LIVE: NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Mar. 5)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump gives what he calls the last warning to Hamas to release all of the hostages in Gaza. The president writing on X that he'll send Israel everything it needs to finish the job. Following Trump's address to a joint session of Congress last night, Democratic lawmakers are setting their strategy to oppose his legislative agenda. Luis Martinez reports from the Capitol Hill. The mayors of so-called sanctuary cities testify before Congress. Republican lawmakers accuse them of violating federal law and impeding immigration enforcement. Jack Bradley has the key takeaways from the hearing. Severe storms, tornadoes, and blizzards sweep across the U.S., leaving destruction behind. Christina Corona brings us the latest on power outages, evacuations, and storm warnings. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening, and thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Kevin Hogan, in for Tiffany Meyer. The Supreme Court ruled today that the Trump administration must resume payments to foreign aid organizations for work they've already done. The high court's 5-4 decision upholds an order to release funding for contractors at the U.S. Agency for International Development, also known as USAID, and the State Department. Aid organizations said in a Supreme Court filing they would face, quote, "...extraordinary and irreversible harm if the funding freeze continues." President Trump ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid on his first day back in office. That's as he and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, continue to search for and cut what the White House has called waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. And more legal updates on Trump's executive actions. A judge halts NIH funding cuts, and the Agriculture Department is ordered to reinstate thousands of workers. A federal judge today blocked the Trump administration from cutting federal grant funding for research at medical schools and universities. The nationwide injunction came at the request of 22 Democratic state attorneys general and related groups. The Trump administration said it was capping the rate at which it reimbursed research institutions for indirect costs, such as laboratory space, faculty, equipment, and infrastructure. The cap would be at 15 percent, down from an average of around 28 percent. The National Institutes of Health said this would save the government $4 billion a year. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelly in Boston agreed the NIH-planned funding cuts were unlawful. The judge is an appointee of former President Biden. In addition, the Department of Agriculture has been ordered to temporarily reinstate nearly 6,000 workers who lost their jobs as part of President Trump's effort to cut the federal workforce. The order from the Merit System Protection Board blocks the USDA from firing probationary employees for 45 days. The decision was issued a day after a federal judge blocked Trump from firing board member Kathy Harris. Her term expires in three years. The board has already halted the firing of six other employees at the request of the Office of Special Counsel. Trump has sought to fire the watchdog agency's head, Hampton Dellinger, as well. Dellinger revealed yesterday that he had asked the board to halt the dismissal of thousands of USDA employees. Democratic lawmakers set their strategy to oppose President Trump's legislative agenda. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has more on this story. And what we all decided was we're going to focus our energy on the six Republican Congress members from New York, because they hold the key to stopping these horrible policies. As you know, in the House, all you need one or two. In the Senate, you need three or four. After President Trump's speech, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer set the tone of the opposition that Democratic lawmakers will have against the president's agenda, while Republican New York lawmakers are weary of the impacts that tariffs and government spending cuts could have on their constituents. We are going to work through the process. I've been very clear. I'm not cutting benefits to Medicaid recipients. The president's been very clear. But this process will play itself out. We want to make sure that we're doing things with a scalpel and not a sledgehammer. I've had concerns with what happened last week when the CDC saw this across the board cut, and it impacted the 9-11 first responders in my district. That is a perfect example of unintended consequences that can occur when you do things in a rash manner. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended the conduct of House Democrats during the president's speech, while Republican lawmakers moved quickly to censor Congressman Al Green for his conduct during the joint session of Congress. Far-right extremists are desperately trying to jam their reckless budget down the throats of the American people. They want us to step back. House Democrats will continue to fight back. So I'm not angry with the speaker. I'm not angry with the officers. I'm not upset with the members who are going to bring the motions of resolution for sanction. I will suffer the consequences. Now therefore, be it resolved that Representative Al Green be censured, Representative Al Green forthwith present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure, and Representative Al Green be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the speaker. Lawmakers held a minute of silence on the House floor in commemoration of the passing of freshman Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Congressman Turner had participated in Tuesday night's joint session of Congress, but passed away soon after a medical emergency. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. President Trump issuing a last warning to Hamas. He's also doubling down on tariffs on Canada while giving exemptions to U.S. carmakers. And joining us now live is NTD's White House correspondent, Iris Tao. Good evening, Iris. What's the latest with the Trump White House today? Good evening to you, Kevin. And so today, President Trump, on two social issues, what he called a last warning to Hamas terrorists. He says that, quote, this is your last warning for the leadership. Now is the time to leave Gaza while you still have a chance. Release the hostages now or there will be hell to pay later. It comes after the White House earlier today, during a press briefing, confirmed to us that the administration is in direct talks with Hamas to secure the release of more hostages. And also today, President Trump at the White House actually met with some of the former hostages held in Gaza, in which the White House press secretary told us that the conversation was very good and the president listened intently to their heartbreaking stories. And the hostages thanked President Trump for his steadfast efforts to bring all the hostages home. So there you have President Trump again voicing his call for Hamas to release the hostages, saying also a message to people in Gaza that if they release the hostages, there will be a good future for that region. But if not, there will be severe consequences. Meanwhile, today at the White House, President Trump also met with someone special, a little boy featured in last night's joint session of Congress address. The boy is named DJ Daniel. He's a Texas boy with cancer who dreams of becoming a police officer. Here's part of that heartwarming video of today. Watch. What a good looking family. There's one more thing I got for you. A big hug. OK, good. That's very nice. Look at that family you got. Meanwhile, today, the White House also announced that President Trump is granting a one month exemption for carmakers who were involved in the U.S. MCA deal, which having their products produced in U.S., Mexico and Canada. The White House says that's to encourage them to help shift their production lines gradually to the U.S. and specifically also comes after President Trump as tariffs on both Mexico and Canada went into effect on Tuesday. Here's part of the White House explaining it. Watch. He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff. That's the ultimate goal. And President Trump says he spoke with the CEOs of the top three or big three automakers and tariffs are, of course, trying to help them. The exemption of the tariffs is to help them stay in the position where they're not in a disadvantaged standpoint economically. And meanwhile, President Trump also doubled down, though, on his tariffs on Canada. He said on True Social that today he held a call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Trudeau called to try to explain the tariff situation, asking him what could be done about the tariffs. But President Trump said that he told Trudeau that many people have died from fentanyl that came through the borders of Canada and Mexico and, quote, The White House also pushed back against China's narrative that fentanyl is just an excuse for tariffs. The White House press secretary says that China is getting very rich off of distributing this deadly poison to American citizens. She also said this. Watch. We finally have a president who is standing up to both Canada and Mexico and most importantly to China as well. The president added an additional 10 percent tariff on China because this deadly poison is being produced in that country. It's being distributed through our neighbors and there needs to be consequences for that period. And also on the Ukraine situation, last night, President Trump read a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his joint session address saying that Zelensky now is ready for peace talks. And today, the White House told us that Mike Walls, President Trump's national security advisor, is in talks with his counterparts as negotiations and talks are ongoing as we speak about pushing for more peace. Back to you. Very comprehensive report. And back to your first point. This is truly a first time that the United States is engaging in direct talks with the Hamas terrorist group. And they did consult Israel on that, but Axios reports that the details only became known to Israel through other channels. Well, thank you for that very comprehensive update, Iris. And next up, the mayors of four largest cities testify before Congress on the status of their so-called sanctuary cities. And today's Washington correspondent, Jack Bradley, has the details on the contentious back and forth. Do you solemnly swear. The mayors of New York City, Boston, Chicago and Denver testifying before a contentious Congress. Congressman James Comer, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, launched an investigation into their cities, highlighting increasing reports of crimes committed by illegal border crossers. He says that their sanctuary laws protect criminals. We cannot let pro-criminal alien policies and obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration enforcement officers. The mayors say that they're not violating any federal laws. And some say that working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, means that illegal immigrants who are victims of crimes won't come forward for fear of retaliation, thereby creating a safe haven for their aggressors. If an undocumented individual witnesses a crime, but is afraid to call 911 for fear U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan says that sanctuary cities prevent illegal immigrants from being turned over to ICE even when they're in jail. So sanctuary cities want to keep locking us out of jails. They force us into the neighborhood to find the bad guy. So you're saying publicly today, you will turn that alien over to ICE in a safe place like a jail and not turn him out on the street and say, here you go, ICE, good luck. You will turn that criminal over to ICE. With a criminal warrant, as we have done for 40 years. Should that criminal be turned over to ICE? With a criminal warrant, they are subject to the federal laws, and that includes deportation. This comes as the DOJ has launched lawsuits against the states of New York, Illinois, and the city of Chicago for their sanctuary policies. One example is New York's Green Light Law, which allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Attorney General Pam Bondi is suing the state, alleging that this law blocks immigration enforcement officers from accessing that information. Federal law prohibits state and local officials from blocking immigration officers from accessing individual citizenship status. So it remains to be seen if sanctuary laws violate federal laws by protecting illegal immigrants from being arrested by ICE. Jack Bradley, NTD News. All right, a New York federal judge has denied the city of New York's request to order the Trump administration to immediately return over $80 million in FEMA funds. The judge says the city failed to show it would suffer irreparable harm. U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Reardon made a quick decision from the bench after an hour of oral arguments. She said although the city may experience some harm, it could try other avenues to get the money back while its lawsuit against the federal government plays out. The money, approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, was to reimburse the city for costs it incurred in managing the immigrant crisis, the city said. The Trump administration removed the money from the New York City's bank account after Elon Musk accused the city of using $50 million of taxpayer funds to house illegal immigrants in luxury hotels. The city denied that it was using the funds illegally and said it wasn't a compliance issue but rather an issue of the administration not wanting the funds to be used for certain programs. In other news, severe weather is impacting millions across the country, bringing deadly storms, tornadoes and blizzard conditions. At least three lives have been lost. NTD's Christina Corona tells us more. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed a third storm-related death Wednesday, asking for prayers for the victim's family, stating, Tragically, a third fatality has been reported. Please pray for their family during this difficult time. Two injuries were reported in Madison County and four were reported in Wayne County. Two people died in Madison County, one from electrocution and another from a fallen tree. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported a third fatality in Clark County, where a woman was killed in her yard when a tree branch fell on her. Severe storms and tornadoes hit multiple states. An EF-1 tornado damaged Ada, Oklahoma, one of at least eight across Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. Tornado warnings were issued in the Carolinas, Florida and Virginia. Near Dallas, the storm's wind gusts collapsed a warehouse, tore roofs and downed power lines. According to PowerOutage.us, by Wednesday morning, nearly 300,000 people lost power across 12 states, including 70,000 in Texas. The strong winds and dry vegetation also sparked wildfires across multiple areas in Texas. According to County Judge David Krebs, one blaze in San Patricio County near Corpus Christi destroyed at least 20 homes and structures. In Louisiana, powerful winds disrupted Mardi Gras. Two EF-1 tornadoes hit Cato Parish and several New Orleans parades were shortened or canceled, though celebrations continued. Blizzards brought whiteout conditions to Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan with 70 mph winds and over a foot of snow. The storm is expected to move out Thursday, but strong winds may still cause damage. Meanwhile, a Pacific storm is set to bring heavy rain and snow to the West. Christina Corona, NTD News. And coming up, the U.S. pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move that limits Ukraine's ability to target Russian forces. Russia, meanwhile, said future talks with the U.S. will include discussion on Iran's nuclear program. Malcolm Hudson with the latest. Israel's chief of the general staff resigns and a new general takes command of the military. This comes as another deceased hostage is honored in Israel. Jason Perry reports. What kind of danger is the U.S. facing from Chinese cyber warfare? A bipartisan House committee talks about how to counter the threat. Jason Blair with the key takeaways when we come back. Shenyun Creations, the streaming platform from Shenyun, featuring world-class dance, past programs, and all original music, masterclasses, behind-the-scenes, comedy, and more. Explore ShenyunCreations.com. Ladder control aisle. You won't shop here again. Your private business is your own. The constant struggle is over. Now there's a better way. It's HGIS. We home deliver bladder control products. We understand how you feel. For over 25 years, we've home delivered to many of the 20 million Americans who deal with incontinence. We offer all brands. We pay shipping and use plain, unmarked boxes. If we can help you or someone you care for, call for your free product sample pack and $45 in money-saving coupons. Our counselors will help you choose the right product. And unlike stores, we're always in stock. You'll get what you need. Satisfaction guaranteed. HGIS, the better way. For your free sample pack with your free catalog, $45 in money-saving coupons, and free product samples, call 1-800-701-6159. That's 1-800-701-6159. When I arrived in the U.S. at 19, I struggled to find job opportunities without a high school diploma. My name is Ariel, and my entire life changed when I took a chance and I got my high school diploma at age 22. Everything I have, my education, my career, my marriage, I owe to the Adult Literacy Center and my teachers. They were with me every step of the way, helping with my English and math, making sure I push through all the challenges. We made this year good for you. Your achievement has set an example for so many students. Most importantly, your daughter. Education was the key that unlocked all my opportunities. When you graduate, they graduate. Visit finishyourdiploma.org to find free and supportive adult education centers near you. Discover the ancient secret to vitality and longevity with Puritang Black Ginseng. Crafted from premium six-year-old Korean ginseng, each root is carefully nurtured for over 2,260 days, undergoing a traditional nine-round handcrafted process of steaming and drying to unlock full potency and absorption. Experience pure, natural energy with Puritang Black Ginseng. Order now at puritang.com. It's good to have you back with us. The U.S. has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move that will limit Ukraine's ability to target Russian forces. It follows Monday's pause on military aid. Russia, meanwhile, said future talks with the U.S. would include discussions on Iran's nuclear program. And today's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has the story for us. CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday said the U.S. has halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The move could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military's ability to target Russian forces. U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told reporters Wednesday morning. We have taken a step back and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship. Since the start of the war in 2022, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with significant intelligence, including critical information its military needs for targeting purposes. Waltz also said the U.S. was actively engaged in talks with Ukraine on a minerals deal and a potential peace deal with Russia. I think we're going to see movement in very short order. Waltz, in an interview with Fox & Friends, said President Trump will consider restoring military aid to Ukraine if peace talks are arranged and confidence-building measures are taken. Trump halted the aid on Monday. On Tuesday night, Trump said he had received a letter from Ukrainian President Zelensky that expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table. Waltz said officials were in discussions over a date, location and negotiating team that would lead to an end to the war, and are already talking about confidence-building measures to then take to the Russians. The Kremlin on Wednesday said that future talks between Russia and the United States would include discussion on Iran's nuclear program, a subject spokesman Dmitry Peskov said had been touched upon in an initial round of U.S.-Russia talks last month. Russia's position is that the issue of Iran's nuclear dossier needs to be solved only through political and diplomatic means. In our view, there is potential for it. Trump last month restored his maximum pressure campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran denies any such intention. Russia has deepened its ties with the Islamic Republic since the start of the Ukraine war and signed a strategic cooperation treaty with Iran in January. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News. And President Zelensky's chief of staff wrote on XToday that he and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz discussed the next steps toward a just and lasting peace, adding that they've scheduled a meeting for the two sides in the near future. And a new general has taken command of the Israel Defense Forces. This comes as Israel is facing attacks from multiple terrorist groups and attempting to extend a ceasefire in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages home. NTD's Jason Perry has the update. Residents in Israel lined the streets with flags on Wednesday as another hostage was laid to rest. Ohad Yahalami was shot in the leg during the October 7th attacks when Hamas terrorists took him along with his wife and three children from their community. But his wife and two daughters were able to escape when a terrorist tried to drive them to the Gaza Strip on a moped. They ran through fields for hours and got away. Ohad and his son Eitan were taken to the Gaza Strip and were held separately in captivity. Eitan was released during the ceasefire in November 2023, and Israel's prime minister's office said forensics testing showed Ohad was killed while in Hamas captivity. His wife spoke at his funeral on Wednesday. I want to ask that together all the lanterns that are here today and also those who are with us from afar, that together we adopt Ohad's path to spread light and good, to strengthen, to attract confidence, to help and lift up all those who have fallen along the way. Meanwhile, Israel's Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi HaLevi, resigned on Wednesday and spoke about the October 7th attacks. I would have preferred, of course, that none of this had happened. This was under my watch, and what happened is my responsibility, and I bear and will bear it forever. And his replacement, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, took command of the Israel Defense Forces on the same day, and he, too, addressed October 7th. We will never forget the cries for help, pleading, in the face of the merciless, demonic evil of the murderers. We will not forgive, we will not forget. This is an existential war. We will persist in our campaign to bring our hostages home and to defeat our enemies. Meanwhile, a resident in the Gaza Strip shared his thoughts on the recent plan by Arab leaders for the future of the Gaza Strip. Egypt's position was, of course, firm regarding the non-displacement of Palestinians, and this was something that is very comforting to the Palestinian people, that we would not leave this land. However, Israel has begun blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, so that could soon put additional pressure on residents to leave the territory. Also on Wednesday, the White House said that Special Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler has been authorized to negotiate directly with Hamas. Jason Perry, NTD News. A House committee analyzes the ongoing threats the Chinese Communist Party poses to American infrastructure through cyber attacks and espionage. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has more from the nation's capital. As we speak, the Chinese Communist Party is waging a full-scale cyber war against the American people. The bipartisan House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party had a hearing to talk about what intelligence officials are saying about the current threats from the Communist Party in regards to cyber security, as well as what the U.S. can do to defend against it. One message that the committee wanted to get across is that this is just one area where the CCP is waging warfare against the U.S. However, it is one area that can do a lot of damage. Chair Moulinard said in his opening statement that CCP's hackers have targeted things like water treatment plants, power grids that power homes, as well as even hospitals. Moulinard gave two recent examples of big cyber attacks from Chinese hackers, one that targeted telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon, where they were able to gain access to millions of phones, gaining access to sensitive data from those users, as well as listening into conversations pretty much at will. And this ranged from your everyday person up to even the president and vice president. He also brought up another recent example where Chinese hackers targeted critical infrastructure in the U.S., gaining access to, like I mentioned earlier, water treatment plants, power grids, things like that. And intelligence officials are telling them that the CCP plans to kind of use these whenever they feel the need to in case there's some kind of conflict, perhaps something to do with Taiwan or anything else that they deem worthy to activate these vulnerabilities. It is clear Xi Jinping's goal is to sabotage our way of life when the time is right for his regime. We must understand that this isn't just a cyber threat. This is part of the CCP's larger strategy to destroy the American way of life. Pan Chair Moulinard continued saying, quote, the CCP views all forms of warfare, cyber economic, ideological and military as different tools to achieve the same goal, global domination through the defeat of its enemies. As far as what the U.S. can do to deter and defend against it, ranking member Krishnamoorthy brought up some solutions to address the weaknesses from the two most recent major cyber attacks, as well as the U.S. increasing the cyber talent workforce, both in the government and the private sector. And he also really wanted to emphasize that the U.S. needs to start holding the CCP accountable when these attacks happen. It means imposing costs on the CCP each time they attack us. When Xi Jinping decides whether to launch another attack, he needs to ask himself whether the costs are worth the benefits. These aren't just cyber criminals. These aren't just asymmetrical threats. These are real plan threat actors who have made a decision and orchestrated attacks against the United States who largely have not been held accountable by either Republican or Democratic administrations. One common message the committee has been relaying is that the CCP is dead set on using any means possible to achieve their goal of dominating the world. And they have really not shown any sign of wanting to peacefully coexist. Reporting on Capitol Hill, Jason Blair, NTD News. An event on Capitol Hill highlights a new bipartisan bill to strengthen U.S. defenses against China's trade crimes. Will it be effective? Tune into NTD's Capitol Report with Steve Lance at 7 p.m. Eastern time for insights from two of the speakers at today's event. And coming up, what could Democrats learn from President Trump's speech to advance their own policy goals? We speak with a Democratic strategist after this break. This past year has been one of the hardest in MyPillow's history. It's because of you that we're making it through. My employees and I want to thank you for your continued support by extending our wholesale prices on classic MyPillows. Get standard classic MyPillows only $14.98. I can't believe I'm even saying that. Only $14.98. But it gets even better. Upgrade to a queen size MyPillow for just $18.98. King size only a dollar more. Get MyBodyPillows $29.98 and multi-use MyPillows for only $9.98. So go to MyPillow.com or call the number on your screen. Use your promo code to take advantage of these wholesale prices. Including my standard size MyPillow, originally $49.98. Now only $14.98. Queen's $18.98. King's only a dollar more. Not only that, order $75 or more ship absolutely free. From all of us here at MyPillow. Thanks America! I was a quarterback at Ardaway High School. College first round draft pick on and off the field. We were taught to not show any signs of weakness. During the football season, I would stop eating. But I didn't know I was depressed. I thought that something was wrong with me. For 20 plus years, it was physical, physical, physical. We didn't have any education behind what mental health was. I started to learn it starts here first. If this is together, I'll be better as a father, as a man, and as a husband. Put the importance on your mental health. I'm not scared to talk about it anymore. The first tool is therapy. The second one is positive self-talk. Then journaling. Putting your thoughts on paper. We have to redefine what being a strong man is. And heal, love, you're mine. First time that I went to see him, a lot of stuff came into my mind. Because I wasn't prepared at all. I know the first three months of his life were really important. And I wanted to be there all the time for him. First time he was like, Daddy, Daddy. That was one of his first words. He grew up so quick. He just surprised me every day. He's really smart. I really think he can be an astronaut president. But I'm going to support him from wherever he wants to be. Whether you want to be a photographer, musician, whatever. As a father, I guess you don't focus on you. I put myself first. That's what a dad does. Welcome back, and joining us now to analyze the Democratic response to President Trump's address to Congress is Robin Biro. He's a Democratic strategist and former Obama regional campaign director. Robin, it's great to have you with us. It's great to be here. Thank you so much for having me. During Trump's address, we saw Democrats protest with outfits, bingo-like signs, and a lot of silence. In one instance, a congressman was escorted out of the chamber. Some are describing their messaging as fractured or splintered. In your interpretation, what do you have to say? It was fractured. My own representative was, along with many other Democratic representatives, one that walked out mid-speech. I understand they don't want to. If they see that anything is untruthful, it's hard to sit there and grin and bear it. I don't fault them for leaving, but what I do fault them for are the disruptions. I'm from the great state of South Carolina, where we had Joe Wilson, who kind of normalized that when he yelled at Barack Obama in 2009, you lie. That seemed to set a precedent where now the opposing party seems to sort of jeer at the other one. And it's so unprofessional. It was very embarrassing. But my party has, it is fractured. We've got some healing to do. Understood, Robin. And at the same time, there was a first. These progressive-leaning social media influencers were brought into the spin room, and they were pumping out content before, during, and after. And that was the first time they've used that approach. If you have more to say on that, we can talk on that. Or Trump brought up a few issues that are bipartisan, like catching the terrorist suspect behind the Kabul airport bombing and honoring Jocelyn Nguyen, the young girl who was murdered in Texas. But Democrats have drawn a lot of criticism over their tamed or missing applause. How do you see this play out? That is tricky. And look, one of the best moments I thought from the evening was the young gentleman who was informed by President Trump that he had made it into cadet school. You know, I'm a veteran. I loved that moment. I thought that that was a wonderful moment. There were several moments like that that should have been unifying. And I was disappointed, frankly, that it didn't draw bipartisan applause. But look, I am glad that they did bring some of the influencers into the spin room. I was following one, Brian Tyler-Cohen. I was watching his show to see what he was going to have to say, and it was interesting because there were about 50 of them that were brought in there. And that's emerging media. It's important to not discount them. Some of them have bigger audience than, say, for example, the Legacy Network. So I'm glad that we're paying attention to that. But we have so much catching up to do in the Democratic Party. And let's dive a little further deeper into this. How impactful do you think that Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin's rebuttal will be on the party's direction as we enter midterm season? So Slotkin was picked because she is a centrist Democrat. And that signifies to me, at least, reading the tea leaves, that the party's wanting to move toward the center. The general consensus seems to be that Kamala Harris might have been too left, up center, to be palatable and electable to the mass voting populace, electorate. And I'm just not sure that putting a centrist was the best idea because we are also waning support from the emerging electorate, the young folks, all these 18 to 25-year-olds. We have been losing and hemorrhaging support to the right of those. So I would have liked to have seen a more progressive person than Slotkin out there giving the Democratic response. But she held her own. She did a very good job. She was on message. But I would like to have seen somebody more progressive. In terms of some political introspection, what could Democrats learn from Trump's speech to advance their own policy goals? They need to learn when to just listen. Right now is one of those times. I need them, the party, to listen. James Carville has famously been saying that Democrats right now need to lay, roll over and play dead and let policies that Americans voted for play out in their lives because we think, we believe that they are going to be harmful. I hope that they are not. I never want to get that against America. But I think in some ways, just sit back and see how this plays out. Criticize fairly, but don't use hyperbole. Don't over-embellish. Give fair, constructive criticism and see where we might be able to work together to get something done for Americans because Congress's approval rating right now sits at an abysmal 17%. So both parties are not enjoying favorability right now among the American voting populace. I hear what you're saying. And Trump campaigned largely on lowering grocery prices and improving the economy. He's implementing tariffs now, and we have yet to see how that will impact the economy. But how important will this issue be for voters in the midterms? Well, I just mentioned James Carville. He's the one attributed with the famous quote that says, it's the economy stupid. And it always is. I think that we did a poor job messaging for this presidential election with some more fringe issues. So we need to stay better on message. And that's my biggest takeaway is we've got to craft a message that's more palatable to the American public and that's got to address the economy. Very interesting discussion with you. Robin Biro, Democratic strategist and former Obama regional campaign director. Thanks for joining us. Thank you, Kevin. And coming up in the NBA, LeBron James with a milestone hoop last night, putting him in very exclusive company. Dave Martin joins us to discuss when we return. Hi, I'm Susan Lucci. You may know me from my many years on television. I never thought about heart disease until I had my own heart event. I felt this slight pressure in my chest, just slight. I thought, oh, it's nothing. It'll go away. I didn't get it. I did not get it. A few days later, while shopping at a boutique, that pressure returned much stronger. It felt like an elephant pressing on my chest. I had a 90% blockage in my main artery and a 75% blockage in the adjacent artery. I was rushed into surgery where I received two stents in my arteries. Stents developed through research funded by the American Heart Association. Those stents saved my life. That's why I'm in front of you today, asking you to join me in supporting the American Heart Association by becoming a monthly donor. Call now or go to helpheart.org. For only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, you can help fund the next medical breakthrough. Get the next person trained in CPR, the next hospital certified in high-quality cardiovascular care. I'm so grateful to the American Heart Association. Their research helped save my life. I can enjoy life with my children, my grandchildren, and my friends. Heart disease is America's number one killer, and your support now can help save your life or the life of someone you love. Give $19 a month with your credit card, and we'll send you this special T-shirt that you can wear to show that you are helping save lives. Please, listen to your heart. The only reason I'm here today is because I did. So please call the number on your screen or go to helpheart.org now. Join me as a monthly donor today and help save even more lives. Thank you. My 15-year-old son, Ethan, and I had a fun and relaxing morning. We returned home, and Ethan walked to his best friend's house an hour later. I heard the ambulance scream by the street, carrying my beautiful boy. Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun. He had zero chance of survival. The father of the gun owner, he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoebox. How do you feel? That has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have. David, would you give any advice? First thing you do is not keep your ammunition with your weapons, and that your weapons need to be locked at all times. There are real consequences to controlled media, and NTD's founders know them firsthand. Our freedom of thought is the price. This is the lesson that guides us in everything we do. We know the value of a free society. And we take seriously the responsibility to preserve it. We are NTD. Hi there, and now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. The number of the night last night, 50,000, that's career points. Postseason, regular season, LeBron James setting records here. Does he have any sign of slowing down? I mean, offensively, I would say really no. I mean, that's incredible considering he just turned 40 years old a couple months ago too. I mean, he was just named the Western Conference Player of the Month as well, if that tells you anything. But on the season, he's 13th in the league in scoring. He's number 6 in assists, I think 8.5 assists a game, he's got 25 points. His 8 rebounds a game are just outside the top 20. I don't think the league has ever seen a 40-year-old play like this before him. Now, he's always been compared to Michael Jordan, and I'm not going to compare him overall. But Jordan, in his age 40 season, he wasn't in the top 20 in any of those categories. He still played well, he averaged 20 points a game. The same for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was no longer in the top 20 player by the time he had turned 40. And LeBron, of course, would pass Abdul-Jabbar to become number 1. That was like two years ago. I mean, I would expect LeBron's actually probably going to finish this year in the top 10 in the MVP voting, which is incredible, like I said, for his age. As long as he continues to produce and as long as the Lakers kind of stay where they are, they're the number 2 seed in the Western Conference right now. Well, it really does bring up the question, you know, is he the GOAT b-baller? I mean, he blew out Shaq. Shaq only has like 33.8 thousand points. I know, right? We're talking in like thousands. Think about how that adds up over the course of a career. Well, you know, he did something that not many people can do anymore because he came straight from high school to the pros. They don't let you do that. You have to do at least one year in college, or in between anyway, before they allow you to jump to the pros. And when he jumped as an 18-year-old, he was already averaging 21 points per game. He's averaged at least 20 points per game his entire career, and that started all the way back in 2003, which was just after Jordan retired. So, yeah, LeBron, he's in a club in his own with this 50,000 for sure. Oh, man, it's incredible. All right, shifting to the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs, they're reportedly trading the all-pro guard Joe Tooney, the Chicago Bears. And that's a fourth-round draft pick. Does this surprise you at all, Dave? I was very surprised when I saw it. I mean, I nearly fell out of my seat. The Chiefs are more of a win-now team. Tooney, he's 32 years old, but he's been an all-pro guard each of the last two seasons. Plus, he even moved from guard to tackle late last season, just because the Chiefs just did not find a left tackle suitable for them. Now, I'm sure the Chiefs did not want to trade him. They're in a bind right now with a salary cap. They're over the cap. They have to get under it before the offseason technically starts in a couple weeks, while also trying to retain some of the younger players. They just put the franchise tag on their other guard, Trey Smith. So, if you look at it that way, it does not make sense to have your two guards as the two highest-paid players, really, in the league. So, the Chiefs, they've got so many tooling to do on their offensive line. They've got to find a left tackle, like I said. Probably to replace him, I think they maybe have some options on their roster. But it's going to be interesting to see what the Chiefs do to try to stay at or near the top of the NFL. Very interesting. All right, MLB time. The final numbers are in for last year's payroll. New York Mets, they're number one at $330 million, which is five times more than the lowest-spending team, the Oakland A's. Are there any plans to level the playing field? I mean, in short, no. Owners would love to have a hard salary cap, like the NFL has, that we just talked about. But the NFL, they also share all of their TV revenues evenly throughout the whole league. Now, the baseball does not do that. At least for their local TV contracts, anyway. They do have something called a luxury tax threshold that slows some teams down a bit, anyway. So it's like a dollar-for-dollar penalty, depending on how many years you've been over it. So the Mets, in addition to their $333 million that they paid their players last year, which is a record, they also paid another $97 million in luxury taxes. Now, as far as implementing a hard salary cap like the NFL has, it seems very unlikely in baseball. Baseball's players' union, very strong. They've been very resistant to any kind of hard salary cap. So for baseball, even though they've got this huge disparity, it still somewhat seems to work right now, as far as the league is concerned. It is certainly more difficult for those lower teams to do it, but some of them have been able to still be competitive with those lower salaries. Fascinating. Dave, thanks for sharing your expertise with us. Hey, no problem, Kevin. And that's all for today's news, and we're going to have more round-the-clock coverage with you at ntv.com and at our app. And I thank you for tuning in. I'm Kevin Hogan. Tiffany will be back tomorrow.