Capitol Report Full Broadcast (Oct. 19)

Good evening. Tonight on the Capitol Report, President Trump is creating a new Women's Health Division at the National Institutes of Health. What it could mean for research, treatment, and care for women across the country. And the president pointing at mass migration as the cause for massive riots in France and Italy. Why he says it's time to close the borders. If we can look at France, if we can look at Italy, When you look at Rome there's turmoil, there's hatred that's not about schools That's about people coming into the country and saying, Haitian, Haitian. 28 green card holders are charged in what's being called California's biggest voter fraud bust in history. What it means for election security with just weeks away until the midterms. In Florida, charging Cuban dictator Raúl Castro for killing American citizens. How that state aims to hold the Cuban regime accountable. This is Capitol Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. Good evening, and President Trump blaming France's recent riots, looting and arson on mass immigration. Those riots have spread to Italy and Belgium over the weekend. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley joins us. Good evening, Jack. So what is the president saying about this? Hey, good evening, Steve. Well, President Trump is blaming mass migration for those riots that have spread across France, which led to violence, looting and fires across the country. a 150-year-old town hall building that survived both world wars, went up in flames over the weekend. It was among several of the structures destroyed in the past several days. Here's President Trump. What's happening in France has to do with immigration, not schools. They let people into their country that don't love their country, they don't love their buildings, they don't love their art. And I said, the first time I met Macron, I said, you've got to close up your borders. You're going to ruin your country. And they've ruined their country. Now, in France, authorities are imposing curfews, rioters injuring police, civilians' cars and businesses looted and destroyed. Now, some have described these as student demonstrations, but many of those involved are not students. They're part of communist and far-left groups outside of any student organizations. and the violence is spreading similar riots breaking out over the weekend in Brussels and Milan meanwhile in another aspect deaths are continuing to pile up in the Russia Ukraine war President Trump's calling on Ukraine to replace Zelensky accusing him of rejecting opportunities to end the war and attacking Russian refineries despite requests to stop take a look zelensky is not helping matters much i think he doesn't want to stop it very little land is moved but a million people, a tremendous number of people are dead. They're losing their male population. Ukraine could have had this thing settled a long time ago. Maybe it's time for Zelensky to get somebody else to negotiate. Meanwhile, President Trump's set to visit China in November. He says that talks with Putin and Xi may take place in order to denuclearize. Discussions over Ukraine and Iran may also be on the table. Steve and Jack, we're keeping an eye on the president. He just landed in Wichita, Kansas. We'll be bringing our viewers his speech as soon as that begins. In the meantime, the president and the first lady in Washington earlier today announcing a new push for women's health research. What does this new initiative aim to do? Right, so President Trump from the White House Rose Garden signed an executive order creating a new women's health division within the National Institutes of Health and a White House task force on the issue, on women's health. First Lady Melania Trump initiating this, saying that more needs to be done. Take a look. Previous generations fought for women's rights. Our generation will fight to discover the cures that will ensure a woman can live her life in health and to the fullest. This historic initiative conceived by Melania will promote... When I heard about it, I said, are you sure they don't have that? Who the hell wouldn't have a woman's health division? Melania said they don't have it. Now, the goal of this initiative is to find better ways to prevent and diagnose diseases and improve treatment methods for women in areas like heart disease and cancer, chronic pain and infertility. Now, leading this effort will be Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. And right now, we await President Trump to speak at that midterm rally in Kansas in just a little bit to help increase voter turnout, Steve. That's Jack Bradley. Thank you, Jack. And France continues to deal with the aftermath of those weekend riots that turned violent. Over 1,800 people arrested, 3,000 businesses have been impacted by the unrest, and French officials now blaming far-left groups for the violence. NBC's international correspondent, Ariane Pazdar, has the latest. took over some cities in France over the weekend rioters burnt cars damaged buildings and more CCTV footage shows the moment a store in the city of Nice got raided by a group of young men French President Emmanuel Macron commenting on the ongoing violence dissenters from far left groups joined by numerous criminals unleashed unrestrained violence in our cities shops were looted public buildings stores and town halls were attacked and some were destroyed. Several hundred police officers and gendarmes were injured. The ongoing unrest started almost two months ago when students protested for a better education system. But French officials say far-left groups took over the movement, inciting violence and chaos. Around 1,800 people have been arrested over the weekend and around 3,000 local businesses have been affected by the violence. Those who destroyed property must pay Those who looted must reimburse the damage Those who sought to bring down the republic will be held accountable President Trump posted this video Monday Showing rioters storming the city hall in Marseille The president says the migrants have taken over France They must close the borders fast In the city of Limoges, rioters set fire to the city hall Which is over 140 years old Emergency staff is working to control the situation and minimize the damage. This video is going viral online, showing a woman trying to stop rioters from looting a store. She's seen telling the looters that stealing isn't, quote, part of the cause. French authorities are now issuing an overnight curfew from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. for parts of downtown Paris. The measure will apply to three categories of people, unaccompanied minors, people using personal protective equipment, and those concealing their faces. Ariane Pazdar, NTD News. And joining us now to discuss those riots in France are Democratic strategist Nate Lerner and Republican strategist Katie Frost. Great to have you both on the program here with us. So the president continues to blame those riots in France on mass migration, an issue he says he's warned Emmanuel Macron, the French president, about for years. Here's what he had to say. When you look at France, when you look at Italy, when you look at Rome, the hatred, that's not about school. That's about people coming into the country that hate the country. They hate the buildings, they hate the people, they hate the arts. They have to close their borders and they have to take those bad people. So, Nate, early on, many were blaming these protests sort of on education and the cost of living. But many of the rioters can be seen waving Middle Eastern and communist flags, of all things, as well as, you know, the fact that many of them are of African and Middle Eastern origin. Has this gone beyond poor school systems and bad conditions? Yeah, I think the riots have certainly gone beyond the initial students who started or were protesting school conditions. But I think to say it's being primarily led by immigrants and just, you know, folks on the far left is deeply inaccurate. I certainly wouldn't trust Donald Trump's assessment of the situation, given that he still thinks Antifa was behind January 6th, even though he parted with everyone involved. But if you actually look who's involved in the French riots right now, it's a pretty diverse array of folks who are collectively very frustrated with the economic system in France, one that continues to benefit corporations and the wealthy, one where you see policies of austerity, one where you see worsening conditions for working families and regular folks while the wealthy continue to benefit. And, you know, that sounds a lot like what we're going through here. The French just have a pretty long history of protesting whenever they don't like the conditions that they're in. I think Americans could learn something from that. We seem to kind of accept our corporate billionaire overlords a little too willingly here. But, you know, let's also hope that the riots become more peaceful. That is certainly something I disagree with. And I do hope that they continue to arrest folks who are violent agitators. I will say, Nate, just for the record and in fairness, it wasn't President Trump who was saying that they were far left. It was the left wing leader of France, Emmanuel Macron, in his speech that we just saw that said that those rioters are of the far left. With that said, Katie, France spends more of its economy on government than almost any wealthy country, yet protesters say their schools are failing. Could mass migration be adding strain to that system, and what is the solution here? It absolutely can, and I'm going to have to respectfully disagree here when you say that we should take lessons from France. The only lesson to take from France is don't let this happen to you. France has one of the highest tax rates in the developed world. The average citizen in France pays 47% of their income in taxes. And what do they get in return? Constantly complaining and upset with how the system is working. And no matter how many government programs they have, universal health care, universal daycare, universal parental leave, it's never enough when this is the environment you have created where people think that the government only exists to give to them and give and give, and they are never going to be satisfied. I was in Paris a few years ago, and there was a protest, they call it manifestation, and they were protesting about raising the retirement age to 62. They want it lowered to 60. They think 60, they said 62, it was gonna be raised to 64, and instead they wanted it lowered to 60. Now, we all know here in the United States, that's not a solution that works with life expectancy where it is. You cannot start giving everyone a pension at the age of 60. You can But in France, that is what they wanted. And as far as the element that migration plays into this, I would encourage you to look at the heat map of where the violence has been breaking out. Not the students protesting, but the violent looting. It has largely been in the community of Saint-Denis, which is in northern Paris, and that has a very strong concentration of migrants. The mayor is actually a Muslim who was dancing in the streets with rioters when they were building barricades. So, yes, migration absolutely is playing a role in this. And the lesson here that we need to take in the United States is you can't make everyone happy by giving them government programs. And you cannot import millions of people who do not share your values, your heritage or your language. Nate, with that said, France's prime minister says the hard left is using these protests to destabilize the country before next year's election. French intelligence reportedly agreeing with that assessment. And mind you, the projected frontrunner is the conservative or the right-leaning party in France. Is the left exploiting these riots for political expediency? No, I wouldn't say that. I think, look, it's, like I said, you have a diverse array of people who are standing up for what they believe in, standing up for the fact that they've been deeply overlooked by a system that heavily benefits the wealthy, heavily benefits corporations. Yes, that includes even in France where you have high tax rates. But again, it's a culture where you have a much deeper and longer history of the people rising up and demanding more. And so, you know, the media makes a big thing about these riots for a couple of weeks. They blow over and then, you know, things move on. Right. Like we saw that with the Yellow Vest riots previously. We'll see it again with other riots in the future. And while we should always condemn the violence of the riots, at the same time, we should encourage people to protest and speak out. And that's one of the reasons why the French have such a progressive tax system, why they have a system where the folks who are low income, folks working families, folks who are struggling, they're the ones who government is supporting. Here in the U.S., we see the government giving massive tax breaks to billionaires, giving massive subsidies to corporations where people who work full time jobs at Walmart aren't getting paid enough to live on. And it has to get paid by the government just to get by. You know, we have. So when I say we have things to learn from France, that's something we can learn from. And I think speaking out also for when we don't have the same benefits that many of the French have. That's something we can learn from. Katie, last fall, the US clearly isn't a thankable But I was going to say it's clearly not sustainable because they've given every single program possible in France. And yet they are still protesting. It is still not enough. And while Denmark is raising their retirement age to 70, France is trying to lower it to 60. you cannot appease people by just constantly giving them more government handouts. You have to create an environment where they can be successful on their own. Katie, last fall, the U.S. labeled four European Antifa groups as terrorist organizations. This summer, Secretary Marco Rubio warning about rising left-wing terrorism. Do these riots show that perhaps the Secretary of State was onto something? Absolutely, because there's one thing to see students who were protesting, and then you mentioned the yellow vest, they called them the gilets jaunes over there. They were young people who went out in the streets and they were protesting, but there was not this massive rise of violence and this coordination of violence. There's actually interesting footage out on X showing carts of different projectiles being brought into the street and people rushing up and grabbing them and throwing them into buildings. This is certainly something where people who are legitimately frustrated are having their movement co-opted by people who don't want to see results. They want chaos, they want destruction, and they want to destabilize a country. And when you have millions of people who have been imported into the country, they are a powder keg waiting to be ignited by left-wing radicals through violence, and that is exactly what we are seeing here. Okay, pivoting now to another topic, election security, more domestic Federal agents in California, charging 28 green card holders with illegally registering or voting in what's being called the largest voter bust in that state's history, California. The targets came from a list of more than 20,000 suspected non-citizens. So Nate, 11 people arrested this morning as part of those 28 charged. Does this show California's election safeguards have some major gaps here? No, because California has, you know, how many millions upon millions of registered voters and And they did a massive look at what 20,000 people you said, and they found maybe a dozen, two dozen at the most. You're always going to have a level of fraud in any system this large. You're always going to have some amounts. But what we're looking at is literally a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent. This is a drop of water in the ocean. To say this represents a larger fraud is absolutely absurd. I think it's great they're cracking down on fraud, because not only is it cracking down on people who are committing crimes, but at the same time, it's also showing the scale of the fraud, which is incredibly small. You know, we were told that, oh, there are these massive, you know, syndicates of illegal immigrants coming in and voting for the Democrats, and that's why they win. But in reality, it's really just green card holders who are confused. And when you actually look at these individual cases, the majority of the people who are involved in them they literally just didn't know they couldn't vote in fact they were told by poll workers that hey it's fine like we'll figure it out we'll audit it after one man didn't even fill out a ballot he just submitted a blank ballot um there's errors in the system that occur that are inevitable you have anything this large anything with limited funding and it's just going to happen unfortunately and it's good the government cracks down on it but at the same time when you actually look at election security donald trump republicans have been defunding state election security they've been defunding state cyber election security. It's been a massive problem within the DHS this year. And that's really where the concern is, you know, massive interference from foreign adversaries. Where's the funding for that? Katie? Well, I'll say I worked on the Georgia Election Confidence Task Force and looking at all the different measures that could be put in place to restore confidence in our elections. And I would say going after people who vote illegally is a huge part of that. We were told constantly not to worry about it. It doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. And then when we do find cases of fraud and people are arrested, we're told, yeah, but it's such a small number. Don't worry, you're pretty low head about it. One illegally cast vote is too many. And it's a significant problem when these people aren't trying to nefariously undermine our elections. But the poll workers are the ones who are confused and are encouraging it to happen. One of the major issues in certain blue states, excuse me, states like Massachusetts and California, they allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. That gets incredibly confusing for the poll workers when the only person who should be voting is an American citizen, full stop, regardless of whether it's a state, federal, or local election. And having those laws put in place in those large blue cities has caused extreme confusion for our poll workers. I have a sympathy for election workers. They do an incredibly hard job. They usually are underfunded and overworked. Let's not make it worse by putting rules in place that don't give them a clear guidelines on what to do when a non-citizen shows up. Nate Lerner, Katie Frost, appreciate you both. Thank you. And coming up, Florida today, charging former Cuban regime leader Raul Castro for conspiracy related to the murder of four men following a federal indictment in May. We'll have analysis just after the break. It's time for the nation to decide. This election will bring you must-watch races, on-the-ground coverage, and the balance of power. Our panels will break down the results and what it all means for you. And we'll track the nation's direction with real-time voter data as soon as it drops. The economy, socialism, and a lot more is on the ballot. The nation decides 2026 midterms, November 3rd at 6 p.m. Eastern, only on NTD. Are you sitting at home living in pain? Maybe it's in your hands, maybe your back or your hips. The good news is you don't need to live in pain. Why? Because there is Omega XL, a one-of-a-kind, natural, powerful joint relief supplement created from the green-lipped mussels of New Zealand. Drug-free, non-habit-forming, it's small, easy to swallow, and it's backed by more than 40 years of clinical research. If you're experiencing daily aches and pains due to aging and overuse, try Omega XL. Just ask anybody who uses it. The results are undeniable. 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As the film's executive producer, the screening was especially meaningful for me. A big part of our film examines the unusual interest the New York Times, of all publications, took in this group and how its coverage portrayed Dragon Springs and Shen Yun in a misleading light. For many in the audience, it was a rare chance to step onto a campus usually closed to outsiders and to see how far it has come. Dragon Springs is an amazing place. It's extraordinary what they've achieved here, especially when the people who started here, this was just a forest and a swamp and you know a bunch of volunteers come in here and start creating this this little slice of paradise so that's all incredible but for others the film itself was the eye-opener revealing a campaign against Shen Yun that some viewers say reaches far beyond one performing arts company the film just opened up my eyes to all kinds of things i had no idea about and it's not just They're not just attacking the school. They're not just attacking the dancers. They're attacking America. You can watch Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun, right now at ntdfilms.com. And Florida's attorney general says he has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raul Castro. He's facing charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two airplanes. NTD's Jason Perry has the details. Today, we are announcing state charges against Raul Castro with an arrest warrant for conspiracy to commit first degree murder. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday announcing charges against the 95-year-old former leader of Cuba, Raul Castro. The charges are for his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two airplanes that were operated by Miami-based Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The group was known to carry out regular flights, attempting to find and assist Cuban refugees trying to sail to the U.S. And in February 1996, Cuban fighter pilots shot down two of the group's airplanes, killing four people. Both of the planes were over 18 miles away from the Cuban coast. They were not on a military mission. They were on unarmed civilian aircrafts going out to save people from the tyranny of communism. The attorney general noting that it's possible for the 95-year-old Raul Castro to end up in a Florida jail in the future. This has real consequences. It's not just a piece of paper. This is a reflection of the evidence and the charges that are brought forward. Mr. Raul Castro, he certainly doesn't have the pleasure to just leave his country and move about freely. If he ends up in a friendly country for whatever reason with extradition agreements, then he will end up here. So he cannot go there even for medical treatments or otherwise. The move comes five months after federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against Castro for the same attack. A Cuban-American attorney says the warrant for Castro's arrest is something that goes beyond those four lives lost, saying it's a tribute to those who endured torture and prison in Cuba. Jason Perry, NTD News. And joining me now to discuss Florida's indictment is retired CIA operations officer and founder of Tower Strategy LLC, Rick De La Torre. Rick, great to have you back with us. First, I want to play a clip from Florida's AG on holding Castro accountable. Let's to listen. For 30 years, government officials looked the other way. They sat at baseball games. They allowed the Cuban regime to become embedded in their offices in our political system. That's why it was an honor to jump into this fight, to work with the U.S. attorney and our attorney general. So, Rick, three of the four men killed were American citizens. Yet in 2015, Castro came to New York and shook hands with President Obama. Why did it take 30 years to hold him accountable for this well i i think the ag answered a lot of that question it's mostly politics we you know we turned a blind eye uh to the murder of american citizens and international waters at the hands at the hands of uh of a criminal dictatorship now look you know raul castro is 95 right and and that means he has enjoyed decades of protection uh it does not mean that the families are owed less justice and and president trump deserves credit for bringing the federal case forward and uh attorney attorney general james uh udmeyer deserves credit for pursuing florida's case now those efforts need to produce some sort of accountability here uh the cuban regime has spent decades recruiting spies infiltrating american institutions and exploiting our our openness to operate uh completely against us in this case um what the prosecution is alleging is that Cuban agents gathered the intelligence in Florida that helped prepare that attack. And Americans need to understand that connection. Espionage has consequences beyond just stolen documents. It could put American citizens in the crosshairs and have them murdered. Now, Rick, Florida filed these state charges today on top of the federal indictment from back in May. As you pointed out, Castro's 95. He's in Cuba. Do you think that this will ultimately put pressure on the regime well look the florida case has practical significance right the state alleges that that the elements of that conspiracy occurred on its own soil in florida so that jurisdictional argument must withstand the you know i guess the appropriate uh scrutiny but but there's another important distinction here a future president cannot then erase those state charges with some sort of uh federal pardon so that makes accountability uh accountability harder to bargain away in another you know diplomatic arrangement with with havana now getting castro into an american courtroom will be difficult and nobody should promise an imminent arrest but obtaining the warrant establishes an obligation to keep working it preserves the evidence it it allows us to pursue cooperation from other governments and be prepared if an opportunity to obtain custody actually would develop so the announcement cannot be the achievement it has to be followed by a continued sustained effort that that that at some point uh raul castro um uh will be in a position where you know u.s authorities can put handcuffs on him rick you're a gentleman uh a lot more uh diplomatic perhaps than the florida ag who said that these charges were needed so a future communist sympathizer in the white house can't pardon Castro. Is that a real possibility? No, I was just going to add, look, as an American of Cuban descent, I want the victims and their families kept at the center of this. Those men, one of them who went to my alma mater, FIU, those men lost their futures. Their families have spent 30 years waiting. They should not lose their claim to justice because the man accused of responsibility grew old. And Rick, speaking of those men, Rick, Florida says that Cuban spies infiltrated the group behind these flights, and that's how it can ultimately charge Castro. What does this tell us about the threat of Cuban espionage in America today? Oh, it's active. It's probably more active now than it's been in the recent past. um cuban agents have infiltrated not just the cuban exile community but uh um back you know right after this case the arrest of what was called the wasp network which was cuban uh cuban spies that had infiltrated southern command uh in in miami where they were able to get access to you know to the information let's not also forget um Ana Belen Montes the DIA analyst that was also on the cuban payroll and a number sadly a number of of state department ambassadors and officials that have also been working for the cuban regime um the cubans that run a very very active and serious um uh intelligence uh operation here on u.s soil and it's not just for their own benefit too right let's not forget who their allies are it's the uh it's the communist Chinese, it's Russia, it's Iran, it's other adversaries of the United States. And that cooperation that the Cuban regime has with communist China is something that really, you know, ought to be a serious concern to all Americans. Rick, you mentioned the ambassador. There was that American ambassador who comes to mind that was spying for Cuba for decades. What is the incentive for these folks? Sadly, a lot of it is ideology. They look at butchers like Che Guevara and Castro, Fidel Castro and others, as some sort of homespun heroes that stand up for rights or some sort of voice for the oppressed. When nothing can be absolutely further from the truth, you know, these are folks that have enslaved the island and, you know, and have benefited off the hard work and sweat of the Cuban people while they maintained, you know, bank accounts in European and foreign banks, making themselves all multimillionaires. So, sadly, you know, they fall for that trap. The Cubans see these folks very early in their careers when I guess they're younger and more ideological and help, you know, provide them with the necessary means and information to be smarter than others and to get the kinds of promotions that they need to advance within the federal government into positions that actually have power. And that's something that the Cuban government continues to do today. Rick De La Torre, we appreciate your insights. Thank you. In a report raising concerns about the security of undersea cables in Greenland, where the United States maintains a key space base. Find out more tonight on China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer at 9.30 p.m. Eastern. Coming up, President Trump throwing the kitchen sink at high gas prices. More from our guest on the effort to strengthen American energy independence after the break. The road laid out for me. Boxes everywhere, and this is gonna be Addie's room. I think you're gonna like it. I hope so. Yeah. First night here, but Amy seems cool. I got this. Hi, I'm Ryan Blaney, a third generation race car driver. And we dedicate a lot of our time to going as fast as possible. My grandpa Lou is the reason why my dad and I started racing, and I'm really proud to follow in his tracks. When my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it was a very unexpected bump in the road for us. I've learned a lot on this journey with my grandpa Lou, and the memories of my grandpa will always be with me. And in our family, we're used to getting involved, and I encourage you to do the same, especially when it comes to caring for your loved ones. When I think about Alzheimer's and the impact it had on my family, I recognize that losing a race isn't such a bad day after all. It's important to notice if older family members are acting differently, experiencing problems with their memory, or having trouble with routine tasks. Talking about Alzheimer's can be really tough, but if you notice something, have a conversation with your loved one. Encourage them to see a doctor or offer to go with them. Early detection of Alzheimer's can give your family time to explore support services, make a plan for the future, and access available treatments. If you or your family are noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer's. Talk about seeing a doctor together. Drive an hour to cheer them on as they get beat 11 to nothing in the rain. Then surely you'll check NHTSA.gov slash the right seat to make sure they're correctly buckled in the back seat. to nothing in the rain, then surely you'll check NHTSA.gov slash the right seat to make sure they're correctly buckled in the back seat. For decades, I've taught you everything I know, but only you can prevent wildfires. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance. Vice President J.D. Vance rallying in North Carolina today, this on the heels of a Michigan town hall that aired on CBS over the weekend. Vice President also weighing in on the riots in France. Entities Fiona Gee has the rundown. In North Carolina, Vice President J.D. Vance is showing his support for Republican U.S. House and Senate nominees. He also announced new disaster relief funding. North Carolina had been hit hard by Hurricane Helene back in 2024. We're announcing $858 million in additional disaster relief funding from the Department of Transportation. Vice President Vance also sat down for a town hall in Michigan, which was aired by CBS on Saturday. One of the first questions he was asked was how the administration plans to bring down gas prices. That's actually the biggest reason why gas prices are so high, is because when Joe Biden was president, we had about 20% of American refining capacity that went offline. We're slowly bringing that online, but it does take a little bit of time. On the topic of immigration, Vance said that what he criticizes are not immigrants themselves, but rather the immigration and visa systems. He also said he wants to see a basic sense of community and social cohesion. I don't think it's unreasonable for an American citizen to want to share their community with people they have something in common with. And I think our immigration system has to build that. It has to obviously be charitable to people. It has to welcome people who are going to contribute to the country. But it also has to not do it so quickly that we fundamentally transform the country in a bad way. On a similar topic, the vice president also weighed in on the riots in France. Reacting to footage of a historic French landmark burning down, Vance said in an X-Post on Saturday, quote, Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility. Looking ahead, the vice president is slated to return to his home state on Wednesday for another rally in Ohio. And on President Trump's side, he's got a packed agenda as well. The president is making campaign stops every single day this week, just two weeks out from Election Day. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Fiona Gee, NTD News. 28 non-citizens charged with election crimes in California, the latest in an effort the Trump administration is calling Operation Protect the Vote. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has the latest from the Justice Department's announcement. We don't care who you vote for. What we care about is making sure that every legitimate vote is counted. 11 foreign nationals have been arrested across California with an overall 28 charged. Federal officials are calling the move Operation Protect the Vote. Authorities say that all 28 are green card holders and prosecutors allege that they lied about being U.S. citizens in order to register to vote and in many cases cast ballots. Just like having your vote or your neighbor's vote not counted at all. Officials say the suspects appear on a list of more than 20,000 likely non-citizens that the Justice Department gave California last week. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter says California has declined to review the list. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon told 60 Minutes on Sunday that one of the DOJ's goals is to restore public trust in the election system. There are people who feel that the point is to sow distrust about the whole election system. The point is actually the opposite of what you were saying. It's not to sow distrust. The distrust is there. Dillon told 60 Minutes that it's the first time prosecution of illegal voting has happened in volume. The DOJ has announced illegal voting charges on a regular basis recently. On Friday, the Justice Department announced illegal voting charges for 16 non-citizens in North Carolina, New York, and Idaho. On October 12th, an announcement that 16 were charged with election crimes across 10 states, and on October 5th, 16 across four states. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. As the U.S. temporarily eases sanctions on Russian diesel, GasBuddy's Patrick DeHaan explains what it means for energy prices. Patrick DeHaan, thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for having me. Patrick, I want to play a clip here from Secretary Scott Bessent on the president's decision to lift the embargo on Russian diesel. Here's what he had to say. The only thing that has been lifted is the diesel embargo. And, you know, I will point out the UK in May waived their embargo on diesel and jet fuel made with Russian crude. So, you know, where's the outrage for the rest of the world? So, Patrick, you heard it from the secretary there. What is your reaction to his point? The U.S. ultimately just temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian diesel. Is this going to impact American families and truckers? Well, I think the bigger question is whether or not we actually see that oil, that diesel or other products flowing from Russia. Of course, Russia's refineries have been chronically attacked by Ukraine and they've had issues supplying their domestic market. So whether or not we get these deliveries is going to be contingent on whether there's enough refined product in Russia or if oil. Certainly, I think it would be more likely that we could receive oil from Russia in light of those refinery attacks, leaving more oil on the global market available. Patrick, America once had three hundred and twenty four refineries. Today, we have about 130. Why do refineries keep on seemingly disappearing? And how does that affect what you're paying for gas and diesel? Well, we've kind of seen the mantra of survival of the fittest. Additional government regulations for the 80s and 90s and improving fuel specifications have required a lot of refineries to retrofit and add expensive pollution control. So you've seen the nation's largest refineries, the most economical refineries essentially being able to compete, whereas smaller refineries that are maybe not located in a geographically sound place are likely seeing shutdowns. So essentially you've seen over time the maturity of the sector leaving behind about 128 refineries or so that are better positioned in various areas across the country. Now, Europe leaned on Russian gas while Germany seemed to shut down its nuclear plants. Is the administration doing as much as it can to keep America from facing a similar energy crisis and higher bills? The U.S. is certainly ahead when it comes to diversifying to various forms of energy. In fact, in the last six months now, we're seeing the first restart of what was going to be a shuttered nuclear facility. So unlike Europe that put many of its eggs all in one basket with renewables now having to go away and pivot from that because much of their plan was relying on Russian LNG, the U.S. has a fairly diverse future in terms of renewables, of course nuclear power, and the president even activating old coal power plants, at least in the interim. To your point, the president recently announcing a new Alaska gas pipeline and a Texas refinery expansion what regulations make big projects like these so hard to build and what does that ultimately cost workers and you know our families budget well it certainly varies by state the rules and regulations the bureaucracy vary for example in california refineries uh after regulatory regulatory environment continued to narrow several refineries have decided to close in california due to some of the regulation and i think a lot of these companies lng and refinery projects are likely to be located in politically friendly states to reduce the potential risk down the road of potential additional regulations impacting those future expansion plans. To your point, the president did say every permit is in place for the new Alaska LNG pipeline. What reforms are needed to ensure that the bureaucracy that you mentioned doesn't stand in the way of affordable energy? I think stability. Both the right side and the left side of the aisle have very different views and agendas when it comes to the environment. So constant flip-flopping is certainly going to really impact the risk of those investment projects, things like the Keystone XL pipeline, which was very much a political talking point. We need clarity. The industry would need to see clarity, longevity from any rules and regulations that would impact those types of investments. So So you'd likely see a lot of political impact from expansion plans. Refinery is likely looking at politically friendly states to expand to mitigate the potential risk down the road. Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, Patrick DeHaan, thank you so much. Thank you. Coming up with the midterms just around the corner, what issues matter to most Americans? We'll hear from the folks right here in D.C. just after the break. 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And you can't get it unless you're over 50. Over 50 and healthy, I bet. No, just over 50. That's right. Colonial Penn whole life insurance is just for men and women over 50. If you're between the ages of 50 and 85, your acceptance is guaranteed. There are no health questions, no medical exam. To enroll, all you do is fill out a simple form. You spent years looking out for your family. The way we see it, you've earned the right to continue protecting them, no matter what your health or income. Call now to learn more about the coverage designed just for you. Call 1-800-624-6556 for free information and a free beneficiary planner. That's 1-800-624-6556. Call now. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance with the midterms now, just two weeks away. What are some of the biggest issues facing the nation? And TD Sam Wong was out in the National Mall right here in D.C. to hear from the people. How would you describe yourself politically? Very conservative. The concept of being free to make your own decisions and being responsible for your actions instead of thinking that the government's going to provide for you. I'm very in the middle is that even though that has a very bad connotation to it because I can see both sides and I think both sides have a point. Fairly conservative. I've lived a successful life and I've worked hard and I believe in hard work giving rise to success. I'm not one of these that just want to follow a political party. I want to follow what's right. what do you see as the biggest issue facing this country today and how does it affect you well i think it's the emergence of a fake left wing what i call the pro-crime democrats they want to destroy the senate they want to destroy the supreme court they want to destroy all of the valuable things that have created this nation anytime socialism has come into countries it just has not worked i mean you look at venezuela europe is kind of a mess right now because with their open borders and stuff so it's probably like everybody else it's get the economy stable bring the price of gas down and that's i because the gas affects everything and it trickles right down and the lower people that don't make a lot of money they're the ones really suffering i don't want any of the DSA candidates to be elected because they will take this country very far to the left. I read an article this morning. They said what's happening in France is coming to America. It's the same thing when we have protests in America. They're not protests, they're riots, and they're destructive. And that's not what this country was founded on. Progress in the fight against fentanyl. Federal, state, and local officials meeting today to recognize significant success in reducing fentanyl deaths in the state of Pennsylvania. NBC's Arlene Richards has more. In Pennsylvania alone, fentanyl deaths are down by about about 60%. Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick joined by federal, state, and local officials on Monday to tout their success in the fight against fentanyl. And that's because of the leadership of the people standing here today who serve our great commonwealth, serve our great country, and serve Luzerne County, which by the way was one of the counties in Pennsylvania that suffered most from fentanyl deaths per capita and almost double the average nationally. He says when When officials first began looking into the fentanyl crisis, the numbers were staggering. In 2023, over 100,000 Americans died from fentanyl. In Vietnam, we lost 53,000 Americans killed in action over eight years. We lost more than 100,000 Americans in one year due to fentanyl. In Pennsylvania, we had a number of years that it was 4,000 a year. 4,000 Pennsylvanians in a single year. Staggering, shocking. He attributes the recent success to President Trump's efforts to secure the border, as well as focused efforts to bring down the drug cartels. In addition, he points to a number of legislative moves, including the Laken Riley and the Halt Fentanyl Acts, which he co-sponsored. Attorney General Todd Blanche highlighting some of the ways the Department of Justice has helped in recent months. There were indictments against four members of a drug organization in the Philadelphia area that were allegedly selling 1,600 individual bags of fentanyl every single day. We have gotten, when we catch you, and we will, we have sentences of a combined 45 years in prison for two co-defendants from Monroe County convicted of conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, resulting in the death of several individuals. Blanche adding that reported drug overdoses in Pennsylvania decreased by nearly 20 percent since May 2025, and he says that the Justice Department is investing in local law enforcement. Through their Office of Justice programs, the department awarded $1 million to Pennsylvania's Monroe County D.A. Opioid Crime Section. The officials held a pre-conference roundtable where they discussed ways they can keep on working together to make sure that their successes continue. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Elon Musk announcing he'll be giving one SpaceX share to every child in America. He made the announcement on X, calling it the first of many. The gift to roughly 73 million children would be worth nearly $11 billion. And that is all we have for you tonight on the Capitol.