Democrats roll up the score in key races, the Supreme Court hears arguments on President Trump’s tariff authority, and the prolonged government shutdown begins to ripple through travel and aviation safety. Major Garrett reports and interviews guests about what the November 5 results mean for national politics, ongoing legal fights and fallout from the shutdown.
Election results and the “rental political marketplace”
Major opens noting Democrats scored bigger-than-expected margins in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City, reversing gains Trump made a year earlier and demonstrating the fluidity of voters who move with pocketbook and policy concerns — the “rental political marketplace.” Affordability dominated many races: issues such as housing and cost of living helped Democrats reclaim suburban and minority voters who had swung toward Trump in 2024.
New York City’s mayoral race earned global attention when Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won by rebuilding parts of the Democratic coalition in Hispanic and Black neighborhoods. Mamdani’s victory speech emphasized defending democratic institutions and progressive change; Major speaks with Ed O’Keefe in New York about Mamdani’s transition team (including Lina Khan) and his plan to balance public safety while hiring a left-leaning staff. O’Keefe notes Wall Street’s current willingness to work with Mamdani, potentially muting billionaire exit threats.
Anthony Salvanto, CBS News executive director of elections and surveys, analyzes precinct-level shifts. He shows how Mamdani captured Hispanic and Black neighborhoods that had gone for Trump in 2024, and how Democratic gubernatorial candidates Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger outperformed expectations by focusing on suburban affordability. Salvanto emphasizes that Democrats are reconstructing the coalition that slipped away last cycle.
Supreme Court and the tariff case
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments over whether President Trump can invoke a 1977 emergency power statute to impose broad tariffs. Solicitor General John Sauer argued the law allows regulation of imports during national emergencies; several justices, across the ideological spectrum, expressed skepticism. Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned whether tariffs are a tax and therefore a congressional power, while Chief Justice John Roberts asked why the statute did not explicitly mention tariffs. Justice Neil Gorsuch warned of a “one-way ratchet” toward executive power. Jan Crawford reports that conservatives were not uniformly supportive; some raised alternate statutory paths the administration might use. While five justices appeared skeptical, Crawford cautions outcomes aren’t assured because the Court could find differing legal routes.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D‑Minn.) joins to discuss the case’s broader stakes: the economy, small businesses, farmers and constitutional boundaries. She argued the tariffs disproportionately harm small businesses and farmers and warned that expansive executive claims affect other powers (criminal, war powers). Klobuchar called the court’s questions “cautiously optimistic” for limiting unilateral tariff power and pressed for presidential engagement to resolve the shutdown.
Shutdown impacts on travel and aviation safety
As the government shutdown drags into its longest full-blown period in U.S. history, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced cutbacks at up to 40 airports because of air traffic controller and TSA staffing shortages. Those reductions would begin Friday if the shutdown persisted, creating higher probabilities of delays and cancellations. Former NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt explained the FAA’s risk management practice of reducing flight schedules when staffing is strained and urged travelers to check airlines’ apps for updates.
Sumwalt also discussed the catastrophic UPS cargo plane crash near Louisville that killed at least 10 people. The NTSB recovered the flight recorders and confirmed an engine separated from the wing. Sumwalt said investigators will examine maintenance histories and metal fatigue as possible causes, and highlighted how abundant video evidence from phones can significantly aid investigations.
Legal and immigration developments
A federal magistrate ordered prosecutors in the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey to turn over grand jury materials to the defense, citing concern that the Department of Justice might have “indicted first and investigated later.” Comey is charged with lying to Congress; prosecutors must provide the materials by Thursday. Separately, CBS News reported DHS plans to end Temporary Protected Status for South Sudanese nationals, potentially affecting roughly 5,000 people who would have 60 days to leave the U.S. DHS cited reduced armed conflict, but U.N. officials warned the peace remained fragile.
ADL launches Mamdani Monitor as concerns rise over antisemitism
Following Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory, the Anti‑Defamation League announced a “Mamdani Monitor” to track the new administration’s policies and appointments, citing previous Mamdani comments and positions (including on BDS and the Intifada) that have alarmed Jewish leaders amid a spike in antisemitic incidents. Mamdani said he takes antisemitism seriously and pledged to protect Jewish New Yorkers; ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the monitor will assess appointments, policies and programs without bias and would collaborate with communal leaders. Greenblatt also criticized instances of hate platforming across the political spectrum, and said he would welcome President Trump’s clear voice condemning antisemitism.
Reaction and Democratic momentum
Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss, chair of Majority Democrats, said the results show that “lower prices or perish” is the lesson for politicians. He attributed Democratic successes to an emphasis on affordability — health care, inflation and housing — and argued Republicans must distance themselves from Trump on economic messaging to regain ground. Auchincloss reacted to Rep. Jared Golden’s decision not to seek re‑election, acknowledging the corrosive effects of threats and vitriol in modern politics.
A reporter panel (Marianna Sotomayor of The Washington Post, Deepa Shivaram of NPR) examined whether the results presage a national swing. They cautioned Republicans may need to distance from Trump and tariffs; Democrats must not be complacent, must continue courting Latino voters and maintain a focus on kitchen‑table issues. The panel noted the potential for intense White House–mayor fights with Mamdani, who has signaled readiness to “turn up the volume” against federal policy moves he views as harmful to his city.
Other headlines
– Russian plans to resume nuclear testing returned to the headlines after a recent test; the U.S. signaled agencies should prepare to test as well.
– A federal judge ordered DOJ prosecutors to provide Comey’s defense with grand jury records in the pending lying‑to‑Congress case.
– CBS News continues coverage of domestic and international developments, including the implications of the midterm‑year political trajectory as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary and renewed debate over the filibuster amid shutdown politics.
Takeaway
The Takeout’s post‑Election Day episode knit local races and national issues into a single thread: voters remain mobile and responsive to affordability and governance, legal institutions are weighing limits on presidential authority, and the shutdown’s operational impacts are spreading into travel and safety. Guests emphasized the stakes for everyday life — prices, access to services, public safety — while Democratic gains inject momentum and Republican responses remain unsettled. Major Garrett returns to report as these stories continue to evolve.
