this sunday, a rough week for both likely nominees. for hillary clinton, it was that report, contradicting her statements, old and new, about her e-mail. >> well, it was allowed, and the rules have been clarified since i left. >> for donald trump, it was an unprovoked attack on a popular republican latina governor, susana martinez of new mexico. >> she's not doing the job. hey! maybe i'll run for governor of new mexico! >> this morning, my interview with the only candidate still viewed favorably by the voters, bernie sanders. would you take the call if hillary clinton asked you to be her running mate? plus we have seen the polls be tight. but how tight will they be if

and when sanders gets out. we have a first look at the true state of the presidential race. also, before donald, there was arnold. the celebrity can date who shocked the world by winning in california. arnold schwarzenegger, be one-on-one, on the state of the republican party in the age of trump. and joining me for insight and analysis are robert costa, kellyanne conway. gerald seib and neera tanden, president of the liberal think tank, center for american progress. welcome to sunday. it's "meet the press." from nbc news in washington, this is "meet the press" with chuck todd. good sunday morning on this memorial day weekend. in a moment we'll bring you my interview with bernie sanders. this holiday weekend, we pause to take a look at this

head-scratching presidential race. let's admit up front, every year some people are upset with the major party choices they have for president. and it's always this hold your nose business, lesser two of evils. and we push through it. but how did we get here? how did we get to the point, where on one side, hillary clinton would be the most unpopular nominee in history, if not for the fact that donald trump is even more unpopular? there are many possible answers to that question. but it's undeniable that this week both candidates seem to be doing whatever they could to make matters even worse. and while we're all asking what does this mean for november, maybe we should start asking, what does this mean for january. >> thank goodness for e-mails. i love e-mails! frankly, what hillary has done is criminal, folks. it's criminal. >> donald trump, harping on the clinton e-mail scandal that just won't go away. this week, a state department inspector general said hillary clinton did break the rules, that she never asked for permission to use a private server, and would have been denied if she had. the report contradicts what clinton has said before and since. >> well, it was allowed. and the rules have been clarified since i left about the

practice. >> the problem for trump, he has his own transparency issues. >> my question is really simple. if you have paid federal income tax, show us. >> just 19% of voters give clinton good ratings for being honest and straight forward. but even fewer say trump has the right temperament to be president. trump is putting clinton's vulnerabilities on display. >> hillary is a disaster, folks. she has bad judgment. that was said by bernie sanders. he's given me a lot of my best lines. >> and trump is trying to drag the clintons back into the '90s, reminding voters of bill clintons affairs and sexual misconduct. >> nobody -- nobody perhaps in the history of politics was worse to women or abused women more than bill clinton. >> but trump has had his own affairs. >> can you imagine how controversial i would be? think about him with the women. how about me with the women. >> this week, trump exposed republican divisions, mocking his party's most prominent latina politician, new mexico

governor, susana martinez. >> she's not doing the job. hey! maybe i'll run for governor of new mexico! >> and in-fighting within his own campaign, firing his recently hired political director. still, so far trump appears to be a candidate coated in teflon. not so much for clinton. one difference is how each candidate deals with their vulnerabilities. trump almost embraces the attacks. >> i end up with a lawsuit and it ends up in san diego in federal court. and i figure, what the hell? why not talk about it for two minutes? should i talk about it? yes? >> while clinton struggles to explain. >> the information that we had is out there. it's been clearly public, and my e-mail use was widely known. >> bernie sanders, of course, is presenting himself as the more acceptable alternative to both hillary clinton and donald trump. i got the chance to talk to him yesterday, just after he held a rally in santa barbara, california, in advance, of course, of the june 7th california primary.

and i began by asking him about his difficult path to the democratic nomination. let me start with a simple question, but maybe a complicated answer. how do you win? senator clinton has basically declared herself the nominee. the math is certainly very much in her favor. explain to me how you're the nominee in july in your head. >> fair question. and i think we take three -- there are three paths to victory. number one, i want to go into the convention with more pledge delegates than secretary clinton. and that's going to be an uphill fight. because we're 270 or so delegates. and then we've got 46% of the pledged delegates. what i want to do, and i think we can, is win california here, and win in a big vote. do very, very well in the other five states. and i believe going into the convention, if we can do this, with a majority of pledge delegates is a very symbolic victory. second of all, we're going to

talk to those superdelegates in states where we have won landslide victories. 60%, 70%, 80% of the vote to say do what the people in your state want. they voted for bernie sanders. you as a superdelegate should follow their wishes. third point and most important point. as you know, chuck, there are over 400 superdelegates who came on to secretary clinton's campaign eight months before the first ballot was cast. before anybody else was in the race. before they could get a sense of what the campaign was about. right now in every major poll, national poll and statewide poll, done in the last month, six weeks, we are defeating trump, often by big numbers, and always in a larger margin than secretary clinton is. we're going to make the case to the superdelegates, your job is to make sure that trump is defeated, that bernie sanders, in fact, for a variety of reasons, not just polling, is the strongest candidate. >> senator, in your answer

there, you're basically contradicting yourself on the issue of superdelegates in this way. you're saying you want them to respect the vote in their state. then at the same time, you say, but oh, by the way, for those of you that are a superdelegate in a state that clinton won, why don't you think about the general election. it's -- it's a little bit hypocritical to be on both sides of those issues. >> no, no, no. no, no, no. that's not what i'm saying. what i'm saying is, there are over 400 superdelegates who made a decision to vote for secretary clinton before anyone else was in the race. before they got a sense of what the campaign was about. and all that i am saying is to those superdelegates, who came on board before i was even in the race, you have got the very grave responsibility to make sure that trump does not become electepresident of the united states. vote for the strongest candidate. and it's not just the candidate. if you look at the momentum and energy and enthusiasm of our

grassroots campaign, it will result in a high voter turnout. and democrats and progressives do well when the voter turnout is high. republicans do well when the voter turnout is low. i think our message of income and wealth inequality, the fact we're the only major country on earth not to have health care for all people is resonating. it will win the general election. >> is it fair to say then, if you don't win california, you believe your campaign is over? >> no, that's what you said. i didn't say. what i said is obviously california is very, very important. 475 superdelegates. obviously, if we don't do well in california, it will make our path much, much harder. no question about it. but i think we have a good chance to win in california. maybe win big. and maybe win four or five of the other states that are up on june 7th. >> but without a california victory, you can't win a majority of pledged delegates. and obviously you will once again not succeed in a big state with a diverse population. it's going to be a hard -- it's going to be hard for you to

convince democrats to go with you without a california victory. fair? >> hey, look, chuck. california is the big enchilada, so to speak. obviously it is enormously important and obviously we want to win it. but let me just tell you something. my campaign has been written off before we started. nobody thought we would do anything. we have now won 20 states, primaries and caucuses and by the end of the process, we may win half of the states. so you know, we're going to fight until the last vote is cast and the last -- try to appeal to the last delegate that we have. >> last week with me secretary clinton said when it comes to party unity, she is doing her part, she's going to do her part. but that the response -- there is a responsibility that falls on you, as well. if she is the nominee, that is, you have a responsibility to do what it takes to bring your supporters on board with her. do you accept that responsibility? >> well, the responsibility that i accept in a very, very serious way is to do everything that i

can to make sure that donald trump will not become elected president of the united states. donald trump, for a dozen different reasons, would be a disaster as president. i will do everything that i can to make sure that does not happen. but at the end of the day, whether it's secretary clinton or bernie sanders or donald trump, anybody else, the way you gain support is through the candidate himself or herself. so my job is to make sure that trump does not become president. and i will do that. but it is -- if secretary clinton is the nominee, it is her job to reach out to millions of people and make the case as to why she is going to defend working families and the middle class. provide health care to all people. take on wall street. deal aggressively with climate change. that is the candidate's job to do. >> i understand that. but do you -- you just said you want to do whatever it takes to stop him. you don't believe you need to be out there telling your supporters, you may not be happy with hillary clinton, but she's better than him. >> well, no question about that.

no question about that. but where my mind is right now is to do everything that i can in the remaining -- for the remaining caucuses and primaries to try to win them and make the case. but if your question is do i think that secretary clinton is significantly a better candidate for america than is donald trump, that is not a debate. of course that is true. >> do you think hillary clinton needs a clean bill of health from the fbi before she accepts the democratic nomination? >> well, i have said many, many times that i'm trying to run a campaign based on the needs of the american people. and that it's raising the minimum wage, the $15 an hour paid family and medical leave. making public colleges and universities tuition-free. those of the issues that the american people are deeply concerned about. >> i understand that. >> so i have not gotten into the e-mail situation at all. there is a process unfolding. there is an investigation that is going on. it will play out. we'll see what happens. >> i understand that.

but do you think for the -- for the democratic party and for superdelegates, do you think it's important for them to find out what the fbi is going to do before the vote in philadelphia? >> well, that's not the decision of superdelegates or anybody else. that's the decision of the fbi. i have no idea when they are going to make their report public or come up with their conclusions. but do i think that whenever that happens, if it happens, that that will be an issue that donald trump and the republicans will seize on? i think there is little doubt about that. >> you know, you told the "wall street journal" in november that if clinton's practices foiled public records requests or classified information, then those were valid questions. the state department ig report said just that. what was your reaction to that report and does that trouble you? does that add to your list of issues that you believe she has

a judgment problem with? >> well, again, you know, these are areas that i have stayed away from. there is a process people will draw their conclusions from the inspector general report. but, again, you know, i think the american people are tired of that type of politics. and i think the media and the candidates are going to talk about why the middle class is in decline and why we have massive levels of income and wealth inequality. those issues are more important to the american people than some of the issues you have been talking about. and those are the issues i focus on. i just gave a speech here in santa barbara. it wasn't about e-mails. it was about the future of the american middle class and how we deal with the fundamental problems that they're facing. >> do you think it's -- do you have a problem when some of your supporters are quoted in the "new york times" saying they're sort of rooting for an fbi indictment when it comes to clinton? do you tell your supporters not to talk that way? >> the "new york times" -- i will tell you. i have a real problem with the "new york times," which from day one has been trying to be dismissive of our campaign and

be very negative about our campaign. you can go out and talk to millions of people and you get any response that you want. we are going to defeat -- our campaign is about defeating secretary clinton on the real issues. you know, i want to break up the wall street bank. she doesn't. i want to raise the minimum wage to $15. she wants $12 an hour. she voted for the war in iraq. i voted against fracking. she does not. i believe we should have a tax on carbon and deal aggressively with climate change. that is not her position. those are some of the issues i'm campaigning on. but the "the new york times" goes around, talk to a handful of people, do a front page story. that's a problem for the "the new york times," not for my campaign. >> i want to ask a little bit about the platform and the democratic party issues, platform is coming up. a couple of your appointees when it comes to the issue in israel, including cornell west, he refers to the palestinians as the plight of an occupied people. do you agree with his characterization? >> what i believe is that the

united states is going to be playing on a level playing field in dealing with israel and the palestinian people. i am 100% pro israel in the sense of israel's right to exist. i lived in israel. i have families in israel. israel has the right to live not only in peace and security, but to know that their very existence will be protected by the united states government. on the other hand, i think if we're going at lasting peace in the middle east, the united states has got to respect the needs of the palestinian people. they cannot be pushed aside. so that is my view. and, you know, other people can say whatever they want. that is my view. >> what do you want the platform to say? do you want to refer to the palestinians as an occupied people? do you want to say that israel is -- >> well -- it's a little bit -- we're a little bit early about worrying about the wording of what the democratic platform will be. we've got some good people on our platform-writing committee.

but i think at the end of the day, there will be a general recognition by the entire democratic convention that, of course, israel's right to exist in peace and security is not in debate. but on the other hand, the palestinian people's needs must also be respected. i have the feeling that while the media wants to make this into a great conflict, i think there is going to be brood consensus within the democratic convention on that issue. >> fair enough. final question. on friday, you warned secretary clinton she better -- if she ends up the nominee, that her running mate essentially better not be a conservative or moderate type of democrat. if she wants to win over your supporters and certainly have your enthusiastic support. do you consider someone like tim kane falling into that category, the virginia senator, that he's too conservative or moderate to be on the democratic ticket? >> again, you know, chuck, i don't want to shock you, but i

think we are once again into a little bit of speculation. i have known tim kane for years. i really like him very much. my point was, and let me repeat it, that for democrat to win, they're going to have to address the needs of working people. they're going to have to address the needs of the middle class. and that means standing up to wall street. standing up to the greed of corporate america. even now and then, standing up to the media. and that means having a candidate who can excite working families, excite young people, bring them into the political process. create a large voter turnout. and when we do that, we're going to win the election. so i would hope, if i am not the nominee, that the vice presidential candidate will not be from wall street. will be somebody who has a history of standing up and fighting for working families, taking on the drug companies whose greed is doing so much harm. taking on wall street, taking on corporate america, and fight for a government that works for all of us, not just the 1%. >> would you take the call if hillary clinton asked you to be her running mate?

>> right now, again -- here we are in california. i'm knocking my brains out -- >> yes, you are. >> -- to win the democratic nomination. that's where i am right now. what happens afterwards, we will -- you know, we'll see. but right now, my focus is on winning the nomination. >> that was a very politically -- a political type of answer that says you're not answering the question. fair enough? you're not ruling it out. >> what i am saying right now is our focus is on winning the democratic nomination. >> senator bernie sanders from santa barbara, california. thanks for coming on. stay safe on the trail, sir. >> thank you very much. and later in the broadcast, my interview with arnold schwarzenegger on the state of the republican party in the age of trump. meanwhile, throughout the morning on this memorial day weekend, we honor the men and women in uniform who have died in the past year in service to our country, starting with conflict zones like afghanistan. show me movies with romance.

show me more like this. show me "previously watched." what's recommended for me. x1 makes it easy to find what you love. call or go online and switch to x1. only with xfinity. and we are back. panelists, gerald seib, neera tanden, president of the liberal think tank and a member of the platform committee for hillary

clinton. republican pollster and strategist, kellyanne polls and robert costa of the washington post. neera, bernie sanders, is that still an opponent? an aggressive opponent of hillary clinton, bernie sanders that you just heard? >> i thought he made a lot of great points about democratic unity. i welcome that. he does seem to really focus on the general election, and which will be against donald trump. and i think he made -- he made clear that that is the paramount concern for democrats. we face a person who is sort of an unprecedented person in history in the general election. and i think he'll be clear about that when this primary is over into june. >> that sounds great, but it's not true. he is running -- to me, senator sanders is the most aggressive against secretary clinton. he's won 20 states, 10 million voters and counting. >> sure. >> and he now wants to kick off your platform committee, members like barney frank and former congressman and governor malloy.

he's an open warfare with the democratic national committee. >> why doesn't he drop out? look, as long as -- so long as bernie sanders is playing, robin, to donald trump's batman, these guys are waging a two-front war street front against hillary clinton. >> absolutely. i heard that, and that's definitely why her negatives are where they are. but the point here is that i was on hillary clinton's campaign eight years ago. and it was a hard-fought campaign at this point. and then just as the primary ended, hillary endorsed obama and was a strong champion for him and united the party. and there's nothing what he said -- >> i thought what i heard in that interview was the terms of the merger being negotiated. here's what it's going to take. you've got to be respectful of me. >> the "wall street journal" interview by the way, terms of

the merger -- we all played a stereotype. you've got to be respectful of my people and pick a vice presidential nominee that i can live with. what he didn't say when you asked him, do you have some responsibility for making your supporters back hillary clinton. ultimately, he wouldn't go there. maybe it's too early. but that's the real question for me, is will he tell his people you've got to go there. >> i think he's already doing that. i think he's already doing that by what he said here. >> he seems pretty confident when it comes to the platform that he's going to get people on this committee. but the way he answered the tim kane question, he praised senator kane, but not an enthusiastic embrace. he wants a progressive in there. it's not about the platform, it's about who is on the ticket should he not win the nomination. >> part of this week, by the way, there is hang ring in the democratic party world. and i will give that quote of the day this morning, the campaign manager for hillary clinton. it wouldn't be a general election without some early bed wetting from washington

insiders. >> present company excluded. >> exactly. there is a reason for it, gerald seib, and how she has dealt with the e-mail controversy. >> i know people have concerns about this. i understand that. but i think voters are going to be looking at the full picture of what i have to offer. >> you know, the fact is, people have official accounts, they have personal accounts. and when it comes to personal, people don't want their personal e-mail accounts made public. >> it was allowed, and the rules have been clarified since i left about the practice. >> "new york times" editorial board, bernie sanders' favorite newspaper these days. the nation should not be judging leadership as a measure of who is less untrust worthy. she has to answer thoroughly and candidly. they don't want to do this, gerry. >> no, they don't. the hope is that it would go away. i also think the belief is that

the candid answers continue to get her into trouble. i tend to agree that the word candidly, the best approach is to say, look, here's what happened. you all know what happened. there is no mystery left in this. i did this because i did want some privacy. it was a mistake and let's move on. that probably won't be sufficient. we all know the big issue yet to come isn't what the inspector general of the state department says. it's what the justice department says ultimately. and what happens when she is interviewed by the fbi which is almost certain to happen. >> but it's not just the answer, it's how secretary clinton answers. what we saw this week is her insert herself more into the national political conversation, making taking a cue from donald trump. appearing on different programs, calling into shows, trying to not just have some rote answers. she knows this is going to be a combative general election and she has to be in the arena. >> i'm curious what your take on this is. the two ways they deal with her baggage. here is donald trump, who actually decided to talk about trump university and he attacks the judge. here he is. >> i have a judge who is a hater of donald trump. a hater. he's a hater.

his name is gonzalo curiel. they ought to look into the judge. what he is doing is a total disgrace, okay? but we'll come back in november. wouldn't that be wild, if i'm president and i come back to do a civil case? >> kellyanne, when you attack a federal judge that's in the middle of dealing with a case you're involved in, you might get headlines like this one in the "washington post." judge bashed by trump orders release of company records and suddenly in the next two weeks, a whole lot more trump university. now, he does handle his baggage a lot differently than hillary clinton does. will it eventually catch up to him? >> no. and ask the 16 republicans who ran against him in the primaries. and we see that hillary and her surrogates really recycling those same arguments, including trump university. here's something donald trump has mastered, which is very surprising to all of us in the political class. for somebody who has never run for office before, he

understands that old axiom, define yourself before you're defined. and he puts all of this out there himself, chuck. so when the voters hear it for the 15th time, it doesn't strike them at brand-new information. let me just say this one other thing about hillary and the inspector general's report. it's a very unusual place for her. she does best when she can blame the vast right conspiracy for her problems. this is the inspector general of the state department of the obama administration. this is his justice department looking at this. >> neera, i'll give you a chance to respond. >> where can you respond? we did have a lot of news this week about donald trump. and i would say, you're right. that he was able to defeat the republican primary. but that does not mean that he will do well in the general election, because he has the highest negatives of anyone. he has -- just this week, we have learned all kinds of new information about him, including what we'll learn next week. he'll never return his taxes, he's -- he was betting on the housing crisis, essentially. and i think the idea that he's teflon is ridiculous when he has the highest negatives of anyone running for president than

anybody. >> my interview with arnold schwarzenegger. and as we go to break, we continue to honor those service members who have died in conflict zones just in the last year. more from afghanistan. ♪ my experience with usaa is awesome. homeowners insurance life insurance automobile insurance i spent 20 years active duty they still refer to me as "gunnery sergeant" when i call being a usaa member because of my service in the military to pass that on to my kids something that makes me happy my name is roger zapata and i'm a usaa member for life.

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