Return to Transcripts main page
CNN News Central
Massachusetts Democratic Incumbents Fend Off Younger Challengers; Trump Heavily Promoting GOP's First-Ever Midterm Convention; Video Shows Arkansas Trooper Punch, Pull SUV Passenger's Hair; Trump Renovating Presidential Bowling Alley for $250,000. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired September 02, 2026 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:30:00]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Experience beating youth in Massachusetts in the Democratic primary races, old versus young, progressive versus moderate, both battles playing out across the ballot and voters seeming to favor the tried and true. 80-year-old Democratic Senator Ed Markey, the incumbent, defeated his much younger challenger, Congressman Seth Moulton, in a victory for the party's progressive wing.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: At the same time, Congressman Stephen Lynch and Richard Neal both defeated -- both in their 70s, defeated younger, more progressive primary challengers in two high-profile House races.
Let's discuss with Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator, and Jim Geraghty, a senior political correspondent for the National Review. Thank you both for being with us. Bakari, first to you.
[14:35:00]
We heard a lot about a generational change within the Democratic Party, especially after 2024. But that message did not seem to land with Massachusetts voters last night.
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, it didn't land. And let me also tell you something that matters probably more than any of these themes that we've been looking at of kind of left versus further left, or the generational themes that we're talking about today. Candidate quality still matters.
And Seth Moulton ran a terrible race. I mean, the fact is you have to be more than just younger than your opponent. People want change.
They want fighters. And apparently, I mean, and I think rightfully so, they found out that Ed Markey's still a fighter. And people valued that.
The members who are going back to the United States House of Representatives, they're going back with the charge to be a fighter. But Seth Moulton is probably not the best example. And I'm not trying to kick someone while they're down. But I'm not sure that he did anything in this race in 2026 that one could say was better than anything that was done when challenging Markey in 2020.
KEILAR: What did you think, Jim?
JIM GERAGHTY, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NATIONAL REVIEW: So since 1984, once you take out the appointed senators, the only way a Democratic senator from Massachusetts has left the Senate has been John Kerry resigning to become Secretary of State and Ted Kennedy when he died. Next to the Supreme Court, being a Democratic senator from Massachusetts is the most secure job in Washington. So Seth Moulton was always, you know, this was always climbing Mount Everest.
This is always going to be very hard. Then if you look at the progressive grassroots, who are they upset with in Washington? Who do they feel is not fighting against Trump?
Chuck Schumer and stuff like that. Ed Markey was not the guy on everybody's lips of, ah, this guy's too conciliatory and he's too agreeable with the Trump administration and he's not a fighter or something. You look at the other, you know, 70 some Democratic House members.
Massachusetts is not a place where they're often thrown out incumbents and looking for change and all that kind of stuff. Once you get in there as a Democrat, they're generally pretty happy with who they get, with who's there.
SANCHEZ: Jim, I want to ask you about Republican messaging going into the midterms. Here's what President Trump said regarding the Trumpapalooza midterm convention coming up next week. This is on the Lieutenant Governor of Texas's podcast this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just came up with the idea, and we raised a lot of money. I put up a lot of money, basically. I don't care because we're saving the nation and it's going to be fantastic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Wall Street Journal's reporting you can pay $88,000 for a picture with Trump at the convention and a lot of Republican congressmen running for reelection aren't even going.
GERAGHTY: What a bargain. I want to see the political strategist in Texas who said, let's do our big convention. Let's do something we usually do in a presidential year and let's put it right up against NFL football.
Because as we all know in Texas, football is just not a big deal. People don't pay much attention to that there. Look, you know, it's an interesting idea to say let's do a convention. Let's showcase all of our best candidates. It means less if you do that. The first two ads from Trump's MAGA-incorporated political operation have began.
Shockingly, they're all about Trump. Now here's the thing. Trump is not actually on the ballot.
You need to showcase the lieutenant governor of Texas, who apparently has his own podcast. And you just kind of need to say, this is why you need to vote for Ken Paxton. I learned actually, I found out just a little while ago that Ken Paxton spent July 4th in London, England.
Now I'm going to guess there's about a thousand different events in Texas on July 4th celebrating the 250th anniversary. Not only is he overseas, not as he's going to any of these thousand events in the state of Texas, he chooses to go to London, England, the country that we rebelled against to get our independence. Brilliant political strategy.
KEILAR: It wasn't London, England, Texas.
GERAGHTY: That's a good point. Yes. OK.
It was Paris, Texas. Paris was an ally. That would make more sense.
KEILAR: I mean, Bakari, it is an interesting -- it is an interesting concept to try something new, right? I mean, we're always kind of used to like the old -- the sort of old tried and true when it comes to whatever the political parties are, the you know, the appearances that people show up to, whether or not it's executed the way you think it should be. I wonder what, what you think about this kind of -- this idea of doing something different.
SELLERS: Well, look, I'm actually very pleased that the Republican party is doing such a thing. I think that at any time, any Democrats running, particularly in the states that people are focused on, when you look at what's going on in North Carolina, when you look at what's going on in Georgia or Michigan, and you look at New Hampshire, Alaska, Texas, to a lesser extent, Donald Trump is toxic. And so the more we put him out there, the more he's able to message around things like the ballrooms, the more he's in front of the cameras.
Every other word is me, I, Trump speaking in third person most times. And the American public are simply sick and tired of that.
[14:40:00]
I assume, I'm guaranteed there's going to be an article about any contracts that were given, they're given to Trump donors. So you'll be able to see the grift. I mean, the more he's put in the spotlight, the better that is for Democrats who are running around the country, because particularly during this midterm election, Donald Trump is on trial and he is on the ballot, no matter whether or not he's running or not.
And people are rejecting that. That's why candidates are running away from him. I'm all for new ideas.
And so go Republicans go with this new idea where you want to run more campaign ads for Donald Trump during this midterm cycle.
KEILAR: Bakari, Jim, thank you so much to both of you, really appreciate it.
Next, calls for an investigation after a state trooper is filmed smashing a car window and then trying to pull a passenger out of it by his dreadlocks. Everything we know about this moment and what led up to it right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
KEILAR: An investigation is underway in Arkansas after police dash cam video showed a state trooper punching a passenger in the back seat of an SUV and trying to yank him out of it by his dreadlocks. This happened during an arrest following a high-speed chase back in August. And we have to warn you, the video that you are about to see is quite disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TROOPER: Crawl out the car. Crawl out right now.
TEDRICK WASHINGTON, PULLED FROM CAR BY HAIR DURING TRAFFIC STOP: I can't.
TROOPER: Crawl out the car. Crawl out right now.
WASHINGTON: I can't.
TROOPER: Crawl out the car. Crawl out the car. Crawl out right now.
WASHINGTON: I can't.
TROOPER: Crawl out, out of the door.
WASHINGTON: I can't get out. I'm sorry.
TROOPER: Crawl out the car. Crawl out. Crawl out.
WASHINGTON: Bro, let go of my hair.
TROOPER: Crawl out of here.
WASHINGTON: Bro, let go of my hair.
TROOPER: Crawl out.
TROOPER: Get out of the car.
TROOPER: Crawl out.
TROOPER: Get out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Let's get more from CNN senior national correspondent Ryan Young. Ryan, tell us what happened.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this was all at the end of a high-speed chase. And Brianna, according to what police have said so far, they clocked a car going 80 miles per hour in a 60- mile-per-hour zone. At some point, there was a high-speed chase that lasted some seven minutes.
Of course, we have some of this video. They did have to use several different means to try to stop this car. Not only did they try to use spike strips, they tried to pit maneuver on this car.
This is going through different areas of Arkansas. You understand the officers were probably a little hyped up after the back and forth they had after this high-speed chase. But Tedrick Washington said he was in the back seat of that car.
And, of course, it's not clear the communication there where he's telling him to get out of the car, but he's holding his arm at the same time. You know, I talked to him as well, and he said he was surprised by how he was being treated. Once again, when you watch this, you can see the officer has a two-hand grip on that one hand.
He's asking him to crawl out of the window instead of waiting for that car door to open. And then there's those punches that are put on his face. As we watch this, you can hear the exchange as well.
Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WASHINGTON: I feel like I was complying in the right way. You know, I didn't feel like I was aggressive or I tried to resist. I feel like it was excessive use of force but, that's just my opinion so I'm definitely gonna look to get justice about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Yes, let's be clear about this. He was in the back seat of the car. So it does look, look, this was at the end of a high-speed chase.
The driver did jump into the back seat. And then at some point, other officers joined in as he was taken to the ground after being pulled by his hair. He did suffer some injuries to his face.
He was arrested. He was released the next day. And he didn't face any charges when it comes to anything else besides being a part of that resisting arrest or anything like that.
So it wasn't like he had a gun. And so his question is, why was he treated so roughly? And you can understand why he would have that question. I believe he's looking for a legal representation at this point. But so many questions. And on the end of this, you got to think this is the second time within about a 30-day period we're talking about Arkansas state troopers and what kind of violence they use as they're doing an arrest.
So, Brianna, just a lot of questions. And for this man, he's hoping he gets some answers sometime soon.
KEILAR: All right, Ryan Young, thank you so much for that report.
Taxpayers may be bowled over by the amount they're paying to renovate another part of the White House complex. We'll have that next.
[14:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: President Trump is adding another project to his to-do list. This time, the White House bowling alley. Which actually just got a glow up a few years ago in the first Trump administration.
The price tag for this presidential perk is raising some eyebrows. Tom Foreman joins us now to break down the numbers. Tom, what is this costing taxpayers?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not as much as you might think. But against the backdrop of everything else that's going on, that's why it's raising eyebrows.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's the White House. It's got to look incredible.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Another day, another renovation at the White House. This time, it's the historic bowling alley in the old executive office building. Opened for play in the 1940s and updated many times over the years, Politico says taxpayers are now footing the bill for a quarter-million-dollar update amid scathing headlines.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To what extent are Americans financial situations motivating you to make a deal?
TRUMP: Not even a little bit.
FOREMAN (voice-over): With so many voters worried by inflation, the cost of fuel, housing, groceries, and more, the President has already been taking heat for his expensive spate of refurbishing and rebuilding. From the Kennedy Center to the reflecting pool, from those gold horses to his proposed arch. On the White House grounds, the new helipad, the paved-over rose garden, the Walk of Presidents, the huge flagpoles, all that gold trim, and of course, the ballroom have also drawn sharp complaints, even as the president and his party have brushed them aside.
TRUMP: This is for future presidents. This isn't for me. This is for future presidents. And it's a gift.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), HOUSE SPEAKER: I can tell you the president thinks about Americans' financial situations.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The White House insists much of the tab for all of this is being paid by private donors, and the bowling alley redo is a routine upgrade that does not involve the president. But a recent Washington Post analysis put the bill for everything, including a new visitor center, at around $900 million, with taxpayers covering most of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:55:00]
FORMAN (on camera): There are actually two bowling alleys, one actually in the residence, a single lane. That's the one they redid in the first term, and this separate two-lane one that's being done here now.
And again, with this amount of money compared to all the other ones, maybe you wouldn't think it's such a big deal. But, but, Republicans laid a trap for themselves.
SANCHEZ: For themselves.
FOREMAN: When Barack Obama wanted to redo the bowling alleys some years back during his term, Republicans howled, oh, the misplaced priorities, the waste of money. And they killed that deal almost instantly. And now, with all the spending and all the other problems people face, barely a peep.
SANCHEZ: We're hearing murmurs coming from Republicans running for re- election about wanting to focus --
FORMAN: Yes, they're starting to get worried.
SANCHEZ: -- the economic messaging. Tom Foreman, who always bowls a strike, you get a lot of turkeys under your belt.
FOREMAN: Oh my gosh, I frequently break a hundred.
SANCHEZ: Tom Foreman, thanks so much for that reporting.
A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
