Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, July 22, 2024

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, all eyes on Vice President Kamala Harris, likely at the top of the ticket for Democrats. Harris hitting the ground running on her first full day campaigning for president. Biden calling into a Harris campaign event moments ago, promising he will campaign alongside her after dropping out of the race. Democratic lawmakers, the Clintons, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi all pledging their support and the record-breaking fundraising hall just announced. Harris now preparing to take on former President Trump, how he and his new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, are already attacking her on the border, the economy, and her support of President Biden. Also tonight, finding a running mate, the new candidates emerging to join a possible Harris ticket,

governors, senators, even a cabinet secretary, all in the mix. Jen Saki's standing by to break it down for us, the possibilities of a historic Democratic ticket. Refusing to resign the head of the Secret Service grilled on Capitol Hill over her agency's failure to protect former President Trump. During that shooting at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the fiery exchanges with lawmakers from both parties demanding she stepped down and why she says the shooter wasn't identified as a threat until only seconds before he opened fire. Deadly police shooting, the horrifying new body cam video showing a sheriff's deputy in Illinois shooting and killing an unarmed woman in her kitchen after she called 911 to report a suspicious person in the area. The murder charges that officer is now facing and the reaction just in from the White House.

Fire and floods, the extreme weather slamming the southwest, flash flooding in New Mexico, leaving homes and cars submerged, and the massive wildfire ripping through a park near Salt Lake City. The evacuation is now underway. Brat Summer hits the campaign trail. Have you heard about this? Kamala Harris's new candidacy taking social media by story. social media exploding with memes of the vice president remixing her appearances online,

even pop stars Kesha and Charlie XX getting in on the trend, how the Harris campaign is bringing Gen Z trends into the race. But will it actually win her more votes? Plus, is this real? The summer beach products that caught our eye online that seemed too good to be true, a sports car for the sea, and the device that makes your drinks ice cold in just seconds. Our Sam Brock to Miami Beach to try them all out. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's high-stakes trip right here to the U.S. His message tonight to President Biden. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. Tonight, the political world adjusting to yet another seismic shift in this year's presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris taking over the Biden campaign after the president's historic decision to call off his re-election bid less than four months from Election Day. The VP receiving a hero's welcome at campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware this afternoon. You see it right here as she takes the reins of the Biden-Harris operation. Late tonight, President Biden calling into a Harris campaign event saying the name has changed, but the mission has not.

If elected, Harris would make history as the first woman and the first South Asian American ever to hold our nation's highest office. But a reminder to our viewers, Kamala Harris is not that. the official Democratic Party nominee, yet she still has to win a majority of delegates in a virtual roll call next month. But no one has more momentum, money, or endorsements, and no other challengers have emerged yet. Within minutes of President Biden's announcement, those endorsements rushing and take a look from all across the Democratic Party. Here they are. President Biden pledging his support, of course, quickly joined by Bill and Hillary Clinton, a cascade of Democratic

lawmakers and officials. And late this afternoon, the former Speaker of that, House, Nancy Pelosi. Are reporters speaking of voters across the country about the party's new direction? Here's what they had to say. I think Kamala is going to be strong and get things done. I personally don't know if that's the best choice for the Democratic Party, but at the same time, like, if the Democratic Party feels like she's the best fit, then that's what they're going to go with. The vice president can always step up, and I believe she'll make a great president. But a few high-powered Democrats have so far held off from endorsing Harris for now, including

party leaders in both houses of Congress, representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, and Senator Chuck Schumer, as well as former President Barack Obama. The major question tonight, who will the vice president choose to be her running mate? The emerging list of a who's who of bright young Democratic stars, including governors and senators. You see them here from coast to coast, even a cabinet secretary there, Pete Buttigieg. The state of the race still coming into focus. A new poll, look at this, from Morning Consult, taken in the 24 hours after Biden dropped out,

showing Harris trailing Trump by just two points, that's within the margin of error, and cutting his lead over Biden by more than half. The Trump campaign ramping up attacks as the vice president, and this new race begins to take shape. Kelly O'Donnell is tracking it all for us. She leads us off tonight.

A whirlwind day for Vice President Kamala Harris. Visiting headquarters in Wilmington, the president's hometown, but a campaign that now bears her name. President Biden, at home with COVID, phoned in to the campaign team late today. I'm hoping you'll give every bit of your heart and soul that you gave to me to Kamala. And I want you to know, I won't be on the ticket, but I'm still going to be fully, fully engaged. An extraordinary campaign reset. After the president ended his own run Sunday, and endorsed Harris to finish the race to November. It is my great honor to have Joe's endorsement in this race.

And it is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win. But Harris is not yet the official nominee, though she appears on her way. Aides said she spent 10 hours Sunday making about 100 calls to line up support. South Carolina Democrat James Clyburn touting a reshaped race. She is well equipped to prosecute. I'm going to emphasize to prosecute the case against Donald Trump. Today, the endorsement of Speaker Ramirezna Nancy Pelosi, who writes, we must unify and charge forward.

Building on endorsements from the Clintons, California governor Gavin Newsom, and the Congressional Black Caucus. Today, top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries said he and Senate leader Chuck Schumer expect to meet with Harris soon. She's excited the House Democratic Caucus, and she's exciting the country. Still, some Harris supporters described seeing reluctance around her potential nomination. Behind closed doors, while I won't name names, that there were people that were absolutely like it can't be the vice president. All of it after the president's stunning announcement that for the best interest of my party and the country, he would stand down.

A statement that surprised much of his own campaign staff. In Harris's first public appearance today, a pre-planned college champions event at the White House, the vice president honored his public service. Joe Biden's legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history. His decision appeared to unlock praise and appreciation after a few agonizing weeks when about 40 elected Democrats pushed him to leave the race, and he, resisted. I am running and we're going to win. I'm not going to change that. Are you all in? Because I'm all in. During a weekend of decision dealing with COVID in Delaware,

sources familiar with the situation tell NBC News, the president felt hurt, angry, and betrayed by allies like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, who he believes turned on him. One close advisor are upset, saying the president was treated disrespectfully. With that, Kelly O'Donnell joins us tonight from the White House. And Kelly, I want to be very clear for our viewers so they understand because there is some misinformation out there. As you mentioned, President Biden is not stepping down from the White House, just from the campaign. That's right. He intends to remain in office through January of 2025.

He also was very clear in talking to his campaign team by phone tonight that he will also be campaigning for Harris. He will be involved and engaged, is the word that he used. He just won't be on the top of the ticket. So he's got his own work to finish out as president, one term, not two that he had hoped, but he also feels that he can help her and try to win this. And of course, that is their goal to try to beat Donald Trump and now a change at the top of the ticket, but he says he will still be involved. Yeah, and Kelly, it's an interesting strategy, right, because they've turned the page, Harris at the top of the ticket. You know, we're going to presume that until she's officially at the top of the ticket. But he wants to give one final speech

to the American people when it comes to this campaign, right? What do we expect him to say? And when does that happen? We expect the president will come back from Delaware to hear in the White House in the next couple of days. He has been dealing with COVID. They want him to be fully recovered, no longer positive. And he's been dealing with a forced voice and cough. So they want him to have a strong voice to deliver this speech. We expect it will happen sometime this week. And I wouldn't say It's his final speech. There'll be many more in the next few months, but it is a critical one for him to explain to the public why he made this decision and to help to define how he will spend the remaining months in his term. Tom? All right, Kelly, great to talk to you. As a prominent Democrats unite, as a prominent Democrats unite behind Kamala Harris, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, will have 105 days to campaign, pick a running mate and convince Democrats that she is the best opponent to take on former President Donald Trump. I want to bring an MS.M.S.M.M. anchor and former White House Press Secretary for President Biden, Jen Socking, a good friend to top story.

Jen, great to see you. I know there's been a lot of news out there. I do want to start first. You know President Biden personally. How hard of a decision do you think this was for the president? Incredibly hard, Tom. I think it's clear on a substantive level that it was clear to him that there wasn't a path forward. And we know from a lot of great reporting that he was presented with data that made that clear. However, I also think it's important to remember in this moment how long he's served. I mean, he started his political career when he was not even 30 years old. Before he was even sworn into the Senate, his daughter and his wife were killed in a car accident on the way to get a Christmas tree.

And I share that because I think as hard as this decision was, he's had this career for decades of overcoming tragedy and still serving as a public servant and finding a way to come kind of do good. So that tells you kind of a lot about who he is. Yeah, and explain to our viewers. He made this decision, right, to immediately endorse his vice president. And that is something that is very significant, right? Because that's not the same treatment he got when he was the vice president under President Obama. Well, I think it's an entirely different scenario. I mean, there's only, as you've been noting, Tom, 105 days left until the election. Obviously, he and the vice president were millions of people across the country

voted for them. He believes she can do the job and there's a path to victory. Otherwise, I don't think he would have endorsed her as quickly as he did. And there are some mechanical aspects of this. I know you and I have talked about this that make it give her huge advantage. One, there's the ability to transfer money. There's the ability to transfer campaign staff. She made that announcement today about Jenna Mellie Dillon. But most importantly, I think he sees in her what a lot of people just saw in her when she gave that speech, was this ability to effectively prosecute the case against Trump. And he's seen her do that. He's seen her do it privately and on the campaign trail. So, yeah, significant that he endorsed her the same day that he announced he was stepping

back. Do you think Harris is the best Democrat to beat former President Trump? I do for a range of reasons. I mean, first of all, she is, she's been out there giving speeches a lot over the last couple of years. But I actually think over the last couple of of weeks, people have seen her really do it the most effectively I've seen her do it to date. She's risen to the moment of that in many ways. She also prosecutes the case on abortion rights very effectively. She is a former prosecutor, I keep using the word, who's running against a guy who's been convicted with multiple felony counts and has more that will be tried.

So, you know, I think she's got a very effective message. She also is young, she's energetic, and I think that is all effective, and I think what Democrats and independents will be excited about out there. And then there are also some just reality things here, Tom, right? The reality is, again, we're 105 days away, so the fact that she can transfer the money, the campaign staff, the apparatus, she's already been vetted, means that this can get off the ground very, very quickly, which we're already seeing over the last 36 hours. I want to play a soundbite. This was her just a few moments ago, speaking to that campaign staff,

and she went after former President Trump. Let's roll that soundbite. I want to get your take on it after. Before I was elected as vice president, before I was elected as United States Senator, I was the elected Attorney General, as I've mentioned in California. Before that, I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds. predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type. As a young prosecutor when I was in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in California, I specialized in cases involving sexual abuse. Donald Trump was found liable by a jury for committing sexual abuse.

So not pulling any punches there, Jen. What did you think about that? I think it's going to be pretty energizing to a lot of people out there who have been waiting for a case like that to be made. So I think you're going to hear that in her stump speech, I bet, probably some version of it on her convention speech in a couple of weeks. And really that clear contrast between what she presents and what her opponent, Donald Trump, is, I think is going to energize a lot of people. If you were in a room right now and they said you have 30 seconds to make your case for a running mate for the vice president, for Kamala Harris, who would you advise her to pick? Maybe you don't have to give me a name, but if you want to give me some qualities you hope she looks to in a running mate. Well, here's what I hope she looks to. This isn't about a press release, Tom. I mean, this is about picking someone who will be an actual partner in the White House, meaning somebody that she will see as somebody she can ask questions of, rely on for advice, who complements her skill sets.

why Obama picked Biden, for example, because Biden had this background of foreign policy and years in the Senate. I also think for the campaign trail purposes, it's not just about what state they're from. It doesn't guarantee you're going to win the state just because the person is from the state. I mean, some are more likely than others. You want somebody who can go out there and campaign on their own, who can raise money on their own, who can have a big crowd on their own, because this is going to be a fight. It's going to be hard, and you need somebody who can kind of spread the wealth in terms of getting out there on the trail. Are there two or three names you want to give to our viewers, people you would like

to maybe be considered? Yeah, look, there's a lot, a lot of good options. I do hope she's considering Governor Josh Shapiro. I think he's great out there on the trail. I see Pete Buttigieg on that list. I think he is one of the best communicators in the Democratic Party. I'm looking at your list, Mark Kelly. I'm also going to throw in there. He's not on this list. I don't know that he's under consideration. But Chris Murphy has the foreign policy background, very effective communicator. I think he should be on that list. But there's a lot of people that can be considered here, and a lot of people on that list. But I hope she's thinking very hard about who already has their own following, can campaign on their own, and who she actually wants

to call and get advice from if she wins the election. Former Speaker Pelosi announced she endorsed Kamala Harris for the nomination. There are some that we're still waiting for. That may come in the days ahead, right? Like Minority Leader Jeffrey, Senate, Minority Leader Schumer, I should say House Minority Leader, and also former President Barack Obama. Do you think that's going to come in the following days, and do you think Democrats can avoid a contested convention? Yes, I don't think there's going to be a contested convention in part because some of the

state ballot access deadlines are the beginning of the convention. So the Democrats, and everybody wants this to be done as quickly as possible, I think they will all endorse her as soon as it's clear that she's like. locked up the delegates. Finally, I know Democrats are, some Democrats, I should say, are celebrating this choice, but there is a reality, and the reality was that when Vice President Kamala Harris ran for the nomination, right, four years ago, you know this, I know you remember this, she had a very tough time. She didn't even make it to Iowa. What is giving Democrats confidence that she can pull it off this time around? Look, I think part of it is just seeing

how electric she is on the campaign trail and seeing her give stump speeches and seeing somebody who gives people hope because of that. It's been a really difficult time, I think, within the Democratic Party, given how tumultuous this has been, and divisive as the last couple of weeks. So when I talk to a lot of Democrats out there, elected, people working on campaigns, a lot of what they say is they say they're relieved, it's over, they feel energized by her possibilities. And, you know, many of them feel uncertain, right? Because we don't know how this is all going to go. But there's a lot of relief and a lot of energy, and that's actually not a bad place to be less than 48 hours since this announcement came.

Jen Saki for us tonight, Jen, always great to have you on the show. And with the Democratic National Convention, just a few weeks away, many are wondering how will Democrats select a new nominee? For more on the way this might play out. NBC News senior legal correspondent Laura Jared joins me now. And Laura, I know this is all hypothetical because a lot of things could happen as they've been happening over the past few weeks. So break it down for us. What do we think's going to happen at this convention? How will it be different from conventions past? The real issue, is one of timing, Tom, because if Democrats wait until August 19th, when the convention is scheduled to happen in person in Chicago, in some ways it will be too late because of these state ballot

certification deadlines. And it sounds like something dry and boring, but it's really important because it's what actually gets the person, the nominee, and not just the one that's on the top of the ticket, but the vice president is actually what gets them on the ballots in all of the key states. And the first deadline is August 7th. And so that's obviously weeks before the 19th. And so that's That's why you now see sort of all of this hullaboo and urgency around Democrats pushing to do a virtual roll call that would happen sometime the first week of August in order to not run afoul of those deadlines. Let me ask you a quick follow of all those delegates that were pledged to President Biden, do they automatically go to Vice President Harris or do they have a choice? Nope. They are essentially free agents right now. They can go to Harris. They can go to somebody else. But you see the party sort of coalescing around her now. And the reason I think is in part because of those state ballot deadlines. They know timing is obvious.

For us, Laura, always great to talk to you after nearly two years of running against President Biden. The Trump campaign now facing off against a new opponent. Garrett Hake has the latest on how former President Trump is reacting to this political earthquake. After 615 days focused on Joe Biden, the Trump campaign tonight shifting gears for a likely showdown with Vice President Harris. I guess she's going to run for president now. Mr. Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, mocking Harris at a rally in his Ohio hometown. I was told I was going to get to debate Kamala Harris, and now President Trump's going to get to debate her. I'm kind of pissed off about that.

Trump campaign aides tell NBC News they've worked for weeks preparing to run against Harris. The former president expanding his attacks on Harris in recent days. She's not a competent person. She shouldn't be president. I mean, she's being left at all over the world. But her potential elevation could change some of the fundamental dynamics of the race, with Trump now the old. candidate. Running a possible Harris-led ticket could also re-energize younger and more diverse voters. A poll taken within the last 24 hours shows Harris doing better than Biden against Mr.

Trump, the race within the margin of error. And previewing a new Trump line of attack against Harris, an allied group releasing this ad accusing Harris of a cover-up. Kamala was in on it. She covered up Joe's obvious mental decline. Our president is in good shape, in good health, tireless, vibrant. The GOP also not letting up on President Biden, with top Republicans, including the House Speaker, demanding he stepped down now. The president should resign. The reason is if everyone acknowledges that he is incapable of running a campaign, then he's clearly incapable of running the country. I mean, he has the nuclear codes. Garrett Hake back out on the campaign trail for us in Radford, Virginia. So, Garrett, there was a lot

of talk at the convention, right, about toning down the rhetoric after that assassination attempt. But then the former president goes and posts this today on Truth Social. saying the fake news is turning dumb as a rock, Kamala Harris, from a totally failed and insignificant vice president into a future great president. No, it just doesn't work that way. Is the toning down message from last week already old news? Yeah, Tom, I think it's already old news. And I think the idea of a Trump pivot was always a bit of a fool's gold. I mean, I don't know if you're a big basketball fan, but if you think about it, if you pivot enough times in basketball, you end up back facing the same direction you were facing at the beginning. I think that's what we saw from Donald

Trump. There's always the possibility that for a few days or even sometimes a few weeks, he could be particularly disciplined about a particular message. But you're never going to really fundamentally change who he is the way he likes to run campaigns. And that's as aggressively as possible. Come out and hit the other candidate, you know, rhetorically in the mouth. That's what he's doing now against his latest opponent or perceived opponent, Kamala Harris. Garrett, I know when you're out on the campaign trail, you notice any little difference when the campaigns start doing things differently because they do so many things the same way for long. You now have Senator J.D. Vance. He's joined the ticket. He's out on the campaign trail.

Talk to us about his role and what he's been doing lately. Well, he's had two rallies today that couldn't have been more different, Tom. His first at his hometown in Ohio was much more about probably getting some positive local news headlines in Ohio. He talked about it growing up, his own personal background, a little bit of the kind of awashucks, hillbilly elegy author, J.D. Vance version we saw in Ohio today. Tonight here in Virginia was pure red meat for a very red part of a state that the Trump campaign wants to try to put in play. He spent his first 15 minutes lighting up Kamala Harris on everything from immigration to what's become a popular conspiracy theory on the right, the idea that the removal of Joe Biden or stepping

down of Joe Biden from the ticket was a palace coup, an effort by Democratic insiders to replace the top of the ticket. And he offered a message to Democrats who might be watching or might see coverage of this later, basically saying, if you're grossed out by that, come vote for the Republicans where our nominee at least won the primary process on our side. Tom, I don't think that's going to appeal to a lot of Democrats, but when the Trump campaign is running a strategy all about turning out their most hardcore supporters, it affirms the sense of correctness for Trump supporting voters that, yep, their guy did it the right way and something's fishy on the other side. So I think we saw a little bit of the different kinds of messages JD Vance can

carry for this campaign today. Garrett, I know you carry your crystal ball and your carry-on luggage, so I'm going to ask you about the next debate, right? It was set to be on ABC in September. It sounds like former President Trump is sort of setting the table not to participate in that debate, saying Fox should get a debate out of nowhere. What exactly is going on there? And can we read the tea leaves on this one? My read on that, Tom, is that it might have been more of a pout from Trump than an actual effort to really force the issue here. His senior campaign advisor, Jason Miller, said on our air last night. They do intend to move forward with that debate. Trump is very confident in this race right now, Tom.

That's the bottom line. He's confident that he's going to be president. He's confident that he's a better, smarter campaigner than Kamala Harris. And his campaign wants to go out and prove it. Maybe they can knock out this race early. They can do it in September. I think Democrats, by the way, are also champing at the bit for this possibility. You know, Kamala Harris' primary campaign in 2020 was so short-lived.

But one of its central premises was that she could be the prosecutor against Donald Trump on a debate stage. That's what she's selling now. I think this is a debate that both parties want to have. Where and when exactly, I think, is a moving target, as is, by the way, the vice presidential debate, since now we have no idea who the vice presidential candidate will be on the Democratic side. Yeah, likely not bidding August. Okay, Garrett Haid, great to talk to you. Appreciate that.

Still to come tonight, the death of the wife of a New York Yankees executive, police now investigating after she was found dead inside of a New Jersey home, what we know so far. Plus, the heated testimony today on Capitol Hill, the head of the Secret Service blasted by lawmakers across the aisle for failing to protect former President Trump why she says she's refusing to resign. And Delta delays the airline canceling at least 700 flights days after that crippling global outage

when full service might finally be restored. Top story just getting started on this Monday night. We are back now with the latest on the investigation to the assassination attempt on former President Trump. The director of the Secret Service on Capitol Hill today grilled by members of Congress about the security lapses of that day as she faces mounting calls to step down. Ryan Nobles has the details. For Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheedle, it was a bipartisan unloading. Not only should you resign if you refuse to do so, President Biden needs to fire you. If you have an assassination attempt on a president, a former president, or a candidate, you need to resign.

Would you like to use my five minutes to draft your resignation letter? Yes or no? No, thank you. Cheetah, appearing by subpoena and testifying under oath, directly addressed the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. On July 13th, we failed. As a director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency. But facing off with members of Congress, she left many frustrated. Was the gun already on the roof, or did the shooter carry the gun up with him? I do not have that information at this time.

Cheeto pressed on why the building Thomas Crooks fired shots from, less than 150 yards from the stage, wasn't secured. Wasn't that building within the perimeter that should be secured? Do we agree with that? The building was outside of the perimeter on the day of the visit. That is one of the things that during the investigation we want to take a look at and determine whether or not other decisions should have been made. The director also speaking to reports that crooks had been photographed and identified as suspicious. Well before Mr. Trump took the stage. Why was he allowed to take the stage with a suspicious person having been identified in the crown?

So I appreciate the question. The detail had been past information that there was a. threat. The detail would never have brought the former president out onto stage. So you distinguish between someone who is suspicious and someone who's threatening? Is that right? Cheeto said Crooks, who was seen on the roof by people in the crowd minutes before firing shots, wasn't deemed a threat until seconds before the gunfire began and said that even though the Trump campaign had been denied requests for additional secret service resources

during the past two years, that was not the case the day of the shooting. What I can tell you is that for the event on July 13th, the details that were requested for that day were given. Ryan Noble joins us tonight from Capitol Hill. Ryan, throughout that hearing, you heard Republicans attack director Cheatel asking for her to resign, but also questioning her resume. What do we know her background and why she was appointed to leave the Secret Service? Well, she is a very accomplished former Secret Service agent. She spent 27 years with the agency, served with distinction, was a rank-and-file agent, made her way up through the ranks of the official side of the agency, even serving for a while in a number of leadership positions. She did leave the agency for a while and then took on a corporate job as the head of global security for all of PepsiCo, which is a significant and big responsibility.

Now, she is tight with members of the Biden family, which you heard some of the Republican members in particular, to is part of the reason that she got the job, but by any measure, she is qualified and has the experience to take on this job that doesn't excuse the failures and the security lapses that took place at that rally on July 13th, but her resume is pretty solid. And then, Ryan, I want to play for our viewers a moment that happened during the hearing between the director, Cheedel, and Republican Representative Lauren Bobert. Let's listen to it. You said you spoke with President Trump after the U.S.

assassination attempt. And I want to know, did you apologize to him directly for nearly having President Trump killed? Yes, I did. Major admission there in a bit of news on the director's part, right, Ryan? Yeah, and I think the one thing that was clear during this hearing comment, it was really the only thing that was clear, because she spent about more than four hours evading almost every question that was posed to her, is that she admits that the Secret Service screwed up here, that they should have been in a better position, that there was obvious things that they should have done to make sure that that area was more secure and that the former president was secure. And she said that she takes all of the blame. Now, that's not

nearly enough for members of Congress who want specific examples of things that the agency is going to do to prevent something like this from happening in the future and also wants answers about the decision-making process. But there was no doubt today that she took the blame and said that you and her agency were responsible for what took place there on July 13. All right, Ryan, thank you for that for more on today's testimony and the fallout from that shocking assassination attempt. I'm joined tonight by former Secret Service agent Paul Ekloff. Paul, thanks so much for joining Top Story. I want to show our viewers and you a map of the area, right?

I know you've probably seen this, but I think it's important to remember this. It shows where the former president was and where the gunman was just around 150 yards away. Director Chito was grilled on this today, but how is it even possible that a building so close was not secured? That's an excellent question. What we saw in Congress today was interesting because both sides were parsing their language. The security perimeter and the areas of concern in two entirely different things. The 15,000 or so guests were inside a magnetometer-controlled security perimeter. You could not contain that building structure within side that security perimeter.

That is not to say that that building and that line of sight is not incredibly concerning. There's an incredible failure on behalf of the Secret Service not to prevent the shooting. As I've said before, the response of the agents on the ground was exemplary, but yes, that building, it never should have been breached to allow the assassin to take the shot. So, Paul, I was there the next day, right, and I spoke to the property owner who lives in a house that her backyard backs up to that glass factory, then backs up to the fence. She's maybe 200 yards from where the president was speaking. And I asked her, did you speak to anybody from the Secret Service or police?

before the event because you think maybe they would sort of survey the area. She said she never spoke to anyone from the Secret Service. Is that normal? And could that have been because of a lack of resources or just poor planning? I don't believe it was either. This event in Butler, Pennsylvania, and as I've examined it myself, I've conducted my own brief vulnerability assessment of the site. The site that the shooter took was 146, 150 yards away. the counter-sniper's have to survey out to a thousand yards. Keep in mind that six-tenths of a mile, I identified 12 additional buildings that snipers could have used,

and it would have taken over 300 officers to properly secure. The question is, perhaps, not how did the Secret Service fail on Saturday, the question is how have these vulnerabilities not been breached before? What we saw in Congress really troubles me, because if they were interested in improving the Secret Service and finding out how they could approve going forward, I'm not sure having the names of the agents who are on site or demanding their testimony right away helps that.

I'm not sure how that helps improve the Secret Service to improve these sites before. America needs to have a reckoning. This site, with 15,000 people in a field, perhaps couldn't be secured to 100% satisfaction of anyone. The lines of sight out to 1,000 yards, to put this simply, it appears to me that it's about impossible job

that we're asking of humans. But I do also want to add something that is perhaps more personal and it's not as a Secret Service agent. Let me just pause you right there. Let me pause you right there. Could the Secret Service have told the Trump campaign? Listen, you can have your campaign event here,

but this is a terrible idea. I would have to say that those conversations have occurred in the entire history of campaigns. I've been at hundreds, perhaps thousands of campaign sites. been at definitely thousands of presidential protection sites in every role on the field. Those conversations are had repeatedly, and it's not the Secret Service that chooses them. They're put into impossible situations. And I would ask, however, when the director states that all of the assets that were requested

were given, I'd like to see the security plan and see if enough assets were requested. I believe it needed a larger footprint. I believe it needed more personnel, but not just more personnel, the right personnel. There's a lot of misinformation from all sides. What really bothers me is there's not a causation, but there's a correlation in America with the level of vitriol that causes violence. We have a combination of a mental health crisis and access to weapons. Yeah, Paul, and finally, last question, because we're up against a... Yeah, no, and I appreciate that point.

I think it's a smart point. We're up against a hard break, though. Do you think the director needs to step down? Has she lost the faith of at least maybe 50% of the country right now? I believe the director has lost the face of the men and women of the Secret Service and the country, perhaps. I believe she should step down, but it should not be immediately. That would be a catastrophic failure on the level of perhaps Saturday. The men and women of the Secret Service, they are on post today protecting protectees around the world.

The director needs to step down at a defined time in the future, but she needs to assist the president. She needs to assist Congress and the Department of Homeland Security in identifying the right person, whether that's inside or outside of the agency. Attacks on her credentials are unfounded. She was the assistant director of protective operations. She served nobly in law enforcement for nearly 30 years. But yes, she should step down at a time in the future and help identify her replacement. Paul Ekloff, fascinating conversation.

We thank you for joining Top Story. I hope we can speak again. Coming up, the officer charged with murder, a sheriff's deputy accused of shooting an unarmed Illinois woman in her own kitchen. The horrifying new body cam just released. Stay with us. We are back now with Top Stories News Feed. The 55-year-old wife of a New York Yankees executive, Omar Minnet, found dead in the couple's

New Jersey home. Police saying Rachel Minaya was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital in Bergen County. No cause of death has been released, but police are investigating that. Severe weather causing evacuations in Hawaii, Utah, New Mexico. New video posted to social media shows brush fires in Maui. No injuries reported. In Utah, firefighters say a wildfire near Salt Lake City is partially under control,

but they're working to protect homes. And flash flooding in New Mexico, washing out roads, several people rescued. The National Guard has been called into help with cleanup there. And four days after a global tech outage took down Microsoft computer systems worldwide, Delta is struggling to recover. The airline canceled at least 700 flights today, bringing its total number of cancellation since Friday to more than 5,000. Other airlines have mostly returned to normal.

Next, there is outrage in Illinois tonight after a woman was fatally shot in her own home by a deputy after she called 911 to report an intruder. Authorities today releasing the body cam, Maggie Vespal with the video and a warning, it is disturbing. 36-year-old Sonia Massey is seen on body camera video opening her front door to her Springfield, Illinois home for the final time. After investigators say in the early morning hours of July 6th, she called 911 about a possible intruder.

Massey at times seeming confused. I'm trying to get help, y'all, but... What do you need help with? Nothing. I just... Please, God, please God. Roughly halfway into the 36-minute clip released late today by Illinois State Police, Massey walks to her stove and picks up a pot of boiling water. It's difficult to hear what she says. That's when the deputy on screen identified as Sean Grayson replies.

You better five, that's where I got. I'll shoot you right your face. Okay, I'm sorry. Drop the pot. The fucking drop the fucking pot. Drop the fucking shot. Fired. Juts fired.

Officials later saying Massey, a mother of two, was shot in the head. I'm not taking hot boiling water to the face. Video of her body blurred by police. Last week, a grand jury indicted. waiting former deputy Grayson on three counts of first-degree murder. Grayson's lawyer declining to comment. You know what I want? I want justice for my baby.

Massey's family alongside civil rights attorney, Ben Crump. She needed a hip in hand. She didn't need a bullet to the face. President Biden saying in a statement, they deserve justice, calling it an unthinkable and senseless loss. Maggie Vespup, NBC News. Now at Top Stories Global Watch, the latest on the War in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveling to the U.S.

for a high-stakes meeting with top leaders before his address to Congress. His visit coming as Israel strikes back at the Houthis in Yemen after the group targeted Tel Aviv. NBC News International correspondent Matt Bradley reports. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for a critical meeting with President Biden, he's headed toward a Washington beset by uncertainty. This will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel in the war, and during his long and distinguished career in public service. Biden, who has stood beside Israel, now a lame duck president.

I will seek to anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel. NBC News now reporting that in addition to meeting with Biden, Netanyahu has requested a meeting with former president Donald Trump. But according to two congressional aides, Senator Ben Kornbner, Cardin of Maryland will preside over his joint address to Congress rather than Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to be campaigning. Nanyahu departed a nation still locked in a brutal war, with rising concerns about the conflict spreading to Lebanon and Yemen.

Last week, a deadly drone strike by Yemeni rebels on Tel Aviv killed one man and injured at least 10 others. Israeli warplanes responded the next day, with air strikes on several sites affiliated with the Houthi forces in Yemen. The health ministry in Yemen saying the strikes killed six people and wounded 83 others. Israel's necessary and proportionate strikes were carried out in order to stop the Houthi terror attacks. Hours later, the IDF said it intercepted another missile from Yemen.

The Secretary General of the Houthi's Supreme Political Council says their response was warranted. And in Lebanon, the IDF releasing footage of what they say was a successful interception of of seven unmanned aerial vehicles that cross from Lebanon into Israel. All as Israel continues its offensive in Gaza. Gaza's health ministry said 70 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded this week after Israeli forces fired on the city of Khan Yunus in southern Gaza. At a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts

and where there's great political uncertainty in Washington. I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America's indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East. And time, you know, the rest of the world is also wondering what a Kamala Harris presidency could mean for U.S. foreign policy. It's likely she'll hugh to her current bosses' positions on most global issues. But on Israel, many observers are expecting her to be at least somewhat more critical

of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his continuing attacks on the Gaza. a strip. We're going to have to wait and see if that happens. Okay, Matt Bradley for us. Matt, thank you. Coming up next and speaking of Vice President Harris, the memes that are taking over the presidential race, clips of VP Harris suddenly taking over social media feeds. So if you're confused about why people are talking about falling out of coconut trees and Brat Summer, we're going to explain this to you. We'll fill you in on the clips going viral among Gen Z and how the Harris campaign is seizing this moment. Stay with us. We are back now with power and politics.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris announced her presidential bid, countless memes and parody videos inspired by her have taken over the Internet. Her campaign appearing to embrace the virality in an effort to break through with a new generation of voters. Our Valerie Castro has the details. A Feminent Dominion! Take a glance at social media and besides the obvious political headlines, memes about Vice President Kamala Harris are gaining traction.

Fans on TikTok creating viral videos. Even incorporating a nod to hit TV show Love Island. A hot new bombshell enters the villa. And remixing Harris's laugh with a Taylor Swift song. One meme in particular making reference to a coconut tree. A nod to a 2023 speech Harris delivered for. a White House initiative on advancing educational equity for Hispanic people. My mother used to, she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us,

I don't know what's wrong with you, young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you. The coconut tree making its own statement. At the end of the day, I am a single issue voter, and I care deeply about climate change. And so for that, I am absolutely voting for Kamala. The laugh coming through again in remix with pop star Kesha, who jumped on the trend herself. Dance.

Even Colorado Governor Jared Polis using a coconut tree in his endorsement of Harris with a few simple emojis. Singer Charlie XX leading the Brat summer trend with her notably lime green album cover, extending her own endorsement with a simple Kamala is brat. The campaign taking that lime green hue as a cue and running with it on X. It sort of maybe was a little mocking a few months ago. Ironically, as people started to swell around Harris as potentially replacing Biden, people flipped it into a positive. Could this viral attention on social media translate into more young voters at the polls come November? Democratic strategist and Biden delegate Kai Von Schroff, who has worked to mobilize young voters, says yes.

First of all, you suddenly have a lot of people paying attention. Now you have Vice President Harris is receiving this sort of memeification and attention at the perfect time. And she's about to become the nominee. The youth vote was already up in 2020. 51% of people ages 18 to 24 reported voting compared to 43% in 2016, according to U.S. census data. Before Biden ended his re-election bid, a Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics poll found 53% of young Americans said they would definitely be voting in a general election. Earlier this month, young voters favored Trump by 47 percent, Harris trailing not far behind, with 46 percent, according to an NBC news poll. For the first years of her vice presidency, you know, it was, there's no excitement about her.

She's off, something negative. Now we're seeing the opposite. So I think people are really energized, including first-time voters. Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. Valerie, I'm learning a lot, a lot of these new trends, these new phrases. Explain to our viewers, how big is the demographic on social media right now that is sort of like buying into this brat summer trend, but also this, what seems to be pro-Kamala Harris trend. So we're talking about Gen Z and keep in mind not all of Gen Z is actually old enough to vote. We're talking about a group of people between the ages of 12 and 27 years old. There's a Tufts University research organization called Circle. They estimate that 41 million people in Gen Z will be eligible to vote this November. Okay, but that's the big question, right?

because a lot of these people sharing these memes might be under a team, which means they can't vote. They can't vote, but that doesn't mean that they don't have a voice. They are creating that content on social media. They are sharing those memes. And so in that sense, they will be influencing those people who are old enough to vote. Is it a brat summer for you? Is that something you're partaking of it? I've got it green on, so I guess so.

It is? Okay, I'm learning all these things. Okay. When we come back, you know those products that seem too good to be true on social media? We're trying them out for you. Our Sam Brock takes to Miami Beach to try out JetCar Miami. Is it a jet ski? Is it a car? What is it? We'll let you know. Plus, is there an easier way to set up a beach umbrella or keep your beverage cold in the summer heat?

We answer those questions next. And is this real? A new series on Top Story launching right after the week. All right, finally tonight, a new series here on Top Story. Have you ever seen a product on social media and wondered, is this real? As more and more companies use Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, sell those products. We're taking a look at some of them to answer that question. Our Sam Brock went to Miami Beach this summer to find out the products that are making a big splash there. That is me cruising through the waters of Key Biscayne. It may look like I'm on a regular boat

or a jet ski, but I'm not. This is JetCar Miami, and it's just one of three viral products that caught our eye on social media. So we want to see for ourselves if they can really helped kick summer into high gear. How many people ask you, that can't be real? That's not actually a car on the water. Every day. These jet cars are making a splash in Miami and online. The company's Instagram page has more than 15,000 followers

and they're racking up views on TikTok, too. What do you think, guys? I think I should probably give it a shot. Good doing. All right, so that's starting the engine here. It does. Basically, it's a push of a button like you would with a regular car. And now I have my foot on the accelerator.

Inside of this car boat, the jet ski engine is right back here, powering the body of a car. Now, it's not an actual body of a car. It's something that was manufactured abroad to look like a car. Not that that should come as a shock. Just a convertible moving in and out of yachts. That's the experience right now. All right, so for our over choppiness,

25 miles an hour, an hour. That's a big yacht. That guy gave me a peace sign. I don't see the purdiers, though. I get it again. I keep forgetting you cannot go over waves like that. I just drenched myself.

That right there, my friends, is the jet car ride. A few closing thoughts. The acceleration is definitely phenomenal. You're out there and you can go from 10 to 40 or 50 miles an hour in a matter of a couple of seconds. Obviously, it's a powerful vehicle and it is definitely 100% authentically real. After a full morning on the water, now it's time to relax on the beach. These are pretty

epic. And on TikTok we keep seeing the beach bub umbrella advertised on the company's website as portable beach umbrella system with effortless setup that anyone can do in minutes by using sands to create an anchor. So let's make sure first we have all the parts. You gotta bring a little armwork to the table. Get this thing eight inches into the ground, but it's going. That is pretty darn close. But I'm sweating profusely.

It's basically down there. Again, it's 90-something degrees in Miami with a humidity of like 90% so you can have to give me a little bit of grace on that. So that's basically where you want the pull to be. want the pull to be. It went down. It took five minutes, but it went down. Well, we now need his 50 scoops of sand. So let's take on the next part of this. So we do have this bad boy. This is my device right here, okay? 50 scoops of sand with what looks like it could be, you know, a kid shovel. Here we go. 24. This is a lot of sand. You can just feel the weight

on this. Let's get that up there. Wow. Now let's see how it works. Again, as I mentioned, is that a lot of wind today? Still, though, that thing looks rock solid. I will say once you can figure out how to get the actual anchor onto the pole, I mean, I'm feeling this right now. There's got to be a solid 15 pounds of sand in here. This is absolutely real. There's really some effort that goes into putting it up, but very happy at the end of the day that I have right now a shaded umbrella. This thing is not moving. And I think it's time now to try a beverage. And that's why we're going to try the chillomatic. It's a contraption seen across social media that advertises the ability to turn any 12 ounce can ice cold in about a minute. We have two

different beverages, a soda and a beer. And I can tell you they're both lukewarm, sun warm, if you will. them in here and see in 60 seconds do I suddenly have two ice cold beverages. One for the kids, one for the adults out there. You know what these days at the beach are like. Let's give it a go. So the drink, suction to the cup like that and then you slide the chamber in like that. Okay, that's about a handful of ice. Do not overfill. If too much ice is in place on the device, it may prevent the chillomatic from working. So on that note, I'm going to take out one piece of ice. That should be about right. Okay. So that's how much ice we're putting in. Close and spin. We put one product in for 60 seconds, the other for 90

seconds, and voila. Put that down, get ice all over you. It did not cause an explosion which obviously no one wants to see foam sprang everywhere when you open up your can of beer or soda. It didn't. Perfect temperature. So I did notice a difference. 90 seconds versus 60 seconds. 60 was good.

90 is perfect. This tastes like a beer that has been in the fridge for a couple of hours, and instead we just got it in a minute and a half. The verse is. verdict is, it's real, baby. Or the verdict is, it's real. Cheers.

Next time I'm in Miami. I hope Sam will pick me up in one of those jet cars. We thank Sam for that story, and we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamison, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.