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Laura Coates Live
Trump Can't Escape the Backlash; Israel and Hezbollah Trade Fire; Slush Fund Not Dead?; Trump Blames Vandals for Algae in Reflecting Pool; Laura Coates Interviews Wendell Pierce. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired June 19, 2026 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good evening, everyone. I'm Laura Coates. My opening statement tonight, this isn't going how President Trump wanted it to go. Talks with Iran, they were supposed to start today in Switzerland. They did not. Vice President J.D. Vance postponed his trip at the last minute around the time that this was happening in Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah trading fire overnight. It threatened to derail completely the negotiations. And both sides have since agreed to renew a ceasefire.
And now, someone is traveling. It's Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner. They're on their way to Switzerland. No word on whether Vice President J.D. Vance will join them.
But this is the problem for Trump. He isn't only negotiating with Iran, he also has to keep the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah from blowing up the agreement. And today, the president offered praise for Benjamin Netanyahu. But just yesterday, he suggested he needs to keep Israel's prime minister in check.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We've had a great relationship with Israel. We were very formidable. And Bibi Netanyahu, he's a warrior prime minister.
If it weren't for Donald Trump, Israel would have been eviscerated.
MARC CAPUTO, SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: Your relationship with Netanyahu, it's --
TRUMP: It's good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane.
CAPUTO: Are you going to be able to control Israel from attacking Lebanon?
TRUMP: Yes, I will be.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: The man asking those questions, he's on the show tonight. And let's not forget what's happening at home. The president has to contend with angry members of his own party, Iran hawks, who say this deal gives Iran way too much, including the possibility of a $300 billion reconstruction fund.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: That money will be used to fund terrorism and to murder Americans. I don't want a lunatic religious fanatic who chants death to America to receive $300 billion, whether it comes from us or it comes from some other regional partners. I don't care where it comes from.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, the president is dealing with a revolt at home, a delay abroad, and a 60-day window that's already counting down. I've got a panel of experts tonight: Founder and executive director of the National Security Institute, Jamil Jaffer, senior politics reporter for Axios, Marc Caputo, who interviewed the president just yesterday, executive director of Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, Mo Elleithee, and Republican strategist Leslie Shedd. Good to have all you guys here.
I'm going to go with the person who I just referenced, Marc Caputo, to start this off for us because the president perhaps surprisingly, effectively admitted to you a number of things that may surprise people. One was that he understood, he seemed, to know just how bad, perhaps, things could be for the economy if it kept going. Were you surprised by that kind of, well, candor and admission?
CAPUTO: He wants out. And so now that he has found a way out, he is all in. That is that he is willing to admit now that while in the past he said, oh, I'm not thinking about these things and negotiating with Iran, now at least he is. And one of the things he said to me, he made sure to stress repeatedly, stocks are up, oil is down. And the word he used is gusher. We've hit basically a gusher, as if he discovered his own oil field. And it is sort of emblematic of the fact that he just feels relieved.
COATES: I mean, the idea that this is almost an epiphany seems odd given the fact that he -- many told him beforehand he shouldn't get into this, these were the issues that were going to happen. Is it a surprise to you or would it have an effect in terms of maybe support for the president that he is saying this now?
LESLIE SHEDD, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I mean, I think the president has always said very clearly that he cares about both things. He is capable of saying, I'm the commander-in-chief, and I'm going to make sure that we are having a successful military campaign while also keeping in mind economic pain here at home.
I think that he's looking at this and saying, we need to find a way to end this war. He believes that he has found it. We've got the Strait of Hormuz reopened, which is great. Let's get the oil flowing. And then let's see because he has also made it very clear that if Iran does not honor the agreement, if they start attacking them again, if war starts again, he is not afraid to shut them down very quickly.
COATES: Here's the problem. He said in the past -- well, J.D. Vance, the words don't matter, it's the actions in the end. President Trump has talked about not being as concerned with the economy. People have a long enough memory, I think, to recall these statements and still believe they can walk and chew gum at the same time and know that we're not privy to every piece of information.
[23:05:01]
But we're also looking at what's going on in terms of his alliances. And notably, the president called Prime Minister Netanyahu a warrior after days of blasting Israel's action in Lebanon. I mean, just watch what he told -- well, I don't tell you, he told Marc this. Just listen to this idea about his relationship with Netanyahu and how that works.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: OK. I'm sure they have response to that, being almost commanded by the president of a different country. But will Trump be able to keep them in line?
JAMIL JAFFER, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY INSTITUTE AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, LEAD ARCHITECT OF THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT REVIEW ACT, FORMER ASSOCIATE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL TO GEORGE W. BUSH: I mean, look, it doesn't look likely, right? I mean, as we've seen thus far, the president keeps saying, hey, I need this thing in Lebanon to quiet down. But Hezbollah keeps shooting missiles at Iran, at Israel. Israel keeps shooting back, right? This is not going to stop because Iran doesn't want it to stop. Iran is running Hezbollah. They're encouraging them to attack Israel. And Israel is doing what we would do. They're responding in kind. The idea that the prime minister is not going to fight back is laughable.
And the president shouldn't expect that. The craziest thing the president said, that wasn't even that. At the G7, he was sitting there with the prime -- with the Emir of Qatar, and he says, you know what, I told Bibi, don't worry about Hezbollah. My guy in Syria, the former Al-Qaeda operative, right, is going to take care of Hezbollah.
I mean, what are we talking about here? The president of the United States calling on Al-Qaeda to help take care of Hezbollah? I mean, like, we are in crazy town, and we're undermining our allies and supporting our adversaries, we're giving hundreds of billions of dollars to Iran. I mean, I'm a Republican. Ted Cruz is exactly right. I don't want the supreme leader, whether it's Ayatollah Khamenei or his son, Mujtaba, getting $300 billion, not $24 billion of sanctions relief. The same pallets of cash that President Trump rightly attacked President Obama for giving to the Iranian regime, he's now giving.
It's the same frozen assets. It was never American money. It was never money for the Treasury. It was Iranian frozen assets for Obama. It's Iranian frozen assets for Trump. This is a disaster.
COATES: It's about packaging.
MO ELLEITHEE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT GEORGETOWN INSTITUTE OF POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR DNC: The difference is --
COATES: Go ahead.
ELLEITHEE: The difference is President Obama gave that money after we had already verified, right? After we'd gone in and checked to see if they were living up to the terms of the deal. Donald Trump just gave it to them beforehand, before we even began the negotiations, right? We are now supposed to -- the memorandum that we signed simply said we're now going to spend the next 60 days talking about it. Iran has said, we're not -- we'll talk about nukes, we'll talk about the straits after you pay us. That's a very, very big difference from the situation that the president has been attacking.
COATES: So, how do Democrats play that? Because on the one hand, they're going to point out the obvious unpopularity, let's just say, of a war, the Republican scathing criticism of the Memorandum of Understanding that doesn't actually detail everything. But yet, they still have to, you know, navigate a kind of minefield of supporting an American action to end a war without alienating voters who say, well, this is the best we're going to get now.
ELLEITHEE: Right. Look, I think we should all be happy if this gets us to the end of fighting.
COATES: Nobody is ever happy.
(LAUGHTER)
ELLEITHEE: That's true.
COATES: Ever all happy. But yes, there you go.
ELLEITHEE: We can still be happy if it brings us to an end to the fighting. The question that I think Americans are going to be asking themselves is, is what we get at the end of this, was it worth the squeeze? Was the juice worth the squeeze?
When we went in saying it had to be about nukes, we don't know if we're going to be able to negotiate that yet. We went in saying -- as a result of going in, the Strait of Hormuz are now closer to being under Iranian control than they were before. And while gas prices have ticked down over the past couple of days, we haven't begun the negotiations yet. And so, these oil prices are going to continue to be volatile.
COATES: But, you know, it's one thing -- Trump expects Democrats to criticize him. It's almost maybe for him, you know, just totally par for the Trump golf course. See, that was good.
(LAUGHTER) But then when Republicans do it -- I mean, they have been punished severely by him in terms of his support, his attack, his putting people against them. I mean, what can those Republicans expect? Does he have an insight into that?
CAPUTO: I asked the president, are any Republicans going to pay the price for opposing you? And after a little pushing, he basically said no.
COATES: Did you believe that statement?
CAPUTO: You don't -- I believed that when he said it, it was true, but I don't necessarily believe it will remain true, is that if people oppose him and become nettlesome, he'll start attacking them. That's just what he does. He's a counterpuncher. And sometimes, he's just a haymaker in and of himself.
But Trump's fundamental gambit here is this. And I've been a longtime believer of the idea that, ultimately, Americans care a lot more about gas prices and inflationary pressures than they do about the Strait of Hormuz and these different matters and $300 billion in fund and whatever kind of money it is.
[23:10:05]
And so, if he can keep the negotiations going and if the oil continues to flow and if gas prices drop, it's going to be a win, and that's how he's going to sell it to Republicans and tell them to get on board.
SHEDD: Hundred percent agree with that. I mean, it's just -- you know, we all care about foreign policy. I spend most of my time talking about it and all the intricacies behind it. But what most American voters care about is their own lives, right? They're working very hard. They're not following the news every single day. They care about getting food on the table, about being able to drive their kids to school safely, and they care about gas prices. And if we can get these gas prices back down, they're already starting to drop, that is what they will remember.
COATES: Well, they also -- go ahead.
ELLEITHEE: I was going to say the Iranians also get a vote in this, though, right? They get --
CAPUTO: They sure do.
ELLEITHEE: They get --
CAPUTO: And so the Israelis.
ELLEITHEE: And they had shown that they know how to play the long game in this -- in this whole thing. They are willing to withstand a whole lot of pain because they know that they can shut down the global economy and they can screw with President Trump just by turning off the spigot. CAPUTO: One of the things that I've been told by people who have been
negotiating on behalf of the administration is there's a belief that Iran is willing to suffer the consequences of a bombardment much more than being broke, and they really want money. And so, the gambit here for Trump is to offer their ability to sell oil and the promise of this other fund. But nothing is necessarily set in stone except for the flow of oil and the money they can make off of it now.
COATES: The leverage that obviously has shifted, what does this mean in terms of the negotiations and the positions of power or strength that both will have over the next 60 days?
JAFFER: Well, this is the whole problem. We won the war. We beat Iran down. We took out 70 percent of their ballistic missile launch capability, 70 percent of their drone launch capability, a huge part of their navy. We took them down, and then we lost the negotiation, right? The world's greatest negotiator completely blew the negotiation in part because he wasn't willing to take American casualties on the Strait of Hormuz in part because he wasn't willing to go back to bombing Iran even after Iran repeatedly violated the very ceasefire agreement it had made over and over again. The deal was we're going to open strait. They didn't do it.
COATES: We'll get the panel with us longer. Everyone, stand by as well. We'll respond to your questions. I know you have them. And you have comments, many of them. Text them, 818-972-7272. Just include a first name and your city or state. I like to know who I'm talking to.
Up next, potential new trouble for Todd Blanche's confirmation as the DOJ refuses a judge's request to formally write off Trump's anti- weaponization fund. Plus, just in tonight, the president now responds to the problems at the algae-riddled and peeling reflecting pool. So, who's he blaming for it? That's next.
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[23:15:00]
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COATES: All right, usually, usually, a judge's order is the final order. But nothing is final, it seems, when it comes to President Trump's DOJ. Just look at its response to a judge that requested a formal declaration that the anti-weaponization fund was really dead. Trump's DOJ called it simply unnecessary. The DOJ said the $1.8 billion fund was for people who believe they were wrongly targeted by the government. Critics called it a slush fund. And the White House said that acting A.G. Todd Blanche killed it. The DOJ argued Blanche's word is good enough.
I've never seen that happen in a court of law. Trust me, your honor. Forget emotion. Forget anything else. Evidence, no, no, no. Trust me. Not how it works. In today's filing, the department pushed back on officials signing a formal declaration. Quote -- "Compelled testimony of senior officials from the Executive Branch implicates serious separation of powers concerns." My panel is back with me. Jamil, look, you're an attorney. I mean, the
idea that a judge would say, OK, put it in writing, that what you say is actually the case, it's not unusual for them to request it. That's why we have motion practices in this country and arguments that are in written and law and evidence supporting it. Why is this treated this way by this DOJ?
JAFFER: Yes. I mean, this is -- this is crazy, right? There are no separation of powers concerns by a federal judge asking the Justice Department to say in official form that we're not going to do the thing that my order said you can't do.
COATES: Yes. JAFFER: That's just how it works. He doesn't have to rely on the oral statements of the attorney general or the acting attorney general, right? He can say, I want a statement from the Department of Justice in writing, you know, under oath that does not -- that does not implicate any separation of powers concerns. It is not compelled testimony. That's ridiculous. And yet here we are.
COATES: Yet here we are. And this is, of course, Todd Blanche. He wants to be the permanent attorney general. Is this going to somehow derail that for him? I suspect not.
CAPUTO: Maybe. I mean, it depends on how mad the Senate is. And at this point, Trump has sort of had it with the Senate, whether it's Todd Blanche or Bill Pulte as director of National Intelligence, his demand that they pass the SAVE Act, their refusal to pass FISA. All of these things are sort of tied together.
Not a lawyer, to be very clear, but I've gained enough experience watching how this game plays out to know that go ahead, judge, fight this. It's going to get appealed. And I'm pretty sure that if past is prologue, DOJ is going to win on this one and the judge isn't because they're going to argue, no, the judge has no right to tell them this, and Donald Trump at a certain point can decide he's going to pursue the weaponization fund in a different way.
And so, ultimately, this is the fight DOJ wants to have. It's a conversation they'd like us to have because you know what?
[23:20:00]
Trump doesn't want to talk about Iran. He'd prefer to talk about this. So, that's what we're talking about.
COATES: I'm not so sure the judiciary would cede that level of authority because --
CAPUTO: I think this judiciary --
COATES: Well, I think it's having them say essentially that my orders, you can thumb your nose at it and not even respond in writing when you say something. I'm stating (ph) things that happen, but we are in that world as well. SHEDD: I think what's happening here, though, is that this is -- it's duplicative. It's unnecessary. Not only did Todd Blanche say this in testimony before Congress on multiple occasions, that this is dead, the actual court filings in this case that are signed by the associate A.G. Woodward, which is one of the three people that she needs to get this signed declaration from, says in those court documents that he signed that the fund is dead. So, there are multiple statements that have been made in writing and orally in front of the judge, in front of Congress, that say that it's dead.
COATES: So why is one more -- why is one more --
SHEDD: At what point in time do you have to say enough is enough?
COATES: Well, when there is a credibility issue. And, by the way, when you're talking about the times that a judge requires there to be something in writing, this happens all the time, not just for a Todd Blanche or an attorney general. It happens when someone stands up and says, your honor, I'm going to abide by the terms of my probation. And they say, I swear I'm going to stay away from this person, I've got a protective order. And the judge says, OK, well, here's what you're going to sign to, you're going to agree to those things. That's the everyday person. So, why wouldn't an attorney general hopeful say to themselves, I'll put it in writing because I stand by my word?
CAPUTO: Because that's weak.
ELLEITHEE: Because of his boss.
CAPUTO: Because that's weak, and his boss views that as weakness. And at this point, this is the fight they want to have. OK, judicial branch, you want to tell the executive what to do? Ultimately, in the constitutional system, the president is only accountable to Congress, which has to impeach and remove him. And is it going to get to that level? No. Now, one day, may Blanche decide to just sign this off. But they want to have this fight for a little while to flex. They want to exercise power -- to exercise power to tell the judicial branch they can't do this.
COATES: Well, the congressional (ph) branch?
ELLEITHEE: Todd Blanche may have said it, but the president hasn't, right? The president was asked, do you also think this is dead? And he would not say yes. He thinks it's still a great idea. That's probably why Todd Blanche won't sign it, because his boss still wants it, still thinks it's a good idea. And Donald Trump doesn't really care about the judiciary --
CAPUTO: He thinks that they have no right to tell --
ELLEITHEE: He believes this entire term has been him flexing, saying the executive branch has absolute power. The executive branch ought to be able to do -- he even said it in your interview, that there -- he has -- he's not seeing any limitations on his power. And so, he wants to have this fight. The thing is so do Democrats. And I think a lot of Democrats who see that this slush fund is incredibly unpopular, not just amongst Democrats, amongst independents, and increasingly Republican voters heading into a midterm being able to say this is the fight he wants versus fighting to make your life easier.
COATES: Here's the fight he's having tonight. It's about algae.
(LAUGHTER)
I kid you not. I mean, there was a lengthy Truth Social post. The president is now scapegoating the algae that's in the pool -- in the reflecting pool. He's blaming the problem on vandals.
CAPUTO (ph): Those algae vandals.
COATES: Mother Nature is a vandal. He has a new post out. You can see parts of it right there, of course. And he is claiming that an ABC reporter tried to rip the rubber off the surface and police are now investigating. I hate to turn to you, Leslie.
SHEDD: No, I know --
COATES: But you know what?
(LAUGHTER)
OK. I'd like to ask you. Why --
JAFFER: I'm a Republican, too.
COATES: OK.
JAFFER: Let me defend the algae.
COATES: OK. Let me ask this. Why is this --
CAPUTO (ph): He wants to defend the algae.
COATES: Why is this consuming him on a Friday night? I mean, there are literally very pressing issues right now. Why is this the one he wants?
SHEDD: So, I want to again say I think the president has the capability of focusing on multiple things at once. But to me --
COATES: Yes, algae and rubber.
SHEDD: And I think that to me -- I don't understand why people are so upset that the president is trying to make Washington, D.C. more beautiful for its 250th. I think for him, he's excited that he's the president for this big, important moment in our history. And he wants to make sure that the city looks beautiful. And he's frustrated by the fact that it's --
CAPUTO: That he hired an idiot who screwed up the pool, right? Or the pond or whatever it is.
COATES: I can -- I can -- I don't think the question is whether or not people are angry that he wants to make it beautiful. Everyone wants beautification. Fine. Got it. They're talking about the prioritization of topics like this in light of other matters that are -- that he may think equally but are far more pressing.
JAFFER: The president got a lot going on. I agree with Leslie. He can do a lot. He has already demonstrated that he can do a lot at one time. He can manage a lot of things. The question is, why is he managing this one, right? Why is this one so important? Who cares about the reflecting pool when you got Iran, you got Ukraine, you got China? There's a lot going on in the world.
[23:25:00]
The American people are suffering with inflation, with higher gas prices. There's a lot going on in this country. The reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial is not the thing for the president of the United States at 10 p.m. at night to be writing on Truth Social. It's --
COATES: Did you ask him?
CAPUTO: I didn't ask him that, but I can give an easy answer. Why is he focusing on this? Because it's on T.V.
(LAUGHTER)
CAPUTO: I'm serious. We're focusing on it, too. So, the president consumes a lot of media. And he has this love-hate relationship with Jon Karl, sees Jon Karl out there being the -- I didn't see the clip but allegedly peeling up paint. And the president is like, you know, screw that guy.
SHEDD: Right.
CAPUTO: Like, you want to -- you want to talk about that? Fine, we're going to talk about that. So, that's what he's doing.
COATES: All right. Let's test it. I want to talk about Summer House on Bravo right now, Mr. President.
(LAUGHTER)
UNKNOWN: Yes.
COATES: I don't know why they didn't rehire West. But do you want to Truth Social about that? Where's my phone? Everyone, stand by. It's your turn to drive the conversation. The panel will answer your questions and comments coming up. Just text us at 818-972-7272. And later, my Friday interview with award-winning actor Wendell Pierce on this Juneteenth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDELL PIERCE, ACTOR: It's a reminder that with everything that -- with every achievement we've made in this country, there are those who do not have our best interest at heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[23:30:00]
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COATES: While we've been getting so many questions from you tonight, we're going to get right to them with the panel. Derek from Maryland asked this question. Why does Trump keep nominating unqualified people to important jobs? Marc, you interviewed him.
CAPUTO: Well, they would object --
COATES: They're referencing Bill Pulte.
CAPUTO: They would object to the form of the question. But bottom line, because he likes them, and because he wants to have a fight, and he thinks the Senate sucks. So, he's going to pick who he wants. And if the Senate wants to fight about it, fine.
COATES: Sometimes, that's simple, huh? Well, David asked this question. What has the United States gained from the war with Iran? Jamil?
JAFFER: Well, we gained a lot of leverage. We just didn't use it. We let the leverage go away because the president wouldn't reopen the strait with force. And so, Iran sapped our leverage. We actually had the opportunity to really gain an advantage with Iran. We just dropped the ball.
COATES: One viewer says, you really need to talk more about how the two real estate developers are going to negotiate again with Iran. At what point do we, the people, say, stop sending these two? They are so out of their depth. Leslie, you want to take it?
SHEDD: So, one of the things you have to keep in mind when you're dealing with negotiators is, yes, you want somebody there that, you know, has good relationships with the people they're talking to, but you really want somebody that's got the trust and the faith of the president of the United States. That's crucial. These two guys do. The president believes them. And so, when people are negotiating with them, they know that they're going to have the president's ear and that they're speaking for the president.
COATES: Interesting. One viewer also asked this question. How much of this are we going to remember when it's time to vote? Oh, Mo?
ELLEITHEE: Look, one of the things Donald Trump is really good at is changing the story, changing the subject every week. So, there's something else that we tend to forget. But what we won't forget, and this was true back in 2020, is the sense of chaos that swirls around him, that he is imposing on the rest of us. That sense of chaos leads to voter exhaustion, and that's not something that's quickly forgotten.
COATES: Yet there has been chaos before. I wonder if exhaustion will lead to people staying home or leaning in. It's a good point, though. Rayshawn from Louisville, Kentucky asked this question. Should the New York Knicks go to the White House or should they skip? Marc, I'll ask you that.
CAPUTO: I'm not taking that one.
(LAUGHTER)
JAFFER: I'll take it. Of course, they should go to the White House. It's the president of the United States. Give me a break.
COATES: OK. What do you think?
SHEDD: They should go. I went when the Clemson Tigers were there. I went to Clemson. They served all of the cheeseburgers. It was amazing. It's so much fun. They should go and honor their city and their win.
COATES: What do you think, Mo?
ELLEITHEE: Look, I get why they might not want to, if the president tends to turn it into something about himself as opposed to honoring the team. That's always the risk.
CAPUTO: You think Trump would do it?
ELLEITHEE: Shocking. Shocking thought.
JAFFER: Every president does -- every president --
ELLEITHEE: Do they?
JAFFER: -- is an egomaniac and wants to make it about themselves.
ELLEITHEE: Do they?
JAFFER: Maybe not. Maybe (INAUDIBLE) Donald Trump. But, come on. I mean, every president is into themselves. Let's not -- let's not --
ELLEITHEE: Either way, I'm not going to be exercising.
COATES: OK. Well, look -- OK, fine, fine. If the Knicks go, I'll be with you. I'll interview all of you. Just give me some jerseys. I have a kid. All right, Arjuna, beautiful name, Arjuna from Annapolis, Maryland asked this question. As us Gen Z voters become a larger share of the electorate, which issue do you think politicians are still underestimating? That's a good question.
ELLEITHEE: A.I.
COATES: A.I.?
ELLEITHEE: A.I. I work at a college campus. Students are freaking out about what the future holds because of A.I., and this town doesn't know how to talk about it. And so, that's something that I think --
CAPUTO: This town is unable to talk about a lot of things.
ELLEITHEE: Yes.
CAPUTO: I mean --
ELLEITHEE: But this is one that Gen Z is feeling a tremendous amount of anxiety.
SHEDD: I mean, my intern that I have and my staffers that work with me that are Gen Z, they are really worried about -- they're so worried about it to the point when I tell them, hey, if you don't know an answer, go ask A.I., and if you don't get a good response, come back and tell me. They say, I don't want to do that.
CAPUTO: We're finally seeing -- we're finally seeing with the tech revolution the upper educated class finally threatened by technology --
ELLEITHEE: Yes.
CAPUTO: -- whereas in the past, it was the more blue-collar workers. And I think the other thing, it's not that they're underestimating, but just not addressing it, I'm not sure how they do it, to be honest, is the price of entry into this economy and owning a home astronomically high. And just what these guys are doing and what they can do, they're certainly not talking about it.
COATES: Jamil?
JAFFER: What I think is crazy is that they should be thrilled about A.I.
[23:35:00]
They should be excited. They should be passionate. This is an opportunity to raise all boats. I think A.I. is going to have tremendously beneficial effects for our economy, for our workforce, for the -- for generation, for Gen Z. I think it's wild that they're walking out of -- out of graduation like they should be embracing it, running towards it, not away from it.
I think this is part of our cultural problem. We've created a bunch of victims, right, where everyone is like, it's somebody else's problem, not mine. Take ownership of this thing, run at it, and go hard at it.
COATES: You know, it's wild that Allen Iverson has not capitalized on A.I. I mean -- OK.
UNKNOWN: Yes.
COATES: All right. Fine. Thank you, everyone. Up next, on this Juneteenth, I go one-on-one with actor and activist Wendell Pierce as he reflects on the day, America 250, voting rights, and the Black athlete boycott he wants to see happen in the south. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERCE: The SEC is not the reason you are going to be successful and sought after in the professional sport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[23:40:00]
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COATES: The Obama Presidential Center opening its doors to the public for the very first time today. There were long lines. Tickets sold out through November. But the first hundred people to make it inside were in for quite the surprise. A greeting from the former president and first lady themselves.
And it's fitting that a museum honoring the nation's first Black president opened on this particular day, Juneteenth. Celebrations are taking place all across the country to mark the day. Well, slavery came to an end and it, of course, officially became a federal holiday just five years ago. We know the long history of the Juneteenth movement. And yet no official acknowledgment or statement came from the White House this year.
Earlier, I had the chance to sit down with actor and activist Wendell Pierce as part of our Friday night interview series. We spoke about the significance of this day and the political moment we find ourselves in.
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COATES: Wendell, I have to wonder, does Juneteenth carry a different weight this year given the current climate we're in?
PIERCE: Absolutely. We see the active and organized attempt at erasure of who we are as a people, that we can't even celebrate those who evidently have given so much to this country, have achieved so much in this country. We have an administration that's literally trying to erase us from history, and it is reflected in what Juneteenth is.
You know, it's a celebration of freedom and the end of slavery, but it came two and a half years after the fact, and then wasn't even ratified until six months later in December of that year. So --
COATES: It basically provides exploitation of people who were not given the information.
PIERCE: It's a reminder that with everything that -- with every achievement we've made in this country, there are those who do not have our best interests at heart and do not want us to participate fully as Americans. COATES: That's interesting given where we are just this summer. You know, America 250. And there are a lot of people -- I get a lot of viewer questions and a lot of comments people make. And they're concerned about feeling conflicted, about celebrating this hallmark occasion, and yet not acknowledging the full scope of history at a time of erasure or conflicted feelings. How have you been approaching America 250?
PIERCE: The most important phrase in all of our mantras and laws is to form a more perfect union. I think of that. So, the celebration is the Moses generation that gave us the Joshua generation a call to duty, to be ever vigilant, never lose the ability to be offended, fight for your rights, understand that there are those who do not have your best interests at heart, that don't want you to be fully American, and that means you love this country because of those who fought for it.
So, I think -- I'm from Louisiana. So, when I think of celebrating 250 years, I think of the men and women in Colfax who won an election and died at the hands of their neighbors, and then came back to court and called them out, you know, not being afraid of saying these are the murderers who said they killed us for this.
There was another massacre in Thibodeau, Louisiana. There was a massacre right on the main street of New Orleans when people were coming out of a political convention and shot dead on the street. And it was a reaction to seeing Black men in uniform who were still a part of the Union Army that was patrolling New Orleans at that time. And then I found out this year that two of those men were my second grandfathers --
COATES: Really?
PIERCE: -- on my mother's side and my father's side. Genealogy was done on my family. I'm fortunate enough to be on "Finding Your Roots" with Henry Louis Gates. And so, I knew, you know, that they were a part of the colored troops, the union troops that were patrolling in New Orleans. So, that's what 250 means to me.
COATES: That's in your blood. And perhaps it's no wonder then how outspoken you have been, how committed you have been when some artists, and artists you truly are, might shy away from letting their viewpoints be known, particularly in the political spaces.
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It's interesting because as a thespian, people often look at theater as one of the earliest ways to speak truth to power.
PIERCE: Absolutely.
COATES: Does that inspire you still?
PIERCE: That is the very essence of what being an artist is, right? Entertainment is a byproduct of what we do, right? The role of art is what thoughts are to the individual, when you reflect on who you are, decide on what's important to you, where you failed, where you've triumphed.
Art is where we gather to collectively as a society and reflect on who we are, where we've been, where we hope to go, decide what our values are, and then go into the world and act on those values. That's the role of art.
COATES: You had called for, in light of the Supreme Court of the United States' decision, to further gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. You know, we've talked about this. It's very personal to anyone with an interest in the United States of America.
PIERCE: Yes.
COATES: They gutted it. They --
PIERCE: Then in my state. Forty-five thousand people -- I'm from Louisiana. Forty-five thousand people had voted. And literally, the day after that decision came down, they threw those votes out.
COATES: You've asked, as a result, for people to make contribution in the sense of even boycotting with the SEC athletes, deciding not to either play or continue to play. And there has been a lot of pushback, including from athletes who have said, this is -- this is my chance to do something that I would like.
PIERCE: They are empowered.
COATES: And they also say, well, Congress, you guys, somebody else, why should it be incumbent on the youngest among us?
PIERCE: I think it was young people that those fire hoses were on in Birmingham. I think it was young people, their age that sat at those lunch counters. I think it was young people at Kent State protesting the war. I think it was young people that fought in Yorktown. They are at that very age. And also, the SEC is not the reason you are going to be successful and sought after in the professional sport. It is your talent. Recognize that.
COATES: It is a platform to expose that talent.
PIERCE: Your talent will be seen and found wherever you go. Now, do you feel as though you have to kowtow to someone who has no respect for who you are and your humanity and tell you that the only way you're going to be able to do it is if you come through our system, where we benefit with billions of dollars, billions of dollars, because you get to work for us for free?
COATES: Do you call on both Black and white athletes? All athletes, frankly?
PIERCE: I call everything. I'm an American. I'm an American. So, yes.
COATES: Will it pressure -- if this boycott were to happen, would it put the requisite amount of pressure on the government to make a change and avoid and stop gerrymandering or do you think it might languish as symbolic? PIERCE: Always follow the money. If you mess with their money, right, it will make a change.
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UNKNOWN: I'll present how I did thrive in this fair lady's love, and she in mine.
UNKNOWN: Say it, Othello.
UNKNOWN: Her father loved me, often invited me. Still questioned me the story of my life. From year to year. The battles, sieges --
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COATES: I mean, here you are in Washington, D.C., on stage for Othello. I mean, so many greats have performed this role. You truly also among them. Why do you think plays like Othello still resonate today? Why are people still flocking to hear the words of Shakespeare or the --
PIERCE: Four hundred years after the fact, right?
COATES: Right. Why is that?
PIERCE: Corruption, greed, lies, propaganda, conspiracy, murder, war, racism, misogyny. All in Othello. And every one of those is on display in our society today. Heightened, even, you know. So, it is very relevant. It is very important.
And what makes it a classic is because it spoke to people 400 years ago, it speaks to us today, and it will speak to people 400 years after we're gone because it taps into the reality that there's that part of human nature, right? There's good in human nature, but there's also a dark ugliness in human nature. And that's the thing about the times that we're in.
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It's a reminder that we thought, when you make progress, that you can just sit on your laurels, you know? But you can't. You have -- it's like a chronic disease, understanding that you have to be ever vigilant because there are elements of systems that have been in place and beliefs in the ugly part of human nature that will always be, you know, a part of that battle.
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COATES: Our thanks to Wendell Pierce and that wonderful conversation. I'll have more on my social media as well that illuminates further discussions. Up next on this Friday night, American Ninja Warrior going for gold? Literally. The course is set to become part of the Olympic Games. And, you know, I have NBC's Matt Iseman to talk about it tonight with me, next.
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UNKNOWN: There it is. Use that momentum. And I think this is the perfect time to make that transfer. Good.
UNKNOWN: Got it.
UNKNOWN: She's got clearance. You're good.
UNKNOWN: Oh. Well, that was --
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COATES: You know it for the insane obstacle courses, incredible athleticism, and yes, the wipeouts, of course. Well, now, Ninja Warrior-style courses, they're headed to the biggest stage of all, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Obstacle racing will now be part of the modern pentathlon, replacing equestrian show jumping. It is the latest sign the Olympics are trying to meet a new generation where they are. You remember that in 2024, breakdancing officially debuted at the Paris Olympics. Let's hope it goes better than that, of course.
Co-host and play-by-play announcer of American Ninja Warrior, Matt Iseman, joins me now. So excited to have you on. I love American Ninja Warrior.
MATT ISEMAN, CO-HOST AND PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER, AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR: I was getting nervous when you mentioned us with the Olympics and you showed that Australian break dancer who was known as Heisenberg because she was breaking bad. It was atrocious. Ninja Warrior is going to be a much better obstacle, a much better event in the Olympics.
COATES: I have no doubt that it will be. And this is a huge change for the Olympics. It is a huge validation, frankly, for Ninja Warrior. How did this go from T.V. obstacle course that everyone watches and thinks, I could probably do that, to realizing they cannot, to an Olympic event?
ISEMAN: Well, I've had that same realization when I've tried the course. But I think it's a testament to our athletes and to the fact that what started as a reality T.V. show grew into something where athletes were competing year-round, where really around the globe, ninja gyms have opened, there are leagues that are open.
So, this next step of becoming a part of the Olympics, really becoming a part of the fabric of sport, it's such a testament to what our athletes have done over the years and to the stories that have been shared.
So, we're incredibly excited for 2028. It's going to be right here. I'm in L.A. right here. I'm hoping I get to be a part of that broadcast. We'll see if my bosses at NBC are listening.
COATES: Oh, you've got to be. Are you kidding me? If I don't hear your voice, it won't be the same. And thinking about this, I mean, this is huge for the sport. And you're right, athleticism is fully on display. It is a family event. People are watching it. You've got generations competing together, cheering each other on. It really is the quintessential, really Olympic experience, I would think. And you've got equestrian show jumping. That's very different than what this is. So, what do you think will be the hardest part for athletes who are trying to adapt to this new event?
ISEMAN: You know, it's the same thing that -- we've had so many athletes come out on our course. And we're talking Olympic gold medalists. We've had professional football players come out, Navy SEALs come out. A lot of them relied on athleticism.
The reality is these obstacle challenges are unlike anything they've ever done. So, you have to be specially trained. You have to have gone out to these gyms. You have to have really applied yourself to learn the techniques. And when you see the modern pentathlon, you see it combines so many different skills with swimming and running and the laser pistols and now ninja. So, it takes a well-rounded athlete.
But that's always been the case at Ninja Warrior. So, we have quite a few of our athletes who we know are trying to pick up the other skills in the pentathlon. So, we're hoping someone from the Ninja Warrior world can bring home the gold.
COATES: I mean, my son did have an American Ninja Warrior party. Trademarks aside, I can bring the cupcakes. I can't bring anything else to support this, but the cupcakes --
ISEMAN: You and I, Laura. I'll have cupcakes with you --
COATES: OK.
ISEMAN: -- because what these athletes do is so insane.
COATES: It is. I mean, it's obviously huge in this country. But before that originated in Japan, it has been adapted all over the world. OK, tell me, I'm talking to an American here, do you think any country is going to have an advantage here?
ISEMAN: Well, so, we've -- we've competed against the world. We've done USA versus the world in the past. We took on Japan, the originators. The American athletes have really been dominant. So, I'm all in favor of team USA to begin with.
But, you know, one of the beautiful things that you said, and you mentioned it with your son, Ninja Warrior really is about family. You saw that woman on the course at the beginning, Sandy Zimmerman, and you saw her whole family on the sidelines who competed with her. She was the first mom to get up the Warped Wall.
And the thing I love about Ninja Warrior is so many people came in here, you know, for an athletic challenge, but really found a home. They found a family, and it's so beautiful that more people are getting to see that. Season 18 is out.
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The Olympics is really going to be kind of the crowning moment for Ninja Warrior.
COATES: I can't wait for this. Twenty twenty-eight, here you come. Nice to see you.
ISEMAN: Good seeing you, Laura. Thanks so much.
COATES: Thank you. Hey, thank you all for watching. Have a great weekend. Paula Newton is in for Elex Michaelson, next.
