Morning Joe - Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at Nebraska rally

Episode Date: October 6, 2026

October 6, 2026 – 6am:Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San DiegoTrump rallies for republicans in Nebraska  Trump promises lower fuel prices at Nebraska rallyAbdul El-Sayed talks Iran war, gas prices in Fox News interviewObama to campaign with El-Sayed in DetroitMS NOW Exclusive: The Voter Files – Michigan voters weigh in on Abdul El-SayedTrump administration ramps up deportations to ‘third countries’MS NOW Exclusive: Father & pastor from Texas deported to ‘third country’Russia plague fearsCornell students protest handling of alleged assault To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial, it's a little bit high, it's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. That's, this is a very small price to pay, and it's going to be over with very soon. It's essentially almost over with, and they might keep going a little long, you know? They always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it. Let me tell you, they need it. but it's going to end very soon and it'll end one way or the other and your gas and your gasoline and all of the things. President Trump

last night in Nebraska, again, trying to justify the higher prices Americans are paying for fuel and other goods while also just casually calling for Iran to attack two of the most populous cities in the United States, Joe.

Yeah, you know, there will be some He's just joking. He's just, well, okay, well, great. Tell me then, please. What other American president in our history, post-Civil War, have called for the destruction of entire cities? Joking.

If this is your joke, this is your idea of a presidential joke, joking about the killing of 10 million or so people? Is that where we are? Because I thought it was bad enough when he was joking in front of California Republicans several years ago. I think it was in 22, about an elderly man getting the hell beaten out of him and almost dying. Paul Pelosi, remember? And he led those California.

And they were just laughing their asses off, thinking that's just the funniest thing in the world, talking about the brutalization and near killing of a man who, by the way, a lot of people on the Magarite spent about a week suggesting, you know, drumming up rumors about Paul Pelosi, the man who was the victim of it. So I thought that was pretty bad, Willie. when you're joking about the battering and the abusing of an elderly man, almost killing an elderly man. I'm going to say, a president of the United States, we're not talking about Hennie Youngman here. We're not talking about Jack Bay.

We're talking about the president of the United States, talking about the obliteration of San Diego and Los Angeles as a joke. That's what I've already heard this morning. Oh, he was just joking. You people just don't get. No, I don't get when the president of the United States says Iran can obliterate Los Angeles and San Diego. Not funny if you're an American who actually believes that president should do more than divide us. Yeah, and this is sort of the response and the reaction when the president says something like this over the years. Immediately his team or those who defend him on podcasts or social media say he owned the media.

own the left because they got upset about the thing he said, well, yeah, there are certain things that you ought to be upset about. And if he was joking, what's the joke? I don't, I mean, I'm happy to, if there's a joke in there somewhere, I don't understand what the joke is. And embedded in that alleged joke, embedded in the alleged joke is, well, California's blue. Those are lefties. So let them bomb L.A. and San Diego. We've got to protect Omaha and the places I care about. that's not the voice obviously of an American president. And as you say, Joe, it goes without saying that if any other president, especially a Democrat, let's say Barack Obama, for example, or Joe Biden made that joke,

there would be outrage across the board and maybe calls for impeachment. Well, of course, there would be calls for impeachment. If he called for the obliteration of, say, Jacksonville or Birmingham, or if it were a Democratic, president calling for the obliteration of Republican cities. Of course. Of course, there'd be immediate calls for impeachment. But again, this is what, and by the way, the president, Jonathan Lemire, calling for the destruction of two American cities in the closing run of a critically important midterm election. You do wonder, you do wonder if you're a Republican

running in California, do you now go along with the president's joke and say, hey, that's pretty funny? Pretty funny. He's talking about the obliteration of 10 million or so people. What a funny joke that is. He should take his act up to the Catskills after he's finished at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Do you go along with that joke because you are just that weak of a man? Or do you actually stand up and say, you know what? That's really out of line joking about the killing of 10 million or so Americans. We'll see what he does. But like I said, they laughed when he talked about Paul Pelosi almost being beaten to death. Now, jokes about the killing. I guess if you're in California, it's funny when you talk about somebody being brutalized or entire cities being wiped from the

face of the earth. That's now a joke. That's now a joke for Donald Trump. I think actually what it suggests, folks, is just how low this president. has taken himself and his party after 10 years in American politics that people in that audience laughed at the prospects of 10 million or so other Americans being wiped off the face of the earth by a nuke from Iran. Yeah, there's no bottom here. I mean, President Trump is going to take shots at his political foes. And those often, he just deems them, there are other Americans. He's never tried to be president of the entire country. He's never tried to be president of blue states and red.

We see that from his governing. We see that from his rhetoric. And yes, there were laughs in that audience last night. Today, there will be, you know, some California Republicans, you know, who are going to be asked about this. And yet again, they're going to be put on the spot as to whether they defend President Trump or not. Odds are they will. They'll say it was a joke. They'll play it off.

It's so rare to have a Republican actually defy him. But it's also just another unnecessary. distraction. And yes, this is, this is, we'll be on to the next outrage tomorrow, almost certainly, right? But this is, but this is the problem that Trump has created for Republicans, whether it's his policies, because the war in Iran or his tariffs or everything else, or what he says. He's giving them nothing to work with, Joe, nothing. And we're now a month from the election. And I've talked to Republicans last week for my piece, a couple more over the weekend, who just say it's almost, he's not trying, he's not, it's almost as if he's actively

hurting our chances, or at the very least, he's doing nothing to help. Yet another negative distraction for the GOP's chances. Well, he does. And this is, by the way, this is exactly me what Karl Rove is warning about. Don't let Donald Trump go out on the road. You people that are talking about sending him out on the road, this is a terrible idea, because every day, he's going to say something else that's going to hurt Republican candidates. And if you're in California and you're trying to figure out whether to vote for a Republican or a Democrat right now, all things being equal? Well, this certainly doesn't help Republican candidates' chances. And also, again, he's got more things to worry about, right, than going around and deeply offending

people in California. And I've got to say across the country, you've got gas prices at record highs, you've got diesel prices at record highs, just telling people, hey, don't worry about it. This is just short-term pain. Don't worry about it. It's worth it. It's worth it. You know, by the way, if they do get nukes, let them annihilate Los Angeles and San Diego. But it's worth it. I don't know that that's a good closing message for a Republican Party that is fearing worse in polls than, you know, yesterday there was a Gallup poll that showed, I think, 11-point division between Republicans and Democrats on the generic ballot test. have Dr. Oz going on Fox News lying about the price of butter saying, oh, it's only a dollar.

Laura Ingraham goes, where are you shopping? Yeah. I mean, wait a second. What's wrong with you? Like, how out of touch are you? And we're seeing exactly how out of touch they all are in this final run. I, you know, I think it's generous to say it's a joke. I think this is all part of the, he didn't mean.

mind game that he plays with his party and his supporters and the American people. He didn't mean it when it came to the tariffs. So many people were so surprised that the tariffs happened. And I saw that in real time. You saw it in real time, Joe, mass deportations. I saw it from the worst. Mika, yeah. Mika, we saw it from the Treasury Secretary before he was Treasury Secretary who told us, oh, he doesn't mean it on tariffs. He doesn't mean it. This is just his opening bid. He's not. just joking. Right. Or what about January 6th or what about retribution? I mean, all these things, he didn't mean it. He doesn't really mean it. He doesn't really mean it. John Hellman, how many times have we heard that? And by the way, it's either he doesn't mean it or I haven't

been watching the news is what you'll hear from people who want to protect the behavior of this president, which every day seems more and more dangerous to the safety of this country. I mean, you're right. Because those are the two options that Republicans are often given. The I didn't read his Twitter feed or now, I guess, his truth. Just not reading the news. I just, I don't know. I'm not familiar with what the president said. I'm not paying attention. That's a, that's the, probably the less objectionable than the, you know, President Trump didn't mean it. What he said, because often, again, I'll go back to our, to our standard framework, projection or confession. In this case, I think,

Mika, you're coming down on the side of projection. You know, he's starting to talk about things that, you know, on some level, you know, he wouldn't mind seeing happening. Not really, maybe not actively trying to make them happen, but wouldn't be... I would take it seriously. Wouldn't be terribly. I would take it seriously, too, because as we know about Donald Trump, he says a lot of things that he never does anything about. He also says, he also rarely does anything that he hasn't previously forecast.

They telegraphs every punch and every one of his desires comes out. Everything. There is no, there is no filter on him. And I think to Joe's point, you know, it's four weeks out. Yeah. And the most fundamental thing driving the elections across the country everywhere is voters who do not think Donald Trump is cares about what they care about. That he's not addressing issues that matter to them in the most kind of fundamental way. Whatever you think about his motivations and saying this, whatever you think he is going on inside that head of his, there is no, there's not any vote that that wins.

It doesn't turn, doesn't help any Republican candidate anywhere, not just in California, but anywhere they're going to be kind of. country where the Republican who looks up and says, well, Donald Trump said that yesterday. I can run on that. That's part of a message that's designed to reassure some of the skittish voters who are turning away from the party that tries to help people feel like maybe the president and the Republican party are on their side and focused on the real lives of those real people. There's not nothing with, there's no analysis by which you could come up with that argument that this helps even a little bit for him to be saying these kind of things.

And the message does go far and wide. People say, well, he's just going to red states. It's like, have you lived in America? We live in a nationalized media environment where it doesn't matter if he says it in Oklahoma, if he says it in Illinois or if he says it in Missouri, if he says it to Washington, D.C. Every Republican candidate now has to get to answer questions about another dumbass thing that the president said that doesn't help their cause at all. And again, incredibly flippant about the cost of gas.

Sure. It's going to come down. I'm going to end the war soon. Well, he said it was four to six weeks when we started the war. We're into our eighth month now. diesel is $6 a gallon in Nebraska. And his explanation, part of the context for that comment was, I need to keep fighting the war so they don't have a nuclear weapon.

Don't worry, we'll end it soon and gas will come down. Will it? When? When will the war end? He's been promising that for months. Let's bring in MSN now congressional reporter Michael Schnell, joins us live from Grand Island, Nebraska, the site of that rally last night. Michael, good morning. Thanks for getting up early for us. Tell us what was like inside the room last night. Well, I mean, Willie, it was very clear that President Trump is well aware that he has a problem on his hands and it's what you guys were just talking about. It's these gas prices. Gas is

well over $4 a gallon. It's well over $6 a gallon for diesel here in Nebraska, a state where farmers are at the heart of the workforce and they're really struggling with these high diesel prices. So President Trump came in here to Grand Island, Nebraska and he made a pitch on gas prices. Within minutes of speaking, he said that the war in Iran was worth it and that this blip of high gas prices, which we know has not been a blip. It's been like this for months. months is worth it and a worthy reason for being in the war in Iran. He also said that gas prices would be below $1.85 a gallon very soon. By the way, the last time gas was that low was during COVID-19. And before that, it was in 2016. And then he rolled out an executive order that

waived off-road requirements for a certain type of diesel, insisting that this would save money for Nebraska. The gas prices was the constant theme throughout this speech. But of course, the big question is, was this too little too late? Is there enough time for gas prices to calibrate? I've been talking to lawmakers, Republicans back in Washington, who say, we are too late in the game right now, 28 days away from the election. There is no time for these prices to come down in a substantial way to change voters.

But I spoke to a lot of voters who were at the rally last night, and they were craving some sort of guidance from the president. I heard from a number of Trump supporters, one woman who was wearing a sequence maga jacket, who said gas prices right now are just too high, and the president is not doing enough to address them. Her husband, by the way, is a farmer, so he's really feeling the squeeze from these diesel prices.

So whether or not this message was enough to move the minds of voters, that's, of course, going to be the optimal question. And it all comes on the backdrop, guys, of this very competitive Senate race that we're seeing here in Nebraska. Unexpectedly competitive. President Trump won the state of Nebraska by 20 percentage points back in 2024. That same year, though, Deb Fisher, who's currently the Republican senator from Nebraska,

She beat independent Dan Osborne, who's currently running by only seven percentage points. So the Republican candidates have run behind Trump. Now Dan Osborne is up against Pete Ricketts this time, the Republican Senate incumbent, hoping to turn this red state blue. Now, it was very clear that President felt the need to come in for a rescue mission. It's his latest stop on this tour of red states around the country as Republicans have been on defense trying to defend these very, very key Senate races. they want any chance of keeping hold of their majority come November. And then one more thing I'll note, guys, is that President Trump went back to a similar refrain that we've heard in different rallies in recent weeks, saying he may not be on the ballot, but urging Republicans to vote as

if he is, he's very aware that who controls Congress will have a large bearing on how his last two months, two years in office play out. And as you say, Michael Dan Osborne running as an independent making some serious noise in that race. MS now congressional reporter Michael Schnell, live from Grand Island, Nebraska. Thank you. Meeke, a couple other notes. from the president's speech last night. He blamed Ukraine for high gas prices for their attacks on refineries in Russia, not his war in Iran, blaming Ukraine, which was invaded, of course, four years ago. He said he drove past a gas station in Iowa where gas was less than $2 a gallon. It's coming down. The average price of a gallon of regular in Iowa's $4.11.

Made that up out of whole cloth. Flip now on mail-in voting. He's supporting mail-in voting now. He said, I need you to vote however you can vote. I'd rather you vote in person, but it's okay. But he was against it. Now I say you can vote mail. And as he signed that executive order that Michael mentioned on Diesel, Natalie Harp walked it out to him. He signed it and he said,

this is like the price is right when the perfect person hands you this document and that signed it. A penny for the thoughts of the first lady. Still ahead on morning, Joe. We're going to turn to the closely watched U.S. Senate race in Michigan. Elise Jordan. will join us after sitting down with voters in that battleground state. And in another key race, Republican Senate nominee in Texas,

State Attorney General Ken Paxman says he has little control over his campaign. We're going to show you those new remarks from leaked audio. It's not my fault. I mean, that's what he's saying. This is the president's, you know, he's, he blamed the president before, right, about that convention or whatever they had out there in Texas. So blame the president. And now he's blaming Washington and the president again going,

not my fault. I have no control over my own campaign. If you have no control over your own campaign, what kind of representative are you going to be for the people of Texas? That's one thing I never said. Oh, I have no control of my campaign. Oh, I have no control. Oh, no.

No. Anybody that walked in my campaign office, anybody who walked in my congressional office knew who was in charge and you have little kin there, little kitty boy, little kitty boy going, I have no control over this show. I'm sorry. What's wrong with him? Be a man. Take control of your campaign, kiddie boy. Don't do that voice. I like that. I like that voice. It's the South Park Kim Pax. No, I don't like it. As we go to break, a look at the travelers' forecast this morning from Acuweather's Bernie Rayno. Bernie, how's it looking? Meek, it's a little chilly this

but this afternoon, it'll be bright and beautiful with sunshine, a little bit of a breeze in Boston this afternoon. How about sunshine in 74 in Chicago, near 80 in St. Louis, Texas looks great today, although it's still a little hot in Houston. Watch Florida thunderstorms this afternoon. That's going to cause your travel delays in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. A little bit of a breeze can cause some minor delays in Boston. To help you make the best decisions and be more in the know, download the Acqueweather app today and enjoy the view. This is from New York Magazine, and the headline, Hassan Piker is now the most volatile force in American politics. And he was asked whether he felt abandoned by you. And he said, it doesn't matter because he's effing, moving the needle.

He will push the boundaries on what is permissible on Israel. And I trust him to do that. I think he will do his very best to hold Israel accountable as a senator so I don't give an F that he's trying to move away from this conversation. because, as I've said, over and over, it's a mine and he's trapped. What do you say to that? Look, this campaign was never about a streamer in California. This campaign was always about the price of gas and groceries, whether or not you could see a doctor when you get sick in the United States.

I know every time I have a conversation here that he's going to come up. And the question is not about a relationship I got with a streamer in California. There's not a relationship. The reason I have a conversation with him is the same reason I have a conversation with you. Because I want to talk to the folks out here who, I want to have a conversation with. Do you think that you're better off now after two years of Donald Trump? Do you think that your gas is going to get any less expensive?

Do you think that this war is justifiable or the tariffs in Canada? So I'm going to have that conversation with all kinds of folks. It's the reason that I had a conversation with your colleague, Jesse, a month ago. The reason I'm sitting down here with you, it's a reason that I had a conversation with Hassan Piker. It's the reason that we do all of these interviews if you're running for office because you want to move your message to as many different people as possible. So it's less about the person you're talking to, no offense, Martha.

This is a lovely conversation. I hear you. But it's about the audience that you're speaking to. It's a pretty brilliant approach, Meeke. And it, again, he's, the part that goes on said is, I disagree with a lot of people on Fox News. I disagree with Jesse Waters, but I talk to him. I disagree with Hassan Piker on a lot of things. But I talk to him, not because I want to talk to Jesse.

Bessie Waters, or not because I want to talk to Asan Piker or Martha, but I want to talk to their audiences and get my message to their audiences. It's a bit of a turn on what I said. All these candidates should say regarding Ronald Reagan, when Reagan was attacked for John Birch or supporting him in the 1966 California gubernatorial campaign, Ronald Reagan said, listen, if they want to vote for me, they can vote for me. But I'm not going to change my views because these extremists are voting for me, they're going to have to change their views if they want to vote for me because this is what I believe. And that's, you know, it's sort of what El Ceyet said yesterday. Listen, I'm not adopting Piker or Jesse Waters viewpoint or yours, Martha.

I just, I want to talk to your audiences because that's where the votes are. I think most Americans, I think a lot of those Fox viewers, I think a lot of viewers on MS now would understand that. Yeah, it made a lot of sense. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama is going to head to Detroit later this month to campaign alongside El Sayed. The former president is said to join him along with gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other candidates on October 24th. El Sayed called the support from Obama an honor and privilege telling Michiganers. to get ready. Elsaid recently teamed up with Michigan's Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin, who said in part, quote, people want to see a Jewish woman and a Muslim man being able to get along,

debate, push and pull on each other and move the state forward. Isn't that what it's all about? Let's bring in MS now contributor Elise Jordan, who recently sat down with Michigan voters for their takes on Elsaid. Elise, what did they tell you? So for the second installment of MS Now's The Voter Files, we went to Michigan and we spoke to four total groups of Democratic voters, but two groups of Democratic voters here who supported Congressman Haley Stevens in the Senate primary. And these are Wayne County black voters and Oakland County Jewish Democrats and heard what they still need to hear from their party's nominee. So take a listen. I want so badly to believe him. Choosing between two fundamental principles of yourself.

And you've got to pick one. You can't not vote. You've got to pick one. And which ones you pick? Whose ox is bored, I guess, the best way of putting it. If El-Sai did not have the Israel, I'm sorry. I have a transgender daughter who is 30, and I'm Jewish, and Israel's incredibly important to me.

But a vote from Mike Rogers is a vote for my kid being oppressed. Correct. And her rights being taken away. It's like Sophie's choice. Quite honestly, you know, I love some of the things he's talked about. I think it's a little idealistic and a little extreme. and I'm a little concerned, but I, you know, my big block is I, it's, I just comes down to this whole thing with Israel. And I do worry about everything.

I have daughters. I cannot do that. On one hand, I'm like, okay, well, the choice is clear. But then all of a sudden it's like, I can't vote for Abdul because once again, he's going against something that's innately mean. The way I feel today, I just won't pick either. I just, I mean, I'll go and vote because I've got. I think it's so important. I think there's some missed opportunities for him to help us know who he is.

Help us understand him. We don't know him. And I think he's taking advantage that we as black people are democratic. And he thinks we're going to vote for him anyway. And I'm like, no, sir, I'd like to put uncommitted down on that little circle and move on. If you're going to Congress to represent me, I need you to talk about what's going on in this community. What would take you over the finish line? What would change your opinion between now and election?

I don't know what I'm going to do, honestly. What is holding you back, though, about him? None of knowing about him. I'm going to vote for him. Because I think there's power in being aligned, because if I don't, it may make a difference. And he may not get in, and I can't live with myself with that, because it's going to make a difference.

You're committed Democrats. All of you. Absolutely. You want to vote. with the Democratic candidate, but you just can't. They're tie in our hands. What could he, yes, and like, what could he do, if anything, to get you over the edge? But it doesn't sound like there's really anything. The damage has already been done.

I just would love for him to make a definitive statement. Like, just say, I would like everyone to know, I support Israel. You know, I support the Jewish people. Yeah. You know, their right to exist without hatred. Right. Do you believe it? Would you believe it now?

How could we? Do you think that this could be a break for you and your support with the Democratic Party? It would be if the Republican Party wasn't where it is right now. Right. I think this election, if the Saeed wasn't on the ballot, you'd probably have the highest percentage of straight ticket Democratic votes in this state. Oh, my gosh. Simply because the Democrats are just at the, they're proffing at the gums to vote anything anti-Trump.

My daughter goes to University of Detroit, mercy. She's in her second year of law school and she has to hide being Jewish. And it's a hard thing to say when October 7th came, horrible for her, lots of tears. I may go to Mike Rogers. Sorry, guys. You should not apologize. No, you should not apologize. You deserve to vote and be comfortable. So these were two of the most conflicted group of voters that I've ever set down with. Now, I think the Wayne County Democrats, I think they will come along. And I think that President Obama coming and campaigning with Abdul Siyadh is going to be huge. And I do think at the end of the day, that group of voters, they're still persuadable and they just need to be introduced.

Now, the Oakland County Jewish Democrats, there's very little that will make them budge at this point. The aftermath of the Temple Israel attack back in West Bloomfield in March, and then Abdel Aal Soydde made, he did a video and he had in it the line, hurt people, will hurt people that came up repeatedly. They feared that he is not the ally that they need for Israel policy, but also they're really concerned about anti-Semitism and feel threatened right now, especially in the aftermath of that attack. Yeah, and we're coming tomorrow is the third anniversary of the October 7th attack,

which we heard in invoke there. And I think in some ways, sometimes nationally, we understate how important this idea of anti-Semitism and everything else is in these communities. So you did hear some of that torment, though. It's like, I don't love him because of the Israel issue, but my gosh, am I going to vote for a guy who's a Trump guy? I can't do it.

So what's the answer in the end, do you think, for those people? Well, so several of those voters are considering leaving the Senate sought blank, much like 2024. and some Muslim American and Arab American voters in Michigan, they did that for Kamala Harris's candidacy. Now, in most years, it might not be that big of a deal. Michigan's a big state, but you remember how close that election was for President Trump winning only by 80,000 votes.

And then in this race, 2024, Mike Rogers lost by around 20,000 votes. So you lose a block of your most committed voters in a race that every vote really counts. And, Hyland, I thought I was also so striking. we heard for some black voters there who felt like their potential support was being taken for granted, which has been, has dogged the Democratic Party, that idea for a few years now. And Reverend Sharpton has said on the show in recent months that he felt like that was really a problem for this campaign in Michigan. They'll say it was not necessarily making the inroads he needs with that community. Yeah, there's a, you know, there's always complicated, longstanding racial undertones and, and, and tensions between

these communities in places we often see African-American communities and Hispanic communities who are not always completely aligned. Core elements of the Democratic base that aren't necessarily aligned. In some cases, they have a candidate that can all get behind. In other cases, some of those tensions get brought to the surface. And I think this is one of those cases where those tensions have been brought to the surface. And there's been, since the primary, the Michigan establishment has come together behind El-Sai.

And one of the things that's being telegraphed here by Barack Obama going to Michigan, along with a lot of other national Democrats. Basically, everybody tried to say, guys, this party is together. We have with so much more that we agree on than what we disagree on. And it's fine to be uneasy, but, you know, the future of the country is on the line here. And what Mike Rogers will do is basically be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump. But it still is the case that that was such a divisive primary. And it was, and there was, there was, it's not clear that there is much impact that

Abdul Al-Said could do to repair some of the damage that got done because it was a, Barry, I mean, even by the standards of sometimes bitter Democratic primaries, that one was particularly bitter, and a lot of those people still have heard feelings over what got said and what got done in the course of that primary. Joe? You know, Elise, you know, just the politician me, I hear people talking about me that way. Going to spend the next couple of weeks in synagogues. I'm going to go around.

I'm going to let people see me face to face. Let them understand who I am. We understand that, you know, job one will be making your daughter. feel safe at law school, making your children feel safe when they go to fifth grade, making your grandmother and grandfather feel safe walking down the streets of Detroit or elsewhere in Michigan. That's what I would do. But my gosh, you were in the room, and it actually sounds like they're basically saying, don't bother. Even that won't make a difference. I think he could make some headway still. These voters

really want to hear just unequivocally that Israel has a right to exist. And the question has been posed to, I'll say, you know, numerous occasions. And he does give a version of saying yes, but

and he goes into democracy and that all citizens need to be able to vote. And he gives an answer that is not as straightforward as these voters expect and frankly need to hear to feel safe these days. All right.

MS Now contributor, Elise Jordan, thank you very much. That was fascinating. Thanks for having me. A Texas pastor swept up in the Trump administration's efforts to deport individuals to countries they have never been to before. We'll have a live report from Ghana, where MS now spoke exclusively with the man as he tries to make sense of his situation. Morning Joe, we'll be right back. Welcome back. The Trump administration is ramping up deportations of immigrants to so-called third countries. These are countries

they are not from, nor have any ties to. Let's bring in Amos now, international reporter Inesta, Lekwatera, who joins us live from Ghana with exclusive reporting on a father and community pastor from Texas, who is deported to one of these. third countries in West Africa. And Ness, what did he tell you about the situation he's now facing? Hey, good morning, Mika. Yeah, so at least 25,000 people have been deported to third countries so far. We know of Latin American migrants who have been deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a pro-democracy Iranian activist deported to the Central African Republic. And we spoke to Pastor Samuel Namedi, who is someone who fled religious persecution in Nigeria,

had been living in the U.S. for the last eight years, has American kids was working full-time for UPS and has no criminal record, and he was deported to Ghana. Pray for person and Mandy. There's a crucial figure missing from this church service in Mesquite, Texas. A nine-year-old hasn't seen her dad in months. It's been hard. He calls up sometimes, and I start to miss him.

A father of five. a pastor in his community, and a full-time UPS driver with no criminal record. All of us feel were crying like somebody died. On July 31st, Pastor Samuel Namede was deported to Ghana, a country he had never been to, and has no ties to. Under the Trump administration's expanded use of so-called third-country deportations. How do I start all over again when all the ties I have is in America? All the connections are built in America.

My work is in America. My life is in America. My family. Everything is there. We met him in an undisclosed location in West Africa, where he is now stuck in limbo. You are welcome, welcome, welcome. It really felt like a dream. I could not reconcile the fact that I am far removed from my family.

I could not reconcile the fact. I kept saying, where is this? What is this? Samuel got to the U.S. back in 2018, fleeing the growing persecution of Christians in Nigeria after gunmen stormed his home. I don't want to relieve it because it was traumatic. This was what led me to take my family to safety. It's a cause the Trump administration has repeatedly drawn attention to.

We've had very serious problems with Christians who have been murdered, killed in Nigeria. We're going to be working on that problem. So in Samuel's case, a U.S. immigration judge ruled that his life could be at risk if he was sent back to Nigeria and issued him what's known as a withholding of removal, essentially preventing officials from sending him back. But technically, there was nothing preventing officials from sending him to a different country. On July 6th, Samuel was detained on his way to work. This was all of the outfit I had on me. He was wearing his UPS uniform when they deported him. Like this.

Going to work, doing what I do. Yeah. Every day. Deportees told us their hands and feet were shackled for hours on the flights. Upon arrival in Ghana, most are then sent back to their countries of origin against their will, where they say their lives could be at risk. This is a cynical attempt to bypass the U.S. courts by bringing them to Ghana and letting Ghana do the dirty work. What we found in our reporting is that the vast majority of the people, brought here are then forced onto their countries of origin, which is refalment, which is in breach

of international law. We have heard a number of lawyers make these allegations, but they remain allegations. Lawyers say things. There's not everything that is said. That is necessarily true. That's what we're hearing as well from talking to deportees. As you said, you've heard. You know, it's one thing to hear sometimes.

It's like another to be able to substantiate and verify, yes. So you're denying that chain refoulement is happening? As far as I know, it is not the policy of the government of Ghana to do. It's unclear what many of the countries who've signed up to this are getting in return. In many cases, the terms of the deals have not been made public, but are costing U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The Ghanaian foreign minister has publicly said that as part of this deal, Ghana got the U.S. to lift visa restrictions on its citizens.

I might be in a precarious place. I must be in a hard breaking place. Thousands of miles from home. Samuel has begun preaching, saying it's a way to keep himself from depression. President Trump had promised to target the worst of the worst. But for Samuel, the consequences have been devastating, tearing a family apart, and depriving American children of their father. One of the pains I have seen in this life is children not having their father at all.

I do not want to be an incentive father. All I wanted to do was to raise my children, to raise my family. Now, the Supreme Court has ruled that third country deportations can continue for now while it reviews whether the policy is lawful. We did get a statement from DHS. They told us that illegal aliens being sent to a third country received notice and assurances prior to their removal. In Samuel's case, his lawyer tells us that did not happen. The family did not get proper notice. And I will say, well, we've also been reaching out to Senator Ted Cruz, Cruz being from Texas, which is where Samuel was living.

and Cruz obviously being someone who's also spoken out a lot about the persecutions of Christians in Nigeria. They have not responded to our repeated request for comment. Incredible reporting, and Samuel is just one of many. MS now international reporter in Nestle, Equatera, live from Ghana. Thank you very much for your reporting this morning. Incredible. Just one dimension of this multi-layered story of cruelty, terror, and something that is completely un-American. Still ahead, an insider account of the U.S. response to the October 7th terror attack on Israel.

Former White House official Brett McGurk will join us with his new book on the Middle East crisis and the race to free the hostages at its center. Morning Joe is coming right back. Beautiful live picture of Washington on this Tuesday morning. The reported death of a researcher at a Russian Anti-Plaug Institute has put U.S. officials on high alert. several U.S. agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department, have been working, they say, to learn more about the situation. What we do know is the 28-year-old lab technician was employed at an institute dedicated to studying plague in Siberia. According to one Russian news report, the researcher had allegedly broken a test tube containing the pneumonic plague pathogen and soon after fell ill.

It's still unknown whether the lab worker did contract the plague, which presents as a lung infection, but experts say the disease is treatable with a swift course of antibiotics. Local media reports as many as 189 people have been placed under medical observation in the region where the researcher died and are being tested daily. The World Health Organization maintains the public health risk to the general population is low, while U.S. officials say they cannot judge the potential threat to the United States until they can confirm. Board details. At Cornell University yesterday, hundreds of students and faculty members took part in a massive protest over the school's handling of a disturbing sexual assault allegation. The demonstration was in response to a lawsuit from a former female student who says she was raped by several fraternity members over the course of several hours in 2024. The protesters marched to Cornell's main administrative building to demand that the school expel or revoke the degrees

of those fraternity members and also called for the university's president to resign. All the accused men have denied wrongdoing and none have been charged for the crime. Last week, New York Governor Kathy Hochel appointed State Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the matter. We will continue to follow this story. Coming up after facing backlash from Democrats and Republicans alike, President Trump now says his super PAC will pay for the controversial taxpayer-funded ads. We'll follow that. But before that reversal, before that reversal, Vice President J.D. Vance was defending the ads, calling them nonpartisan. We'll show you those new remarks ahead of morning, Joe.

News to Yale.