Tafoya and Graham Advance, El-Sayed’s Hidden History, Trump’s Air Force One Fake-Out: AM Update 8/12

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Courage, I learned it from my adoptive mom.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:03)
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**SPEAKER_1** (0:03)
You hold my hand.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:06)
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**Mark Halperin** (0:10)
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**SPEAKER_2** (0:11)
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**Mark Halperin** (0:18)
Hey, good morning, everyone. I'm Mark Calprin, host of Next Up with Mark Calprin. Filling in today for Megyn Kelly, it's Wednesday, August 12th, 2026, and this is your AM Update. Primary voters across several states making their choices and closely watched Senate and governor's races with major contests in Minnesota, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

**Abdul El-Sayed** (0:36)
If I could tweak one thing about the Constitution, it would be two works in the Second Amendment.

**Mark Halperin** (0:42)
Democratic nominee for US. Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, scrubbed online history, revealing a trail of radical takes from guns in the border to fireworks and football.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:52)
This, quite frankly, was very creative. It worked, but the main thing here is that the president got home safe.

**Mark Halperin** (1:00)
And President Trump's team pulling off an elaborate airport fake app to dodge a possible Iranian assassination plot involving a decoy plane and an airport catering truck. All that and more coming up on your AM Update.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:18)
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**Mark Halperin** (2:18)
Voters in several key states heading to the polls yesterday, including Minnesota, Connecticut, Vermont and Wisconsin, along with a special election in South Carolina and Alabama. In Minnesota, Democrats and Republicans choosing nominees in a pair of closely watched races for US. Senate and governor. On the Republican side, former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya entering election day as the overwhelming polling favorite facing a nine-candidate field that includes former Navy SEAL Adam Schwartz and former NBA player Royce White. The eventual nominee trying to end a two-decade drought for Minnesota Republicans who have not elected a candidate to statewide office since 2006
At the end of the night, Minnesota Republicans choosing Michele Tafoya as their nominee for US. Senate, Tafoya speaking after her victory.

**Michele Tafoya** (3:06)
Our message took, our message resonated with people. We know here in Minnesota that this state is going in the wrong direction at the speed of sound and that breaks a lot of Minnesotans hearts, mine especially, but so many Minnesotans are sad about it. They're either leaving, their businesses are leaving. But I hope this gives them hope that we can change things because this single party rule that we have had in this state for years, since 1980, has brought us to this point of embarrassment, of fraud, of low school scores, test scores, reading scores, of elevated crime. And the only way we're going to get out of that is by not continuing to re-elect the same people who got us here. So we think that message was sent loud and clear, and we're thrilled.

**Mark Halperin** (3:54)
The Democratic Contest, meanwhile, coming down to moderate Congresswoman Angie Craig and Progressive Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan in one of the latest tests of the ideological divide inside the Democratic Party. Minnesota Democrats going to the left, choosing Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. Minnesota Republicans also choosing their nominee for governor, with Trump-backed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell entering primary day ahead of his two leading rivals. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Dehmuth and Businessman Kendall Qualls.
Voters ultimately choosing Dehmuth as their nominee. The night's winner to face Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in November, who enters the general election as the clear favorite in current polling.
South Carolina Republicans, meanwhile, voting last night in a special primary to choose a new Senate nominee following the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham last month, his sister, Darline Graham, now temporarily filling the vacancy and entering election day as the Trump-backed frontrunner in a crowded field. At the end of the night, Darline Graham and Congressman Ralph Norman finishing in the top two spots, advancing to an August 25th runoff. Here Graham addressing supporters.