MSNBC Anchor Uses Memorial Day To Attack Trump During Iran Discussion
MS NOW anchor Erielle Reshef drew criticism on Memorial Day after using a discussion about America’s fallen service members to press New York Times reporter Peter Baker about President Donald Trump and the ongoing conflict with Iran.
During the Monday segment, Reshef framed her question around military casualties and what message Trump should deliver to grieving families.
“I want to talk a little bit about the fallen men and women, the treasure that we’ve lost during this war in Iran. What message does the president need to deliver today to the families who have lost loved ones and to those who are deployed in the region?” Reshef asked.
Baker responded by suggesting Trump needed to reassure military families and defend his handling of the conflict.
“Well, I think that what they would want to hear is that he has their back, that he understands what they’re going through,” Baker said.
He then referenced the casualty count while comparing the conflict to earlier wars.
“You know, it has not been a war with significant casualties in the sense of the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war, 13 or 14 Americans, service members have died, a number of others have been injured,” Baker said.
Baker then took aim at Trump over a recent remark.
“And the president just the other day said, well, I have had almost no casualties. It sounded as if he was dismissive of that,” Baker said.
He continued by arguing Trump needed to make his message clearer to military families.
“He needs to, I think — I imagine he would want to make clear to them that he understands for even the relatively small number compared to previous wars, that it’s heartbreaking for a family,” Baker said.
“And it’s, you know, the ultimate sacrifice for these members of the armed services to lose their lives in service of their country.”
Baker also revived past allegations frequently leveled against Trump regarding his views on military service.
“This is a president, of course, in the past has been accused of dismissing military service, has been quoted saying that veterans and people who served were losers and so forth,” Baker said.
“He’s denied that. But there’s, you know, a lot of history there.”
Baker argued that the current international situation made presidential messaging even more important.
“And in this time of war, a time when Americans are on station in the Middle East, and at any moment could find themselves under fire, I think it’s a particularly fraught moment and a particularly important moment for them to hear from their commander-in-chief,” he said.
“Not just that he understands their service, but he’s giving them a mission that they can succeed at.”
The exchange quickly drew criticism from Trump supporters online, who argued Memorial Day should be focused on honoring those who gave their lives in service to the nation rather than serving as another opportunity for political attacks.
The segment also reignited debate over media coverage of Trump’s military comments, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced throughout both of his presidential terms.
Trump has consistently rejected accusations that he disrespects service members and has often highlighted military achievements under his leadership, including rebuilding the armed forces, operations against ISIS leadership, and expanded veterans reforms.
The White House has also repeatedly defended Trump’s comments when critics claim he minimized casualties or spoke insensitively about military matters.
Memorial Day, observed annually to honor American service members who died in military service, often becomes a focal point for broader national conversations about war, sacrifice, and presidential leadership.
This year was no different, though critics of the MSNBC segment argued the focus shifted too quickly from remembrance to politics.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
