Capitol Report Full Broadcast (June 27)

The Supreme Court rules to limit judges' powers to block one of Trump's executive orders, what it means for the president's plans, and what the high court says. The president tells NTD about the impact of his legal victory, plus why Trump is stopping all trade talks with Canada. Several other important rulings from SCOTUS today, including the cases relating to age verification on adult websites and LGBT storybooks in schools. This is Capitol Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. I'm Jack Bradley, in for Steve Lance tonight. The Supreme Court rules to limit the power of judges to issue nationwide injunctions. The case was over a lower court ruling that halted President Trump's executive order to end automatic birthright citizenship. NTD's correspondent, Jason Blair, has more. In a six to three ruling, the Supreme Court says nationwide injunctions, quote, likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has given to federal courts. The case is based on a nationwide injunction that stopped President Trump's executive order to stop automatic birthright citizenship. The high court didn't issue a final ruling on whether that executive order is constitutional. Attorney General Pam Bondi responded, saying today the Supreme Court instructed district courts to stop the endless barrage of nationwide injunctions against President Trump. This Department of Justice will continue to zealously defend the president's policies and his authority to implement them. J.D. Vance responded by saying a huge ruling by the Supreme Court smacking down the ridiculous process of nationwide injunctions. Under our system, everyone has to follow the law, including judges. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote on behalf of the majority that when a court concludes that the executive branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power to. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote on behalf of the dissenting judges, saying that the court has, quote, abdicated its vital role in fighting for the survival of the nation's democracy. Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Federal Courts and Oversight Subcommittee, has expressed concern that certain jurisdictions are purposefully being chosen for cases involving President Trump's actions. That the number of nationwide injunctions issued in the first four months is greater than the entire 20th century and is greater than all of the nationwide injunctions issued against Bush, Obama and Biden combined. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has spoken in favor of the federal courts blocking the president's orders. He's breaking the law and doing it a lot, and judges are doing their job. The Supreme Court also stayed any enforcement of Trump's automatic birthright citizenship executive order from taking effect for 30 days. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. President Trump tells NTD that his major win at the Supreme Court will empower Congress and future presidents. He also calls off trader talks with Canada and announces a new timeline for a ceasefire in Gaza. NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao brings us this report. In a major victory for President Trump, the Supreme Court on Friday in a 6-3 ruling limited the ability for lower courts to block President Trump's executive orders. President Trump spending an hour on Friday taking questions from all kinds of reporters in the briefing room. He tells NTD that he believes the ruling will give powers back to the Congress and future presidents. Iris Tao with NTD, Registered Media with the Alpac Times. Thank you so much for doing this. It's very refreshing for all of us here in this room. It's refreshing? Very refreshing, yes. Probably. We haven't had this in, you know, quite a few years. I understand what you mean. So thank you so much for coming out. Back to the ruling today, if you don't mind. So you have always talked about winning for the American people. Right. How do you think today's ruling will enable you to further deliver for American families and workers across the country? Well, I think taking power away from these activists is going to be very difficult. I think it's going to be very difficult. Absolutely crazy. Radical left judges is a tremendous, this is such a big day. Gives power back to people that should have it, including Congress, including the presidency. While the ruling was given in the case surrounding birthright citizenship, it goes way beyond that. Trump says the administration can now properly file to proceed on a number of policies that were also blocked by nationwide injunctions. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticizing those attempts to hinder the administration. 94 districts and 35 out of the 40 opinions with nationwide injunctions came from five liberal districts in this country. No longer will we have rogue judges striking down President Trump's policies across the entire nation. In another development, President Trump on Friday said a potential ceasefire between Israel and Gaza could be possible within the next week. It comes as he cheers the peace agreement between Rwanda and Congo and calls recent achievements. For a few short months, we've now achieved peace between India and Pakistan, Israel and Iran, and the DRC and Rwanda. Meanwhile on trade, President Trump announced on Friday that he's ending all trade talks with Canada. That over Canada's new digital services tax that Trump says is targeting American tech companies. Reporting from the White House, I'm Ruth Tao, NTV News. In addition to handing the president a legal victory in the birthright citizenship case, the Supreme Court issued several other major rulings today. Those decisions revolve around LGBT books and children's exposure to adult websites. NTV's David Lam has the details on those cases and more. Several major rulings came out of the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday. In Maryland, for religious reasons, parents can opt their young children out of school storybook lessons that promote LGBTQ lifestyles. Another great decision that came down today, the trans books case, which restores parents' rights to decide their child's education. Seems like a basic idea, but it took the Supreme Court to set the record straight, and we thank them for that. And now that ruling allows parents to opt out. It was a 6-3 decision that reversed an appeal that claimed a school board's policy didn't infringe on parents' constitutional right to religious exercise. I think it's a great ruling for parents. It's really a ruling for parents. They lost control of the schools. They lost control of their child. And this is a tremendous victory for parents. The Supreme Court also upheld a Texas law that requires age verification to access adult websites. It requires users to present government-issued ID with the aim of blocking minors from explicit content. I believe it's more than 30% of its content that is pornographic, that they must make a process that the person going on their website to view their website and its content has to prove their age. In another ruling, the court upheld a provision of the Affordable Care Act that says the structure of the government's preventive services task force is constitutional, allowing it to continue working. This means that about 150 million people will continue getting free preventive services. In yet another 6-3 decision, the justices ruled that an FCC program that provides telephone and internet services to rural communities and low-income Americans can continue. The Supreme Court said Congress's delegation to the FCC for the program didn't violate the Constitution. David Lam, NTD News. We're one week away now from July 4th. The target Republican lawmakers and President Trump have set for themselves to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill. How close are Republicans to achieving their goals, and what are Democrats doing in Congress given that they're left out of this reconciliation process? For that, we have our Washington correspondent Luis Eduardo Martinez in studio right now to break down the latest coming from Capitol Hill. Luis, thanks so much for joining us here. I want to get into the latest on Congress right now. So the Senate just voted to pass or deny the War Powers Act, shot down. What does that say about how lawmakers make of the President's strikes on Iran? Of course, well, you just mentioned that Democrats are left out of the reconciliation process, so this is one of the things that Democrats have been doing to try and push back against Republicans' agenda. In this case, the War Powers Act resolution is a resolution that seeks to limit the President's authority to wage war. In particular, it would have prohibited the President to take any further action on Iran without congressional approval, but the vote just finished some five minutes ago, and it was struck down. Party line votes, 53 Republicans voted against it, 47 Democrats supported it. Now, let's remember that the President is the commander in chief of the armed forces, but the prerogative to declare war is left for Congress. Now, that is a prerogative that Congress has relinquished for decades now. We know that Biden struck Iraqi militias in Syria and Iraq without congressional approval. Biden also ordered strikes in Libya. And we go back all the way to President George H.W. Bush that actually invaded Panama without congressional approval. So, that resolution didn't pass. It's also worth mentioning that on the House side, Congressman Thomas Massie, Republican, wanted to put forth the War Powers Resolution Act on the House side, but he withdrew it once he saw that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel is enduring. Interesting. All right. So, regarding the Senate leadership, the Senate Republicans have been asking to fire the parliamentarian, Elizabeth McDonough. Why is that, and what's this position all about? Okay. So, the Senate parliamentarian is an unelected official. She's actually appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, and in her case, her, Elizabeth McDonough, her job is to go over bills to see that they're up to standard with Senate rules, in particular the Byrd Rule. Now, the current Senate parliamentarian was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid back in 2012, a Democrat. And that's why House Republicans are urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire her and hire a new Senate parliamentarian, because this Senate parliamentarian has struck down several provisions that Republicans wanted to see in the reconciliation bill. Like, for example, Republicans wanted to strike the use of Affordable Care Act subsidies for abortions. They also wanted to strike out from the U.S. budget having illegal immigrants have access to Medicare and other benefits, and also have private vouchers for private schools instead of having people only have to opt for the public school system. So, all of these things that were already agreed by Republicans, and part of their priorities in the reconciliation bill, have been struck out by the Senate parliamentarian, which has muddied the waters in this debate that is still ongoing. And with all these significant holdouts from both the Senate and House, what is the timeline look leading up to July 4th to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill? Of course, well, now it gets complicated, right? Because July 4th is next Friday, and the bill hasn't even received its first vote on the Senate. So, Senate's going to have to work over the weekend, something that Senators are not fond of. The earliest vote is expected tomorrow at noon. In the most optimistic case that on Saturday the reconciliation bill is passed, then the House will have 72 hours, which is a courtesy time that usually lawmakers ask to actually review a bill before voting on it, and then voting on it next week before sending it to the President's desk. And it's obviously Republicans' hope that they will be able to send it before signing on July 4th. All right, well, we'll see if they can do it. Luis Eduardo Martinez, thank you so much. Of course. And coming up, with the Supreme Court granting the President's request to rein in nationwide injunctions, what does this mean for birthright citizenship? Well, we'll break it down with our panel, David Katz and Jacqueline Kolbeth when we come back. Definely inspired traditional oil painting inspires compassion. Artwork created in truth and beauty illuminates a path to goodness. Rediscover traditional art, revive classical culture. We warmly invite oil painters from around the world to participate in the 7th NTD International Figure Painting Competition, a celebration of classical realism. Please visit oilpainting.ntdtv.com. I was a young dad of three amazing kids, and just when you feel like life is starting to come together, you get kind of hit in the face. I was born with a congenital heart defect and had open-heart surgery as a kid. I was supposed to go to the heart doctor once a year, and I finally went. He listened to my heart, and I'll never forget, he sat back, and he said, yeah, it's time for open-heart surgery, or you risk your aorta rupturing, and that's it. I was scared out of my mind. The night before my open-heart surgery, I made a goodbye video for my kids just in case I didn't make it. Be strong. Take care of your mom. I love you guys. Seeing all the kids hug him goodbye and hoping that they were going to be able to hug him again. But I did make it, thanks to the work of the American Heart Association. So that's why I'm asking you to join me. Please call now or go to healthheart.org with your donation to help save lives. You can help get the next person trained in CPR, get the next hospital certified in high-quality cardiovascular care, as well as fund the next medical breakthrough like these heart valves that helped save my life. I'm most grateful that I get to have a husband that I get to grow old with, and a husband that gets to be there for his children. Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. That's why it's so important that you call or go online right now with your generous gift. I believe without the American Heart Association, I would not be here today. If this can happen to me, it can happen to you. It can happen to anybody. We all need your help, and your donation can literally help save a life. Please call the number on your screen or go to healthheart.org now with your gift of any amount. Welcome back. I'm Jack Bradley. The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 vote, granted President Trump's request to narrow injunctions that blocked his birthright citizenship order. What does this mean for the president's policies going forward? Joining us to break it down is David Katz, Democratic strategist and former assistant U.S. attorney in Southern California, and Jacqueline Kolbeth, Republican strategist and vice president of strategy and communications at Five Point Strategy Group. Thank you both so much for joining us. President Trump and Pam Bondi held a press conference this morning commenting on the decision. Let's take a look at a clip of the attorney general. Ninety-four districts and 35 out of the 40 opinions with nationwide injunctions came from five liberal districts in this country. No longer. These injunctions have blocked our policies from tariffs to military readiness to immigration to foreign affairs, fraud, abuse, and many other issues. The judges have tried to seize the executive branch's power, and they cannot do that. No longer. So, Jacqueline, how does this decision impact the power of individual district courts to issue injunctions that block federal policy? What's the practical effect here for President Trump? Sure. I think, well, one, this was such a huge win in and of itself because this goes to the core of one of the two issues Trump was running on, which was border security. And with this, I think comes a way, this, this is a large, this is a large issue because it incentivizes illegal immigration. So, I think that this is going to have far, far reaching capabilities, and this is going to allow his agenda to move forward. David, although this ruling reigns in nationwide injunctions, it doesn't fully ban them. Are we likely to see more in the future? We are likely to see nationwide injunctions in the future if they're designed to give complete relief to the plaintiffs who are before the court. Now, these nationwide injunctions were very common under Biden. Republican activists would run the forum shop to Republican judges in places like Amarillo, Texas, and they got nationwide injunctions against the medical abortion bill, against the student loans, against many things. But now that the shoe is on the other foot, of course, this has become a passion for the Republicans. And since they've really captured the U.S. Supreme Court, they were able to get this ruling. No one should be confused, though. Birthright citizenship is legal. It's constitutional. This was a sidestep by the U.S. Supreme Court to help Trump's political agenda. Birthright citizenship is here to stay. They probably won't even get to the Supreme Court next term. And in two years after Bondi makes all this noise about it, the court will rule, even this U.S. Supreme Court will rule, that there is a right to birthright citizenship. So mazel tov if you're having kids, have them in America. If they're born here, they're going to all be citizens here. It seems like the Trump administration is saying that these nationwide injunctions haven't been as prevalent until Trump came into office for his second term. The Supreme Court also ruled that schools in Maryland must allow children to opt out of storybooks featuring gay and transgender characters on faith-based grounds. David, what are the implications of this between the balance of power between schools and parents and how children are raised? Well, just quickly, there were more nationwide injunctions issued under Trump in the last few months because Trump did more illegal things that deserve to be enjoined. And he was enjoined around the country by judges who were appointed by Trump and by Democrat and Republican judges. Turning to the storybook thing, this, of course, shows the real capture of the U.S. Supreme Court by six justices. It seems like every time we talk about it, it's six to three. And the six justices on the Supreme Court are very, very liberal when it comes to these religious grounds that are being asserted. I tend to agree with Sotomayor and the dissent. It's simply impractical. The six Republican justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, I think almost all went to private and parochial schools. They don't understand what it's like in the public schools. They don't understand what a burden this is going to be on cash-strapped public schools to organize all of this, to make sure that these snowflake kids don't have to listen to something that's going to offend really not them, but their parents. And parents have rights, but this is parental interventionism that's going to cripple the poor public schools, the cash-strapped public schools even more, because it's an administrative nightmare, as was proven in Maryland, that the U.S. Supreme Court just doesn't care. Jacqueline, your response, and also to remind also, I'd like to just say that Sotomayor said that these kids shouldn't be insulated from the exposure to ideas and concepts that may impact or conflict with their parents' religious beliefs. Your response? This is a huge win for parental rights, because for a very long time, parents weren't exactly dialed in to what is going on in these schools, part of which is indoctrination. Justice Sotomayor wants to give you her interpretation through the lens of how she thinks that the Constitution should be interpreted, but this was a huge win for parents, and they should absolutely be allowed, at the very least, to opt out of this. And originally, they were, but surprisingly, they saw issues with attendance. Now, the Supreme Court also preserved a key part of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. It ensures that approximately 150 million people will continue to receive many free preventative services under the Act. Jacqueline, this case was brought by a group of Christians who lost the case here. Can you expand on what they were arguing for? Sure. So, I'm not an attorney, but I can tell you that it's my understanding that really what this specific argument was in relation to, I believe, an HIV preventative vaccine that a board would approve, and the private insurance companies did not want to be held to that standard. Unfortunately for them, they did lose this. But I think, really, at the end of the day, Republicans have moved on from this issue, as evidenced by the Trump administration today, going to bat to keep it. So, I don't think this is a big surprise at all, out of everything that's come out of the Supreme Court. And Brett Kavanaugh wrote the 6-3 majority, David, that RFK Jr., as health secretary, can remove task force members at will and can review their recommendations before they take effect. Do you think that this ruling supports RFK Jr.'s agenda? Well, I agree with the other guest on the ruling, so at least there's some commonality here. It's not just all counterpoint. I agree with her on that, and I'm really glad to have the other side being expressed here. Your question was about the RFK Jr., and just remind me again. Right. So, he is able to, according to this ruling, remove task force members at will and can review their recommendations before they take effect, and do you think that this supports his MAHA agenda? Well, I don't think it's very wise. I think he should get a broad range of views, and as someone who is in the public health system, like we all are, and all of us scared of there being another pandemic or something like that, I think he should get very broad, wide-ranging views. But if he wants to just hear from a narrow bunch of his own, he wants to have his echo chamber over there, I guess constitutionally, legally, he has a right to just listen to an echo chamber, but it sure scares me as someone who wants to have proper health throughout America. I want to take a step back from the SCOTUS and go back to the White House briefing room. Our White House correspondent, NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao, told the president how reporters felt about his impromptu attendance. Let's take a listen. So, thank you so much for coming out here. Other than Caroline's done a great job. You're referring to the past administration, not to Caroline, right? Yes. Back to the ruling today, if you don't mind. So, Iris Tao said that it was refreshing to be there, as President Trump was there for about an hour long, answering questions. It was very uncommon to see President Biden there during the previous administration. David, what do you make of the president's level of transparency during his time in office so far? Well, I think he was excited to get the U.S. Supreme Court ruling about the injunction. Because, as a practical matter, no matter how illegal he does something, no matter how unconstitutional it is, it'll be harder and take a little bit longer to bring him to book court. Because, let's say you have Iowa, and Iowa has just done something that's really illegal. And there's a ruling in Iowa. Well, instead of it being a nationwide injunction, it will, at most, only affect Iowa. So, if the exact same problems are happening in Kansas, because of the exact same erroneous executive order by Trump, well, Kansas won't get any relief. And, likewise, you'll have to get these class actions. And I have to laugh, because Republicans never liked class actions. All of a sudden, that's the solution to everything. They should have a huge class action. All these class action lawyers should be in court. And if you're not in the class action, you don't get the relief. Now, when the shoe is on the other foot, people are not going to like it. Because if this rule stands, and there's a Democratic president, every gun owner is going to have to go to some separate judge. Every gun owner is not going to get the effect of a Second Amendment ruling against a Democratic president. They'll have to have a class action. They'll have to go and not get their nationwide injunctions. But Trump was happy today, because the Supreme Court stuck it to the Democrats, who are usually the ones challenging his illegal executive order. So he was gloating. Jacqueline, what do you make of this impression that he, what do you think he gives the American people here? Sure. Trump is many things. But one thing you cannot accuse him of is being shady and non-transparent. This is the most accessible president in my entire lifetime. This man will talk to anyone about anything. I think that's part of his negotiating skills. But you can't compare it. You cannot compare it. It would be absurd. This man has impromptu press conferences, whereas the previous administration, you could probably count on two hands how many times he was willing to speak to us. So you can accuse Trump of being many things. But you could never accuse him of being inaccessible. Well, with that, Jacqueline Colbert, David Katz. Yes. I take Obama. Go ahead. Impromptu talent and shady. Shady is one of the first words that come to my mind when I think of Trump. Shady. And Obama was a much better meter and greeter. So was Clinton. In your opinion. I meant Clinton. All right, guys. I would certainly think. But of course, it's all in my opinion. Great to be with you. Thank you both. Really appreciate you guys coming on. Appreciate your perspectives. All right. Now, coming up, a new strain of COVID-19 virus from China now gaining a foothold in the U.S. Those who've been infected are suffering what's known as razor blade throat. We're tracking the pathogen when we come back. Built on hard work, determination, and grit. Sometimes the days run long. But hope, it never runs out. Even when the food does. For America's veterans, working parents, even kids. Because in every corner of every town, even yours, millions of hardworking neighbors are facing a hunger crisis. Many for the very first time. 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Welcome back. I'm Jack Bradley. A new COVID-19 variant from China now reportedly becoming the primary strain in the U.S. A CDC estimate shows that the pathogen makes up more than 40% of coronavirus cases between June 8th and June 21st. The pathogen has been dubbed Nimbus and it has a side effect known as razor blade throat. According to an Epoch Times report, an internal research at China's Peking University finds that Nimbus may become the next dominant global strain. Its symptoms include sore throat, fever, runny nose, vomiting, and diarrhea. Earlier this month, Chinese doctors predicted a peak of nationwide COVID-19 cases in July. That's as the regime's health authorities reported that Nimbus was the number one pathogen in China. Due to the CCP's history of censoring information related to the virus, firsthand testimony from Chinese health workers can offer valuable insights. In a statement back in May, the CDC said that the agency was aware of the reported cases in China and was, quote, in regular contact with international partners. Propaganda. It's a tool the Chinese Communist Party uses to squash dissent and exports its authoritarianism overseas. We've been tracking a CCP operation that targets a faith-based group and companies started by them around the world, even here on American soil. The spiritual practice is called Falun Gong, and it's been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999, viewing its growing popularity as a threat. Based on our investigation, it looks as though some of these reports by American media closely resemble CCP propaganda about the practice. Our reporter Kevin Hogan has more on the regime's operation. The CCP seeks to subvert the American government, the legal system, colleges and universities, and the media, which we'll go into in detail today, to target Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual practice banned in China. And it also targets Shen Yun performing arts. So what is Shen Yun, and why is the CCP targeting it? Shen Yun is a New York-based premier dance company that tours the world, and it was started by Falun Gong practitioners who strive to embody the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. These are the core values of the practice. Shen Yun's tagline is China Before Communism. Its mission is to revive and celebrate traditional Chinese culture, and it also has scenes depicting the CCP's gruesome practice of forcibly removing the organs of illegally imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners. And since the start of the persecution, the Chinese regime has used its entire state-run media apparatus to smear Falun Gong. The goal was to try to turn the Chinese people against the ancient practice. And through those same propaganda channels, it has aimed to silence Shen Yun. Now, the narratives that essentially carry a similar meaning are seen in the American news company, the New York Times. So how did we get here? The CCP has persecuted Falun Gong since 1999. But according to whistleblower Yuan Hongbing, Chinese legal scholar with sources in China, in October 2022, Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping held a secret meeting. In it, he called for a new strategy specifically focusing on using Western media outlets to spread disinformation to go after Falun Gong-run companies. About one year later, in October 2023, the New York Times says it began its so-called investigative reporting on Shen Yun. Fast forward 10 months to August to December 2024, the New York Times published eight hit pieces smearing Shen Yun based virtually entirely on anecdotes of a few disgruntled former employees. And there's another layer to this story. One of the New York Times reporters involved is Nicole Hong. Her father, George Hong, is a professor at a New York university. An organization that has knowledge of overseas Chinese did a profile on him. It says he was an honorary director of the Western Return Scholars Association. That organization is part of the CCP's United Front Work Department, which does foreign influence operations. The page on George was taken down after the New York Times published its articles. He denies any connection to the organization or to his daughter's reporting. This is a troubling timeline. She gives the directive to use Western media to launch disinformation campaigns. And afterwards, the New York Times starts its reporting and then publishes hit pieces on Shen Yun, a company that's been performing for nearly 20 years. The timing raises serious questions. Now, why do I say they're hit pieces? The CCP, specifically through their regime-controlled mouthpieces like China Daily, People's Daily, and Global Times, seeks to have people believe Falun Gong practitioners only practice because of coercion. And similarly, the New York Times' cherry-picked sources imply that the artists and others work at the company because they're manipulated into doing so. But Shen Yun and the many artists we've interviewed say they have faith and work with Shen Yun to carry out their mission with the same bravery some had when fleeing persecution in China, bravery now used to inspire others and bring about the best in humanity. Thus, they have free thought. And Shen Yun performers do use modern Western medicine. However, the New York Times, through their sources, claims that Shen Yun does not allow dancers to seek modern medical treatment. This is the same propaganda line the CCP-linked media spreads about Falun Gong to smear the practice and justify the persecution. Yet doctors, like Dr. Damon Noto, have said that they regularly do X-rays and MRIs, treating sprained ankles and broken bones that Shen Yun dancers face as high-performance athletes. Furthermore, Shen Yun is politically neutral. It's not anti-China because clearly it tells the story of China itself. Falun Gong is not inherently anti-communist. We know that because Falun Gong and the Communist Party coexisted peacefully in China for about seven years. It was only after the CCP started murdering Falun Gong practitioners that Falun Gong opposed it, which is simply a defensive and moral reaction to the persecution. Not politics, just common sense. The New York Times uses phrases such as the shows amplify the anti-communist message of Falun Gong. Remember, not anti-communist, just anti-persecution. The CCP uses a very similar tactic that Falun Gong is anti-China. Anti-communists and anti-China are two different things. But these instances show the CCP and the New York Times use similar rhetoric to claim that Falun Gong and Shen Yun are somehow this oppositional force when in fact they're simply promoting traditional culture and their core principles. Now Shen Yun is socially open. It's a transparent group. The company performs right out in public in front of millions of people in 36 countries. What's secretive about that? And anyone can buy or read the main book of Falun Gong online. It's public. So Shen Yun is socially open. However, the CCP has long falsely cast Falun Gong as a closed and secretive group to justify its persecution. The New York Times places its articles on Shen Yun under the category of closed and secretive groups. So here again, the New York Times is presenting a narrative that bears stark similarity to the one the CCP has long promoted. But in reality, they are socially open and transparent. As a whole, we're not alleging the New York Times is in some way coordinating with the CCP, but the striking similarities in the rhetoric and framing, along with the timing, are concerning enough to warrant closer scrutiny. One organization exploring this issue is the Falun Dafa Information Center, which is a non-profit that helps people learn about Falun Gong and compiles evidence of the persecution. Their extensive counter-investigation points out conflicts of interest, distortions, and falsehoods. Here's what the center says about the New York Times reporting. The end result of these fantastical stories is a narrative designed to incite the U.S. population to turn against Shen Yun and Falun Gong. The New York Times, however, says their main article was thoroughly reported, back-checked, and edited, and that the outlet stands behind its publication. So we've established that message is similar to what the Chinese Communist regime wants people to believe are surfacing in American mainstream society. So what's the big picture? Congressman Scott Perry says the CCP just takes advantage of the freedom of the media. He says the CCP's suppression campaign against Shen Yun amounts to unrestricted warfare. That's the use of any means to subdue targeted groups. And his statement reflects a broader concern that the Chinese regime seeks to use the American government, the legal system, schools, and the media to further its goals. And coming up, how are President Trump's tariffs affecting American businesses? And will Trump's spending bill be good for business? We'll speak with Ohio entrepreneur Fernando Cruz, owner of Cruz Development. A former NFL player now embarking on a journey to bridge gaps for broken families. We'll hear from Jack Brewer about the fatherless Christ-ness in America and his campaign to resolve it when we return. Hi, I'm Ty Pennington here for Choice Home Warranty. They protect my home from expensive repairs, and they can do the same for you. No matter if it's your refrigerator, plumbing, or more than 20 other home systems and appliances, Choice Home Warranty has saved millions of homeowners a whole lot of money. 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When you give $19 a month with your credit card, we'll send you this special t-shirt to show you're a part of our community of monthly donors. I'm most grateful that I get to have a husband that I get to grow old with and a husband that gets to be there for his children. I believe without the American Heart Association, I would not be here today. If this can happen to me, it can happen to you. It can happen to anybody. Your donation can literally help save a life. Please call the number on your screen or go to helpheart.org now to become a monthly donor. Welcome back. I'm Jack Bradley. As we approach President Trump's deadline for trade deals with U.S. partners, how are the tariffs affecting American businesses? And how do entrepreneurs feel about President's spending bill? Earlier, NTD's Steve Lance spoke with Fernando Cruz, entrepreneur and owner of Cruz Development. Fernando Cruz, thanks so much for joining. Thank you for having me here. I really appreciate it. It's really great to have you. You're a very successful business person and entrepreneur. Right now, we're seeing tariffs coming to, agreements being made, deals being made. There's still tariffs out there. Talk to us from an American, right from middle America, business person. How have you been sort of weathering the storm of these tariffs? Well, as of now, I have not been affected by the tariffs. I do a lot of stick build, which we build with a lot of lumber. We really haven't seen a big effect from Canada. Most of our lumber comes from Canada. But we really haven't seen anything, much of an increase. I know they said there was going to be a 10% increase there. But I haven't seen anything yet. I know, as of today, we're supposed to see something. So, we'll see. I think it may affect us a little bit. But I don't think that, for me, like I said, I'm willing to take one for the team. And, you know, just to get the country back on track. So that we bring more manufacturing back in this country. And also bring more jobs. And we're seeing the big, beautiful bill that Trump's calling it. It's being debated right now, you know, on the Hill. A lot of his surrogates. You had OMB Director Russ Vought up on the Hill yesterday. Caroline Leavitt. There's a big event scheduled for today. What do you think that this big, beautiful bill, if passed, will do for American business? You know, I really think that this will help boost our economy. Everything costs money, you know. And, you know, I know Elon wasn't too happy about it. You know, and we all like Elon. You know, he's a great businessman. But we really have to look at the better interest of our country. I think that with, you know, they talk about this trillion dollar that we're going to have to pay off. But we're already doing that now. But I think it should benefit the American people. Because we've been paying for things overseas. Now, you're based in Ohio. So Ohio, obviously, in an election cycle, a political cycle, all eyes are on Ohio. What is the state of, you know, the vice president, J.D. Vance, coming from Ohio? That seat now taken by somebody else. You have Vivek Ramaswamy there running for governor. What is the current state of Ohio politics? Particularly, what direction do you see it leaning in the midterms? I see us as an almost complete red state like Florida. You know, John Husted took over J.D. Vance's spot in the Senate. Bernie Moreno won the office from Sherrod Brown. And Vivek Ramaswamy is, you know, running for governor. I think he's going to win. He's endorsed by Donald Trump. He's endorsed by every county in the state of Ohio. And it's going to be a great race. We're so excited. So I really think it's going to be really good for the economy for Ohio right now. You know, we have Corey Bowman running for mayor of Cincinnati. What are some of the things that you think that both parties at this time, where there's so much division, can really rally around? Is it love for country with America's 250 upon us? I do. I think, you know, being a Marine, I served eight years in the Marine Corps. And, you know, there was a camaraderie in the Marine Corps. I do think, you know, with the country, 250th year, I think that we should all come together and honor that, honor the flag of the United States and just, you know, really think about how we became the country that we are. I can see it's emotional for you when you think about the country. When you think of your service, you know, men and women who've served the history of our country, how important is it to you? It's very important. I come from an immigrant family. My dad came here in 1966 from Mexico. And he wanted his children to live the American dream. And he did that for us. And I think that knowing that he wanted a better life for us and everybody that comes in this country, you know, from when our forefathers came to this country, you know, we came here for one reason, you know, for freedom, for democracy, and to be the people, to be the people of one nation under God. And I really think that that really, for me, is something that I live by in the United States. The Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference is here in D.C. this week. You mentioned faith. How important is faith to you and to the country? I think we have to bring God back into the White House. I'm so happy that I see that happening. When the last four years, it was just unbelievable, you know, that you couldn't say the Pledge of Allegiance, you couldn't pray in school, you couldn't play, you know, anywhere public, you know, I mean, you know, as far as, you know, in schools and stuff like that. But I really think that it's really important. It's really important to have God in your life. And no matter what faith you are, you know, that's the freedom of our country. And that's what I love. You can be any faith, you know, of God, and everybody will accept it. You know, but Christianity, we're founded on that, and that's, I think, we need it in our country. Fernando Cruz, really appreciate you joining us. Thank you. I really appreciate the interview. Thank you. A former NFL athlete now on a crusade to tackle the crisis of fatherlessness across America, his organization, the Jack Brewer Foundation, provides resources and mentorship to help fathers bridge connections with their children. Earlier, I sat down with Jack Brewer at the annual Road to Majority Conference here in D.C. to talk about his efforts to restore families. Let's take a listen. Three, two, Jack Brewer, thank you so much for joining us here today. Yeah, great to be on the show. Now, tell us about the amazing work you're doing with your foundation and the way it uplifts people in less fortunate situations. Well, you know, it's all rooted in the Word of God, in the Bible, in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And, you know, really we try to stick to those principles of the Bible, you know, the orphan, the widow, those in prison. And so that has really led us to our ministry, which we call a fatherhood ministry. You know, trying to establish fatherhood, particularly across the United States and the world. You know, and what I mean by that is finding those populations. You know, the United States is the most fatherless population per capita in the world, with over 18 million fatherless kids. So 25 percent of every home in America is fatherless. And so that's an epidemic like the world's never seen before. And so that really, you know, some people see that as a social problem. We see it as a spiritual one. And what are you doing to help raise people up? And what have you seen the problem be from the fallout of this fatherlessness epidemic? Well, what you see is it affects education, it affects health care, it affects criminal justice. You know, if you're fatherless, you're 20 times more likely to go to prison. And so we have a prison ministry, one of the largest in the country, where we go into prisons and jails and teach men principles. And so we have some classes with 90 or 95 percent of our class of men that grew up without a father in their lives. And so we have classes of men who have sons now that are in prison. And so this is a generational curse, really, that spoke about in the word of God. You know, the last verse of the Old Testament is Malachi 4 and 6, and it says he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. And so we are really seeing the effects of that curse, that fatherless curse. You know, when you look at our education system, 71 percent of high school dropouts are fatherless. When you look at our poverty rates, you're four times more likely to be in poverty if you're fatherless. And so the effects that it's having on our society are undeniable. And so what we try to do is get to that root cause. And so we do that through our prison programs. We do that through our mentorship programs, through our juvenile justice programs, where we go in and try to take these fatherless kids that have now been impacted by the criminal justice system and give them a little bit of hope. What makes these kids want to join your foundation, become a part of it and learn from you? And are they seeing that there's a problem in their lives that they need resolved? Definitely. So we have a focus on youthful offenders. What we've done is try to get in the hearts and minds of these kids. And the way we do it is I bring in, use my football background. I played in the National Football League. I bring in kind of that sports philosophy and create the sports culture around it, where they feel like they're on a team again. So we have chants, and we come in, and I rile them up, and I tell them and make them believe that they can be great fathers, that they can reestablish their relationships with their family. So now you have leaders that rise up, and the folks that are going through hard times, the leaders are picking them up. And so that's really what it's about. You know, a lot of these guys never had a father, and most of them were never a part of great teams. And so putting them in that team, and we call it the heroes, really gets buy-in. And once you get buy-in, you can really see the change of the heart of a man. How did we get to where we are, where we have this fatherlessness epidemic? During the Great Society, when they came in and literally replaced the father with government, right, started to hand out welfare checks to people, started to incentivize families. You can get on welfare, but the man can't live with you, right? Started to really make the single-parent home cool. And so now you have the music and you have entertainment all buying in to really this anti-family philosophy, and it became part of our society. It became normal in our society not to be with the woman that you have a child with. And so when you have a society like that, you're going to start having gaps and holes. And then we start seeing it penetrate our education system, and we start to see it even with, you talk about sex trafficking, human trafficking. The man, God ordained man to be the protector of families, right? And so when we see an increase in all of this sexualization of children, that's only happening because the father and the man has really been watered down in America. In the city of Baltimore, they have all of their schools, no kid is proficient in reading and math in their public schools. And I'm talking about dozens and dozens of schools that have not a single kid that's proficient in reading and math. And the majority of those kids are fatherless, and unfortunately they're black. And in the black community, over 71% of the kids that are born in the black community are born fatherless. And that should upset every American. Well, Jack Brewer, thank you so much for your insight here today. We really appreciate it. God bless you, sir. That's all we have for you tonight on The Capitol Report. For round-the-clock original news coverage, visit us at ntd.com slash live or download our NTD app. From the nation's capital, I'm Jack Bradley. Have a nice weekend, and we'll see you right back here on Monday.