♪♪♪ >> CATHY: SECRETARY SIMON WILL BE JOINING US HERE IN STUDIO IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE UPCOMING ELECTION AND VOTING CONCERNS FROM ALL SIDES.

IT’S ALSO A TOPIC WE’LL COVER WITH TONIGHT’S VERSION OF THE POLITICAL PANEL.

SO LET'S JUMP RIGHT IN.

REPUBLICANS UP FIRST TONIGHT.

ANNETTE MEEKS IS A FORMER CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CANDIDATE WHO NOW HEADS THE FREEDOM FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA.

FRITZ KNAAK IS A FORMER STATE SENATOR, NOW ATTORNEY, ALWAYS A REPUBLICAN LOYALIST.

DEMOCRATS WITH US TONIGHT: JAVIER MORILLO IS A LONGTIME UNION AND PARTY ACTIVIST AND FORMER NATIONAL COMMITTEE MAN.

AND WE WELCOME ASMA MOHAMMED TO THE COUCH, LONGTIME ACTIVIST AND ONE OF MINNESOTA'S UNCOMMITED DELEGATES AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION LAST MONTH.

GOOD TO TALK WITH ALL OF YOU.

GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

SENATOR KNAAK, THAT PIECE WAS IN OLMSTED COUNTY, THAT KAOMI LEE HAD, AND THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN ON BOTH SIDES ABOUT THE MIS AND DISINFORMATION OUT THERE.

FOR THIS ELECTION CYCLE.

WHAT ARE EPUBLICANS THINKING ABOUT IT?

>> WELL -- [ Laughter ] THEY'RE AS WORRIED AS EVERYBODY ELSE.

I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN POLITICS RIGHT NOW IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PUT OUT THERE, DELIBERATELY, BY MISTAKE, BY -- THROUGH IGNORANCE OR WORSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE BUSINESS ABOUT RUSSIAN MOLES AND ALL THE REST OF IT, I THINK EVERYBODY'S KIND OF ON ALERT.

AND I'D LIKE TO THINK I AM AND I THINK MOST CONSUMERS ARE.

I THINK WE'RE A LOT MORE SOPHISTICATED.

WHEN WE SEE STRANGE STORIES NOW SURFACING THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT TRUE.

SO I THINK WE'RE DEVELOPING COLLECTIVE ALL OF US A SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE, BUT IT'S A WORRY, YEAH.

>> Eric: ASMA, HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED DOING YOUR POLITICAL IN THIS CURRENT CLIMATE?

>> I THINK THAT THE SAME WAY THE OTHER FOLKS HAVE, WITH SKEPTICISM AND ALSO MAKING SURE I'M CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SKING VOTERS WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR NOT JUST FROM CANDIDATES BUT ALSO MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE LEARNING FROM THE CANDIDATES.

SO SOMETHING THAT I WAS JUST RECENTLY TELLING YOU ABOUT WAS THAT WE DEVELOPED A CANDIDATE GUIDE FOR EVERY SINGLE MINNESOTA HOUSE CANDIDATE, FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, FOR SENATE CANDIDATES.

WHICH IS HARD TO DO WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT AS SOMEONE WHO'S DOING IT NONPARTISAN BUT, LIKE, PERSONALLY FEEL SOME WAFFLE.

SO WE'VE DONE THAT, NONPARTISAN, FOCUSING ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND POLICING, AND ON ARMS EMBARGOES AND SO PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AND SAYING, HOW CAN I VOTE MY VALUE AND FOCUS ON WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH NOISE HAPPENING?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK -- SO WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, POWDER BEING SENT TO ELECTIONS OFFICIALS OFFICES.

WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION, I THINK, AND THEN WE HAVE A CAMPAIGN LIKE -- I MEAN, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST WEEK, IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, IS JUST HORRIFIC.

IT IS -- AND IT IS PURPOSEFUL.

AND, LIKE, YOU KNOW, J.D.

VANCE GOES ON TV AND SAYS WE'RE MAKING UP STORIES TO KEEP PEOPLE FOCUSED ON IMMIGRATION.

BUT PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE AT STAKE, AND I THINK IT UPS THE TEMPERATURE IN A WAY HAT IS NOT JUST UNHELPFUL, BUT I THINK CONTRIBUTED TOWARD SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS WHICH IS JUST A DISSOLUTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND A REAL FEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO END UP IN MORE POLITICAL VIOLENCE.

>> WELL, I HOPE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AND I THINK I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, TRUST, BUT VERIFY.

I JUST SAW THE REAGAN MOVIE THIS WEEK, AND IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY ON TWITTER OR ANY OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA, VERIFY IT, BEFORE YOU GO AND SPREAD IT AND HIT THAT, YOU KNOW, RESEND.

JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE LOOKING AT A RELIABLE SOURCE.

AND THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST SPREADING MISINFORMATION.

>> Eric: YOU WERE AN UNCOMMITTED DELEGATE TO THE D.N.C.

ARE YOU COMMITTED NOW TO HARRIS OR YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

>> I WOULD BE COMMITTED TO A CANDIDATE THAT SUPPORTED AN ARMS EMBARGO.

AND IT'S SOMETHING YOU WERE SAYING, IT'S HARD TO MAINTAIN THAT IDEA THAT, LIKE, WHEN YOU HEAR IT ON TWITTER, YOU HAVE TO VERIFY IT.

WELL, WHAT IF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IS SAYING?

HOW DO YOU VERIFY THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

WHEN A VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SAYS MARIBETH EVERYONES ARE EATING CATS AND DOGS, THAT'S HURTING ACTUAL COMMUNITIES AND THAT'S COMING FROM SOMEONE THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TRUST AND WE ARE ASKING TO PUT TRUST IN.

AND AS AN UNCOMMITTED DELEGATE, YOU KNOW, I'M ASKING QUESTIONS.

I'M ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS OF MY OWN PARTY.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE US WIN.

AND I WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN IN A WAY THAT REALLY ASKS QUESTIONS THAT VOTERS THAT I'M REPRESENTING, 46,000 VOTERS FROM MINNESOTA, ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE SAYING, HOW ARE WE SAVING LIVES IN THIS VERY MOMENT CTS RIGHT?

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE STATE OF THE RACE IN MINNESOTA RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, IN MINNESOTA, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GENERAL UPHILL FIGHT FOR THOSE ARE OUR SIDE OF THE EQUATION, ESPECIALLY WITH WALZ ON THE TICKET.

BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE CLOSER THAN PEOPLE REALIZE.

I THINK COLLECTIVELY, YOU'RE SEEING THE NATIONAL RACE, THE TRUMP RACE, STARTING TO SHOW SOME CONFIDENCE.

AND BY THAT, I MEAN, THEY SHOW UP, NOT JUST IN THE KEY STATES ANYMORE, BUT THEY'RE DOING -- THEY'RE DOING WORK LIKE THEY JUST DID IN NEW YORK, HE HAD A WONDERFUL EVENT IN LONG ISLAND, TO KIND OF GIN UP THE ELECTRIC, THE TRUMP SUPPORTERS FOR OTHER DOWN BALLOT CANDIDATES.

AND THAT APPARENTLY WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.

>> Eric: WHAT'S YOUR ANSWER TO UNCOMMITTED DELEGATES STILL?

UNCOMMITTED DEMOCRATS STILL?

>> OH, THIS IS OUR PARTY IS HAVING A CONVERSATION.

A VERY NECESSARY CONVERSATION.

WHEN WE DISAGREE WITH HOW THINGS HAPPEN, WE DO THAT THROUGH DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

WE DON'T ATTACK THE CAPITOL.

IT'S A GOOD THING.

IT'S A POSITIVE THING.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL QUESTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH ASMA, AND ALSO, LIKE, IT'S NOT JUST DEMOCRATS WHO ARE WRONG ON THIS.

LIKE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ILL GO INTO NEXT YEAR AND -- >> Cathy: BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ENDORSEMENTS, SO THE UNCOMMITTEDS ARE NOT GOING TO ENDORSE, THEY'VE DECIDED NOT TO ENDORSE HARRIS AND TIM WALZ.

THE TEAMSTERS ARE ALSO REMAINING NEUTRAL TOO.

>> THE TEAMSTERS IN SWING STATES LIKE MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN AND PENNSYLVANIA HAVE ALL ENDORSED HARRIS.

THE NATIONAL UNION MADE THAT DECISION, BUT I USED TO LEAD A LOCAL UNION.

AND I GOT TO DECIDE AND MY BOARD GOT TO DECIDE WHAT COMMUNICATIONS GO TO OUR MEMBERS, SO THOSE STATE ENTITIES WILL BE COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR MEMBERS ENDORSING KAMALA HARRIS.

>> THE TEAMSTERS KNEW IF THEY WERE ENDORSE, 2/3 OF THEIR MEMBERS DID NOT SUPPORT HARRIS AND THE TICKET.

THEY KNEW THEY'D GET IN TROUBLE AND SO IT WAS EASIER JUST TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO ENDORSE AND BYPASS THE WHOLE DECISION ALTOGETHER.

IN TERMS OF TRUMP HERE IN MINNESOTA, THE ONE THING THAT I'VE SEEN THAT I THINK IS SO ACTUALLY EMARKABLE IS THAT THERE WAS AN INITIAL BUMP WHEN GOVERNOR WALZ WAS PUT ON THE TICKET.

THAT'S ALL DISSIPATED.

ALL OF THAT ENTHUSIASM FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IS GONE.

AND THE NUMBERS ARE ALMOST EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUBURBS WHEN PEOPLE ARE STILL OUT THERE BUYING BACK TO SCHOOL STUFF, GROCERIES, THEY'RE STILL WORRIED ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND THEY'RE GIVING IT A SECOND LOOK.

>> Cathy: ASMA.

>> EVEN THOUGH UNCOMMITTED VOTERS DIDN'T ENDORSE VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, THEY ALSO DID NOT ENDORSE A THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE.

BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TRUMP TO WIN.

THERE ARE UNCOMMITTED VOTERS WHO ARE GOING OUT AND THEY WILL VOTE FOR VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO AVERT A TRUMP PRESIDENT DISEAFNL, BECAUSE THEY ARE REALIZING THAT THERE ARE LIVES AT STAKE.

WELL, WHAT IS TRUMP GOING TO DO IN THE FUTURE TO HURT PALESTINIANS, TO HURT ISRAELIS, TO HURT AMERICANS, RIGHT?

AND HOW CAN WE AVERT THAT.

SO THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING REALLY TOUGH DECISIONS RIGHT NOW.

I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

>> Eric: LOOKING AT THE MINNESOTA HOUSE RACES, REPUBLICANS WERE OUT WITH A COUPLE OF NEWS RELEASES ALREADY THIS EVENING.

THERE'S NEW MEDICAID FRAUD ALLEGATIONS.

THERE'S AUTISM, APPARENTLY SOME FRAUD WITH AUTISM MONEY, "FEEDING OUR FUTURE."

IS THAT GOING TO HAVE A TRACTION?

>> WELL, THERE'S A REAL SENSE, I MEAN, OF DECAY GOING ON.

EVEN CORRUPTION'S THE WORD THAT ARNE CARLSON USED.

I DON'T AGREE WITH HIM LOT THESE DAYS BUT I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH HIM ON THAT.

AND WHENEVER YOU GET THIS MUCH MONEY BEING ALLOCATED THROUGH BASICALLY A SINGLE PARTY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THIS KIND OF LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

WE'RE WATCHING THE VAUNTED MINNESOTA PROPER GOOD GOVERNMENT KIND OF TRADITION DISAPPEAR AND IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ALL THIS MONEY FLOWING GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW.

>> GENE PELOWSKI SAID WE SHOULD HAVE DISWIEDED DIVIDED GOVERNMENT.

>> I THINK AS WE SAID EARLIER, OUR PARTY IS LOOKING INWARD AND ACTUALLY INCREDIBLY EXCITED, AND CONTRARY TO WHAT ANNETTE HAS SAID, AND, LIKE, FIELD OFFICES ARE FILLED WITH VOLUNTEERS.

THERE'S INCREDIBLE EXCITEMENT FOR THEIR TICKET.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO PLAY OUT IN HOUSE RACES IN AN ELECTION THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY ATIONALIZED.

AND WHERE, LIKE, AND WHERE MINNESOTANS, LIKE, VOTED STRONGLY FOR JOE BIDEN FOUR YEARS AGO, AND THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE EVEN MORE STRONGLY WITH TIM WALZ ON THE TICKET.

>> I THINK WHAT'S SO INTERESTING IN LOOKING AT THE POLLING STATEWIDE WHEN YOU DELVE INTO THE LEGISLATIVE RACES AND YOU LOOK AT INDEPENDENT VOTERS WHICH IS WHO -- THEY WILL DECIDE WHO CONTROLS THE STATE HOUSE AND PROBABLY THE STATE SENATE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INDEPENDENT VOTERS, NUMBER ONE CONCERN, IT IS WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE IN STATE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF THE HORRIBLE MISMANAGEMENT THAT HAS OCCURRED UNDER THE ALZ ADMINISTRATION WHERE NOBODY SEEMS TO BE MINDING THE STORE, WHILE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS DISAPPEARED AND WERE USED IN HORRIBLE WAYS INSTEAD OF FEEDING CHILDREN THAT NEEDED THE FOOD AND THE RESOURCES THAT WERE ALLOCATED.

AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION.

THEY EVEN HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE BUILDING, THE REMODELING, IF YOU WILL, OF THE STATE OFFICE BUILDING.

IF YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED ME SIX MONTHS AGO IF ANYBODY CARED ABOUT THAT, I WOULD HAVE SAID HECK NO, BUT P SHOWS UP IN THE POLLING.

PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WASTE AND ESPECIALLY THE FRAUD.

>> Eric: AND WHO'S GOING TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IN 2026?

>> Cathy: YOU'RE ALREADY THINKING OF 2026?

>> Eric: I AM.

>> I'M THINKING SCHULTZ RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE?

>> I'M THINKING WE'RE ALREADY HAVE GOTTEN RID OF THE PRECINCT CAUCUS CANDIDATE.

>> THEIR CANDIDATE WILL BE WALTER HUDSON.

>> OH, GOD.

>> I HOPE NOT.

>> Eric: