Capitol Report Full Broadcast (March 30)

Good evening and welcome to the Capitol Report. President Trump threatening Iran's power plants and oil wells if a deal isn't reached soon to open the Strait of Hormuz, the contingencies the U.S. military is preparing for. Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. And TSA agents are now starting to get paid again. Some airport lines looking better already but the DHS shutdown still dragging on into six weeks. Because of the president that TSA agents are being paid but again he's calling on Congress to do the right thing to come back to Washington and to fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security fully. And birthright citizenship now before the Supreme Court. How is it currently being taken advantage of and what would happen if it's overturned? And welcome to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance. The U.S. and Israel keeping up the pressure on the Iranian regime as Operation Epic Fury continues. And following talks with Iran, President Trump says he's now delaying strikes on Iran's power plants. Antony's Jason Perry reports. The United States and Israel continuing joint military operations against the Iranian regime with U.S. forces recently saying they've struck more than 11,000 targets so far. And on Monday, Israel reporting it launched about 400 strikes on Iran in a 24-hour period. White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt on Monday saying it's no surprise that the Iranian regime is increasingly eager to negotiate an end to the war. Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. As a result, President Trump issued a 10-day pause to postpone planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. Leavitt also explaining what President Trump meant when he said Iranian officials seem to be much more reasonable. When the president says more reasonable, again, these folks are appearing more reasonable behind the scenes privately in these conversations than perhaps some of the previous leaders who are now no longer on planet Earth because they lied to the United States and they strung us along in negotiations and that was unacceptable to the president, which is why many of the previous leaders were killed. However, Iran continues to launch missiles at Israel and other countries in the region. Debris from an intercepted Iranian missile hit this oil refinery in northern Israel and another Iranian missile hit a house in northern Israel in which authorities say there were no casualties. And photos were released on Sunday showing a damaged U.S. Air Force aircraft that was reportedly hit by an Iranian missile while on a tarmac in Saudi Arabia. This comes as the crown prince of Saudi Arabia hosts the leaders of Qatar and Jordan on Monday. They're expected to discuss the latest developments in the region as the war in Iran continues. And in a related development, Israeli forces battling the Iran backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon reported striking over 100 buildings in the Beirut area. Israeli forces have vowed to take over part of southern Lebanon as they accused the Lebanese government of not doing enough to stop Hezbollah from launching attacks at Israel. However, in a diplomatic shift, Lebanon recently expelled the Iranian ambassador from the country. However, the Iranian envoy did not leave Lebanon. Iran says he will continue his work as Iran's ambassador and will remain in Beirut. Jason Perry, NTD News. The European country of Spain has now closed its airspace to the United States and its planes involved in Operation Epic Fury. Joining me now to discuss the implications and possible U.S. response is Scott Brown, former United States senator and former ambassador to New Zealand. Ambassador, thanks so much for joining us. NATO country, Spain, now closing its airspace to the United States. Senator Lindsey Graham now calling for sanctions and the closure of U.S. airbases in the region. Talk to us, Ambassador, if you could, how might the U.S. respond and what does this move ultimately mean for U.S.-Spain relations? Well, first of all, the leftist country not doing their fair share of pulling their weight when it comes to the NATO obligation, especially the increased amount that the president's really asking everyone to do, because obviously if things happen in Russia and they start taking over that part of the world or other conflicts, they're not going to be ready. And we will be asked to jump in as usual. Bottom line is these actions have consequences. And to think that we have longstanding relationships to make sure that we can actually address conflicts around the world at a moment's notice. And to have one of our NATO allies say, oh, by the way, not this time. They can't pick and choose what's good for the mission. And I think there will be consequences. I'm not opposed to doing no trade with them and then putting some real economic pressure on them. But just make no mistake, when and if they need us, what goes around comes around, I'm sure. This comes as thousands of American paratroopers are beginning to arrive in the Middle East. President Trump is issuing new fresh demands saying if Iran doesn't reach a deal shortly and open up the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. will, quote, completely obliterate all of their electric generating plants, oil wells, Karg Island, possibly all desalinization plants. Ambassador, how do you imagine Iran will react to the president's demands? Well, I know there's a lot of pushing. The president is like that. He goes and throws everything against the wall and obviously shakes people up. They're kind of shocked. And then they either come to the table or they don't. And Iran has had a history, 47 years with us after killing our Marines and taking over embassy and exporting terrorism around the region and the world. At what point do you say enough? You've got to stop exporting terrorism at the Houthis Hamas in Hezbollah. I hope that doesn't happen. I would encourage the president not to do that because you're hurting the good Persian people, the people in Iran who really are under the thumb of this terrible regime, this terrorist regime, quite frankly. And I believe that there would be better ways. And the thing and the reason I'm a little bit different than others, listen, I served in the military for almost 40 years. I'm servicing homeland veterans. I've been to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, Dubai, Jordan, Kuwait. I know the region. I worked with a lot of the ambassadors, you know, as a senator and as an ambassador. And there are diplomatic solutions. I think Marko's doing a great job. But before we put any troops on the ground full time, I believe we need to have a declaration of war. I think that's critically important to get the American people behind this operation, because I'll tell you what, as I'm going around New Hampshire and I speak to people around the country, they do not want another Iraq. And that's kind of where I am and I think many people are. And to your point, you're seeing even Senator Lindsey Graham saying and advising the president, according to reports, that it's time to draw back the president. And, you know, his press secretary saying that they're still on schedule for that four to six week operation. With that said, Secretary of State Marko Rubio asked today about troops on the ground. This was his response. The president has several options at his disposal, and the Department of War is preparing optionality for the president for this and various other contingencies that might arise. So, Ambassador, what sorts of military contingencies does it appear the U.S. might be getting ready for in the buildup? Is it another way of projecting peace through strength? Oh, absolutely. And I certainly understand it. But, you know, there's a point when you actually have to say, go and give the order. And that's when I think we have to really make sure that the American people are behind not only the president, but the secretary of war. And they're supporting our men and women who are doing these amazing works, keeping us safe and secure and eliminating terrorist threat like Iran. But listen, I appreciate the president. I support him when he got rid of the nuclear facilities and that amazing bombing. And then I support him what he's doing now, getting rid of that big bully and neutralizing it. But did you notice that when things went, you know, in full force, Iran already had pre-positioned rockets and missiles launched at their friends and neighbors. And then we found out that their capabilities were longer than they actually told us. They're not honest. They're continuously misrepresenting and lying. And the years of cajoling and paying them off and doing those types of things are over. The president has drawn a line in the sand. Remember, Obama said he was going to draw a line in the sand in Syria. He didn't. And look what happened. Biden said, oh, a little incursion in Ukraine. You saw what happened. The president's drawing a line in the sand. And I want him to certainly have the tools. And I believe that they can do it without putting boots on the ground. And that's my hope. But I'm not there. But if I were there, I would make sure that my position as somebody who's running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire would let the citizens of this state in the country know what their positions are. And I think it's critically important to get the people behind these types of things. Now, a major point of contention right now in the Middle East is that critical choke point that we hear so much about lately, the Strait of Hormuz, where much of the world's oil flows through. Thankfully, not the United States, but many in Asia and other places. Two Chinese container ships recently transited through the Strait of Hormuz safely. Is this a sign that Iran might be establishing a corridor for its key allies? And what can be done to mitigate the risk there for other nations that are trying to get oil out? Well, first of all, that is the key right there. That's where we're at. I mean, the military and a whole host of other things have been neutralized. It's the Strait of Hormuz. It's that choke point. And of course, China's doing deals. They're whaling and dealing because the oil from Iran and the oil from Venezuela is dramatically affecting their economy. And the president is judiciously allowing certain things to go. You saw some oil going to Cuba. They don't want a humanitarian crisis. There's some amazing people in Cuba. But it's the regime that's had its thumb on their people for so long. So I'm hopeful that the allies in our region and the people and the groups like China and every other entity that gets oil will step forward and make a difference, knock out those speedboats, knock out those drone capabilities, make sure that they have the ability to escort and knock out any type of threats that are there. I mean, there are ways to do it. And I believe that's probably where things will be heading, is addressing that choke point in particular and guaranteeing security around the area. And that's what I would be recommending for sure. You mentioned oil in Cuba. The U.S. now permitting a Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba. Here's White House Press Secretary Caroline Levin. We allowed this ship to reach Cuba in order to provide humanitarian needs to the Cuban people. These decisions are being made on a case-by-case basis. As the administration has said, Cuba's non-functional economy cannot be fixed unless they undergo dramatic political and leadership change. What do you make of this development, Ambassador? Is this a strategic move by the United States with Cuba? Well, I think it's placating Russia a little bit, and it's also helping the good people of Cuba, and there are many of them. I mean, Marco Rubio's family comes from Cuba, and there are still people who are under the thumb, as I said. But we don't want to crush a regime and then have total turmoil. They need certain things to survive, and they're in deep trouble. Their economy's collapsed, and their grid's sporadic. So I would have rather, quite frankly, have us deliver the oil. It's like 90 miles away. Arrange that instead of giving Russia an olive branch. Quite frankly, Russia has been helping Iran and others do the things that they're doing, and they're not a friend. So I would encourage us to us to give them the oil versus Russia, quite honestly. Former Ambassador Scott Brown, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you. TSA agents are now receiving paychecks while the Department of Homeland Security is still in the sixth week of a shutdown. Security lines at some airports are starting to ease and show signs of improvement. Meantime, the White House is calling it ridiculous that that action from the president was even necessary in the first place in order to pay the TSA employees, and is urging Congress to come back from their break to end the shutdown. Entity correspondent Jason Blair has more. It's because of the president that TSA agents are being paid. But again, he's calling on Congress to do the right thing, to come back to Washington, and to fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security fully. The Department of Homeland Security says that after six weeks, TSA agents began getting paid again on Monday. President Trump signed a memorandum last week to allow the DHS to use funds to get the TSA workers a paycheck. The president worked with his legal team here at the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to find a solution. Levitt called it ridiculous that the president had to take these steps. It is the job of Congress to fund these agencies, and Democrats in Congress have voted seven times against funding the Department of Homeland Security. Congressional Democrats are demanding changes to ICE. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says, we've been clear from day one, Democrats will fund critical homeland security functions, but we will not give a blank check to ICE without reforms. Essential workers from other agencies like FEMA, the Coast Guard, and CISA are continuing to work without paychecks. The DHS shutdown is now in its sixth week, with Congress still stalled on funding. Meanwhile, the White House has deployed ICE agents to help at understaffed airports. Agents have been spotted checking IDs and boarding passes, assisting with luggage, and handing out water. There are reports that TSA lines at Atlanta and Houston airports have improved significantly as of Monday, with some others also showing signs of improvement. The TSA union says workers will need a few days to get their lives back in order. It's still going to take a little time for everybody to revamp their finances and get back up and on. The Senate came back from recess on Monday morning and held a short meeting, but did not talk about DHS funding. They are adjourned until Thursday, so most likely, we won't have any major updates until then. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, Entity News. And the Supreme Court is ready to hear oral arguments on Wednesday in one of the most high-profile cases of this term, birthright citizenship. Entity's Arlene Richards has more Ending birthright citizenship, which now comes to the fore. The Trump administration is poised to argue on Wednesday that the Constitution has been fundamentally misunderstood for decades. The Supreme Court will hear the administration's arguments on whether the president's January 2025 executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship complies with the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. Since the late 1800s, the understanding of the clause has been that virtually everyone born in the United States is entitled to U.S. citizenship, regardless of their parents' citizenship status. That was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn't meant for people trying to scam the system and come into the country on a vacation. The president echoing his thoughts in a Truth Social post on Monday and saying, we are the only country in the world that dignifies this subject with even discussion. In court filings, the Justice Department explained that the clause was adopted to confer citizenship on the newly freed slaves and their children, not on the children of immigrants temporarily visiting the United States or of illegal immigrants. The plaintiffs are a class of non-citizens living in the U.S. who fear their unborn children won't become U.S. citizens. They argue that the Citizenship Clause reaffirms a centuries-old common law tradition of citizenship by virtue of birth, and that the executive order attempts a radical rewriting of the 14th Amendment. The longstanding interpretation of the clause is complicating President Trump's immigration policy. Hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into our country under birthright citizenship, and it wasn't meant for that reason. Much of the debate about the clause focuses on a particular phrase. To qualify for birthright citizenship, a child must not only be born in the United States, but also subject to the jurisdiction thereof. This week, the Supreme Court will likely try to find out what that phrase was intended to mean. Arlene Richards, NTD News. And you're looking at a live shot of the White House in Washington. When we come back, we'll dive into the birthright citizenship case from the historic context to the implications on illegal immigration. Hi, I'm Susan Lucci. You may know me from my many years on television. I never thought about heart disease until I had my own heart event. I felt this slight pressure on my chest, just slight. I thought, oh, it's nothing. It'll go away. I didn't get it. I did not get it. A few days later, while shopping at a boutique, that pressure returned much stronger. It felt like an elephant pressing on my chest. I had a 90% blockage in my main artery and a 75% blockage in the adjacent artery. 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The only reason I'm here today is because I did. So please call the number on your screen or go to helpheart.org now. Join me as a monthly donor today and help save even more lives. Thank you. You are not hidden. There's never been a moment you were forgot. You are not. On streets across America, homeless young people are cold, abused, in danger. Met House is helping young people with nowhere else to turn. Please call or go online now with your gift of $19 a month. You'll help provide hot meals, safe shelter, medical care, and love. We'll send you this comforting blanket as a reminder of the love you're showing a young person this holiday season. Call or go online now to safeplacetosleep.org, and your first month's gift will be matched. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance, President Trump taking to Truth Social to argue against birthright citizenship. This ahead of Wednesday's big oral arguments before the Supreme Court. Joining me now to assess are panelists Katie Frost, Republican strategist, and Mallie Smith, Democratic strategist and former Harris campaign official. Great to have you both back on the program. So in light of the Supreme Court debates regarding birthright citizenship, the President today again voicing his opposition saying that birthright citizenship is not about rich people from China and the rest of the world who want their children and hundreds of thousands more for pay to ridiculously become citizens of the US. It is about the babies of slaves referencing its original intent. Katie, the President makes an interesting point. How is this policy being taken advantage of? And what is your understanding of how we should adapt to some of the older policies that were established in a different era? It was definitely a different era. When you look at birthright citizenship, it was put in place in an attempt to overturn the Dred Scott decision, which we all agree needed to be done away with. But when a policy was put in place for a good purpose, a long time in history, it had an important meaning. But now this is being abused. You saw Senator Scott and Cotton recently wrote to Senator General Bondi asking her to investigate the birth tourism industry that has emerged because there are wealthy families in other countries who are paying to send surrogates to the United States, or they're paying for a surrogate who's already living here, and then immediately taking the child back to their country. In many cases, it's a place like communist China. There are 107 Chinese-owned surrogacy agencies in California alone. So something that was originally intended to make sure that all people who lived in the United States and were born here were treated equally regardless of their race, which is what birthright citizenship to give that to children of slaves was originally for, now it's being abused where people who arguably are our enemies are using it to exploit the system. And now we will have children who are raised in communist China, who are members of the Chinese Communist Party, also happen to be American citizens. That's abusing the system and it needs to change. Mally, are the Democrats talking about any reasonable solution to come to the table here to prevent people manipulating the system? The president mentioned that the birthright citizenship dates back to the Civil War, and how it's now being applied is greatly divergent from what it was initially intended. What case is there for maintaining it now? Well, I think there's certainly things we could do to stop birth tourism, but in regards to getting rid of birthright citizenship, I just don't see this happening. With the caveat that I'm not a lawyer, yes, the amendment was created out of the Civil War, but the plain reading of it is all people born within the United States are subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens. And it's been broadly set in legal precedent that this means not just those who are the children of slaves, but anyone born in the United States. Also, I think getting rid of this right, first off, the Trump administration, I can't do it, I think, through executive order. I think it would have to be either passing legislation, and even then that would get caught up in court, or the only way I think you could truly do it without it falling because of judicial scrutiny is passing a constitutional amendment. But then second is that logistically, I just think it would be a nightmare. You would have to have parents who, let's say, your parents, you're having your child born in the hospital. It's hopefully a wonderful time, potentially a traumatic time if there's any health issues with your child or the mother, they're going to have to provide citizenship proof that they're citizens to then get proper documentation for their child. I think logistically that sounds like quite a nightmare to me. So hopefully we can find ways to crack down on birth tourism that don't punish parents and families who are just trying to make sure they have a healthy baby and not thinking about, wow, do I have to bring in my birth certificates to show that I'm actually a citizen here? I mean, in a sense, Katie, this really ultimately comes back to incentivizing illegal immigration where somebody can just flood across the border and break the law and then all of a sudden have a way to stay here because they give birth on American soil. It seems rather ludicrous. With that said, legally, the case primarily seems to be hinging on a certain interpretation of a clause, which is where it says, quote, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. What is the argument, Katie, for citizenship at birth being determined by factors beyond just territorial presence? Well, I would say neither Malley or I are attorneys, but we both are in politics and the most important part of any piece of legislation is when it says, for the purposes of this legislation, text shall be defined as this. The definition of words often have just as much meaning as those actual words themselves. So that's going to be the crux of this argument we see going before the Supreme Court tomorrow. I will say, to the idea that, well, do we really have to do it based on soil? Should it be done based on parents? The overwhelming majority of the world does not offer birthright citizenship. The Western hemisphere is unique in that way, particularly just in the Americas where you see that, because in the United States, of course, we discuss slavery. And in other countries, they were also following the United States as an example or trying to come to Latin America from Europe and other places. I was in France shortly after President Trump was elected in 2024. I was talking to a Frenchman and he was explaining to me how his children are not French citizens because he, well, they were born in Spain, but they're French citizens because he's French. They're not Spanish citizens. And I explained to him how in America we have birthright citizenship. He said, you mean to tell me someone could come to the United States who's eight months pregnant and have a child, and that child's an American citizen, and then you can't support the baby with the parents? I told him that's right. He goes, wow, no wonder Donald Trump is so popular. So when you've lost the French, just think, have you really lost your argument there? And if the French can figure out how to make sure they have the documentation when they go to the hospital and have their kids, I trust the Americans can do it too. Mally, is Katie making a lot of sense there to you? With all due respect to Katie, I do disagree on that. And if you look at polling, Americans broadly support the right to birthright citizenship. It's pretty strong support there. I looked it up before this segment, and there's been polls by Reuters, YouGov, and a host of them, 60 to 70 percent of Americans believe that we should keep birthright citizenship. I do maintain that I still think logistically it would be difficult to institute this. But I think it's a bit of a moot point because I hate to rain on the parade because I think both of you guys seem to be in favor of this. I think the Supreme Court is going to rule 9-0 against this or 8-1. So if the Trump administration wants to do this, I think they're going to either have to pass legislation or do an amendment to the Constitution. I don't think an executive order overturning a right that's been established for hundreds of years is going to apply. So let's drill down into this a little bit more. The president of the Government Accountability Institute testifying before the Senate earlier this month. Have a listen. People with customs and border control can deny entry to somebody who is pregnant and say they want to come to the United States on a tourism visa. The problem is that under certain administrations, the Obama administration, the Biden administration, they were told not to do that. Mally, we'll come back to you. So does birthright citizenship in your mind incentivize illegal immigration? I think that we need to do things that make sure we don't have birthright tourism. That is a problem. And I think Katie talking about how there's these Chinese surrogacy agencies, that that's an issue. But I do think when it comes to immigration, Americans want some common sense reforms, which is shutting down the border to make sure we don't have illegal undocumented immigrants coming through the border, which I think President Trump and the Trump administration has done a good job on. But I think the other problem we have is the large number of undocumented immigrants still within the country. And I think there's two things you have to do. I think we have to deport those who are violent or have a criminal record. And then I think there should be a pathway to citizenship for those who are longstanding members of the community who are good folks, but potentially were brought in as kids or have longstanding ties to the community. I think that's the real immigration issues that Americans are worried about. But I do think we can take targeted measures to stop birthright tourism. Katie, some experts like we just heard from Dr. Peter Schweitzer there have discussed, and you brought this up earlier as well, nations like communist China using birth tourism for political purposes. How might this have an impact on American elections? What absolutely can have an impact on American elections. And this is something where we have to drill down on this. It can also be looked at as a national security issue, but it ties into so many things. We also need to have a broader conversation about commercial surrogacy. And if this is really an important thing that everyone in America supports, newsflash, they don't. Over 80% of Americans support some kind of limitations on surrogacy, including the fact that a registered sex offender can hire a surrogate. So we need to have a commonsense conversation about that. But as far as the concept of birthright citizenship, it absolutely incentivizes illegal immigration. Because contrary to what some folks on the Democratic Party might tell you, being an American citizen is one of the absolute best things that can ever happen to you. So what parent wouldn't want their child to be an American citizen? And if you have the opportunity for your child to become an American citizen, of course, you're incentivized to do whatever you can to get here to have that child. But look at what we're seeing in the Olympics, when the young skier Lin Gao, she is competing for China, even though she was born in the United States, but she's fully pledged her allegiance to communist China. She's representing them. She has become their spokesperson, if you will, but she's an American citizen. How would we feel we're now in a conflict with Iran if there were hundreds of thousands of Iranian nationals who lived under the regime, support the Ayatollah, but they're American citizens and they can come here and vote in our elections? Wouldn't we be concerned about that? That is absolutely something we could see potentially down the road with China. Because exactly what's happening, these hundreds of thousands of Chinese that are being born here, they're actually perfectly justifiably able to go back and be raised in the Chinese communist education system, and after decades of brainwashing, move here and have the legal right to vote in our elections at a snap of a finger. It is extremely concerning. Katie Frost, Mallie Smith, we really appreciate both of you joining us. And coming up, the White House remaining optimistic about ongoing negotiations. What can we expect from Iran's leadership analysis just after the break? The bladder control aisle. You won't shop here again. Your private business is your own. The constant struggle is over. Now there's a better way. It's HGIS. We home deliver bladder control products. We understand how you feel. For over 25 years, we've home delivered to many of the 20 million Americans who deal with incontinence. 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The soft gel is made of natural seaweed. It is 100% organic and vegan. Both adults and children can take it with peace of mind. Ancient recipes were passed down from heaven to bring prosperity and longevity. Prairie thyme green vegetable omega-3. Do not see it coming. It's prediabetes and it captures one in three adults, but you can escape. Take the one minute prediabetes risk test to know where you stand and prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Be your own hero on smartphones everywhere at doihaveprediabetes.org. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance. As U.S. paratroopers arrive in the Middle East, the White House says negotiations with Iran continue. Joining me now to discuss the latest developments is Taylor Hathorn, visiting fellow at Independent Women. Taylor, great to have you back with us. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt providing an update on those negotiations with Iran. Let's have a listen. We are seeing the remaining elements of the regime become increasingly eager to end the destruction and come to the negotiating table while they still can. Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. So, Taylor, the administration is clear that new leadership in Iran is willing to negotiate, also cautiously assessing who they're really dealing with and who's in power with the fog of war still very much present. What would you imagine Iran and the U.S. are bringing to the table to these talks? And what are you making of really the power structure inside of Iran right now? So I think we have to really look at this holistically and understand who Iran is as a whole and as an entity. And I've been saying for months before Operation Epic Fury even happened that I didn't think that negotiating with them was going to go very far. I mean, they are a radical ideology. They are a radical regime who's willing to kill its own people. And I don't think that has changed. Now, they might be willing to call uncle at this point because they understand that if you're sending out edicts where you're saying that children as young as 12 can join the IRGC, you might be in a little bit of trouble and you might need to look at the long game here. So what do you need to do with the United States? What do you need to give up and negotiate with them to be able to play the long game here? One of the things that I think Americans miss when we're looking at the war with Iran or when we're looking at conversations that we're having with Russia, well, with China and in parts Russia, is that there is a mindset of Eastern warfare here that really is about the long game of warfare, looking at not just six months from now or a year from now, like the United States looks at war and our allies in the West look at war, but they are looking at hundreds of years from now. What do they need to do to accomplish their goals in the long run? And so I think you really have to understand your enemy to really be able to come to this table. And I think negotiating with them might get us six months or five years or 10 years safer in the Middle East. And that might be something that we are willing to accept right now, but I don't think that it's going to stop them in the long run. Now, it appears as though these new leaders have some legitimacy, the administration saying that there's been some back and forth with, you know, feeling each other out, testing them with some offers and seeing if they're being met. This is evidenced by the decision to let some of the ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz. So is that Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, still a strong bargaining chip for Iran? And how much time do you think they have until President Trump may take control of it? The reality of the situation is that we could take the Strait completely at any point that we want to, but it's what we want to give up and what we're willing to negotiate and sacrifice. And the American people have been clear. They don't want mass United States casualties. We don't want a long-term war in the Middle East. You know, as the older sister of two Marines, the last thing that I, you know, ever want to see happen on the front end of anything is to send ground forces in. But the reality is that we need to see what Iran is willing to give up and what they're willing to work with us on. And right now, I think Iran does a lot of, you know, posturing. They try to see what they can get out of the United States, and they say certain things, and then they give up certain concessions, and then they take it back. And so I just really would caution the administration, you know, weigh the consequences here a little bit in trusting this new leadership, because yes, you know, the parliamentarian speaker might be a real serious person that's at the table, but he was still in bed with Khomeini and all of these other people that have been terrorizing their own citizens and carrying out attacks against Americans throughout proxies in the world. And so I wouldn't separate the new leadership from the old leadership quite that quickly. President Trump has been consistent in his messaging that the Operation Epic Fury was preempted not only to prevent American deaths, but to prevent Iranian nuclear capabilities. Here's the White House today on it. The Iranian Navy has no vessels operating in major regional waterways and no ability to project naval power, which is why they've been assessed as combat ineffective. Taylor, from what you're seeing right now, do you think that the defense capabilities of Iran have been degraded to the point of preventing them from rearming? I mean, it depends on what you're talking about preventing them from rearming. You know, we have talked about the fact that they were able to spin up more uranium in the last couple of months, and then they've got the drones, they have the cruise missiles, they have the ICBMs. And so, you know, I think the drones are really the thing that's cheapest to produce right now, that's hardest to track. And China is certainly doing us no favors by producing the motors within China for those drones. But I think you really have to look at what capability that you're talking about here. I'm not a military expert. I'm sure there's people who have far more, you know, knowledge than I do on battle damage assessment and just different military defense systems and what they have and what they don't have. But I would say, again, to the president, to the administration, look at the risk versus the reward here and understand, you know, I don't know that you're going to get to a place where this regime, who has been able to filter in millions and millions of dollars, not just through oil, but different ransomware attacks and different relationships throughout bad proxies throughout the world, I don't think you're ever going to get them to have a net zero on weaponry. So you've got to be able to decide what amount we can tolerate and keep our thumb on. And I think you also need to look at leadership in the GCC nations. You've got to look at Saudi Arabia. You have to look at the United Arab Emirates. You need to look at Turkey. You need to look at leaders like those who met in Islamabad yesterday and see what they're wanting to do to curtail this crazy regime moving forward and how we're going to keep our thumb on them to make sure that they don't reconstitute the kind of weaponry that could cause mass casualties. You know, the regrettable part of being an American, if there was any one, is that, you know, we have the benefit of being incredibly safe, isolated from the rest of the world. And so we don't get mad enough about something like this until there is a second 9-11. And the reality is that this administration is trying so hard to prevent a 9-11 part two. And I really hope that they're able to be successful. And I think more Americans need to wake up to the fact that, you know, we don't want this to be reality. We don't want our adversaries to be people who want to cause a 9-11 part two, but we can't control what our adversaries want to do. We can only control how safe we keep American citizens. And I believe that the administration is doing just that in the way they're handling this. Now, there's another major player in the region, Taylor, and that's Turkey. They have the second largest army in NATO after the US and have met many of the defense spending goals promoted by President Trump. Considering Turkey's sympathetic approach toward Iran, could they use this to assist Iran or another US adversary in the future? And how concerned are you about Turkey's position? And how have they been posturing throughout this operation? Well, I think President Trump certainly has a fondness towards Erdogan, and that is very apparent in how he talks about them. You know, Turkey is a unique ally in NATO. They, at the beginning of this conflict, were certainly, and certainly not just in the beginning of this conflict. Even now, they're talking about how they do not advocate for what the United States and Israel is doing, but they are certainly no fan of Iran. And I think that we need to make that very clear. They're straddling this line right now where they're trying to assess what the battle damage assessment is going to be and really where Iran is going to land at the end of all of this. I don't think that they're trying to make any new enemies, certainly of the United States or of Iran. But I think that they're going to have to choose at some point, because the reality is that Iran is shooting missiles at them even, you know, even today, you know, that NATO forces shot down a missile. And so I think that Turkey is going to have to choose a side at some point here. I think that that meeting in Islamabad with them, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, I think that you see that they're coming to the, them coming to the table with Saudi Arabia shows that they're standing in solidarity with the GCC nations, but they need to start having a little bit stronger of a posturing and footing because, you know, they are still one of the main financial sectors and hubs for financial money laundering for proxies. And so they've got to start tackling that. And I think the United States is going to be addressing that with them fairly quickly when all of this is over. Taylor Hawthorne, greatly appreciate your insights. Thank you. And the FBI sounding the alarm for Americans traveling to China. What might those concerns be? Find out more tonight on China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer at 8 p.m. Eastern. And coming up in another fake bomb threat targeting U.S.-based Shen Yun Performing Arts, this time canceling a performance in Toronto. Even though there was no credible threat, the organizers condemning the CCP for the incident. In another round of No Kings rallies happening across the nation over the weekend, reports showing a network of communist organizations behind the movement. We'll hear from folks right here in D.C. about what they think when we come back. I was a young dad of three amazing kids. I was finally following my dream. 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. Be strong. Take care of your mom. I love you guys. 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American performing arts company Shen Yun facing another fake bomb threat over the weekend, this time in Toronto, Canada. And the theater there canceling the show, even though police determined that the threat was a hoax. The organizers say it's part of the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to shut down the performances. Entities Washington correspondent Jack Bradley reports. So our show got canceled today. And because the theater received multiple bomb threat emails, and we had to evacuate. But these threats, once again, were all false. Another fake bomb threat targeting New York based Shen Yun Performing Arts. On Sunday, as they were scheduled to perform at Toronto's Four Seasons Center, a fake bomb threat resulted in the theater canceling the performance. No bomb went off and police deemed it an empty threat. The organizers say this is part of a trend of the Chinese regime targeting the show to deter people from seeing it. Saying the incident is not isolated and part of a coordinated global campaign of Chinese Communist Party directed transnational repression against Shen Yun Performing Arts. Canadian Member of Parliament Roman Baber was looking forward to the performance and condemned the CCP after the show was canceled due to the hoax. This is most atrocious, especially on the days when we're talking about Chinese interference in Canadian democracy. This is unacceptable, downtown Toronto. Now, although these threats are fake, the theater is boosting security for the remaining shows in an abundance of caution. At about a half hour drive away, Shen Yun was targeted with another fake bomb threat as it was about to perform at Mississauga's Living Arts Center earlier this month. Police there also found no evidence of a credible threat. Over the past two years, organizers say Shen Yun has received over 150 fake bomb and death threats from anonymous CCP agents, saying all threats have proven to be hoaxes. The objective is intimidation to instill fear, pressure venues, and disruptions of the shows that undermine democratic freedoms. Based on past incidents, these false threats that Shen Yun has received have all been linked to the same source, and you can probably guess what that is. I'm not a political person. I don't really talk about these things, but the idea that outside influence can affect something like this in Canada, that doesn't sit right with me. Shen Yun showcases China's traditional 5,000 years of culture, which was suppressed for decades under the Communist Party. It also displays current human rights abuses in China, another reason why the show isn't able to perform there, and why the CCP aims to shut it down globally. Now Shen Yun is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, performing in over 200 countries, and they continue to showcase the beauty of China before communism, with what appears to be an unshakable determination in the face of threats from the CCP. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. And for a deeper dive into the transnational repression that the CCP has carried out on American soil against Shen Yun, you can watch our new documentary, Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun, where we follow the story of two brothers from ordinary American childhoods to world-class stages across the world, and their resilience in the face of the CCP's underhanded tactics. Watch it at ntd.com slash unbroken. And another round of No King's rallies taking place across the country this past weekend. Some of the key attendees reportedly include communist and socialist groups funded by Neville Roy Singham, an American tech billionaire with known ties to China. Meantime, some protesters were carrying flags emblazoned with the hammer and sickle symbol. So how concerned should Americans be about communist influence in our own society? NTD's Sam Wong was out in the National Mall right here in DC to hear from the people. What's your reaction to all these No King's protests happening across the country over the weekend? Pure silliness. Just what a joke. What a joke. The guy's finally doing the job that has to be done and stepping in and somebody's got to take some leadership. And if it looks like kingship to the liberals, then so be it. I think it's challenging because he's got an agenda and a lot of people disagree with it. It's difficult when you've got so many divisions across either party. Why are you protesting something that doesn't exist? I mean, there is No King's. Trump would be the first one to say that. He was elected by the people to do the job. He's doing a great job. I don't understand the relevance of a No King's protest. It's another reason for people who don't have a job to come out and get together and to just tell each other how great they are. And that's all it is. It's propaganda and I don't pay much attention to it. I don't think they should be running my trip to Washington DC or anywhere. I mean, you want to bring tourists into cities. I don't want to see that. Over the weekend we saw a lot of people parading with a communist flag and then we're also seeing some really, you know, organizations that have ties to the Chinese Communist Party that are, you know, backing this whole movement. What do you make of that? How concerned do you think we should be about that? I think we should be concerned. I think that, you know, America first. That's why everyone's coming here is for the the freedom and the values and the benefits of being an American. Yet they're going to pollute that with the ideologies that they're bringing with them. I think there's all sorts of, you know, ideologies all around the world looking to compete with capitalism and the West and do our best to, you know, stand up for what we believe. Follow the money. It's probably George Soros somewhere who's got his hand in it. If you're American and this is your home or you're making money from this country, then your allegiance should be here. Well, I'm not surprised by anything anymore. You know, look at New York. We've got a communist in there. We've got to have our own country, our own rules, our own laws, and we shouldn't be influenced by foreign governments and foreign players. We're ready. That's what four astronauts scheduled to launch on the mission to the moon are saying. They could be going as soon as this Wednesday. It is our strong hope that this mission is the start of an era where everyone, every person on Earth can look at the moon and think of it as also a destination. One of the neat things about this is a tradition we started is our families are outside the building when we walk out. And so that is the moment that I'm going to get to tell them I love them instead of sending a text message or a phone call. But the biggest thing that we try to remind ourselves every single time we fly, we say no fast hands in the cockpit. You do not want to do anything too quick in this vehicle. You need to take your time. Artemis 2 set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida as soon as April 1st. The astronauts will circle the far side of the moon and then return to Earth. That is all we have for you tonight on the Capitol Report. Around the clock original coverage. Be sure to visit us at NTD.com and download the NTD mobile app. From the nation's capital, I'm Steve Lance. Have a great evening. See you back here tomorrow.