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Stevens, El-Sayed Go Head-to-Head in Michigan Primary; Trump: Pirro Folded 'Like an Umbrella' in Pool Vandalism Case. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired August 04, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Some people, as you could see, they could not resist having some fun with it. I mean, let's just take a second and -- yes, there's a little bit of joy than can be found.

Just look at the scene. People are just trying to figure out what is going on. And yes, you've got to play with some bubbles every now and then. It is summertime.

That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Today in the group chat, a big test for the big tent party. Will voters in Michigan follow other states and go with the far-left candidate, or will the establishment win out?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Ours is the work of continuously building a bigger movement.

REP. HALEY STEVENS (D-MI), MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: When it comes to Michigan, I run through anyone and anything to stand up for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: An embattled congressman refusing to step aside. Now the president weighs in, telling him, quote, "Things aren't looking good." Could this put a red state at risk come November?

And Trump, furious over the Justice Department's decision to drop the Reflecting Pool case. Could Jeanine Pirro be his scapegoat.

And a suspect charged with arson as the wildfires in Washington state rage on this morning. The anguish from residents as they see what was spared from the flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a very, very hard loss. All of mine and my siblings' childhood pictures, all the baby clothes, I'm pretty sure my grandpa's ashes, everything was in there.

(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The energy right now in Detroit and Michigan generally, it's really -- it feels great, you know, a little nerve wracking. But it's a -- it's a lot of people coming in. It almost feels like it's the general election. There's so much energy around it right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this room --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: It is election day in Michigan and a referendum for the Democratic Party. Will voters back the progressive choice or the candidate backed by the establishment?

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish, and here is where we start. The most expensive Democratic primary.

After a long and messy campaign today, Democratic voters will decide between congresswoman Haley Stevens or Abdul El-Sayed. Under the big tent, these candidates are on opposite sides. El-Sayed wants Medicare for all. Stevens wants to improve Obamacare.

El-Sayed wants to abolish ICE. Stevens says she backs ICE reforms. And El-Sayed wants to stop aid to Israel. Stevens has been a pro-Israel vote in the House.

It's that last issue that's causing the most division. More than 60 million in cash, pouring in from outside groups to help Stevens. The biggest spender by far: a pro-Israeli super PAC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: There is a reason why Republicans are already spending thousands and thousands of dollars meddling in this primary, trying to maybe get their preferred candidate. Look, when it comes to Michigan, I run through anyone and anything to stand up for us.

EL-SAYED: This movement of ours has proven that it can come through $80 million of spending in lies, because we're willing to hold with us the truth.

You can't buy inspiration. You can't buy people deciding to be a part of something. You can't buy hope. You can't buy belief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. Today in the group chat, Aaron Blake, CNN senior political reporter; Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns; and Jesse Arm, pollster and vice president at the Manhattan Institute.

Good morning, gentlemen. Welcome to the chat. I want to start with you, Aaron. You were saying Democrats have a new problem as they try to win the Senate. What is that problem? AARON BLAKE, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, what we've seen in

the last several weeks here is the -- the big hurdle that we thought Democrats would have, which would be competing in a lot of these red states. You know, the states that Donald Trump won by double digits.

They've got the polling to back up that they can win in states like Iowa, like Texas, like Ohio. Those are on the table. They need some of those. But even as that happens --

CORNISH: That list is like Iowa, Texas.

BLAKE: Iowa, Texas.

CORNISH: Are you sure about this? I'm sort of shocked --

BLAKE: Alaska.

CORNISH: -- shocked to hear these states.

BLAKE: Those are polling pretty competitively.

But at the same time, we've seen these races like Michigan, where we're starting to see some doubts creep in. The Democratic establishment is very concerned, if Abdullah El-Sayed emerges from this primary, that he's going to be a liability in the general election.

And if they're not winning these swing states and these blue states, the map is just very tough for them as far as winning a Democratic Senate majority.

CORNISH: OK. If you live in Michigan, my apologies, because I'm going to play for you some clips from some of the ads you've probably been seeing nonstop from Stevens and El-Sayed. Here we go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EL-SAYED: Money in your pocket and Medicare --

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): For all. That's the part they can't stand. That's why billionaires are spending millions to bury Abdul and this movement.

[06:05:06]

STEVENS: As chief of staff to President Obama's auto rescue, I helped save Michigan jobs.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And Haley Stevens, by the way, she was there. She was a critical part of my team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: I love it. The music's giving Michigan Detroit vibes the whole way across the board. Why has this become the proxy battle for the back and forth? Every

time you and I are on set, we talk about like, oh, the Democratic socialists here, the moderates here. What makes Michigan different?

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think Aaron said it right, is that there's no way for us to win this majority in the Senate unless we can win these Democratic strongholds.

And to your point, what makes Michigan different is that it's supposed to be one that's not this hard to win in November, and it's looking like it could be hard, because the polling just stacks up the way.

There's one thing, Audie, that cuts across all of these that I want to talk about this morning, which is this change electorate. And we've been living through change elections, through lots of elections.

CORNISH: I was about to say, I feel like that's my perennial report.

ROCHA: But let me take that to Michigan. And this is where this Democrat gives Donald Trump credit. Michigan has been so desperate for change, they'd vote for Donald Trump twice. Folks there are sick and tired of being sick and tired, and they're looking for something different.

And I think that's why El-Sayed is doing so well. Sure, he's got a great message and he's got things that may be bad, as well, but a lot more plus than minus. But it's just a change electorate overall.

CORNISH: It's also interesting to see what's going on with donors. "The Wall Street Journal" was reporting that the big, big, like marquee name donors are sitting out; that they've nicknamed the DNC "Do not contribute."

And then, when I look at the cash on hand for Republicans, like, it's super PACs. You know what I mean? Like, it -- it feels like there's been a shift in who spends the money. And obviously, that has to do with the Supreme Court, et cetera.

But are we really feeling it in this election?

JESSE ARM, POLLSTER/VICE PRESIDENT OF MANHATTAN INSTITUTE: Yes. Well, I mean, donors are giving through different vehicles. A lot of donors have been giving historically to some of these big ideological groups that have driven, you know, I think the Democratic Party further to the left -- right? -- as more of these groups are sort of organizing around the same causes.

But --

CORNISH: But you mean sort of like the way they'd be, like, Club for Growth, do you say this? And now the money is going to something not quite the same.

ARM: Yes.

CORNISH: Not as ideological. ARM: Actually, I do think they are saying increasingly the same thing.

CORNISH: OK.

ARM: I'm seeing a lot of ads from clients, a lot of communications on social media from Climate Defiance that are about issues in the Middle East.

Ditto a lot of the big abortion groups have all kind of consolidated on one sort of omni cause message.

I think a lot of our problems in our politics right now are downstream from the fact that on the right, you've sort of got one guy who's in charge, who's a boss, and a lot of ideological diversity that's allowed to work around his orbit, so long as you kiss that ring and then over on the left, no one who's necessarily in charge. But everyone's swimming in the same direction ideologically.

The mainstream Democrats, like the Haley Stevens of the party, haven't really been able to run effective campaigns against the more radical flank, because they're not willing to say what they're for that the DSA left is against. That's been a real challenge for Haley Stevens.

Look, Rashida Tlaib, the congresswoman from Michigan, is hitting Haley Stevens, because she's got support from General Motors and General Mills.

CORNISH: But can I interrupt with those --

ARM: Those are big Michigan companies.

CORNISH: I understand that. But also, Michigan has been a canary. Right? And its car factory for like a couple of years now. I mean, ever since October 7th.

And I remember the Biden administration trying to find a way to talk about Gaza and Israel with an electorate. And it had nothing in common with that electorate anymore. And Michigan was the place where I remember the DNC. Their electors were the most frustrated. Right?

That's where you really -- it felt like that was the place that had this dialog the most strongly. And it feels almost inevitable that you'd see a candidate like Abdullah el-Sayed come forward.

ROCHA: And I think that's why you see the UAW endorsed him. I talked to somebody at the UAW this morning early, and they told me that they have talked to 120,000 of their active and retired members. And they make up 9 percent of the early vote, because they can take the data that we get back from the elections on who has voted early and cross match it against their voter files of their members.

That's crazy good for them. But again, to your point, it's because it's Michigan. You've seen a downturn in manufacturing. You have this very diverse electorate, and you see a lot of the economics coming to Michigan. And that's why you see that.

CORNISH: I want to show you guys one more thing. Their supporters, who they've gotten endorsements from.

So, when you look at Haley Stevens, she's gotten the governor, Senator Chuck Schumer. And then when you look at Abdul el-Sayed, you've got Bernie Sanders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren.

And that -- that last group of three, I feel like this has been percolating for a while, right? In terms of long-term movements percolating in the party.

ARM: Well, one thing that's worth mentioning and responding to is that the UAW, at a national level, is now 25 percent, more than that, graduate students. OK? So, this isn't your father's UAW.

And Haley Stevens has the support of a lot of the big manufacturing unions that are constituted at a national level, more of actual workers at that level. So --

CORNISH: So, you mean non-unions? Or what do you mean by that?

ARM: I think graduate students are part of what's driving the UAW farther to the left.

CORNISH: No, I mean when you said what's supporting her? You're saying it's --

ARM: Haley Stevens has the support of a number of other unions in the state.

CORNISH: That you see as more worker-oriented or not having the --

ARM: I think so.

CORNISH: -- one in four graduate --

ARM: I mean, I think Abdullah El-Sayed is winning, because he's running a virulently anti-Israel campaign, as you said, Audie.

[06:10:04]

I don't think it's because he's talking about bringing manufacturing back to Michigan. That's what Haley Stevens has been talking about. In fact, it's kind of the only thing she can talk about.

CORNISH: Let me underscore, I did not say he was running a virulently anti-Israel campaign.

ARM: OK, I did.

CORNISH: I want you to own your comments.

ARM: I don't think -- I don't think he -- I don't think he --

CORNISH: Just so you can get credit for your own comments.

ARM: I did think he would dispute that he's running a virulently anti- Israel campaign. CORNISH: I would dispute I said it.

And I want to give the last word to Aaron, because Bernie Sanders, when I think of him grumpy with his arms crossed at that DNC many years ago.

BLAKE: With the mittens on, yes.

CORNISH: Elizabeth Warren, it feels like we are seeing the fruits of a long-running movement that may or may not be coming to fruition.

BLAKE: Yes. And this is a very big moment for that movement. And I'll tell you why. The reason is because the Democratic primary electorate has proven willing to elect these kinds of candidates. The DSA candidates in -- in cities like New York City, in cities, you know, heavily urban areas.

CORNISH: And only now.

BLAKE: In between Boulder in Colorado. They haven't gotten these candidates, necessarily, through primaries in marquee races, in swing electorates.

So, getting Abdul el-Sayed through this primary and having him tested in a general election that is going to have lots of focus in November, is a big moment for this movement. They need to prove that they can win in that kind of environment, not just primaries, but general elections with swing electorates. And that's why I think this race is so important for that movement.

CORNISH: All right. So, big test. That's why we're watching it.

I want to turn to something else on CNN THIS MORNING. The ethics panel that wants to censure Republican Chuck Edwards. We're going to talk about why some women in the House of Representatives say that is not enough.

And then today, the White House will meet with leaders in A.I. Will we finally get the guardrails that have been promised?

And Ariana Grande speaking out in her own words. Why she is stepping away from the spotlight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:26]

CORNISH: OK, it's now 15 minutes past the hour. Here are five things making the news this morning.

That multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak has turned deadly. Two people in Michigan have died from the intestinal illness, which causes dramatic stomach upset and can lead to severe dehydration. Officials say both victims had underlying health conditions.

At this point, more than 18,000 cases have been reported in the U.S. And former special counsel Jack Smith, willing to testify publicly

before a Senate committee. That's according to a letter from his attorneys to Chairman Chuck Grassley, obtained by CNN.

Now, Grassley had asked him to testify on September 22nd, if approved by the Justice Department.

Smith is facing scrutiny over his investigation into President Trump's alleged attempts to overthrow the 2020 election and his use of subpoenas to obtain lawmakers' text messages as part of that investigation.

And later today, the White House is going to meet with the leaders of artificial intelligence companies about a new framework for government oversight.

Now, it's expected to include provisions to voluntarily allow the government to review new models before they release them. And the meeting comes just before -- just before both. Sorry. Just after both OpenAI and Anthropic reported incidents of an A.I. agent going rogue and hacking into competitor companies.

Now, the FAA is investigating a near miss in Florida after a small training plane lost engine power and then landed directly on the interstate.

Audio captures the moment the pilot warned that they wouldn't make it to the airport's runway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not making the airport. We're going down on I-10. Tower, can you still hear for Number 62?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number 62, I've got you loud and clear. What do you need?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to let you know we are lined up with I-10, trying to avoid the cars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number 62. Roger, we're going to get everybody over there as fast as they can to help you out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: And then this is dash cam video from a truck showing the plane nearly missing a highway sign.

And Ariana Grande addressing rumors in a speech to the crowd on her Chicago tour stop last night. She confirmed that she is taking a step back from public life.

The singer has been under intense scrutiny for her appearance, especially after her new album and its music video dropped last week.

So, what she told fans last night is that her decision is not reactive, and it's something that has been planned for some time.

Now, after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, the Justice Department admits it was a botched renovation that caused the issues with the Reflecting Pool, not vandalism. But that's not what the president wanted to hear.

So, who might lose their jobs because of this?

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee is going to vote on Todd Blanche's nomination for A.G. Does he have the votes for a new gig?

In the meantime, good morning to our viewers in New York City. A look at the sunrise over the skyline.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:23:23]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Jeanine Pirro made a mistake. There was vandalism.

Frankly, I think she choked. She choked. I don't know what the hell happened.

I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. Really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She -- she folded like an umbrella.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. After weeks of algae blooms and chipping bottoms, President Trump furious at his longtime ally, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in D.C., over the pool vandalism case.

So, you've got sources telling CNN that he stopped short of firing her during a White House meeting on Monday. But he did, obviously, lash out at her, because the Justice Department admitted the pool problems were caused by a flawed renovation rather than vandalism, as the president has long claimed.

Now, her office also said it's dropping the criminal case against the man accused of being the so-called vandal. He was an Olympian, David Hearn.

And the Justice Department acknowledged in a court filing that the $14 million renovation was hasty and botched.

Just last month, Pirro was saying something different.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he have any tools, or was it just his bare hands?

JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY IN WASHINGTON D.C.: Right now, we believe it's his bare hands. Both hands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does that indicate, in your belief, that it was probably damaged before, or do you believe that he --

PIRRO: Oh, he damaged it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Further. But do you believe it had already been damaged before?

PIRRO: He damaged the pool.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before he touched it?

PIRRO: He damaged this pool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Group chat is back. So, we were talking during the break. This filing is stunning. I know people have been talking about it for a couple of days.

But what I don't understand is Trump lashing out at Pirro. Why do you think she has come in for such criticism from him when she has gone after just about everyone, you know, that he has been frustrated with?

[06:25:12]

BLAKE: Yes, I mean, look, Trump is somebody who certainly expects loyalty from the people around him. He wants them to hew to his theory of the case.

And in this case, the theory of the case was that -- that there was vandalism, even though there wasn't any real public reason to believe that.

The problem is that we've seen this over and over again, over the last 18 months or so; is that when these theories actually have to be tested in court, that doesn't go very well. Because there are standards of evidence. There are representations.

CORNISH: While you're talking, can I show you some headlines? Because we were looking at this. The number of cases: Minnesota protesters, right? Hurdles there in getting those arrests to charges right now.

Justice Department drops its "New York Times" subpoena.

California, the labor leader.

I'm actually keeping a running list on my desk in office of cases that people have been arrested. The charges don't go anywhere.

What's going on with the Justice Department? Or is the weaponization the point? Putting people through the frustration of arrests and all of that to kind of get rid of them or be a nuisance?

ARM: I mean, I do think it's, you know, nice to see that this administration is responsive to the courts. There was a lot of hemming and hawing about the fact that Donald Trump would not abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court or other courts at any point.

This administration is operating within the confines of the law and operating like it is bound to the law.

CORNISH: So, they take the "L," you're saying? They're not trying to override the system, like -- or the system is working?

ARM: Well, we'll see. I mean, we'll see what they do, right? I mean, he could theoretically fire Jeanine Pirro for this. I wouldn't necessarily be enthusiastic about that.

I think this is someone who's been a pretty good soldier for the president and his administration. You know, has been -- has a job that's bigger than the Reflecting Pool, right?

CORNISH: Yes.

ARM: Has been involved in these efforts to clean up and crack down on crime in D.C.

CORNISH: And seen a lot of those cases flop, as well. This has been kind of interesting.

ROCHA: I think Donald Trump runs under the old East Texas philosophy of, if you lie long enough about having a horse, eventually somebody will buy you a saddle.

He's not used to telling the truth, and he don't like to be told he's wrong.

Remember the guy who went to Congress this week or last week, who wants a big job, who couldn't say that Joe Biden won the election because folks are scared to death to cross him?

And Jeanine Pirro, he thinks, just did that. And he don't like that at all.

CORNISH: Did she really cross him? What do you think is going on legally in that office?

Because that filing not only said this was a botched renovation job, it said there's no way this guy reached into the middle of the pool with his bare hands, unless it was, like, one of the Fantastic Four. None of this makes sense.

We did not say this. The Interior Department said this. I mean, they threw another department under the bus.

BLAKE: Yes.

CORNISH: It was -- in its totality, it said this didn't happen.

BLAKE: This -- this document read like some lawyers at the Justice Department, who were tired of dealing with this case and wanted to just get it out there and -- and wash their hands of it.

It is a remarkable document, because you're right. It's not just saying, oh, the evidence isn't quite there. It's basically pointing the finger at another department of the administration and saying that department withheld evidence from us that allowed us to move forward with a case that could have put somebody in prison wrongfully.

Basically, that's the -- the logical extent of what they put out.

CORNISH: But what --

BLAKE: And I think that, in any other time, if, you know -- when Democrats take over the -- the House, if they do in January, this is the kind of thing that you would want to have congressional hearings and issue subpoenas.

CORNISH: The paperwork comes back. Yes, because it also points to the contractor and also points to -- it says it in here, that the contractor was rushing to meet the America 250 deadline.

And it was, like, this is a lot to be putting in here for people to look at later and raise questions about.

ARM: Yes, I mean, I don't think it's an inherently bad thing that you had a contractor who was rushing to meet a deadline to try and clean up D.C. ahead of America 250.

Obviously, if you're going after the wrong person, that's a bigger problem.

But look, it's not the first time, and it won't be the last time that an administration looks to pursue a case that it knows it probably can't win in court.

We had with the Biden administration, right? They attempted to wipe all student debt until the Supreme Court came along and said, actually, you can't really do that. But Joe Biden's staffers saw --

CORNISH: But each one of these is someone taking the time, doing the evidentiary work, going to court. It costs money.

ARM: It sure does.

CORNISH: The Reflecting Pool costs money. Pretty soon, it starts to cost money.

And at what point, if you're running a business and you're a businessperson, do you look around and say, I'm just -- this is creating problems. It's costing money. It's not working. And is that something that the voter starts to get frustrated with?

ROCHA: We've talked a lot about cost and corruption as we move into the midterms, and the thing that we're not talking about is we keep talking about this contractor.

We've reported on this network that the contract was somebody that worked on a pool down at Mar-a-Lago. We have said that. Now, I'm not saying any wrongdoing was done. But it looks like --

CORNISH: Yes. The question of no-bid, et cetera.

ROCHA: Right. The no-bid contract stuff, and now it still ain't fixed. And it's cost how much money? Like I ain't running a TV commercial on this in the midterms. But it's just another thing that stacks up.

ARM: Well, that's the key point. I don't think any undecided voters are going to be making their decision based on Reflecting Pool dynamics.

ROCHA: But it's just one more thing. Right.

CORNISH: Got it.