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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
CNN Projects Mamdani-Backed Lander Will Defeat Rep. Goldman; Trump Sticks By Claim That Pool Lining Was Cut "With A Knife"; Now: Results Coming In For Key NY Primaries. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired June 23, 2026 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): But it is true that anybody that's close to Trump is making millions of dollars right now. For instance, pardons are being handed out based upon whether you are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump-affiliated lobbyists. And so, sure, there are probably a lot of aides to Trump who want to get to the outside, so that they can get paid as part of this pardon racket.
It's just corrupt from top to bottom. It's no longer just Trump and his family getting rich. It's literally hundreds of people who work at the White House, and are close to people at the White House, and that should just be unacceptable to Democrats and Republicans in this country.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Senator Chris Murphy, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Our primary night coverage continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Good evening. I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is CNN's special coverage of Election Night here in America.
As we come on the air tonight, all eyes are on New York, where the polls have just closed in several marquee primary races that pit the progressive movement against the Democratic establishment, and what could be a major test of where the party is headed, come November.
As the results are starting to come in, as we're tracking them closely, we're watching to see if Democratic voters are behind New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's chosen candidates in these races, as the Democratic Socialist is trying tonight to unseat two sitting members of Congress in a remarkable political gamble. That includes the Democratic congressman, Dan Goldman, who right now is fighting off a challenge from the former City Comptroller, Brad Lander.
And Brad Lander is going to join me live, in just a moment.
We're also closely watching the race to replace the retiring Congressman Jerry Nadler in New York's 12th District. That crowded, star-studded field includes JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, prominent Republican turned Trump critic, George Conway, and also two rival assemblymembers in Micah Lasher and Alex Bores. The artificial intelligence industry in that race has poured tens of millions of dollars trying to defeat Alex Bores, who has made regulating artificial intelligence a key issue of his career and his campaign.
We start tonight, as we do every Election Night, with John King at the Magic Wall.
Because John, obviously, the polls now have just closed.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
COLLINS: New York counts votes quickly, so hopefully we'll have some calls in this hour. What are we seeing so far in New York 12th?
KING: In New York 12th, we're seeing no results so far. Just want to show you, Kaitlan, it's going to -- oh, we do have some results now. Look at that, just came in. See that. You're right, New York counts quickly. So let's get right to it.
Let's go to New York 12th, and you see right here. This, everyone expects to be a tight race, and everyone also expects maybe the famous names won't come out on top. And here you have, right now, two members of the state assembly, Micah Lasher and Alex Bores.
This is about 40 percent of the vote. These are early votes that are kicked in right away into the system. So, you have to be careful. Sometimes, what you see in the early votes, and then what you see in the Election Day votes can be different.
But just out of the box, with about 40 percent of the estimate, Micah Lasher with 41 percent, Alex Bores with 33 percent. As you know very well, artificial intelligence has been huge in this race, especially the money coming into it.
Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy's grandson, down at just 11 percent. And George Conway, obviously the Republican lawyer turned Democrat Trump critic, trying to win this seat at 7.1 percent. Also 6 percent, the other candidate. Right.
So the two top candidates, as expected, not the celebrity candidates at the beginning of the race anyway, Kaitlan, as we -- first results come in, there -- the competition there, you see that early lead, that's about eight points. You think that's significant at 40 percent. But again, what you get in the early votes that are reported right away, sometimes as you get Election Day votes, it can change. So, we'll watch it.
COLLINS: And what are we watching in the 10th District?
KING: Right, so this is where it gets interesting. This is one of the races where the Mayor is involved here. Brad Lander was a mayoral rival, then turned supporter, after Mamdani won the Democratic nomination.
And you see the early results here, a big gap. Dan Goldman, the incumbent Democratic congressman, this is one of the places where Mayor Mamdani is trying to make a statement tonight, to the Democrat establishment in his city and in his state, and also nationally. Brad Lander out to a big early lead there.
The expectation of Democrats I've spoken to, I believe the same for you in New York, is that Lander because, he's so well-known in that district and because he does have the Mayor's backing, would win this race. We'll watch. It's about a third of the vote counted. But that's what you want out of the box, a big early lead.
COLLINS: All right. John King, we're going to check back in with you throughout the hour.
And speaking of that district, right now we have joining us, New York House candidate, Brad Lander, who is, as we said, trying to unseat the Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman tonight.
And thank you, sir, for being here.
Obviously, a key distinction in your race. As the votes are still coming in, and we're watching them closely, as you obviously are. You're backed by Mayor Mamdani. Dan Goldman is backed by the Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, here in Washington. What do you think the results tonight will tell us about whose endorsement matters more?
BRAD LANDER, (D) NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE, FORMER NYC COMPTROLLER: Look, I think the votes tonight are going to tell us what voters want to see in the Democratic Party, and I think they want leaders who are going to fight, not just Donald Trump, but the billionaires who are rigging the economy against us, and that's what I think tonight's election is about.
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COLLINS: Well, I ask because Hakeem Jeffries was asked today, what significance he's applying to these races, and he said, and I'm quoting him, A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other in a given state or two aren't going to reshape who we are as House Democrats.
Do you agree with that sentiment?
LANDER: Well--
COLLINS: Or do you think it should reshape, depending on the results?
LANDER: I mean, look, I think progressives have been winning across the country: Analilia Mejia, Chris Rabb, Adam Hamawy, Daniel Biss, and those are folks who say, we want to see a Democratic Party that's fighting harder, we shouldn't be taking corporate PAC money from Wall Street, and crypto, and AI, and AIPAC. We've got to fight harder for working families and have people see us fighting for them, and we have to reset the U.S. relationship with Israel.
COLLINS: And do you believe Democratic leadership is in line with what you just laid out there?
LANDER: Well, I mean, that's why we have primaries. I think the primaries are showing that that's how Democratic voters feel. And as we get ready to then unify and go win the majority in the fall, it will be important to take those lessons into real account.
COLLINS: Do you think you're going to win tonight?
LANDER: I mean, I just saw the early voting numbers go up on the air with you. Obviously, I'm very happy to see those early. And I loved being out on the street today. I mean, I love every Election Day, but the spirit that's been moving in New York City since the Knicks win has been pretty incredible.
So, look, I think voters are hungry for change. That's why I ran in this race. The feeling -- you know, it felt good out on the streets today, and I'm optimistic about tonight's results.
COLLINS: If you win tonight, and Democrats do take back the majority, would you vote for Hakeem Jeffries as House Speaker?
LANDER: Yes, I'm eager to help elect Hakeem Jeffries as House Speaker, and also to make sure that our leadership is accountable to the party, just like voters hold us accountable.
COLLINS: How would you plan to do that?
LANDER: I mean, that's what -- that's what we're doing right now. Yes -- I'm running a primary against a corporate incumbent Democrat to say, voters want change on a range of issues, on corporate money, on fighting on housing and health care, and yes, on not sending any more money for Netanyahu's wars.
COLLINS: I want to ask about Israel. But on just what we're learning tonight about your party. When he was asked about the Democratic primaries in New York tonight, including yours, Senator John Fetterman, obviously a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said, quote, The dirtbag left is surging.
What's your response to that?
LANDER: I mean, look, I'm not going to respond to, you know, to what -- slurs, I guess. I don't know what you would call it.
When I launched this race, I said I didn't think what was at stake was progressives versus moderates. There are plenty of moderate districts across the country, and I've knocked doors for moderate Democrats, and I'll do it again as we head for November.
The line is between fighters and folders. And it's possible to be a progressive or a frontline Democrat and say, we have got to be the party that fights harder for working families and actually delivers for them. And on those things, on universal childcare, on making housing more affordable for people, on winning back the health care subsidies that Republicans cut, there is broad agreement across the party. The question is, how do we get out there and show people we're fighting for it?
COLLINS: So, when Fetterman calls your wing of the party, the dirtbag left. I mean, you're saying he's wrong?
LANDER: I mean, I'm not sure Fetterman is in our party anymore, to be honest. Democrats are having primaries to determine what kind of candidates we want to put on the field. And there will be a diverse array of candidates because, they reflect and represent a diverse array of districts. Primaries are a time to have those fights out, and then as we head toward the fall, it's a time of unity. I will try to be a force of unity.
I hope Senator Fetterman will stop attacking other Democrats that decide to rejoin the fold. But if he wants to leave the party, we've got a lot of great fighters who can show up and fight for working families.
COLLINS: You mentioned Israel, which has obviously been a huge flashpoint in this race with you and Dan Goldman.
And when he was on this show in May, I asked him how he would describe the difference in the two of you, on your views on Israel. And essentially, he argued, quote, We're both Zionists. We both support Israel. We both support a two-state solution. We're both supported by J Street. And then he was arguing that what people are talking about on the streets of New York were not, you know, Israel 6,000 miles away, but what was happening at the White House.
How would you articulate your difference with Dan Goldman?
LANDER: Yes, I mean, look, I think Dan Goldman knows that he's out of step with his district on this issue. He voted for every single standalone aid package to Israel, to fund all the 2,000-pound bombs that destroyed all of the schools and hospitals in Gaza.
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I've made clear, I'll sign on to the Block the Bombs Act and the Ceasefire Compliance Act, neither of which he has, and I won't vote for any more money for Israel, while it's violating Palestinian human rights and international law. That's a pretty stark difference, and it's one that Democratic voters are really clear about.
COLLINS: Do you believe what happened to him in the coffee shop where he was with his daughter, and they came out and posted, this Brooklyn coffee shop after, that he was banned, and they were refunding him because of the money -- because they didn't want to take AIPAC money.
Do you believe that was a wrong way for that coffee shop to express their views?
LANDER: I do. I thought Representative Goldman's response was gracious, explaining that he had come in because his daughter needed to use the bathroom. And he bought a coffee, in order to say thank you, and to tip her. I was glad they took the post down. There are a lot of ways that voters can express their passionate disagreements with their representatives. I think there are a lot of voters in the district who don't want to be complicit in genocide. But we don't need to bring that fight into our coffee shops and the small businesses of our neighborhoods. We don't want to compromise on anyone's humanity, not in Israel and Palestine, and not in Brooklyn or any of the five boroughs.
COLLINS: Yes.
Brad Lander, we came on the air just a couple of minutes ago as the numbers were still coming in, in your race. I'm going to do something a little unusual here, so I want you to bear with me.
Not many candidates are on CNN when they hear this music.
(MUSIC)
COLLINS: But we do have breaking news, and we can now project that Brad Lander will defeat the incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District.
And, sir, obviously, since we have you here, live on air, as we are making this call, what is your first reaction to this?
LANDER: Well, thank you, first of all. Obviously, I'm thrilled. I did not expect to be on air when the race was called.
Look, I love Election Day. I like the voters get to go out and cast their ballots and say, here's who we want to represent us. These are the fights that matter to us. And all I can say is I promise to go out every single day, and fight for my constituents and the values that they have because, we need a country that stands up for working people, that doesn't make it so hard to live here. I'll be fighting for a city everyone can afford, and where everyone is welcome.
And I'm really honored to be on your show tonight.
COLLINS: Depending on how the rest of these races go tonight, everyone is going to be looking for through lines and what this means for the Democratic Party, come November. We know at least one candidate who is endorsed by Mayor Mamdani and not endorsed, obviously, by the Minority Leader here in Washington, Hakeem Jeffries, has won, which is you.
What do you think it says about the Democratic Party tonight?
LANDER: Look, I think it says people want fighters, they want people who reject corporate PAC money from private equity, Wall Street, and crypto, and AIPAC. It wants people who center that real felt needs of working families and go out and fight and deliver for them, like I've been doing for 30 years, protecting tenants and building affordable housing.
And I do think it says Democratic voters want to reset the U.S. relationship with Israel. They don't want a foreign policy that compromises on anyone's humanity. COLLINS: Do you think that's become a litmus test in your party to a degree?
LANDER: Well, I don't know that it's a litmus test. There's still a majority of Democratic members of Congress who take money from AIPAC, and a majority of Democrats, you know, in the House, at least, have continued to vote for military aid. I think it says Democratic voters want to see that change.
COLLINS: Do you agree with how Mayor Mamdani described AIPAC when he was out on the campaign trail?
LANDER: Look, there are -- voters have a lot of concerns with AIPAC and the way, but it's, you know, that's true of other super PACs as well that spend money in dark ways, that don't even talk clearly about the issues that they're focused on. So, it was an important part of my campaign.
At the same time, like, I'm a proud Jewish New Yorker. Anti-Semitism is surging. It is important for us to be clear that the Democratic Party is not going to compromise on anyone's human rights, not Palestinians in Gaza, and not Jews in New York City or the United States of America. Like, that's not two separate jobs, that's the same job.
COLLINS: Brad Lander, thank you for joining us tonight, and thank you for being with us as CNN projected your race. That was not planned. But you know what? News happens as it happens.
LANDER: Thank you so much, Kaitlan. Great to be with you. Happy Election Day.
COLLINS: Yes, we look forward to talking to you again soon.
My top political sources are here joining me tonight, including:
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California.
Republican strategist, Shermichael Singleton.
And former Obama administration official, Van Jones.
[21:15:00]
And Van, I just want to start with you in terms of what you're watching tonight, now that we know that Brad Lander is projected to defeat the incumbent in this race, two-term congressman Dan Goldman, who obviously everyone will remember, from leading Trump's impeachment when he was working, and then obviously becoming a congressman. What are you making of this tonight?
VAN JONES, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The revolution is being televised. That's what I make of it.
The Mamdani phenomenon is not a one-guy thing. The Democratic Socialists are an insurgency in this party. We'll see what happens in New York 13. But I think people who thought this was going to be a kind of a cute guy off to the side? There's a huge infrastructure here, there's a movement here, there's passion here, and people who don't like it are going to have to wake up and smell the coffee. This is a -- this is a serious movement inside the Democratic Party. The left is on the march.
COLLINS: Congressman. Obviously, you're the Democrat here at the table, the Democratic official with us. I mean, when you're looking at this, how are you watching this tonight?
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): I'm glad that Brad Lander won. I had done some support for him.
And look, this is fundamentally about Gaza. Anyone who says that Mamdani was just about affordability doesn't understand that election. It was partly about Gaza.
Young people saw on their phones, for two years, the genocide that took place. And for many people it's a test of character. Are you going to deny that genocide, or are you going to say what took place, and you're going to stand for human rights. That was the central difference in this race, between Dan Goldman and Brad Lander, and Brad Lander won. And in my view, this is going to be a central divide, heading into 2026 and 2028.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes, look, I think this is the Tea Party moment for my friends on the left. And many in the establishment wing of my party, they dismissed many of the Tea Party elements, and obviously that spurred the rise of President Trump and him being elected twice. I think that's where this is going on the other side.
And I agree with you, Congressman. I think, in 2028, it will be a tale of two cities. You'll have your establishment, traditional Democrats, against someone who may be progressive, maybe even a Democratic Socialist, making their appeals to younger voters, in particular, maybe even middle-aged Democratic voters who find themselves to be completely disgusted by a political system that they believe is no longer working for them.
That said, as a conservative, I see this as a real contrast between an element of the Democratic Party that believes the United States should retract on the world stage and be weak and not support our allies.
I see an iteration of the Democratic Party that does not believe in capitalism. They do not believe it works. They do believe that there is a significant percent of people in America who have earned too much, and that somehow it is the responsibility of the government to take from them and spread the wealth around to everyone else, under the guise of making and improving the lot in life of the majority, those who are struggling.
I was -- clearly view that a different way. It is a message and a contrast that I think conservatives will hopefully draw in November, will certainly draw it in 2028. Do you want a prosperous America? Or do you want an America with government control that is expansive, with higher taxes, that dictates who can and cannot be successful? I'm willing to bet that most Americans will believe in the Republicans, when drawing that contrast.
COLLINS: Well, we will see if that is actually the case.
We obviously have a lot more races to watch tonight, as we are reading the tea leaves here and seeing what these implications are. New York is not the only state we're watching. Because remember how the President endorsed both Republicans in South Carolina for governor? One of them just won.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: CNN can now project that the Attorney General, Alan Wilson, will win the Republican primary for governor in South Carolina. He just picked up President Trump's endorsement, last night, after the President also endorsed his Republican opponent in the race, that's the Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette.
The President also was in Pennsylvania today, in part to campaign for Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We got to get a certain -- we got to get a certain very talented Congressman reelected. Do you know that? We got to get him.
Where are you? Where are you, Mr. Congressman?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: My congressional source tonight is Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis of New York.
And thank you for joining us here tonight.
I mean, obviously the President had endorsed both Republicans in that race. What did you read into that? I mean, it came after some of the other gubernatorial candidates--
REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): Yes.
COLLINS: --he had endorsed did not do so well.
MALLIOTAKIS: Well, sometimes the President just does that. I think he endorses people who are also unopposed. He endorsed me, which I was very happy to have his endorsement, despite not having a primary tonight.
With this particular in Pennsylvania, we're talking about now--
COLLINS: In South Carolina. MALLIOTAKIS: Oh, in South Carolina with Wilson.
I thought that -- look, I think Alan Wilson was actually very popular. I think -- I actually did think this was going to happen because, people that I talked to in South Carolina, friends that unfortunately have fled New York for South Carolina, have told me that they felt that he was the more conservative candidate. Also, he's the son of Joe Wilson, who is a very popular congressman in the district, and he also picked up the support of Nancy Mace after she lost the primary.
And so, I'm not surprised by this at all, and I thought that it was kind of smart of the President to hedge his bets.
COLLINS: In the New York race tonight, now that we're projecting that Brad Lander is going to defeat Dan Goldman in that primary race. What do those results say to you?
MALLIOTAKIS: Well, I'm not surprised by that one either, and I would actually say that I believe that Brad Lander probably won that on his own, not because he had the endorsement of the Mayor. I mean, this is somebody who had citywide office. He was -- he was a City controller. He had ran for mayor of the City of New York. So, he was established. He had been in the City Council prior to that. So, he had his established following.
[21:25:00]
I think also it -- what it does tell you, though, somewhat, is that obviously, the party in New York City is moving a little bit more to the left, or I'd say maybe a lot more to the left.
Look, all the Democrats that are incumbents, they all vote the same way. They still supported open borders. They voted to not fund law -- certain law enforcement. They voted against the tax cuts for middle- class families. The difference here is you're seeing on Israel. That's a big difference between these left-wing candidates and the incumbents that are up tonight. And I think some of the more radical policies.
I mean, one of these candidates, the one running against Adriano Espaillat, I mean, this woman has said she wants to abolish police, prisons, borders. At one point, she even tweeted that she didn't think we should fund our military, that we should defund the military. That is extreme and radical, and I think very dangerous. So, we'll see what happens tonight. And I--
COLLINS: I mean, if that was -- if these policies to the left are that unpopular--
MALLIOTAKIS: Yes.
COLLINS: --I'm talking of Brad Lander's and others. I mean, wouldn't that make it easier for Republicans to win in these districts?
MALLIOTAKIS: Well, unfortunately--
COLLINS: Your theory-- MALLIOTAKIS: Unfortunately, I represent the only competitive district in the City of New York. These are districts where they're D plus 30 or 40. They're very -- whoever wins the primary wins the general.
I think that's the problem with gerrymandering. It brings us to a whole other discussion. When you have political gerrymandering, this is the election, whether it's the far right or the far left. When you have those districts that are so extreme, whoever emerges from the primaries is there, and you don't get somebody more moderate in the middle.
COLLINS: So, do you think the President should stop calling for gerrymandering?
MALLIOTAKIS: I do. I've said that clearly. Whether it's Texas, California, New York. New York initiated this fight, by the way. 2022. I've had to fight to protect my lines of my district for every single time I was real -- you know, in a campaign. So, three times now, we've had to go to court.
COLLINS: A lot of the focus tonight is on Democrats, obviously, and what their party looks like.
The Republican Party is also quite divided right now.
And the President is going to lunch with Senate Republicans tomorrow. He was not invited by the Majority Leader. He was invited by Senator Rick Scott. But it comes as Republicans are criticizing the President over the Iran agreement, ballroom funding, the SAVE America Act that he wants passed that Thune says the votes aren't there for.
I mean, what do you make of the divide in your own party tonight?
MALLIOTAKIS: Look, I think we need to focus on the low-hanging fruit that is deliverable for the American people. We showed we could do it. We passed the largest tax cut for middle-class families. We delivered on no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. We refunded tens of millions of seniors, so that the Social Security taxes they paid were refunded to them. We expanded the Child Tax Credit. We have done some good things.
We did secure the border, and guess what? We did deport the criminals. In New York City alone, just over the last few weeks, murderer, somebody convicted of manslaughter, rape, sex abuse, all were detained by ICE.
COLLINS: So, do you agree--
MALLIOTAKIS: So, we're protecting New Yorkers and Americans as well.
COLLINS: Does that mean you agree with people like John Cornyn, who have said it's a distraction for the President to focus on the SAVE America Act and not on things like that?
MALLIOTAKIS: Look, I think -- I think the SAVE America Act is a very important piece of legislation. We should have voter ID. 80 percent of the American people support it. So, we should do it. And now, if we can't get the SAVE America Act passed, then maybe we should just look at a regular voter ID law, like some other states -- many states have, including Florida, and many others. We need some form of identification. When you vote, you need it. When you buy beer, when you board an airplane, when you rent a car, when you get a pack of cigarettes, you need -- I think, it's important.
And not -- like, the Democrats should actually listen to the American people and see that they want it. So, let's deliver it in one way. If we can't do it through the SAVE America Act, with some of the other provisions in there, let's at least maybe do a skinnier piece of legislation that can get the job done.
COLLINS: Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, thank you for joining us here on set tonight on Election Night.
MALLIOTAKIS: Thank you.
COLLINS: Also, we're following this story in Washington tonight, as we are watching the latest results come in from New York and other states, as the President is digging in on that unproven claim that vandals caused the damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as his administration has yet to provide any evidence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Somebody went in with a knife and cut it. They cut it up good. And then they cut it 200, 350 foot slip in the form of lots of little slips, a real horrible stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: That's what the President argued today. There are not pictures or video, from the Interior Department officials, or the Park Police, showing someone making a cut in the pool, which is actually something that the President told reporters, back in May, wasn't even possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This will last for at least 50 years. You'll never have a leak. It's very strong. You couldn't, if you had a knife -- I don't want to give anybody ideas. If you had a knife, you can't even cut it. So strong, so powerful, it's like powerful rubber. It is beautiful. Sealed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:30:00]
COLLINS: Well The New York Times is reporting tonight that the cuts that were found by the National Park Service workers, quote, "Were not directly related to the "American flag blue" coating that is now peeling, or to the algae that has turned the pool a bright shade of green." And then when the pool was actually drained earlier this month, the workers had discovered holes, cracks, peeling caulking. As President Trump now says, it will have to be drained again for more repairs after the July 4th holiday. That announcement was one of four posts that we saw from the President, about the Reflecting Pool, since about 08:00 p.m. last night, almost as many as he has posted about Iran.
My political sources are back here with me.
Van, as someone who worked for a previous president, I wonder what you make of how much oxygen this is taking up for the President.
JONES: I just can't get my head around it. I mean, we've got real problems here. We've got people who can't afford the rent. We've got a war still on the -- you know, we're hanging on the edge of a war. Gas price is through the roof. And this is what we're worrying about.
And look, everything this guy touches turns to poop. He just -- he can't get anything right. He came to New York, and we've lost the one game the Knicks lost, the game he came to. He tries to fix the pool. The pool is worse than ever. I just don't understand what's going on with this guy. But I wish that his advisers would focus him on things that the American people care about and stop all these vanity projects that are just becoming more and more farcical.
COLLINS: Shermichael, we heard from Thom Tillis, the Republican senator today, his take on what's happening, how the White House is responding. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): You're telling me, even if it proves to be true, that damaging a lining in the Reflecting Pool is something that Pirro wants to prosecute to the full extent of the law, if it's proven true? And yet they're releasing people who pled guilty to assaulting a police officer? What freaking parallel universe did I just wake up in?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Well?
SINGLETON: Look--
COLLINS: Would you like to answer that question?
SINGLETON: --if you want to beautify the capital? Sure, go right ahead. But I think Van was hitting on something.
COLLINS: No, no, we're talking about getting the D.C. U.S. Attorney on the case he--
SINGLETON: Yes, yes, yes, no that -- that's a moot point. I wouldn't focus on that.
I think I want to go some -- to go back to what Van said, though because he made a real--
COLLINS: But why is it a moot point? They said people--
SINGLETON: Because it's ridiculous.
COLLINS: President's claiming six people have been arrested.
SINGLETON: Because it's ridiculous to the reasons that Van just made. There're people who are struggling.
I'm a Republican right now. I come on this network every single day and talk about the data and analytics, and focus groups, and all the numbers that showcase my party is in a pretty precarious predicament right now, as it pertains to the House. I want to maintain our majority. I'd like to maintain a majority in the Senate, hell even increase it if possible.
And I think the only way you can accomplish those things are by talking about the issues, the kitchen-table issues, that every day Americans are struggling with. They're wondering about their economic conditioning. They're wondering if their kids and grandchildren are going to be better off than they are today.
And if Republicans can assure Americans that they will be better off, if we can deliver lowering costs, if we can deliver on the affordability issue, if we can make sure that my generation and Gen Zers can actually afford a house and have a family? Then I think you've given people something worth voting for you for.
I don't care -- I could care less about a reflection pool, that's the best way I could say this on live cable television. I'll leave it at that.
COLLINS: Congressman?
KHANNA: The problem is the American people have seen that the emperor has no clothes.
Instead of prosecuting the Epstein class and people who engaged in sexual abuse that the President promised, he's going after vandals at the Reflecting Pool. Instead of bringing prices down, his central promise to the American people, he gets us into a foreign war that are pushing prices up. Instead of bringing manufacturing jobs back, the whole rationale for his candidacy, he's losing manufacturing jobs because of an irrational economic policy.
And he's just not delivered on what he promised the American people, and that's why we're going to have a decisive win in the House of Representatives, and you're going to see us have a very good shot at the Senate--
SINGLETON: I don't know if it's decisive. I don't know about decisive. You guys will probably win, but I'm not certain about decisive.
COLLINS: We shall see.
Everyone, stay put. We have a lot more election results coming in tonight from New York, and another big projection to make right after a quick break.
[21:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We have some more breaking news tonight, as CNN can now project that State Assemblymember Claire Valdez will win the Democratic primary in New York's 7th Congressional District, defeating the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Now, Valdez is a Democratic Socialist and is now tonight the second candidate who was backed by the New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to win.
I want to go back to John King at the Magic Wall.
John, what are we seeing in the numbers in terms of how close this race was?
KING: It's not close, and I think that is the big story. You had Van Jones talking just a moment ago that Mamdani and the movement are not to be underestimated. The organization, the ability to turn out votes that we saw from Mayor Mamdani, in the primary, and then the general election in New York, turning out again for the candidates he backed here.
A lot of New York Democrats thought this one would be close because Antonio Reynoso is the Brooklyn Borough President because, he had the endorsement of the incumbent Democratic congresswoman, Nydia Velazquez, very popular, very longstanding powerhouse in New York City politics. She's retiring, she backed the Borough President.
But this is a shellacking, this is a shellacking. We're up to 81 percent of the vote. 58 percent for the candidate, Claire Valdez, the Democratic Socialist, backed by the Mayor. So, proof again, number one, that the Mayor does have a movement, does have a turnout organization, does have a supremely organized political machine in the state.
[21:40:00]
So, that's two, as you mentioned. Already tonight. You were talking to Brad Lander on the air when we called that one, backed by Mamdani against the Democratic incumbent.
Here, Claire Valdez, backed by Mamdani, against the choice of the Democratic incumbent.
One more to count, this one here in the 13th District. Right now, the Mamdani-backed candidate, Kaitlan, is leading narrowly, but 1,300 votes over the Democratic incumbent congressman there. So, this is the third race for Mamdani. It's possibility he gets a sweep tonight in what you just have to call a flex by the new mayor.
COLLINS: Yes, and obviously it was high risk, high reward.
KING: Right. COLLINS: We'll keep watching that district as well. John, let us know if the numbers change there, and we'll come back in with you throughout the hour.
Congressman, as we look at this tonight. I mean, Hakeem Jeffries was saying today, when he was asked about this, that it's a few House races, and primaries in one state or another doesn't determine where House Democrats as a whole go.
Do you agree with that?
KHANNA: Well, I'm two for two tonight, so I'm happy. Claire Valdez is a phenomenal candidate. She has a clear moral vision on foreign policy, and she understands that the central challenge is the unfair and lopsided economy, and that we need a new vision for the working class.
But I do believe that this shows two things. First, Mamdani is a star. Anyone dismissing him is just naive and out of touch. He is one of the five most consequential Democrats in the nation right now, and people should treat him with respect.
And the second thing is that the progressive movement is on the ascendancy, in the House of Representatives and across the country. And the idea of just saying, Oh, this is New York, is just not true. We've been winning in Pennsylvania, in New Jersey, in Michigan, in Maine, and this is really where the energy of the party is.
COLLINS: I mean, Van Jones, as you're looking at this, you can see what the margin is right now, with 84 percent of the vote in, in terms of where these go. Valdez is someone who is a union organizer, campaigned on affordable housing, talked about abolishing ICE. Medicare for All.
When you look at that and how this race has played out, what do you think Democrats, not in New York City, should be learning from this?
JONES: Well, first of all, New York City matters because the two most exciting left-wing candidates are here, AOC and Mamdani. But also, this is the stronghold for the establishment. Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. This is a battle between the establishment and this insurgency, and the roof is collapsing on the Democratic Party establishment tonight. If Mamdani gets a hat trick, three out of three, this is a new era for the Democratic Party.
And you can't write off New York City because, this is the place where both -- it's a power center for the establishment and the insurgency, and they're going head to head tonight. And right now, this is not -- no longer a movement. This is a movement and a machine at the same time. And there's just no way to sugarcoat this. If Mamdani pulls off the hat trick, it's a new era in Democratic Party politics.
COLLINS: Well, and if you're a moderate Democrat who's on the election -- who's on the ballot this November, Van. I mean, they're all going to get asked about the positions that we're hearing from these other fellow Democrats. JONES: Well, look, I think, from our -- our frontline Democrats will be able to make their case for themselves. I think they'll be able to do OK. We got a lot of national security Democrats in other parts of the country.
But this is a -- this is a big deal tonight. And I think that -- look, I don't know -- I don't know what you want me to say here. This is a straight-up battle between the establishment and the insurgency, and the establishment is getting its butt kicked tonight in New York City.
COLLINS: I mean, Shermichael, as the Republican who's with us tonight, and as you watch this, when you're looking at this, I mean the comparisons to the Tea Party movement, and--
SINGLETON: Yes.
COLLINS: --what are you seeing playing out tonight?
SINGLETON: Look--
COLLINS: Just from a political perspective.
SINGLETON: Yes, from a political perspective, I agree with both of my friends here on the other side that this is a consequential moment for their party, and it certainly is one that I wouldn't discount or diminish.
I mean, you're right, Congressman, you've seen these Democratic Socialists or Progressive Democrats win across the country in some places that have even surprised me, knowing the history of how certain places have voted in the past. Washington, D.C., being a prime example, large African American population, typically, culturally very conservative and pragmatic, just elected a Democratic Socialist, I believe. And so, that's concerning to me as a conservative.
But it also tells me that there is an opportunity for conservatives to draw a very clear contrast between the folks on the left. You have one party that believes in freedom, that believes in capital markets, that want to see rising tide lift all boats. I believe if you want to be an entrepreneur and take a risk, you should be rewarded for said risk, and we're going to support you for it.
As opposed to another party that's a socialist that says, Hey, if you decide to take a risk as an entrepreneur and you do very well, well, guess what? The big government is going to come and take most of your wealth away and spread it around to everybody else.
[21:45:00]
And again, as I said earlier, I'm willing to bet, most Americans would say, if given a fair opportunity, an opportunity to achieve, an opportunity to excel, to bring my ideas to the forefront for people to buy into it? I want to live in that environment, as opposed to one that restricts that type of--
KHANNA: Michael, if I could just say, look-- SINGLETON: --ability, like Elon Musk for example.
KHANNA: No one can lecture me about entrepreneurship. My district in Silicon Valley is--
SINGLETON: Yes.
KHANNA: --responsible for one-third of the nation's wealth.
SINGLETON: Yes.
KHANNA: But what Democrats believe -- and I call myself a progressive capitalist -- what we believe is, you can't just have a handful of people making billions and trillions of dollars, while 80 percent of Americans don't believe in the American dream, where they can't afford a house--
SINGLETON: So how much is too much?
KHANNA: --where they can't afford a living wage--
SINGLETON: But that's the point--
KHANNA: --where they can't afford childcare.
And this President promised to fix that. He promised to help the forgotten American--
(CROSSTALK)
SINGLETON: But you know what, Congressman?
KHANNA: --he abandoned them and given--
SINGLETON: The questions--
KHANNA: --tax breaks to Elon Musk. That's what he's done.
SINGLETON: Those are -- those are great talking points--
KHANNA: It's not talking points. It's the truth.
SINGLETON: --that I hear from many folks on the left.
KHANNA: It's the truth.
SINGLETON: How much is too much money should one earn? Who gets to dictate when you've made too much?
KHANNA: It's not about making too much. It's about not paying your fair tax.
SINGLETON: No, no, but -- but how much is too much?
KHANNA: Elon Musk is paying less tax than a nurse, than a--
(CROSSTALK)
SINGLETON: He pays more tax than most people.
KHANNA: No, he's paying almost no tax--
SINGLETON: That is -- that is not true. That is not true.
KHANNA: --on so many of his billions of--
(CROSSTALK)
SINGLETON: So, you want to tax unrealized gains?
KHANNA: I want to make sure that--
SINGLETON: According to Elizabeth Warren, I suppose yes.
KHANNA: I want to make sure that nurses and teachers and firefighters pay the same tax rate as--
(CROSSTALK)
SINGLETON: And guess what?
KHANNA: --and billionaires.
SINGLETON: And I want every nurse and firefighter who has a dream to be an entrepreneur to do well. Democrats do not.
KHANNA: They need health care and education for that.
SINGLETON: Democrats do not.
COLLINS: And this is what the next five months of your life will sound like, as we are watching, getting closer to the midterm elections.
Shermichael. Congressman Ro Khanna. Van Jones. Always excellent to have all of you here.
Up next for us. As we see Democrats are laser-focused on the primaries tonight, and what it means for the party's identity. Does it shape the political landscape and beyond 2026? Senator Cory Booker will join me right after this.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: As we're tracking the latest election results coming in from some key New York Democratic primaries tonight. Two of the candidates who were endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander and Claire Valdez, have both won, according to CNN projections. A third, Darializa Avila Chevalier is leading incumbent Congressman Adriano Espaillat in the race for New York's 13th Congressional District, which is very close, and we are watching it tonight.
Joining me here is Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.
I think the question after tonight, depending on how this third race goes, and if, as Van Jones put it, Mayor Mamdani gets a sweep, is what does the future of your party look like? Is it more like Mayor Mamdani's backed candidates, or the ones who were backed by Hakeem Jeffries?
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): Well, I think that you're looking at just New York. I'm looking at New York, South Carolina, I'm looking at western states.
What the exciting story, and I bet you it's going to be true in New York, too, is the record turnouts of Democrats participating in primaries. We're seeing that, relative to the Republicans, really overshadow them, by how many people are pouring out to the polls.
You have an American electorate that is seeing that the Republican Party is bankrupt, and that the Democratic Party is where the enthusiasm and the energy and the excitement is, and I'm glad that we have a party that can really appeal to the full spectrum of American voters.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, in the New York 12th, or in the Brad Lander race, specifically with Dan Goldman. I mean, looking at that, AIPAC money was a huge dividing line between the two of them, accepting it or not accepting it. You recently swore it off. I mean, is that -- is that part of why? Because of how much of a litmus test it seems to have become in your party?
BOOKER: Well, I actually hope the litmus test is a little broader than that. I didn't swear off just AIPAC money, I said all PAC money, these issue area PAC monies. 10 years ago, I said I've stopped taking corporate PAC money, now I said I'm taking this issue area PAC money.
I want the entire Democratic Party to stand for getting super PACs, getting dark money, getting all this money out. I think that should be what the Democratic Party stands for, writ large, no matter who you are.
COLLINS: Whose endorsement do you believe is more powerful right now?
BOOKER: I'm a guy that doesn't put that much stock in endorsement. I think that, unfortunately, the candidates who are running themselves are getting less attention. We have great new leaders all across this country that are rising up. The people that endorse them, are -- it's nice to have. But they're doing the work, they're knocking on doors, they are putting out bold ideas.
COLLINS: But don't you think Mayor Mamdani's endorsement played a role in these races?
BOOKER: Abs -- I was a mayor myself. I did endorsements. I got my machine out working for the candidates I supported. I'm not discounting that at all.
What I'm saying is I've been calling for months now, for new leadership to start rising up in our party with big, bold ideas that cannot just capture Democrats but Independents and Republican moderates. We want to create a party like FDR did, that has durable majorities, not just through an election cycle, but really bold parties that can pull everybody in.
COLLINS: Given that, what did you make of your fellow Democratic Senator John Fetterman today? When he was asked about these New York primaries, he said, the dirtbag left is surging, I believe is how he described it.
BOOKER: Again, for me, if you want to heal a country, you can't be picking fights. I think we need to understand that our party is not homogeneous. One of the things that makes the Democratic Party great is it's a big-tent party. We need to stay that way. The focus has got to be the November elections.
Because right now, there is no check on Donald Trump's power. The Republican Party, which controls Congress, is bending over, doing this advanced form of yoga, to let Donald Trump do whatever he wants.
We need to take back the House and the Senate. I think what we're seeing from the enthusiasm factor all across this country, including New York, is that we're ready to do just that.
COLLINS: The Senate did vote today for a War Powers Resolution, which basically is telling Trump he needs to come to Congress or stop the fighting in Iran. When -- I mean the fact that Republicans crossed over to have that get passed. The White House's response was, this really doesn't matter because it's not enforceable. What do you think it says?
[21:55:00]
BOOKER: Well, this is the Constitution. Clearly says war powers belong to us, not to him. He's trying to say, I have the power to pick a fight, pick a war, Venezuela, Greenland, Cuba, Iran. And we're now saying, in a bipartisan way, No, you don't, we have the war powers here. And finally, we're starting to see Republican Party agree that we're here to defend the Constitution, not just to do what Donald Trump says.
It's a big day in the United States Senate, and I hope we continue to flex and get back what we should be having right now to a cruel, chaotic, corrupt president, which is checks and balances, accountability, and oversight. We'll really get that, after November, when we take back the Congress.
COLLINS: Senator Cory Booker, thank you for joining us tonight.
BOOKER: Thank you for having me.
COLLINS: Appreciate your time.
Up next. It is Source Code time. We'll give you the number at the center of a story in the news, and can you guess the story behind it? Tonight's Source Code is 122.4. Back in a moment with that answer. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight's Source Code is 122.4. That is how many decibels the guy just crowned the world's loudest person reached.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH MCGRAIL-BATEUP, AN AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL AIR CONDITIONER CLEANER AND HONORARY TOWN CRIER, LOUDEST SHOUT WORLD-RECORD HOLDER: My lords, my ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Canberra.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: By day, Joseph McGrail-Bateup, is a professional air conditioner cleaner, and by night, he is an honorary town crier. The Guinness World Records says that the Aussie broke the old record that was set back in 1994, reaching a noise level in the range of a chainsaw or an ambulance siren up close. Of course, we love him. And our good friend, Harry Enten, might just be a tough match for that.
Everyone have a good night. Thanks so much for joining us for the breaking news here.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts right now.
[22:00:00]
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST, CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP: Tonight. The results are in, as Zohran Mamdani's influence is put to the test. Is socialism fever continuing to rise?
Plus, the President suggests he interfered in California's elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I said, Do me a favor. Take a look. They're trying to steal that election too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: And Donald Trump and Iran contradict each other--
