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Inside Politics

Kalshi: GOP House Candidate Traded On Her Own Campaign; Paxton Hits The Campaign Trail As He Hopes For Funding Boost; Democrat Talarico Massively Outspending Republican Paxton On TV; Cornyn Calls Paxton A "Lazy" Campaigner Without A "Compelling Case"; Trump Admin Considers Trading Land In Yosemite Natl. Park To Developer; Judge Extending Pause On Border Wall Work Inside Big Bend Natl. Park; Google Maps Changes Lake Ontario To Lake America In U.S. Searches. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired August 31, 2026 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

PHILIP BUMP, SENIOR DATA EDITOR AND COLUMNIST, CT INSIDER: -- to provide insights that wisdom in the masses and and tell us more about, you know, what's going to happen. They've not proven to actually do that and so it's this -- it is this situation where there is this lure of people being able to make money by betting on things while at the same time it's not clear what the actual benefit is from them and it's just -- this is where you end up.

You end up with political candidates who are now in political trouble because they made this decision however absent-mindedly on something that was functionally didn't inform anyone about anything.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I mean, that last part is, I think, one of the most important things of all the important things that you said, Phil.

BUMP: Thank you.

BASH: Let's look at how important this race is, Abby. Again, this is North Carolina's first district in 2024. Again, this is a rematch. Davis got 49.5 percent. Buckhout was very close behind, obviously lost at 47.8 percent. This is going to be a tight race in a series of tight races that will determine whether or not Republicans keep control of the House.

And again, just to kind of look more specifically at this first congressional district, how it was changed because of redistricting in 2024, President Trump won by 3 percentage points. Now, with the new map, he would have won the way that it's situated by 12 percentage points. So it's a safer GOP seat. So it's for the Republican to take back.

ABBY LIVINGSTON, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, PUCK: They went to the entire effort in the state legislature to redraw the map for this district. And I think what's fascinating is she called it a dumb mistake. And this is just made for TV ads. But if you do this in baseball, you don't get into the hall of fame. And I just think there is this view of Congress where people have elite information and are just openly taking advantage of it and it's happening on both sides of the aisle, we're seeing it with the congressional stock trading, and it just shows how out of touch so many of these people are with America is right now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think the next big thing with these prediction markets, we're seeing it already playing out in courts because there are so many people using it, right? And so to see a candidate fall into this knowing, like, is this betting or is this not? And that is the question that's being worked out by courts right now.

And I think ultimately we're going to probably see more of this before we see less of this. There's just too many people on it all at the same time. We did a report, I think, yesterday where $5 billion was spent by people under 21 on just one of these prediction markets.

BASH: Wow.

SIDNER: So I think you're going to start seeing this and you're going to start seeing maybe regulation or something happen in the courts with this ultimately.

BASH: Regulation like done by Congress?

SIDNER: Highly unlikely.

BASH: Surely you jest

SIDNER: Regulations done by states.

BASH: That makes more sense.

SIDNER: Likely done by states.

BASH: All right. Coming up, the clock is ticking for a Ken Paxton money boost, but it is his watch that has Texas talking. We'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:37:29]

BASH: A new James Talarico ad, an attack ad, is running on Texas airwaves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in Texas. Since taking office, Ken Paxton's net worth has increased 7,000 percent. He now owns 15 homes, while most Texans can't afford one.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Meanwhile, Ken Paxton has all of his fingers and toes crossed that MAGA Inc., the President's flush Super PAC, will send him money soon. His team is showing him on the trail in the San Antonio area campaigning hard. But what Paxton is wearing in one of the pictures attracted attention from his opponent. It's the watch he's wearing.

Talarico said, "Nothing says you understand the affordability crisis like wearing a $41,000 watch and a Four Seasons polo," citing a post from a left-wing X account. Now, CNN has reached out to Paxton for comment on the watch.

Abby Livingston, our Texan here, what are you hearing from your sources --

LIVINGSTON: You know, the --

BASH: -- in the Lone Star state?

LIVINGSTON: -- the thing I'm hearing on both sides, which is something I've never heard in my, like, literal memory, which is that right now this race is Talarico's to lose. But we are at the calm before the storm. And so, pollsters are out in Texas, they're getting a feel for how this is shaping up.

There's hope that the billionaires, not just MAGA, but like the Texas billionaires who've been on vacation are ready to start engaging and spending but it hasn't really happened yet. But I think the most important thing to think about this is, 20 years ago when Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who I once worked for, was running in a Democratic wave, she won by 27 points as a Republican.

I think this is 5 percent Talarico's talent, 5 percent environment, and 90 percent Republican self-inflected problems. Paxton is the most glaring one, but he is not the only one. There is candidate quality problems up and down the ballot.

There are fundraising issues and this redistricting project that Trump forced onto the congressional delegation, which Texas Republicans knew was a bad idea a year ago and went along with it anyway, is causing incredible problems throughout the state. And none of this had to happen.

BASH: Well, just going back to the money issue, let's just look at an example of how much Talarico, the Democrat, is outspending Ken Paxton. $31.5 million and Paxton only $4.7 million. Again, this is Texas. It's expensive. You need a lot of money. He doesn't have it.

[12:40:04]

And then just on the allegations or the questions, I should say, about why Ken Paxton, according to Talarico, has increased his net worth while being in office. Listen to what Paxton said in response over the weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: When you do a good job as a business person, as a lawyer, and you take care of your clients, they pay you. And that's how I have made my living. And I'm proud of it, by the way, very proud of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Sara?

SIDNER: Well, look, people are looking for their own economies to be good. And I think any time you see that kind of jump in someone else's, you can say one or two things. You can say, well, he's just a really good businessman. But considering all of the things that have come out about him, the idea in some people's head is going to be, what's he done wrong as opposed to, oh, he's just good at this, right?

You've got these ethics complaints you've got the the pen debacle which I knew nothing about but I know you did, you know, where he's on video from, I don't know, more than a decade ago but it's become kind of lore in Texas where he took an expensive mop walk pen from an attorney as it was coming in the courthouse. So it was a coming through security, all of these things add up to a trust factor issue. And I think that's what he is facing.

And then obviously, I didn't think when President Trump came into office a second time that we would ever be talking about the possibility that the Senate seat, that John Cornyn had would go be a toss-up right now. And right now, leaning towards a Democrat. So we're in different times right now and it'll be --

BASH: Yes.

SIDNER: -- interesting to see how this plays out.

BASH: By the way, I neglected to say that after Talarico and others noticed the watch, Paxton was on the campaign trail Sans watch. So I think maybe he got some kind of message.

The last Republican to have a tough race, which he ended up winning, not comfortably, but more comfortably than people thought, was Ted Cruz. Listen to what he said about his prediction on the Senate race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: I have every confidence when the voters move into the fall, get right before election day, when they look at Ken Paxton's record, when they look at James Talarico's record, I think it's going to be an easy choice. I believe Ken Paxton will be the next senator from Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUMP: He's got to say it, right, like we should acknowledge that. I do think it's important to recognize to your point about Paxton being a bad candidate. He is an historically bad candidate. He was impeached by his own party. He has had all this, to your point, is that all these allegations against him some of them very well-founded apparently.

I mean criminal charges against him for his business dealings like he is an historically bad candidate running in a very, very blue year. That Talarico has outspent him that much is in part a failure on Paxton's part for not like trying to define who Talarico is, but it's in part that Talarico has already been able to define himself and just start dumping up -- start attacking Paxton.

The question, and this is the question broadly for Republicans nationally who are living in Trump's shadow, but very much in Texas with Paxton on the ticket is, are there Republicans who are going to hold their noses and come out and vote or are there going to be a lot of people who end up just staying home? And I think that Talarico understands that every Republican who says, I just can't bring myself to vote for Paxton, that's good enough for him.

BASH: Well, John Cornyn, who very much wanted to go back to the Senate, but of course lost the primary because President Trump endorsed Paxton, said the following to the Texas Tribune. "Paxton's a poor campaigner. He's lazy and doesn't raise money. And he basically is not offering a very compelling case for his election. He's making this harder than it needs to be. So be it. We are where we are."

There's a lot of hard feelings in Texas on both sides of the aisle. Not a lot of coming together after tough primaries.

All right, everybody stand by. Coming up, the Trump administration is considering a land swap inside one of America's most popular national parks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:48:26]

BASH: The Trump administration is under fire for considering a plan to give a private developer land in Yosemite National Park. The Nevada- based developer wants to build a road through the park for easier access to the 83 acres where it is planning to build several homes and retail. Campaign finance records show the chief executive of the developer made several contributions to the Trump 2024 campaign.

CNN's very own Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir is here. Nice to see you.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you.

BASH: Talk us through what's going on here.

WEIR: So this is not a new idea. There was a developer who bought this chunk of land on the west border of Yosemite and then tried to lobby the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. They fell apart that they had actual negotiations. The Park Service was going to build them a parking lot and shuttle people in.

Anyway, new guy bought it and thought, oh, you know what? You know who likes to do things when he's told he can't do them? President Trump. So he went to Doug Burgum's Interior Department and says, we want to build an access road. It's about a quarter miles long and it will cut off a 90-minute commute for the guests of this development to get to the valley.

Lanny Davis, President Clinton's former adviser, is representing them, put out the statement over the last six months, Kingsbarn Realty Company. This is private equity developer. "And I have been working directly and cooperating with the National Park staff at Yosemite National Park to provide safe access from the Hazel Green property to the park entrance, which is supportive of environmental values since it will reduce air pollution from the longer, less safe routes. I have been a progressive Democrat and a pro-environmentalist all my life."

[12:50:00]

Well, Lanny knows in context this comes at a time when the park service has been cut by 25 percent and the Trump administration did away with reservations for day passes. So you want to talk about exhaust and tailpipe emissions, the lines this summer at those gates because the park is overrun right now. And this just flies in the face of America's best idea that average Americans maybe have to wait in two hours to get in. And here's some friends of the President who have a shortcut.

BASH: And we've of course seen Democrats in California jump on this.

WEIR: Yes.

BASH: What is the reaction and response from the Trump administration?

WEIR: Well, the Interior -- and remember Doug Burgum said during confirmation, I want to protect every inch from privatization. It says that there has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome, that no final decisions have been made, any land exchange or access proposal involving national park service lands will be subject to all federal laws, regulations, and departmental policies.

Typically a land swap, which is proposed there, here, is when the park service wants more land to protect the species or more, you know, habitat. In this case, it's hard to see what the advantage is to the ecosystem to put in this short put. But again, this is against the backdrop of so many other moves around the public lands that people who love these places are really fired up.

BASH: Yes, I mean, for example, Big Bend, Abby, that is a controversy in Texas, the national park there. The Trump administration started construction on the border wall inside the national park.

LIVINGSTON: Yes, I mean, as I was listening to reporting, I was thinking about Big Bend. And that is just like a place of pride for Texans in the same way that I presume Yosemite is for Californians. And I think it's just risky political territory to be messing with those areas.

BASH: Is there any chance that this is going to not go through? I mean -- WEIR: Yes --

BASH: Yes.

WEIR: -- obviously, just this pushback has met some response. They stopped the construction down in Big Bend --

BASH: Yes.

WILLIAMS: -- because of the outcry, not just against the leaders, elected leaders, but business leaders like the founders of Yeti Coolers, you know, who had a land down there and weren't saying what folks wanted to hear. They have shrunk bear's ears in Grand Staircase Escalante in Utah. The roadless rule, which is a really big one, protects national forest land, tossed out the window right now.

So, for folks who love the great outdoors and pristine ecosystems, what's left of them, it feels like an all-out assault right now under this administration.

BASH: You know, obviously, the way that you described it was sort of chef's kiss about the developer realizing that Donald Trump is probably somebody who would be interested in this. But I keep thinking, we were talking in the break about Teddy Roosevelt, one of the presidents that the current President says he looks up to. I mean, he literally created this national park system.

WEIR: What would Teddy say now?

BASH: Ask Ben Stiller.

Coming up, don't go anywhere. President Trump says it's Lake America. Canada says it is Lake Ontario. What does Google Maps say? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:57:49]

BASH: If you are looking for Lake Ontario on Google Maps, you're not going to find it. As of yesterday, it's been updated to Lake America after President Trump's executive order mandating the change in how the U.S. government refers to the lake. It's intended to troll Canada, although the province of Ontario is named after the lake, not the other way around.

In a statement, Google said, its policy is to reflect the name changes in official government sources, which in America is the U.S. geographic names information system, which was formally updated after Trump's order. People using maps in the U.S. will see Lake America. Those in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario. Other users, users in other countries will see both.

SIDNER: Why --

BASH: This is a thing. SIDNER: -- are we talking about this?

BASH: I mean, I -- because it's -- because the President did an executive order.

SIDNER: No, I'm just saying --

LIVINGSTON: Yes.

SIDNER: -- when I say we, I mean, why is this a thing?

LIVINGSTON: Right. Yes.

SIDNER: And I -- when I hear this sort of thing, and then you talk to people in the streets, and you go to small towns, and you go to large towns, and you hear what people are struggling with, this makes people angry, annoyed. They can't believe that this is even part of a discussion because their lives are impacted by what is happening, what is coming out of this administration.

They are not doing better. Their children are not doing better at this time. So sometimes I hear this stuff and after talking to people and spending time with people, they're -- their -- it makes them feel rage.

BUMP: Right. Let me -- I'm from Rochester, right on the lake. There are seven counties that surround Lake Ontario and New York. Six of them voted for Donald Trump. And I guarantee you that most of the people in those six counties are not going to start calling this Lake America.

They understand what the lake means to the region. They understand the value of the lake and the relationship with Canada right across the lake. This is social media fodder. It is silly, to your point, and it is not going to be long-lasting. And I don't think his base is going to get ripped up by it either.

WEIR: I'm married to a Canadian.

BUMP: An extra's event (ph).

WEIR: And I don't think we fully appreciate most, you know, people who aren't married to Canadians, how angry and hurt --

BUMP: Yes.

WEIR: -- they are.

SIDNER: Yes,

WEIR: And just how resolved they are, how they've rallied around pushing back against this as just a national identity. But then on the border, you know, when you see, oh Canada go down on the PA system, how all the Americans jump in and sing that anthem, it's just a different world than what is playing on social media, Philip, as you say. It's trolling. BASH: Trolling. Yes, I mean, that pretty much sums it up.

Thank you so much for joining us on Inside Politics today. CNN News Central starts right now.