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The Lead with Jake Tapper

More Than 4,400 Missing From Nepal Flood As Death Toll Passes 950; Trump Says U.S. Action Is Limited But Could Still Smack Them; 2 Dead, 15 Others May Be Missing in Grand Canyon Flashflood; Vance Calls El-Sayed "Very, Very Evil" At Michigan Rally; NYPD Officers Shoot Knife-Wielding Woman In Times Square. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired August 31, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Phil Mattingly, in for Jake Tapper.

This hour, the rush is on to find hundreds of missing workers believed to be trapped in tunnels after Nepal's catastrophic flooding last week. Rescue crews and international specialists are searching around the clock. In moments, CNN's Anderson Cooper is on the ground in one of the hardest hit areas.

Plus, another search and rescue operation back here in the United States after flash flooding at the Grand Canyon killed two people, with a dozen others still missing, and more rain could pummel the area today.

[18:00:00]

CNN's Ed Lavandera is live at the Grand Canyon ahead.

Also, it's the final hours of campaigning in Massachusetts, where an 80-year-old senator is hoping to survive a challenge from a congressman who says it's time for new leadership. What do the voters think?

And they're known for making millions of people laugh online, but now the Holderness family sharing one of the toughest things they've gone through, hoping their struggles can help others moving forward. Penn Holderness is here to share their story ahead.

The Lead tonight, rescue teams continue to scour the ground in Nepal for any sign of the more than 4,000 people still missing after last week's devastating flood. Officials in Nepal and China recording a death toll topping more than 950 between both nations.

The search is being watched worldwide. Families and friends everywhere, from there on the ground in Nepal to right here in the U.S., are desperate to learn the fate of loved ones who disappeared in that wall of water six days ago.

Crews now are battling inclement weather, debris, and remaining flood water as recovery efforts continue, all under the risk of further flooding. Nepal police today were shoveling away mud and sand by hand from inside a local hospital. CNN's Anderson Cooper made it to one of the first towns hit by the deadly flood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: This is the town of Syabru Besi, or what's left of the town, I should say. This is all that's left of the once bustling market district in the town. All of this area and all the way down to the river, down this hill would've been businesses and homes. People lived here. There was a lot of commerce. The border with Tibet is just about 18 miles from here, and there was a very important road from that border area all the way down to Kathmandu that ran through this town. But that road now is wiped out. It's stunning to see it up close. I don't even think the camera can really capture just the scale of this. It looks probably just on camera like some dirt field.

But this isn't -- you know, we talk about water and this flood that came down, and, yes, there was a lot of water in it, but, look, this is-- there's rocks in this. There was boulders. There was vehicles, everything that the sludge picked up from further upstream, it's like concrete essentially. And it just covers everything. If you walk out into this area, you can tell by my shoes, you'll just sink in it. It's like concrete quicksand.

This was once a, a destination spot for Hindus and Buddhists on religious pilgrimages. They would come here, also trekkers from all over the world. There's 15 Australian trekkers who are -- have been reported missing in this area, as well as dozens of other foreigners. It's not clear how many people died here in this town.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Syabru Bresi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Anderson Cooper in Nepal, thank you. And Anderson will have much more of his reporting from on the ground in Nepal during AC360 tonight at 8:00 P.M. Eastern.

Well, a five-year-old girl whose dramatic rescue from the rubble was captured on video has now been reunited with her parents. Manisha was trapped beneath the wreckage for 60 hours after she was swept away from her home during the flood. Her father tells CNN's Will Ripley about seeing her again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOK BAHADUR UCHAI MAGAR, FATHER OF RESCUED GIRL: Her face wasn't recognizable, as there were multiple wounds. Her condition was serious, wounds and blood all over. After seeing the video of her, I could confirm it was my daughter. She was on oxygen in Dhunche Medical. She was being kept like that on the day.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What is it like, as a father, to look at a video like that and see your daughter in that condition? NAGAR: Knowing that she's my child. That's it. That's all I have to say.

I just can't speak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: I want to bring in Krishna Sharma. He's originally from Nepal, now lives in Virginia with his wife, who has a number of extended family members still missing since the flood. Krishna just to start, I'm terribly sorry that you and your family are experiencing this. What can you tell us about your loved ones that are still unaccounted for and what they were doing at the time of the flood?

KRISHNA SHARMA, FAMILY MEMBERS MISSING IN NEPAL: Thanks for having me, Mr. Phil. It's a pretty hopeless situation there since it's been past six days, and the five members of my wife's extended family members have not been found yet.

[18:05:05]

They're missing from a place called Kathekhola, which is about 10 or 15 miles away to the north from where Anderson Cooper was sitting. And these families were from London, Australia back in Nepal. And they are missing, and it's very unfortunate. We -- yes, I mean, it's pretty heartbreaking.

MATTINGLY: I can't even imagine. Is there any way to get information? Who have you been able to get in contact with as you've been through the last six days?

SHARMA: The relative of mine who runs a trekking agency called Himalayan Glaciers, that were the one who had booked the pilgrimage for 47 nationals from across the world, including the United States. And out of 47, 7 were the crew members from the pilgrimage glacier site itself, and the rest of the 40 were from different countries. And some of them happened to be our relatives. And they're all missing.

And then the last time they were in contact were from the hotel called Hotel Kailash. It's on the way from Sarabjesi (ph) to Timure, which is about 1.5 kilometers to the north. And they were on their way towards Rasuwagadhi, where there is an India -- sorry, Nepal-China customs. And from there, they were on their way to go to Mount Kailash, which is the pilgrimage site for the Hindus, and this is the peak time for the people to go there.

And I've also got information from other news sources and my family members that there were almost 80 buses that are still missing, and in which there were, you know, pilgrims from India and from Nepal because they wanted to be on that full moon day in the -- on the foot of Mount Kailash to get this thread called -- in Nepal, it's called Dori Bandhani. So, this is kind of the holy site for the Hindus, the abode of Lord Shiva.

And they are missing, and we are losing hope, and we're praying that they would one day -- you know, soon they would come back alive and surprise us.

MATTINGLY: You talk about potentially losing hope. Obviously, the prayers are -- and we share in the prayers for your loved ones who are missing. What have the last six days been like? You know, from the initial learning about what was happening to kind of where you're at now emotionally as you hope for some good news.

SHARMA: We were hoping that their whereabouts would be found out pretty soon as soon as the water levels go down and the rescue and recovery efforts are, you know, underway from Nepal government. But the frustrating part was Nepal government did not take or accept the foreign assistance.

For example, in 2015 earthquake, when the country reeled under tremendous, disastrous situation all the -- you know, including the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and Los Angeles County Fire and Rescue and other, you know, squad missions were underway, and then they quickly recovered a lot of people.

But this time the Nepal government did not allow any foreign, you know, rescue missions to, you know, go to the sites and then rescue the people who were and still are stranded in a very difficult situation and are fighting for their life under very difficult situation. And we hoped that would happen, but this didn't happen.

And now we have heard that Nepal government has now allowed but I think that's very late, and that was very frustrating. A lot of families could have seen their loved ones alive if the rescue operations were allowed.

So, I really hope that Nepal government, although we would say that it is able to do anything it wants to do, but in these difficult situations when they do not have their technical knowhow or, you know, skilled manpowers, or, for that matter, the technology or the -- even the machines.

[18:10:10]

If they do not have that, they should not have hesitated to seek help from the foreign countries.

MATTINGLY: Well, Krishna Sharma --

SHARMA: And that didn't happen, and that's very frustrating.

MATTINGLY: I can only imagine. Again, our thoughts, our prayers are with you and your family as you await word from your loved ones. Krishna Sharma, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

SHARMA: Thank you. Thank you, Phil. Thank you for having me.

MATTINGLY: Well, House Speaker Mike Johnson pressed by reporters today on whether he supports Congressman Max Miller's re-election bid despite Miller facing allegations of abuse from his ex-wife. Hear the speaker's answer next. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court handing down a ruling this afternoon on whether President Trump can continue to build the White House ballroom as lawsuits try and block that work. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: Breaking news in our Politics Lead, a top civilian leader in the Department of Defense is out. Sources telling CNN Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Trump. The news first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

[18:15:01]

Kristen Holmes and our colleague Kevin Liptak broke the story for CNN. Kristen's now live at the White House. Kristen, people might not recognize the name, but Dan Driscoll is a big deal for a lot of different reasons. Why is he resigning?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He had months of friction. We had been reporting that this could be a possibility for quite some time. In fact, we actually had stories months ago about this underlying friction that hadn't quite spilled over yet. At that time, the friction was coming from the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth towards Dan Driscoll. But in the last several months it appears as though that friction has been two-sided.

This was something that was expected. I was told by one source there was no surprise here that he submitted his resignation. Although I will tell you that I now talked to other members of the administration who said they were hoping that he would last a little bit longer just as this continuation of this Iran war is playing out right now.

We did get a statement just seconds ago from the White House. I'm going to read it to you. It says, Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump's agenda to make America strong again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more. The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the commander-in-chief and secretary of war.

Again, all of this coming as there have been these underlying tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth. Driscoll was viewed as widely popular within the administration. He is somebody who is very close to Vice President J.D. Vance. They attended school together. He was considered as part of Vance's inner circle at times. So, this in itself is just a major move, particularly given the fact that this war with Iran is not only still ongoing, but we obviously just saw strikes as recently as in the last 24, 48 hours. But, again, he has submitted the resignation.

The one thing that we are not clear on at this time is how long he's going to stay in that post before officially vacating. Of course, just a reminder of one of the things that we reported earlier this year was the firing of the Navy secretary as well, again, amid all of what we have seen between the United States and Iran.

MATTINGLY: Kristen Holmes, great reporting as always, my friend. Thank you.

Well, now outward to our Law and Justice Lead, House Speaker Mike Johnson today defending embattled Republican Congressman Max Miller. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you support Max Miller's re-election?

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I have supported Max Miller's re-election.

RAJU: You still do?

JOHNSON: Yes. And he has been a great member of Congress. He has some issues in his personal life he's working through. The House Ethics Committee is looking into that and any implications it may have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: The House is back. That means Manu Raju is back. Miller, of course, faces domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, which he denies. But Miller is also facing another legal fight, this one involving former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. Miller appeared remotely from his office in Washington, D.C., today for a hearing tied to a lawsuit Grisham filed against him, accusing him of violating a settlement agreement.

CNN's Lauren Fox was in the courtroom today, and joins us from Cleveland. Lauren, walk people through what happened here.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Phil. Today, instead of campaigning or instead of being focused on business in Washington, Max Miller was Zooming into this courtroom today for several hours as he was questioned by both his lawyers and the lawyers of Stephanie Grisham about what transpired over this settlement agreement that was reached back in 2023.

Now, Stephanie Grisham sued Max Miller just a couple of weeks ago alleging that he violated this agreement in interviews that he has had, trying to defend himself against allegations of abuse by his ex- wife, Emily Moreno, allegations we should note that he denies, and that he also had violated their settlement agreement in a May 7th post on X.

Now, repeatedly, Max Miller told the courtroom that he does not manage his Twitter account, that that is done by his staff, that he is not someone that even has Twitter or X on his phone, but, certainly, this is something that continues to be an issue. And the judge actually ordered a preliminary injunction, Phil, barring both parties from disparaging each other in public and ordering both Stephanie Grisham and Max Miller to take down posts on X. So, this is an ongoing court case. This is something that is going to continue. But, obviously, this just shows that as so many members are sprinting toward the midterms, Phil, Max Miller is dealing with not just that custody battle for his daughter, but also now this fight over that settlement agreement from 2023 with his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Grisham.

MATTINGLY: Yes. Certainly not what the speaker would like his members to be doing right now, despite still supporting him.

Lauren Fox in Cleveland, Ohio, thank you, my friend. I appreciate it.

Well, President Trump giving an update on the war with Iran today after the U.S. launched military strikes for the first time in more than a month.

[18:20:04]

So, should we expect another escalation? That's next.

MATTINGLY: In our World Lead, for the first time in a month, the hot war between the U.S. and Iran is back on, or at least was back on for a day. On Sunday, the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran retaliated, firing missiles towards U.S. bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

This afternoon, President Trump characterized the U.S. action as, quote, limited, adding, We can still smack them.

Joining us now, Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congresswoman, I really appreciate your time.

Our CNN analyst colleague, Barak Ravid, reported President Trump is considering additional also limited strikes on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. becomes more concerned about Iran rebuilding radar and air defenses to target U.S. ships more accurately. What's your read on this kind of latest restart of sorts?

[18:25:03]

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Well, to me, Phil, thank you for having me. We're back in D.C. And I'm hoping that somehow Congress musters up our constitutional authority to say to the president, no, no more. He has opened this war without a plan, without a strategy, and now we see it. We had a month-long almost calm. Obviously, the agreement is null and void. Nothing came of that, the memorandum of understanding, and now some additional strikes further weakening our military readiness.

So, I'm very concerned about it, and what it shows is that the president doesn't have a plan, Mr. Hegseth doesn't have a plan, and sadly, what the reporting shows, they're not listening to our military admirals, generals, and those who know best.

MATTINGLY: My colleague, CNN Global Affairs Analyst Brett McGurk, who served as presidential envoy, very well known, wrote this in a CNN analysis. The earlier acts in this war were mired from the U.S. side by shifting and ill-defined objectives, widely careening positions, and inconsistent statements. But this act seems different. The U.S. military has a clear objective, enforcing the blockade on Iran and facilitating the movement of commercial traffic. Is this the first time since the war began the U.S. now has the upper hand, not Iran? What do you think?

DEAN: I wish it were true. It just doesn't seem to be true to me at all. I'm a member of the Foreign Affairs. I'm also a member of the Appropriations. So, we're watching again in terms of our readiness. What the -- when the president does not have a plan and does not say what it is his objectives are, the objectives have been shifting from day one. It doesn't seem to me that it makes a lot of sense that after a months-long non-striking, we're striking again.

You saw that the straits are not open. Let's say the basic facts. Straits are not open for ease and access of transfer and trade. That's causing Americans to pay more for gas, for goods, for groceries, you name it. The president doesn't have a plan, and Mr. Hegseth doesn't have a plan, and, sadly, our allies are well aware of it.

I've had the chance as a member of Foreign Affairs to meet with our ambassadors from the region, from Jordan and the GCC, and, of course, they are working together desperately to make sure that they are protecting themselves and their lands and their terrains but they are worried too that the president doesn't have a plan for this war.

The American people -- we were just in district. You know, I serve Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Berks County, Pennsylvania. This is a most unpopular war. We've lost 18 service members, dead. We have 700 wounded. And this has cost hundreds of billions of dollars as Americans pay more for everything, and the president goes on with his corruption.

I wish the president would listen to the admirals and generals. And come up with a plan to -- and actually use diplomats, real diplomats. I wish Marco Rubio had stepped up to the plate as secretary of state, but, of course, that hasn't happened, and the president's not relying upon real diplomats. He's relying upon his son-in-law and another real estate guy to try to cut deals.

This is no way to run a country, no way to run a war, and the president is showing himself to be farcical and feeble at all of it.

MATTINGLY: Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, as you noted, you're back on Capitol Hill, we'll see if any action takes place in the House floor behind you. I appreciate your time, ma'am. Thank you.

DEAN: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, up to 15 people are unaccounted for after flash floods swept through the Grand Canyon, and more storms are possible tonight. We'll go live to the scene for an update next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

MATTINGLY: In our National Lead, the urgent search continues for up to 15 people missing in the Grand Canyon after flash flooding there killed at least two people. And we now know the identity of one of the two hikers killed in this flooding. That would be John Giusti, a Texas chiropractor. His family confirmed his name, saying two men who were with him still are missing.

They apparently were on a, quote, dream trip, spending two nights at the bottom of the canyon fishing and exploring.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the scene. Ed, tell us what you're learning about this tricky search and rescue operation.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has been and at some points throughout the day it has been hampered by the weather. But for the last couple of hours it has been clear. There is still a flashflood watch in effect, and the warning signs are out here.

This is one of the main trails that would lead you down into the area 3,000 feet below from where we are right now. But it kind of tells the story about the extreme weather conditions, the unsafe trail conditions that the trail's impassable, the bridges and the trail are nonexistent, and there's no water. There's a pipeline that was wiped out by the floodwaters.

But, you know, this is the path many of those people who were in this area might have started out, either on, on the southern side of the, the Grand Canyon here, or some people did start off on the other side, on the northern side.

But, Phil, what we've heard repeatedly from people who have been evacuated and witnessed the dramatic flooding over the weekend is just how terrifying the experience was. Many people thought that they were going to die. They heard some people describe the roaring sound of the floodwaters coming, that they knew it wasn't thunder, but they didn't quite know what it was as they started panicking and getting terrified of what was barreling down through these canyons down into the Colorado River area.

So, those search and rescue efforts are continuing today, we are told. We have not gotten an update on how that has gone today. There are still, as far as we know, 15 people unaccounted for or missing. Obviously, the hope is that perhaps those people are stranded or stuck in some place where they -- obviously, there's no cell phone communication down there, so that makes communicating very difficult. But, you know, that is the hope that this remains a search and rescue operation as we await word.

So far, two people confirmed dead with that tragic news.

[18:35:01]

But those efforts are continuing. There were the bridges that many of the pedestrians used to kind of on the hiking trails, many of those wiped out. Just a great deal of work that needs to be done to get down there, way down there in the very depths of this canyon, to find those missing people. Phil?

MATTINGLY: Ed Lavandera with the latest update from the scene of the Grand Canyon flashfloods. Please keep us posted as you learn more, my friend. Thank you very much.

Well, turning now to our Law and Justice Lead. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for President Trump to continue construction of the massive new White House ballroom while legal challenges proceed.

I want to get straight to CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig. Elie, I feel like I've seen some version of this headline more than one, like walk me through this decision and what it means.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Phil, this is the big decision. This is a 5-4 ruling, where the five justices in the majority were five of the court's six conservatives. Importantly, the Supreme Court did not reach or rule on the actual legality or illegality of the ballroom construction. Instead, what the majority said today is, we don't even reach that, because as a threshold matter, we find that the plaintiffs here cannot establish standing, meaning they can't show that they stand to suffer concrete, specific harm.

Now, the plaintiff here is the National Trust for Historic Preservation. That's a non-profit, and they base their standing argument on the claim that one of their members, who happens to be a professor, sometimes walks through the area and would suffer aesthetic, cultural, and historical damage. And the Supreme Court simply says, the majority, that's just not enough. That's not concrete enough. That's not specific enough. So, they never reach the merits, and they say, it's unlikely this lawsuit will succeed, therefore, we are not going to block the construction, which can continue now.

MATTINGLY: What was the kind of central thesis of the dissenters on this?

HONIG: Well, the dissenters say, first of all, this is illegal. This is up to Congress to authorize this type of project and spending. And then they also take issue with the standing analysis. And I should say, by the way, the dissent here was the three liberal justices, plus Chief Justice John Roberts. And, essentially, they say on the standing point, we've said in other cases that there can be standing if there's some sort of aesthetic injury.

And they talk about other prior environmental cases where the court has said there can be standing based on somebody losing the ability to view nature or to view certain animals. And so why is this any different than that? But it's a numbers game, and five to four is how it came out.

MATTINGLY: So, is this over?

HONIG: As a practical matter, it's probably over for now because two and a half weeks ago, the government, the White House, said that construction was already 65 percent complete. Presumably, it's farther along now. Somebody else could still try to sue, but it's got to be somebody who has standing. I can't readily think of who might have standing, and that's going to take time to go through the courts.

But, Phil, all of this underscores where is Congress? Congress could have authorized this, they could have prohibited it, and yet they've done nothing. So, while Congress sits on the sidelines, the courts say this party doesn't have standing, and as a practical matter, this ballroom is very likely going to be built.

MATTINGLY: The most important point. Elie Honig, as always, you made it, thank you, my friend. I appreciate it.

HONIG: Thanks, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Well, handpicked conservative military influencers are infiltrating the rank and file at the Pentagon. Our panel is here next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

MATTINGLY: In our Politics Lead, The Washington Post is reporting that the Pentagon secretly installed several conservative military veterans with large online followings into special government roles. Sources telling the Post the influencers, quote, amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints and attack those who scrutinize the Trump administration. A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment to The Washington Post on this story.

My panel joins me now. Shermichael, administrations work with the media opportunities and messaging opportunities they have. I think the thing that sticks out to me on this is having SGEs that aren't publicly identified moving messages, what's your read on this?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I mean, we live in this nontraditional medium of communications. I certainly understand that as someone who previously served in the first administration under the president. I think there is a heightened level of experience that one would demand for individuals who fulfill these roles.

I don't see that as a left or right thing. That's just me as someone who loves policy, who loves politics, for this is difficult stuff. We were just talking about the challenges of individuals who assume these positions, and they have to deliver. And sometimes you have to deliver under environments and predicaments that you didn't quite expect.

And so to appoint people who lack that experience, I wouldn't have advised. If you want outside support, you can bring them in as informal advisers. There's a couple different ways you can do this. You don't necessarily have to give them the standing that they have, and I can see how people could look at this with a heightened level of skepticism.

MATTINGLY: Matt, I think that's the issue that I have. Like there are -- every White House has calls with outside amplifiers, supporters, advocates who come on shows like this or are -- have online followings. It's the idea that you're bringing them in as an employee, a special government employee, then not disclosing it. That seems to be a different level than it's been at before.

MATT CORRIDONI, DEMOCRATIC COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST: With taxpayer money, no less.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

CORRIDONI: Right? Like, we're all on how many press lists a day and getting talking points. This should be free, and if you're paying for it, you need to disclose it.

And I think beyond using taxpayer funding for it, we have to take a step back and look at they're using taxpayer funding for it while we're in a conflict in Iran. They have no exit strategy for it, and we're losing American troops. And because of the conflict, gas is now at $4 a gallon, and they have to go defend themselves in a midterm. So, it's just like a political blunder that didn't even need to happen.

MATTINGLY: Yes. Just disclose it. Or do it for free. I bet all those people would do it for free if you asked them to. That's the thing that I think is very --

SINGLETON: Just for the access.

MATTINGLY: This is very confusing. Yes. Yes.

Okay, I want to turn to the divide between progressives and establishment Democrats because we can't just focus on Republicans. Michigan Senator hopeful Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is under pressure from some Democrats to end ties with the podcaster, Hasan Piker. Take a listen to what Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders thinks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Like every other podcaster in the world, he says dumb things that people should, you know, reject.

[18:45:04]

What I would say to him when I talk to him, as I will shortly, I'm sure, stay on the issues that that impact working families in Michigan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: None of us have podcasts that I know of. And so, clearly, we wouldn't be the people saying dumb things on podcasts. But that advice, Matt, given the fact that it feels like every day since he clinched the Democratic nomination, Abdul El-Sayed has been answering questions about one person in particular who does not live in Michigan, as far as I know.

What do you think of what Sanders said? CORRIDONI: I don't always agree with Senator Sanders, but in this

instance, he's absolutely right. I think the reason that we see races across the Midwest, including places like Iowa, be competitive right now, is because of where the economy is. The fact that people feel betrayed by this administration. And Republicans don't really have a plan.

So, every day that the Michigan Senate candidate is not talking about cost of living, is not talking about the economy, is not bringing it back to how people feel, he's losing. And so, I think he should take Senator Sanders' advice and really focus on the kitchen table issues that we're seeing resonate.

SINGLETON: I actually agree with my new friend matt, who I just met in the green room. I think he's spot on. We want to shift him, Matt, from being able to focus on the tangible kitchen table issues that we know he has some advantages on. Why? Because we understand that culture can sometimes move the needle. And every single time he's having to respond about Hasan Piker and why was he still campaigning with this guy, even though he knew some of his previous alarming comments in the past, and then he had no answer. He wasn't even prepared when the reporter asked him that.

That, to me, gives a unique advantage to Mike Rogers that clearly El- Sayed were just not prepared for. And it's a difficulty, I would argue, for any campaign to figure out how do you respond in real time to, to a question about a friend and associate of the candidate who they might indeed actually agree with on a plethora of issues?

MATTINGLY: Yeah. And you also had you had -- J.D. Vance, who's also in Michigan today speaking on the Senate candidate.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's something about Abdul el-Sayed that is very, very evil. When I see Abdul el- Sayed campaign around the state with somebody who said that America deserved 9/11, what I see is a man who has sympathy and compassion for people who share his religion, but have nothing for people who don't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Matt, I think one of the questions that I want to listen to that is, you know, Sanders saying like, don't take the bait, don't go down this path. But he's calling the Democratic candidate evil.

CORRIDONI: He is. And he's doing it to try and get them back off track. I will say that this is an example of where Republicans are in a tricky spot, too, right now. It's a risk to be on stage with J.D. Vance, because again, gas is at $4 a gallon. We have the war in Iran. People are feeling the pinch.

If you hop on stage with him, you're embracing those policies and you're losing independents and even some Republicans. If you stay off stage with him, you're not putting the MAGA coalition together that you need to win.

So, in some ways, that he's being helpful and, you know, being inflammatory and saying all this stuff he's saying about him, which they're going to throw the kitchen sink at the candidates regardless. In other ways, him being in Michigan doesn't necessarily help them all that much either.

SINGLETON: Look, you factor in some of the risk that Matt just mentioned and noted, but I think ultimately you continue to focus on this cultural difference with the Democratic candidate and you continue to make him respond to every single thing his friend Hasan Piker had to say.

And again, I think it's human nature to want to defend an associate. It's human nature to not want to throw them under the bus. And I think that's why you're seeing this different campaign that is a little bit about policy, but a whole lot about culture we have seen in the past, Phil, races have been won on cultural topics.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, there's no question about that.

All right. Matt, because I have you here. There's one question I feel like hasn't gotten enough attention that I've been wondering about the last couple of months, which is, as Democrats have had a bunch of primaries play out and a bunch of upstarts, and the age issue obviously is hanging over everything since 2024, Massachusetts, the Democratic candidate running against the incumbent is somebody you used to work for, Seth Moulton running against Ed Markey. It seems like Markey's got a pretty comfortable lead there in polling. I can't speak to all of the polling.

Why is this different? Or why does it appear to be different than what we've seen in other races?

CORRIDONI: I will say that I've learned long ago in politics not to make predictions.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

CORRIDONI: Folks I've talked to --

MATTINGLY: Mine was like November 2016.

CORRIDONI: Yes. Folks I've talked to on the ground there thinks, you know, it's closer than it might look in data. And we've seen data all over the place this cycle. You know, to me though, having worked for Seth, like you mentioned, he's always been someone who isn't afraid to be the man in the arena and step up and say what he feels.

And "The Boston Globe" who endorsed him over Markey this cycle agreed that they need to be having this conversation about generational change in the Democratic Party. One of the organizations I work with, Majority Democrats, I would encourage everyone to go check out a video we have on our social media page about the gerontocracy.

We cannot have a serious conversation as a Democratic Party about building a lasting coalition that can actually win if we're not passing the torch. Voters clearly told us that in 2024, and they're telling us that now with races across the country.

[18:50:04]

We'll see what happens tomorrow. But to me, the point is that Seth stepped up to make this argument, and there are a lot of people who agree with him.

MATTINGLY: We will definitely see what happens. One thing you can always be sure of, if you meet Shermichael anywhere, you will soon become his friend. That is the least surprising part of all of this.

I appreciate you guys. Thank you very much.

Well, up next, a deeply personal story from Penn Holderness. "The Amazing Race" winner is opening up about losing his mother to Alzheimer's and the final gift she left behind that could help other families facing the same devastating disease. Stay with us

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: Breaking news, you're looking at the scene in the heart of Times Square tonight after police officers shot a woman who they say stabbed at least two people this afternoon. The NYPD says their officers opened fire as she moved towards them with a knife. The two victims were taken to the hospital. The victims and the suspects conditions are unknown.

Well, turning now to our health lead.

[18:55:03]

Alzheimer's is one of the most devastating diseases families can face. Slowly taking memories, independence, and ultimately, the people we love.

It's now the fifth leading cause of death for Americans 65 and older.

Penn Holderness, whose millions of followers are familiar with his family's viral videos, parody songs. His remembering his mom, Mary Dameron Holderness, after her long battle with Alzheimer's. "The Amazing Race" winner, sharing a heartfelt tribute and how her decision to donate her brain could help fight the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENN HOLDERNESS, LOST HIS MOTHER TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: When she passed yesterday, Duke picked her up and they were able to collect her brain. She gave every bit of herself, literally, and I just wanted people to know that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Joining me now is Penn Holderness. And, Penn, we are so sorry for your loss. But the first question, I want to ask you is you said something in that video that you were so motivated to talk about your mom and what a wonderful person she was. Talk about your mom. Tell people about her.

HOLDERNESS: She was the most giving, selfless human being on the planet. She spent. She could have had a super successful career. She decided to devote all of her life to raising two sons and to being a big part of my dad's church and her community. She was the most giving person who ever existed. And she lost the ability to make a lot of decisions or to really, make any choices five years ago. She's been non-verbal since 2021. And dementia for a long time.

But this was her last gift that -- that I'm sure she was very excited about the ability to donate her brain to a disease research center here in North Carolina, where she could be part of the reason why people don't have to deal with this absolutely crappy, crappy disease.

MATTINGLY: And I believe your mom made the decision 30 years ago to donate her brain to Duke for Alzheimer's research. What do you remember about her making that decision?

HOLDERNESS: I mean, it's scary because, you know, three out of my four grandparents had dementia, and it's a highly genetic disease. I've been around Alzheimer's since the mid '80s, when my grandparents first had it. So, it was kind of the beginning of, okay, is this going to happen to them?

And they told us all about it. They went and did some cognitive tests. They took blood tests at Duke and they kept in touch for all of these decades so that at the end, they'd be able to take all those data points that they have and combine them with the specimen.

MATTINGLY: You said you actually cheered when Duke was able to pick up her brain. Take us into that moment. Tell people what you were feeling.

HOLDERNESS: Oh, it was my brother and I, we cheered. We cried. The -- you know, she's been in skilled nursing for a long time, and the staff -- like we mourned. But then very quickly you have to prepare the body.

So, you know, we did that. We called Duke knowing that there's only a certain amount of time that you can be able to get that donation to make it so that it's able to work to be viable. And, when the van showed up and put her in there, my brother and I and all of the saints who work with Alzheimer's patients, we cheered and then we cried because it was a beautiful, beautiful, final gift. And we all got to be part of it.

MATTINGLY: And you mentioned the final gift. You know, after watching your mom live with this, what does it mean to know that her brain could now help researchers better, will now help researchers better understand this disease.

HOLDERNESS: It means everything. And you asking me this means everything to because we can tell more people about it.

There are these donation centers. The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, ADRC, is nationwide. They have 36 studies and locations. It's not the same as being an organ donor on your license. You have to actually sign up for a study.

There's also a place called the Brain Donor Project. So, like being able to do this and also get the word out, um, that diseases like Alzheimer's, we -- we may like our children may not have this problem between the studies that they do and also the preventative neurology that doctors are now preaching as well for ways to keep from being more susceptible to Alzheimer's. So, it meant everything.

MATTINGLY: We only got about 30 seconds left. What do you think she would say today now that the donation has occurred?

HOLDERNESS: She'd be like, why are you talking about me? Why don't we talk about something like, she doesn't ever want to glorify herself. She was so selfless. She might be terrified that there's all these beautiful pictures of her that are making me tear up right now.

I hope she'd be proud of her son. And I hope she'd be proud of her -- her other son, Dale, that we really, really were motivated to make sure that this got to the finish line. But it was all her, man.

MATTINGLY: I have no doubt of the pride. And both you and your brother Dale. And what a hero your mother is.

Penn Holderness, thank you so much for sharing your story.

HOLDERNESS: Thank you

MATTINGLY: Well, you can join me for my video series, "CNN Breaks It Down". We tackle some of the most pressing questions in business and politics. You can find new episodes on CNN.com/watch. You, of course, can follow this show on X and Instagram @TheLeadCNN.

If you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD, you can watch the show on the CNN app.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.