Capitol Report Full Broadcast (May 15)

Good evening and welcome to Capital Report on NTD. Here's what's coming up. The Supreme Court today hearing historic arguments on birthright citizenship. The justices looking at whether lower courts overstepped when blocking President Trump's order nationwide. We'll hear from a former state attorney general on the merits of the case. Neither the Russian nor Ukrainian president is set to attend the peace talks tomorrow in Turkey, leaving officials across the world with low expectations. The CCP aims to be ready to invade Taiwan in just two years. How can the U.S. brace for the economic fallout, or better yet, prevent a conflict? We'll have insights from Congressman Zach Nunn. This is Capital Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. I'm Iris Tao in for Steve Lance. World leaders expressed low expectations for the first peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the war began. That says neither the Russian nor Ukrainian president will be attending. But President Trump says he might still stop by if it'll help. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more on the talks in Turkey. As the first meeting between Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war begins, expectations are low. Russian President Vladimir Putin not attending, sending an aide instead to lead the Russian delegation. World leaders calling this delegation low-level. Zelensky was already in Turkey's capital of Istanbul to meet with Turkish President Erdogan on Thursday, and potentially meet Putin. But he sent his foreign minister to the Russia talks instead. President Trump said that he wasn't expecting Putin to attend if he wasn't there himself. When I said, I don't think he's going to go if I don't go, and that turned out to be right. That's as he's finishing up his trip to the Middle East with his last scheduled stop in the UAE. Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, okay? Secretary of State Marco Rubio is facilitating these talks between Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Rubio said that these talks were initiated by Russia in the first place, and that the U.S. came because they were told that there might be direct talks between top officials of Russia and Ukraine. But after seeing the negotiating team that Russia sent, Rubio said that these talks won't bear any fruit. I don't think, we don't have high expectations of what will happen tomorrow. The level of team that was sent by the Russian side is certainly not indicative of one that's going to lead to a major breakthrough. That's as just outside of Turkey's capital, NATO foreign ministers Thursday meeting informally to debate whether to meet the U.S. demands of raising defense spending. 22 of the 32 member countries are meeting their initial aim of spending 2% of their GDP on defense. But the U.S. wants them all to reach 5%, saying that it will make the alliance more self-sustaining rather than relying on funds mostly from the U.S. And at the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also raised the threat of terrorism, Russia and the Chinese Communist Party. China is rapidly building up its armed forces, which is of course a big concern. The top leaders of NATO member countries, including Trump and his counterparts, are meeting in the Netherlands in June. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. Billions in new investments from the United Arab Emirates. That's as the UAE also agrees to further agreement to align itself more with the U.S. when it comes to AI developments. Here's more. Receiving a grand welcome in Abu Dhabi. We've become a very hot country. President Trump announces over $200 billion in commercial deals between the U.S. and UAE bring the total investments from the Gulf region to over $2 trillion, all announced during the president's three-country visit this week. That's your biggest investment that you've ever made, and we really appreciate it, and we're going to treat you very, as you should be, magnificently. The U.S. and UAE on Thursday also signed an AI agreement supporting the $1.4 trillion investment commitment the administration secured back in March. According to the White House, that includes the UAE investing in U.S. data centers and further aligning their national security regulations with the U.S., including, quote, strong protections to prevent the diversion of U.S. origin technology. AI plus, it's a massive project. The AI agreement comes as President Trump pushes for deals to sell advanced U.S. chips to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have been trying to become leading AI powers. But the region's deep ties to China had made the Biden administration cautious about the risk of China getting U.S. chips through the region to use for its own military. That resulted in U.S. restrictions on chip exports to the Middle East. Now the Trump White House says it got countries like the UAE to promise that they'll prevent U.S. technologies from being diverted to China. But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warns that such promises need more scrutiny. We have no clarity on how the Saudis and Emiratis will prevent the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government, the Chinese manufacturing establishment from getting their hands on these chips. That's why we've had such strong restrictions against exporting these chips. Meanwhile, despite the administration's push, it remains to be seen, though, if China, Hoxha and Washington would actually greenlight AI chip shipments to the Gulf region, as that does require a licensing process involving several agencies. Reporting by Iris Tao, NTD News. At the Supreme Court today, several justices appeared skeptical about the Trump administration's request to limit district courts' nationwide injunctions. Some say that if you limit the injunctions, people who don't file claims won't benefit from the rulings. Here are some highlights from today's arguments. Supreme Court justices peppered the Justice Department with questions on Thursday over its request to limit nationwide injunctions. Lower courts in three districts blocked the Trump administration from enforcing its executive order on birthright citizenship. The order limits birthright citizenship to children born to legal permanent residents and immigrants with legal status. Justice Elena Kagan questioned the government on what would be the quickest remedy going forward if nationwide injunctions were not allowed. Let's just assume you're dead wrong. How do we get to that result? Does every single person that is affected by this EO have to bring their own suit? Are there alternatives? How long does it take? How do we get to the result that there is a single rule of citizenship that is the rule that we've historically applied, rather than the rule that the EO would have us do? Solicitor General John Sauer suggested that plaintiffs could file a class action lawsuit, which led to this back and forth with Kagan. Rule 23 would be one natural path, assuming that a class could be certified, which we might dispute in this particular case. Well, you might dispute it. I think the question is, is there a class that's just all children of people who have entered illegally? Is that an appropriate class? Can the same thing be done under Rule 23? Or are you going to tell me that no, Rule 23 has lots of requirements and you'll never be able to certify a class like that? Rule 23 provides the equitable tools subject to rigorous criteria, appropriately rigorous criteria to obtain that kind of class widening. One of the biggest concerns for Justices Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett was that affected individuals who didn't file claims could have to wait years before getting any relief. Chief Justice John Roberts reminded them that the court has made quick decisions in the past. Three years, four years. We've been able to move much more expeditiously. I think we did the TikTok case in a month. Some justices mix the merits of the underlying case with the question before the court, which is about nationwide injunctions. The president is violating not just one, but by my count, four established Supreme Court precedents. So as far as I see it, this order violates four Supreme Court precedents. And you are claiming that not just the Supreme Court, that both the Supreme Court and no lower court can stop an executive from universally from violating those holdings by this court. Other justices expressed concern about how the states would carry out the law going forward if they ruled in the government's favor. Plaintiffs argued that there would be chaos if nationwide injunctions were not allowed. The Supreme Court will make its decision before its term ends in June. Now for more on the Supreme Court, here to discuss the legal implications of the Burt Rice citizenship case is former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill. Curtis, great to have you on the program with us. Thank you for having me. So the Supreme Court today weighing President Trump's order to end citizenship by Burt for children of illegal immigrants. From a legal perspective first, what's the reasoning behind this and what are the just judges here really considering? Well, you're talking about a provision that comes from the Civil War era itself, a provision that provided for the former black slaves to be given citizenship based upon Burt. It wasn't intended to be an immigration issue, certainly not as it's by day. So the issues become, if you look at the language in the actual provision, are these individuals subject to the jurisdiction of the court? And someone, the position that would support the executive orders would say, absolutely not, that these are children who are born here to illegal parents who had no jurisdiction to the court, so therefore they don't belong in this country. It's a, I think it's a very strong argument, but on the other side, you have those who would suggest that there's been 150 years of precedent that would suggest otherwise. And now it also appears that even if the court does end up blocking the Burt Rice citizenship order, they may still limit the ability of the judges to curtail the president. Judges have issued over 40 national injunctions since President Trump began his second term. Explain for us here how this works and what it would mean if SCOTUS actually rules on this. Well, that seems to be the biggest question in this particular ruling today, is what to do about the nationwide injunctions. And it's a very serious problem, it's a constitutional crisis. To allow one federal district judge to have that much power really tilts the balance of the balance of government. So it's imperative that the Supreme Court come down on limiting the scope of a one or a single federal district judge. We're seeing it in cases where one action is stopping the executive authority of the president in its tracks, and then we're getting mixed signals from one district court to another district court. So this is a very important time for the court to take action, limiting the lower courts so that we can have a fair and equitable balance between our federal government partners. And meanwhile, in another high-profile case today, a Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded not guilty to obstructing ICE agents as she's accused of diverting them away from a legal immigrant who was in her own courthouse and letting him out a side door. Now she's claiming a judicial immunity. First, explain to us what is judicial immunity and how strong is her defense in your opinion? Well, judicial immunity is rightfully a protection to give the courts that allow for judges to have latitude in how they conduct their jobs. And typically judges have control over the courtrooms, every aspect of what goes on. But this is outside the scope of typical judicial immunity. It's one thing for a requirement that a judge cooperate with the federal government. That's not what we're talking about here. The allegation is that she opened up the side door and let the guy out, basically facilitated his escape from what was known to be custody. That's specifically opposing a federal agency. I don't think there's going to be immunity for that particular action. And finally, back to the Supreme Court here. A ruling by the justices today could make it easier to accuse police of unreasonable force. And this was a unanimous decision about considering the circumstances in the case of a 2016 shooting. Why did they make this ruling and what impact did this have? Well, this was a case that involved what's called the moment of threat. Typically the courts are looking at a police action shooting and they're able to consider only the moment of threat for consideration as to what should occur and how liability should apply. This expanded action, really, and I like it, I think it's very suitable for police actions, for police officers who do the right thing to want to have all of their activities, all of the actions be scrutinized. So what it does is it expands beyond simply the moment of the threat and allows the trier of fact to examine all of the events that happened prior to and subsequent to the actual shooting itself. I think that's a solid standard. I think that any good police officer would want the entirety of the circumstances to be reviewed and I think the justices by unanimous decision agree. And finally, back to illegal immigration here. The justices are also considering the Trump administration's request to end humanitarian parole for over 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. What is the status of the administration's legal battles right now over using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members? Well, again, because of the single district judges being able to have such power to create nationwide injunctions and such, you've got some judges that have suggested that the president doesn't have the authority. Just yesterday, we had a judge, a federal judge that said the president did have a specific authority and laid out a framework to provide for due process in the process. So what we really need to see is the Supreme Court step up and engage into this process so that we can have this settled once and for all. Well, very timely insights here. Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, appealing, appearing in court today. The mayor, Ras Baraka, is facing a misdemeanor charge after allegedly trespassing at a New Jersey detention center last week. His lawyers are now seeking to have the charge dismissed. The incident took place on Friday outside the Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Center. The mayor and three other Democratic members of Congress were protesting plans to open the 1,000-bed processing center. One of the mayor's lawyers argues that Baraka was invited to the facility and was outsided when he was handcuffed and detained. The lawyers say that they're seeking dismissal on the grounds that the Trump administration is selectively prosecuting the Democratic mayor. The defense plans to file the motions next month. And yesterday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem spoke on this case. She called the protest a political stunt that put the safety of federal agents at risk. Two hundred people reportedly attended the protest, and Noem further accused the three Coming up, a bipartisan House panel dwells into the CCP's military coercion against Taiwan. Details on the hearing and China's plan to potentially take the island by force. And Vice President J.D. Banz honors law enforcement during National Police Week, one of the largest events remembering the men and women who lost their lives while upholding law and order. That and more when we return. 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I envisioned a whole future with him already. To throw the first football to him, give him ice cream for the first time. I'm happy because he's advancing in life. My life is now devoted to his life. Welcome back. I'm Iris Tao. China is positioning itself to invade Taiwan by 2027. If that happens, it could tip the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and further impact the U.S. and the world. A hearing today at the House Select Committee on the CCP examines Beijing's military aggression against a self-ruled island. NDD's Dan Wong has the details. Let me close with this. We are not seeking war. We are trying to prevent one. And prevention only works if Xi believes that the cost of aggression is too high to bear. On Capitol Hill Thursday, the center of the focus, China's military aggression against a self-ruled democracy that the CCP claims is a breakaway territory. U.S. intelligence and military officials warned that China is planning to invade Taiwan by 2027, an undertaking that could put America's security on the line and cost the world trillions of dollars in one single year. When you look at the economic devastation that will occur worldwide, if China takes over Taiwan, it will impact the everyday lives of Americans. It will further isolate the United States from influence across the world. It will allow the malign influence of China to grow in a region that we cannot allow it to grow. And the first step is Taiwan. We've got to stand strong with them. Despite having no legitimate control over the island, the Chinese Communist Party has stepped up war games around Taiwan in recent years. The regime mobilizes Navy, air, ground and rocket forces, all to repel what Beijing calls Taiwan's independence. Last year, Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwan's air defense zone more than 3,000 times. These red lines around the island are basically the path of Chinese warplanes as they traversed the air defense zone surrounding Taiwan. The future fate of Taiwan could have national security implications for the United States. The island manufactures most of the world's semiconductors, a critical technology that Americans use in virtually everything, from computers and smartphones to military equipment like fighter jets. What should everyday Americans know about China's military positioning against Taiwan? The Chinese entire apparatus from the People's Liberation Army down is built on both a one belt one road that all goes back to Beijing. This is not about helping the world. It's about harming the United States. It's about enfranchising folks in Beijing and actually hurting the Chinese people themselves. We don't want to be in a situation five years from now, we've allowed the Chinese to have the upper hand and they're the ones trying to dictate the terms to every American on Main Street versus us having the ability now to help drive a more amicable future. Earlier this year, House lawmakers reintroduced the bipartisan Taiwan Allies Act, a bill aimed at helping countries that could be vulnerable to the CCP's economic coercion due to their relations with Taiwan. Reporting from Capitol Hill, Sam Wang, NTD News. What can the U.S. do to prepare for the economic fallout of a potential conflict in Taiwan? To discuss, NTD's Steve Lanz sat down with Congressman Zach Nunn. Congressman Zach Nunn, thank you so much for joining us. Privileged to be on today and thanks so much for having us and really taking a focus on what the China Select Committee is doing to try and address both our ally Taiwan as well as the threat coming from the communist regime in Beijing. Of course, and speaking of Taiwan, Xi Jinping has ordered the CCP's military, the PLA, to be ready to take Taiwan by force by 2027. That's right around the corner. Talk to us about what signals this sends right now and how much of a threat this really could be. So I think right now we have an administration that is standing firm against China. It's one of the things that we've championed both with the Trump administration and administrations before him to the extent that we can, holding China accountable today will be much better than trying to get into a trade war or worse, a kinetic, meaning real war with China years down the road. Here's what we know. Right now, Taiwan has done an exceptional job of leading in its own defense. The United States has been a partner here, but it's not the United States alone. We have Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the number one purchaser of F-35s, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and now more and more of our European allies are coming into this fray as well, from the UK to what we're seeing out of India and others. Standing with Taiwan because they recognize that Taiwan is a symptom, not a singularity, when it comes to China's aggression, both in the South China Seas, but their long-term aspirations potentially throughout the world of achieving things by military force that are a complete non-starter for the rest of the world. Now, today, the ranking member of the CCP Select Committee, Representative Krishnamoorthy, presented some pretty impactful economic data. He said that if the CCP were to invade Taiwan, this would hit the global GDP by nearly double as much as the COVID-19 pandemic. We know what that's done to the global economy. You've introduced bipartisan legislation to attack this. Tell us what we should know here. Whether China decides to embargo, blockade, or outright invade Taiwan, the results could be catastrophic and cascading across the globe. Look, first and foremost, still 90% of the advanced semiconductors that are produced in Taiwan, used by the entire world, would be cut off. As was highlighted in a bipartisan way, this could cause an economic destruction that would rock over the entire world. We're talking about things we haven't seen since World War II, economic GDP collapses. No one wants to see this happen, including the American people, or candidly, the Chinese people. So we need to have a real-world assessment of what needs to happen. I was recently with Admiral Paparo, the head of Indo-PACOM, and I'm proud to say he has a minute-by-minute approach to how to deter, how to stop, and how to respond if a Chinese incursion was made in a military sense upon the island of Taiwan, which is a good thing for all of us. Our bigger challenge here is that we have a harder time identifying how we would economically respond and how we would fortify ourselves here domestically in the United States if this conflict, or the threat of conflict, took place. We can plan out a military operation, and as a 20-year Air Force veteran who's done operations in the South China Sea, I know how to respond to the PLA. What we can't be prepared for, or what we aren't prepared for, is an economic impact that could have ripple-on effects to the United States. So we're leading legislation right now in a bipartisan way to really create resiliency for the U.S. economy, engage our top secretary cabinets, as well as our industry leaders to say, how can we better prepare the U.S. economy to be copper-bottomed if a conflict in Taiwan were to kick off? We're seeing a lot of legislation, more than ever over the past two or so years, when it comes to the Chinese Communist Party, being passed, a lot of it bipartisan, which is refreshing. It's long overdue in D.C. that both parties start working together on a common cause, and I think that we all see the economic success of the United States, and candidly, the economic success of the world, starts with good leaders thinking strategically about how we hold potential adversaries accountable. Xi Jinping has identified multiple times a one-belt, one-road initiative that only leads to success in Beijing, not even for the people of China. I think the United States, with our allies, is really looking at a way that we can expand economic success for the American people, have a world order that truly is based on free trade and mutual success, and candidly, that's something that both Republicans like myself and Democrats on the other side of the aisle not only should be working together on, but are working towards long-term strategic solutions to make this a reality. Talk to us about, lastly, your Stop Fentanyl Act. So this is one that I feel very important about. I was recently at the southern border under the Biden administration, and we saw with our own eyes military-age Chinese men entering into the country, oftentimes with large backpacks or even with women and children who were in tow. Tragically, we saw too often that these individuals were rolled up and had the components for fentanyl, but even more so had the real-world casualties of this human slave trade coming across in the form of human trafficking. At a distribution center, we saw Chinese men in the United States speaking in Mandarin, ordering women as they came off the bus, you're coming with us, you will go here, you will do this. And whether that ends up in a sweatshop or whether that ends up in a prostitution ring, the reality is we have over 40,000 shell companies in the United States today that are operating on behalf of the CCP. The Stop Fentanyl Act is a great step forward in making sure that we root out the source causes for this happening. It's chemical components being produced in China with the Chinese government fully knowledgeable, exported to Mexico, and then sent to the United States, meaning that it is now the number one cause of death in America for folks my age down to my senior and high school's age. This is a direct attack not just on the American people, but it's wiping out a generation of Americans. We've got to be clear here that China, the source of this fentanyl, has got to crack down on it and not export its poison or its third column into the United States. And so I think working on this together, we have the opportunity to one, hold China accountable, stop the deaths, and hopefully save the lives of people who want to come to the United States legally, but too many of those that have come here and now find themselves enslaved by folks back in Beijing. Congressman Zach Nunn, really appreciate you joining us. It's a privilege to join you. Thank you guys so much for what you do. Vice President J.D. Vance honoring law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. NDD's correspondent Jason Blair has the highlights from the National Police Week event. We are proud to stand behind the men and women in blue, and we will keep on doing it every day for the next three and a half years. God bless you. Vice President J.D. Vance spoke to tens of thousands in front of the U.S. Capitol in appreciation of law enforcement officers. These men and women chose their careers not for enrichment or self-exaltation, and as you all know, not because it pays better than every job on earth, but for the unshakable belief that we have a civilization that is worth defending. He also spoke in honor of those who lost their lives while on the line of duty. Their names will never be forgotten, nor will their heroic act of service, which inspire our nation and fill us with great purpose. He spoke of a few specific cases, including a recent incident involving Deputy Larry Henderson, who was killed while directing traffic in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was attacked and killed by a man he'd never even met, a man who we now know targeted Deputy Henderson simply because he was an officer of the law. Vance's talk was part of National Police Week, a week of events which include a parade, conferences, a barbecue, and memorials. The vice president also hosted a law enforcement breakfast at his residence on Thursday morning. During the breakfast, he says that the administration wants to make it easier for police officers to do their jobs. We want to make it harder for people to sue police officers when they're acting appropriately in the line of duty. We want to make it so that when you guys are out there keeping us safe and you're of course worried about all the bad guys, you're not also worried about bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. preventing you from doing the job that the American people need you to do. National Police Week started in 1962 with a proclamation by President John F. Kennedy. Since then, tens of thousands travel from around the globe to attend the event. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. Coming up, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio talking today about the stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. What are the barriers to a potential breakthrough? We'll discuss with Thomas Barnett, author of America's New Map. It currently takes several years for Vance's weapons systems to be delivered to U.S. allies. Are they properly equipped to wage war alongside the U.S. military? More on that 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 percent blockage in my main artery and a 75 percent 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. 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Thank you. I'm excited to announce that we're having a huge sale on overstock and brand new products. For example, My Pillow for Kill Bedsheets. Every color, every style, every size, only $29.88. Our for Kill Bedsheets are breathable, cool and crisp, and they're perfect for spring and summer. And check out Rev7, the next generation of energy drinks. It tastes great, and it gives you energy all day with no jitters and no crashes. Best of all, it's actually good for you. And for a limited time, try our three-pack absolutely free. So go to mypillow.com or call the number on your screen. Use your promo code to save 20% on our Rev7 12-packs, or try our introductory three-pack, absolutely free. And our for Kill Bedsheets, all sizes, only $29.88. Twin size, full size, queen size, king sizes, all $29.88. Inventory is extremely limited at this price, so order now. Welcome back. I'm Iris Tao. Stalled peace talks between Ukraine and Russia as Putin was not seen today in Turkey. What will it take to make progress? To discuss, we'll have on Thomas Burnett, author of America's New Map and senior business strategist at ThruLine Inc. Thomas, great to have you on. Thanks for having me. So Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented today on the stalled peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Let's listen to what he has to say. It's abundantly clear that the only way we're going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin. It's going to require that level of engagement to have a breakthrough in this matter. I don't think anything productive is actually going to happen from this point forward. And President Trump today also said that substantial progress needs to come when he and Putin actually meet. And today, UK Prime Minister Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of, quote, dragging his feet. Is Putin the main obstacle right now to a ceasefire at this point? And do you expect President Trump to step in personally? I think it's pretty obvious that Putin's the main roadblock here. He has essentially cast this conflict as the West trying to destroy Russian civilization. So he really can't allow any sort of outcome to unfold that isn't the complete submission of Ukraine and basically the eradication of its culture. Anything short of that, based on how he's framed this fight today, would put in question the nature of his rule, because he has presented himself as the grand champion of the Slavs against Western civilization. And so any sort of compromise in Ukraine just would not be acceptable. And that's why I think we have to understand that while we look at this as an endless war that combatants would naturally like to seek some sort of exit from, from Putin's perspective, he's perfectly fine with this going on for as long as necessary. And speaking of foreign defense and commitment to Ukraine amid this war, NATO foreign ministers today met while the U.S. demands that they increase defense spending. How do you expect NATO to frame its commitment to Ukraine in the months ahead? I think they're going to describe it both as a catalyst, a reason for them to put more money towards defense, and as a justification, proof positive that the Russians are a threat. NATO was created originally to stand up to Soviet aggression, and I don't think it should apologize whatsoever for making the same argument explicitly with regard to Russian aggression. I think it's going to be hard for them, almost impossible to meet something like a 5% of GDP spent on defense requirement. I think they can manage 3%, which would put them just a little bit less than the United States, which averages about 3.3%. And speaking of this, President Trump was in Qatar earlier before traveling to the UAE, and speaking about the U.S. getting involved in the Gaza Strip and turning it into a, quote, freedom zone. What exactly would that mean, and what message do you think it sent to talk about this while on his Middle East tour? I think the whole messaging about a long-term future for Gaza really is Trump implicitly okaying Israel's plan and efforts basically to eradicate Gaza as a separate entity and to drive out all the Palestinians from that area and basically annex it and claim it for either Jewish settlers or for some sort of long-term development along the lines that President Trump is indicating. I think that's his way of signaling, in effect, Israel's green light to basically deconstruct and eliminate the Gaza Strip. They can't eliminate Hamas, but they can eliminate the Gaza Strip, and I think that's basically what's happening. President Trump did talk about, though, during his speeches for the past few months, that he wants to rebuild Gaza into this potentially prosperous, even real estate region for the Palestinians to potentially have a chance to come back after this area is cleared out and redeveloped. What do you think about that prospect? What do you think about that argument that we need to fix this place first? Right. I think the idea of a Riviera in what is presently the Gaza Strip, some sort of fantastic vision of a future shining city that's open to the world and is an international city like Beirut was, say, 40, 50 years ago, I think that's just all way beyond Donald Trump's term. I think they're going to be digging out the rubble from that place for years. I think just clearing the debris and continuing with the demolition of buildings and the driving out of the 2 million Palestinians still living there, that's going to consume the entirety of this term. And when he's projecting these very positive long-term futures, I don't think they're going to be realized under his watch whatsoever. But it is, like I said before, a way of implicitly signaling that the United States backs Israel in its plan and its efforts, which I think are quite determined and pretty systematic, to basically destroy and eliminate Gaza as a strip, as a separate political entity within the state of Israel. And President Trump, throughout his Middle East trip this week, has been signaling the message that he wants different leaders in the Middle East to really put aside their differences and potentially come to realize what they agree on and what's beneficial to their own countries. And it also comes with a message to Iran, both an olive branch, as he calls it, and a warning saying that, no, the U.S. wants to make a deal over its nuclear program, and also saying that the U.S. is, quote, very close to reaching a nuclear deal with Iran. That's his comment today, adding that Tehran, quote, sort of agreed to the terms already. How realistic do you think that actual progress is, and what do you expect to come out of this? I think it actually is fairly realistic. I think the Iranians are very scared now that the Israelis have basically decimated their access of resistance, all those insurgent groups and terror networks and whatnot, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis. They've decimated them across the board. Iran feels very much on its back foot, very much is concerned about a massed U.S.-Israeli strike against its nuclear facilities, very much interested in resurrecting the old Obama nuclear deal that Trump pulled us out of years ago, and now is basically reproposing. So there's some irony. If the deal is good enough now, why didn't we keep it for the last seven, eight years? But I think it's just bumping up against the reality that this is the best deal we're going to get. It was a good deal back when Obama cut it. I think Trump is coming to the same conclusion now, and he'll cast it as something new and different, but it's really basically a resurrection of the old Obama pact. Well, we'll see what comes out of the administration as well as potential announcements when it comes to Middle East after President Trump returns to the U.S. Thomas Barnett, author of America's New Map. Thank you so much for coming on today. Thank you. Are U.S. allies properly equipped to wage wars alongside the U.S. military? Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee examined the main causes of delays and hurdles with foreign military sales. Our Washington correspondent, Luis Martinez, has more on the story. It currently takes an average of 18 months for a foreign military sales contract to be awarded, but it can take several years before weapons systems are actually delivered to U.S. allies. We agree we need to spend money. We're scared to death of what Russia is doing, but we can't go by yourself because, number one, we can't get approval from your government, and number two is your defense contractors can't produce it on time. OK, so I mean, how foolish is this? We know Putin is a danger, right? And because of bureaucracy not getting this done, this doesn't make any sense. Republican senators argued for the need to expedite foreign military sales deliveries to close allies like Israel, Taiwan and NATO nations. Democrats agreed that the procurement process needs updating. We are we are to make a decision. We are. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out Taiwan, our NATO allies, Israel. Those are those actually are pretty easy. We should have we should have policies that make it easy for allies, those in treaty arrangements with us to avoid some of the needless delays in these practices. So there are a range of things that we can do to make the process a lot better. But I'm going to accept what they agreed with, which is that the agency responsible should have the kind of updated authorities that will enable them to get on with this. This week, the Trump administration announced over 150 billion dollars in foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Any reactions to comments made by Senator Murphy that he wants to see a larger scrutiny to the latest weapons sales that the Trump administration announced in the Middle East to Saudi Arabia? Yes, there's such a possibility for corruption in those sales that greater scrutiny by Congress. They may be fine. But when you see real estate deals or crypto investments or a private plane being gifted to the president, it raises real concerns. And Congress needs to take a look. Republicans rejected the bribery accusations but agreed that oversight is needed. Well, I'm not surprised that they would characterize, mischaracterize the president that they're not particularly happy with. But we do exercise oversight. It's one of our roles. There's room for plenty of oversight. It's important to note that in fiscal year 2024, the United States made 117 billion dollars to foreign military sales. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. With President Trump securing the return of Hamas hostage Eden Alexander, there is a window now to free the remaining hostages. We'll speak with Eli David, whose brother is still being held by Hamas, when we come back. Say goodbye to our coffee and hello to a delicious, smooth brew. With specialty quality beans expertly roasted in-house, you'll taste the difference with every sip. Fermented with a load of 50 enzymes, today's coffee delivers a rich brew like no other. Made with the highest grade specialty beans available, you're sure to taste the difference. Elevate your morning with today's enzyme fermented coffee. Stay tuned to get a free month of home warranty protection. 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Call in the next five minutes and as our special offer, you'll receive free limited roof coverage. That's over $100 in savings. This offer won't last long. Call now to lock in your rate and save big. Call 800-216-9114. 800-216-9114. If you need to do something to feel okay to drive, you're not okay to drive. Don't drive buzzed. Welcome back. I'm Iris Tao. The brother of the Hamas hostage is not giving up on his fifth trip to Washington. NDD Steve Lin sat down with Eli David to discuss his efforts to bring his brother home. Eli David, thank you so much for joining. Thank you for having me. It's great to have you with us, Eli. On October 7th, your 23-year-old brother, Eviatar, was taken away violently by the Hamas terrorists. This was while he was attending the Nova Music Festival. What do you know right now about his condition? And have you heard from him? Do we know if he's still alive? So he was kidnapped actually when he was 22. And until now, he marked his second birthday on captivity. So he's 24. On the same day, on October 7th, Hamas released a video of him. We saw him inside a dark cell inside Gaza Strip. He was handcuffed and terrified, looking straight into the camera. Him and also his friend Guy, they were kidnapped together from the Nova. And for a very long period of time, we had essentially nothing. And we had to believe and really manifest Eviatar's return and believe that he's alive. But last February, Hamas released another video which showed Eviatar and Guy while they were forced to watch their friends being released. And in that cynical, sick video, they shut the door closed in their faces and then asked them to beg for their lives. And as far as we know, after the camera was off, they were sent back into the dungeon where they got out. They were sent back into that place. So talk to us about your brother. What was he like? And what was it like when you first found out proof that he was actually still alive? So actually in that day when this video was released in February, it was three months ago. And I was here in Washington, D.C. I was advocating for him. And I just went to CPAC to meet with some officials and some influential people. And it suddenly popped out, this video on Telegram. And it was so mixed because it was amazing. It's the first sign of life after 500 days. It's crazy. It's more than... It's almost a year and a half into this crazy, crazy situation. And also all the world could see how cruel the captors are. That they use mental and emotional abuse, not only physical abuse. But also it was very hard for me to watch my kid brother, my baby brother in that horrible situation. I saw the despair in his eyes. We have the same body language. So I really understood him. I saw him. He wanted to cry. He wanted to burst into tears. He's such a gentle soul, my brother. But he wouldn't give it to the terrorists. And after that came the evidence. And we know that they are being held in a very narrow tunnel. It's a three and a half feet on 30 feet. And they are forced to do their needs right next where they eat and sleep. They have no connection to the outside world. They're completely disconnected. There's no day and night. And somehow they need to survive. They're being preserved. Very small amount of food, very small amount of water. And somehow they managed to survive. But I'm actually, I'm most afraid for their sanity and for their emotional state. That's what freaks me out the most. So from what I understand, you are receiving some bipartisan support. Senator John Ossoff, Democrat, has adopted your brother's case, taken very big notice to it. Explain what it means to a hostage family when, like you mentioned, some of these influential folks and elected leaders speak out on his behalf. So I came here to the States to make Eviatar visible, to make people know his story, to personalize and individualize Eviatar. He's not only a name. He's not only a number. He's a human being. Eviatar is a brilliant guitar player. And we play music every week. And actually, that's what helps me to stay hopeful, to remember that in the end, Eviatar comes back. We play music again. He hugs my parents. And he's also the best son to my parents that I know. And I really learned from him to be a good son. Speaking of your parents, what has the psychological abuse been like on them and the rest of your family, including yourself? They're devastated. They don't have the privilege that I have to come here. I try to fight for them. I try to fight for Eviatar and also for my younger sister, which is 20. So they are completely destroyed. And we are trying to stay with our heads above water. And it's so hard. But we know that while Eviatar survives and we can feel him, we can feel that he survives, we don't have the luxury of giving up. So we have to fight until he's back. Eli David, really appreciate you joining us to share the story. And we really hope that your brother will be back home soon and safe. Thank you. That's all we have for you tonight on The Capital Report. I'm Iris Tao. Have a nice evening. We'll see you back here tomorrow.