indeed deed show up for the first debate. we've also got asa hutchinson who says trump should just drop out before that debate. he's saying, like, right now. and a former doj official who says hunter biden's growing legal mess could become a big mess for his dad too. all of this as the hawkeye state heats up, 13 republican candidates attending a big din-din in des moines last might. >> we must provide our country with a new birth of freedom. >> there's only one candidate, and you know who that candidate is, who's going to get the job done. >> we will not back down from the truth. >> let's make sure we save our country once and for all. neil: all right. the guy who hosted the whole affair is here today. who stood out to him? we thought we'd ask him here and only here. welcome, everybody, glad to have you. hope your weekend is going well. it is hot outside. we'll get to that this just a second. in the meantime, let's get the legal drama that's building for both sides of the aisle. lucas tomlinson tracking it all from washington. hey, lucas. >> reporter: hey, neil. president biden starting his vacation first in maine peek at a tex file factory to boast about the economy and make the polling -- following claim about inflation: >> -- suggested republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for now that inflation is coming down. maybe they'll decide to impeach me because it's coming down, i don't know. i love that one. >> reporter: now, economists pushed back saying inflation is not coming down, it's still increasing just at at a decreased rate as this chart shows. inflation was up 3% last month compare to the year before when it was up 9%. and anyone who goes to the grocery store knows food prices continue to increase and fuel prices are now at an 8-month high. americans owe $1 trillion in credit card debt. the vice president speaking across the country with a different message, acknowledging the hardship many americans are facing. >> most americans are a $400 unexpected expense away from bankruptcy. >> reporter: speak of hardship, hunter biden and his attorneys thought they were going in for a quick 5-minute plea deal this week, the hearing unraveled when the judge asked the prosecutor, could hunter face more charges? the answer was yes. the judge then said see you next month. hunter will have to return august 25th. tax attorneys say most americans would be looking at 3-5 years in jail for charges like this. president trump, as you mentioned, facing three new charges stemming from his handling of classified information at his mar-a-lago estate. neil: you know what's wild about that, lucas, and you just touched on it beautifully, we could have the two nominees if it ends up being, you know, or joe biden and donald trump n a whole pot of legal hassles, ongoing investigations, trials, you name it, maybe an impeachment inquiry for the president. it could be a mess, unprecedented mess. >> reporter: a lot of court dates to keep track of. neil: thank you for that, lucas. always good see ceo -- seeing you, my friend. all right, chris christie did not go to iowa last night, but he did take time to stop by and chat9 with us about the state of the race and particularly the state of the front-runner. the take a look. >> we have a front-runner right now who, when he gets on the stage for the fox news debate on august 23rd, will be out on bail. this at least two different jurisdictions, if not three, between now and then. how are we going to beat the democrats with a candidate who is going to be out on bail, facing numerous, numerous self-inflicted wounds in courtrooms across this country? no one else wants to talk about that in the race because they're all afraid of donald trump. i've known him for 22 years, i'm never going to be afraid to tell the truth, neil. and what i just said is the truth. neil: you know, nikki haley took umbrage to that, governor. she says that she has taken on the former president and says, quote here, i'm not obsessively anti-trump like him, referring to you with. what do you think of that? >> well, look, i have great respect and affection for nicki. she asked me to come down and campaign for her in 2010 when she ran for the first time as governor and then again in 2014, and we were friends for a long time. but here's the bottom line, nikki hasn't been able to figure out what her position is on donald trump. in one interview she was both someone who thought he shouldn't run again, then she said she wouldn't run if he did, then she changed her mind,ing and thousand she's running. so, you know, if she's not clear with the fact that she's been sending very, very mixed messages and hasn't spoken correctly about whether donald trump is fit to be president given all the things that he's done and, by the way, or neil, you know, a record that is very spotty. he said he was going to repeal and replace obamacare. he had republican majorities in both houses, he pa failed to do it. he said he was going to build a big, beautiful wall across the entire mexico, in 4 years he built 52 miles of new wall, and mexico hasn't paid us our first we sew. and he said he was going -- peso. and he said he was going to balance the budget, and he added $6 trillion to the national debt. it's about what he failed to do as president. neil: so i guess i mentioned nikki haley, governor, but i could extend it to tim scott. you criticized him as well for his refusal to blame donald trump for the january 6th riot at the capitol. you've gone on to talk about ron desantis and his ponce to the florida board of education and the new african-american teaching here, so it gives some the impression that you've got a scorched earth policy when it comes to other republican presidential candidates way beyond donald trump. what do you say to them? >> welsh, i'm sorry, neil, that i'm telling the truth. you know, i agree with tim scott about the new standards in florida, and and i think that what they've done is wrong. and or worse yet, what i really criticize governor desantis for, is he said i didn't have newing to do with it and i didn't know anything about it. well, that's not research. that's looking out at what's going on in your state and saying you're not responsible when you're the governor. and, look, on, you know, nikki haley and tim scott, look, i was disappointed with tim when he said that the president was not responsible for what happened on january 6th. the president invited all those people to washington, said it was going to be wild. then when he got this, they got there, he repeat the lie that the election was stolen, and we mow that it was not. hen -- then he asked all of them to march up to capitol hill and said he would march with them, except we know if donald trump's in danger of breaking a fingernail, he's not going to do it. so he went back to the safety of the white house, sent those people up to capitol hill and told them mike pence needed to do what he needed to do or he was a bit appointment to all of us, and then finally, he sat for hours in his dining room at the oval office and did absolutely nothing. now, i don't know if that makes him criminally responsible or not, but it sure as hell in my book makes him morally responsible. and knowing tim scott as well as i do, neil, what a good man he is -- and he is, a good man and i consider him a friend -- i just expressed disappointment that he was unwilling to say the president is morally responsible for what happened on january 6th. neil: you know, i wonder what you make of what mitt romney had said, that, you know, republicans have to rally around someone to take on donald trump, that they didn't do that in 2016 when he last ranch and -- ran, and that was a mistake, and it set up donald trump to sort of pick off candidates, acquire all the delegates he needed and win the race. what do you think of that? >> look, i don't disagree with mitt, you know? we're in july of 2023, and when i look back, you know, we had 17 people and 2 different debates in 2015. i think when we get to the fox news debate on august 23rd my guess is there'll be 7 or 8 people on that stage. so it'll be less than half of where we were before. and, you know, i think there will be a culling of the field over the course of time. mitt, i think, said, you know, if you haven't done well by february 26th, you should get out. i don't disagree with that, neil, and i think that if you look at what i did last time 8 years ago, when i didn't do as well as i wanted to in the new hampshire in the beginning of february, i got out of the race and consolidate behind donald trump, supported him, shared his transition -- chaired his transition and worked to make him the next president of the united states, and we succeeded. i don't disagree with what mitt said at all, i just don't think it's kite quite the time yet, and he said he didn't either. neil: he was referring to an event coming out of new hampshire, let's see where we stand. if you don't look like we're doing well, do what you did back then and bow out. one of the things i wanted to discuss with you as well is what could potentially happen by day when we're going to have, you know, the president on trial if he can't push it back by that time, governor. it is distinctly possible if donald trump holds these numbers in polls he could have accumulated enough delegates to be the party's nominee, and that would put the party in a bit of a pickle if hit -- it turns i out, as you said, that the trial doesn't go well and other trials don't go well. then you could have a convicted felon as your nominee. that is not out of the question, is it? >> not only is it not out of the question, it's likely. and, neil -- neil: the do you support that? would you support that candidate then in that event? >> look, i've answered this question a dozen times, neil, we're not going to go back over it. i'm going the that take the pledge in the debate that the rnc wants us to take, and i'll take it every bit as seriously as donald trump did in 2016 when he signed the pledge. and when all of us were on the stage, we were asked to reaffirm by raising our hand. nine of us raised our hands and one with didn't, and and that was donald trump. so, look, here's what's going the happen, neil. it's worse than what you're talking about, because he will be indicted by the special counsel another time. i did this work with, as i said, for a living for seven years. you do not send a target letter to someone unless you intend to indict them. it's the last thing you do to give them an opportunity to come before the grand jury before the grand jury's asked to make a final decision on indictment. so will there will be a third indictment. and it seems clear to me that it is more likely than not that he will be indicted under the rio statute, the racketeering statute, in georgia. for what he did in terms of interfering with election results in atlanta. and so here we are. it very well could be when we get on that stage on august 23rd he could be out on bail in four different jurisdictions and trials happening at least in two of them, if not three, before we get to the convention. neil: i get it, governor, but how -- and i know you have addressed the subject, but i'm not clear on how far it would go if you have someone who is facing all of that after may, after the may trial and and who knows what else after that, he would be, you know, obviously in big with legal trouble. but constitutionally, he could still run. now, you're a legal expert like no other -- >> sure. neil: -- is he and can he continue to run, and if he becomes president, can he pardon himself? >> this is totally uncharted territory, neil. i mean, we've never seen anything like this. when richard nixon got himself in some measure of real trouble, he did what i think was ultimately the patriotic thing by resign signing from office. and he did not put the american people through what donald trump is about to put the american people through in this situation. so i don't know the answer to that question, nor do i think there's anyone who knows it. we all just have theories now, neil. but here's the thing that will correct it, folks should vote for someone else. we have a number of good candidates. look, i think i'm the best one of the group, obviously, but there's a number of good candidates here. donald trump should not be the republican nominee for president of the united states, and he's done it to himself. and and, you know -- neil: i can't see chris. >> christy supporting that person for the nomination if by that time -- chris christie -- has acquired all the delegates necessary and all the baggage attached with that, if so, how you could accept that and that person as your nominee. >> i think, you know, look, you know me, you know me well, neil. you've known how much i care about law and order and right and wrong and telling the truth. so that would be an impossible task. neil: so let me ask a little bit, donald trump seems to single you out in his missives on his social media site -- >> doesn't he. neil: he had said that you contributed to mitt romney's has. he's raised this a number of times, that you were star struck by barack obama during the whole sandy storm incident -- [laughter] which you worked with the former president to get new jersey expect northeast back in shape. when you hear that are and it keeps coming up and this is the latest, what do you think of that? >> well, one, it lets me know that i am inside his head in a big way, ask and he is very worried about standing up on that stage with me on august 23rd. and secondly, i would just say this, my state, our state, neil, because i know you're a resident of our state, our tate suffered the greatest natural disaster in its history and the second greatest natural disaster in the history of this country. and and you bet that i welcomed the president of the united states when he came to see the damage, console our citizens and offer to help us to rebuild and recover. that's what a responsible leader does. what an immature child does is to criticize someone for that, and this is the kind of self-centered, immature child that donald trump is. how could you criticize a governor, how could you to that for saying that i want to do everything i can to rebuild my state and to help every one of the citizens i was elected to serve recover? it's outrageous. and so,ing you know, we responded with, he made fun of me on that,s so we sent out a picture of him with hillary clinton at his wedding. [laughter] now, i didn't invite to my wedding, neil, and he invited her to the wedding, he gave $100,000 to the clinton foundation, and he donated to her campaigns numerous times because he put his own personal greed ahead of the good of the country. i will never do that. he does all the time. neil: i know you've been asked this before, governor, but you mentioned the upcoming debate next month on fox, but it seems pretty clear that donald trump, because he has such a big lead mt. polls, why should i bother. what do you think of that? >> well, first of all, i think it's wrong. he owes it to the voters of the republican party can and to the rnc to be willing to get up there and be compared to all the other candidates who have qualified. remember, the rmc set up some pretty stringent qualifications. 40,000 donors is no small feat to be able to do. we're now over 52,000 donors, and if people want to help, they can go to chris christie.com and do that. but i think he owes it to folks to get on the stage and do that. and, by the way, i've known for 22 years, i think he'll be there. neil: all right. he thinks he'll be this. we'll see what happens in that regard. asa hutchinson, another frequent donald trump critic, will be with us later in the show. how was he completed by iowa attendees at this dinner? we'll get a read on that and where he sees the race going. also getting an update on the nation's weather. it is still hot as all get out, and it's going to get hotter before it gets cooler but not before fully 1 out of 3 americans experience aggressive -- oppressive weather. in the ace -- case of those in phoenix, 30th day over 115. >> i'm from brazil and, yeah, it's too hot. >> it is the extremely hot with the humidity. >> take two breaks during the day, and we try to hydrate as much as we can. >> i've just come in shorts. >> a lot of ice creams. neil: so we look at that and the weather and and how bad it could get after this. neil: did i confuse you? you know, craig, i get these moments because i'm just getting old, so so i apologize. craig -- [laughter] let me ask you a little bitting, maybe it's the heat -- >> i was going to say. neil: it's out of control. what do you make of it? >> yeah, when you're experiencing this kind of heat for this long of a period, all of us are just saying, whoa, when is it going to end? we continue to see these numbers hot and steamy, and it's really going to take us into the next week for most of us. a huge chunk of the country is going to get a break. we've got excessive heat warnings right over the del mar a v.a., down through norfolk, but you've got heat advisories from boston, down through new york city, almost down to the carolinas. this area of high pressure that that has been pumping in the heat is still in place. this has been what's going on here. we've got a cold front diving in from canada. you think about that warm, humid air that's been moving up across the northeast, well, soon the air mass will be coming in a little bit cooler and drier. the two air masses bumping together are going to create some storms throughout the afternoon, and and and some of them could be severe producing some gusty winds all the way from portions of west virginia, virginia, the del mar rah and into boston. some of these producing wind gusts that'll be strong, maybe some rotation over the lower hudson valley, through new mexico. but here's the big change. take a looked at this, my friend. today the dewpoints are into the 70s. what does that mean? anything above 60, 70 is going to be just oppressive. when you see the numbers drop into the 50s like this tomorrow, anywhere below 55 is considered dry and mild. so that's going to change things up. temperatures today in boston, 84. 93 in new york, again. richmond at 98. here comes the cold air mass, the numbers drop behind it with the relative humidity going on. 82 tomorrow in new york, 82 in pittsburgh, 87 in washington, d.c. and 76 in boston. this will take us into monday, into tuesday. some welcome relief. when you look at the rest of the lower 48, here comes the cold front, starts to drop down to the south. we'll drop temperatures over portions of, say, tennessee. but on the other side -- southern side of this, you will continue with the heat. phoenix, you mentioned, well above average, will continue with about 112 tomorrow. dropping to 105 on monday, but overall the numbers right across the northeastern part of the country will start to drop down. texas, no break for texas as we go into monday and tuesday. so, yeah, you're talking about 108 million americans just sweltering under the heat today. tomorrow, or neil, with this chunk of the country especially across the northeast, we'll drop back, say about 80 million or so, or we'll bring those numbers to you as they come in, but it's going to be a huge difference especially, dare i say this, neil, it might feel crisp in portions of the northeast tomorrow compared to what it's felt like. neil: yeah. it depends what you get used to, right? you know, craig, i always hear and you're the expert on this stuff that this is thest summer on record, and i'm thinking, all right, we've been keeping railroads for maybe on and off depending on how good they are, for a century or so is. how do we know this? >> a lot of these records go back to the 1800s all the way back boo florida, so they'll average out the highs and the lowers -- lows, and you get the mean temperature right that smack in the middle. so those on average are showing that it's been a whole lot warmer. plus you think about the sea surface temperatures, neil, they are some of the warmest we've seen in the atlantic. that that's also prompting a lot of what's been going on with the tomorrowny conditions. neil: -- stormy. neil: got it. because i was alive in the 1800s, and i don't -- [laughter] craig, you're the best. have a cool weekend. craig herrera, rescuing me from all of that. in the meantime, the latest on the teamsters' strike that isn't happening now at ups. the guy who got that agreement and now waits to see members approve it. that looks likely, but there could be bumps especially at other companies looking at their own strikes. sean o'brien is next. your wyndham is waiting. ♪ when bucket lists need checking... points need redeeming... work trips need crushing... or anniversaries need... celebrating? no matter who you are, where you're going, or why. with 24 trusted brands by wyndham to choose from... your wyndham is waiting. get the lowest price at wyndhamhotels.com i tried to put my arm around any vet that i can. absolutely. at newday usa, that's what we're doing. we put our arm around the veterans. i think the veteran out there needs to refi his home, he may want to purchase and we can help them and provide that financial solution for them and their families. it's a great, rewarding feeling. everybody in the company, they have that deference and that respect and that love for the veteran that makes this company so unique. i'd like to take a moment to address my fellow veterans, because i know so many of you have served our country honorably. one of the benefits that we as a country give you as a veteran is your eligibility for a va loan, which that you buy a home with no down payment. now, there's no reason to rent when you can own. helping veterans buy homes. that's newday usa. neil: all right, big strike avert ised, at least that's the hope, as the teamsters settle with ups on what could have been a huge disruption for deliveries, the economy, you name it as the potential of more than 300,000 workers walking off their ups jobs would have put a serious dent in things. sean o'brien master minded all this, kind enough to join us. sean, good to have you. what are the prospects of your members approving this? >> well, there's a ratification process, and i appreciate you having me on the show again. there's a ratification process that'll start august 3rd. we're going to review the tentative agreement on monday, and then the ratification process will start on the 3rd. we'll close out on august 22nd, and, you know, we're very supportive of this agreement. the committee has unanimously endorsed it. we'll get, hopefully, unanimous endorsement from the leadership, and then we'll just go out there and and put the facts out to our members, and and we're supporting this 100%, and we're very proud of what we've accomplished. neil: we're kind of going new some of the features of this contract, but i believe it was reuters who had said of this that the deal burnishes the u.s. teamster leader's image as one tough s.o.b. [laughter] >> i don't know about that. we -- it was a team effort. we had 340,000 rank and files supporting us. look, s.o.b. are my initials, unfortunately -- [laughter] neil: let me ask a little bit, if the backdrop, if it is settled and it's great if it is, there are still other potential strikes, maybe some pilots at united ourlines, could can extend to other airlines looking to ratify what could be generous pay packages, flight attendants maybe at american and some others who don't have deals secured yet. what is going on, do you think, with workers that -- and the timing of all of this? >> well, i think the timing's great because, you know, we've seen record profits not just in ups, but ourlines -- airline ares, to your point, everybody that you mentioned. and i think the one ounce, the good thing about our leverage that we have collectively as unions is i think we've demonstrated that, you know, we are influencers with the market. labor is an influencer with the market, and once investors and/or stock prices get affect by potential labor disputes, you know, that's great leverage for us because we can utilize that to secure the extraneous contracts. so i think people are fed up with high ceo pay and record pay stock dividends, and, you know, like i've said many times before, the people that make these corporations and company a success need to reward the people that are the unsung heroes getting it done for them every single day. neil: but it doesn't apply to other workers. i'm not saying people have a particularly soft spot in their heart for ups workers, but they do. when that issue has come up versus other delivery companies, a lot of those workers are held in high regard. there's, again, i don't know if a soft spot in their hearts and all, but it doesn't extend to travel. for example, we'll see likely greater flight nightmares as a result of either pilots and/or flight attendants walking out. and that camaraderie, you know, goes fast. what do you think of that? >> yeah. i mean, i think when people start to get inconvenienced, that's when the criticisms will fly, like delays in flights and everything else. but, you know, i think the reality is, you know, i've said it before, this short-term pain for long-term gain. as you want the most qualified, best people going to work every day loving their jobs is and being happy to work. and if people aren't happy with their employers not -- employees not making the wages and benefits they shouldn't be, shame on those employers. but the general public has to understand they have to support all these workers to provide the best services. i'm confident based upon what we accomplished at ups we've set the model for how to get a deal done and a deal done in the best interests of the members and the best interests of working people. and this is not just going to affect union people. we've set the tone such high, such a high industry standard, it's going to help other folks that are not unionized to achieve the same things we have, and hopefully we'll put a man together to organize those folks. neil: how can i be so sure a lot of those, you know, deals don't translate into higher costs for customers? the company has to pay more for these workers, pay more benefits. it's great for you and your guys, but we end up paying for it. >> well, i think it doesn't necessarily have to to be that way as long as these corporations and and companies reassess their cost structure and maybe take a little less in million dollar bonuses and million dollar payouts and higher dividends. i think they have to take a look in the mirror and say, you know, we've benefited a lot, now it's time to pare back a little on our edge. we reward the people that make our success and not necessarily drive the cost up to consumers. neil: okay, but your not against higher dividends or investors doing well. >> look, i want everybody to reap the benefit of success. neil: right. >> but at what does that have to come at? if people have to raise their rates, those will get risen, i believe, throughout every competing interest in that arena. neil: all right. we'll watch it closely. sean, you don't seem like an s.o.b., but i'm sure they were just referring to your initials. >> i have my moments. [laughter] neil: thank you very much. sean o'brien, the teamsters' president, navigated this complicated deal that went workers' way with. most experts have been telling us it is expected to be approved and maybe by a lopsided margin. we just don't know, but a that is the way it's looking throughout the month of august. in the meantime, the fallout from that big din-din in iowa last night. bill melugin was there, joins us from des moines. bill. >> reporter: neil, 13 gop presidential candidates all here in des moines, iowa, night for the annual lincoln dinner where they made their pitch to voters. so who got the biggest rounds of applause while who got almost booed off of the stage in that's coming up right after the break. s knowing that i can be free to do the things that i love to do. i hope when i retire someday, they say, that guy made this place a special place to come to school and gave as much as he could to help the community. ♪ ♪ neil: you ever see how speed dating works? not that i would know, but you have a very is brief amount of time to sort of hook up with someone. for the lincoln day dinner this in -- they have this iowa, all the republican candidates were there, but they each had about 10 minutes to sort of state their case before a crowd of iowa voters, a packed affair. we're going to talk to the gop chair of iowa in a minute who he thinks came away from that event looking good, others not so good. but to bill melugin first in des moines who was there for every candidate's presentation, joins us right now. how'd it go, bill? >> reporter: well, or or neil, putting it as kind of speed dating with iowa voters is actually a pretty smart way of putting it because with, as you mentioned, each candidate only had about 10 minutes to speak. take a look at this video, every gop candidate except for chris christie was there making their pitch to voters. it was a sellout crowd, a lot of energy in the room. people wanting to hear what these candidates had to say. so the first video we want to show you, will hurd, former texasman, got up on stage, and he went after former president donald trump, said he is not running to make america great again. said nominating him would hand biden the white house again. then he made this comment which almost got him booed off stage. take a listen. >> donald trump is running to stay out of prison. and if we elect -- [background sounds] i know, i know, i know. listen, i know the truth. the truth is hard. >> reporter: and when president trump was on stage speaking, he did not take that opportunity to respond to will hurd. he did rattle off poll numbers which he says show him beating biden head to head. he called the afghanistan withdrawal the most embarrassing moment in u.s. history, and he targeted his rival, governor ron desantis. take a listen. >> well, desanctus is losing to biden in all cases. i wouldn't take a chance on that one. [laughter] i'm leading in the primary polls by 50 and 55% against him and others. a poll just came out where i'm leading in iowa -- we love iowa -- by 34 points. >> reporter: now, when governor ron desantis was on stage, he asked did not go after donald trump. he opt toed instead to talk about his achievements in the state of florida, what they've been doing there and what he would do with policy if he were to be elected u.s. president. one of the comments he made that got a lot of applause in the room was how he said he would handle the southern border, if elected. take a listen. >> i pledge to be the president to the to finally solve the issue of the southern border. we're sending the military to the border. yes, we will build a border wall, and we will use deadly force against the the mexican drug cartels, because i'm sick of them poisoning our kids, i'm sick of them killing our citizens, and i'm sick of them trafficking people into this country. that ends on january 20th, 2025. [cheers and applause] from -- >> reporter: iowa's very popular republican governor with kim reynolds was also there last night. all these candidates want her endorsement. it is a highly sought-after endorsement, but governor reynolds has said she's not endorsing anybody until after the iowa caucuses. she wants to try and keep a level playing field with the candidates here in iowa. neil: she's had a testy relationship with donald trump who's angry at her for this sort of not taking sides position. says she owes her job to him. did they see each other last night, bump into each other in. >> reporter: i don't believe they did. governor reynolds spoke earlier in the night before all the candidates got on stage, and donald trump's motorcade didn't even arrive to the event until they were halfway through the speakers, so i don't believe there was any interaction, at least nothing that ill have seen. neil: got it, my friend. bill melugin in des moines. to jeff kaufman, iowa rnc chair, how are you holding up? >> i'm thrilled by tired, neil. i only got up this early on a saturday for you. neil: i appreciate that. so who do you think scored points? i mean, they have 10 minutes to do so, so i did use that speed dating analogy. i don't know if they connected, but what do you think? >> well, i would say 10 minutes as opposed to 5, maybe speed dating and and we allowed them to hold hands. [laughter] and we kept that 10 minutes solid so we could add a couple more minutes on. look, what impressed me, neil, is that it was clear that every candidate, including those that are leading the field but also the candidates that are working on name recognition, they all had something. it was very obvious they had something that they wanted to emphasize with the vetters. it was obvious -- with the provoters. it was obvious they had thought out those 10 minutes. some of them ended with only seconds to spare. it was very methodical, i'm thinking larry elder's life story was very compelling. you could have heard a pin drop. of course, governor dedesantis, president trump, tim scott, vivek. those individuals, people were holding on to their every word. but we also had candidates that were -- mayor suarez essentially was introducing himself to iowans for the first time. we had a lot of winners out will this. and, you know, in terms of the messages, neil, iowa's not supposed to elect the next president in our caucus, we're supposed to vet those candidates. some of those messages will be accepted, some rejected, and quite a few had been taken under considering. neil: i'm getting a sense that that congressman hurd, the former congressman, his was rejected. he was noticeably booed for his criticisms of donald trump service that was not looked upon kindly among what seemed like a loyal trump audience. your takeawaysesome. >> it seemed as if that message was not received. but, you know, here's the thing about iowa, we're going to be first in the nation, we take this very seriously. we have to give an objective, neutral platform to every single candidate. then the voters of iowa decide what they want to do with that candidate. so we had a wide variety and, yes, you're right, last night will hurd's message was not well received. at the same time, we had a lot of our popular, poll-leading candidates that were well received, and i can't emphasize enough we have a lot of other candidates that are working on name recognition that were well received. that's why everything starts in iowa so something like that can happen. neil: yeah. your state has produced some surprises in the past. i'm curious though, jeff, there is the anomaly of the friction donald trump has with your governor who's very popular. but it doesn't seem to be hurting him in these polls, and and as you've reminded me, that can change. i get that that. but where do you think of where that's going? >> well, i sat within one foot of governor reynolds the entire evening, and she and i visited and talked because the one thing that binds governor reynolds together with iowans, certainly with the party, and that is we take our first in the nation status very, very seriously. that's why she's neutral. that -- she believes, and i believe in my neutrality. i'm empowered by the party constitution to to not endorse. and i will tell you, neil, we sat through that, and when there were policy initiatives that donald trump brought up in his speech, she applauded. she, you know, there is no question whatsoever that donald trump helped us with our first in the nation. donald trump also helped the economy. kim reynolds was clapping for don donald trump, she was clapping for ron desantis, she was clapping for larry elder. when they brought up policy initiatives that are good for iowa, kim reynolds is about iowa. that's her entire focus right now, and that's what guides her and, certainly, as i sat beside her for almost two hours last night. neil: all right. jeff, thank you very much. maybe get some rest right now. jeff kaufmann, iowa gop if chair. the fallout, still too early to tell. got some months to go, don't we? in the meantime, you've heard of the whole cocaine bear. what if i toll you about cosane -- told you with about cocaine sharksesome don't laugh. apparently, this one isn't a movie. windows, charging something like a hundred bucks a window when other guys were charging four to five-hundred bucks. he just didn't wanna do that. he was proud of the price he was charging. ♪ my dad instilled in me, always put the people before the money. be proud of offering a good product at a fair price. i think he'd be extremely proud of me, yeah. ♪ hi, i'm stacey, and i've lost 60 pounds on golo. 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>> no, no, no, don't eat that, don't eat that. let's see what kind of effect that has on him. >> the bear, it [bleep] did cocaine. a bear did cocaine! neil: all right. now, that was a movie. i'm told quasi-based on some facts here. this one is factual, and it's got people concerned. the coast guard apparently just seizing thousands of pounds of cocaine from the atlantic ocean and the caribbean sea is, some evidence that some sharks ingested some of that. we don't know how bad it was. we do know that it could get very bad. it is very telling. jonathan serrie with more on that. jonathan. >> reporter: hi, neil. researchers say there is a strong likelihood sharks are coming in contact with can cocaine dumped overboard by drug smugglers, and they're especially concerned about the shallow waters off the florida keys because of the high volume of drug trafficking. discusser first two days of this week, the miami sector recovered 90 pounds of cocaine that boaters spotted floating in pa packages -- in packages just off the florida keys. i spoke with marine boyle just -- biologist tom herd for research he did on a documentary. scientists simulate ared cocaine by wrapping concentrated fish powder the same way illegal drugs are packaged and watched how the sharks responded. >> because they don't have hands, they cannot physically touch it, they've gone up and touched it it went only thing they have, their mouth, they would have got a hit of cocaine. it sounds crazy, but the probability of it occurring is actually quite high. >> reporter: he does not believe sharks on cocaine pose an increased threat to humans, but he'd like to see more studies and not just on illegal drugs, but everyday pharmaceuticals that we take and that wind up in the waste water system and and are eventually discharged back into the ocean. neil? neil: all right, thank you -- excuse me. apologize. jon jonathan serrie. meanwhile, other things that happened this week that also got people concerned, maybe proof that aliens are among us, that all those ufos can now be identified as, certainly, from out of this world. to the guy who blew the whistle on it and the reaction he's getting, after this. the grocery store and the gas station alone are taking a big chunk out of our paychecks. fortunately, you've earned the valuable va home loan benefit. the newday100 va loan lets you borrow up to 100% of your home's value, not just 80%. and with home values near record highs, that could mean a lot of money. let newday turn your home's equity into cash. it's true, though - you won't overpay for glasses if you shop at america's best. they offer two pairs and a free, quality eye exam starting at just $79.95. the exam alone is worth at least 59 bucks. i can see from your expression that you find that shocking. and you're actually speechless. ...aaaaaaaaand, you don't have ears. two pairs and a free exam for just $79.95. book an exam today ricasbest.com. it's true, though - you won't overpay for glasses if you shop at america's best. ♪ enter as we convene here, uap are in our air pace, but they are grossly underreported. these sightings are not rare or ice lited, they are -- isolated, they are routine. trains observers are frequently witnessing these f. parts of our government are aware more about uap than they let on. excessive classification practices keep crucial information hidden. neil: all right. ryan gray has kind of jolted the world, certainly in washington where they were look at very real evidence that aliens not only exist, but we have the proof. he joins us right now. ryan, the reaction you got was one of hock and awe. i think of nancy mace and others who, you know, almost couldn't respond with some of your revelations. a lot of others said, not true, it's not nearly as detailed or outlined as ryan, you know, presented it. what do you say? >> well, i think we can just reference the story that representative gaits told during the hearing himself. him and other representatives went down to an air force base in florida to attempt to speak to various pilots who had reached out because they had been observing objects on their radars and camera system ises that they couldn't explain, that they felt was a safety risk, and they were not in a position that they felt safe to be able to report that. in fact, it was reported that they felt more comfortable destroying those tapes than to sit through a potential very long debrief to discuss the issue. so this is something that pilots are dealing with. this is something that they do not have the proper safety channels to report, and that's really what i'm looking to push forward out of this conversation, this hearing. neil: well, what struck me is i, when you refer ared to recovering nonhuman bodies. could you explain that? >> well, that was the testimony of mr. grush urn oath, and it sounded like he was prepared to present information in a closed session to congress. we were seeing objects on a daily basis that we couldn't attribute to any of our assets, our technology or our capabilitying s. and right now the commercial pilots that are dealing with this don't feel comfortable reporting it, and that's a problem. neil: now, ryan, there was other presentations that looked at evidence of former aircraft, whatever you want to call it, and that -- we have these. we have even these nonhuman bodies. so what's wrong if the gig is up and all they have to admit it, have to show people that? ing what would be, what would be the harm? >> well, i think that there's a process of declassification that would have to occur, and it would have to consider very closely national security considerations. but with that being said, there is a process processing put forward right now attached to the national defense authorization act of 2024, next year's ndaa, that states exactly this, it's called the disclosure act of 2023. it creates a review panel that will create a disclosure process that will review this information, it will determine whether it is a national security issue or not, and then it will disclose that information to the public. is and so to your point, i think there are processes being put in place right now that help people understand exactly what the government is seeing. neil: very quickly, ryan, any thoughts on possibly this could be stuff of ours or stuff of china's or russia's, and we're attributing it to outside forces? >> well, right now it's a conversation about uncertainty. we have to be diligent about what's flying in our air space whether that's china, our own assets or something else. it's a matter of national security. neil: got it. ryan, you mesmerized the nation. ryan graves swore under oath to it. in the meantime, the white house now paying a good deal of attention to what's happening at the border, but it's our side of the border and what an american governor is doing on that side of the border. after this. have fun, sis! ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) can't stop adding stuff to your cart? get the bank of america customized cash rewards card, choose the online shopping category and earn 3% cash back. >> neil: it is going to be a bit of an anomaly in this year's presidential election if it turns out joe biden and donald trump are the respective presidential nominees, a rework if you will of the last presidential election. this time they could be going into that, legal issues and lawsuits and in the case of the president of the united states, maybe an impeachment inquiry. let's go to lucas tomlinson following these fast-moving developments in washington. lucas? >> neil, first, those tax charges against hunter biden, veteran tax attorneys say most people facing charges like hunter's would be looking at three to five years in jail. of course most americans did