NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Feb. 28)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, the end of an era. Senator Mitch McConnell announced his retirement as leader of the Senate GOP. What led to the unexpected departure? And what's next for Republicans? Former President Trump is on the hook to pay a $454 million civil fraud judgment. Whether he likes it or not, a New York appellate judge rejected his request to halt the payment. Will Trump have to sell his assets? After months of anticipation, Hunter Biden was questioned by Congress today. As part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, Luis Martinez has the update. A wildfire continues to burn across the Texas panhandle. The blaze is now the second largest in the state's history. Christina Corona reports. This is NTD Evening News. Live from our NTD Global Headquarters in New York City, here is Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. After spending 17 years at the helm, Senator Mitch McConnell today announcing he will step down as Senate GOP leader in November. The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican is the longest serving party leader in Congress' upper chamber. One of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter. So I stand before you today, Mr. President, and my colleagues to say this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate. McConnell said he plans on serving out the rest of his term as Senator, which ends in January 20-27. He added that it's been a difficult time for his family. His wife recently losing her younger sister in a car accident. McConnell noted he will allow the next generation of leadership to fill his role. The Kentucky Senator did not specify the reason for his departure. But his health condition came into the spotlight after he froze up during two separate press conferences last year. And we have some breaking news. The Supreme Court has agreed to take up former President Trump's immunity claim. The justices will decide whether Trump is shielded from prosecution in special counsel Jack Smith's federal election case. The case is currently on pause as Trump pursues his appeal. The former president argues that he's entitled to presidential immunity for official acts that occurred while he was in office. A federal appeals court previously ruled that Trump does not enjoy immunity. The high court will hear oral arguments in late April. This will likely further delay the trial for the federal election case. A New York appellate judged today rejecting former President Trump's request to pause the $454 million civil fraud penalty. But Associate Justice Anil Singh did grant Trump's request to stay other portions of the judgment. Singh stayed the portion of the decision barring Trump from running any New York corporation or applying for loans from the state's banks for three years. His decision must still be affirmed by a full panel of the mid-level state appeals court. Trump's attorneys had offered to post a $100 million bond. Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the fraud case, said in a response that Trump's request shows he has insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment. But Trump may find the funds elsewhere. A potential merger involving Truth Social could give him access to billions of dollars. Today, after months of anticipation, Hunter Biden appeared before Congress to testify in the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez joins us live now with more on the probe. Good evening, Tiffany. Yes, another big day in Capitol Hill. Today, this morning around 10 a.m., Hunter Biden appeared at the O'Neill House Office building to testify before the House Oversight Committee. The decision is part of the impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Let's remember that House Republicans are accusing the president of using his political influence to enrich his family members. It's important to note, Tiffany, that Hunter Biden was originally scheduled to be deposed on the 13th of December of last year. But on that day, Hunter Biden, instead of showing up to his scheduled interview with the House Oversight Committee, he took to the steps of Capitol Hill to make a political statement, defending his father, demanding a public hearing, and also vowing never to participate in a closed-doors deposition, which, of course, he did today for over seven hours. What changed was that the House Oversight Committee passed a resolution holding in contempt Hunter Biden. And before that resolution could get to the floor of the House, Hunter Biden's lawyers reached out to the Oversight Committee to schedule today's interview. Now, Hunter Biden got around the behind-closed-doors interview by releasing beforehand, before entering into the interview, his opening remarks. In his opening remarks, Hunter Biden defends his father once again, refutes any allegations that he had to do anything with his business dealings, and he also attacked the Republican Party. And I read a quote from his opening remarks. You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn't any. Now, Congressman James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who's leading the impeachment inquiry, had something very different to say about the amount of evidence they have against President Biden. Let's listen to what James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, had to say. Our committees have unearthed substantial evidence of President Biden and his family's corruption. The Bidens created 20 shell companies. Now, Democrats have alleged along the process that the entire impeachment inquiry is political sham. Now, this calls have also revamped since Alexander Smirnoff, longtime FBI informant, was indicted earlier this month for lying to the FBI about information he provided regarding Hunter Biden and Joe Biden's business dealings. Now, I spoke with Democrat Congressman Greg Cassar from Texas, a freshman in the Oversight Committee, and he had some very strong words against Republicans who insist on the impeachment inquiry even after Alexander Smirnoff was indicted. Let's listen to what Congressman Greg Cassar had to say. I think almost any American would say, just stop embarrassing yourself, stop shaming yourself this way. And they just seem to be gluttons for punishment. They're back at it again. And I think they're just going to embarrass themselves again today. I also spoke with Congresswoman Nancy Mace from South Carolina, and she herself had very strong words to say to her counterparts and Democrats' line of argument that looks or seeks to disqualify Alexander Smirnoff's indictment. Let's listen to what Congresswoman Nancy Mace had to say. Of course, that's because we all know what the FBI said about this witness. They said that this witness was trustworthy, incredible. They paid this witness six figures. So is the FBI that incompetent to pay this guy hundreds of thousands of dollars for him not to be credible, for him not to be trustworthy? Just a few minutes ago, I spoke also with Congressman Pat Fallon from Texas, a Republican in the House Oversight Committee. He was there in the deposition with Hunter Biden. He spent the entire seven hours of the deposition in the room with the rest of the Oversight Committee. And this is what Pat Fallon, Congressman from Texas, had to say. He said Jim Biden gave his dad $200,000 as a loan repayment. Okay, then why hasn't your father simply produced the original check or wire that he sent to his brother? He hasn't. I don't think it ever existed. But it's things like that. So I think the natural progression will be a public hearing, and then we'll go from there. So of course, Hunter Biden is the most prominent figure to have been deposed by the Oversight Committee of the House after last week's deposition of James Biden, the president's younger brother. But James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has stated that this won't be the last interview. And as you also just heard from Congressman Pat Fallon, there might be in the future a possible public hearing with Hunter Biden. Now back to you, Tiffany. Louise, thank you for those updates. We have more breaking news. Congressional leaders have reached a deal on government funding bills. This comes as a partial shutdown looms by the end of Friday. Democratic and Republican leaders announced that they have agreed on six bills that would extend funding for six federal departments, including Commerce, Justice, and Veteran Affairs, through March 8th. Another six bills would extend funding for six other departments, including Defense, Homeland Security, and State, through March 22nd. During that time, Congress will work on a broader agreement to fully fund the government through the end of the fiscal year in September. Lawmakers say the House will vote on the one-week stopgap measure tomorrow. The raging wildfire is rampaging across the Texas panhandle, threatening homes, farms, and businesses, and forcing residents to evacuate. The fire has also prompted the closure of a plant that dismantles nuclear weapons. NTD's Christina Corona gives us an update on the blaze. The wildfires began at approximately 2.20 p.m. Monday throughout northern Texas and scorched through 250,000 acres. In just 28 hours, it's becoming the second largest in the state's history. At this time, we have fire crews from all over the state mobilizing to perform suppression and search and recovery efforts. The process will likely take several days to complete. Stroke said the information is limited due to some areas still being affected by fire, and some are not able to be accessed safely. We have had fire crews out for the last 48 hours. Plus, I believe, so many of them are without sleep. They're doing everything they can. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for 60 counties, mobilizing state resources to support local firefighters. The largest current blaze is the Smokehouse Creek fire that has scorched more than 500,000 acres of land. The blaze spread from Texas into neighboring Roger Mills County in western Oklahoma. where officials encouraged people in the area to flee. One Texas resident who had to evacuate from one town to another multiple times said, It went from smoke billowing in that was white to then sunshine coming through that looked like we were engulfed in flames all around. It looked like our town was just being engulfed in black and it was just disappearing right before us. The Pantex plant near Amarillo evacuated non-essential staff Tuesday night. The plant is the main U.S. site for atomic bomb assembly and disassembly, which completed its last new bomb in 1991 and has dismantled thousands since. Authorities have not said what ignited the fires or how many homes have been destroyed, but strong winds, dry grass, and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. The fire is so unpredictable and starting out the day the wind was blowing out of the southwest and then probably about four o'clock it switched to the north and that sent the fire in another direction. There have not been any confirmed fatalities at this time. Christina Corona, NTD News. The Supreme Court today hearing a major gun rights case. It involves a Trump-era ban on rifles, modified to function like machine guns. Our legal correspondent Arlene Richards has the details. The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard its second major gun rights case this term. The case centers around the question of whether a rifle equipped with a bump stock is a machine gun. Machine guns are generally prohibited under federal law. A bump stock is an attachment that transforms a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that can discharge fire. A semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that can discharge hundreds of rounds per minute with one movement by the shooter. In 2018, the ATF, or Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, issued a rule that bump stocks are machine guns. Under the rule, anyone who owned or possessed bump stocks had to destroy them or turn them over to an ATF office. Gun store owner Michael Cargill sued the ATF, arguing that only Congress could place a ban on the device and that the ATF had overstepped its authority. Conservative Supreme Court justices on Wednesday were concerned about the federal ban on bump stocks. I can certainly understand why these items should be made illegal. But we're dealing with a statute that was enacted in the 1930s. And through many administrations, the government took the position that these bump stocks are not machine guns. Justice Brett Kavanaugh worried that uninformed Americans could be prosecuted. So even if you are not aware of the legal prohibition, you can be convicted. While liberal justices focused on the idea that bump stocks effectively work like machine guns. But the entire point of this device is that you exert forward pressure and you have your finger on the trigger and then a torrent of bullets shoots out. So I don't understand why it's any different from pushing a button and holding the trigger, pushing the barrel and holding the trigger. And so weapons with bump stocks have triggers that function in the same way. Through a single pull of the trigger or touch of the trigger, you achieve the same result of automatic fire. The Biden administration is urging the Supreme Court to reverse the Fifth Circuit's decision and allow the bump stock restriction to stand. A decision from the court is expected by the end of June. Arlene Richards, NTD News. The results are in for the 2024 Michigan primary. Both President Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump scored overwhelming victories in their respective parties. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday marked a record for voter turnout. It was higher than what we saw in 2020 and it was notable because it was the first time our state gave voters the option to vote early in person at an early vote center. Despite a significant win, Biden faced backlash from a section of voters over his handling of the war in Gaza. More than 13 percent of voters chose uncommitted in the Democratic primary. The push for a protest vote started in early February. It has received support from some officials, including Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib. And on the Republican side, former President Trump once again finished firmly ahead of rival Nikki Haley. This marks his fifth victory on the GOP primary calendar, bringing him one step closer to securing the Republican nomination. Coming up, President Biden vowing to fight crime. Americans in a Texas border town tell us what they think about tomorrow's border visits by Biden and former President Trump. Hunter Biden testifying in Congress after much back and forth with House Republicans. Our guest says President Biden's corruption allegations are not discredited. Hear his take on the investigation. A ceasefire deal is on the table, while Israel prepares for a ground offensive in the crowded city of Rafah. What's the current state of the war in the Gaza Strip? Jason Perry reports. What do you do when your tire goes flat and there's no air anywhere? You reach for Bullseye Pro, the smarter, faster, hands-free way to fill it up with air. It's the only way to save lives. It's the only way to get rid of the air in real-time. Bullseye Pro is equipped with a rechargeable lithium ion power plant. It's so fast and so convenient. It's like the power of an air-compressor in the palm of your hand. You can inflate all four tires on a single charge. It has a built-in smart pressure digital sensor that gauges and automatically stops when the set tire pressure is reached. You can easily inflate pool toys and more. Call or go online now and get the complete Bullseye Pro inflation system for the factory direct price of just $79.99. 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So go to mypillow.com or call the number on your screen. Use that promo code to get deep discounts on all my towels. And for a limited time, your order ships absolutely free. Welcome back, I'm Tiffany Meyer, President Biden received his annual physical today as questions over his age and ability to govern continue. Biden visited the Walter Reed Army Hospital for his annual checkup. Dr. Kevin O'Connor concluded that Biden is a healthy 81-year-old who remains fit to execute the duties of the presidency. If he wins re-election, Biden would be 82 at the start of his second term and 86 by the time it's complete. Polling shows a lot of voters, including many Democrats, think Biden is too old to run for office. Two crimes against minors shocking the U.S. today. An illegal immigrant is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Louisiana. NTD's Ariane Pazdar is in Texas, bringing you more on that and other border stories. Louisiana police this week arrested an illegal immigrant for allegedly raping a minor and for a separate incident where he allegedly stabbed a victim in the face. Law enforcement published this picture of the 19-year-old undocumented individual from Honduras. Police say a federal ICE detainer has been issued for the suspect. Meanwhile, in Maryland, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador has reportedly been charged with the murder of a toddler. The infant was caught in crossfire as two rival groups got into a shootout. Now, because of the ongoing immigration crisis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently declared that his state is being invaded. He says that one of the problems is that violent criminals might be among the people entering the country. Let's see what people here at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, say about that. Do you think that Texas or the United States, for that matter, is being invaded? Yeah, see, when you use language like that, it's charged language, but he's not wrong. If refugees can get in undocumented, so can other people that want to do harm to the country, and there's a lot of them. Oh, yes, absolutely. We don't know who's coming across. We have people with drug issues. It could be Chinese. It could be anyone coming across, and we have no control over it. Now, illegal border crossings have become less here in Texas, but they've been increasing in California, and Chinese nationals make up the fastest growing group of people entering illegally in the Golden State. Ariane Pastor, NTD News, Texas. President Biden touting a drop in crime, though leaving out a recent spike in crime involving illegal immigrants. That's as Biden's set to visit a Texas border town tomorrow amid a growing border crisis. NTD's Iris Tao reports from Brownsville, Texas, where President Biden is heading. President Biden says fighting crime is among his top priorities, and touting this on Wednesday. Last year, the United States had one of the lowest rates of all violent crimes in more than 50 years. But he made no mention of recent violent incidents involving illegal immigrants, which are making national headlines. And here we are in Brownsville, Texas, a border town where President Biden on Thursday will meet with local Border Patrol agents and make a speech. But locals here are reacting differently to his visit. Here are some who say they are considering voting for Biden. Watch. Do you think it's going to help solve the ongoing border crisis here? I don't think it will. I'm going to be very honest. He's not doing what he's supposed to be doing. It doesn't mean I'm not going to vote for him, but I am very disappointed at him. Biden coming down, it's a good thing. Hopefully it's not just a political stunt. I'm not a big supporter of Trump. His is a political stunt. While some others say they're considering voting for Trump or Nikki Haley amid the border crisis. He's already had four years to work on the situation here on the border, and he hasn't done anything. So I'm not quite sure why he's coming unless it's just for the vote. I'm still disappointed with both men as individuals. He's the person that caused all the issues that are happening right now at the border, and I don't see a point in him coming. I'm hoping Trump gets reelected. Former President Trump will be in Eagle Pass in Texas on Thursday, which is a few hundred miles away from here. But it's notable, though, that there are not as many illegal immigrants crossing into the US from Brownsville, Texas, compared with Eagle Pass. So it remains to be seen if President Biden will actually see any illegal immigrants while he's here. Reporting from Brownsville, Texas, Iris Tao, NTD News. Joining us now to discuss Hunter Biden's private testimony in Congress today is investigative journalist Jeff Carlson. He is also the co-host of Truth Over News on Epic TV. Jeff Carlson, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you back on the show. Yeah, good to be here. Thank you for having me. Now, Hunter Biden has agreed to testify behind closed doors. This was after initially saying he would only testify publicly. Now, in an opening statement today, he said, quote, I did not involve my father in my business. Now, what are Republicans hoping to get out of this hearing? Well, you know, I think probably, honestly, not all that much. I think they basically want to get him on record. And now they've managed to do that. We should have a transcript out in, you know, probably 24 hours. So I would expect that we get a transcript out sometime tomorrow. And what makes this interview unique from other ones? Well, for a number of things, first of all, it's Hunter Biden, and he's actually doing this. But this was a long time in coming. This is effectively a negotiated interview where it was not filmed and there was an agreement, although it took some time to arrive at it, that there actually would be a transcript, but that the transcript would be released very quickly, ideally within 24 hours, as soon as they can get past certain redactions. So, you know, there was a lengthy back and forth between both sides. Comer's always wanted the transcript out. So I don't think he's too upset about this at all. You know, but again, I think the point is to get Hunter on record more than anything else. Tomorrow, expect the one that once the transcript hits, expect to hear a lot of spin. On that note, how significant will Hunter's testimony be, especially after ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnoff's indictment recently? Yeah, let's treat that in two parts. First off, I think what's important today is that we know that Hunter Biden said, I did not involve my father in my business. Well, the more accurate statement would really be, my father involved me in his business. You know, Joe Biden was always the brand. And the way that this has been handled, Joe Biden would move into a new country to supposedly, quote unquote, conduct foreign policy. Every one of these new countries that he went into, Joe Biden, as vice president or as, well, primarily as vice president, you know, China, Ukraine, Romania, et cetera, were all typified by high levels of corruption. And then Hunter Biden would immediately follow and set up some kind of nominal business. As soon as he found a few, quote unquote, business partners, he'd have Joe Biden on the phone for some, oftentimes, nothing more than quick pleasantries. But as vice president, that's all you needed. And then the money came in. It was a very simplistic business model, corrupt but simplistic. And that's how they went about doing their, quote unquote, business. On the Smirnoff issue, that's one thing I would really caution people is don't allow yourself to get distracted by that issue too much. It's actually a very complicated story, one that by no means is complete. But currently, because Smirnoff has been indicted, Democrats are using that to basically try to say everything about the corruption surrounding Joe Biden has been discredited. That could not be further from the truth. Everything that was the foundation of Joe Biden's impeachment and exemplifying the corruption that took place has been known for years. And it involves China and it involves Ukraine. It does not involve Smirnoff. He's a side note. But as I said, that is a major story and we'll get more out of that down the road. But in no way does that invalidate what's being done. On that note, many Democrats are saying because of Smirnoff now, there's no basis to the probe, the impeachment probe into President Biden, that it's over. So you're saying it's not over? No, not at all. No. I mean, it depends what Republicans choose to do with this, how hard they want to push, etc. I tend not to have a huge amount of faith in the GOP following all the way through. But again, it's not in any way dependent on the Smirnoff piece of information. That's one very small piece that was kind of an add-on to everything that had already been known. And again, I'm talking about money flows from China, going through holding companies, affiliates of Hunter Biden's to the Biden family. I'm talking about all of the Ukrainian corruption that we've known about forever, including the removal of Shokin and how that came about. And also the Romania corruption and even a little bit of Mexico. So no, none of this relies on Smirnoff. Jeff Carlson, thank you so much for your time. Yeah, thank you for having me. Good to see you. Tensions remain high in the Middle East as Israel and Hamas continue to battle in the Gaza Strip. NTD's Jason Perry joins us with the latest developments in the war. Jason, what is the current situation on the ground? Well, Israeli forces are conducting operations throughout the entire Gaza Strip. But right now the focus is in the south in a city called Rafah. And right now there's about a million people residing in Rafah. And many of them have been displaced here because of the war. Now what's happening is Israel says this is the final stronghold of Hamas terrorists. But because the city is so crowded, there's been a lot of international criticism if Israel should conduct operations here. So it seems like all eyes are on the ceasefire negotiations to see when this battle could take place. How are the negotiations going so far? The negotiations, well, they haven't really reached a deal yet. President Biden said that he thinks a deal is close and it could be reached by Monday. Hamas is currently reviewing the ceasefire proposal. Now the big difference here is that Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and to end the war completely. Israel, on the other hand, wants a temporary ceasefire and to continue the war right after that. Well, today a Hamas official said they will be flexible in the negotiations. And with Ramadan soon approaching, less than two weeks, many are hoping that we'll get a deal before then. And what is Israel's stance on the fighting in this area? Well, this area, first of all, is not completely safe. Israel has been conducting airstrikes in different locations throughout Rafah. But as far as a full-on ground offensive into the city, that hasn't happened yet, but it could happen soon. Israel recently gave a very strong warning to Hamas and it was about the hostages. They told Hamas that if you do not release the hostages before Ramadan, then they'll conduct full ground operations there. And Israel also said that they will somehow evacuate the population of Rafah before they conduct operations there. Well, Jason, thanks for those updates. Thanks for having me. Right now, North Korean factories are producing weapons and ammunition for Russia, according to South Korea's defense minister. They're operating at full capacity. The news comes as last week marked two years since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. North Korea is arming Russia with stockpiles of artillery shells and they're giving Russia millions of them. In return, Russia shipping food and other necessities to North Korea. The U.S. State Department confirmed this in a fact sheet released last Friday. They say North Korea has delivered over 10,000 containers of munitions or related materials to Russia since September. All of these shipments come as Russia is in need of supplies and ammunition after suffering losses in over two years of war. Coming up, Senator Mitch McConnell will be stepping down as GOP leader. Our guest calls this a monumental change. What's his assessment of McConnell's legacy and who should replace him? At a hearing today, Senator Bernie Sanders said almost half of older Americans have no retirement savings. How lawmakers want to resolve the issue. And Americans' personal data flowing into the hands of foreign adversaries. How an upcoming executive order plans to safeguard personal information. That and more when we return. A painting that has true beauty. I imagine it's like a door. The artist holds the key to open the door and bring people to a pure world. Where people are more compassionate. Hi, I'm Elijah. When I grow up, I want to be a robotic engineer. Robert does everything he can as a grandfather to provide for Elijah and his five siblings. 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An appeals court judge in New York denied former President Trump's request to pause his $454 million civil fraud penalty, but the judge granted Trump's request to pause other parts of the judgment so he can continue to run his New York corporation and apply for loans in the state. President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, testified before House lawmakers in a private deposition. He denied that his father was involved in his business dealings. The testimony is part of the House impeachment inquiry into the president. Senator Mitch McConnell announced that he will step down as the Senate Republican leader by November after holding the position since 2007. McConnell will serve out the rest of his Senate term until January 2027, but he said it's time for the next generation of leadership. Joining us now to react to McConnell's announcement is Kash Patel. He's the senior advisor to former President Trump for national security, defense, and intelligence. Kash Patel, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you back on the show. Hey, it's great to be with you. Now, Mitch McConnell has announced today that he is stepping down as Senate GOP leader in November, but that he's not leaving the Senate. What is your reaction to this? Look, it's a monumental change in leadership. Senator McConnell has been at the forefront of GOP politics for the better part of three decades, and the majority leader for the Republican Party is a huge position. Now, the Senate, we have to remind folks, is Democrat majority, so right now the Republicans are in the minority, and I think the power will come if the Republicans are able to flip the Senate and take the majority. That's the importance of this announcement. It basically says there's going to be a new regime, so we'll see who comes in, but it's a huge day for political junkies. On your note of how long he's been in that position, either as minority or majority leader, depending on the power balance, reports note that under McConnell, the GOP was able to put its conservative imprint, especially on the federal judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. What is his legacy that he's leaving behind? I think that's something only Senator McConnell can define. I know during the Trump administration that I served in, you know, it was wonderful to see so many conservative judges appointed, not just to the federal district bench, but to the courts of appeals, and as you highlighted, the Supreme Court. Trump had three confirmations of the United States Supreme Court justices, and that's a win for conservatives all day long, whether you agree with every single issue they come out on. He changed, helped change the landscape of the court, and now we're seeing the results of that. The president's cases on immunity and privilege are all going up on classified documents. They're all going up to the Supreme Court, and they're going to be heard by these justices. So we're going to see if they're the rock-hard conservative constitutionalists that we thought they were. And so now we have the ultimate test. It's sort of coming full circle. It's kind of, it'll be very interesting to see. Now, on the note of future leadership, McConnell said today, it's time for the next generation of leadership. Who do you see as the likely successor to him? I agree with Senator. I think it's time for change. You know, the GOP party has changed under President Trump, and it's grown away from the policies that Senator McConnell has held. And I think that the change is right and appropriate. I don't know how the Senate is going to shake out on the GOP side in terms of new leadership. It may be already baked in. It may already have a chosen successor. I would like personally to see a quote-unquote election, a process where multiple people, even those that are maybe junior to those in current leadership positions, audition and apply for that position, because it's going to be so important to President Trump should he win reelection to have a majority leader that is in lockstep with him to not just confirm judges and appointees, but to pass legislation. You need that in a Senate leader. And so hopefully we find a good candidate. On the note of Trump, McConnell has stood out as not endorsing the former president. Now, what does McConnell stepping down in November as the Senate minority leader mean for a potential second Trump term? Well, it's all about who comes in next. And I think the Senator should and must endorse President Trump. He is the presumptive Republican nominee and the Republican party needs to unify behind that rather than bicker and fight. And I think Senator McConnell has not played that political hand well at all. And he should have announced today with his retirement from leadership that he was endorsing Donald Trump. That's what we need in November. That's what Republicans are looking for. And I don't know why he won't do it. It doesn't look good optically from his perspective. But the party has shifted to Donald Trump and I think it's time to unify. Kash Patel, thank you so much for your time. Thanks so much, have a great day. Senator Bernie Sanders today citing research indicating that nearly half of older Americans have no savings at all. He says America is in a retirement crisis and that the senior poverty rate in the US is among the highest of developed nations. NTD's Virginia Gibson has more. We now have a retirement crisis in America. Senator Bernie Sanders says America has one of the highest senior poverty rates in the developed world. At a hearing Wednesday, he said Congress should solve it. 50% will not be able to meet their retirement standards. Compare that to other countries with all different kinds of systems, the Scandinavians, the Germans, the French, even the Italians. Kazakhstan does better than us. Professor Teresa Ghilarducci said the US senior poverty rate is over 23%, much higher than the rates of other developed nations. Sanders believes making billionaires pay more is part of the answer. A billionaire pays the same amount of money into social security as somebody who makes $168,000 a year. Anybody in America think that makes sense? I don't. The Heritage Foundation's Rachel Gressler believes union leaders are largely to blame. Unions took advantage of preferential rules that allowed them to increase benefits without requiring higher contributions to fund those benefits. Gressler said union leaders didn't manage their funds well. She said they prioritized their own self-interest instead of workers' interests. When not managed properly, defined benefit plans can end up like Ponzi schemes. That's what's happened with social security and multi-employer or union pensions. Lawmakers also proposed forcing people to open a savings account at a young age. Starting savings at birth rather than at age 32 when the typical family starts saving for retirement results in an additional $473,000. I can quote Einstein who said the power of compound interest was one of the most powerful forces on earth. If we auto-enrolled everyone at age 21 when they graduated from college, we wouldn't have a crisis. Too common to start at age 40. You don't have the opportunity for investment returns to support the cost of retirement. Retirement expert Dan Doonan said it's always better to start saving earlier. This way there's more time for your retirement fund to grow in value. Virginia Gibson, NDD News. A new online tax filing service from the IRS is up and running on a limited basis. The IRS launched Direct File, its new online filing service on Tuesday. It currently works only for filers with certain types of income, such as wages from an employer, social security or unemployment benefits. The IRS is rolling out the service slowly. So far only 12 states are part of the testing phase. Currently 1,200 people are registered to use the free filing portal. The IRS expects Direct File to be more widely available in mid-March. President Biden is issuing a new executive order today to protect Americans' personal data from hostile countries known for collecting and misusing it. Those include China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. The directive is aimed at stopping foreign governments from legally buying Americans' information, including health and geolocation data. The order will also cover health records, genetic information and financial data. National security officials are concerned about the intelligence countries like China can get from buying and selling U.S. citizens' personal information. Coming up, Ms. Global USA describes a dance performance as not something you get to experience every day here in America. Hear what she and others in Miami say about Xinyuan and its message. And in tennis, a new sponsor for the men's tour raises some eyebrows. Does sports washing exist? NTD's Dave Martin joins us to discuss when we return. What was the process of actually putting this all together? Many, many hours of finding the right camera angles and watching it. The first trouble started just after one o'clock. 45 pages, here it is right here. Donald Trump has been indicted. Somber day for the country. This all happened before President Trump's speech was over. The founder of the Oath Keepers Militia Group is headed to prison for more than 18 years. His lawyers didn't have this video. The video we're watching right now, his own lawyers did not have. There was a big question of what did the people do who actually did enter the building. This is where we picked it up with the security footage that is new. At this point, the story dramatically changes. The New Jersey man who assaulted a Capitol police officer on January 6th has been sentenced. So this was withheld. This was not shown to the defense. It could be considered exculpatory evidence. This doesn't seem like what a lot of the media is showing. It's gonna change narratives no matter what your political perspective is. What we're after is the truth. What do you do when your tire goes flat and there's no air anywhere? You reach for Bullseye Pro, the smarter, faster, hands-free way to fill it up with air. Bullseye Pro is equipped with a rechargeable lithium ion power plant. So fast and so convenient. It's like the power of an air compressor in the palm of your hand. Look, you can inflate all four tires on a single charge. It has a built-in smart pressure digital sensor that gauges and automatically stops when the set tire pressure is reached. Easily inflate pool toys, exercise balls, and more. Call or go online now and get the complete Bullseye Pro inflation system for the factory direct price of just $79.99. Plus, we'll ship your entire order free. And we'll give you a 50% discount on a second one. Order now. To order, call 1-800-984-7221. That's 1-800-984-7221 or go to getbullseyepro.com. In a society that we were brought up in, it's very hard on little black boys. You have to navigate feelings and emotions so the world don't get you. Sometimes when I cry, I won't know how I'm feeling or why I'm crying. I just grew up never feeling like it was okay to cry. And so he really forced me to have to reconnect with the kid that didn't get to cry. That's beautiful. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Xinyuan Performing Arts brought 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture to the stage in Miami, Florida last week. And the audience was the winner of Miss Global USA who described Xinyuan as not something you get to experience every day here in America. Classical Chinese dance company Xinyuan has successfully lowered the final curtain on six performances in Miami, Florida. The company combined classical Chinese dance and music telling stories of ancient Chinese culture from before communism. I thought that the choreography and that the timing and the placement between video and live performance was just amazing. It was cool to see cultures come together in that way. I thought it was a truly interesting way to celebrate not only Western culture but also Eastern and especially through the music. I've never seen some of those instruments before, so it was very cool to see. I'm most impressed with the professionalism, high level of artistry, and a sense of mission and a vision, something very specific, very specific message of the timelessness of Chinese culture. The New York-based company has a mission to revive 5,000 years of China's rich culture rooted in spirituality. That's the whole point why we're here on Earth, to help heal the collective with everything that we do, and I believe this dance represents that. So spirituality is very important to me, and it spoke to me the whole, even just the beginning, that we're all here for mission work, for the creator. So, and everything, even the dance moves, there's just so aligned so well with the message. I would say come here for a cultural experience. It's absolutely beautiful, the art, the costuming, and the performance here, the talent that we see here is not something that you get to experience every day here in America, so definitely go out and see the Shen Yun performance. Shen Yun is headed to St. Louis, Missouri for three performances at the Stiefel Theater on March 2nd and 3rd. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, the men's tennis tour, known as ATP, made some news today in announcing a new sponsor, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. What's the controversy with this? It's their human rights record. I mean, plenty believe this is another attempt to kind of enhance their poor reputation by having the people associate them with popular sports stars. Now, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, or PIF, also known as PIF, already owns Live Golf, which has bought a number of the best golfers in the world over the last two years, and they've paid billions to do it. Meanwhile, their soccer league gave Cristiano Ronaldo a $200 million salary to bring instant credibility and excitement to their league. Now they're into tennis with this deal, but like I said, most view these as a way to sports-wash their atrocious human rights record so that people kind of forget about their killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, or how women have less rights than men, or the same-sex relations, which are punishable by death over there. How successful have they been in this sports-washing? Does their reputation make it difficult for them to get sponsors? It does, but I think the tides are starting to turn, actually, on this. I mean, Live Golf has little to no sponsors, but they've signed so many of the top golf stars that they've really forced the PGA into doing some kind of merger with them. Talks are reportedly still ongoing on that, but if it does happen, they become part of the PGA's good name and image and get their sponsors. Now, having world-famous Ronaldo in their soccer league is really the equivalent of when the U.S.'s MLS soccer league essentially bought David Beckham, although they didn't have the same bad reputation. But there was little uproar about Ronaldo's signing. I mean, he's still one of the most popular players. I actually think, though, this tennis deal shows how far the sports-washing has gone. The PIF is their sponsor, so they're attaching their name to the ATP's stellar reputation. That's in addition to beloved tennis star Rafael Nadal now being an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation. I don't think these things were possible just a couple years ago, so there seems to be less hesitation with sports stars aligning their names to Saudi Arabia. In baseball, another famous sports star, Shohei Ohtane, made his Dodgers spring training debut yesterday, hitting a home run. Now, how telling are these preseason games? Not very. You know, I say that because my beloved Kansas City Royals usually give us a little tease on an annual basis, winning a bunch of spring training games and then finishing last when the real games start. But Ohtane hit an opposite field two-run home run in his third at-bat as the Dodgers won 9-6. Now, this is the guy who got that 10-year, $700 million contract, largest in baseball history by like $250 million. But he actually only gets $2 million a year for these 10 years. The other $680 million will be paid in the 10 years afterwards. I mean, I've never seen that much money deferred. It's already helped them, though, get other players, as they paid $325 million for that star Japanese pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That's a record contract for a pitcher. He pitched today. He got two scoreless innings. So I have a feeling that the Dodgers will be the team to watch this season. Turning now to the NFL, the Players Association released a survey taken by the players, essentially a report card off the teams. And the Kansas City Chiefs ranked second to last. What was the reason for that? Ownership. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt rated the lowest of 32 owners. Apparently, players felt there was a lack of commitment to invest in team facilities. Specifically, their locker room was given an F. Now, apparently, the Chiefs were going to upgrade the locker room in the offseason. But since their season lasts so long, I mean, they won each of the last two Super Bowls that was in in February. I guess there just wasn't enough time. Now, the Miami Dolphins ranked first overall in the survey. But there are some interesting things, like how Arizona added a daycare, a family room, stopped charging players for meals. Meanwhile, in Buffalo, players complained that when they travel, fly that is, coaches get the biggest first class seats while the players actually have the smallest seats. I mean, that one baffles me too. Anyway, Forbes recently valued these franchises at an average of just over $5 billion a piece. So it's somewhat surprising that they don't all have state-of-the-art facilities. This is kind of like a look into how the players see the teams. Dave, as always, thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me, Tiff. And that's all for today's news. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.