NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (June 24)

Welcome to Entity Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump taking credit as a ceasefire between Israel and Iran takes hold. How he pressured both to stop fighting and how the White House is reacting to reports that Iran's nuclear sites remain intact. Iris Tao has the latest. The ceasefire appeared to be on shaky ground after Israel and Iran launched strikes at each other shortly after it began after speaking with President Trump. Israel agreed to stop attacks on Iran. Jason Perry reports. And reactions from Capitol Hill pouring in after the ceasefire announcement. House Speaker Mike Johnson tells NTD why the agreement is fragile and the possibility for congressional action if the ceasefire doesn't hold. US officials arrest 11 Iranian nationals who are in the country illegally. Arian Pazdar has what US officials say about the possible threat the individuals could have posed. A massive heat wave continues to scorch the US, delivering the year's hottest temperatures while breaking records in several cities and putting millions under heat alerts. Christina Corona brings us the weather report. [Music] This is NTD Evening News live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening. Thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Paul Grainy in for Tiffany Meyer. Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire last night, but both sides launched strikes at each other after it went into effect. And after speaking with President Trump, Israel says it's holding off on additional strikes on Iran. Anony's Jason Perry has the update. After 12 days of deadly fighting between Israel and Iran, President Trump announced a ceasefire between the two countries on Monday night. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said it has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire in approximately 6 hours from now. And on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said they struck targets in Iran before the ceasefire went into effect. Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck dozens of military targets in Tehran throughout the night, deploying more than 100 munitions. Also, before the ceasefire went into effect, Iran reportedly launched about 20 missiles at different locations in Israel. Most were intercepted, but one Iranian missile hit this residential building in Beeba, killing at least four people, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli President Isaac Herszog visited the site and said the missile that hit weighed close to 900 lb. landed here specifically to kill women, children, old age and people's ordinary lives, demolished kindergarten and schools, demolished apartments, and unfortunately had a heavy toll for innocent civilians. And then after the ceasefire went into effect, sirens sounded again across Israel. Israel's prime minister's office said that Iran launched three missiles at Israel during the ceasefire. No injuries were reported and the remains of an Israeli interceptor landed near an animal shed in northern Israel. Afterward, Iranian state-run media denied that Iran had fired missiles at Israel after the ceasefire had begun. In retaliation, Israel said they destroyed a radar installation near Thran. And afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with President Trump. And since then, Israel has held off on additional attacks in Iran. As of Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu thanked the US for their help and said this afterward. "Dear citizens of Israel, during the 12 days of the Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory, and this victory will stand for generations. We removed from upon us two immediate existential threats. The threat of annihilation by nuclear bombs and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles. In a post on X, Iran's foreign minister said, quote, "Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around." Jason Perry, NTD News. And President Trump heads to Europe as he applauds that ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran, which is appearing to hold tonight despite faltering at first. The GOP lawmaker has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Entities White House correspondent Iris Tao has more. Despite treating more attacks in the early hours, a ceasefire now appears to hold as both Israel and Iran announced they will stick to the truth as long as the other side does as well. It comes after President Trump on Tuesday morning lashed out at both of them for allegedly violating the ceasefire at first. Basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the they're doing. Do you understand that? has never had a greater friend in the White House than President Trump and I thank him very much for our joint efforts. As both sides then proceed to maintain the ceasefire and pause fighting, Trump hails development and takes credit posting on True Social. It was my great honor to destroy all nuclear facilities capability and then stop the war. On his way to the NATO summit in Netherlands, Trump reiterates this about Iran. They're not going to have enrichment and they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. On Sunday, Trump ordered US strikes on Iran's critical nuclear sites. Trump officials on Tuesday stressed that the sides were completely obliterated, contrary to reports suggesting otherwise. And while Trump days ago floated the idea of potential regime change in Iran, he now makes clear that that's not what he wants. Like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible. Uh regime change takes chaos. and GOP House lawmaker Buddy Carter on Tuesday nominated the president for Nobel Peace Prize over the ceasefire deal. And as things seem to settle down for now, the NATO secretary general praised Trump in a text message shared by Trump, saying Trump's move was quote something no one else dared to do. The NATO boss adds that NATO nations have now agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. All that because of Trump. But do you really think if Donald Trump would not have been president that tomorrow we would get he would get to the 5%. Are you really thinking that? I'm not. And Trump says he's likely meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinski on the sidelines of the NATO summit. It comes as Trump after dealing with the Middle East now again attempts to get Russia and Ukraine to make peace as well. Reporting by Iris Tao NT News. And on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are expecting to hear from intelligence officials about the developments with with Iran. Now with the Israel Iran ceasefire in effect, reactions are pouring in from Capitol Hill. Anony's Molina Wisecup has the latest. The response from Capitol Hill about the recent developments in Iran are not along party lines. There are Democrats and Republicans both for and against the administration's approach. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson today said he hopes the ceasefire announcement signifies that the administration's approach of peace through strength is working out. But he also acknowledged that the ceasefire is fragile. So I asked him about the possibility of congressional action in the case that the ceasefire doesn't hold. Here's what Johnson told me. The reason that the ceasefire is fragile is because you have Iran as one of the parties and they have they haven't demonstrated for us over the decades that they are not to be trusted. We may not have to act upon that. I hope we don't because I think it would be a terrible look and it will not pass the House um because it's a it's inappropriate and it's not a proper use of the um of the law. Then you also have Democrats who are divided on the issue. Iran was unable to respond in any meaningful way and no American was harmed in the process. That sounds like a win for the country. We would all agree with eliminating the nuclear weapons program or at least setting it back dramatically. Regime change is another issue that I think raises real questions about what comes next. He has botched his promises on the economy and he's botched his promises on creating peace in the Middle East. There are several resolutions that have come out of Congress aiming to limit Trump's war powers. Senate Democrats want to force a vote on this as early as this week. Senator Richard Blumenthalog, a Democrat from Connecticut, said he wants clarification from Trump's intelligence team about what they know about the damage done by the bombs and how successful they were. Reporting from Washington, DC, Molina Weissup, NTD News. Over 100 Democrats joined Republicans in opposing an impeachment measure against President Trump. That's after Congressman Al Green filed a resolution calling the president's strikes in Iran unconstitutional. Democratic leadership also voted against impeachment, but complained that a classified briefing on the strikes hasn't taken place yet. That briefing has been postponed to Thursday. Uh I mean hopefully they get it sooner rather than later, but me later, but members of Congress can ask for a classified briefing. Uh, and then those of us who really care about it have. So, like if you want to get the intelligence, you get it. I don't know why it got postponed. Um, I would imagine some of us speculated that it's because they don't actually have any good evidence of that would have justified the attack. As members of Congress, you know, it's our authority to declare war, right? And to acts of war should go through Congress. I've always felt that way. We've gotten ourselves into a lot of unnecessary, expensive wars because of that. The only the only thing that could make Iran or Tyrron happier would be an impeachment of Donald Trump. These people are siding with terrorists. They're siding with the Ayatollah. They're siding with the Mullas. They're siding with a a deadly terrorist regime. And as tensions with Iran continue, the US arrests 11 Iranian nationals who were in America illegally. The Department of Homeland Security says one of them has admitted ties to Hezbollah. And today's international correspondent, Arian Pazdar, has more. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, or ICE, arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally in the United States over the weekend. ICE also arrested a US citizen who threatened to kill law enforcement while allegedly harboring an illegal immigrant from Iran. This reflects the administration's aim to keep known and suspected terrorists out of American communities. Homeland Security says that one of the individuals is a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and that he has admitted connections to the Iranbacked terrorist group Hzbollah. An immigration judge ordered his removal in June of 2022, but he remained in the US illegally. A Homeland Security spokesperson reportly says, "We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out and we are we don't wait until a military operation to execute. We proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate." Meanwhile, Secretary of Homeland Security Christy Noom is in Panama today. It's her first stop of a Central America tour to address immigration and security. Noom is expected to observe a deportation flight and visit the Coast Guard. Following Panama, the secretary is set to visit Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Arian Pastor, NTD News. In case you don't know, a massive heat wave is scorching much of the country with more than 150 million Americans under heat alerts and at least one death reported. Entities Christina Corona tells us more. An extreme and long lasting heat wave is reaching a dangerous peak Tuesday with some East Coast cities facing their hottest day in a decade. Extreme heat alerts stretched from St. Louis to Boston on June 24th impacting cities like Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, DC, and New York. Platsburg, New York hit 101°, tying its all-time record and reaching 100° for only the fourth time in nearly 80 years. New York City's JFK airport hit 100° for the first time since 2013. Meteorologist Bryce Williams explains that a heat dome forms when a high pressure system traps heat over an area, causing temperatures to soar and blocking clouds. In general, hot air is rising, but it reaches this um this dome of high pressure that is forcing it downward, causing it to compress and further heat. So it it's kind of this continual cycle where the air is rising and sinking and as it sinks it heats more and more. He says what makes these heat waves especially dangerous is the lack of relief at night. So the low temperatures are sometimes in the upper 70s 80s upper 80s and that doesn't provide enough relief in the overnight hours. So we're already starting the next day hotter than we normally would be. The intense heat forced the Chelsea soccer team to cut short its training session on Monday in Philadelphia ahead of a key FIFA Club World Cup match. Is is it's almost impossible to to make or to to train to to make session uh because of the weather. Now we are trying just to save energy for for the game. This morning session has been very very very short. The heat has already turned deadly. A 55year-old woman in the St. Louis area died after at least 3 days without water or air conditioning. She was found in her home Monday as temperatures soared past 100°. In Baltimore, dozens of Amtrak passengers were left stranded in a hot tunnel after a train lost power shortly after leaving Penn Station. Some cars didn't have air conditioning even before it stopped. According to the Weather Channel, some of the most extreme feels like temperatures across the country include 110 degrees in Baltimore, 106° in Philadelphia, and 106° in Boston. And some tips for staying cool. Just definitely keep yourself hydrated. Bring yourself like a bottle of water or something with you and just try to stay in the shade. Drink a lot of water and um be careful what you do. My tip is stay cool and stay in the shade and don't move too quickly and also don't stress. Forecasters say some areas could see relief by Tuesday while others may endure extreme heat through the week. Christina Corona, NTD News. Still to come this evening, Health Secretary RFK Jr. answering tough questions from House lawmakers in Capitol Hill today. Jason Blair has the highlights. Members of Congress hear testimony on transnational repression here in America. Witnesses say they and others have been targeted by foreign countries. An American dance company targeted by propaganda with some US media reports echoing Chinese regime narratives. We bring you a troubling timeline and the big picture when we come back. [Music] Welcome back. I'm Paul Grainy. The House of Representatives is examining how to address all the waste, fraud, and abuse found by the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as Doge. Our Washington correspondent, Luis Eduardo Martinez, has more on the story. I certainly wish that my Democrat colleagues uh felt the same as their former Democrat leaders felt. This subcommittee has highlighted where Doge has staunched the flow of waste, fraud, and abuse. The Doge website identifies 180 billion in savings achieved in just a matter of months. Of those 180 billion in potential savings identified by the Department of Government Efficiency, the House of Representatives has already passed a recisions package to claw back $9.3 billion in spending. That package has not yet received a vote in the Senate. The American people are over it. Doge has been used to wage a chaotic, destructive, and ideological war against the American people and the vital programs that they depend on. All House Democrats voted against the recisions package. And Democrats in the Doge subcommittee used most of their time during Tuesday's hearing to criticize President Donald Trump's foreign policy towards the Middle East. Both the House and the Senate were expected to receive classified briefings from the Trump administration on the strikes against Iran over the weekend, but the recently announced ceasefire between Iran and Israel has pushed back the classified briefing to Thursday. Peace in the Middle East has never been closer within our grasp. President Clinton said, quote, I believe all the Western nations have an overriding interest in containing the threat posed by Iran. Unquote. President Obama, he said, "I have stated that Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon." President Biden, quote, "We will not, let me say again, we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon." But it was President Trump who did more than talk. He acted. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson asked House members to keep their schedules flexible as they expect the Senate to vote on President Trump's big, beautiful bill. Before the end of the week, Congress could work over the weekend to meet its July 4th deadline. Reporting from Washington, DC, Luis Aluardo Martinez, NTD News. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his department isn't cutting coverage for any American patient. It's in response to questions about possible cuts to Medicaid. Anthony correspondent Jason Blair has highlights from Kennedy's testimony on Capitol Hill. We will preserve the legacy programs like Medicare and Medicaid and the foundation of the ma as the foundation of the maja agenda. With possible health department budget cuts coming with the big beautiful bill, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says they're not taking away anyone's health coverage. The Republican tax bill slashes Medicaid and the ACA by over a trillion dollars, leaving 16 million more people uninsured. Will hospitals be forced to cut services or close altogether? We're not cutting coverage for any American patient. Kennedy was asked about lowering prescription drug prices by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies. President Trump has ordered me to do something that no other president has, which is uh to establish across the board most favorite nations so that we're not paying more than Europeans are. We're in negotiations right now today with the drug companies. Secretary RFK Jr. was also asked about his recent decision to replace the entire CDC vaccine advisory committee. I know Senator Cassidy had concerns about your views on this. And so when he voted to confirm you, he explained that decision by saying if confirmed, you will maintain the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. I didn't see that statement by Senator Cassidy. I've only heard it from you. But if he said that I agreed to it, it would be inaccurate. I made an I made an agreement with them and he and I have talked many times about that agreement. Kennedy says the HHS will soon be doing a campaign to encourage Americans to use wearable health trackers. People can take control over their own health and they can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives. Secretary Kennedy says that he thinks wearables are a key to making America healthy again. Reporting in Washington DC, Jason Blair, NTD News. propaganda. It's a tool the Chinese Communist Party uses to squash dissent and export its authoritarianism overseas. We've been tracking a CCP operation that targets a faith-based group and companies started by them around the world, even here on American soil. The spiritual practice is called Fallon Gong. It's been persecuted by the regime since 1999, viewing its growing popularity as a threat. And based on our investigation, it looks as though some reports by American media companies closely resemble CCP propaganda about the practice. Our reporter Kevin Hogan has more on the regime's operation. The CCP seeks to subvert the American government, the legal system, colleges and universities, and the media, which we'll go into in detail today, to target fallen gong, a peaceful spiritual practice banned in China. And it also targets Shen Yune performing arts. So, what is Shen Yun and why is the CCP targeting it? Chenyun is a New York-based premier dance company that tours the world and it was started by fallen gong practitioners who strive to embody the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. These are the core values of the practice. Shenyun's tagline is China before communism. Its mission is to revive and celebrate traditional Chinese culture, and it also has scenes depicting the CCP's gruesome practice of forcibly removing the organs of illegally imprisoned fallen gong practitioners. And since the start of the persecution, the Chinese regime has used its entire state-run media apparatus to smear fallen gong. The goal was to try to turn the Chinese people against the ancient practice. And through those same propaganda channels, it has aimed to silence Shen Yun. Now, the narratives that essentially carry a similar meaning are seen in the American news company, the New York Times. So, how do we get here? The CCP has persecuted falling gong since 1999. But according to whistleblower Yuan Hong Bing, Chinese legal scholar with sources in China, in October 2022, Chinese regime leader Xiinping held a secret meeting. In it, he called for a new strategy specifically focusing on using Western media outlets to spread disinformation to go after fallen gong run companies. About one year later, in October 2023, the New York Times says it began its so-called investigative reporting on Shen Yune. Fast forward 10 months to August to December 2024, the New York Times published eight hit pieces smearing Shen Yune based virtually entirely on anecdotes of a few disgruntled former employees. And there's another layer to this story. One of the New York Times reporters involved is Nicole Hong. Her father, George Hong, is a professor at a New York University, an organization that has knowledge of overseas Chinese. Did a profile on him. It says he was an honorary director of the Western Return Scholars Association. That organization is part of the CCP's United Front Work Department, which does foreign influence operations. The page on George was taken down after the New York Times published its articles. He denies any connection to the organization or to his daughter's reporting. This is a troubling timeline. She gives the directive and to use Western media to launch disinformation campaigns and afterwards the New York Times starts its reporting and then publishes hit pieces on Shen Yun, a company that's been performing for nearly 20 years. The timing raises serious questions. Now, why do I say they're hit pieces? The CCP, specifically through their regime controlled mouthpieces like China Daily, People's Daily, and Global Times, seeks to have people believe fallen gong practitioners only practice because of coercion. And similarly, the New York Times cherrypicked sources imply that the artists and others work at the company because they're manipulated into doing so. But Shen Yune and the many artists we've interviewed say they have faith and work with Shen Yun to carry out their mission with the same bravery some had when fleeing persecution in China. Bravery now used to inspire others and bring about the best in humanity. Thus, they have free thought and Shenyun performers do use modern western medicine. However, the New York Times through their sources claims that Shen Yune does not allow dancers to seek modern medical treatment. This is the same propaganda line the CCP linked media spreads about falling gong to smear the practice and justify the persecution. Yet doctors like Dr. Damon Noto have said that they regularly do X-rays and MRIs treating sprained ankles and broken bones that Shen Yun dancers face as high performance athletes. Furthermore, Shen Yune is politically neutral. It's not anti-China because clearly it tells the story of China itself. Fallen Gong is not inherently anti-communist. We know that because Fall & Gong and the Communist Party coexisted peacefully in China for about seven years. It was only after the CCP started murdering Fall & Gong practitioners that fallen Gong opposed it, which is simply a defensive and moral reaction to the persecution. Not politics, just common sense. The New York Times uses phrases such as the shows amplify the anti-communist message of fallen gong. Remember, not anti-communist, just anti-persecution. The CCP uses a very similar tactic that fallen gong is anti-China. Anti-communist and anti-China are two different things. But these instances show the CCP and the New York Times use similar rhetoric to claim that Fallen Gong and Shen Yun are somehow this oppositional force when in fact they're simply promoting traditional culture and their core principles. Now, Shen Yune is socially open. It's a transparent group. The company performs right out in public in front of millions of people in 36 countries. What's secretive about that and anyone can buy or read the main book of Fallen Gong online? It's public. So, Shen Yune is socially open. However, the CCP has long falsely cast fallen gong as a closed and secretive group to justify its persecution. The New York Times places its articles on Shen Yune under the category of closed and secretive groups. So here again, the New York Times is presenting a narrative that bears stark similarity to the one the CCP has long promoted, but in reality, they are socially open and transparent. As a whole, we're not alleging the New York Times is in some way coordinating with the CCP, but the striking similarities in the rhetoric and framing along with the timing are concerning enough to warrant closer scrutiny. One organization exploring this issue is the Fallen Dafa Information Center, which is a nonprofit that helps people learn about fallen gong and compiles evidence of the persecution. Their extensive counter investigation points out conflicts of interest, distortions, and falsehoods. Here's what the center says about the New York Times reporting. The end result of these fantastical stories is a narrative designed to incite the US population to turn against Shen Yune and fallen gong. The New York Times, however, says their main article was thoroughly reported, fact checked, and edited, and that the outlet stands behind its publication. So, we've established that messages similar to what the Chinese Communist regime wants people to believe are surfacing in American mainstream society. So, what's the big picture? Congressman Scott Perry says the CCP just takes advantage of the freedom of the media. He says the CCP's suppression campaign against ShenYun amounts to unrestricted warfare. That's the use of any means to subdue targeted groups. And his statement reflects a broader concern that the Chinese regime seeks to use the American government, the legal system, schools, and the media to further its goals. And today, a bipartisan house commission held a hearing on trends in transnational repression. Well, we just heard Kevin Hogan talking about lawmakers and witnesses say this directly impacts people and entities on American soil. Entities David Lamb reports. Expert witnesses testified on Tuesday about repressive tactics from foreign countries reaching into the US. The FBI has improved its intake system for reporting on cases and maintains a transnational repression information page. However, there is a need for enhanced coordination between federal and local law enforcement to identify, prevent, and respond to TNR. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission heard about cases originating from Pakistan, India, Brazil, Hong Kong, and China, where activists and journalists have been targeted. We will hear testimony today about how China punishes people in the United States for speech that their government doesn't like. According to the commission, transnational repression or TNR include tactics that can be direct through killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, and unlawful removals. It also includes indirect tactics like online harassment, digital surveillance, targeting of relatives, and abuse of consular services. The Hong Kong police have summoned family members of wanted activists for interrogation about our activities. Our family members have been surveiled and threatened. One witness said 48 governments, about a quarter of the world's countries, have used transnational tactics in the last decade. Although the governments of Russia, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Usbekiststan, Rwanda, and Cambodia aggressively pursue dissident abroad, the Chinese government remains the most pr prolific perpetrator of transnational repression, undertaking the world's most sophisticated and comprehensive campaign. I also think it's very important that we maintain and increase uh federal funding for um organizations that have been you know documenting, investigating um disrupting and exposing uh transaction repression in the United States. Other solutions that panelists suggested range from less law enforcement surveillance to considering other countries human rights violations when making policies and agreements with them. David Lamb, NTD News. Still to come this evening, with a fragile ceasefire taking hold between Israel and Iran, what's next for both countries? And how is President Trump's approach to the Middle East changed what's happening in the region? Newsweek's Josh Hammer joins us to discuss after the break. [Music] Welcome back. A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to hold today after initially faltering as President Trump expressed frustration with both sides. Joining us now to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and what's next is Josh Hammer, senior editor at large and host of the Josh Hammer Show at Newsweek. He's also the author of a new book, Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West. Josh, great to have you on. Thanks for coming. My pleasure. Thank you, Josh. We see Israel's ambassador to the UN saying diplomatic talks with Iran will happen soon. Are we expecting some kind of ceasefire negotiations? Well, the ceasefire allegedly is already in place. Man, that that didn't that did not stop the Iranians from violating the ceasefire roughly three and a half hours after it started. The fundamental problem here is how you get the most deceitful lying regime on the face of the earth to actually abide by the tenets of a ceasefire. This has been the the long-standing problem of all Western attempts at diplomacy with this regime is that they simply lie and they subscribe to a radical jihadist ideology there. So often times these deals are not really worth the piece of paper that they are written on, which is why Donald Trump withdrew from Barack Obama's catastrophic JCPOA nuclear deal back in 2018. So we'll see what happens. Look, I mean, Donald Trump has a has a has a problem on his hands because his ceasefire is a masterclass stroke of statesmanship and diplomacy. Now you have to make it stick. And how do you make it stick when this regime just will not listen to what it says? Well, from my perspective, the only way to make it stick is to show that there will be severe repercussions for violating it. You have to make sure that they will understand that if they violate the ceasefire, then the full the full wrath and fury of the US military or at least of the Israeli military, if the Iranian uh attacks there are directed Israel, then those will be then launched back in turn at the Iranian regime itself there. So, it's gonna it's going to take a lot of work here. We're not we're not at the finish line yet, but I do think that that Donald Trump has gone gone off to a very good start. You mentioned violate. What exactly will Israel demand in this type of a ceasefire? Well, they'll demand that the Iranians don't don't fire on Israel. It's pretty it's pretty simple, honestly. I mean, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel over the past week and a half. I know that because I was there and we were trying to avoid them before evacuating the country. They want to make sure that Iran's various proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian, Islamic, jihad, the Houthies in Yemen and so forth are not doing the same thing, are not firing indiscriminately at at Israel as well. It's a pretty simple ask actually is, you know, what is a ceasefire? Well, it's literally a declaration that you will cease firing. So, if the Iranians can stick to the most basic tenants of what a ceasefire agreement necessarily and inherently entails, then I'm sure the Israelis are going to be willing to play ball. The Israelis want a ceasefire. There are a lot of people saying here that, oh, Israel will not not be satisfied until they topple the regime and they conquer and do all these crazy things. It's not true. There's not a single person in Israel that I've spoken with who has any belief other than hoping that the ceasefire will stick. Again, the million-dollar question is getting the Iran to actually stick stick by the agreement and to actually kind of stand by its word. How united are people on the Israeli side to with this view? Because many we have heard from have said that the only way to lasting peace in the Middle East is with regime change in Iran. That is the only way to lasting peace. That does not mean that is the task of the United States or Israel to do it. the the best way to get regime change in Iran is from the Iranian people in a in a grassroots wellspring. That has always been the solution to the Iranian problem going back four and a half decades. This isn't this is an emphatically evil regime. It is the single most terrorist Islamist jihadist friendly regime in the entire region on and on the face of the earth. The region and the world will absolutely be a better place when this regime is is gone. Now having said that again is not the role of the United States to hubristically and arrogantly seek to do that from the top down. We have all learned our lessons from the boondoggles of Iraq, Afghanistan and so forth there. So it's up to the Iranian people. That is definitely their their goal right now. But frankly if Israel wanted the Ayatollah commune to be dead, he probably would be dead already at this point if I had to guess. Are you expecting some kind of uprising there? Do you think perhaps the US or Israel could look to add fuel to that flame? Well, I hope that the Iranian people take matters into their own hands for all the reasons that I was just saying, which is that that's the that's the best way to actually effectuate a long lasting change. You think it's likely? I I I think it's entirely possible that there is a decent uprising within the next few months. Very very difficult to say that there. I will say that we have not gotten a lot of indications of that from my scouring of social media. Part of that is because that the Iranian regime has a blackout on internet in the country right now. Sometimes it's very hard to get clear, up-to-date, real-time information there. I sincerely hope indeed I actually pray that that happens there. In a situation like that, it would not necessarily be incumbent upon the United States or Israel anyone to to provide actual tactical support. Rather, I think simply rhetorical and moral support the likes of which Barack Obama did not supply back in 2009 during the so-called green revolution. That is the kind of thing that I would hope and expect for from the Trump administration. And frankly, that probably exactly what Trump was getting at with his mega make Iran great again truth social post from this past Sunday. I saw that one. Yeah, Josh, you kind of touched on it earlier. It seemed like the ceasefire was doomed until President Trump insisted if he respected and between weapons and direct military intervention. In the end, the US played a pretty major part in what Israel had started. How has Trump changed what's happening there in the Middle East? Well, he's had a master class of statesmanship, diplomacy, and military prowess. He has accomplished a long-standing, decades long sought-after military objective, which is the neutralization of the Iranian nuclear program. He has achieved that without a single American casualty. Indeed, without a single shot being fired at an American asset. That's incredible. That that is absolutely incredible. That is such a a massive difference from what all the the hysterics said would happen. The folks who were saying that this would be World War III, that Russia and China would go swoop in to defend their wounded ally, Iran there. Trump looks like a genius. He looks like an absolute genius for coming in after Netanyahu and the Israelis really did a lot of the groundwork. America came in at the end with the bunker busters there and the United States properly looks amazing at this point there. and then and then to kind of get out without a single shot being fired there. All at a very low cost there. Frankly, massive egg on the face of the folks on the left and the right for decades who said that Iran is a is a real force is is a real threat there. They are not a real force. They have they lost air control of their own skies within hours of of the Israelis first going in there. And frankly, if I were the moles, I I would be worrying about what is next to come. Right. Josh got about a minute. In your new book, you discuss Israel's importance to Western society. How do you see this strengthened USIsrael relationship impacting the world going forward? Well, I think what we just saw with the decapitation of the Iranian nuclear program is the a clear realtime case of US's relations benefiting the American national interest, which is the very clear, sober, hard-headed nationalist realist case for relations that I advance in chapter 7 of my book. There you had Israel go in and do the dirty work and then America after the enemy Iran has been severely wounded comes in for the kill shot at the end. That is why you had Donald Trump in his very gracious White House speech on Saturday evening after the midnight hammer strikes were complete there talk about how the US and Israel have shared interests and shared faith in this conflict. It was a perfect demonstration of US relations operating at their very best. Josh Hammer, thanks for joining us. Thank you. And a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran now in effect. How are everyday folks viewing this development? And the Trump administration's efforts in negotiating a peace deal. Entities Sam Wong was out in the National Mall in DC to hear from the people. What do you think is the significance of this latest ceasefire between Israel and Iraq? Hopefully to stop a World War II. That's what I'm hoping, right? I don't think anybody wants to see that happen. I'm just hoping that it's not something that we're uh rearming about. It should have probably already been in a effect a long time ago. I think uh anytime is better. The best time is now. I hope it works. I hope that we can get out of this without any more American, Israeli or Iranian bloodshed. Hopefully, it's permanent. I don't really trust Iran. They're constantly fighting and if it's not with us, it's with our it's Israel, it's it's someone. Unless there's some lasting deal that both sides feel that they're not quite happy with, but they both feel something they're getting something out of, then it's not going to be lasting and we'll be talking about it in 5 years time, 10 years time. What are your thoughts on President Trump's efforts to drive a ceasefire between the two countries? Uh, I mean, I think it's good. That's what we need and um, yeah, I think he's going about it the right way. I think it's uh, it's noble. You should be trying to create peace. You need to have both sides feeling like they're not completely losing. Otherwise, you're just kicking the can down the road. Hitting somebody on the head with a stick and saying that if you don't retaliate is not a very good plan. It can all be over now as long as no one fights back. I think he should have probably waited to get the backing before he just went out there and just did whatever he wanted to do. For sure. Hopefully, they can come to some good agreements and terms cuz yeah, this is a pretty uh strenuous time for everybody. happening. I think that he's not only trying to get peace in that area of the world, he's trying to do it all over the world. He's just jump right in and and do it. And I think that's why he was elected. Still to come this evening, it's Democratic mayoral primary day today in New York City. Who are the top candidates? What do voters have to say about them? Entities Arlene Richards brings us a preview. And Oklahoma City fans celebrate the Thunder's NBA Finals victory. Sunday night's game seven win over the Indiana Pacers marks the city's first major professional sports championship. We have more on that after the break. [Music] Welcome back. I'm Paul Grainy. New York City voters are at the polls today to cast ballots in the Democratic mayoral primary and several other races. The battle between top mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo and Zoran Mamani may come down to the last vote. Enthon's Arlene Richards has a preview of the race. It's Democratic mayoral primary day on Tuesday in New York City as voters have been casting their ballots since 6:00 a.m. Primary elections for city offices are also being held, but the mayoral election is the most highly watched with a crowd of prominent current and former office holders. It is expected to be a close race between former Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Assemblyman Zuran Mdani. Campaign watchers assess the race as a jump ball that would come down to the wire. Meanwhile, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is running as an independent, so he's not on the ballot for this race. Cuomo has been the front runner since entering the race in March. Do we have working men and women in the halls tonight? But Manny, a 33-year-old Democratic socialist, surged in popularity from near obscurity with a mix of viral videos and proposals appealing to younger progressives. Time and time again, we've been told that our campaign has a ceiling. We were told it was 5%, 10%, 15, 20, 25, 30. Cuomo's platform describes a city in crisis. The former governor argues the city feels unsafe and out of control because of poor leadership. He criticizes Bumani for his past support for defunding the police and for his lack of experience, but he's also concerned about the Democratic Party. And the last election showed that the Democratic Party had lost its bearings, and we're going to redefine what the Democratic Party is really all about. Mdani is a self-declared socialist. His campaign focuses on rent freezes, free bus rides, housing affordability, and nocost child care. This is the most expensive city in the United States of America, and New Yorkers are tired of having to worry each and every hour of each and every day of whether they can afford to live here. Mom Donnie is known for his activism, including leading a hunger strike alongside taxi drivers. A new poll released on Monday by Emerson College shows Cuomo leading with 35% support, followed closely by Mamani at 32%. Following the city's relatively new ranked choice voting system, the survey allowed voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. After over eight rounds, Amdani edges out Quuomo at 52% to Cuomo's 48%. A recent Maris poll shows Cuomo breaking 50% in a seventh round of ranked choice voting. Most veteran political experts believe that the race will come down to who can turn out their supporters. Votes will be tallied after the polls close at 900 p.m. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Oklahoma City Thunder fans celebrated their team's NBA Finals victory today after Sunday night's win over the Indiana Pacers. Game seven capped off a dramatic series and marked the city's first major professional sports championship. Eager fans greeted the Thunder as the team passed through downtown at today's victory parade. OKC became contenders for an NBA title in 2009 with stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden on the court. Still, the Thunder would fall short after losing to the Miami Heat in the 2012 finals. Dreams of a possible run in 2013 were shattered when Westbrook was injured during the playoffs. The 2015 2016 team led the Golden State Warriors 3 to1 in the Western Conference Finals, but they lost that series in seven games. Sunday's 103 to 91 win over the Pacers marked triumph and redemption for OKC's loyal fans. And that's all for today's news. Thank you for watching. For roundtheclock coverage, visit us at ntd.com/live or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Paul Grainy. Good night. [Music]