Capitol Report Full Broadcast (May 28)

Good evening. Tonight on Capitol Report, the U.S. and Iran closer to extending the ceasefire for 60 more days, pending approval from President Trump, while the White House is keeping the economic pressure on full blast. He's not going to take a bad deal. He's going to make a great deal for the American people. And elections just got a bit more secure, a judge clearing the way for an executive order from President Trump on mail-in ballots, the new rules designed to keep illegal votes out. In California's governor's race taking shape, former HHS Secretary Javier Becerra appearing to consolidate Democrats. With Trump endorsed, Steve Hilton gaining ground on the Republican side. But the real shake-up could be the Los Angeles mayoral race. This is Capitol Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. And good evening. We're following U.S. sources confirming to NTD that the United States and Iran have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire extension and are now awaiting approval from President Trump. Meantime, the administration intensifying its maximum economic pressure campaign with new sanctions and a blunt warning. If the president doesn't see a path to a peace deal, then, quote, kinetic is back. We go now live to NTD's White House correspondent, Mari Otsu, standing by at the North Lawn. Mari, good evening. Hey, Steve. Good evening. Yeah, that's right. And as of right now, we are still waiting for President Trump's sign-off on that ceasefire memorandum. And this is coming just after the U.S. launched self-defensive strikes against the Iranian regime on Monday and then on Wednesday shot down several Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant was here at the White House briefing podium today saying that he won't get ahead of the president on this memorandum, but reiterating that President Trump has been clear about three conditions for a potential deal. Take a look. Nothing is going to be on the table until we see the Strait of Hormuz open and the Iranians agree that they have to turn over the highly enriched uranium and that they can't have a nuclear program. President Trump has done something that no other administration is able to do. We have gotten the Iranians to talk about their nuclear program and to perhaps commit to not having one. This comes as the Treasury Secretary is declaring a continued economic fury campaign against the Iranian regime. Secretary Besant saying their troops are not getting paid, the police are not reporting for work, and Karg Island is shut down. The Iranian economy and currency are in freefall. Only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral. Besant also announcing that the Treasury is sanctioning Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority and warns Oman against efforts to impose a tolling system in the Strait, saying that the U.S. Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved, directly or indirectly, in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized. Again, I think the president wanted to punctuate freedom of navigation in the Strait. I had a call with the Omani ambassador this morning and he assured me that there were no plans for tolling the Strait. And he did not want to risk either the Omani individuals or Omani financial institutions getting sanctioned. Meanwhile, the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports is holding strong, with CENTCOM announcing that 111 commercial vessels have now been redirected from entering or exiting Iranian ports. The Treasury Secretary reiterating what President Trump said in his cabinet meeting. And it really is regime change. You know, we didn't set out for regime change, but by the fact that we're dealing with a totally different group of people than we were at the beginning, and frankly, I find them to be much more reasonable. The first layer of leadership was eliminated, the second layer, and we're now at the third layer. It is three pillars. It is the elected government, it is the IRGC, and it is the clerics. And they are having trouble communicating, so we are being patient. The White House says, though, that while President Trump always prefers diplomacy, the U.S. does not have unlimited patience. President Trump always prefers a peace deal, so everything we have done thus far has been defensive. But if President Trump doesn't think he can get a peace deal, then kinetic is back. The president himself declaring that Iran is negotiating on fumes. So far they haven't gotten there, we're not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that or we'll have to just finish the job. And President Trump yesterday in his cabinet meeting made clear that peace talks with Iran will not be swayed by domestic political pressure, saying even that he doesn't care about the midterms, reiterating once again that what he calls his primary urgency is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. And Secretary Besant, when asked about those remarks today, called President Trump a statesman for doubling down on his core belief there, that Iran can't have that nuclear weapon. Also clarified to us, though, that multiple things can be true, Besant projecting that the administration can, quote, do well in the midterms, can come to a deal with Iran. And he's also assuring the American people that gas prices will come down, quote, very quickly once this conflict is over. Steve, back to you. Mari Otu, live from the White House. Thank you, Mari. And stricter oversight on mail-in ballots. A federal judge today greenlighting President Trump's executive order that requires citizenship verification in federal elections. And to these Arlene Richards has more. A federal judge on Thursday allowing President Trump's executive order on mail-in voting to remain in effect as legal challenges continue. The president's order seeks to tighten mail-in ballot rules by requiring proof of citizenship for federal elections. Opponents asked the court to block two provisions while the broader fight over presidential authority moves through the courts. They argued the order improperly directs agencies like the Postal Service and Department of Homeland Security to help verify voter eligibility, something they say exceeds the president's But the judge ruled the challengers have not yet shown concrete harm because no action has been taken under those provisions so far. The ruling does not resolve the broader legal dispute, and the case will continue moving forward. Plaintiffs may challenge the provisions again if the administration takes specific enforcement action. Arlene Richards, NTD News. And for America's 250th anniversary, we could see a new bill. That's a $250 bill with President Trump's face on it. Secretary of Treasury Scott Besson answering questions about it today. And I don't think that there's anything untoward about having the president of the United States, the person who was president of the United States, on the 250th anniversary bill. At Treasury, we prepare things in advance. So we have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law. Secretary Besson also saying the Treasury Secretary has two mandates for U.S. currency. That is, no living person can be on it, and that it must stay in God, say God, in God we trust. He says there is currently proposed legislation, as you just heard, in Congress to change that first requirement so that President Trump could be on the $250 bill. The Treasury Secretary is preparing to execute on it if it does pass through Congress. And the United States is set to hold the first talks between Israeli and Lebanese military leaders. This says fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to increase, threatening to end a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Pasdar has an update. Israel's air force made targeted strikes in Beirut. Israeli spokesman David Mansour giving an update on Israel's increased military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, striking the capital city of Beirut, as well as a major city in the south of Lebanon. Mansour says Hezbollah terrorists are hiding among civilians in the capital city. Israel is telling the Hezbollah leaders, your hiding place amongst the civilians of Beirut will not work. The United States continues working on peace in Lebanon, scheduled to host peace talks at the Pentagon on Friday. Washington is set to host Israeli and Lebanese military leaders for their first meeting. However, the current fighting is taking place between Israel and Hezbollah, not Lebanon itself. Hezbollah even called on people to overthrow the Lebanese government just a few days ago. Speaking on Friday's meeting, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says the United States remains cognizant of the challenges posed by Hezbollah's continued attacks on Israel, without the consent or approval of the government of Lebanon undertaken in order to derail this process. Israel's current strikes come after Hezbollah continuously attacked Israeli positions as well as sending fighters and weapons into southern Lebanon. Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the Lebanese government thus appealed to Hezbollah to stop the attacks and respect the ceasefire, but Israel on Thursday reporting more advances by the terrorist group, saying several Hezbollah operatives were identified earlier this week attempting to damage the Karan Dam, a strategic national infrastructure site in Lebanon. The Israeli military, suggesting that's one of the reasons why it will continue striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Next week, the U.S. is set to host a second meeting between Israeli and Lebanese political figures, further building on the achievements to be made at the military talks this week. Ariane Pasdar, NTD News. And as negotiations with Iran continue, President Trump has made it clear what his red lines are. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and there must be free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Joining us now to discuss is retired Lieutenant Army Colonel Darren Gobb and senior geopolitical analyst, as well as Jonathan Gilliam, retired Navy SEAL and FBI special agent. Great to have you both with us. So the president has been very clear about his stance on Iran's nuclear program. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson earlier today outlining where things stand from the briefing room. Let's have a look. And President Trump has made it very clear, he talked about it at the cabinet meeting, that he has several red lines. And Iran has to turn over their highly enriched uranium. They cannot pursue a nuclear weapon. And the Strait of Hormuz, back to your question on energy, has to free transit. Navigation of the seas has to be free and open as it was before. So he's not going to take a bad deal. He's going to make a great deal for the American people. Colonel Gobb, let's start with you. Considering that we're reportedly close to a deal now, do you think the Iranian regime is willing to make concessions on its nuclear program, sort of based on the current status of their regime? Yeah, Steve, good to see you. I'm still pretty skeptical about that, because this is really, they've got two cards left, and that's the Strait and the nuclear program, and they're not going to quickly give up either one of those unless they're forced into it. I'm happy to be wrong and would be pleasantly surprised if they did agree to something like this and if Trump's statement about them being more reasonable is accurate in the end state. But I'll remain fairly convinced that Iran wants to continue to pursue nuclear weapons. That's just part of their ideology. And they want to maintain control over the Strait, because they know if they lose those two things somehow, then their leverage ultimately is gone, not only with us, but with Israel and with the Gulf states and elsewhere. That's my concern right now, is are these red lines true red lines, or are they red lines like Obama used, which kept moving around? Jonathan, the president has mentioned that he is unwilling to let Russia or China take Iran's enriched uranium. What would the disposal of Iran's uranium look like in terms of what would be acceptable to the United States? And how do you see things ultimately playing out in Iran? And to the colonel's point there, you know, Iran, obviously not an honest broker. What might it what might it take to make sure that they come to the table? Well, I think, first of all, when it comes to the uranium disposal, I think it's going to have to be somebody that's going to that has some relationship with with Iran or the United States themselves that gains possession of this and somehow has the ability to track. You have to look at the records. You have to see how much they actually have, because as a colonel was saying, you can't trust what Iran says that they're going to be open and honest about anything that they're held to. I mean, they prove that time and time again, historically, don't don't try to gain nuclear power or nuclear weapons. They build something underground to do it in secret. So you can't trust them. There's going to be a lot that goes into the trying to figure out exactly how much they have. And the deal should be that it doesn't really matter as long as the United States can choose who gets it, that it gets out of Iran and doesn't go into the hands of Russia or China. The other part of your question is, I agree with the colonel in my my skepticism, because we have to look at the reality of who Iran is and the foundation of all the actions that they've taken for the past 47 years. That is a religious ideology. It is cultish in nature. And it's no different than trying to go down and negotiate with Jim Jones in French Guiana. And we see how that ended, where we had I think it was 900 people drank Kool-Aid and died and a congressman that was dead. That is the reality of these negotiations. And I'm I trust President Trump in his judgment, but I'm I'm not fully trustworthy of the advisers that are advising him on this, because I don't think they're taking this into account when they look at the totality of the circumstances. I have a follow up for both of you with regard to this. Colonel, we'll go back to you when it comes to the Iranian people. Obviously, there has been pro-democracy folks that many of them have been killed. But there still seems to be a lot of people that are dissatisfied with the regime. Is there a segment or a faction that you see that could be an alternative to this regime? And is there a covert action that could lead to further fracturing and perhaps collapse of the current system? Yes, Steve, that's a tough question to actually see play out, but it's an easy one to ultimately answer, which is there's always a faction or a desire for people somewhere in any state that's under a theocracy and a dictatorship to seek a way out from under what they're the situation they're in. The question is, are there enough of them? Second one, can they be armed or are they being armed? We don't need to know that. That would be counterproductive if the CIA or somebody is actually doing that great. And that certainly helps. But I'm reminded of a point Jonathan had made in a previous interview some weeks or maybe even a few months back about internal revolutions against a state like this, which is if you don't have momentum and large numbers of people, you're not going to have success. And 90 million people in Iran against 400,000 in the IRGC, somewhere in there with the right button getting pushed, they can change it and they can change it for the better. May not be a democracy, but they can at least be a friendly neighbor. Jonathan, I want you to weigh in on this. And, you know, the key to any authoritarian regime, autocracy or theocracy, as we see in Iran, is the control of information. There's been a media blackout. We see it in China is critical to the sustaining of the regime there. The Golden Shield, the Great Firewall. Same thing in Iran, Cuba. Do you see a pathway here to get information to the Iranian people that might help them not feel like they're the only ones and maybe take arms or see an uprising? I think it's an excellent question. And again, one that I don't think the president necessarily is being advised correctly on, because as we've seen, the domination that we've had over Iran militarily came to a surprise for the whole world. But it shouldn't have, because we should have known the reality of their actual military ability when it comes to their national defense is terrible. Well, the reason the world didn't know that is because of propaganda that was spread by Iran's intelligence apparatus, which is one of the best in the world. And from what I can gather, it has not been destroyed. It hasn't even been stopped, because all the things that you pointed out are exactly, they lead back to that apparatus, but also what we see here in the United States, Hamas all of a sudden being heroes, Israel being an enemy of the world, and Iran themselves being victims. This is all propaganda that comes from the Iranian intelligence apparatus. And by and large, I believe that is what is running the nation. And the people, the figureheads that we see are really just a part of that entire apparatus. So the overall issue that we have here is that, and I will give President Trump, again, I'm supportive, but I will give him criticism of a few things. One is, you know, when he was running for election the first time and he said that he would put Hillary Clinton in jail, he didn't do it. When we first started this action with Iran, we got to a point where we could have taken them to the point where this apparatus was decimated, but we didn't. And this is my criticism for President Trump is he has the heart of a warrior, but when it comes to the time to really decimate enemies, he stops short and tries to negotiate a deal that saves everyone. And I don't believe that is the case of what's going to work here. You have to look at them the way they look at you. And just like the left looks at President Trump and they want to eradicate the world of him, well, Iran looks at it in the same way. And in both instances, you have to play with violence of action, which means you are not going to stop until you solve the problem. And you cannot stop short and try to negotiate a good deal for everyone. That's not the way these people work. It's extremely challenging and a very delicate balance. We'll keep a close eye on it. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Darren Gaub, Jonathan Gilliam, greatly appreciate both of you joining. And right now, that is a live look at the White House and the California political establishment facing strong challenges in the Los Angeles mayoral race and the gubernatorial primary in California. More on that after the break. I think building kindness in children from a very young age is foundational to their growth, to building their character, to allow them to share with each other in a classroom and in a space that is safe, like in the Ganjing World platform. I'm a New York State certified teacher. Currently, I teach in a public school in upstate New York. And I'm also a Ganjing World Campus channel creator. I've been fortunate to use Ganjing World Teachers Premium Channel for the past three years and it's been shaping my curriculum and teaching both in the classroom setting and in our home school. If children can learn to support each other from a very young age and encourage each other and help, it will only strengthen the future of our society. You can just assure yourself everything on Ganjing Campus, on Ganjing World, it will be safe, it will be clean. It will spark many positive changes in our students. Ganjing Campus equips educators worldwide with powerful Teachers Premium Channels and high quality learning resources to help children learn and grow safely online. When you support one teacher, Ganjing World matches your support to help another. Support Ganjing Campus. Scan to learn more. There's a whirlwind of emotion and activity going on in this painting. And there's chaos all around and threat from below. The wolves surrounding her and they're anything but unmoved. They're moving all the time and we sense that. But this little girl remains unmoved. She's in quite a perilous situation, but she's completely strong and serene and she's actually meditating. It was very, very well liked because no matter what culture or what sort of walk of life you're from, I think people, they see it and they immediately understand what that energy, what that message is. And they're drawn to it because everybody kind of needs a little bit of that in their own life of, you know, the steadfast calmness and something to hold on to. It's definitely an inner peace in the midst of something very chaotic. And for a lot of people right now, the whole world is very, very chaotic. So I guess that's another reason why so many people are very drawn to this. The impact of a meal goes well beyond feeding our bodies. Because when people are fed, futures are nourished. 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. I'm Steve Lance. California politics is becoming a test of voter frustration ahead of the June 2nd primary. In Los Angeles, current mayor Karen Bass facing a strong challenge from former reality TV star Spencer Pratt. And in the race to fill Governor Gavin Newsom's seat, both parties are battling for position in that wide open primary. Entity's Chris Baugh reports. We're here where Nithya Raman's $3 million mansion sits. They don't have to live in the mess. They created where you live. This is where I live. They let my home burn down. I know what the consequences of failed leadership are. That's why I'm running for mayor. Days before Los Angeles voters cast ballots on June 2nd, political outsider, former reality TV star Spencer Pratt is emerging as a serious political contender. Pratt has built his campaign around homelessness, crime, addiction, wildfire preparedness, and frustration with city leadership after January 2025's Palisades fires destroyed both his and his parents' home. According to the Los Angeles Times, a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll commissioned by the LA Times shows Democrat Mayor Karen Bass, endorsed by Governor Gavin Newsom, leading with 26 percent, followed by Democrat and Democratic Socialist of America City Council member Nithya Raman at 25 percent and Pratt at 22 percent. The outsider campaign is also bringing in major money. Campaign filings show Pratt raised more than $2.7 million between April 19th and May 16th, far outpacing Bass during the same reporting period. Pratt says his fundraising surge is coming from outside California, with supporters energized by his recent debate performance. He told Fox & Friends Thursday, I'm the look around candidate. I do basics. I don't do national politics. I don't do parties. I just say, look, they're stealing all of our tax money to give it to drug addicts. The reason why all that money was raised, that was right after the debate. And they saw me destroy these two terrible politicians. A lot of it's from all over the country, because people forget, over 50,000 people a year leave Los Angeles. So these people see that I'm saying why they left, so they're trying to get me elected so they can move back. Meanwhile, statewide, California voters are also choosing candidates to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who is term limited. The leading Democratic candidate is former Health and Human Services Secretary Javier Becerra, while Trump-endorsed conservative commentator Steve Hilton currently leads the Republican field. A statewide Californians and Their Governments survey, conducted May 14th through 18th, shows Becerra at 23 percent and Hilton at 20 percent. Hilton's campaign site outlines a pro-tax reduction plan, including no tax on income under $100,000, a 7.5 percent flat tax on earnings over $100,000, and no increase in property taxes. With the primary tightening, Hilton is warning Republican voters about the risk of splitting the vote in the state's top two system. If we are not careful, we're going to get two Democrats in the top two, and that will kill any chance of change in California. Under California's primary system, it's possible for two Democrats, or two Republicans, to advance to the November general election if they receive the most votes. Chris Bobb, NTD News. Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun, a new documentary that I had a chance to executive produce, is spotlighting the pressure and threats faced by the New York-based performing arts company Shen Yun. The film follows performers and their families as they confront interference campaigns linked to none other than the CCP. The latest stop on the film's global screening tour, which unfortunately I could not make, is in Taiwan's capital city of Taipei. NTD's Jack Bradley reports. A new documentary is bringing attention the pressure a New York-based dance company faces from the Chinese Communist Party. In Taipei, Taiwan, a VIP screening and panel discussion was held for the film Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun. It's the latest stop on the film's global screenings, which has garnered praise and attention across North America, and now Asia. Watching Shen Yun's performance, I was deeply moved by how their training is not only highly disciplined, but also radiates beauty. Although they are very young, it feels as though they have already traveled the world, spreading their beliefs. I think this is extremely important. The documentary follows Shen Yun performers and their families as they navigate threats, smear campaigns, and interference linked to the Chinese regime. Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun's mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture. The company tours globally with the tagline, China before communism. But Shen Yun has been targeted by the CCP since its founding. It traces back to the Chinese regime's persecution of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a spiritual meditation practice that the performers partake in based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Falun Gong practitioners face hate propaganda, financial pressure, and mass arrests and torture in China. It also helps the whole world understand just how extremely brutal the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong and of religion in mainland China really is. Everyone needs to unite even more strongly to support them. Behind it is a physical cultivation. Both Falun Gong and Shen Yun show us that this group first cultivates strong bodies and a mindset of truth, goodness, and beauty, then faces the totalitarian regime's persecution with maximum tolerance, compassion, and forbearance. That campaign has expanded overseas, from slashed tour bus tires to hundreds of fake bomb and death threats. In late 2022, Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping reportedly directed officials to use Western media and social media platforms to attack Falun Gong and related organizations overseas. Soon after, multiple stories attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong appeared in the New York Times. Now that we're facing defamation, what we have to do is use the same proper way of telling a good story for the audience. With all the pressures coming from the media and the Western society, I feel like they've missed the point. For me, I think my motivation comes from the Dafa practitioners that are being persecuted in China till this day. So we're telling their stories. We're giving a voice to the voiceless. So that's my motivation to keep going. Despite the threats, Shen Yun continues expanding its global reach, committed to sharing traditional Chinese culture with audiences around the world. Jack Bradley, NTD News. And a travel vlog featuring YouTube star Lex Friedman has exploded across Chinese social media. This after a truck driver revealed he spent the entire ride wondering if his passengers were foreign spies. Find out more tonight on China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer at 9.30 p.m. Eastern. And right now you're looking at another live shot of the White House and a federal judge allowing President Trump's executive order on mail-in ballots, mandating those ballots only go to voters who are on state voter rolls with federal oversight. Former New York State Senator David Carlucci and Attorney David Pollack will join us for analysis. This land, our America, built on hard work, determination, and grit. Sometimes the days run long, but hope, it never runs out. Even when the food does for America's veterans, working parents, even kids. Because in every corner of every town, even yours, millions of hardworking neighbors are facing a hunger crisis. Many for the very first time. In this land of plenty, affording food shouldn't require second jobs and third shifts or choosing between your groceries and bills. Today, you can help change that. Call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month, less than 63 cents a day, to help every neighbor get the food they urgently need. Because taking care of each other is what makes America strong. We're Feeding America. Not just a name, but an action. Working with over 250 local food banks like the ones in your community. And demand is soaring. You go to the grocery store, you spend $100 and $100 is a new $20 bill. Even with two full-time jobs, it's hard to make ends meet. These are tough times, but when we stand together, we become the very best of a strong America. Please call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org. Just $19 a month can feed a family today. And your first gift can double in impact. Plus, we'll send you this free canvas bag as a reminder of the hope you're delivering. When it comes down to it, it's about taking care of your family first and the loved ones that you need to provide for. Because you're not just giving food, you're nourishing what's next for neighbors across the nation. You're Feeding America. Call or go online today to helpfeedingamerica.org and your gift can double in impact. We come from a long line of farmers and there's a sense of pride in being part of these multi-generational businesses. But there's also a significant amount of pressure. My senior year of high school, my dad made the decision this world no longer needed him in it. I don't know if he was overwhelmed by the bills and checks that weren't going to be coming in because of the strawberries dying off, but it breaks my heart that my dad made a permanent decision for a temporary issue. Don't feel like you have to go through it alone. Farmers have to take care of their physical and their mental health because what's a farm without a farmer? The mornings, that's my time. Watching the sun come up, I can have a cup of coffee and exercise if I want to. It helps me start the day with a sense of gratitude. Every day is a new opportunity. Don't forget to check in on yourself. Love, your mind. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance, a federal judge, temporarily allowing President Trump's executive order on mail-in ballots. It mandates that such ballots can only be delivered to voters who have applied for one with federal oversight. Joining me now to discuss is David Carlucci, a former New York State Senator and founder of Carlucci Consulting and David Pollack, attorney and host of David Pollack Prime Time on OAN. And great to have you guys both with us. So here's the president describing the intent of his executive order on these mail-in ballots. Why? We'd like to have voter ID. We'd like to have proof of citizenship. And that'll be another subject for another time. We're working on that. You would think it'd be easy. It's a 98% issue for Republicans. It's 86% thing just came out of poll. And it's 86% with Republicans and Democrats, not leaders because the leaders of the Democrats cheat. And the only people that don't want to do voter ID are people that cheat. And remember, it's about voter integrity. We want to have honest voting in our country because if you don't have honest voting, you can't have really a nation if you want to know the truth. David Carlucci, it sounds like the president was talking about the SAVE Act there, SAVE America Act. When it comes to this order, however, it basically says that we're not going to mail a ballot to everybody in the town. Only if you have opted in to have a mail-in ballot. Some would argue this is common sense and that ultimately by not doing so and doing it this way, we're making a mockery of our democracy. What do you say to that? Well, first, this isn't a done deal, right? This still has to go through the legal process. But I don't think so. Look, even Donald Trump voted via mail most recently. And that was surprising because he was talking about how he doesn't like mail-in voting, but he happened to do it. And so I think it's a disconnect. There's a lot of organization or a lot of states that have been using the mail-in ballot process, and that's worked perfectly fine. So we haven't been able to find this fraud that the president is talking about. And if that exists, I would love to see it because I agree. I don't want any fraud in our election system. And I also don't want to suppress any voters. We need to make sure that everyone that has a voice, that has the right to vote, does exercise that right. And that shouldn't be a difficult process. So I think the focus, if we're talking about voter integrity, it should be on cybersecurity. It should be on the integrity of the voting process to make sure that every vote is counted and all the right votes are counted. It does sound though, to your point, David Carlucci, there is an investigation into the integrity of the cybersecurity surrounding our election. So it'll be interesting to see what those results might yield. David Pollack, voters as a whole seem to be very supportive of election security and integrity, particularly when it comes to voter ID. Why is it that some folks are opposed to instituting voter ID? It just seems like common sense. Well, I don't know why anybody would be opposed to voter ID. As a matter of fact, I think, what is it? 80 plus percent of Americans, Democrat, Republican, everybody is in favor of voter ID. And then more than that, evidentiary proof that you are a US citizen before you're eligible to vote. I mean, that's what the Save America Act covers. The Save Act before that was just proof that you're a citizen. Save America Act is citizen plus ID. But people are surprised to learn that they're not required to prove they're a citizen to register to vote in a lot of states. What do you mean, that's not the law? So it's something that's so obvious that people assume is the law, isn't the law. And I don't understand how anybody would be opposed to ensuring that citizens are voting and the people who show up to vote are who they say they are. And it's the same thing with this executive order on mail-in ballots. It's why are we sending ballots in some states to people who didn't request them just because they're registered to vote? We should only be sending mail-in ballots to people who request them because the likelihood that that ballot's gonna get to somebody and the wrong person is gonna vote it, it goes up when you start to just mail ballots to people that didn't request them. And so that's the way it's always been, this new way of let's just mail everybody ballots and hope for the best. It's not a secure election. And I think everybody in America, regardless of your party, wants to ensure that the results of the election are accurate. And anybody who is opposed to ensuring that elections are accurate and the elections have integrity, they have an ulterior motive, I think. David Carlucci, I think that's really the crux of the argument is, what happens to those ballots that are mailed to people that are not on the registered voter rolls and does it make our election system more susceptible to fraud? Well, look, no one can point and say that that is happening. This is all speculative. No one has shown that there's been voter fraud because someone that was on the voter rolls got mailed a ballot even though they didn't apply for it. Look, this is a, you know, it's a solution or it's a problem in search of a solution or a solution in search of the problem. This is something that's not happening. And that's the issue. This idea that everyone is in favor of voter ID. Yes, voter ID is common. That's what's happening, but that is not what's in the Save America Act. So we're conflating the two and that's not right to say that 86% are in favor of the Save Act when it's voter ID. The difference is proving that you're a citizen and we act like that's all easy. But for many Americans, particularly Americans that were born in this country, don't have easy access to prove that they're a citizen. And so that is where this problem occurs. But on top of all of this is that this is all just a talk and I'm afraid that it's a voter suppression tactic because we haven't been able to point to that voter fraud. And that is the issue. We keep hearing this idea that people are even coming to this country illegally to vote in elections. We haven't found any proof of that. And so that is the problem. Whereas we're adding on all of these requirements, undoing, if the Save America Act were to pass, that would be a major financial hardship and just regulatory hardship to election organizations or election boards across this country. There's no money attached and they have to redo their process. People that are legally registered to vote would then have to re-register. That includes all three of us that are on this program tonight. And maybe we don't carry around our birth certificate or have access to it. That's the problem. We don't need less people voting. We need more eligible people showing up to vote. David Pollak, I see you want to weigh in. Well, we hear this argument all the time. It disenfranchises people, makes it harder for people to vote. People can't find their birth certificates. Women get married and they change their names and then they can't prove that they are who they say they are without going through all these unnecessary steps. I can address these arguments one by one. There have been prosecutions for election fraud. There just hasn't been enough evidence according to what you hear on the left to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But to say there has been no prosecutions and no convictions for election fraud, that's just not accurate. There just hasn't been proven that the 2020 election was quote unquote stolen. So let's put that aside for a second and talk about this idea that it would be difficult for people. It doesn't matter. You can't just draw a conclusion that it doesn't happen when clearly it does. Maybe it doesn't happen at the scale that you think the response requires, but it's still happening. So you can't, it happens. There's prosecutions all over the country. Anybody right now watching can look it up and they will find prosecutions all over the country. There's fraud prosecutions for election fraud. I can send you examples, but regardless of that. Non-citizens, non-citizens voting? The barrier that, let me ask you this. Why? Yes, actually there have been prosecutions. There's been instances of hundreds of non-citizens voting in states even like Alabama. Now it's not a huge number, but if one non-citizen votes and an election is decided by one vote, now a non-citizen just affected the outcome of an election because the election integrity efforts weren't there. But let's talk about the idea of this fact for a second. You can't prove. Look, no, I'll let you finish your point, please. Yeah, yeah. On the proving who you are and it being, well, there might be a slight delay. What I'm trying to say is when you have to prove who you are and people, yeah. When you have a barrier, when people are saying that there's this barrier for people to register to vote, I would have to re-register to vote. It takes 10 seconds. It is a small inconvenience to me to re-register to vote if I know that the election is safe and secure. And we're talking about a minuscule percentage of 1% of the people that would have a challenging time proving who they are. The majority, 99.999% of the people would have no issue whatsoever. So why would we forego election integrity? Because we're worried that a fractional population might not be able to prove who they are. Do the research. It's not false. They read the numbers. Yeah, no, there's plenty of data. First Heritage Foundation has shown, they've done extensive research and have found very little voter fraud, especially for non-citizens voting. This is obscure and outrageous that we would say that, but it gets people fired up. Any voter fraud is too much voter fraud. The problem, you're acting like it's easy. It's easy for you. Maybe it's easy for me to get these documents. I worked as a town clerk for many years helping people process those documents and get them. And there's many stories, more than you would think or you have mentioned. And that's been documented where there's gonna be people that are disenfranchised in getting those documents. Now, election integrity, that should be the focus. I agree with that, but let's not get caught up in this idea of, oh, you need to now prove you're a citizen when that has not been the problem. If you attach funding to this bill, if you attach a way that we can do this in an appropriate way that doesn't disenfranchise millions of people, which I actually believe is true and that's been documented, then we can have that conversation. But this is a problem in search of a solution. And that is the issue, or this is a solution in search of a problem because we have not find that type of fraud. It just doesn't exist. It's a red herring. And that's why this is just outlandish and not necessary. When you need, respectfully, if you need two forms of ID to shovel snow in New York, why is it offensive to Democrats to require you to prove who you are to register to vote? It is such an important duty of an American citizen to vote. Yes, and why are we disenfranchising people? Most Americans think that's- I don't think it is. I think that's just the argument being made by people who rely on the fraud to get elected. You didn't say two forms of citizenship. But again, you're conflicting things and that's what's not fair about this. You're talking about forms of ID. Yes, that's different than proving citizenship. And that's what we have to remember. And yes, we have a problem with voter participation of eligible voters, citizens, just not participating. And now you want to make it harder. We should make it easier to vote because it is our opportunity. Let's talk about California. We all belong to this. Let's talk about the state of California with, by the way, there's ballot harvesting, legal ballot harvesting, which if you're mailing votes to a lot of people, it's one of those things that might be hard to track, but very susceptible to fraud. I would think that anybody would want to take the proper steps to limit that possibility. But let's talk about the elections there. The California gubernatorial primary happening soon, President Trump recently endorsing Steve Hilton, who's tailing behind the Democrat front runner, Javier Becerra, former HHS secretary. David Carlucci, there are multiple Democratic candidates in this race for governor. Is support coalescing behind Becerra because for a long time it didn't seem to be? Well, polling is showing that. And look, California has an open primary system and it's something where you have this opportunity where party affiliation is not important in this process. And at least in this first round in the primary, and I think that's a good thing. I think that's a way that we can get Republicans and Democrats to both be participating and make sure that every voter has an opportunity. Whereas in a closed primary, it's really, I think the more extreme ends of the party, whether it's Republican or Democrat are ruling the day. So I think that's a good thing. But I think, yes, Becerra is the candidate that Democrats particularly are rallying behind, but Californians are. And I think once they make it through this runoff process, that Becerra is looking like he'll be the candidate that will be the next governor. David Pollak, you're based out there. Tell us what the vibe is. What are you feeling? Early voting already underway with Republicans making a higher share of early voters when it's usually the other way around. Is this perhaps an example of the Trump endorsement effect at work and what might we see? We have the Los Angeles mayoral race with Spencer Pratt gaining some traction. And is there any chance for a Republican in the gubernatorial with that runoff system that might take away from Democratic votes where you might have a dark horse Republican candidate? Well, I think we should just mail all the Republican voters a ballot to make sure that they have no barriers to showing up to vote. But no, turnout is high. Because Californians in general are upset, not just Republicans in California, but everybody in California. The state is becoming increasingly more expensive. The homelessness problem, the fraud. I mean, California probably has some of the worst fraud in the country. Speaking of Becerra, I mean, look at his inner circle. Look at the prosecutions and investigations there. Plus look at his own record. I mean, this is the Democrat's answer for a state that has billions of dollars in potential fraud is to put somebody else that has surrounds himself with people who get the trouble for the same thing. So at the end of the day, I think people in California are ready to elect somebody. And I don't think Becerra is the answer who is going to lead this state in a direction that makes it representative of being the sixth largest economy in the world. It's a beautiful state with beautiful people. And it's just so much to offer. Yet the roads are falling apart, the homelessness, the drugs, the crime. I mean, it's just managed so poorly. And I think all Californians are ready for a change. That's why I think you're seeing such record turnout. And I do believe, I think it's going to be a Bianco or Hilton will be against maybe Becerra. And I think it might surprise you on election day what the voters decide. Spencer Pratt is a great example of how even Democrats are crossing the aisle to change things in California. David Carlucci, David Pollack, really appreciate you both coming on. And coming up, ICE agents are facing obstruction and death threats and local police now nowhere to be found. More on that after the break. Now I'm like literally sprinting through the airports. My secret is Omega XL. Pick up the phone and call now to get this exclusive TV offer. Buy one Omega XL and we'll send you a second bottle absolutely free. You'll also get a free bottle of vitamin XL D3. Buy one, get two free. A total value of over $115 all for just $49.95. You save more than 55% and shipping is free. Backed by a money back guarantee and is not available in stores. Operators are standing by. So call now. Hi, I'm Susan Lucci. You may know me from my many years on television. I never thought about heart disease until I had my own heart event. I felt this slight pressure in my chest, just slight. I thought, oh, it's nothing, it'll go away. I didn't get it. I did not get it. A few days later while shopping at a boutique, that pressure returned much stronger. It felt like an elephant pressing on my chest. I had a 90% blockage in my main artery and a 75% blockage in the adjacent artery. I was rushed into surgery where I received two stents in my arteries. Stents developed through research funded by the American Heart Association. Those stents saved my life. That's why I'm in front of you today asking you to join me in supporting the American Heart Association by becoming a monthly donor. Call now or go to helpheart.org. For only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, you can help fund the next medical breakthrough. Get the next person trained in CPR, the next hospital certified in high quality cardiovascular care. I'm so grateful to the American Heart Association. Their research helped save my life. I can enjoy life with my children, my grandchildren, and my friends. Heart disease is America's number one killer and your support now can help save your life or the life of someone you love. Give $19 a month with your credit card and we'll send you this special t-shirt that you can wear to show that you are helping save lives. Please listen to your heart. The only reason I'm here today is because I did. Please call or go online to helpheart.org. Become a monthly donor and for a limited time only, your first month's gift will be matched. Thank you. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance. And death threats being made toward ICE agents at the Newark ICE facility in New Jersey now caught on camera amidst ongoing protests and unrest. The Department of Homeland Security saying local police are not responding to calls that all due to local officials telling them to stand down. Entity correspondent Jason Blair reports. Death threats coming from a crowd of protesters are heard directed towards federal agents outside of the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark. In a video posted by independent journalist Nick Sorter, one man is seen pointing and making threats at the officers. Protests escalated outside of the facility starting Friday. The DHS says since then, protesters have been disrupting their operations by putting up barricades, forming human chains and stopping detainee transfers. Videos show clashes happening regularly between protesters and agents, often getting violent. Authorities say two people were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly spraying an unknown chemical substance at agents. DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen says the local police are not helping with the agitators. The local police refusing, literally refusing to respond. They barricaded, not allowing our employees to come in and out. Protesters and some members of Congress are alleging poor living conditions inside the facility. The DHS has directly refuted the allegations saying adequate food and care are provided. It has nothing to do with the conditions of the facility. It is a fact that they want to release criminals back on the street. President Trump was asked about the situation on Wednesday. It's all paid for protesters. You know, you can see by the signs, the signs are all made by the same beautiful factory. We have killers. We have guys that have murdered numerous people in there and these are the people they're trying to protect. With crowds spilling out into the roads, protesters have also been seen directing traffic since local police have not been on site. A local garbage truck driver was seen scolding protesters for blocking his truck, keeping him from doing his job. Jason Blair, NTD News. And it's Secretary of State Marco Rubio's birthday today. Secretary Rubio wearing multiple hats in the administration. Even his colleagues and staff members don't know exactly what to call him. Here's a look. Marco Rubio there, Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor wearing other multiple hats in the beginning of the administration. That is all we have for you tonight on the Capitol Report. For 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. Shenyun Creations, the streaming platform from Shenyun featuring world-class dance, past programs, and all original music. Masterclasses, behind the scenes, comedy and more. Explore ShenyunCreations.com. Hi, I'm Susan Lucci. You may know me from my many years on television. I never thought about heart disease until I had my own heart event. I felt this slight pressure in my chest, just slight. I thought, oh, it's nothing. It'll go away. I didn't get it. I did not get it. A few days later,