Meet the Press NOW – September 19

President Trump names housing finance director Bill Pulte as the new acting director of national intelligence to replace Tulsi Gabbard. NBC News Chief Data Analyst Steve Kornacki previews key primary races in New Jersey, California and Iowa. Steve Hilton (R-Calif.) discusses his campaign for governor. Connie Chan (D-Calif.) talks about her bid to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi after receiving the speaker emerita’s endorsement.

The Trump administration drops its “anti-weaponization” fund after it created an impasse among Republicans on Capitol Hill over immigration funding. Progressive congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti (D) joins Meet the Press NOW ahead of Tuesday’s California primary to discuss his policy differences with retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi whose seat he’s trying to fill. Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) navigates another controversy over extramarital sexual messages.

Kristen Welker interviews former Vice President Mike Pence and Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.). Leigh Ann Caldwell, Val Demings, Garrett Haake and Stephen Hayes join the roundtable.

The midterm elections heat up as a Trump White House official hits Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico with personal attacks. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss the latest negotiations with Iran, the recent escalation in the war with Ukraine and the future of the Democratic Party. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi appears on Capitol Hill for a closed-door interview about her handling of the Epstein files.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) discusses the fallout from the 2024 DNC autopsy and her decision to run in a majority-minority district. The United States and Iran accuse one another of violating the ceasefire deal as they exchange military strikes. Former first lady Jill Biden reveals that she thought her husband was "having a stroke” during the 2024 presidential debate.