President Trump to Address Nation; Dan Bongino Stepping Down From FBI | NTD Evening News (Dec. 17)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, a busy day on Capitol Hill. Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith faces questions from lawmakers in a closed door interview. The battle over healthc care subsidies ramps up and the Senate passes the annual defense policy bill, sending it to President Trump's desk. Luis Martinez brings us those updates. After nine months on the job, deputy FBI Director Dan Banino is stepping down. He made the announcement on X shortly after President Trump told reporters that the podcast host wants to go back to his show. Police have charged the surviving suspect in a deadly Hanukkah shooting in Sydney with 15 counts of murder. It comes as the community grieavves and funerals begin for the victims. President Trump to address the nation tonight on his administration's 2025 successes amid heightened tensions with Venezuela. And the president calling the FBI's 2022 raid on his Mara Lago estate unreasonable search and seizure. Mario at the White House. Nick Rener, the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner, made his first court appearance in Los Angeles in connection with his parents' deaths. His arraignment has been delayed for early next year. Christina Corona reports from outside the courthouse. The man hunt for the Brown University shooter enters its fifth day. Police are asking for help from the public in identifying a person of interest. This is NTD Evening News live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Kevin Hogan in for Tiffany Meyer. Busy day on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers in the House continue their healthc care battle, setting up crucial votes with a complicated future in the Senate. Our Washington correspondent, Luis Eduardo Martinez, has the details. >> Now, just for the public knows, when there's a discharge petition and you get 18 218 votes, which is the majority of the House Democrats, then the bill comes to the floor. We want no obstacles. We want action. >> Four Republicans signed on to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffrey's discharge petition to force a vote on a bill that would extend for three-year the COVID era Obamacare healthcare subsidies. >> Even some Republicans agree that action is urgent and called the speaker's refusal to allow a vote on extending these subsidies idiotic and political malpractice as premiums are poised to rise. I think u these are obviously Republicans who are in swing districts that may be threatened in the midterm election. My prediction is with the sufficient number of Republicans signing on to this that it would pass the House uh I don't think the fate in the Senate will be uh very good. However, >> this is the second discharge petition that has been successful in forcing House Republican leadership to put a bill for a vote on the House floor. The other bill that was successful was the bill to release the Epstein files. >> I have not lost control >> because there are mech look we have the smallest majority in US history. >> These are not normal times. There are process processes and procedures in the house that are less frequently used when there are larger majorities and when you have the luxury of having 10 or 15 people who disagree on something. Also today, the House Judiciary Committee deposed former special counsel Jack Smith. Republicans grilled Smith behind closed doors over the intercepted phone records of a Republican lawmakers and the questioned probable cause for the raid on Mara Lago in 2022. In today testifying before this committee, Jack is showing tremendous courage in light of the remarkable and unprecedented retribution campaign against him by this administration and this White House. The House will vote later today on the Republican proposal to tackle healthcare. The bill would lower premiums and provide subsidies for low-income families for out-of- pocket healthcare expenses. The bill is expected to pass through the House but face opposition in the Senate. Also today, the Senate passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a $900 billion bill that is now heading to the president's desk for signing. Reporting from Washington DC, Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. >> President Trump to address the nation later tonight with the White House teasing a new policy announcement as we head into the new year. This comes as President Trump condemns the FBI's 2022 raid on his Mara Lago estate, calling it unreasonable search and seizure. NTD's Washington correspondent Mariosu brings us more from the White House. >> President Trump saying that the FBI's 2022 raid on his Mara Lago estate can never be allowed to happen again, calling it criminal and unreasonable. >> You'd have to ask the Department of Justice. They raided my house. I can tell you that these were bad people that we had in our government before. They are bad people. They're sick. They're sick people. >> And they came in with their guns into Mara Lago like 98 people. >> This coming as newly declassified documents reveal the FBI did not believe it had probable cause to conduct the raid, but moved forward amid pressure from the Biden Justice Department. Anyway, >> I think it was the worst weaponization of a political opponent in the history of the world. let alone this country. I'm the one that had to suffer through it and ultimately win. But uh what they did was criminal. >> Chuck Grassley, the Iowa senator who released the records, claims the documents are proof of a miscarriage of justice against the president. Meanwhile, President Trump witnesses the dignified transfer of the three Americans killed in Syria over the weekend. >> This had nothing to do with the Syrian government. This had to do this had to do with ISIS. As a response, they'll be hit hard. and celebrates Hanukkah while vowing that his administration will continue to crack down on anti-semitism. >> Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to our entire nation, to the people of Australia and especially all those affected by the horrific and anti-semitic terrorist attack. All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic. >> Tonight, he's set to address the nation. President Trump will be talking about what's to come. The best is truly yet to come as he often says. And so he'll be addressing the country about all of his historic accomplishments over the past year and maybe teasing some policy that will be coming in the new year as well as we head into this Christmas season. This coming as President Trump orders a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela and demands the return of oil, land, and assets uh he says Venezuela stole from the US. not going to let anybody going through that should be going through. You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil from not that long ago. They illegally took it. >> The president is also designating the entire Venezuelan regime led by dictator Nicholas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization. This as the US deploys its largest naval presence in the Caribbean in decades. Reporting from the White House, Mario, NTD News. How is the US carrying out its oil blockade of Venezuela? And is this all part of a bigger strategy of pushing Russian and Chinese influence out of the Western Hemisphere? Hear from Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinness tonight on Capital Report at 700 p.m. Eastern time. Deputy FBI Director Dan Banino will be leaving his position in January. President Trump reacted to the announcement today. >> Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show. In a post on Next, Ben Benjino said, "I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose." The deputy FBI director didn't explain his reason for stepping down. FBI director Cash Patel selected Banino for the position early this year. Prior to that, Banino was a conservative commentator and former Secret Service agent. He was the host of the Dan Banino Show, one of the biggest political podcasts in the country. Australian authorities have charged an accused gunman in the Bondai Beach massacre with 15 counts of murder and dozens of other offenses. It comes as funerals begin today for the victims of the anti-semitic attack. Here are the details. >> The 24year-old accused in the terror attack on a Jewish crowd, Navidid Akrim, has been formally charged after waking from a coma. Police say he faces 59 counts, including committing a terrorist act, 15 murders, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, and charges related to firearms, extremist symbols, and explosives. We're >> currently awaiting his medical condition to be appropriate for us to do that. It's important that he has appropriate cognitive ability at the time. When you're on medication, we would argue for his fitness, we need to make sure that he's able to understand exactly what's happening. >> Police shot him and his father, Sajjid Akim, at the scene where his father died. Australia's federal police commissioner said authorities believe the shooting was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State. Meanwhile, hundreds of mourers gathered today for the first funeral of a victim honoring a rabbi who organized the Hanukah event where the attack unfolded after what happened. My biggest regret was apart from obviously from the obvious but from the things that I could have done more is to tell Ellie more often how much we love him how much I love him. >> Those who knew him described Rabbi Ellie as a pillar of the community. >> He just wanted to bring light um to this community. He was proudly Jewish. He just had a fifth child just weeks ago and now his wife is a widow. Australian leaders and the Jewish community say the Hanukkah celebration will return to Bondi Beach in defiance of the attacker's intentions. >> Ellie lived and breathed this idea. We can never ever allow them not only to succeed but any time that they try something become greater and stronger. A Sydney shop owner is being hailed as a hero for disarming one of the gunmen, while a couple and another man who were killed confronting the attackers are also being remembered for trying to save others. Prime Minister Albani identified the couple as Boris and Sophia German. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the couple were Russian Jewish. Boris was a retired mechanic and Sophia worked for Australia Post. Abene spoke to the media today honoring the couple and another man who was killed while trying to stop the bloodshed. Well, I pay tribute to Boris and Sophia German, to Ruven Morrison who threw bricks and took action to try and stop uh this occurring, also murdered by these terrorists. Uh these are Australian heroes. >> There has been reports in >> As the investigations unfold, Australia faces a political reckoning about anti-semitism and whether police protections for Jews are enough for the threats they face. The son of filmmaker Rob Reiner made his first court appearance since being accused of murdering his parents. The official cause of death has been released and the Riner's children are breaking their silence since the tragic deaths. And Christina Corona has the latest. >> We're outside the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse where Nick Reiner made his first court appearance since being accused of killing his parents Rob and Michelle Reiner. His attorney, Alan Jackson, announced that his arraignment will be postponed to early January, citing complex and serious issues associated with this case. >> We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward, not with a rush of judgment, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves and that the family deserves. So, with that, uh, we are set for January 7th for an arraignment. >> Nick Reiner, charged with two counts of murder, wore a blue suicide prevention vest during his court appearance. The 32-year-old sat behind glass as his attorney appeared before the judge. Reiner was ordered held without bail pending his arraignment. The official causes of death were revealed Wednesday afternoon. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Rob and Michelle Reiner died from multiple sharp force injuries. The Riner's children, Jake and Romy Reiner, are now speaking out about their parents' deaths and their brother's arrests, saying, "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day." They go on to say, "The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents. They were our best friends." Authorities say Nick Reiner was living with his parents at the time of the killings, but was not home when officers arrived. Investigators say the family attended a holiday party at Conan O'Brien's on Saturday, where a heated argument broke out between Nick Reiner and his father. Police say Nick Reiner later checked into a Santa Monica hotel around 4:00 a.m. Sunday. By Sunday afternoon, Romy Reiner discovered her parents. Hotel staff told investigators they found blood in the bathtub and on the mattress in Nick Reiner's hotel room. New video shows Nick Reiner inside a Los Angeles gas station moments before his arrest on Sunday. Surveillance footage shows him buying a drink at a Narco gas station. After he leaves the store, footage shows law enforcement moving in to arrest him. Nick Reiner is currently being held at the Twin Towers jail facility in downtown Los Angeles. Reporting from the city of Los Angeles, Christina Corona, NTD News. >> A gunman is still at large after killing two students at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The police are asking the public for help in locating this individual. >> So, we have released this enhanced photo earlier today and uh I want to be clear that this is a person that we would like to speak with. I we truly believe based on the video footage that we have been watching for throughout a few days uh they may have relevant information to the investigation. So we're asking the public that you can help us identify who this individual is as well if the individual themselves sees their picture to please contact the police department. >> Police say one of the injured victims was discharged from the hospital today while another is in critical but stable condition and five others are in stable condition. The person of interest police detained earlier in connection with the attack has been cleared. The shooting killed two students and injured seven others as they prepared for final exams on Saturday. Authorities say this is still a very intense and active investigation and that they're confident the case will be solved and the shooter caught. Coming up, Russia warns that it'll expand the war in Ukraine if peace talks fail. Arian Pastar has what Russian President Vladimir Putin says about dialogue with the US and the possibility that Europe will join the talks. The Department of Homeland Security says Washington State is ignoring detainer requests from ICE for two illegal immigrant truck drivers involved in crashes. Jason Blair reports. Warner Brothers Discovery has rejected a more than $18 billion hostile bid from Paramount Skyance, calling the offer inferior to its Netflix merger deal. And a new report on Meta says that one out of five ads from China were fraudulent or offered banned content while bringing in billions of dollars in ad revenue. David Lamb has that story when we return. It's good to have you back with us. Russia warns that it'll expand the war in Ukraine if peace talks fail, but President Vladimir Putin says Russia still hopes to continue diplomacy with the US and have European nations join the talks. And today's international correspondent Arian Pastar has the latest. Russian President Vladimir Putin warning that Moscow will expand the fighting in Ukraine if peace talks aren't successful. Putin spoke at a key annual meeting with Russia's top military officers on Wednesday. >> If the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means. The task of creating and expanding a security buffer zone will also be pursued. But Putin says he's still counting on diplomacy. According to the Russian president, Moscow hopes Europe enters ongoing peace talks just like the US. >> The US administration has demonstrated this willingness and we are engaged in dialogue with them. I hope the same will happen with Europe, but it's unlikely with the current political elites. Berlin recently hosted US, Ukrainian, and European officials for talks. But the German chancellor now says diplomacy alone can't end the fighting in Ukraine. arms over Christmas. Ladies and gentlemen, the response to this request could not have been more cynical and brutal. The chancellor made the comment on Wednesday after a spokesman for Putin commented on a possible Christmas ceasefire a day prior. >> We don't want a truce that would give Ukraine a restbite and prepare for the continuation of the war. However, the spokesman says Russia does want to end the war in Ukraine, but Moscow wants to make a deal for a permanent end to the fighting rather than a temporary ceasefire. Meanwhile, the fighting in Ukraine continues, mostly in southern areas of the country. The city of Odessa has been dealing with power outages for weeks now due to ongoing attacks. Odessa street cars have been out of service for almost a week as of Wednesday. life certainly got harder because we don't have power because of the ongoing attacks and because of this constant sense of danger >> and almost 30 people are reported injured after Russia dropped glide bombs on the southern city of Sapariticia. Ukrainian officials say the attack damaged several residential buildings, an infrastructure site, an educational facility, and more. Arian Pastar, NTD News. The Department of Homeland Security says that Washington state ignored two recent detainer requests for illegal immigrant truck drivers. According to the department, both suspects were involved in significant crashes, one of which was deadly. This while an uptick in immigration enforcement is seen again in Chicago. Entity correspondent Jason Blair reports. While the Trump administration has been making it a priority to crack down on commercial driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security reports that Washington state released two illegal immigrant truck drivers involved in crashes despite detainer requests from ICE. One being Kamal Pit Singh, a truck driver who was involved in a deadly collision on December 11th. The DHS says that Singh entered the US illegally in 2023 in Arizona and was released into the country. Also stating, quote, "According to local reports, on December 11th, Singh failed to decelerate on a freeway in Washington state, striking the rear of another vehicle, pushing it into a third vehicle. The vehicle Singh directly hit caught on fire and the 29-year-old driver, Robert Pearson, died on the scene. The second illegal immigrant is Juan Hernandez Santos, who is accused of crashing an 18-wheeler into a car, causing a six vehicle pileup involving a school bus. On multiple occasions, ICE has said that when detainers aren't honored, federal officers have to pursue the illegal immigrants in the local community, saying, quote, "These at large arrests are more dangerous for the public, aliens, and officers." Overdrive reports that Tara Silana, a spokesperson for the Thirstston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Washington, says under Washington law, local law enforcement agencies are prohibited from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. She added, "Many jurisdictions from Washington have determined that ICE detainers, which are not reviewed or authorized by a judge, do not carry the same legal authority as a judicial arrest warrant." Washington's Keep Washington Working Act, passed in 2019, limits how much law enforcement can cooperate with ICE and the DHS. In August, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson defended the state's policies after receiving a notice from the Department of Justice, stating Washington could be out of compliance with federal law. >> Washington State is proud to be a welcoming community that values immigrants and refugees contributions to our economy and our cultural fabric. We do so while accounting for and complying with applicable federal law. >> And in Chicago, footage from Tuesday shows immigration enforcement officers are still active in the area. Border Patrol Chief Greg Bavino is reportedly back in the area after a month away. Illinois Governor JB Pritsker stated on Tuesday that he was not made aware that Chief Bavino and additional agents were coming back to Chicago and he doesn't know how long they'll be staying. DHS assistant secretary Trisha Mclofflin told AP, "As we said a month ago, we aren't leaving Chicago and operations are ongoing." Jason Blair, NTD News. >> What do people think of President Trump's decision to classify fentinel as a weapon of mass destruction? And Sam Wong was out on the streets of DC to hear from the people. >> You happen to know anybody who was impacted by the fentanyl epidemic? I know my my niece passed away from a fentanyl overdose back here uh in 2018. >> You had some some friends but tangential not directly. there's more isolated incidents, but if you look at the rust belt, the Midwest, there's a lot of issues where guys are unemployed, um, injured, and they've been taking drugs, fentinyl, just to get through. And it's it's a big epidemic in the Midwest. >> Just in, you know, our little neck of the woods alone, um, fentanyl has killed, you know, daily people in in our area. >> These kids, they they they think they're getting some Molly or something like that, and they're getting something that's laced with fentanyl. >> Yeah. >> And it's killing them. They're either an addict or they're dead. >> What are your thoughts on President Trump's decision to designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction? >> I think it's a great idea. I think it's going to allow them to put a lot more resources into fighting it, which is it's a huge problem. >> We've designated those groups as narotists, therefore we're legally covered. And why hasn't this happened before? >> Totally agree. >> Totally agree. All four. It should have been done years ago. Just to your back over here is the uh is the Korean War Memorial. I mean, it's right now we're killing 125,000 people a year with fentanyl. How many people are on that memorial over there for a war that lasted 5 years? >> Well, I I don't believe it's a weapon of mass destruction. I believe it's a really dangerous drug, okay, that we need to do something about. We need to put more more terrorists on China, okay? We need to turn around. We need to stop the fentanyl from coming into this country, okay? Because when I was growing up, when I was a teenager, I never even heard of fentanyl. What do you make of the Trump administration's escalation on cartels and they're also, you know, putting a lot of tariffs on China for sending fentanels into the US. What are your thoughts on all of those actions here? >> Totally agree. >> Totally agree. It should have been done years ago. All the precursor chemicals are coming from China. Yeah. And those aren't fishing boats. They rely on us more than the Soviet Union did. All right. Which means that they've got to find some way for us to succumb. And what's the easiest means of controlling a population than drugs? >> I support it wholeheartedly. And these people have to understand that they can't they can't run rampant with drugs into this country. >> I'll keep it simple. Economic pressure saves lives. >> Warner Brothers Discovery has rejected a $18 billion hostile takeover bid by Paramount Sky Dance. Here are the details. >> Warner Brothers Discovery rejected Paramount Skyance's hostile bid on Wednesday. The Warner board argued Paramount's 108.4 billion offer failed to give adequate financing asurances. The board wrote in a letter to stockholders, Paramount had consistently misled Warner Brothers shareholders. That was about whether its $30 per share cash offer was fully guaranteed or backstopped by the Ellison family, led by billionaire Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. The Warner Brothers board further said the Paramount offer posed numerous significant risks. It also said it found the offer inferior to the merger agreement with Netflix. The streaming giant agreed to buy Warner Brothers Discovery's TV, film studios, and streaming division for $72 billion earlier this month, but Paramount CEO David Ellison followed up with a $30 a share allcash bid for the whole company. Paramount has argued its offer is stronger than Netflix's and would have a clearer path to regulatory approval. Whoever buys Warner Brothers would have a big advantage in the streaming wars. they would be purchasing the owner of popular franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and DC Comics. Paramount and Netflix didn't immediately respond to Reuters's requests for comment. A new report says that Meta received a significant number of fraudulent ads from China in 2024 and made billions from them. But the company says it takes measures to prevent scam ads on a global scale. Entities David Lamb reports. A Reuters investigation says that Meta was faced with high levels of fraudulent ads from China in 2024. China's authoritarian regime bans its citizens from using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, but it allows Chinese companies to advertise to other countries on the platforms. As a result, Meta's ad business was booming in China, reaching more than $18 billion in annual revenue in 2024. That's more than 10% of Meta's revenue. But according to the Reuters report, Meta found that almost 20% of that money was coming from ads for scams, illegal gambling, pornography, and other banned content. The company created an anti-fraud team to reduce the ads by half during 2024, also reducing revenue. But then the team was quote asked to pause its work and disbanded the China focused team. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the anti-fraud team focused on China was always meant to be temporary and that Mark Zuckerberg didn't order the team's disbandment. Zuckerberg's order to the teams was to redouble efforts to reduce harmful content all across the globe, including in China. Stone said Meta's automated systems over the past 18 months have blocked or removed 46 million ads submitted through its Chinese business partners, usually before users saw them. Senators Josh Holly and Richard Blumenthal have demanded a federal investigation into the scam ad problem. The report comes as China's Ministry of National Defense is under fire for creating a social media account on X on December 8th. Some users questioned how the authorities can access the platforms when ordinary citizens are prohibited from doing so. David Lamb, NTD News. Coming up, President Trump attended the dignified transfer of two National Guardsmen and an interpreter killed in Syria. What's the significance of this? US Navy Seal veteran Mike Cerelli joins us to discuss this and more after the break. Welcome back. We have some breaking news. The House has just voted to pass a Republican health care plan. It's been pitched as a set of reforms that will lower the cost of health insurance across the board and does not include an extension of the expiring enhanced tax credits for Obamacare. The bill passed the House by a vote of 216 to 211. and it's expected to face opposition in the Senate. And President Trump attended the dignified transfer of National Guardsmen and an interpreter killed in Syria. He met with the families of the fallen at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before the solemn event. To help us understand the significance of this more clearly is US Navy Seal veteran Mike Cerelli. He's the chief talent officer at Overwatch Mission Critical. Thank you for your time, Mike. How important is it for troop morale and for a sense of unity among the American people for President Trump to honor those who paid the ultimate price in the line of service? >> Well, President Trump as a leader of this nation is basically fulfilling a covenant, a solemn duty to be there for our service members who've paid the ultimate sacrifice coming home. And if you didn't know, Dover Air Force Base is known as a place where our heroes come home. Now, dignified transfers are actually a pretty modern term. It didn't become an official term until the 80s or 90s, and media wasn't allowed to cover them until 2009 when a President Obama lifted that uh that ban. Why? Because it's important, and it's our key key ceremony to, you know, really respecting uh through respect, dignity, and honor the sacrifice these soldiers had made. And here's the one thing I I want everyone to remember about these these ceremonies, dignified transfers. It's a reminder that service doesn't end with anonymity. These soldiers, these warriors, these Americans had names. Sergeant Torres Tovar, Sergeant Howard, the ages of 25 and 29, respectively, and they came from the first squadron 113th Cavalry Regiment. Their names will represent sacrifice and like I said, honor, courage, and commitment. Their names and their faces will be all over that regiment for every future soldier that comes in. They will be remembered and they will embody the spirit and the values of the armed forces. So for President Trump to be there and also look the families in the eyes and remind them that their sacrifice is not in vain that we weep with them, we pray with them, that is vitally important not only for the nation but those families and those service members who gave their lives. >> Mike, thanks for that clarity. And this is a civilian interpreter along with these National Guardsmen who perished to keep us safe. They're fighting the Islamic State group. And although this may be a quiet theater, why is it so important for the United States to respect the lives of those who perished in it? >> Yes. Now, this interpreter, just to give a little more context, also served alongside American troops during the Iraq War uh from 2003 to uh to 2010. So this is a civilian who worked his way to to citizenship in the United States and continued to fight for democracy. Uh you know that is that we are a nation of immigrants. So it's a great example. But um you know I think it's also a reminder that you know these dignified transfers used to be routine during the global war on terror. They were not casual. We always take them seriously. As you can see the troops lined up on the screen. They're there to pay their respects. But it's a reminder that the the war the global war on terror didn't end with a withdrawal in Afghanistan. It's the biggest false notion to believe that when we removed ourselves from Afghanistan, the war on terrorism was over. We are going to be fighting that as long as we are a nation. It's an ideology. Ideologies are hard to stamp out. So, it is now a silent war. But we need to remind ourselves that we will continually combat terrorism. And if we allow ourselves to not be involved in the Middle East to give them freedom of maneuver to to restage, refit and reattack America, we will ultimately pay the price. We have to keep the pressure on terrorism. And that will be a decade long fight that Americans just don't realize. >> And that's the key insight that we need to pay attention to here, Mike. Now, how has President Trump handled this solemn occasion, others like it, and overall operations as commander-in-chief? >> Well, the troops respect him. And if you need data there, look at the recruitment numbers that have come up. We've already hit the recruiting numbers for 2026 this in December of 2025. People feel the national pride again. And this is Trump. This is not President Trump's first dignified transfer. His first one actually happened to be one of my teammates, a good good man named Ryan Owens in January of 2017. And he that was the first dignified transfer that Trump uh attended. He approved a direct action raid in Yemen for which Ryan lost his life. So he's always had a commitment much like the Secretary of War Pete Hakesath to the military. And I think the message that they have the commanders back, they have the soldiers back is actually felt across the force like it wasn't felt during the Biden administration. >> Understood, Mike. And I also want to get your perspective on the Secretary of War's move to toss out the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide, which he said only mentioned God once and made no mention of virtue. He says this is part of making the Chaplain Corps great again. Your thoughts on this and what it could mean for our troops. >> Yeah, great move by Pete. Again, Pete is cleaning house in the Department of War. He's completing the He's He's creating a completely new organization that's focused on lethality. Here's the thing about spiritual power. It is combat power. And we used to say in the military, there is no atheist in a foxhole. Everyone finds God. But our chaplain during the Biden administration, arguably the Obama administration, had almost become these HR professionals preaching this ideology, this woke DEI ideology and not faith, truth, and conviction which are required on the battlefield. Troops are going to face a huge burden. They're going to face violence. They're going to fa face death. And there is a moral burden that comes with them with that. And woke ideology and HR uh you know principles are not going to help our soldiers during that violence that violent action. It's definitely not going to help them in the days after. That is when you feel the pressure of combat is when it's over. You have a lot of time to reflect and you lean heavily on your spiritual faith. And so Pete, who is a man of God who believes in in in Christ and he's a man of faith, is trying to restore what is a vital component of the military, our chaplain corps, which has shown bravely on the bravery on the battlefield uh as far back as the Revolutionary War. So I couldn't agree more with Pete. I'm glad he's making this move for which most secretary secretaries of war would have overlooked. >> Well, thank you for that, Mike. Now alongside that, even when soldiers come back, they certainly face PTSD struggles as well. So it's certainly important that they have that robust support in all avenues. Also, as we're on the topic of def of war secretary Pete Hexath, give us your perspective of his approach as a whole. He says he wants to strengthen the warrior ethos. He's building out the defense industrial base along with the administration, even making stops at the new space command headquarters. Give us your thoughts. Yeah, Pete has Pete has done more as Secretary of War, if you want to say Secretary of Defense, than probably the p the the past three Secretary of Defenses we've had. Warriors feel like warriors again. You know, when it comes down to the military, our hallmark is one thing, lethality. And we don't want to fight wars. We're trained in the art of war, but we're in the profession of peace. But it is that peace through strength that our enemies see us and know that they will lose on the battlefield. And that prevents nations even terrorist organizations from striking us. So the cons consolidation of combatant commands that you're seeing by Pete uh you know emphasizing uh you know uh resourcing our soldiers correctly getting them the proper training having them focus on war fighting rather than sitting through a DEI class is absolutely the focus that we we need. And I mean, we just saw the I believe it was 900 $91 billion budget passed for DoD, which is or DOW, which is the largest defense budget we've ever seen. Pete gets it. President Trump gets it. And they're reforming, restructuring the military to actually win wars rather than lose like we have the last few wars to include the one I fought in, the global war on terror. >> Mikey, thank you for providing us with your insight. Thanks, Kevin. >> A special programming note, Entity Evening News and Capital Report will be hosted live from America Fest 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona this Thursday and Friday. It's Turning Point USA's first major conference since the assassination of the organization's founder, Charlie Kirk. Entities Steve Lance and Tiffany Meyer will be on the ground to bring you real time coverage and in-depth interviews. We'll have live special coverage of all four days of the event from December 18th to the 21st. That's this Thursday to Sunday. Don't miss it. Hey there. And now for your sports news, we're joined by Entities Dave Martin. Dave, we've got NBA news as well as some boxing news, but let's start in the NFL as the Miami Dolphins announced their benching quarterback Tua Tong of Aloa. Who will start instead? >> Yeah, it's going to be rookie Quinn Us is going to get the start Sunday. That's against Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Zack Wilson will back him up, which means Tabaloa will actually be relegated to the emergency third string quarterback. Now, this isn't a total surprise. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel pretty much hinted yesterday he may make a change. Tiger Valoa meanwhile said he was disappointed but that he would help prepare both Wilson and Urers to play. Now Tango Valoa led the NFL in passing yards just two years ago. He was a Pro Bowl selection as well. This season though he actually leads to the NFL in interceptions instead. Meanwhile, his total quarterback rating of 36.7 is actually fourth worst among qualifiers. Urers, meanwhile, he was a seventhround draft pick in 2025. He's never started an NFL game. has just eight total pass attempts in the NFL. Of course, he he actually played very well at Texas, though, so we'll have to see how this goes from there. >> What happened, >> you know, I I wonder that, too. You know, even two even three years ago, 2022, 2023, Tanya Valoa was at a very elite level. I'm not sure what's going like he's old. He's like 27 28 years old. So, it's a bit of a mystery, but yeah, the the Dolphins are 6 and8. They need a spark right now. >> Yeah, that's right. All right. Elsewhere in the league, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had knee surgery Monday night after tearing ligaments on Sunday. What is the plan for his return? You know, >> they're hoping he can be ready by week one of next season, which is about 9 months away. 9 months is typically the recovery time for this sort of injury. Now, in the meantime, the Chiefs will turn to Gardenner Men should be their starting quarterback for the final three games. Chiefs of course were eliminated from the playoffs playoff contention I should say on Sunday when they lost to the Chargers. But not only will the Chiefs be monitoring Momes in the off season, they're also going to be waiting word on whether tight end Travis Kelce will return next season. Now Kelsey's having a very good season as far as tight end goes, but he's not quite up to his usual standards. He's on pace for his lowest receptions in a season since 2015. And certainly at age 36, he's definitely around the age where most players uh retire. So big off season here for the Chiefs. Not only they looking at watching Mahomes and Kelsey, they're going to be certainly looking to retool this team to get back into being a Super Bowl contender, which they've really been for the last seven or eight years, you know. >> Yeah, they got to battle that adversity. Now, looking at NBA news, New York Knicks will reportedly not hang a banner for winning the NBA Cup last night, according to multiple sources. Why wouldn't they do this? You know, that's a point of contention among a number of NBA fans. I mean, just how prestigious is winning the NBA Cup. The general consensus is not very. I mean, it's an inseason event. It's set up kind of like the World Cup. You know, you got the group play games first, then it's the ATMs with the best record advance to the quarterfinals where it's just a single winner go home format from there. Knicks and Spurs let met last night in the finals with the Knicks winning it. But all these games count toward the regular season standings. I think teams would much rather win the NBA title. I think that goes without saying the NBA championship next summer. Now, they did incentivize players. Each player get on the winning team gets over half a million dollars. The team finishes runner up. Each player gets uh over $200,000. Now, personally, I think it's more of a way to grab attention in the early part of the season because it's really hard to get anyone to watch, you know, basketball while football season is going on. Now, it should be noted that the previous two winners, that's the Lakers and the Bucks, both ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs, but both teams did end did end up hanging the NBA Cup banner. So, >> I see that is really interesting that you point that out. Now, shifting gears to boxing, YouTube star turn boxer Jake Paul will fight former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in just two days. So, who's the consensus favorite here? >> Yeah, Anthony Joshua is the heavy favorite in this one. Now, at 36, he may be 8 years older than Jake Paul. Uh, but Joshua, for one thing, he's much bigger. Joshua's listed 6'6, 245 lbs. Now, there there is a stipulation for this fight. He cannot weigh more than 245 lbs. Paul, meanwhile, he's listed 61 225. Of course, that's that's where he fought Mike Tyson at, but he usually fights below 200 lb in the cruiserweight class, which is the level right below heavyweight. Now, Cruiserweight has a maximum weight of 200 lb. Heavyweight, meanwhile, is unlimited. Now, the only other time Paul fought heavyweight was that bout against Tyson one year ago, uh, which Paul won via a decision. I think most everyone believes though that Joshua, who's a two-time heavyweight champion, though, will be much tougher opponent. Now, this bout, like you said, Kevin, scheduled for Friday night, is going to be aired live on Netflix. >> Wow, that's incredible. Now, how do these heavyweight boxers keep up to speed, though? I I wonder that myself. I mean, 6'6, 245, that's like a that is like a tight end in NFL. And you see how they are. They are fit. I don't I don't know how they I don't know how they get up that speed. That is pretty ridiculous. I guess it's it's just kind of born reflexes or something like that. But yeah, I don't know how they do it either, Kevin. >> So crazy. All right, Dave, thanks for the update. >> Thanks, Kevin. >> And that's all for today's news. For roundtheclock coverage, visit us at ntd.comlive or download our entity app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Kevin Hogan. Good night.