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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
U.S. Lawmaker Visits 5-Year-Old Taken by ICE; Interview with Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA); White House and Senate Leaders Move Closer to Avert a Government Shutdown; Patrick Reed to Leave LIV Golf, Return to PGA Tour. Steyer: U.S. Business Leaders Need to Take Stand on Minneapolis ICE Overreach; One-on-One with Adam Friedland. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 29, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: -- that you created this whole, you know, Web site to lure this person in, and it's been established that you were not even there, and the prosecution has to acknowledge it, that folds pretty deep. And if your all-star witness is an au pair who's been really noted to cut these deals with Netflix and have other issues of her own because she's self-interested, that really gets you to where you need to be.
So risky proposition, can't wait for the cross-examination, but so far he's doing a pretty good job at defending himself.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: We'll see what the jury of 12 believes.
Joey Jackson, thank you so much.
And thank you all for watching. "THE STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" is next.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. THE STORY IS starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's obvious he was part of some organized effort to show up where federal law enforcement was and engage in some way.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): THE STORY IS new video shows Alex Pretti being aggressive towards law enforcement days before he was shot and killed by federal agents.
MAYOR JACOB FREY (D), MINNEAPOLIS: Are we actually making the argument that Alex Pretti should be killed for something that happened like 11 days prior to the shooting itself?
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS turned away. Democratic Congressman Raul Ruiz with us live on the day he was denied access to an immigration detention facility in Southern California. THE STORY IS viral comedian. Adam Friedland's show on YouTube has
garnered millions of views. He joins us live with what's next for comedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: And welcome to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson.
We begin with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Sources say the Justice Department is bracing for a new wave of resignations in the Minnesota federal prosecutor's office over this issue.
We take you live to Capitol Hill in Washington, where it is just after midnight. Democratic senators there are expected to block a massive spending package in the coming hours. That includes funding for ICE. Lawmakers need to reach a deal by Friday night to avoid a government shutdown. Word tonight that there is some progress on avoiding that shutdown.
The White House says that border czar Tom Homan will hold a press conference in Minneapolis in just a few hours. The city's mayor, Jacob Frey, says he and Homan had a productive conversation, but there was no promise made to end the surge of federal officers there. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is also in Minneapolis right now, and she says they will not stop enforcing the law.
Now, all of this comes as new video shows federal officers clashing with Alex Pretti more than a week before he was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents. Look at him there. He's seen shouting at officers kicking their vehicles' tail light there. The agents then stop, get out and tackle Pretti to the ground. That's our first look at that video today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREY: I actually haven't yet seen the video, but are we actually making the argument that Alex Pretti should be killed for something that happened like 11 days prior to the shooting itself? No, I think we should be talking about the circumstances that actually led to the killing and what took place, and those circumstances, I mean, you can believe your own two eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Mayor Frey speaking at CNN's town hall there with Anderson Cooper and Sara Sidner tonight. He also reacted to President Trump's warning that he's, quote, "playing with fire" if Minneapolis doesn't enforce federal immigration law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREY: It's not about safety, nor is it, I believe, about immigration. You don't need to take my word for it. Listen to the words that are coming directly from the federal administration and people in it. This is about political retribution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, a Democratic lawmaker from Texas has called on President Trump and his adviser, Stephen Miller, to visit the immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas. That is where a 5- year-old is being held. Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were detained by ICE last week. Since then, Dilley has seen fresh protests calling for Liam's release.
Congressman Joaquin Castro met with Liam and his father today and described the poor conditions inside Dilley and his fear about what it's doing to Liam's mental health.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Texas and was at that ICE facility earlier today -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we spent all afternoon at this facility in South Texas.
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It's in a little town called Dilley, Texas. And Congressman Joaquin Castro arrived there with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett from Texas as well. This was the first time anyone really from the outside has had a chance to meet with young Liam since he was taken into custody by ICE officials more than a week ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): You can see from the picture that I posted that he was lying in his father's arms. His father said that Liam has been very depressed since he's been at Dilley, that he hasn't been eating well. I was concerned with, you see how he appears in that photo, with his energy. He seemed lethargic.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Congressman Joaquin Castro met with 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian, during a visit inside the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. For more than three hours, the congressman says he met not only with Liam's family, but also with hundreds of other detainees.
Castro said Liam has been asking about his family and his classmates back in Minnesota.
CASTRO: He said that he misses his classmates and his family and wants to be back at school. And he keeps asking about that hat in that backpack that are in the picture. I think they took that from him.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Liam and his father were taken into ICE custody last week in suburban Minneapolis, amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the state, sparking anti-ICE anger within the community and across the country.
The Department of Homeland Security says Liam's father was in the country illegally, and that agents only took the 5-year-old boy after his father asked that he stay with him. An attorney for the family disputes that, saying Adrian Conejo Arias hadn't committed any crimes and was following, quote, "all of the established protocols for seeking asylum in the U.S."
Outside the facility in Dilley, Texas, hundreds of protesters clashed with Texas State Police demanding Liam and his father and other families be released immediately. While federal officials claim the family inside are cared for, an attorney who says he represents a family there says the conditions are, quote, "worse than people think."
ERIC LEE, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: The water is putrid. They have to mix baby formula with water that nobody wants to even smell. The food has bugs in it, the food has dirt in it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (on-camera): During that visit inside the detention facility, Congressman Joaquin Castro also tells me that more than 300 people signed up to speak with the representatives there from the outside. And after that, he said that there was a two-month-old baby that has already spent days inside the facility. And after this visit here, during a press conference in San Antonio, the congressman also says that he feels that ICE should be disbanded and multiple people called for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as well -- Elex.
MICHAELSON: That will be a big part of the debate on Capitol Hill.
Ed Lavandera, thanks for your reporting. Really appreciate it.
LAVANDERA: You got it.
MICHAELSON: Joining me now live from Palm Desert, California, is Democratic congressman, Dr. Raul Ruiz.
Congressman, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
REP. RAUL RUIZ (D-CA): Thank you. It's good to be here.
MICHAELSON: So you just heard Ed there talking about defunding of DHS, potentially abolishing ICE. There's talk about potentially impeaching Kristi Noem. Where are you on all of that?
RUIZ: You know, I think that the world is witnessing the brutality and the violence and the disregard to human dignity as well as our own rights to due process and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and individuals need to be held accountable for that.
I do believe that there's failed leadership and the violation of citizens' rights by Secretary Noem, that she should be impeached and our leverage to change that brutal behavior is through the funding. So there needs to be a divestment. And we need to dismantle ICE in order to ensure that people's rights are protected and that people are able to live with human dignity. MICHAELSON: Let me offer sort of the other side. Who would say that
there may be some bad apples in ICE. There's bad apples in any organization. But ICE has removed from the country murderers, rapists, child molesters, others. Isn't that work valuable? And could defunding ICE make us less safe?
RUIZ: Well, there's two things to that. One is it's valuable and we agree that any violent person or criminal needs to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. And if they are immigrant, they should be removed from our country. There is no dispute with that. The dispute is that that's not what the real intention of these massive, indiscriminate raids and deportation efforts by the Trump administration on non-criminal immigrants.
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And now the brutality towards civilian and citizen protesters that we're witnessing. And so, yes, there's a way to continue to put the priority and the focus on the criminal violent individuals. But note this two things that I want to make sure that people understand when you move your resources to go after non-criminal immigrants at schools, at hospitals, at churches, individuals who are paying taxes, individuals that are working in your neighborhoods that have no criminal background, then you're taking resources away from going after the drug smugglers, the human sex traffickers, and the violent criminals.
In addition to that, the current state of affairs where in an unmarked vehicle with an unidentified officer with masks carrying a gun can pull any citizen over because they're brown or black or Asian looking, and demand and harass citizens to see their passports, that's causing fear and insecurity for individuals in and of itself.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Of course, some advocates would say if there was less of the sanctuary policies and there was more cooperation behind bars, some of that wouldn't be necessary. But let's get to something that happened to you today at the Adelanto detention facility. You went there to try to see what was going on. What happened when you got there?
RUIZ: Well, I got denied for the second time. The first time they had a three-day policy. I gave them three days' notice. Then they changed it when I got there and said it was seven days. So this time around, I gave them eight days' notice. I informed them on January 20th, then again on January 26th. I had not heard from them, so I told them I was going to arrive today at 9:00 in the morning.
I did so. They told me what their new policy was back again to a seven-day notice, and they said that I needed to receive confirmation of receipt and consent in order to enter the facility. Now, first of all, denying me any entrance, regardless of seven days, is unlawful. According to Section 527 of the Consolidation Appropriation Act that is now law. And we are disputing these processes in the court currently. And so they violated the law and my constitutional right to provide oversight. And we're hearing that there's reports of unsanitary conditions, that
people are not being given their medications, that there's not enough food and water, and there's maltreatment within that facility. And I need to provide the observation and oversight in order to work legislation to create humanitarian standards that will prevent deaths and protect human dignity because last year there were 56 people who died under the custody of ICE and CBP. It was the deadliest year since -- over two decades.
MICHAELSON: Right.
RUIZ: And so we need to prevent those type of deaths.
MICHAELSON: All right. Congressman Raul Ruiz, thanks for sharing your perspective. And let's stay in touch on that issue as it develops. We appreciate you coming on.
RUIZ: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: I want to bring in now political analyst Michael Genovese. He is the president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University.
Thanks for being here. You were with us about a week ago to talk about the issue of immigration. And it seems like the entire national debate has changed even in a week, huh?
MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: It's shifted dramatically. What we see now is not normal. Donald Trump's obsession has become our national nightmare, and it's altered the math of the situation dramatically. Donald Trump likes to be the advance man. He likes to be on the attack. He likes to dominate. He's on his heels right now. He's being defensive. He's weakened.
His base is starting to shake a bit. His base in Congress is starting to turn on him. And so Donald Trump needs to find a way to reverse course in some fashion, whether it's change of policy, change of cosmetics and optics, we don't know. But Donald Trump cannot continue like this. He's losing the argument.
MICHAELSON: Well, and let's talk about what's happening in Congress because some late word tonight from some of our sources on the Hill that there actually is some negotiation happening to try to avoid a government shutdown. Essentially what would happen is that they would fund all the government permanently but DHS would be funded temporarily in order to give more time to work out some of these issues that are now popping up.
Do you think that could be a compromise that works so that we don't have another government shutdown?
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GENOVESE: A week ago, the Republicans would have rejected that flatly. Today it's on the table. We could very well see, remember, the government shutdown would start Friday. So we very well could see in the next 24 to 48 hours a deal because Donald Trump desperately needs to make a deal. He cannot lose another thing. The optics have been terrible thus far. To shut the government down on top of this would make him look weak.
And the Democrats, while they want to go for blood, they want to go on the attack, they also know that they want to make -- no one wants the government to shut down.
MICHAELSON: Well, some people may may want on the fringes, but in terms of sort of what kind of leverage does each side have right now?
GENOVESE: Well, the Republicans had all the leverage pretty much. And now the -- it's kind of balanced. And so both sides are going to have to give in order to get. And that's kind of a healthy. When one side dominates, it's not a negotiation, it's an imposition. And to impose a deal on the other side, whichever side that turns out to be this week, creates resentment and hard feelings, and it makes it harder to work together in the future.
So both sides, if they can look at this positively in the midst of all the negative things that we're seeing, if they can think about how we can move forward, we could very well get a constructive deal out of this.
MICHAELSON: It is amazing and a reminder how important images are and how that video, especially that initial video of Pretti, changed things tonight. New video of Pretti. But ultimately that can change the dialogue so quickly. And it seems like it did this week.
Michael Genovese, thank you so much. Appreciate you sharing your perspective on a busy news night.
GENOVESE: Great to be here.
MICHAELSON: And now to Beijing and a meeting between the leaders of Britain and China. Keir Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit in eight years. He says it is vital for the two countries to build a more sophisticated relationship. Starmer is eager to reset relations with the world's second largest economy and reduce the U.K.'s reliance on the increasingly unpredictable U.S.
President Xi Jinping says China is willing to develop a long-term strategic partnership with Britain for the benefit of both countries and the world.
President Trump is stepping up his threats to Iran. He is urging Tehran to come to the table to negotiate a deal to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons. If not, he says his next attack on Iran will be far worse than the one carried out last summer. USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is now in the Indian Ocean.
And sources say the president is considering military strikes on Iran's leadership and security officials responsible for killing anti- government protesters, as well as strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and government institutions. The speaker of Iran's parliament says Tehran is ready to negotiate with some stipulations. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD BAGHER GHALIBAF, SPEAKER OF IRAN'S PARLIAMENT (through translator): If there's genuine talk to reach a deal within the framework of international regulations, then yes. But that's not the kind of talk the U.S. president is after. He just wants to impose his will on others. He ripped up the JCPOA and threw it in the bin. Two days before the new round of talks he torpedoed the talks by giving the green light to Israel to attack Iran.
In my opinion, if Trump is really honest and telling the truth and seeking peace and wants to have the Nobel Peace Prize, he needs to go towards a real peace and his first action must be to get free of the warmongers and those seeking Iran's submission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Iran there. We will check in with him next hour.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is defending the Trump administration's work with Venezuela's interim government. The top U.S. diplomat says there has been progress, but the transition to democracy requires a phased approach, which he says is going to take some time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I can point to a number of places, Spain, Paraguay, two examples of places in which there was a transition, you know, from an autocratic regime to a democratic regime. And it took time. I can't give you a timeline of how long it takes. It can't take forever. It can't -- it's only -- it's not even been four weeks since Maduro was removed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A year or two? Two years?
RUBIO: Well, I think we need to be -- let me put it to you this way. We need to be much further along. Six months from now, even three months from now. And it also depend on the rest of Venezuelan society. How quickly can we get all these Venezuelans that want to go back to Venezuela and participate in civic and economic life back to Venezuela? That's going to be critical here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Rubio also told lawmakers the Trump administration would like to see regime change in Cuba, but he suggested the U.S. would not necessarily be involved in it as it was in Venezuela.
Well, three straight cuts to interest rates, but President Trump wants more. Why the Federal Reserve says that's not going to happen, at least not yet. Plus, the second major golfer in a month announces that he's leaving LIV Golf. What's behind the decision? What comes next for Patrick Reed? The author who literally wrote the book on LIV Golf joins us live next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MICHAELSON: Footy fans do not see a finish like this every day. Portugal's Benfica with an outstanding victory over Spanish giant Real Madrid in the opening round of the Champions League. It was the goalkeeper in yellow who scored the last gasp goal. Look at that. Dramatic header. Advancing the club to the knockout round, also known as the round of 16. Final score 4 to 2. 15-time champions league winners Real Madrid will now head to a play off.
Now to golf. Patrick Reed will become the second major champion to leave Saudi funded LIV Golf. His announcement comes just a few days after he won the Dubai Desert Classic.
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Reed was ranked number 29 in the world, won the Masters back in 2018. He says he will be eligible to return to the PGA Tour as early as September.
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf in December and is playing on the PGA Tour now.
Alan Shipnuck is a contributor at Skratch, the author of 10 books on golf, including "The Swinger" and "LIV and Let Die." What a great title. He joins me now from Carmel by the Sea, where we all wish we were.
Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time and I very much like your mood lighting.
ALAN SHIPNUCK, AUTHOR, CONTRIBUTOR AT SKRATCH: I'm delighted to be here. Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: So we've seen these two big deflections from LIV, two of golf's biggest names. What's bringing them back? What's going on here?
SHIPNUCK: A couple of things. First of all, there's belt tightening going on at LIV Golf. The big paydays are a thing of the past. And these guys they recognize that. And that was always the appeal of LIV Golf. Despite all the lip service about growing the game and playing an international schedule, the money is what talks. And now that the money is shrinking, some folks are looking for the exits.
And the PGA Tour is in a much stronger position than it was when LIV launched. It's clearly won the war in this sort of existential battle for the soul of golf. And these guys miss the bright lights, the tour, they missed the better competition, the more fabled venues. And that's just where the juice is right now, is the PGA Tour. So it's a combination of money and competitive hunger.
MICHAELSON: In your book, "LIV and Let Die," you talk about all the lawsuits that Patrick Reed filed after going to LIV, and you quoted Brooks Koepka as saying, we'll put this up on the screen. "You think I give an F what they think? You think I care what people say about me? I just had three surgeries, I'm supposed to turn down 130 million? I grew up with nothing. After I signed the contract, the first person I called was my mom. We both cried."
Now his mom disputes some of that, but both seemed all in on LIV. What has happened to him since he's left?
SHIPNUCK: I mean, Brooks went to LIV when his future was in doubt as a competitive force. And so it was a once in a lifetime bonanza, financial security. And so he got healthy. He started playing well. He won the PGA Championship, his fifth major title, which puts him in very rarefied air. And so Brooks, big, bad Brooks was back. But you've seen in the last year and a half on LIV Golf, his play has suffered.
He just has looked bored. He's looked stifled. He looked unengaged. And that just sultry play has carried over into the major championships. The thing that defines his career. And I think he realized he was never going to get the best out of himself on LIV Golf. And, you know, golfers have longer primes and longer careers than other athletes. But every year is precious when you're in your 30s, like Brooks is.
And so you don't want to waste any more time. You just want to get back on the best tour. He wanted the stiffest competition, and he wanted to try and get the most out of himself.
MICHAELSON: So, you know, in some ways this is a golf story, but in some ways it's also a political story and a cultural story. We know Saudis have a lot of money. They've had a close relationship with President Trump. He's supported this LIV Golf at some point. You know, they did get a TV deal. They got some concessions from the Weekend PGA. How does this impact the Saudis, the way they see the world and sort of the way they interact with maybe the U.S. government?
SHIPNUCK: I mean, LIV has always been an exercise in soft power. It is an extension of the Saudi government. It is a PR machine for Saudi Arabia, and it is a way for the business and political elite of Saudi Arabia to kind of buy a seat at the table in golf, but also in the Western business world, in the halls of power. You know, it's -- LIV is kind of like the hot dogs at Costco, like it's a loss leader.
But when LIV comes to town, they take over these world capitals, whether it's Seoul, Korea, or they're going to Tokyo or Singapore. And the amount of business that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is able to scoop up during those weeks when they host the most important politicians and business people from these countries, I'm sure it's paying the bills at LIV. So it's never been purely a competitive exercise.
But the real issue is there's macro things happening in Saudi Arabia right now. I mean, it's always been sort of an axiom in geopolitics that you needed $100 a barrel as an oil price for Saudi Arabia to pay all its bills. And oil is now down in the low 60s. And so there's tremendous pressure. They're cutting back on a lot of expenditures. And the real question is, is LIV going to survive --
MICHAELSON: Right.
SNIPNUCK: -- this -- what's happening in the larger Saudi economy.
MICHAELSON: That is a big question at this point. But most of us now are thinking about one thing: the hot dogs from Costco. So, thank you for making me hungry at this late hour. Alan Shipnuck. Thank you. Congratulations on all your writing on this. Appreciate your perspective tonight.
SHIPNUCK: Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: Still to come, billionaire Tom Steyer, who's running for governor here in California, is calling on Americas CEOs to speak up about the immigration protests and violence happening in Minneapolis. Tom Steyer standing by live. He'll join us when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
President Trump is demanding that Iran agree to a deal to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. If not, he says the next U.S. strike there will be far worse than the one last year.
Tehran says talks with the U.S. must be genuine, and any military aggression would be met with a powerful response.
A small plane carrying 15 people crashed in Northeastern Colombia on Wednesday. The country's top aviation authority says everyone on board died, including a member of the Colombian Congress, as well as a candidate for Congress.
The airline says the plane lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is standing by the city's sanctuary policies amid a federal crackdown on immigration. In a CNN town hall tonight, he again urged federal agents to leave the city in the wake of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
President Trump accused Frey of, quote, "playing with fire" by insisting local police will not play a role in enforcing federal immigration laws.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM STEYER (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: American CEOs, if you haven't stood up, shut up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That is a new ad from billionaire Tom Steyer. He's calling out U.S. Business leaders who he says need to stand up to the Trump administration and speak out against the immigration conflicts happening in Minneapolis.
Tom Steyer is a Democrat running for governor of California who previously ran for president of the United States. He joins me live here in studio.
Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
STEYER: Alex, it's nice to see you again, though.
MICHAELSON: And I'm grateful to see your tartan tie, as well.
STYER: I did that just for you. I want you to know.
MICHAELSON: Yes. That's your signature look.
So, when you say, "If you haven't stood up, shut up," what do you mean by that? And what do you say to -- to business folks that say, Look, if I'm not a political business, I potentially could alienate my customers by getting involved in politics?
STEYER: Well, I think that in American society, there's the -- there are the formal leaders, the people who are elected. There's the Supreme Court. They're the people who hold government jobs.
And then there are the people who lead civil society, and they take advantage. They are part of society. They are taking advantage of hundreds of years of people building the rule of law, democracy, freedom, justice. All of those things are the framework that allows those businesses to succeed.
And as those businesses go forward, they're saying they have watched a president go against every single one of the things I just talked about. And now they're watching American citizens getting gunned down on the street by masked, armed secret police. And it's clear.
My point -- what I was saying is this. I actually revere the business people in this country. I have looked up to them. I feel that they are driving innovation and growth and job creation, and I take that really seriously.
But their job creation, their growth, their wealth is based on a system that has been built mostly by very poor people risking their lives over and over for hundreds of years for this system.
And if they're going to stand by and take advantage of this framework when someone else -- when they're watching it be attacked at the grocery store, it's like, OK, let's be clear: you're in it for the money.
And you were saying, well, you know, it might hurt my bottom line if I were to stand up and say something. And I understand that.
But don't claim that you're a responsible member of our society. Don't come back and ask for social license. And, you know, we have these rights. And don't, you -- no. You're basically saying, I'm going to go along with whatever it takes for my -- for my company and for me to make money, and everything is excusable. OK.
MICHAELSON: It's interesting. You've also said that you want to -- you've made a lot of money over the years. You're a billionaire. And you've said you want to pay more in taxes. Here's something else you put out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEYER: It's time for billionaires like me and big corporations to buy into the future of California and be willing to pay more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: So, there is -- there's a plan being put forward that's a wealth tax proposal. That would be a 5 percent tax on the assets of everybody that makes over $1 billion. That would be a way to pay more money. A lot of folks are against it.
Are you in favor of this? Do you like this wealth tax idea?
STEYER: What I've said is this, Elex. I am in favor of raising revenue that will pay for the education funds that we need and the healthcare funds we need. And we actually do need them. There is a revenue shortfall.
[00:40:04]
MICHAELSON: So, is that this wealth tax?
STEYER: This wealth tax is one way that addresses that. In my mind, it's a short-term fix. It's a one-time fix.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: I have proposed closing corporate -- two corporate loopholes in the state of California that will raise more money over five years and are permanent fixes.
MICHAELSON: What about taxes? Those are -- those are corporate taxes, right?
STEYER: Yes, they are.
MICHAELSON: What about taxes on individuals, on billionaires themselves? Should their taxes be raised? Because some of them say we're already paying too much in taxes. We're already overregulated, and we're considering leaving the state. And if you keep increasing our taxes -- yes.
STEYER: Of course I know that. And what I'm saying is this. Well, let's take a step back, if we could.
We're the richest state in the country.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: On a per capita basis, California is the richest state in the country. We have the highest percentage of people who live in poverty.
MICHAELSON: Sure.
STEYER: We have the most inequality of every state in the country -- of any state in the country.
So, if you ask me, as someone who does have a billion dollars, who's pledged to give most of it away while I'm alive, but if you ask me, do I feel put upon? Am I worried about paying more in taxes? Is that something that I'm dreading? It's not.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: But more than that, what I'm saying, as someone who's running for governor, I know we have a shortfall for education. I know we have a shortfall -- shortfall in health care.
I am saying I will raise those dollars in a responsible way that I believe to be fair, that actually lets us continue --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: -- to be the innovation source, to be the entrepreneurial source, to lead the world in terms of business creativity. That's something I absolutely respect. I've been part of it. I'm an entrepreneur.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: So, I understand how much it costs.
But the other thing I want is, look, I want the billionaires of this state, which I just said is this. Look, we need to build this state together. You're not just here. It's the kind of the point I was making --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: -- about Minnesota.
MICHAELSON: So --
STEYER: You're not just here for the money.
MICHAELSON: So, is that a tax increase on individuals?
STEYER: I am -- look, what I'm saying is this, Elex. I'm not ruling out a tax increase on individuals.
MICHAELSON: OK.
STEYER: But what I'm saying is this. I'm proposing two tax -- closing two tax loopholes on corporations that everybody's going to think is great.
MICHAELSON: Yes. STEYER: Everyone is asking a hypothetical question. I believe we're going to need more revenues --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: Mostly because the Trump administration keeps stealing our money.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: And I'm going to push back on that.
But the truth is, I'm going to do it in a way that's not going to hurt our innovation machine, not going to hurt the growth of California.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: And I have ideas that are different.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: Do I believe --
MICHAELSON: Sure.
STEYER: -- that we need to have proposals, realistic proposals --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: -- to close the education and health? We definitely do. And I'm going to do it responsibly.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEYER: And I want everybody in this state to know I'll do it responsibly, that I will do it.
MICHAELSON: Sure.
STEYER: And they should buy into that.
MICHAELSON: Thank you very much. There's a lot more to talk about, but we have a long ways to go. And I look forward to that conversation. Great to see you, though.
STEYER: Thank you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Thanks for coming in. Tom Steyer.
Coming up, former Georgia lieutenant governor, Geoff Duncan, is slamming an FBI search of an election office in Atlanta, calling it, quote, "another disgusting attempt by Donald Trump and his administration to try and rewrite history."
Fulton County commissioner Mo -- Vaurie [SIC] -- Ivory says that the FBI had a warrant for all the ballots cast during the 2020 election. He says they collected 700 boxes of ballots.
President Trump continues to baselessly claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Since winning a second term, he has repeatedly warned those connected to what he calls widespread voter fraud would face consequences.
Despite ongoing threats from President Trump. The U.S. Federal Reserve is holding its ground and refusing to lower interest rates. The central bank is keeping its benchmark lending rate at 3.5 to 3.75 percent, and hinting that the pause may persist for some time.
The chairman of the Fed, Jerome Powell, says dropping rates doesn't make sense right now, because the economy seems to be holding up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: The outlook for economic activity has improved, clearly improved since the last meeting. And that should matter for -- for labor demand and for employment over time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Coming up, he is a comedian who routinely attracts big names to his YouTube talk show. He's been touted as millennial Jon Stewart. Adam Friedland is here live. He joins me on set when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:49:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON FAVREAU, FORMER SPEECHWRITER FOR PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The bin Laden operation?
ADAM FRIEDLAND, YOUTUBE TALK SHOW HOST: You were in the Situation Room?
FAVREAU: No. I was not read into that.
FRIEDLAND: What a loser.
FAVREAU: Loser? No --
FRIEDLAND: What a loser. Were you outside, like, trying to listen in?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That is Jon Favreau, former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, being interviewed by comedian Adam Friedland for the Adam Friedland show, which has been seen by tens of millions of people on YouTube.
In a profile, "G.Q." magazine wrote, "Adam Friedland could be the millennial Jon Stewart, but does he want that?"
Here to answer that question and more is Adam Friedland. Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
FRIEDLAND: Well, I mean, anyone could be.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Do you want to be?
FRIEDLAND: It's like, it's the worst compliment ever. Do I want to be? No. I'm just -- I want to be myself. Thank you very much.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Well, it's great to have you here.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And we love the hair in that clip, as well.
FRIEDLAND: It's a mess. What am I doing? I mean, I'm like --
MICHAELSON: You're being you.
FRIEDLAND: Watching that I -- I usually, like, after an edit, I don't watch it back. And then I'm like, what is going on with that guy over there?
[00:50:03]
MICHAELSON: I give you credit for the diversity of your guests.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: I mean, some of the names: Zohran Mamdani, John C. Reilly, Amanda Knox, Kevin O'Leary.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: I mean, talk about all over the map.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Describe your show for people that may not have seen it before.
FRIEDLAND: I do a talk -- like a long-form interview talk show, like, on -- on YouTube. In an era when people really like long-form content. I mean, it's a really smart move on my behalf.
MICHAELSON: Well, a lot of people do. I mean, I know you're kidding right now.
FRIEDLAND: Oh, yes. Like it long, yes.
MICHAELSON: But it seems like there -- people's attention span now are either 3 seconds or 3 hours, right?
FRIEDLAND: Yes, yes. MICHAELSON: I mean, you look at somebody like Joe Rogan or some of these podcasts that are really long --
FRIEDLAND: I've never made it through, yes.
MICHAELSON: -- that people listen.
FRIEDLAND: Kind of you listen to it before bed, I think. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Yes. But there is I mean, how -- how do you think about that in terms of where content is and what the market is saying?
FRIEDLAND: I don't know. I mean, it's kind of a -- it was just a random occurrence of, like, I had a stupid podcast before with two friends and then one left. And then we publicly declared we were going to make a talk show, and we didn't know how cameras worked.
And then it kind of became a real thing.
MICHAELSON: And it's amazing the guests that you've got. And so, what is the strategy for you, in terms of balancing the humor --
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- and trying to have funny bits that may go viral and also the sort of genuine conversation?
FRIEDLAND: I try -- yes. I guess I -- kind of the show is a little bit -- it's a facsimile of "The Dick Cavett Show" set.
MICHAELSON: Right.
FRIEDLAND: And we kind of -- we went kind of manic, trying to find like the chairs and like --
MICHAELSON: For all the Gen Z fans.
FRIEDLAND: For -- yes.
MICHAELSON: Right? "The Dick Cavett Show."
FRIEDLAND: Well, one benefit of that show is, like, you're able to see people that were very famous in a different light.
MICHAELSON: Right.
FRIEDLAND: Like, you would see them kind of more so for who they really were. And that's kind of primarily what the objective is with guests.
So yes, I mean, I just -- they're sitting next to someone that's so unserious that like -- I feel like I'm -- it's -- I can't possibly threaten them.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
FRIEDLAND: They're like, what the hell am I even doing in this room?
MICHAELSON: Well --
FRIEDLAND: Which is kind of how you're feeling right now.
MICHAELSON: No, it's not.
FRIEDLAND: I can tell.
MICHAELSON: But it sort of seemed to be how Scott Jennings was feeling when he sat with you. CNN's Scott Jennings, of course.
FRIEDLAND: Oh, yes. Friend of the show.
MICHAELSON: Part of Abby Phillip's big show, NEWSNIGHT every night.
FRIEDLAND: The Argument Show.
MICHAELSON: And this was your guys's exchange about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Abby -- I mean, what we're doing is -- there's no other cable show that has debates.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
JENNINGS: Every other cable show is six people sitting around.
FRIEDLAND: I'm going on next month.
JENNINGS: You're coming?
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
JENNINGS: OK.
FRIEDLAND: Why do you laugh at me like this? Because I'm a minor leaguer.
JENNINGS: I mean --
FRIEDLAND: Oh, well, I'll see you on the battlefield, my friend.
JENNINGS: They told me --
FRIEDLAND: You don't even know what I'm going to do to you.
JENNINGS: They told me they were having trouble booking people. I get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDLAND: Oh.
MICHAELSON: You are actually going on the show, right? FRIEDLAND: Yes, I believe I am. I'm going to -- I'm ready to have an
argument.
MICHAELSON: What's your strategy?
FRIEDLAND: Every time I see that show, there's more people around the table.
MICHAELSON: Yes, they have a lot more people than --
FRIEDLAND: It seems like it's --
MICHAELSON: -- we do. We don't have -- we don't even fit that many people on the set.
FRIEDLAND: I mean, like, you couldn't -- literally, it's like a -- at a certain point it's like a crowded bus or something. Yes. No. What's my strategy? I have to go -- I have to go wild card. I think wild card. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Just random stuff?
FRIEDLAND: Well, Scott probably has the most fun, because he's the one -- he's the conservative.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
FRIEDLAND: You know, so he gets half the lines. Think about it. That's the smartest strategy.
MICHAELSON: It's a table of five. But yet, Scott's doing 50 percent of the work.
FRIEDLAND: Maybe -- maybe I go even more conservative. Yes.
MICHAELSON: You're going to be --
FRIEDLAND: No, no.
MICHAELSON: -- the most far-right person.
FRIEDLAND: It is going to -- I mean, yes. It will, perhaps -- I mean if you guys want to miss that one that night when I'm on. I mean, it's just going to --
MICHAELSON: Your show is a tribute to -- to Dick Cavett in a way, in that show. You know, literally across the street from here is the studio where Johnny Carson used to do "The Tonight Show" and Jay Leno's studio right next to that.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And you think about that and sort of how that launched so many different people in terms of their career. But a lot of the videos you post on YouTube get more hits than -- than Jimmy Fallon's "Tonight Show." I mean, the -- FRIEDLAND: Twice the size; twice as big.
MICHAELSON: The way the industry works has changed so much. I mean, how do you think of sort of comedy and content in the year 2026?
FRIEDLAND: Well, yes, I mean, I think people are consuming. I mean, like, if my dad is doing it, I mean, if we're getting the 74-year- olds. Just because you have the app on the TV now. So, people are consuming a ton of stuff.
I'm sure your show goes up on YouTube, as well.
MICHAELSON: Sure. This segment will.
FRIEDLAND: Yes. Well, I hope so. What is it going to be called? "Worst interview of all time?"
MICHAELSON: What is the best caption to use for this segment? I'll put that up.
FRIEDLAND: You have to do something like "shocking," and then you have to have, like, a big graphic, like -- like, you have to do something like that. I mean, it's the aesthetics of YouTube thumbnails are perhaps some of the most disgusting, like it's -- yes.
MICHAELSON: Well, you just made it happen.
FRIEDLAND: Yes.
MICHAELSON: Thank you, Adam. Thanks for coming in. Congratulations.
FRIEDLAND: Watch the show. Thanks for -- thanks for having me. It was fun.
MICHAELSON: "The Adam Friedland Show." Check it out on YouTube.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:59:28]
MICHAELSON: It is a dying line of work, but still worthy of high praise. Newspaper vendor Ali Akbar has just become a knight of the Grand Order of Merit, one of France's highest honors.
Akbar has spent more than 50 years hawking newspapers on the streets and cafes of Paris. He's kept the trade alive even as some of the competition has folded.
President Macron of France praised the immigrant from Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): We would like to be able to tell you that you have always been French. You embody those adventures that France is proud not simply to welcome, but to share.
ALI AKBAR, NEWSPAPER VENDOR: Of course, I am proud, because I am satisfied with --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
