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Massachusetts Candidate Patrick Roath is Interviewed about his Race; Medical Examiner Testifies in Clancy Trial; Numbers on Congressional Incumbents Losing Primaries. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired August 06, 2026 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: These documents in a very arbitrary and capricious way. There has to be a basis. We know that you have this Epstein Transparency Act, and there are exceptions. Certainly if there are active investigations, can't release documents. If there are issues, you know, relating to certain visual depictions, can't release documents. Classified, can't release documents.

That being said, with those exceptions, right, and you want to protect victims, but you just cannot decide not to release because you're stonewalling and blocking. And you have something called the Administrative Procedures Act. And that would otherwise afford and allow requests to be made for the government to be in compliance. That is the federal government. And when you're simply withholding something and there's no basis under federal law for you to do that, you're not protected.

And so I think a judge will ultimately make that decision. But I think that there's a firm basis for the attorney general to make the request, and the government has to answer it in a way that complies with the law.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Let me give the Justice Department side of this, because they say that it's not required to share the unredacted. And it's important that these are the unredacted files, because you can see, some of these files were so redacted they didn't make any sense. They said that they didn't want to do that to protect victims' rights, saying that that outweighs this disclosure request from the state. But the victims want answers and are with the state on its investigation. How strong is that argument from the DOJ?

JACKSON: So, I think that redacting is important because you want to protect otherwise sensitive information. As I noted, because of the law, you want to be in compliance with that. You want to protect victims, even though many victims have an argument that they weren't protected because of the haphazard nature, Sara, in which this information was shared.

SIDNER: Right.

JACKSON: I think you want to certainly make sure that if there are active investigations and the Department of Justice has indicated they're not prosecuting anyone, so what are those? But I think you just cannot be in a position, whether you're New Mexico or anyone else, to just trust that the redactions being made by the federal government are appropriate and proper.

And so, I think a judge will ultimately drill down. And there's circumstances, for example, where the judge has the ability to determine whether those redactions are in the interest of actually complying with the law, in the interest of doing what the Department of Justice has to do under the law and the Transparency Act, or whether they're done for purposes of protection. And so, I think that distinction will be made.

You know, we get documents as lawyers all the time with these heavy redactions. And sometimes you got to go to the court and say, hey, judge, you know what, you take a look at those. And if they're properly redacted, we're all good. If they're not, we deserve to have them. And I think that's what you're going to see here.

SIDNER: It will eventually end up in court, as so many things do, especially with investigations.

Joey Jackson, it is a pleasure to talk to you again. Thank you so much. I do appreciate you.

JACKSON: Thank you, Sara.

SIDNER: Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meta says its A.I. hacked another company. Yes, this is now another company saying this about their A.I., adding to the growing concerns over A.I. models going rogue. We've got new details on what happened.

Plus, it's been dubbed the impossible plane and it is getting closer to taking flight, all thanks to one woman's determination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People know me as the world's first armless airplane pilot. We can come up with solutions for any disability. We can make it work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[09:37:46]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, as of this morning, six Democratic House incumbents have lost in primaries. That's the highest number in 50 years in similar cycles. It's a lot. And it's possible there could be more. We still have primaries in several states, including the commonwealth of Massachusetts. And one of the races there, Congressman Stephen Lynch, who has been in office for 25 years, is facing a challenge from fellow Democrat Patrick Roath. And Patrick Roath joins us now. Thank you so much for being with us.

Just in general terms, for the national audience here, why do you think that six Democratic incumbents have lost so far? That's a big number. What does it tell you?

PATRICK ROATH (D), MASSACHUSETTS CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS: Well, John, thanks for having me on.

Look, it is a scary time in our country's history. People are looking for change. There is an incredible appetite out there for challenging the status quo. People are looking for solutions. Someone who's going to fight back against this administration.

And also, I think, someone who can offer some vision for the future, something that we can stand for, something that we can be for and, you know, some sense that we can get this country back on track. And that is coming from people who are challenging other Democrats in safe seats. That's coming from younger candidates. And, you know, that's what we're trying to offer up here in the Boston area, in the Massachusetts Eighth Congressional District.

BERMAN: So, Massachusetts has had a fully Democratic House delegation since 1997. That's like nearly 30 years. And I think people look at this and say, hey, Massachusetts, you know, full of liberal Democratic House members. What's the difference?

ROATH: Yes.

BERMAN: So, what specifically -- how specifically would you be different than Stephen Lynch or the other Democrats who have represented Massachusetts for the last 30 years?

ROATH: Well, it's a great question. Look, there's actually a huge difference in this race. You know, first of all, you mentioned 1997. You know, I'm running against a member of Congress who's been -- who's been an elected official since I was five years old, who's served in the Congress for 25 years, hasn't had an in-person town hall since 2019, right, so start there. Just about showing up and getting the job done.

But just as importantly, you know, look, Congressman Lynch is someone who's been taking corporate PAC money for all those 25 years. He is the last Democrat left in Washington who voted against the Affordable Care Act. You know, that's not what we need right now. We need to be pushing towards universal health care. He voted to create ICE, to thank it, to fund it. He voted with the Republicans on the Laken Riley bill.

[09:40:01]

So, in this safe blue seat around the city of Boston, there is a lot of us thinking, hey, can't we be doing better? Isn't it time for the next generation? Get someone new in there to do something a little different that's more tailored to what the times require? That's what I'm trying to offer. BERMAN: The first thing you seem to mention there was age. And I do

wonder how important age is or you think it is in this election. And I just want to tell you what Stephen Lynch has said about you. He's done a bunch of interviews, asked about your candidacy and whatnot. And he says that experience does matter. But he also says, quote, "give a young person a chance, but make that young person show they can handle the position of trust. That's quite different than waking up some morning, looking in the mirror and saying, hey, I think I see a congressman there."

So, what about that in the issue of age?

ROATH: Yes. Yes. You know, I've heard -- yes, yes, look, I've heard the congressman say that. I always give -- it gives me a laugh, because he seems to accept that there is this need for change. He seems to understand that, which I appreciate.

And, look, I didn't wake up some morning. You know, I got involved in this working for Governor Deval Patrick. I worked for him as a speechwriter. He's endorsed this campaign, which I'm really proud of.

Down in D.C., I was the first White House press office intern in the Obama-Biden administration. I've served in the State Department, the judiciary. I've worked in the governor's office here in Massachusetts. I helmed a Voting Rights Advocacy Group here in Massachusetts, Common Cause, Massachusetts. And I was a private sector attorney for a decade. So, I've had a lot of experience that I think we are ready to bring to Washington with.

And look, to the Congressman's point, there's a real difference between experience and accomplishment. It is not just how many years you've served in a job, but what you've gotten done, what you've delivered for working families. And someone who takes corporate PAC money, votes against the Affordable Care Act and votes with the Republicans on these crazy immigration bills, that's just not -- that's not the experience anyone is looking for right now.

BERMAN: Patrick Roath, from Massachusetts, we will see if this trend continues of incumbents being endangered. We appreciate your time this morning.

Sara.

SIDNER: Thank you, John Berman.

Still ahead, revealing testimony in the trial of that mom accused of killing her three children. What we learned from the family's nanny about Lindsay Clancy's mental health. That story and more ahead.

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[09:46:25]

BOLDUAN: The testimony has resumed this hour in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three young children. Yesterday, in court, Clancy's family Clancy -- the Clancy family's former nanny took the stand, testifying that Lindsay Clancy talked to her about struggling with her mental health. Today, the medical examiner is expected to testify.

CNN's Jean Casarez joins us now with much more.

Jean, tell us what we need to know.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, that medical examiner has just taken the stand, and she is testifying on the autopsies of the three children. She is having to describe them in very, very explicit detail, because this is part of the evidence for the prosecution. Lindsay Clancy, in that courtroom, is not only crying, she is sobbing in that courtroom. And you can hear her as the testimony is going on, you hear her sobbing.

And the mechanism of death, ligature strangulation. The manner of death, complication from mechanical asphyxia. Talking about the abrasions on the neck, on the right, on the left, on the center of this eight month old Callan.

Yesterday, it was also emotional testimony because it was the nanny, the person that Lindsay Clancy had hired to come into their family to help with the children. She took the stand for the prosecution, but she talked about, on cross-examination, that she loved the children and she loved Lindsay Clancy.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you recall indicating to the troopers that, in your opinion, that she was a loving and a doting mother?

ELAINE ROSSI, FORMER NANCY TO CLANCY CHILDREN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell the jury what that means? I mean, what did you observe about what -- what did you observe about her as a mother interacting with her kids?

ROSSI: I observed a wonderful mom who loved her kids, who was -- she was very concerned with their safety. She was very concerned with Callan's eating and sleeping. She was a wonderful mother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: So, the question remains, Kate, why? Why would someone? And we have heard she was a loving mother. Why would she do this?

BOLDUAN: Jean, thank you for covering this. Jean continues her coverage. You can follow that on All Access.

Thank you so much, Jean.

We do have much more of our breaking news. Republican -- the Republican-led Senate committee voting to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. Much more on this ahead.

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[09:53:05]

BERMAN: House incumbents are in jeopardy like they never have been before. We've seen race after race, Democratic incumbents fall. We just saw one Massachusetts challenger hoping to unseat a 25-year incumbent.

With us now, CNN's senior data analyst Harry Enten.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Chief, chief, chief.

BERMAN: Chief -- oh, chief data analyst Harry Enten, trying to be unseated by, you know, younger, younger incumbents.

ENTEN: That's right, he's trying to throw me out.

BERMAN: Look, this is a serious trend we're seeing now.

ENTEN: This is an absolutely serious trend. The Democratic Party is throwing out their House incumbents at a record pace because what are we talking about here, Dem House incumbents losing primaries in 2026. We're already up to six. That marks the highest for a non-post census cycle in at least 50 years. Democrats are infuriated with their party. And as I said at the beginning, they're throwing them out.

BERMAN: First of all, that was a very nice move.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: Second of all, is it just a matter of them losing in races for re-election or are they being thwarted elsewhere as well?

ENTEN: They are being thwarted elsewhere as well, as I almost take on an old-timey accent.

Take a look here. Dem nominees for Senate and gov per cycle. Sitting U.S. House members. So far this year, zero, zero, zero. Haley Stevens, of course, wanted to go up and be the nominee for Senate. Didn't happen. The 2000s average is four. If this zero holds, that would be obviously a record, or tied for a record. But there is one favorite up, Chris Pappas up in New Hampshire, but that would still be a low for a midterm in the 2000s. So, we're not just seeing it in terms of primaries for the House, we're seeing it as they try and climb the ladder as well.

BERMAN: What is one of the problems that incumbents are having?

ENTEN: What is one of the problems that incumbents are having? How about this? Dems who say that their party is closely tied to elite interests? Look at this, 51 percent of all Democrats, 59 percent of those who like the DSA as well. But this is a mainstream thing where it's not just DSA Dems who think that their party is closely tied to elite interests. [09:55:01]

It's the party at large. No wonder the incumbents are struggling so much in these primaries this season.

BERMAN: This is a notable thing here, the similarity between these two numbers, is because you always seem to think, oh, is this just a progressive thing, a progressive thing?

ENTEN: No. No. No. It is the entire party that is frustrated with their leadership.

BERMAN: OK. And as we look at the map, I mean, I know people think, hey, we're well into August now, we must be done with primaries. We're not.

ENTEN: We are not done with primaries. You think that six is high? I think it's going to climb even higher.

Take a look at this. OK, chance that seven or more House incumbents lose their primary in 2026, we're up to a 93 percent chance per the Kalshi prediction market. So, we're already at a record, but we're going to climb even higher if we think what's going to happen does happen in these House primaries, because we have Massachusetts, we have Connecticut, we have a whole slew left to be done.

BERMAN: A long way to go. Harry Enten, chief --

ENTEN: Chief.

BERMAN: Data analyst, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you, my friend.

BERMAN: Kate. Sara.

SIDNER: All right, gentlemen, you know who will not be thrown out for now, us.

BOLDUAN: Oh, well.

SIDNER: Just for now.

BOLDUAN: Stay tuned. Stay tuned.

SIDNER: And certainly not those two.

Thank you for joining us. CNN NEWS CENTRAL is over. "SIT ROOM" is beginning.

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