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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Nine Dead As Migrants Flood Across Spain-Morocco Border; Dry Conditions Fuel Devastating Fires In France; UEFA Vows To Skip World Cups Over Private Investment Plan; Stevens, Al-Sayed To Meet In Michigan Dem Senate Primary; Key Questions Remain Weeks After Nolan Wells' Death; Senate Hopeful Collins Dodges On Ties To White Nationalist; Pope Leo Reflects On Being The First American Pope; Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 31, 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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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson Live in Los Angeles.
Coming up, the story is border crisis, Spain, deploying troops to its border with Morocco after thousands of migrants cross over. Now, authorities are struggling to restore order.
The story is demanding answers. Three young men mysteriously die. Now, the families united by tragedy are joining forces in a search for the truth.
And the story is World Cup Chaos, a stunning split at the top of World Cup soccer. European clubs now threatening to boycott the next World Cup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Los Angeles, "The Story Is with Elex Michaelson."
MICHAELSON: We begin with dramatic scenes of the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Look at this. Thousands -- thousands of migrants from Morocco broke through a border fence. Officials say at least nine people died, as the crowd rushed in, with border guards unable to stop them. Spain now sending the military there to try to maintain security.
Ceuta is located on the Moroccan coast just across from Spain. It's often been the target for African migrants who see it as an entryway to Europe.
But it is still not clear what caused this sudden rush across the border this time around. Local authorities have linked it to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling, which makes it harder to return migrants who arrived by sea. But Moroccan activists doubt that, saying most local people are not even aware of that ruling.
Meanwhile, Spain's public broadcaster says the border between Morocco and another Spanish enclave, Melilla, was closed Thursday night after what officials call a mass entry attempt there. In France, as folks wake up, tinder-dry conditions are fueling massive wildfires, temperatures soaring throughout that region.
On Wednesday, Paris saw temperatures above 102 degrees Fahrenheit. That heat contributing to fires all across Europe, which crews continue to battle.
CNN's Melissa Bell is on the frontlines.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what the village of Le Porge in Southwestern France looked like a week ago.
These videos, filmed by Mathieu Plessis, one of a handful of locals who stayed behind to try and help firefighters.
MATHIEU PLESSIS, LE PORGE RESIDENT (through text translation): There were flames jumping. We had flames 25 meters high or even taller. It was -- well, it was the apocalypse.
BELL (voice-over): By Friday morning, however, this was all that was left of his home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're at my home. We're ay my family home.
BELL (through text translation): You've been here for seven generations, and this is what's left.
PLESSIS (through text translation): But the next morning, when we came back, everything was still burning.
BELL (through text translation): what was the inside that house, which has belonged to your family for generations?
PLESSIS (through text translation): My whole life. There was an aquarium fish. I had a snake in a terrarium. I couldn't save it. I couldn't save everything. Everything burned, even the animals. It breaks my heart.
BELL (voice-over): Some locals hear accused authorities of sending firefighters elsewhere just when the fire hit hardest for them.
As it spread, they were engulfed and felt abandoned as firefighters raced towards the popular tourist hotspot of the Cape Ferret Peninsula.
PLESSIS (through text translation): Everyone deserves to have their home saved, to have their living space saved, whether they're rich or poor. We're all human beings.
BELL (voice-over): His neighbors didn't fare much better. Many of their houses were destroyed as well.
Overall, in the village of Le Porge, 180 houses were destroyed, making it the hardest hit by the Gironde fire.
BELL: That trail of devastation that led to Le Porge began here just over a week ago at ground zero of the Gironde fire.
And here on the outskirts of the village of Saumos, you get an idea as well of just how violent it was.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Saumos.
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MICHAELSON: It is 7:00 A.M. in the Middle East where President Trump is handling what he calls a historic agreement with Hamas. He says a deal has been reached for the, quote, "complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza."
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The president saying that agreement would pave the way for Gaza to be governed by a new Palestinian government, working alongside his board of peace while ensuring that Israel will have the security it deserves.
Now, disarming Hamas is essential to carrying out President Trump's multi-phase plan to end the war in Gaza, but Hamas has not yet confirmed that there actually is a deal.
A live picture now from Washington where it's just after midnight. The U.S. Senate has rejected another effort to rebuke President Trump over the war with Iran. This is the 13th time a war powers measure has failed since the start of the war.
Three Republicans voted in favor of the measure; Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Rand Paul. Democrat John Fetterman voted against it.
Meanwhile, Egypt is being pulled into the war with Iran for the very first time. Video shows smoke rising from one of Egypt's Mediterranean ports. Egyptian officials say a drone struck the port, setting two ships on fire.
No one has claimed responsibility. Iran's foreign minister says that Egypt's security is of utmost importance. Abbas Araghchi urging vigilance against what he calls, quote, false flag operations designed to undermine regional peace. He also warned Cyprus and Bulgaria against allowing the U.S. to use their military bases to launch attacks on Iran.
President Trump is having second thoughts about allowing Ukraine to produce a key defense weapon. He told the "Financial Times" on Thursday he is not sure he'll give Kyiv a license to make Patriot missile interceptors.
He promised he would do that at a NATO summit earlier this month, which we carried live here on "The Story Is." Ukraine is facing a shortage of patriots, the only weapon that can stop Russia's most advanced ballistic missiles. Mr. Trump speaking hours after a massive attack on Ukraine, which killed at least eight people and wounded more than 50 others.
Poland says what appears to be a Russian missile crashed and exploded deep inside its territory during those strikes. Poland, as you know, is a NATO member. But a military official told CNN there are no plans to discuss a joint response by everyone in NATO, which would include the United States.
European leaders have condemned the attack, but Ukraine's president says condemnations can only go so far.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): European countries have made numerous statements, particularly regarding the Russian missile that flew into Polish territory and exploded somewhere in a field near Lublin. Most importantly, however, it's not just about condolences or condemnation, it's about providing air defense missiles, precisely the kind of pressure on Russia that can stop this senseless Russian war, all their attacks and their terror. This war could have ended long ago, but Putin doesn't want that.
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MICHAELSON: We just wrapped up the most popular World Cup of all time with record ratings and unity from around the world.
But now, a power struggling is unfolding in the top ranks of world football. Not long after FIFA announced a plan to let a separate subsidiary with private investors run future World Cups, European football's governing body issued a stark ultimatum, you got to abandon that plan or European teams will not take part in any future tournaments, meaning, no powerhouse countries like France or Spain in next year's Women's World Cup, nor in the Men's World Cup in 2030.
UEFA, releasing this statement, quote, "Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale."
Under that plan, private investors would get a 20 percent stake in a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, and then would presumably push for maximum profits.
Let's bring in Bloomberg Senior Sports reporter, Randall Williams, who is host of the Sports City Podcast. Randall, welcome to "The Story Is" for the first time.
RANDALL WILLIAMS: BLOOMBERG SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER: Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.
MICHAELSON: So, in -- in real layman's terms, what's going on here? What is this basic disagreement about?
WILLIAMS: So, everyone's celebrating about the World Cup. FIFA has made over $15 billion. And I was like, you like money, I like money. We should all make a whole lot more money. We have a partner in -- in Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital. We're going to raise all this money. And you're going to get a piece of it.
And UEFA was like, wait a second. Stop right here. Let's have a conversation about this. And then they have conversations with, of course, all of the countries, England, France, as you said, these are superpowers. Thirteen of the 23 World Cups have been won by UEFA members.
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And so if you remove all of these countries from the World Cup, it's going to be dramatically less popular. There are not going to be that many stars -- stars playing.
And then on top of that, you have CONCACAF who is, you know, the -- the North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. And they said no to this as well. And so this plan is a little bit shaky right now.
MICHAELSON: Well, let's put up on the screen some of the countries that we're talking about here that are part of UEFA. And you look at all of that, and that includes some of the most important countries when it comes to the World Cup.
I mean, it -- it's impossible to imagine a World Cup without all of these countries. Is this a bluff? Is -- is Europe messing around here? And if -- if not, like, how do they make all this work?
WILLIAMS: I don't think so. If you remember when the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, there was a lot of pushback from a lot of European countries with the concerns that they would be playing meaningless football.
And ultimately, the quarterfinals, three of the four teams were from Europe. Argentina, of course, ended up playing Spain and Spain emerged victorious. But now, we've moved those three -- three four teams and what does the quarterfinal or the semi-final look like anymore.
Even outside of that, think Belgium, Croatia, Portugal, these teams did not make it to the final four, and yet, they still have a dominant presence in the global game of football.
But you take the other way, and what does this tournament even turn into? And so FIFA has a -- its task of trying to turn this around very, very quickly, but I think it's unlikely.
MICHAELSON: I mean, America might actually have a chance to win, so we saw.
Speaking of that, President Trump's very close relationship with the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, literally holding up the trophy together during the World Cup.
And now Joshua Kushner, who you mentioned, who is Jared Kushner's brother, of course, Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, private investor at the center of all that.
How is that being interpreted and perceived? And -- and how much of a factor is his role in -- in all of this?
WILLIAMS: Well, UEFA and -- and many members of -- of football organizations around the world have long felt uncomfortable with FIFA's cozying up with President Trump. And this is just another part of that.
You know, I think if you're going to raise money, you want to have a lot of different conversations with potential investors, with other private equity firms. And Bloomberg has previously reported that that didn't happen, that this was being discussed for many months, even before the World Cup began.
And then you think about the things that also occurred. President Trump was given a FIFA Peace Prize.
MICHAELSON: Right.
WILLIAMS: And then, you know, 30 days later, we seized the Venezuela president. Ninety days later, we went to war in Iran. And so all of this has left everyone feeling very, very uncomfortable.
Now you're talking about raising $4.2 billion and giving everybody a piece of this. And UEFA and CONCACAF, and I imagine many more football organizations are going to be like, wait a second. Stop right here. Let's take a deep breath and let the World Cup end before we start trying to make even more money for next year's event.
MICHAELSON: I mean, it seems like $15 billion that you mentioned is plenty of money to make in one tournament.
Randall Williams --
WILLIAMS: I don't think so.
MICHAELSON: -- yes, with us in New York, thanks so much for breaking that down. We appreciate it.
Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general appears to be stuck in the mud, at least for now. What he's doing to try to win over two Republican senators who are withholding their support?
And the parents of Nolan Wells are begging for more information about the unsolved death of their son. We'll have more on their united front with the families of other black teens who dispute what authorities say about their cases.
Ryan Young's special report, next.
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MICHAELSON: The story is on Capitol Hill and not backing down Todd Blanche's nomination to be the attorney general of the United States, not going anywhere fast as two Republican senators will not commit to voting for him. Sources tell CNN, Blanche meant privately today with both John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. We're hearing they made progress, but there's still no resolution.
President Trump on social media says, he has no objection to temporarily pulling Blanche's nomination until Cornyn and Tillis are out of office in January.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Your reaction to the president saying he may withdraw and let Blanche and put him back after you're gone?
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): My reaction is the president's getting bad advice. He should listen to Blanche and others who think if it's dead, it should be rendered completely dead.
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MICHAELSON: Cornyn and Tillis want a written guarantee from Blanche killing parts of president's settlement with the IRS.
They oppose the so-called anti-weaponization fund and a tax immunity deal that protects President Trump and his family.
Cornyn writing, quote, "POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis."
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SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I'm not the only one that has concerns about this settlement and the scope of the release. And I think that's a -- a convenient but erroneous excuse.
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MICHAELSON: Another senator refusing to commit to supporting Blanche is Louisiana's Bill Cassidy. Like Cornyn, Cassidy lost his Republican primary after President Trump endorsed his Republican opponent.
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SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Todd Blanche cannot give commitments that Cornyn and Tillis want.
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And by the way, I'm very concerned about the weaponization of the Justice Department.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the vote happened today, would you support him?
CASSIDY: I'm not going to answer that because I'm still in the information gathering stage.
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MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, Senator Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley says he's still trying to get Blanche confirmed before next week's August recess.
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SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA): It's my intention, get Blanche approved. Exactly when that can happen, I don't know. But we're going to work hard to get the differences worked out.
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MICHAELSON: Perhaps the biggest political story in the country is in Michigan, where voters go to the polls on Tuesday in one of the most closely watched Senate primaries of the year.
Democratic Congressmember Haley Stevens, facing off against progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The winner will take on Republican Mike Rogers in November.
Meanwhile, the new CNN poll shows Democrats with a growing advantage in congressional races. Forty-seven percent of registered voters say that they would choose a Democrat. Thirty-nine percent would vote for a Republican.
Another question reveals growing support for Democratic socialism among Democrats and Democrat leaners. Thirty-four percent now identify as Democratic socialists. Sixty-six percent do not. That's among Democrats.
Lauren Gibbons is a senior Capitol reporter from "Michigan Bridge." She joins me live from Lansing, Michigan. Welcome to "The Story Is."
LAUREN GIBSON, SENIOR CAPITOL REPORTER, BRIDGE MICHIGAN: Thank you so much for having me.
MICHAELSON: There are a lot of polls all over the place in this Haley Stevens-Abdul El-Sayed race. It's hard to take one poll too seriously. But in terms of the trend lines, what are we seeing right now?
GIBBONS: I think at this point, it would be a mistake to say that one candidate is definitively doing better. Although, we have seen some recent polling as showing Abdul El-Sayed has been gaining in the polls.
There has been other polling, especially when you look at hypothetical general election matchups showing that Haley Stevens might perform a little better against Mike Rogers, the Republican presumptive nominee.
So at this stage, it's going to be a close race and a lot of it ultimately will depend on turnout. Will the progressive base come out to support their candidate? Will moderates rally around Haley Stevens in the hopes of sending her to the Senate? There's -- there's a lot that has yet to play out.
MICHAELSON: Right. And -- and Haley Stevens is certainly making the point that she would be a stronger general election candidate against Mike Rogers. And she's not the only one making that point. She is currently endorsed by the Democratic governor of Michigan, the current Democratic senator from Michigan, the former Democratic senator from Michigan.
And yet, this may be a change election. We want to show you some more polls. And this is focused on Michigan.
If most members were replaced, Congress would be 51 percent say, better off, and nine percent say worse off, which is way up from 2006 when that question was asked. That was also a big change year when it came to the election.
More polls here, now to this one. It asks, the opinion of Democrats or Democratic leaners. Democratic Party, 63 percent say favorable, 20 percent, unfavorable. Zohran Mamdani, 60 percent. Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, 55 percent, Democratic Socialists, 40 percent. Those are good numbers for Abdul El-Sayed.
And now to this poll as well. We'll show you opinion of Democrats, Democratic leaners. Hakeem Jefferies, favorable, just 34 percent. He's the top Republican -- or top Democrat in the House. Chuck Schumer, top Democrat in the Senate, 29 percent.
How do those numbers jive with what you are hearing on the ground? What are voters telling you when you talk to them?
GIBBONS: Yes. I think that's -- that is something that we are seeing play out in Michigan. A lot of people who are choosing to support Abdul El-Sayed would like to see changes. They're really concerned about, especially the amount of money from outside groups that is being poured into Michigan right now.
There are some estimates showing we might see up to $60 million in outside spending for the primary cycle alone. A lot of that is benefiting Haley Stevens. So, there are a lot of voters who are fed up and are interested in Abdul El-Sayed for that reason.
Abdul El-Sayed is also leaning into that at this point. Earlier today, I was in Saline Township where he and others protesting a new data center development, how the press conference.
A couple to go Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who's supporting Haley Stevens, was at a different press conference supporting this data center development.
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And so there are a lot of divides. And I think both sides are kind of leaning in to those divides at this stage in the primary.
MICHAELSON: It'll be fascinating to see what happens late Tuesday night. We will have live coverage of that here on CNN. In the meantime, you can check out Lauren Gibbons work on the ground in Lansing, Michigan. Thanks for being with us.
GIBBONS: Thank you so much for having me.
MICHAELSON: Now to this.
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BEN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: We're going to get to the answers of what happened to Nolan Wells, what happened to Daniel Erving, and what happened to Tyler Smith. Three 18-year-old black boys in a three-month period around Fourth of July.
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MICHAELSON: That is civil rights attorney Ben Crump, standing with families who dispute how their sons died.
On the left is Nolan Wells, the Mississippi teen found dead after a day trip on the water with his friends.
In the middle, 18-year-old Daniel Erving. He drowned after jumping into a lake with friends near Dallas. Two teens who are with him now face charges of evidence tampering.
And on the right is 18-year-old Tyler Smith, shot to death in Lexington, Kentucky. His family disputes claiming that Smith shot himself accidentally.
As CNN's Ryan Young reports, the parents of Nolan Wells, hope to pursue leads in their son's case while also dealing with death threats.
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CHRISTINE WONSLEY, NOLAN WELLS' MOTHER: It has been 27 days since we have been able to talk to our son, to hug him, to tell him we love him.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Nolan Wells' family mourns, many questions are still swirling around their son's death.
The 18-year-old went on a Fourth of July boat trip with friends to Horn Island in Mississippi. He never made it home. Wells' body was found two days later, faced down in the water near the shoreline of the island.
His friends say he stayed behind to talk to a girl, but his phone and keys were not found with him. His phone was later recovered at one of his friend's homes. Nolan Wells' parents, along with the families of two other young black teens, who say they died under suspicious circumstances, asked for more transparency.
ELMORE WONSLEY, NOLAN WELL'S FATHER: If Nolan was really your best friend or for the people who said that he was their friend, please -- please come forward.
The initial comment from the sheriff on July 6th said, quote, "No foul play was suspected" in Wells' death, which fueled anger on social media.
Initial results from an independent autopsy conducted by the family was deemed inconclusive because portions of Wells' body are still with the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office and toxicology reports are still pending.
Investigators are also examining audio of an emergency call Wells' friends made while heading back to the mainland by boat, a recording that has gone viral.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like you're on Horn Island, correct? Are you on Horn Island?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we are on Horn Island. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Is the both sinking or you have it aground?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are sinking, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it aground is the question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. We're not aground. We're in --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- at 17-foot of water. We are in 31-foot of water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Have to ask. Where do you -- and what do you want to do? Do you want to be towed back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to get this boat unsank and towed back, yes.
YOUNG: And Ben Crump said today they hire their own experts to review the background audio to see what might be useful to their investigation.
In addition to suffering a loss of their child, Wells' parents have been the targets of threats.
C WONSLEY: At this point, we refuse to allow that negativity to come into our home, to come into our hearts, our minds. We will not pay that back to the people who are giving it to us.
YOUNG: Then a heated moment when a reporter asked if attorney Ben Crump was just looking for money and fame.
MARC MORAL, PRESIDENT, URBAN LEAGUE: That accusation doesn't deserve a response.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
MORAL: It is -- it has no dignity --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
MORAL: -- associated with someone standing up for children who have died. We fight for justice and someone suggests, all we want is publicity.
YOUNG (voice-over): For Nolan's parents and the other parents that spoke out today, they're asking for just one thing --
C. WONSLEY: We need people who are there, right? We need people who are there who actually witnessed it. Those are the people we need to call.
But all we want are answers. That's it. We just want answers. That's all we've ever wanted. That's all we've asked for this entire time.
YOUNG: And Nolan Wells' family has been dealing with threats and online harassment. They're saying they're staying strong, especially for their two younger boys that they have still at home.
But you can only imagine what these three families are going through, hoping to get more publicity and hoping to get more answers from authorities as they continue to search for what they say hopefully is the truth.
Ryan Young, CNN, Nashville.
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MICHAELSON: Ryan Young, thank you for that.
Now, to a landmark case making a big impact, potentially across the country. A judge has sentenced Colin Gray, the father of a teen school shooter, to 15 years in prison. Gray is the first parent convicted of murder in connection with a shooting carried out by their child. Colt Gray killed four people in a 2024 mass shooting at a Georgia high school.
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On Thursday, the judge said his conviction was based on criminal negligence. Prosecutors said he bought his son the AR-15 style weapon used in the shooting and then left it unsecured despite warnings that his son was a danger to others.
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TERRY MCELHANNON, GRANDFATHER OF VICTIM: Why are we here today? Is because of him. His actions and his neglect are responsible for what happened here. Though he did not shoot the gun, he bought the bullets.
SHAYNA ASPINWALL, WIFE OF VICTIM: My now seven-year-old, who was a daddy's girl, spends time going to therapy because she struggled with the grief of losing her dad. Calling could not take his son to therapy. Therefore, I have to take mine. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Colton Gray, the son, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in that very same courtroom, and by the very same judge as his dad.
A candidate for the U.S. Senate now facing some uncomfortable questions. What made Georgia Republican Mike Collins and his press conference early today? You'll see them here live. Standing by, our political panel, Elizabeth Ashford and Abel Maldonado. They're up next.
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MICHAELSON: You're watching "The Story Is." I'm Elex Michaelson.
Let's take a look at today's top stories. President Trump says, a deal has been reached to fully disarm Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. He says it would pave the way for Gaza to be governed by what he calls a new Palestinian government that will work alongside his Board of Peace. The president says the deal, which has not been confirmed by Hamas, key point there, will also ensure that Israel has the security that it deserves.
Spain is sending the military to its territory of Ceuta, after thousands of migrants rushed across the border. Check out this video. Officials say at least nine people died as the crowd broke through the fence along the border with Morocco on Thursday. Ceuta is a Spanish enclave on Morocco's coast, which many migrants see as entryway to Europe.
Ten mountain climbers are feared missing after an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan. Among them, world-renowned Nepalese climber. He made history in 2019 by climbing 14 of the world's tallest peaks in just over six months. The group has been out of communication since that avalanche on Thursday.
There is growing criticism of Republican Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia, now a candidate for the U.S. Senate. He ended a press conference today refusing to answer questions about his son-in-law who did promote white nationalists and anti-Semitic content online.
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REP. MIKE COLLINS (R-GA): You know, we fully address that, but -- but -- but John Ossoff refuses to disavow these -- these Democrats' socialist movements in our country. As a matter of fact, he embraces that. You know, John Ossoff should answer for -- for voting for men being in women's locker rooms.
Listen, thank you. I appreciate you all's time. Appreciate you coming on this morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't want to talk about your son-in-law -- COLLINS: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- at all? Do you want to -- do you embrace him in the family?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Collins is running to unseat Democratic Senator John Ossoff who you just heard about.
Here's what Ossoff had to say.
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SEN. JON OSSOFF (D-GA): We saw this morning the sad spectacle of a crumbling man in Congressman Mike Collins, refusing to answer basic questions about his ties to white nationalism and neo-Nazi ideology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Let's bring in our political panel. On the left, democratic political consultant, Elizabeth Ashford, who's worked for multiple California governors. And on the right, the former lieutenant governor of California, Abel Maldonado, Republican. Welcome both of you. Good to see both of you.
You have helped a lot of candidates and politicians in office do crisis situations in the past.
Today, Collins was asked the same question over and over again by a bunch of reporters. Is the way to handle that to completely pretend like they're not asking you that question and then just walk away?
ELIZABETH ASHFORD, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: Right. So, this is -- this is really political communications 101, which is that you don't go out in public until you have anticipated and know how you're going to answer these, you know, tough questions. And this is a tough question about his family. And it's -- it's like malpractice not to be ready to -- to -- to take it on.
And so, you know, you have to be prepared to repudiate white nationalism, even if your daughter finds it sexy. You've got to go up there and do that, right? And -- and he failed at doing that. And I think it's -- it's -- it's real malpractice, you know.
MICHAELSON: I mean, how do you see this and -- and how it also impacts the Republicans' chance to win the Senate?
ABEL MALDONADO, FORMER CALIFORNIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Well, first of all, Elex, thanks for having me on. I don't -- there's no room for anti-Semitism anywhere in America. That's number one. And I think the congressman could have just at least said that.
But at the end of the day, I mean, they're talking about his son-in- law. I have a son-in-law. I mean, people have son-in-laws. They're not running for office. I mean, they might say some comments that you might not like and -- and hope the son-in-law can come out.
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MICHAELSON: But -- but Ossoff's point is that this son-in-law has worked for him, that he's been on his payroll in the past. He isn't just some casual acquaintance.
MALDONADO: And then Collins came out and said that he's not working for him. And that he's already addressed that. And that he never worked for him, didn't work for his trucking company, didn't work on his campaign, so there's the argument.
But at the end of the day, if Ossoff wants to be -- continue to be in the Senate, he better start talking about issues. He's -- if he talks about affordability. He didn't talk about affordability. He's trying to get Collins on this son-in-law thing. I don't think that -- that -- that's going to move Georgia in any way for John Ossoff to be there.
MICHAELSON: But then why do you think that John Ossoff is ahead in -- in almost every poll that we've seen?
MALDONADO: I think if you're a Democrat today, under the circumstances that we're in, you're going to be ahead. We still have a long ways to go for the midterms, 90 days, something like that.
But, yes, the Democrat Party right now is doing pretty good, obviously, but things can change very, very quickly in politics.
MICHAELSON: Well, that's interesting because Georgia is traditionally a -- a Republican state, and yet Ossoff is ahead in polls. That would be a democratic hold.
Democrats need to win several states and pick up in order to win the Senate back. And amazingly, if you look at the recent Fox News polls, not exactly the most left-leaning group in doing this, Democrats seem to be poised to do that.
Roy Cooper, who is trying to flip the seat in North Carolina, the governor there doing well, looks poised to beat Michael Whatley, the former RNC chair.
And check out this number from Texas, which has been the democratic white whale for how many election cycles. Now, this is margin of error, so it's basically tied. James Talarico, the Democrat, Ken Paxton at 48 percent.
According to Fox News, Democrats also ahead right now in Iowa, Ohio, which would also be pick-ups. What do you make of -- of -- of those numbers?
ASHFORD: Well, I mean, you know, there's -- there's obviously a huge appetite for change, and there's a really strong sentiment across the country that, you know, the -- the GOP is not working for folks, even though they have the supermajority in -- in the federal government, you know. And it's like, if you're feeling like squeezed at the gas pump and you're feeling, you know, squeezed at the grocery store, you're going to start looking around for who is responsible for that. And so I'm not shocked that even in places where you've seen these strongholds, you're starting to see a real appetite for change.
MICHAELSON: How did Republicans change that with only 90 days to go? How did they change this -- flip the script?
MALDONADO: Well, there's no secret, Elex. It's going to be tough. There's no doubt. I mean, to change the mind and change everything in our days.
But -- but look, Talarico, one-point, two-point ahead right now. I mean, the Republican Party is hoping the Democrats dump all their money in Texas.
Let's call Beto O'Rourke how that worked out for him. They threw everything at Beto. Beto was a great candidate, was early out, the mayor of El Paso and everything. Look what happened there.
Texas is a red state. It's going to continue to be a red state. So, if the Democrats want to go there, be my guest. There's other places they can go, but I don't think Texas is the place for them to go.
MICHAELSON: Well, it's interesting, Elizabeth, because President Trump today is, you know, pulling his nomination potentially of Todd Blanche as attorney general, saying, we will wait out these Republican senators who don't like me, and then we're going to get senators who do like me in the fall.
Here's what Thom Tillis, who is leaving the Senate, said about that to Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Your reaction to the president saying he may withdraw and let Blanche and put him back after you're gone.
TILLIS: My reaction is the president's getting bad advice. He should listen to Blanche and others who think if it's dead, it should be rendered completely dead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: You agree, bad advice?
ASHFORD: It's bad advice. I'm wondering, is it like too early to call Trump a lame duck? Because this really looks like somebody who is, you know, you're fighting with your own caucus, you're, you know, you're -- you're fighting to get something personal for yourself out of -- out of this appointment.
I just think that, you know, for Trump, this is really not about that fun. It really is about indemnification about, you know, tax liability. And I think it's -- he's just -- he's losing it with his party. And I -- I think that it, you know, it doesn't bode well for the next two years of his presidency.
MICHAELSON: And he has taken a bit of a gamble here. Why?
MALDONADO: It is a gamble. And, Elex, for me, this is kind of a head scratcher for me to be very sincere with you. These are two people that President Trump went after in the primary. And now you're asking the vote for your guy. I mean, that's difficult. I mean, I was in office.
And when you're in office, I mean, there is -- there's chits. And to go out there and -- and say, you know, kick Cornyn out of the office and kick, you know, Tillis out of the office, then all of a sudden, we need your vote. And then we give it to -- that's a difficult -- that's a difficult big ask, Elex.
MICHAELSON: And -- and President Trump basically saying today, I'm not going to do any -- any bending of the knee to try to get you there either, which is --
[00:45:02]
ASHFORD: I'm -- I'm with Abel on this.
MICHAELSON: -- an interesting approach.
ASHFORD: Yes, it's bad strategy.
MICHAELSON: Elizabeth, Abel will be back with us in the next hour, including to honor the birthday boy, Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll talk about that in our next hour.
But to -- next, the first American Pope is opening up about his family roots in a brand-new interview. After the break, what he said about his early American ancestors and the possibility of a visit to the U.S.
Katie McGrady, just talk to the Pope herself. She'll join us next to talk about their conversation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:50:13]
MICHAELSON: Pope Leo is opening up about his family history in a new interview with NBC News. The pope telling Tom Llamas that he is a descendant of both slaves and slave owners on his mother's side and explained how he feels about being the first American pope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: I think of myself more as the pope who happens to be American. Not to be little what it means to be American. I was born in the United States. My family is still in the United States. I have great love for America.
But I understand my mission as having a very important dimension which is precisely being pastor of a universal church.
TOM LLAMAS, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: What do you love about America?
POPE LEO XIV: So many things. In -- in a sense speaking about principles, what America stands for, the sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, the sense of -- of having invited for generations, people from around the world to be part of America.
I come from a family that my grandparents were immigrants. My mother's side, we have people who were both slaves and slave owners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Let's bring a CNN's Vatican analyst, Katie Prejean McGrady. She's also the host of the Katie McGrady show on SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel.
Katie, what stood out to you most about what he just said?
KATIE PREJEAN MCGRADY, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Pope Leo can fit in quite a lot in just a couple of minutes. I was really struck by -- he's very clear. He's been very clear for -- for the past, you know, year and -- and -- and some change.
But I loved that he said so many things, but then he immediately went to principles. The -- the journalist and me wanted to go, well, are some of those things your favorite foods that you probably missed from back home or certainly the time that you could just spend with family?
But the fact that he went straight to the principles that make our country good and what make the people of America good, which is this idea of care for others and welcoming the immigrant and opportunity that we pursue with one another, I thought was really, really poignant and a challenging message for all Americans back home.
MICHAELSON: You got a chance to see him last year, which we've got some pictures of and you just spoke to him again in June. What did he tell you?
MCGRADY: Well, those -- those brief little moments of interaction are -- are certainly a great blessing. And I'm very grateful to my friends at the Vatican that make those hellos to the Holy Father happen.
Last year, so it was a year ago today, I got to -- to meet him in person for the first time. And truthfully, I just told him, thank you for saying yes.
And then I asked him kind of a -- a silly question where I said, what's your favorite Christmas cookie? Because I had the intention of bringing him Christmas cookies. We were going to come back for a canonization.
My family didn't make it back for the canonization. So instead, we brought him some Louisiana goodies last June. So just a -- a few weeks ago, in fact. And the big thing that he said in both moments, he, of course, asked for prayers. I think the Holy Father is always going to ask people for prayers. And then assured us of his prayers, which is always an incredibly comforting thing to know that the Holy Father is praying for his flock.
I will also say when I introduced him to my kids, my daughter, my eight-year-old, really wanted to tell them a joke. So, she told him a joke and he laughed and it was such a warm moment of joy.
And that's what I think people need to understand about Pope Leo. He's not a cartoon character. He's not just a figurehead. He's a real person. He's a real priest who has a real love for his people. And that comes across in these intentional moments of encounter.
MICHAELSON: So, what's his favorite Christmas cookie?
MCGRADY: So, he really likes those -- those Chicago spritz cookies. I'm like breaking news here because I don't think I've shared this really anywhere. Those -- those round like crinkle cut cookies with sprinkles on them.
MICHAELSON: We get you the answers here on "The Story Is" to the big questions.
So, in -- in terms of though him speaking out, it was interesting. Tom Llamas of NBC talked to him for two and a half minutes. And Telemundo also talked to him, both NBC properties.
Why is he doing this? Why is he doing interviews right now? What's the strategy there?
MCGRADY: That's a great question. Yesterday, there was this beautiful concert at Borgo Laudato Si', which is this lovely property that the Vatican has developed as a -- a garden. So, it's open to the public. People can go to this beautiful garden and also they have this learning center.
So Andrea Bocelli has a -- a children's foundation. They were this incredible concert. NBC was the broadcaster of it.
And I'm sure there were conversations around, we're going to broadcast this. Can we also maybe have a little bit of FaceTime with the Pope?
[00:55:07]
Technically, this is his first on-screen interview. He did do a sit down with Elise Allen last summer, which resulted in her wonderful book, the biography of him.
But since then, we haven't gotten these on-screen conversations. And so, I think the strategy is just the Holy Father is not scared of the media. He will certainly answer questions when he's asked and he's done so on airplanes.
But what I really, really appreciate about this conversation with Tom and with Telemundo was, Holy Father, we're going to ask you something specific. We're going to put you on the record here. And he didn't shy away from that.
And probably didn't have those questions ahead of time. I mean, the -- the journalistic practice there would have been, can we have a few minutes? Here's what our questions are going to be in real time.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And so, I guess they were the rights holders, just like sports, you get good interviews when you got the rights.
So, Katie Prejean --
MCGRADY: Exactly. Exactly.
MICHAELSON: -- McGrady, thanks for being with us. Really appreciate it. And thanks for breaking some news here on "The Story Is."
Ahead in the next hour, we'll go --
MCGRADY: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: -- to Beijing for more on the avalanche that just happened in Pakistan. Among those who may be missing is a world-renowned Nepalese climber.
We'll be right back with the next hour, right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
