Decorated female gymnast in history. She has added a chance to add to that record breaking a hall in the olive hall of round shout out to the u. S. Mens, Night Finishing on the podium for the First Time Since 2014, almost a decade ago. Its nagging the bronze behind japan and china. Things are shaping up nicely for team usa ahead of next years Summer Olympics in paris. Of course, hopefully, they will figure out that bedbugs problem. But dont worry, we wont get him to it right now, especially if you are watching this in bed tonight. As the this is Cnn Primetime with abby phillip starts right now. Its apparently the unforgivable sin in todays politics. Working with the other side of the aisle. So unforgivable, in fact, that it may earn you the political death penalty. And as republicans begin the autopsy on what happened to Kevin Mccarthy, they are now doctoring some of the results. Good evening. I am abby phillip. And tonight, the fallout intensifies after the historic ouster of Kevin Mccarthy as house speaker. There is a race underway to replace him. But even more intense is the blame game. Some republicans are pointing the finger at matt gaetz. Others point to mccarthy and the deal that he himself cut to neuter his own power back in january. But increasingly, we are hearing more of this. That democrats are the ones to blame for not saving mccarthy. The Republican Congressional Committee said democrats on the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus have the spine of a boiled noodle of spaghetti. Mccarthy himself echoed that. I think today was a political decision by the democrats. I think the things they have done in the past her to the institution. You cant do the job if eight people, 96 of your entire conference, but eight people can partner with the other side. How do you govern . It is a really good question. But it is one that i think Kevin Mccarthy should have been asking himself back in january. Because it was mccarthy himself who agreed to those hardline or demands by republicans to get the speakership in the 50th round, i should add. It is also on that he thinks democrats should be the one to throw him a lifeline when He Greenlight The Biden and peach meant inquiry. He gave the January 6th Footage to tucker carlson. And, when just days ago, he blamed democrats for the almost shut down. Did democrats try to do everything they can not to let it pass . The democrats were the one who voted for a larger number than republicans to keep the continuing ways aleutian alive. Did you watch the floor yesterday . Yes. 50 republicans voted against it. As Margaret Brennan said, a quick fact check, it was republicans who, even prior to that vote that weekend, failed to pass their own bills to fund the government. But if you look at the recent history of republican speakers, the cause of death becomes a little clearer. Mccarthy, ousted. Paul ryan, quit in disgust over his right flank. John boehner, pushed out by the freedom caucus. Dennis haster hastert spent time in prison after admitting to sexual abuse rebellion. So, perhaps the issue is not actually democrats, but the insatiable thirst for rebellion within the republican conference. And joining me now is congressman ted lieu of california, chair of that congressman ted lieu, thank you for joining us tonight. Thank, you abby. Im honored to be on the show. Now, Speaker Mccarthy and his allies have been saying that democrats share blame for his downfall. What is your reaction to that . Let me first say, i have known Kevin Mccarthy a long time, ever since we both served in the california state legislature. He was the son of a firefighter. And he rose to occupy the highest legislative office in the land. I wish him well. Now, the notion that somehow democrats were going to bail out the republicans in this civil war makes no sense. If you remember, in january, we voted 15 rounded every democrat voted for Hakeem Jeffries, because we believe Hakeem Jeffries should be speaker and would be a better speaker. And our actions were consistent with having Hakeem Jeffries be speaker. Former Speaker Pelosi and leader hoyer were both kicked out of their capital offices, these highways that they have. It is a privilege that was given and reportedly taken away by Speaker Mccarthy. What do you make of that move . So, House Republicans seem concerned with office space. Democrats want to pass laws to help american families. And thats what we did when we were in control last term. We pass the Inflation Reduction Act to cap insulin at 35 per month, and to lower the cost of other prescription drugs. And that is what the American People expect. A functioning government. We are also learning tonight that former republican congresswoman liz cheney actually reach out to your colleague, congressman dan goldman, ahead of the motion to vacate vote, to basically stress the danger that mccarthy poses to democracy because of his response to january 6th. Sources tell cnn that goldman then share this to the rest of the House Democratic caucus. What exactly did she say . And what was the reaction in the room to that advice from liz cheney . I am not aware of what liz cheney said, because i was not a witness to that conversation. But i want to explain what is happening right now. There is a civil war in the House Republican caucus between those who are extreme and those who are very extreme. There are very few moderates left in the caucus, but enough that could abandon this mcgraw maga willing to govern, we just need a partner who is willing to govern. I have to ask you, though. If the tables were turned in this scenario i think this is what republicans are raising. Lets hypothetically suppose that a democratic speaker found themselves basically on the verge of losing their job because of a tiny minority within the Democratic Party who teamed up with republicans to oust them. Does that scenario, becoming more possible, concern you . I think you cant look at the situation without looking at who the speaker actually was. Speaker mccarthy made a deal, and then broke it a few weeks later. And this was not any deal. This was a deal with the president of the United States that was literally signed into law. And he reneged on it. And he brings our country to the brink of default. And then he brings our country again to the brink of a government shutdown. If it was a different speaker whose word could be trusted, i think you might have had a different result. Speaking of the possibility of a different speaker, there is now an open race for that job, in the republican conference. And you famously clashed with one of the people who is up for, jim jordan. What do you see when you imagine a world in which jim jordan is the speaker . Is he someone you think you could work with . Democrats, including me i am ready to work with any republican speaker, as long as they dont break their word, and that they want to help the American People. We stand ready and willing to govern. We just need maga extremists to not control the place. Because we have had that for this entire year. And it has been total chaos. We need people to abandon this extreme maga wing of the Republican Party and work with democrats on a bipartisan basis. Do you think that you can work with jim jordan specifically . Yes. I can work with any speaker, provided they tell the truth and want to work on a bipartisan path forward. All right. Im fine with working with pretty much any member. All right. Congressman ted lieu, thank you for joining us. Thank you. Lets continue this conversation with cnn anchor and host of cnns whos talking to Chris Wallace. Chris wallace is here. So, chris, republicans are now blaming democrats for the fact that mccarthy no longer has a job. Do you think that they share some blame here . The democrats . No. Its not their job to save the republican speaker. Can you emad gym if nancy pelosi was in trouble back when she was speaker and they were counting on republicans to bail her out . Yeah, not in 1 million years. Yeah, theres plenty of legitimate bad blood between republicans and democrats. Remember, it was Kevin Mccarthy who, right after january 6th, said that donald trump was responsible for what had happened on that terrible day. And then a couple of weeks later he was down in maralago, kissing the former president s ring. So, there was not a lot of love lost between the democrats and Kevin Mccarthy. And not to say that they were going to oust him. But they certainly were not going to save him. Yeah. I think a republican leader who authorized helping a democratic leader in that same position probably would have lost their jobs as a result of doing that. But now that we dont know, really, who is going to come next after mccarthy, do you think that there is any world in which democrats might come to regret not trying to come to encourage mccarthy to make a deal with him in order to save his speakership . He could not have. Because, had he made a deal with the democrats in other words, had he said, i will give you these concessions, and we are going to try to rule as a bipartisan unity coalition, it might have worked for a little time, but it would have so cratered his base inside the gop conference that he would not have had eight republicans calling for his ouster. It would have been dozens calling for his ouster. So, at that point, when there was you know, there was more than the delta between the majority and the number of republicans who wanted him out, there was just no way he was going to save his speakership. Yeah, i think you are right about that. So, now we have two candidates who have officially announced they are running for speaker. One of them is House Majority leader Steve Scalise. The other is congressman jim jordan, who, heads up, some of these hunter biden probes. Hes known as a flame thrower in the house. Kevin hern, so hes a congressman, is keeping his options open. We are do you think that this lands . Who do you think has the momentum at their backs at this point . I think first of all, it is going to be really hard to get to 218. Because i would think, between Steve Scalise, and jordan, they are really going to slip the conference. Remember, they are, what . Just a couple of more four or five votes beyond that . So, if you get a sizable number for both of them, no one is going to be anywhere near. And that, of course, is one of the reasons mccarthy was elected back last january in the first place. Because he was the only one out there that could get 218 votes. And this one of them gives way, i think its going to be a long, difficult process. And we may look at last january, when they were 15 rounds and say, that was easy. That was a tea party compared to what they were going to face this time around. On a logical basis, you would say Steve Scalise is the next in line. He is the majority leader. He has a lot of support within the conference. One of the problems, i think, that he faces, is real questions about his health. Yeah. Because of the fact he survived that shooting back in 2017. Now he is fighting multiple myeloma. That would be one of the questions. Does he have the vigor to run the house and also to go off and raise a lot of money for 2024 . Its a very important question, and one that i know is being asked over and over on capitol hill as well as this process goes through. But you are absolutely right. Everybody needs to hold on. Because this could take some time, even if it just gets started next week. But chris, stand by. If become speaker, why usag ukraine could be in serious jeopardy. Plus, see what happened when chris confronts all over stone about his interviews with Vladimir Putin. And the war of words getting fiery, as the new York Attorney general fires back at donald trump during a fraud trial. Donald trump you would about ukraine . Are you willing to move forward the first speaker . I am against that. What i understand is, at some point, we are going to have to deal with this Appropriation Process in the right way. We are going to have to do that in the way we can . 2 41 days. The most pressing issue on americans mind is that they are with a jim jordan making clear that he is not in favor of new aid for ukraine. And that casts a dark cloud over the fate of ukraine as the funds quickly dry up. So, the question now is, will this all play into Vladimir Putins hands. Well, Chris Wallace is back with me now. So, chris, u. S. Aid now, i think, more so than at any point since this war has begun, seems to now really be on the line. And it certainly seems to hinge, in part, on who takes over in as who for the trajectory of this war Going Forward . It could not be more serious. There is a few billion dollars in the pipeline still that, the pentagon has from prior procreations. So, ukraine is not out of money in terms of u. S. Military aid yet. But one of the Top White House officials the other day said it could be a few more weeks, it could be a few more months. Clearly, by the end of the year, which is not far from now, if there is not a new injection of funds by congress, ukraine is going to lose its support not, obviously, from europe, but from the u. S. And that would very much jeopardize the situation. What is most distressing about all this, abby, is the fact that Vladimir Putin and its been clear from people inside the kremlin has been counting on the idea that he can outlast the west, in particular that he can outlast the United States, that we will tire of supporting the war in ukraine, that there will be divisions in this country and that, therefore, he will be able to eventually win the long war because of the fact that the west, its support for ukraine, it will flag. Along those lines, on whos talking this past week, i talked to oliver stone, the famous film director, who, a couple of years ago did a series of interviews with Vladimir Putin that were criticized for being soft, even fawning. Lets look at that exchange. I think its fair to say that you are most controversial these days for a series of interviews that you did with Vladimir Putin over a couple of years in the mid 2010s, in which you have been criticized for being too friendly, and even fawning. Why didnt you challenge putin more in those interviews . I am sorry, chris, that is absolute baloney. Constantly pushing him in this interview. But when he makes a contingent, the challenge it . Sometimes you have to play the game of getting an interview. You understand . I understand. When you get to sit down with a dictator, why would you want to tiptoe around the fact that he has been accused of killing his political opponents . Accuse. Ive never seen hard evidence of that. Are you really sitting here, oliver, saying that you think putin has been unjustly accused of attacking or killing his political opponents . Im saying again, im asking you, what is the motive to do this, because because he is a dictator, and he doesnt like people who thats a little simplistic. You said this summer, putin this is your quote is not the monster he has been portrayed by american propaganda. Really . You are going about this all wrong. You are not even giving the guy a break. You are not giving a break. Talking about putin. You are blaming him for all, over the question i would ask you is, why are you giving im trying to see it from both sides. Why are you siding with Vladimir Putin . Im not siding with anybody. And thats, really, exactly the point, abby, just as you saw oliver stone there, who is talking about, lets give Vladimir Putin a break. I dont know that anybody in the congress is going to go that far. But with all of the competing interests, like, as jim jordan said, like immigration, like crime, various issues in this country, there certainly is, particularly among House Republicans, not senate republicans, diminishing support for continuing to finance the war in ukraine. Yeah, look. First of all, that interview is really eyeopening. Its kind of shocking to hear how he talks about this. But, to your point, support, or lack of support for putin, has become tied to partisanship, which is a new phenomenon in this country. And i think that is what is playing out on capitol hill. Chris wallace, thank you, as always, for being with. Us thank, you abby, for being here. And you can catch a Chris Wallaces show on max. Up next, despite being under alimited gag order, donald trump continues to attack officials in his fraud trial. And tonight, theyre fighting back. Did he just admit to Business Fraud . We will play the clip for you. From chrome to duckduckgo. Duckduckgo is a browser you download to your mobile and desktop devices. Unlike chrome, the Duckduckgo Browser has privacy builtin. It comes with a private alternative to google search, which doesnâ– t spy on your searches, and it blocks cookies and creepy ads. And theres no catch. Its free. We make money from ads, but they dont follow you around. Join the millions of peo