senate in west virginia?yes, probably pay more taxes than anybody on this state to west virginia. [cheers and applause] and if it was not for me, neither of the two guys will be up here. it is funny that pat says only conservative on the stage, conservatives were not even popular in west virginia then i caused them to be conservative by investing $5 million of my own money. honesty, it is funny to hear politicians talk about honesty. i think that that is odd. and as far as a voting record, i voted for the unborn and i have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to write for life. that is a real vote. being able to use the states money, that is pretty easy to do. it does not take any personal sacrifice to do that. i have made a lot of personal sacrifices if you will to stop the bomb that would have wasted money in west virginia cut your food tax. those types of sacrifices when you are a conservative or you take a position that is not popular is what it is going to take to drain the swamp. you cannot drain the

those are just not west virginia values. and what i would argue is that we have a broad array of support throughout the conservative spectrum. senator ted cruz, senator rand paul. we have west virginians for life. we have all the principal conservative leaders packing my candidacy because they know there's a huge difference between my record going after obama's overreach and his record and this is a fact, rallying for hillary clinton and working side-by-side on the obama team. it took him five years to get off the barack obama team. that's opportunism, not principle. >> bret: we will get there. congressman jenkins, do you want to respond and who did you vote for in 2008? >> i will tell you i did not vote for hillary clinton. i am proud to report the republican. they went back and fact-checked and look at every comment i ever made and said patrick morrisey is lying. the problem is patrick morrisey won't look at the camera, won't look at the people of west virginia and say why he did not vote for donald trump for president in t

first to peter doocy in west virginia.eter. >> don blankenship has self-funded his entire three and a half million dollar campaign with the exception of one donation for $1,000. nobody is telling him what to do, and that's why his primary day included a trip to the tailor to get fitted for a new suit and a two hour nap. his final day radio ad actually repeated establishment republican attacks against him for being a bigot or mentally ill, but he explains to voters in the ad that even if those things are true he thinks he would be a better choice than congressman evan jenkins or attorney general patrick morrisey. morrisey and jenkins have something that blankenship doesn't, and that is the blessing of president trump. in a state where trump beat clinton by 42 points in 2016. morrisey's closing argument that it was all about electability. he believes that after the fox news debate last tuesday this became a two-man race race between himself and blankenship and that his resume is the only one conservative enough to flip democ

people in west virginia know me better. they have known me for 30 years. >> don blankenship's record would make him a loser in the fall. we have gotten a lot done in the past years and the voters should look at those two resumes. charles: president trump asked the voters of west virginia not to vote for him. what if he were to win tonight, would it have negative implications beyond west virginia? >> the polls close in about an hour. it will make a difference. his message to the people, i'm an outsider. if you want to make a continues and drain the swamp, i'm your candidate. of course, the record is a little bit sketchy and it might be difficult for him to win a general election because of being a convicted felon. and he explained saying it was big government that went after him and the conviction was an indictment on the miners. if you look at his story he might have a good reason. but the way the democrats will hammer him, i think republicans are in the right when they say this could jeopardize our win in a general electio

the walkout actually started here in west virginia.hat educators have been gathering at the capitol for sel days protesting low pay and school funding in arizona working on a budget. fox 35 in orlando, in the neighborhood dealing with yet another sinkhole, a major one adding to one dozen holes that have formed since last week. at least eight families have been displaced as engineers work to fill the holes. this is alive look at san francisco from our affiliate box two tran. looking at the high gas prices, california conservatives want to appeal a recent tax and registration fee and turn nearly 1 million signatures to put the question before voters this november. it comes to days after the officials announced billions of dollars in mass transit improvements funded in part to buy sites. that is tonight's live look outside the way from "special report," we will be back here in west virginia after a quick break. ♪ insurance that won't replace the full value of your new car? you're better off throwing your money right into the harbor. i'm g

, and what's west virginia seeing from that?e costello and partner amy dawson are looking to keep that culture alive and appreciate it, and paying off locally for the region it originated in. "lost creek farm" is their place. ♪ and the nucleus of that effort is the garden. >> amy: we have two different varieties that we are picking today. the one are the logan giants. >> lou: this seed is logan giant seed. they're an heirloom strain of beans and i've had these seeds for 40 years. i've saved these for 40 years. >> mike: this guy down at the end of the table, he said it's important for somebody to carry on these traditions, and gave me his stock of heirloom beans this year. >> anthony: this is what heirloom looks like outside of holy foods. fat horse beans, candy roaster squash and homer fikes yellow ox heart tomatoes. >> mike: nice and soft and it's like a really sweet green tomato. >> anthony: these ingredients define a near lost time and flavor. >> mike: we've got some sweet corn chowder. we're just going to drizzle a little bi

reporter: in west virginia president trump opinion means a lot, he beat hillary clinton by 42 points here, he said to great

this is about the future of west virginia. my west virginia roots, raised my family here. an optimistic outlook working with president trump and having the president weigh in yesterday saying he supported a vote for evan jenkins today means the world. we will win today. we're a brighter future and proud west virginiaians standing up for what we believe in. >> julie: that's how you sell yourself when you talk about your opponent. sometimes you have to do that. let's talk about jobs and coal mining. two issues of great interest in west virginia. how does your opponent differ on those issues? >> well, look, i was the one who was standing in the white house with president trump. president trump signing the legislation i passed in congress that saved 1/3 of all the coal mining jobs in america. i'm the one working with president trump that actually passed the tax cut bill that is putting more money in people's pockets. the big distinction between me and the other folks are that i'm actually working with president trump. the economy is improving. in fact, last year west virginia'

let's go to west virginia, the state elections, cover and ohio, frame for our global audience the two or three republicans that would go after a beloved democrat senator. we have three republicans running for the primary not in west virginia, one of a convicted felon who actually spent time in prison. the former ceo of melon crop. is fascinating in this braces that he is from to cast -- he is trying to cast himself as the true trump republican, even though the president has decidedly not woodhead. tot is a fascinating race see whether he convicts can win the republican nomination in west virginia. democrats,can the

fox business jeff flock on the ground in west virginia. going to bring you the latest on a closely-watched race. that is after this. don't go away into retirement. and market volatility isn't top of mind. that's because they have a shield annuity from brighthouse financial, which allows them to take advantage of growth opportunities in up markets, while maintaining a level of protection in down markets. so they're less concerned with market volatility and can focus more on the things they're passionate about. talk with your advisor about shield annuities from brighthouse financial- established by metlife. copd makes it hard to breathe. so to breathe better, i go with anoro. ♪ go your own way copd tries to say, "go this way." i say, "i'll go my own way, with anoro." ♪ go your own way once-daily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators that work together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. anoro is not for asthma. it contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. the risk

myself are rarely the ones who control our narrative and story. >> it was too easy to come gawk at west virginiaginians, hill billies and hicks to be pitied and made objects of laughter. >> to this day, you're going to see dirty faced kids barefoot on a front porch shaking lyndon b. johnson's hand. >> declaring his war on poverty, a good thing, yes? but the press portraying the people here has incapable and helpless missed the basic essential character. the pride and self reliant core of the people. that damage is lasting. >> when you come in and tell us how poor, fat and all of these things are. we felt it at some point, shame. >> what should people know about this area that they don't know? >> how much that people in this area have been exploited. >> came in and bought up all of the mineral -- the coal and timber companies exing tracting and taking everybody's labor rights. >> i can't find a coal company. too much money. >> from d.c. and make a day trip and get a quick sound bite. >> who is a minor or a stand out? you are standing up anyway. >> the drug companies. >> 9 million pills with one p

i'm the guy that created a lot of jobs in west virginia. neither of my candidates or opponents did, i should say. so i'm better positioned to help with jobs. >> david devona is chairman of go pack. give me your thoughts. >> the fox news poll shows this really is a two-person race between the attorney general, patrick morrisey and congressman evan jenkins. the key to this, melissa, is the fact that republicans should gain seats in the senate this year and the path goes through west virginia. we win the seat in west virginia, republicans are going to pick up three to four seats in the u.s. senate. >> so that is the prediction that is well outside the norm. where do you see the three seats coming from and why the pickup as opposed to the conventional wisdom, which we think of, nonetheless, has been that the democrats are going to do very well in these mid-terms? >> you have incumbents in indiana, montana, here in west virginia, in missouri who are all in political cross currents. they're voting with the democratic leadership in the senate when

right now we can bring you these results from west virginia. cnn projects mike pence's brother greg pence has won the congre congressional bid. we're also keeping a close eye on an election in west virginia. i want to get the latest on that from john king. john? >> mitch mcconnell and donald trump at the moment breathing a bit easier. they intervened to prevent this man, don blankenship, a coal executive -- with 30% of the vote in. he is running third. so we'll still count the votes as we go through, but right now the republican establishment fine with either attorney general battery morrissey or evan jechkens. they were worried about don blankenship if he won the nomination that democrat joe manchin would likely win and keep in a hand a seat the republicans very much think they can pick up this week. despite all the talk of a blue wave, donald trump won west virginia by more than 40 points. a lot of votes to count, but if you watch this play out, you see some of the morrissey votes up here in the northern part of the state. this is where he li

too early to tell in west virginia. but that ask a theme that if you think about it, it really goes back, you know, to donald trump himself. it's interesting. kennedy: it's funny because in that race in particular, that senate primary in indiana, braun was carrying about cardboard cutouts of mezzer and rokita to show how identical they were. >> i do that with you and lou. people eat it up. kennedy: we're your flat stanleys. >> you know, it's interesting. when i look at that and we see some of the other races, we were looking at richard carter who looks like he will be the former financial director who was recruited to run in this race in ohio. he's goings to be the democratic standard there. this was a candidate who, you know, fought often a lot of potential challenges who wanted to be in the race and he used that background that he had with elizabeth warren and everything else and sealed the deal. >> it really speak to the two sides of the party. elizabeth warren, hillary clinton, bernie sanders type of party and then

reporter: david, the president's opinion is very, very important in west virginia. 42 points over hillary clinton in 2016. now he is telling west virginianss who will vote in the primary tomorrow not to back don blankenship. he says this, to the great people of west virginia, we have together a really great chance to make a big difference. the problem is, don blankenship currently running for senate can not win the general election in your state. no way. remember alabama. vote representative jenkins or ag morrissey. that message came as a surprise to don blankenship. he was in touch with the white house political advisors about the next steps if he would have won here. >> i went to them personally and talked to them, all along the path of this campaign to make sure they knew what we were doing and answer any questions they had. i don't know whether he doesn't listen to the political advisors that i was directed to talk to or what but they assured me that the president was neutral. reporter: so much of this primary has been a fight over who would help president trump

morgantown, west virginia.candidates are facing off in the fox news primary debate for the senate seat. more on that next hour. >> sandra: what a race to watch. >> bill: secretary of state mike pompeo saying he agrees with the assessment out of israel that iran lied to the world about its nuclear program. new reaction from the white house when we talk to deputy press secretary raj shah live from the north lawn coming up in moments right here. >> i actually think if we pull out now it won't be the disaster that everybody is talking about. i would not have signed this deal. i don't think it was a very good deal. we were in a hurry to get a deal and left a lot on the table. idn't use it. wish we got money back on gym memberships. get money back hilarious. with claim-free rewards. switching to allstate is worth it. >> tech: don't wait for a chip like this to crack your whole windshield. with safelite's exclusive resin, you get a strong repair that you can trust. plus, with most insurance a safelite repair is no cos

he has visited west virginia several times already. the attorney general and a republican congressman will be very competitive against joe manchin. most of all, anderson, they are happy. don blankenship when we're completely done with the votes will be done. >> thank you very much. joining me is dana bash and our political director. how do you see the race playing out tonight and the significance of it? >> the significance, first of all, is according to what john just said, that we are projecting right now is that the man that republican leaders here in washington were most worried about is not going to be their nominee. i mean, that's the headline. and the other two, depending on who wins, they're fine with. because this is a senate seat that they feel that there is no reason they should not win the incumbent. joe manchin has been in politics in west virginia for a very long time. he was governor before he has been senator. but he is also somebody who endorsed hillary clinton in 2016. and in west virginia, that is about as bad politic

he doesn't live in west virginia. he uses racially charged slurs and then you look at a candidate like roy moore. he had all sorts of terrible allegations about touching underage girls. are voters being drawn to them because they don't like washington? is that the kind of candidate you get when you don't like washington? >> well, in this version of the republican party, that's exactly the candidate that you get. somebody who is being a true outsider. remember that blankenship blames the federal government for that mine explosion. that it wasn't about anything the company did. it was about something the federal government did. so that is a message that he has certainly put out to voters and i think a lot of voters have embraced. but blankenship is a lot like trump. it seems like the more you attack him, the more solidified his base becomes. >> what about the other races today? what we're seeing in ohio? or indiana? >> you know, the senate primary is a bit of a snooze. it's actually more of a snooze. the congressman sho

thanks for your insight from west virginia.appreciate it. >> my pleasure, chris, any time. >>> still to come, the massive implications for war and peace as donald trump chooses to withdraw, to leave the iran deal. we'll talk about what happens next. plus scott pruitt becoming a fixture in thing one and thing two, next. >>> thing one tonight, scott pruitt, the mary lou retton has travel expenses that are legendary thanks to his flying first class from the interactions that could sometimes happen in coach. >> issues that arise in travel and there have been instances unfortunately during my time as administrator as i spent time -- of interaction not been the best. >> the official reason he gave for flying first class everywhere is the same reason he has for 24 hour secret -- security detail and approaching $3 million according to an epa official, including a 20-member full time detail more than three times the size of his predecessor and the justification is what the epa spokesperson called an unprecedented number of threats again

west virginia, indiana and ohio. i know you are very familiar with all of them but i want to start with west virginia. one of the candidates don blankenship had decided that you were public enemy number one. and he really went after you and personally attacked you and your family. i know that you have got a thick skin but when it does come to attacking your family, does it feel different? >> well, i'm glad the people of pest -- the people of west virginia deciding that approach for attacking me and my family is a distant third place. >> dana: i know you are probably pleased because you think it gives you a better chance to beat senator joe manchin. does it play in case in indiana where you have mike braun who beat out the two congressmen trying to win that republican nomination? >> yeah. i think all three of the nominees in indiana would have been clearly electable. mike braun who won the primary ran a good race and he will be our nominee and i think he can win in november. we had a couple of cycles in 12010 and 2012

i'm looking at west virginia, indiana and ohio. three of those had some of the biggest games in republican primary voter turnout since 2014. it was extraordinary actually and surprised pundits. he's saying the president is popular, performing for people and the track record that he's brought across the table will drive voters to the polls to defend him. what is coming up on the ballot and showing that they know this, if the democrats were to win the house, you're going to have the threat of an impeachment. republicans will pour money into the races and do everything we can to defend the house. i'm not worried about the senate. >> neil: to be fair and i hear your point, but elisa, democrats have not mentioned impeachment but they might be contemplating that. they won't say it so overtly. but republicans talk about the sentiment of the economy, job security. it's hard to tell. something has changed here. i don't know whether it's the holdover from tuesday, but what do you think? >> i think they're feeling good from tuesday. republica

i'm not a voter in west virginia. nonetheless somehow, it seems to me blankenship is out trump, trump. he is the trump guy here. pop list energized candidate. that's what trump brought to the political scene in america and to west virginia. >> karl, what do you expect tomorrow night? >> i think it's going to be a economicked -- complicated night. 38% of the voters were undecided. we don't know what's happening here. sure some of then cob attract -- could be attracted by mr. blankenship. i give the people west virginia more credit. i don't think a bigoted approach to politics, something that's tearing down somebody not in the race coming from mouth of man who is convicted from jail who can't register to vote in nevada. his company has worst record of mine safety for decades. who oversaw a mine safety violations that results in death of 29 miners. i'm not sure that's a winning record even in the republican primary in west virginia. >> you're right. it will be fascinating to see which way undecided voters go. it might be

but first peter doocy on how this is all playing out with the folks in west virginia. good evening, peter. >> we have long known that don blankenship would be getting good news next wednesday because that's when his probation ends, but now he may be in a better position to get good news the day before the west virginia primary day because our politics editor believes blankenship may get as much as an eight-point boost from the nationally televised debate last night which basically featured blankenship standing stage right and watching while the two offense holders sharing the debate stayed with him chipped away at each other by trading brutal attack lines and accusations with one another and largely leaving blankenship out of it. but when the former colburn did speak he won applause and laughter from the constituents in the room with one-liners about his conviction and his residency in nevada. he apparently did well enough to have the conservative weekly standard now looking ahead to a possible match up with joe manchin. david bieler over there skeptically writes this.

west virginia, predicting how west virginia will vote is not an easy thing.here is a real problem that republicans are having drafting off of the trump -- off of trump's coattails. the big problem is that, you know, the anti-washington sentiment that got trump into the white house is still out there. so in place like west virginia, they wind up going behind guy like blankenship. >> west virginia is an interesting state, since about 2000, it's really been trending more and more red. the only reason joe manchin has been the main democrat there, he is very much in the middle. he didn't support tax cuts, he didn't support repealing obamacare. interesting to see how that plays in the general. i think he's still a very popular, he was governor of the state, if he were to lose as democrat of west virginia, i think that could be the beginning of west virginia completely being red. >> i've interviewed joe manchin and he is a strong candidate. don blankenship been to jail, probably not the best to have candidate who spent time in jail. >> did you see his campaign ad? c

there's a lot of union activism in west virginia. west virginia has such an interesting history.is he ceded from virginia when virginia seceded from the union. they hated virginia, the central government so much they broke apart. they've also had a long history of racial strife, which ties into that union history as well, right, because you had unions where you had white and black workers going into coal mines, and then some of the strike that happened, you had robert byrd, former senator from west virginia who was a democrat but earlier in his life had been in the kkk. it's a complicated state. joe manchin has won it by being west virginian. by appealing to the sort of sensibility of we havians across party lines. he's going to have trouble this time i think regardless of who is nominated. we saw him earlier in the show trotting out with gina haspel who democrats hate and basically blessing her. >> jonathan allen, national political reporter for nbc news, thank you so much. noted. it is no secret of course that the republican congress has a mixed record of legislative accomplish

>> i think lisa did an excellent job ofit setting the stage here and ohio and west virginia with westginia themes, democratic incumbents sit in the states. they are t, ep d stp esge dald tstrumrp carried. the second is the embrace of donald trump, both his message and -- as well as his policies. there's a lot of talk about draining the swamp and building the wall. finally, looks very familiar to 2016, all the candidates runaing t washington but many of them are part of washington, either are a peb of congress --r mef congress, as in indiana two and west virginia one, or part of the so-called establishment, one of the folks running west virginia is the sitting attorney general. ironic they are runni against washington when the republicans are in charge of washington. usually when you'rin charge you say let's send more people to build the majority.s instead the fo on they need to go help the president, not to help republicans in congress. e you talked about wher there is room in the party for republicans who oppose the esident as well. is that going away? >> you're not hearing anything

pritchard, s joe in west virginia. the president tweeting about the primary taking place tomorrow. to the great people of west virginia, we have together a big chance of making a big difference. said.esident the problem is don blankenship, republican running for the nomination, the president says he's currently -- he can't win the general election in your state. way. remember, alabama. the president tweeted. jenkins or a.g.

as you see in west virginia, as you saw in alabama. i'm really struck by the fact that, you know, even with all of the problems that donald trump has, all the problems looming on the horizon for him, within the republican party, every one of these primaries is a contest who is the most trump-like, who can bend the knee the most, you know, significantly to donald trump. there's almost no opposition or even skepticism about trump in any of these primaries, which is an indication of what's happened to the republican base. >> now, katie, the question becomes if you listen to the coverage of our lead story tonight, it was grave and morose at times. if this thing goes south and we become mired even more than we are in investigations and hearings, do you think that eagerness, that willingness to attach themselves to donald trump is situational? >> well, i think as your previous guest pointed out, or maybe it was actually blankenship pointed out when i was listening to him on the feed a moment ago, donald trump enjoys a really high popularity

it's in west virginia. joe manchin, the democrat, these are the republicans vying to run against him. what you're look at here is the most recent public poll. i mean a media poll. we can all look at the numbers and dissect them. they put it all out there. the most recent public poll, about a week ago had don blankenship running in dead last. republicans in washington have spent a fortune trying to stop blankenship, the former coal mining executive, he was in prison for safety violations, they think he would be a disaster as a candidate and a disaster for the republican party, and they thought a week ago that they had nipped it in the bud. but this is what's happening the last 48 hours or so. a streex headlines about internal polls. these are not public polls. we can't look at them, but the rival republican campaigns in west virginia are sounding the alarm. they say blankenship is surging in their polls. they say he's taken the lead in their polls. they say he could actually win this primary in west virginia

. >>> plus, primary voters in west virginia off to the races.h a democratic candidate who voted trump. >> i'd rather fight than eat. >> and a republican who says he's trumpier than trump. >> trump captain mitch mcconnell has created millions of jobs for china people. >> so why is the president arguing against him? but first the "nightline" 5. our 3 contestants are all at the big ikea table. contestant #1, impressive knife skills. but contestant #2 fights back by using fresh parsley. make room for the judge! what's your dream? at ikea, we help you live it. make the dream yours. our 3 contestants are all at the big ikea table. contestant #1, impressive knife skills. but contestant #2 fights back by using fresh parsley. make room for the judge! what's your dream? at ikea, we help you live it. make the dream yours. >>> good evening. we begin with the story of tyra patterson. sentenced to decades in prison after she says she was coerced into a false confession. she used her time behind bars to start a career and become an inspiration to others. tonig

let's move to west virginia. the president tweeting this morning saying he has remained neutral in this race up until the day before the primary. the president tweeted to the great people of west virginia, we really have a great chance to keep making a difference. the problem is, don blankenship, currently running for senate, can't win the general election in your state, no way. remember alabama. vote representative jenkins or a.g. morrissey. >> he's clearly telling voters don't support blankenship, but that supports the anti-blankenship vote if you're saying choose jenkins or choose morrissey. i'm not sure the white house is left with too many options here, because we've seen the problems that happen when he does weigh in on a candidate in a primary. remember alabama with roy moore. i don't think he had a choice there. >> and blankenship, like roy moore, has taken off in the polls. he attacked the establishment. president trump saying don't vote for john blankenship, but he's saying i'm the best candidate. i'm t

west virginia's really important here. we talk a lot about how republicans are facing head winds of course on the house side. >> but this is your blue wave. we keep getting candidates like this. >> on the senate side -- >> that's a lousy blue wave. the choice is a guy who went to prison or a potential pedophile. >> exactly. republicans don't want to be in this situation again obviously. west virginia is an easy state for them to win on paper, right. i mean, it's the place where donald trump is most popular. the place he won i think by the most. and he goes there frequently and has been going after manchin. >> blankenship, a silver tray, like here, joe manchin, here you go. that's a no brainer. >> and they've been trying to gain seats where democrats are holding on. if they blow this tomorrow, that just shows kind of where the party -- >> obviously the west virginia republican party has no control over, you know, letting this guy -- that's one of the things, stephanie. they actually could come out and say we don't endorse t

we will see this perhaps tonight in west virginia. they don't like the republican oligarch much more than the political party is this that's true. >> that will be tested in west virginia and it's true. >> and in indiana, too. every outsider wins. >> even the people who are insiders have been in congress for years are running as outsiders. right? forget they have actually been. >> they've thrown away their uniforms. >> the inside is women in primaries. it's damaging for them in an election. >>> breaking news just in, the avenotti story we told you about the half million dollars has been reviewed. they've gone over the financial documents. nbc news the supports, avenotti's accounts of the transactions. we have nbc news behind the charge that a russian oligarch, many victor vekselberg. i'm learning these things, gave michael cohan half million dollars. apparently that money was funneled. there is my new word, funneled to stormy daniels. >> a hell of a story. >> incell. >> -- incredible. >> you look mystified. >> he won't stop laughing. >

>>fox news live in morgan town, west virginia tonight. republicans there are trying to turn a democratic senate seat red and it's getting very hot in there. >> i'm up in washington actually working with president trump. i have been fighting the establishment. i feel very fortunate that i'm one of the folks up here who moved to the state by choice. i love west virginia with all the fiber in my being. >> what are new jersey values and what's wrong with them? >> you need somebody representing our values. you can't change your values because you change your zip code. >> if he comes after you for living in nevada, what do you say? >> that he's lived in d.c. too long. >> if you would, please raise your hand if you would support mitch mcconnell for republican leader in the senate. >> i won't be the majority leader. but let me clarify that both of these guys are right. they're both lying. >> if you want to see what the problem is, it is the pill pushers. and he's represented those people for years and made millions. >> there he goes yet again. di

welcome. >> not born in west virginia, raised in west virginia. >> shannon: but you claim it. >> and virginia and, yes, ma'am. >> shannon: this is the tweet from the president to the great people of west virginia, we have together a really great chance to keep making a big difference. the problem is don blankenship currently running for senate can't win the general election in your state. no way! remember alabama, vote jenkins or morrissey. a lot of folks out there say everyone thought donald trump couldn't win. please going wild and wonderful like they do in west virginia. who's to say of any of these three could or couldn't beat him? >> everything that was said about him was set about donald trump at 2016. i remember because i said some of it. one of the reasons that roy moore won in alabama was because alabamians said to trump if you can do it, why can't he? the allegations -- they are not allegations, what don blankenship was convicted of it is very different than the allegations against roy moore for creeping on teenage girls when he was a prosecutor. this is a very different ki

flee three main candidates in west virginia. if you talk to the campaigns, they are very, very nervous that don blankenship's, i'm not a politician, i'll vote with trump, and i hate mitch mcconnell might work. >> obama persecuted me which i think has been his get out of jail free card, no pun intended, in this primary by the fact that he's explaining away his imprisonment saying it was a plot by the last democratic president who you voters in the state really don't like at all, which i thought was a pretty effective comeback to these charges. but yeah, they thought he had faded in the polls. this was a lot of money spent against him in the last few weeks, but he has made his way back. as you well know, when you have a three-person race and two of the candidates are hitting each other, guess what happens? the third candidate in the race tends to rise, and that's what's going on out there. the other two candidates in the race going after each other and blarng blankenship has crept up there. >> and the very same mood exists out the

going to count the votes. >> you talk about west virginia which is important. ana, what is the latest there? that is another important one. >> we are getting results. and again, this is one of those handful of seats. man chin in virginia. republicans think and what they think will otherwise be a bad year. pick up some seats. similar dynamic. congressman todd mockita. he is running like donald trump, more subtle saying i am a business man. look at this. he is at 41%. these margins have held. so braun businessman outsider running it up to be the republican nominee. money, mike braun spending his own money. look how much he has put into the race. the outsider message has appeal, but money helps. >> sure does. we will see how much that proves to be the path to victory. let's bring in dana bash, david gergen and david bruny. you just heard jon going through these crucial races. do you think don blankenship will be celebrating tonight? >> i don't know. we will count the votes as they come in. but certainly a possibility. and to underscore what jon king just said. if d

the war to drain the swamp and create jobs for west virginia people has begun.in and ditch cocaine mitch. >> this is how bad its gotten. today trump weighed in on the race, tweeting don blankenship currently running for senate can't win the general election in your state, no way. remember alabama? blankenship fired back at a town hall today. >> it's really sad that the pressure on the president and the misinformation and the untruths that he has been given would cause him to suggest that you vote for two guys that have failed you, because i will not fail you. >> he also told west virginiians only he can outtrump trump. let's listen to that. >> while west virginia really loves trump, it's his policies that they love. i'm basically trumpier than trump when it comes to those policies, but i'm a much more mild mannered and much more in line in terms of the social issues in west virginia than even president trump. >> let's bring in the "hardball" round table. eugene robinson, "the washington post" and msnbc contributor. and sahil kapur national reporter for bloomberg

he has done a lot for west virginia. most west virginians don't want handouts.ou very much. we'll toss it back to new york city, steve, ainsley, brian. steve: and steve. todd, thank you very much. meanwhile need a perfect gift for mother's day a week away? pearls for 90% off. there are more megamorning deals you will hear next. ainsley: wonderful, let's check in with another mom, sandra smith. what is coming up in your show? >> good morning, ainsley. robert mueller questions for president trump leaked to "the new york times." we'll have fresh reaction from the white house coming up. >>> debate day in west virginia. where do candidates stand? we have a live report in moments. "america's newsroom" coming up, join us. >> tech: don't wait for a chip like this to crack your whole windshield. with safelite's exclusive resin, you get a strong repair that you can trust. plus, with most insurance a safelite repair is no cost to you. >> customer: really?! >> singers: safelite repair, safelite replace. she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. but once a week i

the former of the west virginia legislature and a professional with more than 30 years experience. mike is the proud father of ben. finally and certainly not least is left we have the director of elections policy and programming in state government to that role, to director state government he oversees voting initiatives and collaboration with the u.s. department of defense federal voting system program. i've been a pleasure working with him over the last four or 5 years. the council oversees voting initiative supports working advisory groups that promote best practices to facilitate data standardization solutions in an effort to improve the voting process and supporting research for over 5 million u.s. military and civilian overseas citizens to ensure their eligible to vote in the u.s. elections. we have a similar structure. please a round of applause for our panel. [applause] i'm going to key up a few questions for each of the members. i've are encouraged crosstalk amongst the panelists to engage in here with the tap to say and how it i tie in with your own experiences to maximiz

but not here in west virginia.cause his support is seen as critical to whoever wants to try to unseat the democratic incumbent joe manchin. >> dana: i'm sure they are checking the twitter feeds anxiously all the time. peter, thank you. >> please raise your hand if you would support mitch mcconnell for republican leader in the senate. [laughter] [applause] >> okay. we noted that. got that. >> i don't have any doubt about it. >> dana: one of the headline moments from last night's debate where the republican candidates refused to raise their hand in support of senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. joining me now is the politics editor at the national journal. i want your take on that. going against whoever is in power is the thing to do. we will talk about nancy pelosi in a moment. i wonder about the mitch mcconnell piece. if you are supportive of the president agenda on the economy and confirmations, especially with judges, mitch mcconnell has actually been quite instrumental to help support president trump's agend

the current governor of west virginia started as a democrat. you can go back and time and memorial. the lines get murray. west virginians care if you are true to them and be for west vas. jenkins' bigger exposure maybe than the party-switcher is are you too swampy and are you independent-minded enough? are you going to be able to do for the 35th state what other people won't? that becomes the toughest question for him in a state that is ancestrally and historically democratic. >> dana: looks like you will have a good time tonight. thank you be. sure to tune in to the g.o.p. senate debate tonight at 6:30 p.m. eastern on fox news. bret baier and martha maccallum are the moderators and they are currently working on the questions. we have them on "the five" tonight, too. live at the white house awaiting a briefing with sarah sanders as the new secretary of state mike pompeo addresses america's diplomats. how he says he is going to bring back their swagger. hi, i'm joan lunden with a place for mom every day we hear from families who partnered with a senior living advisor from a place for

morgan radford in west virginia.li batel is standing by, where we've seen one of the nastiest primaries in the country so far. what are you hearing to voters there this hoosier country? >> they've had exactly that takeaway. people have remarked on the fact this was a really negative primary. some of the folks said that almost turned them off from voting. they felt it was too much of a responsibility. most of them are really focused on this race. really as a means to get to november, the goal here among a lot of the republicans i've been talking to is to beat joe done nal donnelly. take a look. >> so we were somewhat disappointed how it seemed to be in a downward spiral. and we were sorry that it got to that point. because i think they could have kept that discussion on a higher plane. >> overall, i felt there was too many emphasis on the negative aspects and not enough on the candidate's qualifications. >> we think senator donnelly has proven himself to be fairly moderate as a senator. i think maybe he's even been ra

so, tom, who are west virginia voters more likely to listen to? han trump guy or the trump himself? >> well, obviously, with the way west virginians love president trump, as much as he carried west virginia, and as much as patrick morsi and evan jenkins have been pfighting over showin who's trumpian than ever, i think west virginian the love trump more. for branchenship, can he overcome what happened with the mine disaster and convince enough voters he wasn't the one responsible for that. >> it was a case related to that, that sent him to prison. go to ohio. i love the governor's race there, bob, and not just because i'm from ohio. there's a great headline in the cincinnati newspaper that reads "the whaacky bitter battle to replace john kucinich." give us the lay of the land there. >> i think no one can up-liberal dennis kucinich. cordray is in an uphill battle and only trying to do that when questioned about his progressive credentials. he's more of a mainstream or moderate time democrat. that appeals to a lot of democrats i think. in this state,

why does the president believe he can't win an election in the state of west virginia? let me answer the question first. in regard to acting director haspel, her commitment to the agency is one of the reasons she is the right person to lead it. she wants to do everything she can to make sure the integrity of the c.i.a. remains in intact, isn't unnecessarily attacked. and if she felt that her nomination would have been a problem for that and for the agency, then she wanted to do everything she could to protect the agency. at the same time she wants to do everything to protect the safety and the security of americans, which is why she is 100% committed to going through this confirmation process. and being confirmed as the next leader of the c.i.a. >> kevin: the followup on blankenship and west virginia, why does the president believe he can't win an election in the state of west virginia? why not? >> sarah: as you know, i have a few more limitations than the president. and due to the hatch act i can't get into the specifics about an election prior to it taking place but i

traveling across west virginia, for the pbs newshour, i'm lisa desjardins. >> nawaz: it's not just westginia voters that head to the polls tomorrow. there are also primary races in indiana, ohio and north carolina. so it's a good time for politics monday. i'm joined by amy walter of the "cook political report" and the newly-announced friday host ofic puadio international's "the takeaway." and shawna thomas of vice news. amy and shawna, welcome. let's talk about some to he primaries now. we've talked about the future to have republican party -future of the republican party, how the races have gone. what can we learn from the primaries? >> i think lisa did excellent job of sit setting the stage re and ohio and west virginia with west virginia themes, democrat incumbents sit in the states. they are top targets, deep red states donald trump carried. the second is the embrace of donald trump, both his message and -- as well as his policies. there's a lot of talkbout draining the swamp and building the wall. finally, looks very familiar to 2016, all the candidates running against washington b