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CNN This Morning
Trump Goes to China; Patel Denies Drinking; Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA) is Interviewed about Redistricting Wars; Lawmakers Block South Carolina Maps. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired May 13, 2026 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:33:23]
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. Thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING.
It's half past the hour. And here's what's happening right now.
A doctor who is on board that hantavirus hit cruise ship is now the only person being held in biocontainment in a unit in Nebraska. He tested faintly positive for the illness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. STEPHEN KORNFELD: A number of us on board came down with it felt like a flu-like illness or the ship's flu. I had three days of night sweats, a lot of chills, some mild respiratory and a lot of fatigue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, results of a more in-depth test to confirm his diagnosis is expected this week. Most of the other American passengers who were on the ship are now in a quarantine unit in Omaha.
Now, that ICE detention center in Florida, known as Alligator Alcatraz, is closing next month. That's according to "The New York Times." They say detainees will be removed in the coming weeks. And the reporter -- and the reported closure comes after a year of controversy for the center, including claims of inhumane treatment of the people held there and financial troubles. It cost the state of Florida millions of dollars.
And in just about an hour from now, President Trump is scheduled to arrive in China for a high stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. And looming over that summit, the war with Iran, one of China's biggest energy providers.
And could the president use this summit to try and push China's leader to apply pressure on the Iranians to end the war?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REPORTER: Do you think he needs to intervene at all with the Iranians? Do you think he can help in any way?
[06:35:01]
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other. We'll win it. We'll win it peacefully or otherwise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK. Joining the group chat Alex Plitsas, CNN national security analyst, director of the counterterrorism program at the Atlantic Council.
I always like having you here because you know what it's like in these rooms with the negotiations. And I think of China as having a potentially very important role given how much of Iran's oil it uses. But they haven't exactly been rushing to the Strait to help. Tell me, then, what Trump can feasibly ask for and maybe get.
ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, I think his intention was not to really have to have this be a main topic on the agenda while he was here. That's why we haven't seen a renewed set of strikes, despite the Iranian response. And as we saw, he's got an entourage of, you know, 20, 30 CEOs coming with him. He wants this to be about business and economics and trade, and that should be the focus from his perspective.
CORNISH: Really?
PLITSAS: Yes, I mean, that's what he would like to do. I mean -- I mean it's not --
CORNISH: OK. No, I mean, it's like, see, they're pretty relevant here. And their ships are able to get through.
PLITSAS: We would think so. I mean we've seen some precursors for weapons material that's been coming in allegedly from China. So, China's been doing some things in the background, not quite as overt as shipping weapons or things of that nature, completed stuff. But they're in an interesting position.
So, Xi Jinping has told the PLA to be ready to take Taiwan by 2027 at the earliest. It doesn't mean it's going to happen.
CORNISH: 2027. So, the timeline has been moved up, so to speak.
PLITSAS: Yes. So, it doesn't mean it's actually going to happen. But he told them, be prepared at the earliest. I want you to be prepared by then. And the U.S. is expending critical munitions and weapons systems in the Middle East. We're tied up there.
We have told, for the last two decades, the Chinese, that, hey, we're coming. We're pivoting to the Pacific. It's been administrations on both sides of the aisle. We've had a slow buildup. We're behind on shipbuilding. But there's been capacity building, additional basing that we've been opening up in the Pacific.
And so, for China, I think we haven't seen Xi Jinping really step in for a few reasons. One, they'll let this go as long as they can until it really starts to impact China and then he'll step in if necessary. Otherwise, I mean, to a certain extent, they're kind of enjoying the U.S. being mired down right now.
CORNISH: Yes. Well, lucky for them, the president says he doesn't really need China, right, to solve this Iran issue.
Senator Lindsey Graham was speaking with the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, in a hearing. And I want to play for you sort of how he thought about going into this meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Bottom line here, China. Does China by 90 percent of Iranian oil, Mr. Secretary?
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: China buys a very large percentage of Iranian oil.
GRAHAM: OK, 90 percent is pretty large.
President Trump, when you go to China, realize that the person you're talking to is propping up Russia and Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: He's a lot of times on the plane with Trump. There's a lot of places he could have said this, like directly to Trump in his ear. Why do you think he chose a public hearing with Hegseth to say it and say it this way?
ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Because he's up for re- election.
CORNISH: Yes. South Carolina politics coming out here.
SEAWRIGHT: He's up for re-election. And he also knows he needs the continued support of Donald Trump. We often see these hearings, and they're often an audition for one. I think that's what Senator Graham was also trying to do. Yes.
CORNISH: But he said propping up. Like, that's not how you want to go into the meeting where you barely want to talk about it.
SEAWRIGHT: But I think --
CORNISH: What do you think of this?
JOE BORELLI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CHARTWELL STRATEGY GROUP: I think Lindsey Graham has developed this role of being someone who's just perpetually on Trump's right shoulder. I don't know which is the good shoulder or bad shoulder, but he's the one always, you know, trying to put Trump's foot on the gas. Even when Trump is coming out there and saying more moderate positions, he has traditionally been saying, especially when it comes to China, especially when it comes to Iran, lets push forward militarily.
Is that what the president wants to do? No. I agree with Alex. I think this is something that -- this is a meeting that he's hoping to frame as sort of the follow up to those conferences that happened last October in Busan, where they got some tariff relief. We got some soybean purchases. He hopes to build on that.
CORNISH: Yes.
SEAWRIGHT: I think Graham also understands that Trump does not have a good background or the best background when it comes to foreign policy. So, I think he steps in and tries to prop -- pump Trump up in many ways and tries to give him some cachet that he does not have, because that's just not his -- that's not his geo (ph).
CORNISH: Yes, but it's also his second go around. Yes.
CARI CHAMPION, HOST, "FLAGRANT AND FUNNY": And, Audie, I like what you said, because I was really curious, why do you think this -- and you were shocked when he said to you, that's not going to be on the table. Why were you -- I'm shocked with you.
CORNISH: Or that they don't want that to be the photo op.
CHAMPION: Yes. Why is that not part --
PLITSAS: Because I don't think he wants it to dominate the agenda because, first of all, it puts the Chinese in a position, particularly Xi Jinping, as the power broker in the Middle East. So, they've kind of been -- they've taken a back seat in the region. They did have a pretty significant diplomatic breakthrough in that they brokered the rapprochement between the Iranians and the Saudis prior to the conflict he was sort of initiating. But there's a desire to sort of keep the Chinese from expanding their sphere of influence in the Middle East and allowing them to step in as the power broker makes the U.S. look weaker, gives them a little power, you know, things along --
CORNISH: Ah, see. I'm glad you're here.
PLITSAS: So, there's a little bit of power politics that kind of goes on in the background.
CHAMPION: You do know. I have to thank you.
CORNISH: I know. Thank you.
All right, we want to -- I want to talk about another power move. This happened on Capitol Hill with FBI Director Kash Patel. OK, so here's what's happened. Senate Democrats were raising concerns about Patel's leadership, specifically those media reports of alleged excessive drinking.
[06:40:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): Are you willing to take the test that -- it's called the audit test that members of our active duty military and others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem?
KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: I'll take any test you're willing to take.
VAN HOLLEN: I will take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: I guess they're going to take it together.
Group chat is back.
Here's the thing. This is a big deal. It's been reported in "The Atlantic." Kash Patel is suing "The Atlantic" over its reports about allegations of excessive drinking. But the issue is the story talked about his performance. The story talked about whether or not somehow this alleged lifestyle was affecting his running of the FBI. I mean, like, that's where I get --
CHAMPION: I'm just like, OK, well, listen, did we not -- did we not just have the winter Olympics and see him in the locker room throwing back beers with every -- like, it's -- you were talking about this --
CORNISH: Who among us, Cari Champion, OK, has not --
CHAMPION: Who -- I mean -- I mean I --
CORNISH: You? No?
CHAMPION: You don't do that?
PLITSAS: Yes.
CHAMPION: And then call the president on --
PLITSAS: I mean raise your hand if you wouldn't throw beer at the Olympic team with the liquor --
CHAMPION: No, I wouldn't. Not if I'm the director of the FBI. Things to do -- this is what I feel like. Like, this is his behavior.
CORNISH: All this stuff is coming back to haunt him, though, and I have to say.
SEAWRIGHT: But think about where we are in this moment in this country. And we're having conversations, not just about the FBI director, but we're having conversations around the secretary of war. And he also had some issues when it came to alcohol. I mean these are very serious times that we have unserious people running our federal government.
CHAMPION: Yes, it's the liquor cabinet some people are saying.
SEAWRIGHT: And that's why the American people --
CHAMPION: I haven't said it.
CORNISH: No, and I --
SEAWRIGHT: I think that's why the -- that's why the -- this is why the American people --
(CROSS TALK)
CORNISH: I have -- I have -- "SNL" has made a lot of jokes about it.
I just want to show this headline from "The Independent," White House officials, quote, "openly discuss" firing Kash Patel as FBI chief threatens to sue report about "excessive drinking."
I never know with these sort of sources say type stories, but Kristi Noem is gone. I mean, there's -- people are going.
PLITSAS: I mean, I think this is a precursor for what we're going to see over the next two years. If the polling holds and Republicans lose control of one or both houses of Congress, it'll give the Democrats the ability to set the agenda, to issue subpoenas, which they don't have right now. And this is just a very micro example of what the next two years is going to look like. Washington is going to be in gridlock.
BORELLI: Oh, I -- certainly. If the Democrats take back the House, I think this is the kind of stuff they'll do.
But this has been sort of a playbook. You mentioned Pete Hegseth. We can go back to Brett Kavanaugh. This has sort of been a playbook for Democrats to frame, you know, white Republicans as frat bros and drinkers. Kash Patel is just the next victim of that. And he has made a pretty strong denial of all these things. So, if --
CHAMPION: How (INAUDIBLE).
BORELLI: So, if he wants -- how the Democrats were framing Brett Kavanaugh as a wild partying drinker, they had a whole hearing on it.
CORNISH: Well, first, let me say a couple of things. These are -- no, stop. I don't want to go all over the place because I want to maintain the focus on what we are talking about. We're in the middle of a war. The FBI are the spy catchers on domestic soil. We have had high profile shootings and killings. I want to know that the FBI director is on top of it. And there's been a lot of reports about morale, about how it's run, about the cuts.
So, I'm actually not here to futz around with the drinking. Those are allegations that I have not verified and that he is suing over. Same thing with Hegseth. So, I'm not going to do that.
What I am going to say is, I'm in the middle of a war and I'm worried, as an American, about whether the people in leadership positions are able to do their jobs. PLITSAS: There's been a -- I mean there's been a trade-off. So, put
the drinking piece aside, like you said. There's been a refocus for the FBI on domestic law enforcement, criminal investigation. There's only a finite amount of resources that have gone around. So, when you've shifted to immigration enforcement or some of the others, we've seen some of the stories where resources have been reallocated from other areas, which includes cases --
CORNISH: Right. For instance, some Persian speakers, which would be relevant.
PLITSAS: Yes. Things along those lines. It's kind of priority.
SEAWRIGHT: And Democrats in the Congress, and Republicans, have an oversight responsibility. So, it's not just the Democrats picking at Republicans. The executive branch needs oversight from the Congress in order to make sure they're doing their job effectively. Unfortunately, the Republicans who are in charge have not done that in the same way Democrats have done it with --
CORNISH: Yes.
BORELLI: But when it's anonymously sourced stories that are flatly denied, and they occupied (ph) time of those hearings --
SEAWRIGHT: But it's not -- but it's -- but, Joe, it's not just -- it's not -- it's not just -- it's not -- it's not just about the drinking. It's about him doing his job and whether or not (INAUDIBLE).
BORELLI: The senator used his time to question him on drinking. I mean that's --
SEAWRIGHT: But he's not the only senator who questioned in that hearing.
BORELLI: And yet we're talking about that.
SEAWRIGHT: Yes, we're talking about it because it was part of a hearing but the --
BORELLI: Because it's a way to salacious and scandalize Kash Patel.
SEAWRIGHT: Them doing their oversight job. Them doing their oversight job.
BORELLI: I mean it's having the result that --
CORNISH: He also came prepared. He immediately accused the senator of drinking also.
CHAMPION: Yes, of drinking. He also said, you've been drinking.
CORNISH: Like, got verified.
(CROSS TALK)
BORELLI: Well, you can't forget that great picture of him having the margarita with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, yes.
CORNISH: That the Salvadorian government -- yes. Yes.
(CROSS TALK)
PLITSAS: And Kash is suing. So, let's not forget, now he is open to discovery.
CHAMPION: Exactly.
PLITSAS: So, if they -- so, if he --
BORELLI: Let him -- he's out -- let him pee in a --
PLITSAS: Yes, just saying.
BORELLI: You want to pee in a cup, Kash, to prove everyone wrong, I say do it.
CORNISH: OK. Next on CNN THIS MORNING --
BORELLI: Good way to start your morning, yes.
CORNISH: Honestly, that's -- I can't top that.
So, I want to talk to the only independent lawmaker in the Huse. He's actually a Republican leaving the party. He says over redistricting. We're going to talk about how he can fight how he can run for office without party behind him.
[06:45:05]
And later on CNN, could the new triumphal arch in D.C. be a risk to flights?
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN KILEY (I-CA): Gerrymandering is a plague on democracy. One that Gavin Newsom has brought back to California. But there's a way we can fight back and protect our democracy from his partizan games, by removing partisanship from the equation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK, as the redistricting wars spread across the country, one congressman says he's found a way around it by running as an independent.
[06:50:00]
Can he fight back without a party behind him?
I'm bringing in California Congressman Kevin Riley, former Republican, now independent -- Kiley. Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate it.
REP. KEVIN KILEY (I-CA): Of course. Thanks for having me.
CORNISH: So, I have to ask, because that 2025 ballot measure split your district, district three, in a couple of directions, you no longer had a Republican friendly seat. So, what's your response to people who say that you're getting religion on redistricting has to do with the fact that you were redistricted out of your seat?
KILEY: Well, I certainly don't like the fact that my district was split into six different pieces, although the district I'm running in now, the new sixth district, is a wonderful district where I was born and raised and went to local public schools. But, you know, redistricting or this whole redistricting war, the phenomenon of gerrymandering represents everything that is wrong with our politics. It represents partisanship run absolutely amuck.
CORNISH: Yes.
KILEY: And that's what I've seen in the three years that I've been in Washington, D.C., is that we have this problem of hyper partisanship in this country, as epitomized by the gerrymandering war. And I think the way we can move beyond that is to just take partisanship out of the equation.
And I will say, anyone who says this is the easy route, there hasn't been an independent elected to Congress in 20 years. There's been one elected to Congress in the last 70 years. So, I'm very much trying to chart a different course in order to allow our country, help our country overcome these divisions.
CORNISH: Yes. It feels like you're swimming upstream, to be frank, because it feels like all the lawmakers are kind of lining up and going back and forth. Do you regret the president kicking off this latest chapter?
KILEY: Absolutely, I regret what happened in Texas and in California and every state that's gone down this road. Now, we have had, you know, gerrymandering before this latest round of escalation, but we've really never seen anything like what we're seeing now where it's just state after state after state. And I warned about this last year before it all started, that this was just going to be a domino effect. It was going to be an arms race that had no real winners, and our country was going to lose. And that's exactly what we've seen.
This whole thing has been terrible for representative government and what it's going to lead to is even more polarization, even more gridlock in Congress. We have a -- Congress has a 10 percent approval rating right now, and I think it's going to get worse because of what this is doing to our politics.
CORNISH: OK, Congressman Kevin Kiley, thank you so much. Best of luck on your race.
And I want to turn to this because, as he said, this redistricting thing is everywhere. And there's a handful of Republicans in South Carolina who actually just rejected a push by President Trump to redraw the lone district there held by a Democrat in the state. And that Democrat just happens to be Representative Jim Clyburn. Now, five South Carolina Republican state senators joined Democrats to reject the redistricting proposal. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey acknowledged the pressure from Trump but rebuked the idea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANE MASSEY, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA SEANTE MAJORITY LEADER: You know, to most people in the country, I think this is the perfect example of just how much elected officials have lost their way. Too many people in power just want to do whatever it takes to stay in power. They'll do whatever it takes to keep it. But I ask, to what end?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, I wanted to know, Antjuan, you, of course, know Clyburn. You're close to Clyburn. He's so powerful in that state. Is this because they like him, he's powerful, or is this because there was actually some frustration with Republicans in this state?
SEAWRIGHT: All politics is local. Jim Clyburn, by far, is the most consequential elected official to ever serve our state. Definitely -- perhaps our country. And Republicans may not agree with Jim Clyburn, but they respect Jim Clyburn in his cachet and what he has done for our state. And so, I think that's a large part of the equation. And I think that South Carolina does not always fold to pressure from outsiders.
CORNISH: Well, we saw that in Indiana and then Trump primaried those Republicans.
SEAWRIGHT: But can I say this? We have a six-one map in South Carolina. Any redistricting would make those seats more competitive and give democrats an advantage. I don't think that's smart politics.
CORNISH: Oh, yes, I think they call that a dummy-mander (ph), actually.
BORELLI: But stay on that six-one idea, right. In a state that even has some Republicans or some Democrats, there should be one person representing. And that state senator sounded lovely. But where are these noble Democrats in the New England states where there are significant Republican pockets. There are significant Republican pockets in all of the New England states, and yet not one single seat in an entire region is represented by Republican. That is due to gerrymandering. That is due to consistent gerrymandering, not just of this decade cycle, but the cycle before and the cycle before that.
SEAWRIGHT: Can I just make one point about this moment we're in? This is not about gerrymandering. This is about literally exterminating black political power and black political representation. Nobody cares about a 74 or 75 percent white district.
[06:55:02] What we're seeing across the south is the fastest rollback of black political power --
BORELLI: But Republicans ran --
SEAWRIGHT: But let me finish, Joe. Joe, let me finish.
BORELLI: Republicans ran a black candidate against Joe Clyburn twice.
SEAWRIGHT: Joe, Joe, Joe, let me finish.
BORELLI: They ran Tim Scott. He has something to say about this.
SEAWRIGHT: We're seeing -- we're seeing -- we're seeing a -- we're seeing the fastest rollback of black political power in the south. Perhaps since Hayes ended reconstruction in 1877. That's not a joke.
CORNISH: Can I bring this up, to his point, because with the Supreme Court jumping in, specifically taking away race, despite the history of the south and saying, look, the partisanship is fine, are Republicans now in a position where they are going to be saying, yes, district after district should be Republican. And if that means they're completely white and those black voters aren't going to get their representation --
BORELLI: But that's not the history, right?
CORNISH: No, but it's going to look --
BORELLI: We're talking about Jim Clyburn's district. Republicans ran black candidates twice against Jim Clyburn.
CORNISH: No, no, no, no, no. We could show -- we could show you the map of Alabama and all the other places where those districts will go away.
CHAMPION: It's a very concerted effort. And I think --
CORNISH: Well, I think it's more like, what do you tell the voter.
BORELLI: What about the map of Tennessee, where you have the most African American -- one of the most African American cities currently represented by a white man who Republicans ran black candidates --
CHAMPION: You can pick -- you can pick and choose all you want.
CORNISH: Yes. I mean that district will also be gone.
BORELLI: And Republicans have ran consistently black candidates in that race.
CORNISH: Well, I think that there is a world --
BORELLI: Or I'll give you another -- I've got another one for you.
CORNISH: Hold on, Joe. There's a world where black voters will come off the sidelines if they perceive, not politics, if the public perceives --
BORELLI: This year --
CORNISH: That they're being taken advantage of.
CHAMPION: Advantage of. And that's exactly what you were trying to get at, to your point.
SEAWRIGHT: Well, (INAUDIBLE).
CHAMPION: There's a specific -- it's a dilution. They're trying to get rid of black voters and black representation. And you know that. And you can point out whatever you want to point out. You can give me any example.
BORELLI: I'm pointing out facts. Yes.
CHAMPION: That's fine. That's what you do for a living. You're going to debate this issue. But we're talking about a core where people know that there's a significant history of what happens in the south and how they --
BORELLI: So --
CHAMPION: And how they are making an effort to get rid of --
BORELLI: This year I was an expert witness in a case, New York. 11 here --
CHAMPION: Jim -- Jim --
BORELLI: Where the Democratic Party wanted to redistrict the seat --
CHAMPION: You're not -- but you're not talking about that issue.
BORELLI: Where they would remove a Hispanic Republican and replace it with a white man.
CHAMPION: And you know that this is an attack specifically on the black (INAUDIBLE).
BORELLI: So, I just -- I disagree with the Democratic moral high ground on this.
CORNISH: Let me jump in for a second.
SEAWRIGHT: Can I make one point on this? Yesterday, the Trump --
CORNISH: We -- no. Hold on one second. I just need to say this. This is not a show where we care about what the lobbyists are saying. Part of this is public perception.
BORELLI: I'm talking about what the courts are saying.
CORNISH: Yes, what the -- no, I'm talking about public perception. And we just saw someone like D.L. Hughley say, maybe these black athletes shouldn't run and go to SEC schools.
CHAMPION: Go to SEC schools anymore. We should take back the power (ph).
CORNISH: So, what I'm talking about is perception.
CHAMPION: Yes.
CORNISH: Can the Republican Party go into the midterms with a growing perception within this community that there's a problem?
SEAWRIGHT: And when yesterday, when the president --
BORELLI: I just gave you an example here in New York where the Democratic Party's position, through lawsuits, was to remove a Hispanic candidate because she was Republican and replace her with most likely Dan Goldman, a white man.
CORNISH: Well --
BORELLI: So, this is not a one-sided race-based issue. You have the Democratic Party doing the same things.
SEAWRIGHT: Joe, Joe, the -- Joe, Joe, Joe, hear this. When the president was asked specifically yesterday whether or not he is concerned about black representation being eliminated, his response was, it's going great. This is intentional to eliminate black political representation.
CHAMPION: Very intentional.
SEAWRIGHT: They're starting in the south. It does not mean they're not going to continue to grow this, because the Supreme Court has given Republicans and Donald Trump a pass to literally eliminate black political -- and why? Because every time we show up in elections, the tectonic plates in this country shift to where people, white men who traditionally have had power, that no longer exists.
CORNISH: Well, Antjuan, this is going to have some implications for Democrats, especially those, the Bernie Sanders of the world, these people who have not really --
SEAWRIGHT: Well, they should be saying more in this moment.
CORNISH: OK.
SEAWRIGHT: Progressives who challenge African American Democrats, CBC members in primaries --
CHAMPION: That's fair.
SEAWRIGHT: They should be stepping up and saying more in this moment because this is an all hands on deck moment. Whatever differences we may appear to have amongst each other, they do not compare to the differences we have with the people who are trying to eliminate and exterminate black political power. CHAMPION: Everybody needs to get involved. Everybody. Antjuan, good
point.
CORNISH: OK, we're going to be talking about this this week some more.
CHAMPION: I know.
CORNISH: I'm going to give everyone a timeline cleanse.
CHAMPION: OK. OK.
CORNISH: What's in your group chat?
CHAMPION: Oh, Lord. OK. Transition. This is in my group chat, but I'm not going to say that's what it was about. This is definitely in my group chat.
CORNISH: Yes. Like, I --
CHAMPION: But the other part of what's in my group chat is about Caitlin Clark. I don't know, we're going to transition.
CORNISH: Yes, Caitlin Clark. This is her partying with Morgan Wallen, I think.
CHAMPION: And there was a lot of conversation about whether or not she should do it and what it would look like, because he is known to use -- he has used the "n" word. He's apologized. He did all the things he was supposed to do. But it's the appearance. And is something wrong with that?
However, there are several other athletes who did it that were men that no one talked about. Marshawn Lynch, Peyton Manning, I can go down the list, Patrick Mahomes.
CORNISH: So, there were lots of people there.
CHAMPION: And she's the only one getting the hit.
CORNISH: OK.
CHAMPION: I wonder why.
CORNISH: Joe, last word to you.
BORELLI: All my buddies are New York City cops and firefighters. In our group chat, they're all looking at what Spencer Pratt is doing with these A.I. ads.
CORNISH: You're not looking at the balanced budget by Mayor Mamdani.
BORELLI: They are. They are.
CORNISH: That would be nice.
BORELLI: But they're looking at these ads and they're saying, you know, why -- where is our New Yorker who's doing stuff like this, who's painting this in a picture that's -- that's identifiable to people?
CORNISH: Who's doing A.I. propaganda?
BORELLI: A.I. as telling a story. He's telling a story of Newsom, of Karen Bass as elitist.
CORNISH: Yes. Right. Well, him and Iran.
BORELLI: You know, it's effective. It's effective.
[07:00:01]
CHAMPION: Him and Iran.
CORNISH: And were you saying -- all right, we're going to --
BORELLI: Propaganda is effective.
CORNISH: Oh, propaganda's effective. Good morning to you all.
Thank you for being here. The president landing in China in just moments. So, stay with us. We're going to have those headlines and details about that meeting with President Xi Jinping.
I'm Audie Cornish, and the headlines are next.
