND RESEARCH: Well, it's shocking. The administration asked for a stay about a month ago, and the Supreme Court waited and sat on this for a month, and now seems to want to almost own and own the chaos that they're bringing to the election process.

But I also want to stress, this ruling appears to be made on very, very narrow technical grounds, based on standing and ripeness, based on the finality of a Postal Service rule that actually was issued last week, despite the fact the Supreme Court didn't recognize it. There's another injunction against this executive order that appears to still be standing and that hasn't been addressed by this order.

I expect and I should also add that in the order, the Supreme Court almost invites an additional lawsuit from the states once this issue is ripe for review, which it is now, thanks to the Postal Service rule being final. I expect a new lawsuit to be filed very soon. I expect very clearly the injunction that stands from the district court in the other case to stand as well.

I think it's very unlikely this executive order will be implemented for November, but it's unfortunate the Supreme Court embraced the chaos that this executive order would bring and took so long to render their decision after the administration requested a stay. GOLODRYGA: Jessica, do you agree with what David just said? And what do you think the Supreme Court, or how do you think the Supreme Court should have ruled here?

JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: So, I think the important thing to emphasize about what the Supreme Court did is that it is just procedural. Exactly as David said, this is not about the merits of this argument. We know that there were states who will challenge whether or not the Trump administration had the power to issue this executive order that deals with how we vote and mail-in balloting, and specifically different rules with respect to the Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

[18:05:08]

What the court did today is say that the challenge was brought too soon. Now, I think that's no longer the case, again, for the reasons that David pointed out, which is that the Postal Service has now issued final rules.

The court today did not say we think the Trump administration has the power to implement this executive order or it doesn't. This is all about timing. It's all about these procedural hurdles. And, of course, for people watching wondering, what does this mean for me when it comes to voting in November, which we're hurtling towards, I also agree that the answer is very likely nothing changes.

Again, because of how close we are to the midterms and because there is an injunction in a separate case that is preventing at least some of these rules from going into effect.

GOLODRYGA: So, David, just to pick up on that, we're about 71 days away. How would this even be implemented this close to the midterms if this was allowed? And it does appear that the administration itself doesn't really have a plan.

BECKER: No, I don't think they do, and there's no way to implement this. This would be a sweeping seizure of election power from the states under any circumstances. It would be hard to do this with two or four years of advance notice. It is impossible to do that with about 70 days of advance notice. Ballots are literally going out to voters in some states starting next week.

And I think what the Supreme Court failed to recognize that this is -- the states were acting really diligently. They were trying to say, hey, look, this is going to cause chaos in our process. We have very little time between when you implemented the executive order at the end of March of this year, after primaries had already started. The Postal Service didn't even put its proposed rule out until the end of May.

And the states said, look, we need to resolve this because we need to plan our elections. And the Supreme Court now just said, no, we're going to wait until the last minute to resolve this from a -- on a merits-based -- from a merits-based consideration. And this, now the states are going to have to bring a new lawsuit even though the ripeness of this issue has been resolved prior to the release of this order. The Postal Service finalized their order last week. States are preparing to send mail ballots out.

I agree with Jessica 100 percent. I think they're -- I think that the other injunction that currently still stands, and I think the new lawsuit that is undoubtedly going to be filed probably tomorrow by the states will likely render this executive order completely irrelevant for 2026. We'll deal with 2027 and 2028 afterwards.

GOLODRYGA: Jessica, do you think this blindsided states? And what sort of legal challenges do you expect to see?

LEVINSON: Oh, I don't think the ruling itself blindsided them in the sense that they did. As David said, they were diligent. They saw the executive order, they challenged the executive order. And we should note, as we've been talking about, there are different cases that are working their way through the system.

And this is very typical in the sense that much of this is atypical, but it's very typical in the sense that a lot of times the fighting over executive orders is initially speaking all based on these procedural matters that we're talking about right now. Who has standing to sue? Can you bring the case? Do you have to wait for something to bring the case? And then later, you get to the merits.

When it comes to the harms in this case for the merits, I think as David and I have been saying, it's very unlikely that any rules will change prior to voting in November. And so when it comes to is this an emergency circumstance for the states, I think the answer is, at this point, no, because they won't be asked to change anything or forced to change anything, I suspect, again, because of the litigation posture, because we're 71 days out. And then, of course, the question becomes what to do next. And this is litigation that will absolutely continue. This is not the end of this case, not by a long shot.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And the hypothetical, though, is what would be the result of this in 2027, '28, David, as you noted. And President Trump himself, he acknowledges that he votes by mail, and he defends it by saying that it's because he lives in Florida, but lives in D.C., and the exceptions for illness, disability, military, or travel remain. Trump argues that universal mail-in voting should not be allowed, though, because it's highly susceptible to fraud. Is it? I mean, that's just false.

BECKER: I mean, he knows it. He's voted twice by mail already this year. At least the first time he voted by mail, he was physically present in Palm Beach County where he resides, and could have gone in person to an early voting site and chose not to.

[18:10:02]

So, this idea that he was unavailable to vote in person is false.

But, look, we've been doing mail voting since at least the Civil War. The states have a really good record of this. We know how much fraud exists. It's very, very little, if any. And states that use mail voting are not just blue Democratically-led states. There are states like Utah and Montana and Idaho and other states where Republicans have been using mail voting quite a bit, and we see the president himself using it, of course.

We know it's secure. We know our election system overall is secure thanks to so many checks and balances, and thanks to paper ballots and audits and other things we have in place. And yet we continue to see the federal government try to seize power from the states to run elections, which is where the Constitution gives that power, to the states.

GOLODRYGA: We'll see if there are challenges when they're filed. Thank you both so much.

A series of controversial arrests put the Trump administration's immigration crackdown back in the spotlight. Over the weekend, DHS detaining the father of a Navy sailor serving in the Iran war, and a mother and daughter who were injured in a car crash and had legal status in the U.S., according to family members. We're breaking down both cases in just a moment.

Plus, the Republican Party today marking three years since this photo right here, President Trump's mugshot taken at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. The GOP says there's one lesson you should take away from this. We'll tell you ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

GOLODRYGA: In the National Lead, high-profile ICE arrests rattle families across the country, casting more scrutiny on the forceful tactics the Trump administration continues to use in communities nationwide to carry out its immigration agenda, a top priority for the president.

As CNN's Rafael Romo reports, family members say some of those detained actually have legal status here in the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sheriff deputies in Polk County, Florida handcuff a woman while her daughter lies on a hospital bed crying hysterically while trying to hold onto her mother.

The mother and her 19-year-old daughter were detained at a hospital where they were both being treated for injuries suffered in a car crash. DHS says the two women overstayed their visas, but in a GoFundMe post, family members say both mother and daughter had legal status in the United States. The mother, Grace Calero Cabanilla, relatives say, has a pending asylum case and a work permit, while her 19-year-old daughter, Giulianna Carriel Calero, has a visa valid through 2030. These arrests highlight the aggressive tactics being used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the current administration, going to lengths they rarely went to before, detaining immigrants inside courthouses and hospitals, and even taking into custody the father of a U.S. sailor currently deployed in a war zone.

Joshua Aviles, who's currently entering his ninth month of active duty with the U.S. Navy on the USS Abraham Lincoln, says his father, Luis Manuel Aviles, was detained by ICE over the weekend, even though his son says his father has a driver's license, Social Security card, and work permit.

This is heartbreaking for me, the sailor said in a post on Facebook. I don't know how I can mentally continue working 12-plus hour days knowing that my dad is somewhere possibly being treated like a criminal. My dad's only crime was coming to this country to give my siblings and me a better life.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement his father will remain in custody while the government seeks to deport the Nicaraguan native.

Another ICE detention that has gone viral, a father and young son who were detained on the way to a soccer match in Texas on August 16th. The five-year-old boy, identified by his family as Liam Tadeo, appears to be crying as he tried to hold the hand of his handcuffed father, Victor Martinez Nieto, from Mexico, being escorted to an unmarked vehicle.

DHS said, parents have a choice if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates.

REP. GREG CASAR (D-TX): And Liam should be starting kindergarten this week, but instead, he's sitting in a trailer prison right now in Dilley, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMO (on camera): The Trump administration is looking to increase the speed of its deportations and is casting a wider net about who can be arrested. That includes meeting the administration's goal of around 2,000 arrests every day.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to CNN's Rafael Romo.

I want to now bring in Democratic Congresswoman Luz Rivas from California. Congresswoman, thank you so much.

So, the five-year-old Liam Tadeo that we just saw in that report and his father were sent to the Dilley Detention Center in Texas. And according to a GoFundMe post from the family, you visited that facility at the end of July. What can you tell us about the conditions there? REP. LUZ RIVAS (D-CA): So, I visited the Dilley Detention Center with Democratic colleagues in July. What we saw, it's a detention center hot, in a hot area where over 100 children are being detained. There's over 500 detainees at this center. It's no place for children to be. We were able to talk to some adult women there, only met with one child because we were limited access on who we could talk to.

[18:20:02]

But these are not conditions, especially for a five-year-old that should be starting kindergarten this week. He should be getting ready for school with his family, instead, in this very hot area, no playground, limited classrooms, or nonexistent instruction.

GOLODRYGA: So, what do you make of the DHS statement that the onus and the responsibility here lies with the parents who are aware of the consequences?

RIVAS: Look, we have millions of hardworking immigrants that are in the process of getting legal, you know, their status, their legal status, and they're being pulled away from courthouses where they're doing the right thing from, you know, in unmarked vehicles and with, you know, ICE officers that are not identifying themselves. These are hardworking immigrants that are looking for a way to make a better life for their families.

GOLODRYGA: Let me ask you about the other family there that we heard in the report, the father of Joshua Aviles, that is the sailor aboard the USS Lincoln. There is a policy in the military called Parole in Place that allows spouses, children and parents of active duty members to obtain legal immigration status so long as they have not overstayed their visa. Given that Aviles says that his father has a work permit, does this detainment seem lawful to you?

RIVAS: You know, it doesn't. All of these stories are heartbreaking. We have seen so many of these since last year when these raids were aggressive and started here in Los Angeles. And these are people that are working hard towards staying in the country that they love, that their children are growing up in and we should have a process for them toward, to get legal status.

GOLODRYGA: What is your reaction to how immigration enforcement officials were able to operate within a hospital like the case that we saw in Florida?

RIVAS: I believe that immigration officials should not be allowed into a hospital. A poor woman and her daughter that were recovering from an accident, let the medical professionals care for them. I signed on to a bill that would not allow ICE into sensitive locations, like hospitals, churches, and schools. And I believe that they should not be allowed to go in and arrest someone while they're on a hospital bed.

GOLODRYGA: California Democratic Congresswoman Luz Rivas, thank you.

RIVAS: Thank you. GOLODRYGA: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth facing growing criticism that he's trying to manipulate news coverage after firing three top officials from the military's newspaper. One of those ousted reporters will join us live up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

GOLODRYGA: In our Politics Lead, the Defense Department is continuing its major overhaul of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. On Friday, the Pentagon, which partially funds the paper, forced out the publisher, editor in chief, and a reporter focused on the Middle East. The editor in chief, Eric Slavin, told CNN this morning that this is what he heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC SLAVIN, FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, STARS AND STRIPES: I can tell you that I received a notice of proposed separation on Friday afternoon, which stated that because of a CBS interview I gave, I was up for separation. What I stated was that, in my personal opinion, censorship would be a red line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Slavin and Reporter Lara Korte spoke to CBS earlier this summer about their efforts to continue reporting despite the Pentagon's pressure.

And joining us now is Lara Korte. Lara, welcome to the program. You explicitly stated in that CBS interview that you didn't work for the Pentagon or any administration. You cover the military community. Were you worried about your job security after that interview aired?

LARA KORTE, FORMER REPORTER, STARS AND STRIPES: Honestly, I was not worried about my job security because I believed that I was stating what has been Pentagon policy and tradition for a long time, which is that Stars and Stripes is editorially independent.

GOLODRYGA: What were you told was the reason for your firing?

KORTE: Similar to the email that Eric received around the same time on Friday evening, I received a proposed notice of separation stating that my actions and my comments during the CBS interview were insubordination, and that was cause for separation.

GOLODRYGA: On Friday, you told my colleague, Laura Coates, that things were still fresh and that you weren't sure about what your next steps would be. Are you going to pursue any legal options or appeal this decision?

KORTE: I can't speak to what happens next. You know, there are a number of options we could pursue, and we're looking at everything possible. I can say that I think what's most important is that there continue to be good and honest coverage of U.S. military members. You know, there's a war going on with Iran right now. There are sailors who have been at work for a very long time. There are families who are still facing a lot of hardships. So, my hope going forward is that those issues continue to get attention.

GOLODRYGA: Did you feel any pressure from the Pentagon while you were reporting about your reporting?

KORTE: No, absolutely not, and this is what I told CBS. I said, you know, especially up to that point, I had not felt any pressure to kill a story or to alter a story or to run a story that the Pentagon wanted me to run.

[18:30:09]

My understanding at that point, giving that CBS interview, was that there was no interference from the Pentagon in our editorial process.

GOLODRYGA: Let's talk about what you were reporting the day you were fired. You published an in-depth report titled Navy Families Evacuated from Bahrain Facing Uncharted Territory and Bureaucratic Confusion. Now, it notes that military families are in limbo because of the collapsed ceasefire. Do you think that it's that type of reporting that ultimately led to your firing?

KORTE: You know, it's hard to say. I will say the notice of proposed separation didn't mention any specific articles or any specific reporting. That being said, you know, me and my colleagues have been doing our job over the last six months, like we've always done it, trying to focus on the issues that are important to military members and their families.

Covering the families who have evacuated Bahrain has been very important to me. You know, they faced a very scary evacuation in the first weeks of the war. They continue to face financial and emotional hardships being in limbo, not knowing where they're going to live. And, you know, my colleagues have also reported on challenges on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

These are important stories that we feel like are, you know, vital to covering the military community. But I can't speak to whether or not that played a role in the recent firing decisions.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Navy Captain Bill Urban recently was appointed as military deputy to the editor, and in an open letter. He said that Stars and Stripes is in need of, quote, modernization, and said that he received multiple assurances from Pentagon leadership that they are committed to do the outlet's editorial independence. Do you buy that?

KORTE: I'm really glad to see that editorial independence continues to be something that Pentagon officials say that they are committed to. I believe that that is a commitment that we need to see play out in practice. I'll be really interested to see in the coming weeks and months how that comes into play.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Stars and Stripes is one of the most revered and respected publications covering military stories that impact American families and the world. So, I want to thank you for all the work that you've done, and thank you for taking the time to join us. Lara Korte, I appreciate it.

KORTE: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, firefighters say they are making slow progress on containing a wildfire that is threatening neighborhoods, but incoming high winds could quickly worsen the situation. We'll get an update on those efforts up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

GOLODRYGA: In our National Lead, in the Reno, Nevada area, tens of thousands of residents are being urged to evacuate their homes as a fast-moving wildfire rips through the area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we came through, it looked like a movie scene, like you don't expect to see something like that in real life. And then like we looked over the overpass and we could see, like, the, the top of the flames and then the smoke over- overhead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: This afternoon, fire officials said they have made some progress in preventing the fire from spreading. The cause of the Hawk Fire, which erupted on Saturday, is unknown. But officials do say it is related to human activity.

Joining me now is the sheriff of Washoe County, Darin Balaam. The city of Reno is in Washoe County. Sheriff, thank you so much for taking the time now.

We know the high winds coupled with the dryness will be major factors in tackling this fire. How are you navigating this element?

SHERIFF DARIN BALAAM, WASHOE COUNTY, NEVADA: You know, we're doing it one step at a time. We're working with our first responders and our communities to try to make sure that we can get everything for the first firefighters in there, both aviation and ground crews, but then taking care of our community, making sure we've displaced now almost 20,000 people, and making sure we're giving them the resources and reassurances while they're away from their homes. From the law enforcement side, that we are protecting their neighborhoods so that when they return, hopefully their home is still there and everything else is intact.

GOLODRYGA: How are your firefighters holding up? How are they responding?

BALAAM: You know, I would say everybody is tired. This is our second major wildfire in two weeks, and so, you know, what I would say is all the men and women from firefighting, aviation, and from law enforcement, each day they are answering that call, and I couldn't be more proud of what they've done. They've put the needs of others ahead of their own, and they are out there. The firefighters are doing everything they can to stop that and contain the fire, and then law enforcement, we are doing everything to allow them in and then keep our community safe.

GOLODRYGA: And, of course, residents have to do their part by heeding warnings. What is your message to those that are not?

BALAAM: You know, what we're telling them, please when you are in a get ready, get your go bag, all your medications, and please get out. Because what we faced in this fire was within 45 minutes, that fire came up the hill and it was in a neighborhood.

So, as we're trying to get into that neighborhood to get citizens out that waited until the last minute, we're also trying to get fire apparatuses in so they could fight that fire. And it makes it dangerous for everybody, and you had flames coming up and over, fire trucks, law enforcement vehicles, citizens trying to get out.

So, for our community, it's please leave. And if you could leave early, we know that causes a lot of anxiety, it's a lot of stress, but it makes everything else safe because at the end of the day, the most important thing is your safety.

And then as we're repopulating, we're telling people, because we've already experienced it do not go hike into those burned areas just because you think it is cold. It's still an active fire, and stay out of those areas so that firefighters can do their job.

GOLODRYGA: We can't reiterate enough how important it is to follow warnings and heed them for those residents.

[18:40:00]

As we noted in the introduction, it's been confirmed that this is a human-caused blaze. What is the process now of trying to find the person or people responsible for igniting it?

BALAAM: So, we're working alongside fire, and we're going out into the neighborhoods. This area that the fire started is out in the middle of a mountain range, and so there's a lot of dirt roads that -- for the neighborhood to access it.

So, we're going around, we're asking our community for support. Did you see anybody out there? Did you see anybody around the fire as it took off? So, we are going out into the community. We're looking for any evidence that we can find with fire to hopefully find this person to determine was it accidental, was it intentional. And so if it is intentional, we can take the appropriate law enforcement actions. And if it's accidental, then we can determine that as well and let the community know.

GOLODRYGA: And, of course, the focus right now is containing this fire. What do your crews need most right now? BALAAM: You know, they need Mother Nature hopefully to just remain calm for just a little bit. We have winds this afternoon. They were supposed to be a little higher. Hopefully, they stay low so that we can get in there. We can have the aviation units drop the water, the fire retardant, and they can make those bulldoze lines so that the fire cannot spread. And so what we need is just a little bit of cooperation from Mother Nature and a lot of great work from all the first responders.

GOLODRYGA: Well, we are so grateful for those first responders. It has been a brutal summer for wildfires, especially in the western part of this country. Sheriff, thank you for everything you're doing. Thank you for taking the time. We appreciate it.

BALAAM: Thank you for having me.

GOLODRYGA: Well, the fight for Senate control just got even more confusing now that a third Dan Sullivan is inserting himself into the U.S. Senate race in Alaska. That's right, three politicians with the same name talking about the same election. We'll bring you those details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:56]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: All right. Breaking tonight, a significant but preliminary win for President Trump and his efforts to restrict mail in voting. In a six-three decision, the Supreme Court says the Trump administration can move forward with a proposal for the Department of Homeland Security to compile state specific lists of people it believes are eligible to vote in the Democratic-led states that had challenged the plan in court.

All right, our panel is here for more of this.

S.E., this spells new uncertainty about voting rules for the midterms. I had experts on earlier today that said that the timing here most likely would not impact the midterms, but potentially has consequences for elections after that. I'm specifically looking at the '28 presidential election.

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. But I actually think even just like having this conversation today impacts the midterms, right? Because you said it, the, the "U" word, uncertainty, is what this is going to create. It's the last thing that voters want is more uncertainty. And it's I think the main thing that Trump wants even more than the logistics of, of this ruling and whatever it means years down the line, he's getting what he wants in the moment, which is more uncertainty around these elections. He's been trying to sow that uncertainty for a really long time.

GOLODRYGA: And now when you have the Supreme Court weighing in what appears, at least in the short run, to be a victory for him, he views that as a positive. But, Chris, you are running a Democrat running for Congress. How are you responding to this? What concerns do you have now following this ruling?

CHRIS GALLANT (D), NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I mean, this is every this is every opportunity that Donald Trump has taken to disenfranchise voters. And so, it's creating a serious concern. I mean, when I talk to voters across the district, theyre worried about having a free and fair election at the end of the day.

But the idea is that, I mean, we live in America and we should have free and fair elections. And so, I mean, what voters are really talking about, they're talking about the kitchen table issues. And, you know, that's really what the conversation is. It's like, you know, were in a war now. Were trying to put gas in our car and food on our tables.

Those are the conversations that theyre having. And, you know, being afraid about having, being able to go vote. Now, just adding to the pile of worry and concern is just, it's a problem.

GOLODRYGA: Joe, the president used prime time real estate giving a speech, talking about election insecurity here just a few weeks ago. Now, this ruling from the Supreme Court, how do you feel about it?

JOE BORELLI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CHARTWELL STRATEGY GROUP: Well, it's not an issue just because Trump is talking about it. Democrats spent the entire first term of the Trump presidency convincing people that Russia interfered in our election, and somehow it wasn't unsafe.

Poll after poll after poll over the last eight years have shown that Americans, by and large, even bipartisan Americans, feel that elections aren't as secure as they need to be. And no, you can't say that every mail in ballot or every paper ballot is fraudulent ballot. That's not true. But almost every time where you find validated cases of fraud, you are seeing it being done through some sort of paper ballot.

So, this is an issue that Trump has taken up. He campaigned on it, he vowed to do it. And now we're seeing some of the fruits of that.

CUPP: Trump votes by mail.

BORELLI: There's no question about it. Look, and again, this is not true.

GOLODRYGA: And he admits to it.

CUPP: Yeah.

BORELLI: This is not to eliminate all paper ballots. This is to make it more secure.

GALLANT: But the other thing is, too, there hasn't been any statistics that actually have shown --

BORELLI: Census Bureau came out this week saying that 24,000 non- citizen American -- non-citizens voted in American elections in 2020. So, it's -- and that's the Census Bureau. That's not a Republican right wing, not exactly known to be a conservative organization. This is the census bureau saying 24,000 non-citizens voted in 2020.

GOLODRYGA: Okay, Joe, just stick with me because I want to ask you something that we saw there for a moment. Three years ago, President Trump flew to Fulton County, Georgia, and became the first U.S. president with a mug shot there. You see it right there. The official Republican account on X posted, quote, they did everything they could to stop him, and they failed.

Now, while the official account for Trump's political operation posted, let this be a lesson to every American when your back is against the wall and life gets rough, you must never surrender. That's something the Republican Party should be celebrating.

[18:50:00]

BORELLI: This was supposed to sink Donald Trump. Instead, it resurrected him. If you think about where we were when this happened, Trump was not winning in any poll, right? You had this thing come out. It was supposed to be humiliating, and it served. It ended up serving as a rallying cry for a lot of Republicans.

Now, you combine that with what we've just heard from Michael Cohen with the J6 case against Trump collapsing with the Manhattan document case collapsing, it gives a lot of runway to what Republicans and what Trump has made the case of, that there's lawfare against him. That's what that picture symbolizes, and that's what led him to win reelection.

GOLODRYGA: Chris, I see your signs throughout Long Island. I was just telling my son, hey, you know that that Chris Gallant, who we always see his signs for, well, he's going to be on the show.

When voters come to you, maybe they're undecided. Even some Democratic voters, and raise some of those concerns that they have. How do you respond to that? Are they valid at all?

GALLANT: At the end of the day, you know, we were promised that Donald Trump in 2015, when he decided to run, said he was going to drain the swamp. And what happened? He turned around and created a swamp of his own.

The idea is that we've been lied to constantly. We've been had, had promises made, and none of them have been kept. Life is not easier. Groceries are more expensive.

I use the example I was deployed in 22 to 23, and before I left on that deployment, you could fill a shopping cart for 100 bucks. I came back and I'm telling you, the sticker shock was unbelievable. The -- just grocery prices, and now look at gas prices.

Gas prices, this was a -- this was a choice. The reason why gas prices are continuing to rise. Voters want -- voters want to make life more easier. And they want to be able to go and vote in November. This is going to be the most consequential election of our lifetime. I know we say this every year, but this is -- this is the year that it's really going to matter and make a difference. GOLODRYGA: Perhaps a consequential election like no other in Alaska

either. There is a lot of confusion here. A new wild wrench in the U.S. Senate race there.

Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan has backed Senator Dan Sullivan to beat challenger Dan Sullivan. Now, the all-party primary was held there last week. It looks like both Dan Sullivans will be on the ballot in November with only a middle initial differentiating them. Democrat Mary Peltola did pretty well, winning 48 percent of the vote compared to current Senator Dan S. Sullivan's nearly 43 percent.

All of this name confusion probably isn't helping Sullivan -- S.E.

CUPP: Well, S.E. Sullivan number one, S. Sullivan seems to be doing pretty well. I don't think J. Sullivan is eating too much into his count, if that was the intended goal. We don't know if that was the intended goal. There's been some suggestion that that was the intended goal. We don't know.

But the fact that this race in Alaska is competitive is really remarkable. I've been to Alaska a number of times, and every time I go, I'm reminded at that -- that its incredibly expensive to live there in any time, right? Because they have to import so much from the lower 48. It's very expensive.

Well, now it's even more expensive because of dumb decisions like tariffs and a war that no one wanted. And Alaska voters are really paying attention to this issue of affordability. They don't like the way that Trump and Republicans are talking about it like it's a hoax.

It's not a hoax for them. For them, it is deadly serious. And that's why I think Mary Peltola is doing so well.

GOLODRYGA: So, Joe, how worried are Republicans about Alaska? How much money are they willing or having to spend now for this race? And do you think Republicans are responding to concerns about the economy and the price at the gas pump and at the grocery store adequately enough?

BORELLI: Look, certainly the economy, broadly speaking, is the biggest vulnerability that Republicans face in the midterms. But, you know, you don't get this Dan Sullivan dirty trick because Democrats feel like they're in a good place. And there is some metadata tying the new Dan Sullivan back to some Democratic consultants.

I think what you're seeing is Mary Peltola, who came out with a lot of steam. Now, the onion is getting peeled back. You're finding out that she fought for middle -- middle class tax increases. You know, her campaign is falling apart. Her campaign staff is leaving. She's out there begging for Kamala Harriss endorsement.

CUPP: She's ahead. She's winning.

BORELLI: So all these all these things are. But all these things are starting to come --

GOLODRYGA: In Alaska. BORELLI: -- against her. And I think you're seeing some desperate

moves by Democrats in the state.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Panel, we'll leave it there. Good to see you. Thank you.

All right. A new measles outbreak was declared today. Just as kids head back to school. We'll bring you those details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:58:53]

GOLODRYGA: Our last leads start in our national lead. Jed York, the principal owner of the San Francisco 49ers, was arrested Sunday for, quote, "engaging in prostitution in Ohio". Court documents show York spent the night in jail and paid just over $1,000 in fines connected to the charges. CNN has reached out to the 49ers and York's legal team for comment.

In our national lead, Massachusetts police believe they found the body of a woman who was wanted in connection with her police officer husband's death. Police say they found Karen Solomons body in some woods today near a gun she likely used to kill herself. Her husband, officer Kurt Solomon, was found dead at their house last week. Karen Solomon was the co-founder of a group that advocates for women, for officers -- for officers' mental health.

And in our health lead, Maryland just declared a measles outbreak across three counties. The Maryland Department of Health says most of the 14 new cases happened in households and among people who are unvaccinated. The latest Centers for Disease Control data shows there have been 36 new measles outbreaks this year, resulting in nearly 3000 cases in nearly 200 hospitalizations.

All right. You can follow me on X and Instagram @Bianna Golodryga. You can follow the show on X and Instagram @TheLeadCNN. Do you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD? You can watch the show on the CNN app.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.