Capitol Report Full Broadcast (April 21)

Good evening and welcome to the Capitol Report on Entity Television. I'm Steve Lance. Coming up, leaders across the world, including President Trump, mourn the passing of Pope Francis. We'll look back at his legacy and ahead at what's next for the Catholic Church. The U.S. and China trading fresh warnings. Beijing threatening countries against cooperating with the United States. President Trump calling out cheating around tariffs. And more Democratic lawmakers traveling to El Salvador. This to push for the release of Kilmar Garcia from a prison in his home country. This is Capitol Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital, here's Steve Lance. Leaders across the world sending condolences from the passing of Pope Francis. They say they remember him fondly despite differences in opinion. Entity's international correspondent, Malcolm Hudson, has a report. Leaders across the world mourned the death of Pope Francis, Javier Millet, president of the pope's home nation, Argentina, said he felt profound sorrow. He said that despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said he left a great legacy. May he rest in peace and our embrace and affection to the whole world and particularly to the Catholics of Mexico. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he lost a great friend, while Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said humanity is losing a voice of respect and welcome for others. With an ear to Europe, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Maloney said she had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, advice and teachings, calling him a great man, a great shepherd. French President Emmanuel Macron said Pope Francis had always sided with the most vulnerable and fragile with a lot of humility. British Prime Minister Kirstjermer said the pope's leadership was courageous. It always came from a place of deep humility. While King Charles said he'd be remembered for his compassion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recalled him as a reconciling and a warm hearted person. Israel's President Isaac Herzog said he hopes the pope's prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages in Gaza will soon be answered. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Pope Francis leaves a legacy of faith and service. We at the United Nations were greatly inspired by his commitment to the goals and ideals of our organization, a message I was honored to convey in my meetings with him as Secretary General. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Francis has actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recalled how the pope prayed for peace in Ukraine for the Ukrainians. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News. President Trump does plan to attend the pope's funeral, posting on X that he and First Lady Melania Trump look forward to that event in Rome. We'll be discussing the legacy and controversies that Pope Francis leaves behind later in the show. So stay tuned. A fresh escalation of trade tensions between the United States and China. The CCP warning other nations against making deals with the U.S. This says President Trump is warning Beijing against cheating and vows to reach deals with Europe. NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao has more. We're going to ultimately have a deal with anyone. As President Trump expresses optimism toward making trade deals with countries that benefit the U.S., China is vowing retaliation against countries that follow U.S.'s lead to isolate Beijing. In a statement, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce says it will take countermeasures against any party reaching a deal at the expense of China's interests. But such threats have not stopped the White House from repeatedly hiking tariffs on China, now to 145 percent, while pausing tariffs on other countries. The administration is also reportedly asking U.S. partners during negotiations to limit dealings with China. President Trump last week stressing he believes that the U.S. has the upper hand. An additional statement that he just shared with me, China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them. They need our money. On Sunday, President Trump warned trading partners over cheating over his sweeping tariffs, listing eight ways they could do so, including currency manipulation, dumping below cost, I.P. theft and transshipping through third countries. The administration has repeatedly criticized China for these exact behaviors. Meanwhile, despite China's attempt to interfere with U.S. talks with trading partners, President Trump says his talks with Europe are going well. I think we're doing really well. We're all set. There's a little transition and that's going to happen. But ultimately, we're going to be the strongest that we've ever been as a nation. The Mexican president today also called her talks with Trump last week on tariffs very productive. Meanwhile, in other news, the president today offering full-throated backing of his defense secretary after reports alleging that Pete Hexeth shared Houthi's attack plan's details in another Signal group chat, this time with his family. It's just fake news. They just bring up stories. I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees. You know, he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people, and that's what he's doing. So you don't always have friends when you do that. Some Democratic lawmakers are demanding Pete Hexeth step down, but the White House denies reports that they are looking for any replacement. And Hexeth himself taking aim at the media. An anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn't matter. A national security adviser, Mike Walls, took responsibility for the Signal group chat back in March that inadvertently included an editor from The Atlantic magazine. President Trump said he called the latest reporting old stuff and also challenged the media to find something new. Reporting from the White House, Aruz Tao, NTD News. Student loans that are in default will now be referred to debt collections starting next month. Roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. The Department of Education is ending a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Vice President J.D. Vance today holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on tariffs. The pair met at Modi's residence in New Delhi, India. India trying to avoid U.S. tariffs and negotiate a trade deal with the Trump administration. Modi's office reporting the two leaders welcome what they're calling the significant progress toward a bilateral trade deal to be finalized this year. The United States is India's largest trading partner, while China is India's chief rival within that region. President Trump pausing tariffs against most countries except for China. The vice president is accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance, whose parents are from India and their three children on this four day tour to India. And President Trump says there's a very good chance Russia and Ukraine will make a peace deal as early as this week. This has both sides accused one another of thousands of violations of an Easter truce. NTD's international correspondent, Ariane Pasdar, has that update. Ukrainian soldiers observed Easter Sunday amid ongoing fighting between Kiev and Moscow. On Saturday, Russia and Ukraine agreed on an Easter Sunday ceasefire. But on Sunday night, both sides accused each other of violating that truce thousands of times. A Ukrainian medic says the fighting never stopped. But there was no ceasefire and there were a lot of injuries. There were a lot of firearm wounds, injuries caused by mine explosions and more. But still, President Trump took to social media on Sunday afternoon, saying hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week. Both will then start to do big business with the United States. On Monday, a Kremlin spokesperson was asked about Trump's timeline for a peace deal. I would like not to comment on that now, especially not about the timing of a peace deal. President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful settlement. Also on Monday, President Trump was asked about a plan for Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. I will be giving you a full detail over the next three days. It will be a very good meeting. He added that there is a good chance Kiev and Moscow will manage to close a peace deal this week. Now, this comes as U.S. delegates are set to travel to Europe this week. They're scheduled to hold talks in the U.K. Special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, talked about the plans of While on Fox News. Take a look. We talked about going forward with a potential ceasefire in the near term. And that's the reason we're returning to London this week to actually lock that down. I think there's tremendous opportunities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that this Wednesday, Ukrainian representatives will be working in London. According to Kellogg, a potential 30 day ceasefire could include sea, air and land activity, as well as industrial targets. This could then lead to a permanent peace deal. Ariane Pastar, NTD News. U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to uphold the preventative care requirement of the Affordable Care Act. Court today hearing oral arguments about the constitutionality of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, which is a panel that determines which preventative care private insurance companies must cover, such as cancer screenings and HIV prevention drugs. Prosecutors in that case argue that this violates the Constitution because the volunteer panel members are not approved by the Senate. For now, only Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas appear to be persuaded. The court is expected to rule by the end of June. Four House Democrats now traveling to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar-Abrego-Garcia without congressional approval. Our Washington correspondent, Louise Martinez, has more. A fact that our president does not recognize the branches of government and the balances of power. This is what we all have been calling a constitutional crisis. We are here to release Kilmar-Abrego-Garcia. That was Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, who, alongside three other House Democrats, traveled to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar-Abrego-Garcia, a Salvadoran national who entered the U.S. illegally and was deported for having ties to MS-13, a foreign terrorist organization. President Trump made it very clear. I'm going to get rid of the gang members, the murderers, the rapists, the terrorists. And this is part of that process. And others like the senator from Maryland are doubling down on an illegal alien when they won't talk about all the Americans who have been harmed by illegal aliens. Last week, Senator Chris Van Hollen, the Democrat from Maryland, traveled to El Salvador and met with Kilmar-Abrego-Garcia. He was sad and traumatized that he was being in prison because he has committed no crimes. And that goes to the heart of this issue, because he's being denied his due process rights. This illegal alien, who is not a resident of the U.S., he is a citizen of El Salvador, actually did have due process in an asylum hearing where his request for asylum was rejected. Over the weekend, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee denied the request from the four House Democrats who traveled to El Salvador to travel as a congressional delegation. And House Minority Leader Akeem Jeffries has distanced himself from their actions. I'm going to really focus on trying to defeat Republican incumbents so we can take back control of the House of Representatives and begin the process of ending this national nightmare that's being visited upon us by far-right extremism. Congress is in recess until April 28th, and Republican lawmakers plan on marking up a reconciliation bill before Memorial Day and also voting on rescissions to make the DOJ spending cuts permanent. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. A New York jury today finding Nadine Menendez guilty in her federal bribery trial. Her husband, former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, was convicted on similar crimes. Nadine Menendez had pleaded not guilty to 15 charges, including conspiracies to commit bribery and extortion. Prosecutors argued that she and her husband were, quote unquote, partners in crime. They both were accused of accepting cash, gold bars and a luxury car. This in exchange for political favors. Jurors began deliberating Friday afternoon, reaching their verdict earlier today. She will be sentenced in June, the same month her husband is expected to report to prison to begin serving an 11-year sentence. The Secret Service now investigating after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem fell victim to a crime on Sunday evening. Her bag, including $3,000 in cash, stolen. It appears to have happened while Noem was eating dinner at a downtown Washington, D.C. restaurant. Secret Service reviewing security camera footage at the restaurant. It showed an unknown white male wearing a medical mask taking Noem's bag and leaving the restaurant. The thief reportedly got away with Noem's driver's license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup, blank checks and the cash. Coming up, nuclear talks could continue between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend, but Iran also meeting with the leaders of the CCP. And perseverance in the face of hardship, a spiritual group in Washington, D.C., commemorating a peaceful appeal that preceded a nationwide persecution throughout China. That and more when we return. Almost lost. As we naturally age, many people are getting zero amount of this incredible and unique substance. That's when we start seeing an impact in our joints, skin, nails and even our digestion. People ask me, Dr. Rex, what is the number one supplement I should be taking? My answer is multi-collagen protein. 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U.S. and Iran talks continuing this Saturday for the third weekend in a row. Presidential Envoy Steve Whitkoff set to speak again with Iran's foreign minister. Both leaders saying last Saturday's discussion productive entities. Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more. U.S. and Iranian officials are holding their next round of nuclear talks in Oman on Saturday. Both countries said that they made progress in their second round of talks this past Saturday in Rome. We don't know the specifics of the negotiations. President Trump has made clear that he wants to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But it's unclear if he's willing to allow them to maintain any nuclear power plants at all. I'm for stopping Iran very simply from having a nuclear weapon. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific. Before these talks take place, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi is meeting with the Chinese Communist Party leaders in Beijing on Tuesday. Now, he went to Russia last week also to discuss the nuclear issue as well, meeting with President Putin. And this comes as tensions are high between the CCP and the U.S. Other than historically high tariffs, Trump is also for the first time sanctioned Chinese oil refineries for purchasing billions of dollars worth of oil from Iran. Now, these refineries in China are giving a lifeline to Iran's economy. The CCP is also sanctioning several members of Congress, other officials and heads of NGOs over recent Hong Kong policies. The regime didn't specify who exactly sanctioned specifically, but this is in response to U.S. sanctions last month on six Chinese and Hong Kong officials over their silencing of pro-democracy activists on U.S. soil. Now, the U.S. is meanwhile saying that China is directly supporting attacks on U.S. interests by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists. There is a Chinese company providing satellite imagery to the Houthis. The Houthis, Beijing support, by the way, of that company, the satellite company, even after we've engaged in discussions with them about this, the fact that they continue to do this is unacceptable. The fact that these talks are taking place between Iran and the U.S. shows a major shift in relations, as the two countries have long been hostile for decades to each other since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. Now, Trump withdrew from an earlier nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, and it has threatened bombing Iran's nuclear sites if negotiations don't pan out. Iran on their end have threatened to pursue an atomic weapon. Steve, back to you. April 25th will mark the 26th anniversary of a historic peaceful appeal inside of communist China. Falun Gong practitioners in Washington, D.C. are commemorating this occasion by raising awareness about the ongoing persecution campaign still happening in China as we speak. Entity Sam Wong has more on this story. I'm here outside the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., where a group of Falun Gong practitioners has gathered behind me. They're here to commemorate a historical event widely believed to be the prelude to a nationwide persecution. Dressed in yellow shirts and doing meditation, the site bears resemblance to what happened in the heart of Beijing nearly 26 years ago. On April 25th, 1999, around 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered peacefully outside the Chinese Communist Party's central headquarters, Zhongnanhai. They were appealing against harassment and suppression of their peers by local authorities in a nearby city. I remember around April 25th, 1999, a fellow practitioner told me that authorities had started arresting people in Tianjin. We all went together to the city hall to appeal and tell them that Falun Gong is good and that they shouldn't arbitrarily detain people. But what ensued was an escalation that no one foresaw. Three months later, Beijing ordered a nationwide persecution against Falun Gong, subjecting up to 100 million Chinese to systematic abuse, incarceration, even death in custody. So my uncle had started practicing Falun Gong in 1997 and in 2001, he was apprehended by the police and sentenced to five years in prison. Many Falun Gong practitioners still face imprisonment. And inside those prisons, they might face all kinds of tortures, brainwashing and mental or physical abuse. Up until April 2025, Minghui.org has reported more than 5,000 Falun Gong practitioners killed inside China. But that total is believed to be a tiny fraction of the actual death toll. The actual number is near impossible to discern because of the regime's systematic efforts to control information and cover up its abuses. According to several independent reports, Chinese authorities are accused of killing tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners to supply the regime's organ transplant industry. The crime against humanity is condemned by human rights groups and government officials around the world. Many of my friends around me were persecuted to death in prison. So I believe we're duty bound to stand up today and call on more people to step forward to help stop the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong. More than a quarter century has passed since the start of the persecution. Falun Gong practitioners are still committed to the same principle they've held there for decades. The values of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance, as well as making their voices heard through peaceful means. Sam Wong, NTD News, Washington, D.C. Coming up, a figure of both guidance and controversy, we explore the legacy of Pope Francis with Matthew Schmalz, founder and editor of the Journal of Global Catholicism. 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Small batch roasted to a decadent medium dark resulting in a brew that is gentle on digestion, low acid and up to 90 percent less caffeine than regular coffee. Try America's first enzyme fermented coffee today. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. Beijing is turning up the heat on its trading partners. How will that ultimately play out? And what does the back and forth retaliation mean for long term relations with the United States? We're joined by Yuan Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, to share her insights. Yuan Sun, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me today. It's great to have you with us. And so China's economy, for all intents and purposes, seems to be in a precarious position. Now, Beijing threatening its trade partners not to cooperate with the United States when it comes to tariffs. What should these nations be considering when deciding on how to respond to the U.S. and China? Yes, I think most of the nations would be very concerned about the potential spillover effect of the U.S.-China tariff war, because currently we know that the tariff on the Chinese products exported to the United States is at least 145 percent. Some of it is as high as 245 percent, right? So what this has created is a Chinese incentive to enhance its utility of the backdoor trade or the transshipment just through its trading partners into the U.S. market, because these countries face significantly lower tariff rates from the United States. Like, for example, for Vietnam, it's somewhere around 45 to 49 percent. So significantly lower than the tariffs that China faces. So these countries would be put in a very difficult position that do they cooperate with China or do they not? If they cooperate with China, they potentially will become the target of the harsher punishment and sanctions, as well as tariff treatment from the United States. But if they do not cooperate with China, they potentially will face retaliation from the Chinese. So this is indeed a precarious position for these trading partners of China as well. Now, the Chinese Communist Party has a carrot and stick approach to relations with other nations. How do you see this ultimately playing out right now? I think for now, what the Chinese are inclined to do is charm offensive, right? Now they're portraying the United States as a destabilizing force in the international system, portraying the U.S. trade policy as not only endangering its own economy, but also threatening the economic health of the global economy, including all these countries in the in the world. So what the Chinese are trying to do is try to play the good guy, the good cop, and make the comparison with a striking contrast between China and the United States, with China being the stabilizing force and the United States being the destabilizer. So I think at this time, the Chinese would be less inclined to using more sticks in their relationship with the other countries, because realistically, these other countries also have to consider if they have to downgrade or significantly decrease some of their relationship and their economic ties with the United States, what is the alternative? So certainly, I would say that China has become a less unattractive partner for a lot of countries because of the available options for them have suddenly become quite limited. To your point, the CCP has an extensive operation to influence how we in the West view it. One might point to TikTok, among many other avenues and outlets that they use. The algorithm there seems to have changed quite a bit recently during this this tariff war influencing American minds. Help us cut through the fog here. What do Beijing's actions following U.S. tariffs show us about their outlook? I have recently been engaged in some of the dialogues with Chinese interlocutors about this specific question. Strangely enough, you get a sense of a very high level, an exuberant level of confidence in China. About the result of the tariff war, they don't believe they're going to lose. And here's why. They think that compared to eight years ago, China is much better prepared for a trade war or decoupling with the U.S. economy. They were able to use the past eight years to build up their internal resilience to decrease, for example, their dependence on U.S. high tech products as well as U.S. technologies. And at the same time, I would say in the past eight years, we're also seeing the Chinese building the backdoor trade into the U.S. market and Southeast Asia and South Asia. That's countries including Canada and Mexico. So I think the Chinese would draw the conclusion that compared to eight years ago, they're in a better position to weather this storm. And that gets to their final conclusion, which is this is only four years. President Trump is in his second term. They don't believe there's going to be another president of the United States, whether he or she is from Republican Party or Democrat Party, would we have as much power and as much determination and resolve as President Trump currently does. So the Chinese believe that, well, if they can keep their head low and undermine the U.S. leadership globally during this four years and try to weather the storm and wait to another day, they have a fighting chance of success. That's how they're processing information. Now, China just sanctioned several U.S. officials and NGOs this after the United States sanctioning Hong Kong officials last month. Where do you think U.S.-China relations are heading? Since April 2nd, the Liberation Day, whenever U.S. imposes additional tariff on China, we see China retaliating in kind. And we're seeing the same pattern emerging from the sanctioning of officials, first from the United States, and China retaliated with its own announcement. So what we are seeing is indeed a game of chicken. It's tit for tat. It's action, reaction and retaliation without a clear exit in sight. So we know that President Trump has made it very clear that China needs to be the first one to call. But I think the Chinese condition for that is that they do want to call. Let's face it. The Chinese economy does face significant headwind because of U.S. tariffs on the Chinese economy. So if there's a chance that they can have a deal, I think they would love to have a deal. But the problem is they also want dignity and respect at the same place, at the same time. And they made it very clear that without that dignity and that respect, the Chinese are not going to vote. So although they're willing to accept a deal, a deal that even includes a certain level of Chinese concessions, they're not willing to accept the humiliation. I think that's where we are. Yun-San, we appreciate you joining us and sharing your perspective. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Pope Francis dying today at the age of 88, the Vatican revealing the cause of death was a stroke followed by a coma and irreversible cardio circulatory collapse. And today's Daniel Monaghan has more on the life and legacy of the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our holy father Francis. Hours before he died, Pope Francis emerged on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. Buona Pasqua! The former cardinal from Argentina had been in hospital for several weeks. He had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia. Francis was elected pope on March 13th, 2013. He was immediately praised as a man of humility, making his first appearance in simple white vestments instead of the more opulent royal vestments of his predecessors. His first Easter, he changed the Holy Thursday ritual where the pontiff washes and kisses the feet of 12 clergymen in remembrance of Jesus' washing the feet of the 12 apostles. Pope Francis instead washed and kissed the feet of 12 prisoners, including some Muslims. The following year, he presided over the marriage of several couples who had been living together and had children out of wedlock. Some of his teachings, specifically on the blessing of homosexual couples, his stance against the U.S.'s crackdowns on illegal immigration and his criticisms of capitalism, sparked dissent among Christians. He also received criticism over a controversial deal with Communist China. The agreement gave Beijing influence over bishop appointments. He leaves behind a global church 1.3 billion strong and a legacy that strove to inspire social and political reforms in and out of that church, rooted in his interpretation of Jesus Christ's teachings on mercy. While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis drew huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he promoted interfaith dialogue and peace. Pope Francis's chosen resting place is the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a site dear to him because of his devotion to the Mother Mary. In a break with tradition, Francis will become the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican. Pope Francis's funeral is still expected to take place in St. Peter's Square in front of the Basilica of St. Peter, where most of his predecessors rest. In the coming days, more than 100 cardinals from around the world will be called to gather in the Vatican Palace to elect the new pope. Completely secluded from the outside world, they will pray, discuss and vote in a secret ballot. This election requires a two thirds majority vote and can take several days with up to four votes happening in a single day. Ballots are burned after each vote, sending a smoke signal to the outside world. Black smoke means no majority. White smoke means a majority has been reached. Once the winning candidate accepts the position, the news is declared Habemus Papam, which translates as we have a pope. Daniel Monaghan and TV News. And to discuss the life, legacy and challenges of Pope Francis, we're happy to have on with us live, Matthew Smalls, the founder, founding editor of the Journal of Global Catholicism. Matthew, it's great to have you with us. Thank you for inviting me. Of course, Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, obviously dying at the age of 88. What legacy in your mind does he leave behind? Well, he leaves a legacy of openness, of mercy and particularly of outreach to those who are marginalized, those whom society has forgotten. And so I think even though his predecessor will be different in some ways, this style of papacy, in addition to its substance, will be quite influential and long lasting. What makes you think that his his next, you know, that the next person in line will be different? And how does he differ from some of his predecessors in some of Pope Francis's teachings, especially his stance on illegal immigration, LGBT issues, has sparked concern within conservative and even the Catholic Church? Well, that is true if you're looking at the United States, which has been the center of opposition to Pope Francis since his pontificate began. I think the cardinals will have a difficult choice in front of them, whether to continue with Pope Francis's reforms to perhaps pull them back or to elect perhaps what could be called a caretaker pope who has Pope Francis's style, but does not make significant doctrinal changes. So we will see. It'll be a complex conclave, especially because it's so diverse. Seems to be. That's what many are saying, including yourself. Briefly, if you could talk to us about the the process for electing a new pope at the Vatican, who are the candidates and how long might it take for us to see the next pope? Well, after a period of mourning in Pope Francis's funeral, the cardinal electors, that is, people who can cast votes for the pope, 138 in number, will meet in what are called general congregations where they'll discuss issues related to the church. Then the conclave will begin in the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals will be locked in. And sometimes conclaves have been very short when there's been a clear candidate emerging even before the pontiff's death. In this case, however, because the College of Cardinals is so diverse, we might have a longer conclave in which various factions vie for influence. And then what might emerge is a compromise candidate, perhaps someone from Asia, perhaps someone from Africa. Now, Pope Francis faced a lot of questions, excuse me, throughout his papacy for striking a deal with China's Communist Party. China, obviously the Communist Party, an atheist regime, no religion, no belief in God, allowing it to have influence over bishop appointments within China. This was a stark contrast to his predecessors like Pope John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church to oppose communists and atheist regimes. What has been the impact of that decision? And could we see a change in policy, if you will, with the next pope? So I think Pope Francis was always open to dialogue, and China has been and is an emerging player in the Catholic world. But his decision has still mystified many. So that might be something that is rolled back by his successor because it is quite controversial, essentially allowing the Chinese regime to determine who is selected as a bishop. So these are controversial issues that his successor will have to deal with. Now, lastly, as Catholics navigate this inflection point in their faith, what qualities are they hoping for in the next pope? I think the qualities initially that Pope Francis himself exemplified simplicity, outreach, mercy, a concern for people at the margins. However, there might be some geopolitical issues that will become involved, especially because Catholicism, certainly in the Western world, is quite polarized. And so we will hope to see a pope that can address those kinds of polarizations and differences, which sadly still persist in the Catholic world. Matthew Smalls, thank you for coming on and sharing your perspective. Thank you for inviting me. Coming up, a potential shakeup in the tech world. This could impact search engines and more. The Department of Justice wants Google to sell off its Chrome web browser. The COVID-19 narrative years later in the CCP's role in the WHO's pandemic response. 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Ban Google from making multibillion dollar deals with Apple and other tech companies that shield its search engine. Make Google share user data with rivals and force the sale of Google's Chrome browser. In its opening arguments, antitrust enforcers also urged the court to impose forward looking remedies to prevent Google from using AI to further its market share. But Google's attorney, John Schmitlein, said that the court should take a much lighter touch. He said that the government's heavy handed proposals wouldn't boost competition, but instead unfairly reward other rivals with lesser technology. The attorney said Google won its place in the market fair and square. In 2024, a federal judge ruled that Google had been making anti competitive deals to lock in its search engine as the go to place for digital information on the iPhone, personal computers and other widely used devices. This includes those running on its own Android software. Now, Google intends to file an appeal on the court's decision from last year, but can't do so until these remedy hearings are completed. Now, after closing arguments are presented in late May, the judge plans to make his decision on the remedies before Labor Day. David Lamb, NTD News. The Trump White House has a new page detailing the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discuss these investigations and how the narrative became so contentious in the first place. We're joined by Joshua Phillips, senior investigative reporter and host of Crossroads at the Epoch Times. Joshua Phillips, great to have you back. Hey, Steve, always a pleasure. Josh, your investigative research actually led the first documentary tracking the origins of the CCP virus. This was in the very early stages. Actually, if people go back and look, do you think most Americans are now aware of the origin story, given how different the narrative was and how lab leak claims were once dismissed as conspiracy theories? Well, you know what happened with the investigations into the virus origin? I think process of elimination has relatively shown that the only plausible thing is lab leak, because, you know, what else have they said? It came from a bat. Which bat? Well, we don't know. It came from a pangolin. OK, give us evidence. That was actually debunked. It came from the Hunan Seafood Market, right? The Wuhan Seafood Market. Nope, didn't come from there. And so every answer the CCP has proposed on where the virus came from has been proven to be fake. And if the individual trying to tell you, you know, where it came from and they keep lying to you and they keep telling you, you're not allowed to look here, you're not allowed to look into this part. And that person keeps lying to you. You're probably going to start thinking maybe it came from that part, right? And then what's happening is every piece of evidence does lead back to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. I'd say process of elimination. Many people are now believing, OK, it probably came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In fact, we're even now finding that U.S. government research covered up until now actually suggested that was the most plausible answer. And I believe what happened was it was too politically sensitive because it has a lot of implications on blaming the Communist Party of China for this whole thing. And it makes them look bad. To your point, Joshua, you know, up until now is what you you know, what you highlight, what role do you think the previous administration's policies played while working with major social media platforms like Facebook, like others to censor COVID related information? And what is the actual fallout in the damage because of this? You know, that's the challenge you have when you try to manage who is credible and who is not credible. What had happened was this. The main authority that was established on, you know, COVID related issues was basically the World Health Organization. The Trump administration, through review, found the World Health Organization could not demonstrate independence from the Chinese Communist Party. We also know there was the proximal origins paper, right? NIH and stuff like that. And their own discussions now, again, shown to the public, but hidden from us for a very long time. It showed the backroom discussions had actually discussed lab leak as being a plausible theory, probably the most plausible, and they covered it up. You were not allowed to question it. And so, you know, what happens when you have a narrative? You're not allowed to question. And there's an entire censorship system set up to go after anybody who does. Well, that has the effect of suppressing valid journalism, of legitimate information. I think it was really damaging. Yeah, the question of who's watching the Watchmen and when that actually comes true and then the skepticism and the follow. It really undermines a lot of our institutions and causes a lot of disbelief, which which can be very damaging all the way down the line. Well, and then people come to conclusions on why it was suppressed. And then that's when you have, you know, conspiracy theories, whatever else. It was it was a self-feeding machine that was really, really harmful, in my opinion. Absolutely. The White House, the current White House, is acknowledging that the WHO's response to COVID-19 actually reflects influence, deep influence from the Chinese Communist Party. How did pressure from China, in your opinion, shape this narrative? And has anything changed since the W within the WHO since then? This is what I've been reporting from the get go. You know, case in point of people who are censored. I was attacked a lot for saying this. The World Health Organization was investigated by the Trump administration during during his first term in office. Again, COVID went into the Biden administration. And so, you know, a lot of that ended. Right. But before Trump left office, they did an investigation into whether the World Health Organization was actually making decisions independent of the Chinese Communist Party. They demonstrated the WHO was not able to demonstrate independence from the CCP. And part of what we saw happen with COVID response was that the narratives were effectively the Chinese Communist Party narratives. The guardrails on investigation were effectively the guardrails on investigation from the Chinese Communist Party. And most importantly, the efficacy of response was based on the China model. And we know they were lying. So what was the Chinese Communist Party doing? It was doing lockdowns. It was doing economic shutdowns. It did, you know, vaccine mandates. It was locking people in their homes. It was carrying out really totalitarian policies. And some would also argue the CCP managed to offset its own economic downturn for several years. By basically shutting down the global economy and then telling foreign investors, China fixed the problem. Come and put your money in China. And they lured in foreign investment in foreign business by doing that. Although they again continue to lock down afterwards, even after saying that, you know, everything worked. And that was why you had publications like New York Times, you know, eating out of their hand all the time, declaring to the world, you know, the China model, state capitalism, as they called it, which is just communism, effectively. It means the state has seized the systems of capitalism, meaning communism. They say state capitalism was shown as the working model against COVID. That was the narrative. Totalitarian communism, the working model against it. The World Health Organization then adopting all of the policies and all the recommendations from the CCP, basing their response model on their model and then recommending that as the response to every other country on Earth. And so the whole world followed what was not a functioning model on the recommendations of the WHO, which was basing its recommendations on the lies of the Chinese Communist Party. It really is remarkable to me that the CCP has been managed, has managed to escape and be let off the hook to the extent that they have for, like you mentioned, allowing the virus to leave while locking down internally. Senior investigative reporter and host of Crossroads at the Epoch Times, Joshua Phillip. Thank you. Pleasure. Thank you. That is all we have for you this evening on The Capitol Report. For round the clock original coverage, you can visit us at ntd.com slash live and download our NTV mobile app from the nation's capital. I'm Steve Lance. Have a great evening. See you back here tomorrow.