Capitol Report Full Broadcast (Aug. 25)

Good evening and welcome to the Capital Report on NTD Television. I'm Steve Lance. Coming up, President Trump taking executive action aiming to end cashless bail and crack down on the burning of the American flag. What changes might we see in the coming days? And Kilmar Abrego-Garcia surrendering to ICE in Baltimore. He's facing possible deportation to the African country of Uganda. What his lawyer and federal officials are now saying. President Trump threatening to hike tariffs on China to 200 percent. What he's demanding. And the latest on what the future holds with relations with South Korea. In Israel, calling an airstrike in the Gaza Strip a mishap after several journalists are killed. Meantime, President Trump says he believes the war in Gaza may soon end. And on our panel this evening, what's next for Kilmar Abrego-Garcia? And what impact will President Trump's new order against flag burning have? We'll discuss that with our panel, Jared Bernstein and Aaron Evans. This is Capital Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. And President Trump signing executive orders in the Oval Office today, aiming to end cashless bail across the United States and increase prosecution for burning the American flag. And today's Washington correspondent, Jack Bradley, has the details. When somebody kills somebody, they go in, don't worry about it, no cash, come back in a couple of months, we'll give you a trial. You never see the person again. President Trump signing multiple executive orders on Monday, aiming to end cashless bail. One order seeks to revoke federal funding to states that have cashless bail. Another ends cashless bail in Washington, D.C. And those arrested in D.C. will now be held in federal custody, rather than city jail. All over the country, cashless bail, we're ending it. But we're starting by ending it in D.C., and that we have the right to do through federalization. Cashless bail allows suspects charged with crimes to be released from jail without posting bail. Now, certain crimes are exempt from this, like murder or armed assault, but some say bail disadvantages the poor, who can't afford it and may lose their jobs while waiting for trial behind bars. But others say that it's necessary because without posting bail, there's no incentive for suspects to return to court, as bail money is refunded after the case concludes. Because this is what bail is, remember, it's a guarantee that you will show up for court. It's your pledge through money that you will go through the legal system. And without that cash bail, you have no reason to participate. You can just stay hidden and evade. In 2023, Illinois became the only state to eliminate cash bail across the board. Other states like New Jersey, New York and New Mexico have eliminated cash bail for certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. And at the same time, President Trump signed another executive order, cracking down on those that burn the American flag. It directs the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to prosecute those found desecrating the flag. It also directs the State Department and Homeland Security to deny and revoke visas, resident permits or any other immigration benefits to those convicted of defacing the flag. If you burn a flag, you get one year in jail, no early exits, no nothing. And you will see flag burning stopping immediately. Burning the American flag was outlawed in 1968 after people were burning the flag in protest of the Vietnam War. But just 20 years later, the Supreme Court overturned that law in a 5-4 ruling declaring the act of flag desecration as a protected symbol of free speech. Protestors burned American flags most recently in the Los Angeles riots in June after Trump ordered the National Guard to the region. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. President Trump says Chicago could be the next city for federal efforts to reduce crime, similar to what's happening right here in Washington, D.C. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has more. They need help badly. Chicago desperately needs help. From the Oval Office, President Trump says that he would be able to reduce crime in Chicago similar to Washington, D.C. However, with Chicago, he says he would rather go in after the governor requests it. I don't like to go in and do it and then have somebody stand up and say what a great job he's doing on crime. And we don't want the military in our state. However, it doesn't look like Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker will be asking anytime soon. There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention. What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted. In Washington, D.C., some National Guard troops were spotted carrying weapons on Sunday. This is after Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth gave the approval on Friday. Also on Sunday, a group was seen protesting against federal law enforcement and D.C. police while they were conducting a raid. Another group of protesters on Sunday were seen banging pots and pans in a high crime area of D.C. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt posted on X that since President Trump's initiative in Washington, violent crime is down 32 percent, carjackings are down 86 percent, homicides are down 60 percent and robberies are down 47 percent. Attorney General Pam Bondi says that 1,007 arrests have been made and 111 guns seized in D.C. since August 7th. The White House also touted that there have been no murders in Washington, D.C., for 11 But Washington, D.C., is a very safe city right now. People are going out to dinner. Restaurants are opening. Restaurants that were going to close are now going to stay open. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. And in the case that has been attracting national attention, ICE detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego-Garcia after he turned himself in. He's accused of human smuggling and other crimes, facing possible deportation, also being associated with the gang MS-13. NTD's David Lam reports. Many are following the case of illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, who's now facing possible deportation to the African country of Uganda. We've got him under control. He will no longer terrorize our country. He's currently charged with human smuggling, including children. The guy needs to be in prison. He doesn't need to be on the streets. But on Monday, a judge said she wants to keep Abrego-Garcia in the U.S. while she can consider whether officials are violating his due process rights. Abrego-Garcia recently rejected a plea deal in which he's accused of domestic violence and human smuggling in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security says that in 2019, Abrego-Garcia was found with two alleged MS-13 gang members. The 30-year-old was brought back to the U.S. in June after he was deported to his native El Salvador earlier in the year. I found out how the community has supported me, embraced me with so much love and solidarity, and from day one. Abrego-Garcia has denied the allegations against him and denies that he's a member of MS-13, which the U.S. has labeled a terrorist criminal organization. After Abrego-Garcia rejected the plea deal in which he would have been deported to Costa Rica, he agreed to surrender to immigration authorities in Baltimore. You know, through a system of liberal courts, then he's doing things, but no, we have that under control. Protesters are demanding his freedom, and his lawyer claims prosecutors are unfairly coercing Abrego-Garcia after he rejected the initial plea deal. Mr. Abrego-Garcia has filed a new lawsuit in the federal district court for the District of Maryland, challenging his current confinement and challenging deportation to Uganda or to any other country unless and until he's had a fair trial. White House Border Czar Tom Homan expects Abrego-Garcia to be deported and says he can still briefly spend time with his family in the U.S. David Lam, NTD News. President Trump today meeting with the South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office unveiling plans to revive America's shipbuilding industry and launching a joint energy project in Alaska. Trump also issuing new warnings to China over trade and national security. NTD's Mari Otsu has more from the White House. We're going to be buying ships from South Korea. President Trump today meeting with South Korean President Lee less than a month after South Korea proposed a $150 billion investment plan called Make American Shipbuilding Great Again. They build them very well in South Korea but we're also going to have them make ships here with our people and can take a look at World War II in particular where we were doing virtually a ship a day. South Korea's finance minister saying in July that the goal of this project is to help rebuild America's shipbuilding industry by using Korea's expertise in the sector. Meanwhile, President Trump is also announcing a joint energy venture in Alaska. You need oil and we have it. Criticizing wind and solar, saying they don't work and take up valuable farmland. God was very good to us. He gave us the greatest. We didn't use it. We have more oil and gas and coal and energy than any other country in the world by far. The President says that the U.S. will supply South Korea with oil from Alaska and that Japan is also, quote, very strongly involved. You know, it seems like quite far away, Alaska and Korea, but actually it's right up, right up the little ocean, right up the little Pacific Ocean. And on China, President Trump is saying that China controls a monopoly on magnets, which are crucial for aircraft parts and national security. But we have a much more powerful thing that's tariffs. If we want to put 100 percent, 200 percent tariffs on it, we wouldn't do any business with China. And, you know, it would be okay too if we had to. The President says that the U.S. held back Boeing jet parts from China until China agreed to supply the U.S. with magnets. You know, they had 200 jets that didn't fly. I sent them all of the parts so their planes can fly. But the magnet situation, we have tremendous power over them and they have some power over us. Talk about shipbuilding and trade is happening amid a larger conversation about peace on the Korean Peninsula. And I would like to ask for your role in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. So I look forward to your meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un. I hope that you will usher in a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula. I will do that and we'll have talks. He'd like to meet with me. With President Lee saying that he believes President Trump is the only world leader who has been able to end global wars. Reporting from the White House, Mario Tsu, NTD News. And in the Middle East, Israeli forces launching two strikes on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing multiple civilians, including several journalists. Meantime, President Trump says he thinks the war in the Gaza Strip will end within a few weeks. NTD's Jason Perry has the story. On Monday, rescue workers responded to the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip. When Israeli forces suddenly struck the same area again, Al Jazeera, Reuters and the Associated Press confirmed that their journalists and freelancers were among the five journalists who were killed in the strikes. The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said they opened an immediate investigation into the incident. We are aware of reports that harm was caused to civilians, including journalists. Reporting from an active war zone carries immense risk, especially in a war with a terrorist organization such as Hamas, who cynically hides behind the civilian population. As always, we will present our findings as transparently as possible. And afterwards, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X, Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel's strike on the hospital received international criticism, including comments from France and the United Nations, which condemned the strikes. Meanwhile, President Trump on Monday said the war in the Gaza Strip could soon be over. It's a terrible situation over there, terrible, terrible situation. But it's coming to a head, it's coming to an end. I think within the next two to three weeks, you're going to have a pretty good, conclusive ending. And the situation between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon could be ending soon as well. The Lebanese government said they're planning to disarm the Iran-backed group in Lebanon by the end of the year. Israel said on Monday that they were, quote, ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Israel also said that if Lebanon takes the necessary steps to disarm Hezbollah, then Israel would begin a phased reduction of Israeli troops in Lebanon, and that would be coordinated with the U.S.-led security mechanism. The United States is also mediating talks between Israel and Syria. U.S. envoy Thomas Barak met with Syria's leader in Damascus on Monday. They previously discussed a possible security agreement with Israel for southern Syria. Jason Perry, NCD News. Coming up, President Trump signing an executive order today, establishing specialized National Guard units to address crime in cities throughout the country. 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Please call or go online now. With your gift of $19 a month, we'll send you this blanket as a reminder of the comfort your gift provides a young person tonight. You'll provide safe shelter, hot meals, and medical care. Call the number on your screen or go online to safeplacetosleep.org. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance. Now turning to the latest update on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The House Oversight Committee today issuing a subpoena to Epstein's estate, specifically asking for a set of documents complied or compiled by his former associate, Jelaine Maxwell. The so-called birthday book reportedly contains a series of letters gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday. Committee Chair James Comer also requesting any record that could implicate a potential client list. A September 8th deadline has been set for the estate to turn over relevant materials. Meantime, the House Oversight Committee says ex-Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has agreed to a transcribed interview next month. In his former capacity as prosecutor, Acosta oversaw a plea deal that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to a single state charge shielding him from federal prosecution. So should burning the American flag be protected under the First Amendment? NTD Sam Wong was out in the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. Do you think flag burning should be legal? Absolutely not. That is asinine. There's other means to protest if you have differences for whatever it is. That's really, really all it is. Just respect. I think we have to maintain free speech and people have to have a right to express themselves. Having said that, is it ethically and morally right when you stand here around all these monuments for people who fought for our freedom? That makes it upsetting, but I don't think illegal. For somebody to burn flags, I think it should be considered a criminal act. For all the men and women who, like myself, I followed in their footsteps who signed a piece of paper to say I'm willing to die for people who hate me, people who love me, people who will never know anything about me. My dad did the same thing. My dad was a Marine in World War II. I have his flag. I have my grandfather's flag from World War I. I don't think the people that are doing that are educated enough on the history of the country and the flag. In the past couple of years, we've seen protests turning into violence and then there are people who are trying to express their anger by burning the American flag. And then some people are saying that we're perhaps being too lenient on that. What are your thoughts on it? I think it, again, I mean, I think it's their right. I think if it keeps it from breaking out in other violence and protests, then that might be the concession we have to make. That should not be allowed. And if you're going to do that, you're going to suffer the consequences. I don't think someone should be criminalized for it. I think it's just kind of a sticky road to travel on, really, because you can preach what you want because of our First Amendment. But I think there are moral obligations behind it. I don't like punishing people who live in a free country. However, once again, give me a good reason why you're burning the flag. Put them somewhere where they got to go somewhere where they're oppressed by a nation besides this one, and then tell me how you feel about that flag. And I understand people want their freedom of speech, but we don't burn the flag that all these memorials represent, right? Vietnam, they fought for their freedom and that's the flag. So we don't burn the flag. If you don't like it, get out of this country and go to a country that you like then. President Trump this morning signing an executive order directing the Justice Department to investigate instances of burning the American flag. Joining us now live to discuss policy director at Morrison Cohen and former Obama administration official Jared Bernstein, along with President of Winning Republican Strategies, Aaron Evans. Great to have you both with us. Aaron, let's start with you. Is it ever acceptable in the United States of America to burn the nation's flag? And why do you think we've seen an uptick of such things in recent years? Look, I mean, I think that it's a desecration to assemble that represents more than just our country. And look, there's times where people on both sides of the aisle can be upset with our country, with the direction that our country is going in. But I think burning the flag and desecrating the flag, it's a totally different kind of form that takes place where it's not protesting what they view as things they're unhappy with in our country currently. But it's really desecrating the symbol of everyone who has lost a child, a husband, a wife, a mother, father, you know, in the pursuit of freedom from the beginning of this country, the blood, sweat and tears that has really went into the freedoms that we have today. Frankly, you know, we're the only country in the world where you can hate the country that you're in and you can desecrate the flag and you can fly foreign flags at the same time. And it's acceptable. So I think what President Trump is doing is, you know, he's addressing a real issue where, you know, it's not just a protest of America and politics. But it's it really is desecration of, you know, every life that's been lost and everything that our country has stood for until this point. Jared, what impact do you think this order will have? Well, I think it's, you know, pretty it's important to note that this has been decided by the Supreme Court, not once but twice in American history that it's actually legal to burn an American flag. And I think it has more to do with President Trump being on the ropes and wanting to distract people from what's going on in American cities, which is really using the National Guard as an implement of distraction, going into American cities where crime is down over the last few years and trying to put American put troops on the street. And I think that's pretty un-American, using National Guardsmen as an occupying force in cities that don't want it, for mayors and governors who haven't asked for it, and using that to distract from what he has going on, which is a real problem when the truth comes out in terms of the Epstein files and in terms of what the economy is doing. He promised to end the war in Ukraine and Russia and the war between Israel and Hamas on day one. And so far as I can tell, he's 0 for 2 on that right now. And so I think he's using this as yet another instance of distraction when he can't get real things done. But Jared, just to kind of follow up on the National Guard and putting law enforcement in some of these cities, is there a path that the Democrats could get on board with it? What happens if, say, in Chicago and DC, there is a significant drop in crime beyond the normal decline that we're seeing right now? Just because it works doesn't mean it is the right thing to do, right? So we have police forces that are locally governed. We have local elections where mayors and governors are elected to run their cities and states, and they decide how law enforcement is done in those cities. Murders are down in Washington, DC. Murders are down in Baltimore. Murders are down in New York City. Murders are down in Chicago. And the president is doing this because he needs some kind of distraction to distract people from what he's actually trying to perpetrate is he can't get his agenda passed in terms of foreign policy. He promised to end two wars that just have not ended. And I'm rooting for him to get those things done, but it just hasn't happened for him right now. And his trade agenda is a mess. And he's very paranoid about what's going to happen with the Epstein files when the truth comes out and all those lists are made public. So I think he needs a distraction to point people to. It's not like anybody in Washington, DC. The mayor wasn't calling for this. The police chief wasn't calling for this. They had a meeting just today in New York with the police commissioner of New York City, who's been held by Republicans and Democrats as bringing crime down on her watch and and basically said to the to the federal government, we don't need more resources in terms of National Guard here. And by the way, it's hollowing out our force structure to deter threats abroad, which is really what those with the National Guard and the military and the Army Reserve are for. So, Aaron, what do you say to those who are worried President Trump intends to expand the use of the military's role in domestic law enforcement across the country? I mean, honestly, first of all, you know, we talk about how crime is falling in all of these cities and, you know, falling from what? I mean, you know, D.C. has this this year is averaging one murder every two days. And by the way, we just went an entire week with no murders. It's averaging two violent crimes per day with with a firearm in D.C. So, you know, I mean, again, maybe it's down from, you know, literally war level statistics, but we've still got violent crime occurring. And in the number one problem that I think President Trump is trying to address is a total, you know, one of the core functions of government is safety and security. And so we have a total malfunction and malfeasance of government in these cities where they've defunded their police forces. D.C., as a good example, you know, they have an allotment of 4000 officers. They've got barely over 3000 that they actually been able to fill. And then those who are working are working overtime and they're exhausted and their hands are tied by the the woke city council members. And so, you know, these are the issues that the citizens who are trying to live their lives, raise their kids, and they're having to worry about getting shot by drive by gang violence while they're at the bus stop, getting mugged while they're on the subway. And regardless of whether it's Democrat run government, Republican run government, local government, federal government, at the end of the day, what people living in these cities want is they want solutions. And that's what President Trump is trying to provide, is safety and solutions. Now, another issue, you know, with a lot of stir around it, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, he was arrested at an ICE field office earlier today and set up for redeportation. Previously, he was sent to a prison in El Salvador, later returned, charged with human smuggling. Jared, where do you see this case going? And what are the implications? Well, I think it's important that you get his due process. And if that due process leads to him getting deported because that's where he's meant to be, then so be it. I think what Democrats and at least the people I speak to or grieve that is that this took place in an extrajudicial fashion. And that's what ICE has resorted to in terms of tactics. They're pulling people off the street, covering their faces. They refuse to identify what agency they're with. That's not things we do in a democracy, right? So I want to be very clear. If people are here illegally and they commit crimes and they go through the immigration justice process and the end result of that process is they get deported, then they get deported. But that's not what happened here. And that's not what President Trump is doing. He is literally has ICE on a rampage, going out into communities, scooping up anybody who is not who does not look white and saying there must be some undocumented people among this group and we'll figure it out later. And that's not how it's supposed to work. I spent time at the Department of Homeland Security. We are supposed to be focusing on violent felons and people who have committed other crimes because there just aren't enough resources to go around. Even if you wanted to have all the money spent on all the ICE agents in the world, we need to have an economic solution to our immigration problems. And you can't just go down the street and indiscriminately scoop up anybody who is not does not have white skin and say, OK, there must be some illegal immigrants among this group. It's not good for the country. It's not good for the republic. And it's lazy. Aaron, this particular case is a bit tricky because Kilmar Brego Garcia, I'm not an immigration attorney, but he did enter the country illegally and from what I understand was granted some type of parole status at the time. So where does due process come into the equation? And when is it the right time for him to be deported? No, look, I think that we're all going to agree on due process, and I think that that is that is definitely something that the Trump administration. Because I've not heard a Republican talk about how they agreed on due process in quite some time. Because due process doesn't mean we're scooping people up off the street and deporting them the next day. That's not due process. That's actually what they do in a police state. So when you talk about due process and how Republicans all believe in it, I'd like to hear a little bit more about what you're talking about. Well, and look, and I appreciate you interrupting my time as I didn't do that to you when you were, you know, accusing the current administration of picking up people just because their skin color, which is totally preposterous as well. And I think from the absolute, the bottom line is due process matters. The Trump administration is following that. And look, you know, President Trump has been getting some extremely violent people off the streets who you and your colleagues have been defending. And then, you know, and then we find out that that there are horrible violent crimes that some of these same people have been committing. And, you know, and but what we hear from Democrats is, you know, first of all, there's these are not criminals. These are just people of color that are being picked up randomly. Then when there is a crime, you know, then then the the entire topic changes to something else. And it's denied deflect and move on to the next question. But the bottom line is President Trump is committed to national security. He's committed to what he ran on that the American people overwhelmingly said they supported in getting violent gang members off the streets. And, you know, and I think that's exactly what we're seeing happen. Unfortunately, we do have to leave it there. Really appreciate both of your perspectives. We're out of time. Jared Bernstein, Aaron Evans. Thank you. Coming up, can South Korea walk the line between the United States and China? And how deep is the CCP's influence? And how sincere is the South Korean leader being with President Trump? We'll hear from Patrick Cronin, chair for the Asia-Pacific Security at the Hudson Institute. In Venezuela, taunting close relations with the CCP. This amid growing tensions with the United States. Why it's now calling up militias to their country after the break. The first time seeing my son, I feel like my life didn't want 80. I was already trying to change my perspective of life. And really just be a father figure that I never had. Being present is the most important part. I'm still growing every day. Becoming a better version of myself. To be the better mirror for my son. I mean, he's just grown. He's becoming his own person. Man, first I saw him dance. Bro, he brings the vibes. You know what I'm saying? He brings the party no matter what. He really a definition of life. Why he loves the body. And I love him to the death of me. Every day, thousands of kids start vaping. And I can't let this happen to my kid. Of course, it's awkward to talk to kids about the dangers of vaping. Hey, bestie. House sketch is vaping. It's hard to get their attention. Ready? Go. Yes, look at that. Yeah, you can turn yours over. So if you want to talk to your kids about the dangers of vaping, you have to get it trending. Right, backpack kid? Let's do it. First, invite your kid to do the vape talk. Let's try this. All right. Why is he here? I gotta get it trending. No. Come on. To the right. Let's go. Honey, can we talk? Yeah, what's up? I see a lot of your friends vaping. Visit talkaboutvaping.org for tips on when and how to have the vape talk. Hello, and welcome back to The Capital Report. I'm Steve Lance. The Maduro regime in Venezuela enlisting volunteers into its militias, now in response to U.S. military presence in the region. And today's Washington correspondent, Luis Martinez, has the story. Nicolás Maduro, the leader of the Venezuelan regime, has ordered a nationwide enlistment process of the civilian population into militias. Some 4.5 million civilians with no military training have allegedly already been deployed in support of the regime's armed forces in response to the deployment of three U.S. destroyers and 4,000 Marines to the South Caribbean Sea to combat cartel operations in Latin America. I have called for at the military barracks, military units, central public squares, believer squares, and at the headquarters of the 15,751 popular bases for integral defense, for a process of national enlistment of all militia forces, of the entire Bolivarian national militia. Nicolás Maduro has also touted his close relationships with the Chinese Communist Party. During an official event last week, Maduro claimed to have received, as a gift, a satellite phone from the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, which he allegedly uses to communicate with him frequently. Nicolás Maduro has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The Department of Justice is also offering a $50 million reward for information leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the highest ever ransom offered by the DOJ for an indicted criminal. Look, I think all the steps that the administration has taken indicate that President Trump is not happy with the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro. There is a legitimate government that's waiting to take power, which Nicolás Maduro, the narco-trafficker, the head of a terrorist organization, is actually holding Venezuela for ransom. It is important to note the United States has only indicted three foreign heads of state. Manuel Antonio Noriega of Panama, who was captured by the United States during Operation Just Cause in January of 1990. Juan Orlando Hernández, former president of Honduras, who was extradited to the United States in 2024 after leaving office. And Nicolás Maduro of the Venezuelan regime. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martínez, NTD News. So is South Korea sincere in its commitments to the United States? And what does it stand to gain from U.S. ramping up shipbuilding? We're joined live by Patrick Cronin, chair for Asia Pacific Security at the Hudson Institute. Patrick, great to have you on with us. So President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung today in the Oval Office at the White House discussing reviving American shipbuilding. Let's take a look. We're going to be buying ships from South Korea, but we're also going to have them make ships here with our people, using our people. And we're going to go back into the shipbuilding business again, because really, essentially, we don't build ships anymore, which is ridiculous. Last month, South Korean trade negotiators bringing red baseball caps embroidered with make American shipbuilding great again. What will it take to rebuild America's shipbuilding industry? And why do you think South Korea is helping? What might they get out of it? Well, it's a long story, our decline in shipbuilding, but essentially, especially after the end of the Cold War 30 plus years ago, we stopped investing in our shipyards and we stopped having the expertise of our workforce able to build ships. We outsourced a lot of this. Korea, as it became a massive industrial success story, invested heavily in shipbuilding. So now, the two countries are saying, let's combine in making sure that South Korea can build more ships for the United States and help provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul at other shipyards. And as we see in the Hanwha Philly shipyard, where President E. J. Myung will visit tomorrow, South Korea has invested $100 million to start to modernize that shipyard so that it can increase production. But it's going to take a long time for the U.S. to regain serious shipbuilding capability. In the meantime, we need allies like South Korea, maybe Japan, to produce more ships. And that may take a change of law, to some extent, to make exemptions for these allies. But in the meantime, there's plenty of room for them to help just with civilian ship building, to help our shipyards become more modern. And that's where the investment announced in the July 30 trade deal, including $150 billion focused on shipbuilding, can go some way to really kickstarting a new shipbuilding industry here in the U.S. We're hearing a lot about on-shoring, a lot of our supply chains, President Trump in the Oval Office today when talking about China, repeatedly talking about magnets. We obviously see semiconductors being brought back, the manufacturing in the United States. From a national security perspective, is shipbuilding a major industry that we should not be losing sight of? It is. We are historically a maritime power. If we are not able to control the sea lines of communication for our trade and for our interests around the world, we are extremely vulnerable. Magnets and critical rare earth minerals are also essential for a lot of different technologies, especially semiconductors, chips, but also for aircraft and other major military platforms. So we need to make sure that from the beginning of our supply chain to the production of high-end platforms like ships, we're able to at least have trusted, secure allies and partners working with us on these things. We don't necessarily have to do it all ourselves, we can't afford to do that, but we need to make sure there's a trusted supply chain. And E.J. Myung made note of this in his remarks tonight at CSIS when he gave a public address, pointing out that while his relations with China are good, they know that the supply chains are vulnerable. And so that's a shared interest between the United States and South Korea. Now, the South Korean president discussed relations with North Korea. I want to play a clip for you. While you were in office during your first term, the tension across the Korean peninsula had been stable. But during the hiatus in which you were not, North Korea has since further developed its nuclear and missile capabilities, leading to the deterioration of the stability you had helped to help. So how should we be interpreting this? Is he simply complimenting Trump for negotiation purposes, or is he asking for Trump to take a certain stance when it comes to North Korea? Well, he's both pursuing the policy he wishes to pursue. That is, the Democratic Party of Korea wants better relations with North Korea, and they want to pursue confidence building measures and tension reduction. At the same time, he's essentially egging on President Trump to do what he did during his first term, which was to reach out and make a historic summit meeting that went well in Singapore in 2018. But when they went to Hanoi in February of 2019, they weren't able to reach a deal because in reality, North Korea didn't want to make the kind of compromises on its nuclear program that we were willing to deal with. And there's still that big gap with North Korea. So unfortunately, while both President Trump and President Lee Jae-myung want to be peacemakers with North Korea, it's not clear that North Korea wants to be a peacemaker with us. You wouldn't probably realize watching today's Oval Office bilateral meeting, but there's a lot of controversy in South Korea when it comes to its own domestic politics. While President Lee is in the United States, at the same time, he has a special delegation in China. Just yesterday, South Korea agreed to boost economic cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party. Is the South Korean president being sincere in his comments to President Trump today? And can South Korea ultimately walk the line between the US and China? We don't know if they can walk the line. That is a big question. What we can say is that President Lee Jae-myung has just begun essentially to define his presidency. He was elected in this special election in the beginning of June. He's now met with Prime Minister Ishiba in Japan, and now finally an inaugural summit with President Trump. In the end of October, he's going to be hosting those same leaders and others at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit that South Korea is hosting. So between now and the end of October, we'll go a long way to understanding how will the Lee Jae-myung liberal administration try to balance the need for a strong modern security alliance on the one hand, with the reality that he wants closer relations with China, the United States, and President Trump today said he's going to have good relations with China. But we also know that the competition between the United States and China is intensifying despite that. So you're asking the right question. We don't know the answer yet. We are dealing with a very liberal government that has a more liberal outlook on how to deal with China. It's not all black and white, though, because he's pragmatic and he knows, and South Koreans are very skeptical about Chinese pressure, and they know they're vulnerable. So they need the United States alliance. They want to work with Japan, which is historically a very positive step now. But how will they manage China? Will they be harsh enough? Lee Jae-myung did say one thing tonight in his speech that I thought was interesting. He did commit to the fact that working with Japan and the United States, South Korea would help protect and deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. That's not quite saying he's willing to say South Korea will help on China contingencies, but it is essentially giving cover for that demand from the United States that they do more to shoulder burdens for dealing with China and not just North Korea. Now, speaking of that pressure, when you're thinking in terms of great power competition, the United States and China, South Korea being so close to China, the economy is very intertwined, many South Korean businesses doing business inside of China. I want to talk about the CCP's influence inside of South Korea. In addition to pro-China foreign policy, the current president has also taken action to suppress critics of the CCP in South Korea. What can we learn from how China, the Communist Party, has infiltrated itself into South Korean politics? Even reading today's New York Times about how the Chinese have insinuated themselves into US politics, it's worth remembering that the Communist Party of China has made a business out of making sure that it can manipulate politics, both domestically and abroad. Obviously, being a close neighbor and doing so much business with South Korea makes South Korea vulnerable. South Koreans are aware of this, especially when it comes to cybersecurity, and they're working with us closely to make sure that they can root out Chinese intrusions, as well as North Korean and other intrusions. But on the politics locally, the domestic politics give more space for cooperation with China. That means they're inviting in elements of the Chinese Communist Party, whether they know it or not, whether it's witting or unwitting. The United States has to be a little more wary of dealing with a liberal government in terms of how it's going to really treat China. But South Koreans are still very strong nationalists. Even the liberals are very strong nationalists. They want to protect Korea. We have something to work with on South Korea. That's why in previous liberal governments of South Korea, the United States and conservative governments of the United States have been able to work with South Korean governments, whether they're liberal or conservative. I'm still hopeful that we can do more good, but we still have to be wary of some of the intrusions that you're talking about. Patrick Cronin, I appreciate your insights. Thank you. Could President Trump build a Trump Tower in North Korea? The president says he looks forward to meeting Kim Jong-un once again. So how is South Korea factoring in? We'll explore those new dynamics between the U.S., Korea and China more in depth tonight on China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer at 9 p.m. Eastern. In the meantime, coming up, wildfires raging in California's wine country, as well as in Oregon. Thousands of homes are at risk as firefighters battle the flames in dangerous conditions. That and more when we return. Tianyin's brand is Fuxing. The impact of a meal goes well beyond feeding our bodies. Because when people are fed, futures are nourished. Everyone deserves to live a full life. And with your help, together we can end hunger. Join the movement at feedingamerica.org slash act now. And welcome back to the Capitol Report on Entity Television. I'm Steve Lance. Mexican drug kingpin Nuez El Mayo is now pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in the U.S. Here's Attorney General Pam Bondi this afternoon. His guilty plea brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of elimination of the drug cartels and the transnational criminal organizations throughout this world that are flooding our country with drugs, human traffickers and homicides. Ismael Zambada pleading guilty for smuggling large quantities of cocaine, heroin and other illegal substances into the U.S. In doing so, he acknowledged the extent of the Sinaloa cartel's operations, including details on relationships with Colombian cocaine producers. He also admitted that people working for him paid bribes to Mexican police and military commanders. The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico's oldest criminal group, with the organization taking on various forms since the 1970s. Wildfires are raging in California's Napa Valley and across parts of Oregon. In California, the Pickett Fire is threatening homes and vineyards, while in Oregon, the Flatfire has destroyed homes and forced over a thousand residents to evacuate. Entity's Christina Corona tells us more. In Napa County, California, the Pickett Fire has scorched more than 6,800 acres since breaking out last Thursday. The blaze is threatening about 500 structures in an area known for its wineries and hot springs. Roughly 150 residents have been ordered to evacuate, while another 360 are under warnings near Etna Springs and Pope Valley. Officials say the fire is 13 percent contained. Crews are battling difficult conditions in rugged terrain, with some firefighters flown in and helicopters working overnight, according to CAL FIRE. Officials say challenges are on the steeper sections of the fire, where rolling material could spark new flames. Holding is going to be an issue with the potential for rollout in there. Again, with how steep it is, there's still a threat for rolling material to ignite fire below should it come rolling out of the containment area. Crews are actively engaged in there, continuing to mop up, patrol, strengthen and improve all those areas. The Bay Area District has also issued an air quality advisory through Wednesday, warning of potentially unhealthy smoke in Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. Crews are also putting protective equipment in place around local vineyards. Meanwhile in Oregon, the Flatfire has burned nearly 22,000 acres across Jefferson and Deschutes counties. At least 10 structures, including four homes, have been destroyed. About 4,000 homes remain under evacuation notices as crews fight to gain control, with containment at just five percent. The American Red Cross has opened shelters to help displaced families. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Cristina Corona, NTD News. And that is all we have for you tonight on the Capitol Report. For round-the-clock original coverage, be sure to visit us at ntd.com and download the NTD mobile app. From the nation's Capitol, I'm Steve Lance. Have a great evening. See you back here tomorrow.