Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (3:40)

Well, Gabe, let me turn to you, George, reading the reaction from lawmakers there in Florida. We haven't gotten official response from the president or from the White House yet. But based on your conversations, is there any early reaction?

Kristen Welker (3:56)

Well, Kristen, this is a very fast moving situation as you have been describing. And yes, we have no official comment yet from the White House. We're not expecting to hear from the president. He has no open events over the next several hours, but that could change of course at any time. But Kristen, I can't stress just how high stakes this situation is when you consider the president's rhetoric and his administration's rhetoric really over the past several weeks following the capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, the administration is trying to choke off Cuba for the last several weeks. And right now Secretary of State Marco Rubio is actually in St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, as you mentioned, speaking with other Caribbean leaders at this point. So many unanswered questions, including, you know, who exactly was on that boat. But in addition to the four dead and six injured, according to the Cuban government, which we just heard George talk about, the government also says the Cuban government says that one additional border patrol commander from the Cuban side was wounded as well. But as all this unfolds, we are trying to get any sort of reaction from the White House at this point, but certainly high stakes, high stakes incident coming after the administration has been trying to pressure, ramp up pressure on the Cuban government. And I should point out President Trump, when he has been asked about regime change when it comes to Cuba, he has says, essentially said that he doesn't think that will be necessary, that he sees the Cuban government falling at some point now that they've cut off resources from Venezuela. Of course, there have been ramped up fuel shortages of dramatic fuel shortages inside that country over the last several weeks.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (5:34)

Christine, it's an important backdrop to note. Gabe, in addition to that, of course, the United States did just execute a regime change in Venezuela. Courtney, let me turn to you on all of this. What are your sources at the Pentagon saying and can you give us a sense what does the military presence look like in the region at this point?

Kristen Welker (5:54)

Yeah. So far the only thing we've been

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (5:56)

able to get out of the military

Kristen Welker (5:57)

is that this was not one of

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (5:58)

their boats or ships that was involved in this. It appears that it was a civilian, but that's really it. So I feel like we spoke for months about this military buildup in the Southern Command region.

Kristen Welker (6:09)

So that was in the Caribbean, the Eastern Pacific.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:11)

And that was because they really did start back in August. They moved all the way through.

Kristen Welker (6:14)

They started this mission called Operation Southern Spear. That's really a counternarcotics mission. But we've seen them do everything from

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:20)

boarding vessels to striking dozens of vessels,

Kristen Welker (6:23)

killing well over 150 people in the course of those strikes.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:28)

Because of that, there is still a

Kristen Welker (6:30)

large military presence continuing that mission, but it's not what it was even a few weeks ago.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:37)

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the aircraft

Kristen Welker (6:38)

carrier and the strike group, they were

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:40)

there for several months.

Kristen Welker (6:41)

They've moved up into the Mediterranean. Mediterranean. Right now the belief is that they will be engaged in something in the

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:47)

Middle east if necessary with Iran. Because of that, that left a bit

Kristen Welker (6:51)

of a hole down there.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:52)

The US still has additional ships. They have tons of aircraft down there.

Kristen Welker (6:56)

If in fact there were something to happen.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (6:58)

But it is a smaller presence than

Kristen Welker (6:59)

it was during that Maduro raid.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (7:01)

So, Courtney, what are you going to be watching for in the next several hours and days?

Kristen Welker (7:05)

I mean, I think the big question now is what do we hear out of President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio? As Gabe mentioned, the secretary happens to be in the Caribbean right now.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (7:14)

He's at a meeting of the Caribbean

Kristen Welker (7:16)

community, which is fascinating timing for that.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (7:20)

Anything that he happens to say about that?

Kristen Welker (7:22)

He has been very outspoken about Cuba as a senator and then as secretary of State and national security advisor.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (7:26)

And then what do we hear out

Kristen Welker (7:27)

of President Trump specifically? Does the president start talking about threats of retaliation here? But I mean, at this point, again, all we're getting is information out of the Cuban government. I think we have a lot more questions than we do answer still.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (7:40)

Absolutely. George, based on your conversations, how much concern is there about potential escalation between the US And Cuba?

Kristen Welker (7:49)

Certainly tons. I mean, it was earlier this month that you had Cuba's president, Miguel Diaz Canel, giving a very rare and lengthy press conference, talking about the condition, talking about the rationing of power there in Cuba, as of course, they struggle keeping the lights on. You also mentioned that the country was ready for a state of war, but was open to dialogue with the Americans, saying as long as it was essentially on equal terms here. But of course, we know as the days have progressed here, we know there's been a lot more power outages has just been increasing there in the region. So tensions, of course, have been growing. But again, with so many unanswered questions about this incident, it's really hard to say. I do want to point out one other thing, Kristen, here. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum was asked yesterday at a briefing related to the capture of the cartel boss El Mencho there in Mexico, asked, well, now that the Supreme Court knocked down those tariffs, is there a possibility that Mexico will resume some oil shipments back to Cuba? Her answer to that was, we'll see. There was really no other guidance beyond that.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (8:54)

And Courtney, let me just get you to talk broadly speaking about the administration's posture in the region right now. You touched on it. The fact that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, one of the people leading the charge of regime change in Venezuela, it's something he's talked about as it relates to Cuba as well. This is something that's in his crosshairs.

Kristen Welker (9:17)

Absolutely. And he again, on his travels today,

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (9:20)

was talking about getting more Americans down

Kristen Welker (9:22)

to Venezuela, increasing the diplomatic presence. The head of U.S. southern Command, who's

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (9:26)

the military command in the region, General Donovan, he was in Venezuela several days ago. So, I mean, they are definitely very focused on Venezuela. But remember, even in the hours, if

Kristen Welker (9:36)

not early days after the Maduro raid, we had administration officials talking about how Cuba would be next. So it's to say that Cuba is in the Trump administration, administration's crosshairs, I think is an understatement at this point.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (9:47)

That being said, that may have absolutely nothing to do with what we saw here today.

Kristen Welker (9:50)

We just don't know the facts yet. But there definitely is a more militarized stance against Cuba right now by this administration.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (9:57)

All right. Well, we watch and wait to see what, if anything, President Trump has to say about this. Courtney, thank you so much. George Solis, thank you. And Gabe, please stand by because we have more for you. We're going to keep our eyes on this breaking news. We'll bring you any developments as we get them. But we do want to turn to the other major political story of the hour. One day after President Trump's State of the Union address and one week until the first major primary elections of the midterms, as the question remains whether the president can give his party the messaging boost it needs, particularly on that all important issue of the economy. Today, Vice President J.D. vance insisting the answer to that question after last night is a resounding yes.

Kristen Welker (10:40)

Do you have enough Runway to get this economy where it needs to be before November? Well, Bill, in some ways, we are pushing a car uphill because the Biden administration left us such a disaster of an economy. So I think that we've got a lot of momentum here. But the president said this last night we inherited a mess. Our ask to the American people is let us continue to fix this mess. Make your life better. That's what the president is prioritizing and that's what we're going to keep doing.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (11:08)

In his remarks, which broke the record for the longest State of the Union ever, the president spoke repeatedly about issues tied to affordability, but he not offered little acknowledgment of the financial frustration many Americans are still feeling or his slipping approval numbers on the issue, instead presenting a triumphant portrait of his administration's actions and casting blame on former President Biden and Democrats.

Kristen Welker (11:32)

Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (11:41)

Their policies created the high prices.

Kristen Welker (11:45)

Our policies are rapidly ending them.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (11:48)

We are doing really well.

Kristen Welker (11:50)

Those prices are plummeting downward. Just hold on a little while we're getting it down. And soon you will see numbers that few people would think were possible to achieve just a short time ago.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (12:06)

It comes as polls suggest Republicans have a significant enthusiasm gap to close with voters. With the midterms approaching, 65% of Republicans say they will absolutely vote in November, compared to 79% of Democrats. That's according to a new Washington Post poll, although Democrats have only a slight lead on the question of which party's candidate voters are more likely to support. But the margin for Democrats grows among those all important independent voters. Joining me now is senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez again, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapoor on Capitol Hill Force and national correspondent Erin Gilchrist is talking to voters in Georgia. Gabe, let me go back to you. What's the reaction been from the White House today?

Kristen Welker (12:50)

Yeah, certainly a lot to talk about here on this Wednesday, Kristen. Well, look, the White House officials that I've been speaking with today have been calling the president's performance, in their view, a grand slam. Of course, that's not surprising. What else would you expect them to say? But they really feel that the president made his case to the American people. He promised a long speech, said he had lots talk about it and indeed it was a record breaking speech in terms of length. Now, they don't see this not being empathetic enough. He's not a warm and fuzzy guy when it comes to these types of things. And he functions best in their view, when he really tries to brag about his accomplishments. The full first half of this speech was dedicated to the economy. Of course, critics have said that it didn't really have many new policies. Most of the policies he did reference were not new and had been referenced before and didn't really have a whole lot of specifics. But they point to what he did talk about, this idea of corporations trying to calling on Congress to ban corporations from buying up single family homes and try and lower the cost of home ownership and also speaking about another policy giving workers without 401ks access to retirement plans that were similar to those that federal employees have. So the White House officials that I've spoken with, they do say that he did make his case, despite any criticism about not speaking and not being empathetic enough when it comes to the economy. One last point, Kristen. You heard the vice president in an earlier interview today ask Americans to let them continue to fix the economy. For the most part, the president tried to make the argument that, hey, we inherited a mess, but we've already fixed it. So there is they're going to have to figure out that type of messaging over the next few months ahead of the midterms. By the way, those first primaries less than a week away, Chris.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (14:41)

Yeah, we will be covering them for sure. It's going to be a big moment. Let me turn to you, Sahil, on Capitol Hill and ask you about one of the new proposals President Trump did put forward. This wasn't a speech that was heavy on new policy proposals, but one that stood out was where he said the federal government will match the retirement savings donations of average Americans, basically setting up savings Accounts like employees with the federal government. Have I asked Treasury Secretary Scott Besson about that last night. Let me play a little bit of that and get your reaction on the other side.

Kristen Welker (15:18)

We can do it through reconciliation. And again, this is the president coming back for working Americans, those who've been left behind, the ones who don't have the 401ks cert, certainly the Federal Employees Congress get all these benefits and we will be rolling that out in the coming weeks and months.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (15:39)

Sahil, give me the reality check. Do you think that that can pass through reconciliation, which would allow Republicans essentially to pass that without Democratic support?

Kristen Welker (15:49)

So conceptually, Kristen, this is the type of idea that has gotten bipartisan support in Congress in recent years. This project that Secretary Bessen and President Trump are pitching is actually modeled on a law that President Biden signed in 2022 called the Secure act. And it would basically create a retirement account for those who don't have 401ks to their employer and have the federal government match it. The problem is that would require President Trump to actually work with Democrats to get this done. And he has not shown really an indication to engage in that level of negotiation on his economic agenda. Now, in terms of reconciliation, I think Secretary Besson kind of showed his end early, which is that the president is not going to try to get bipartisan support for this. He's going to try to have Republicans do this on their own, which is extremely unlikely. Republicans have gone back and forth with each other about the idea of a reconciliation 2.0. And the general consensus I've picked up is that it's not going to happen. Kristen, the margins are even smaller. They barely got the big beautiful bill through. They shot their shot with that when President Trump's popularity was at an all time high. And at this point, it's going to become a Christmas tree. Everyone's going to have projects of their own. And Democrats are more empowered now to try to mess with a bill like that. Very unlikely to happen.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (16:59)

Saha, based on your conversations, what's the reaction been from Republicans to the president's speech last night? Are they feeling more emboldened heading into the midterms?

Kristen Welker (17:08)

It's a mix, Kristen. One thing they do think President Trump is good at is as a salesman, selling their accomplishments. They know they're going to have to sell the big, beautiful bill. They know they're going to have to sell his border crackdown and make voters believe that things are better as a result of him being in power. What's missing, what was missing from President Trump is any real acknowledgement of the pain that working class Americans are still feeling. His poll numbers have tumbled on the economy. They're deep underwater now. For the first time in his entire decade in politics, in three elections, he had break even or positive views on handling of the economy. That is gone now, even on immigration. The DHS killings of two Americans in Minneapolis have led to many Americans believing that his ICE and immigration enforcement operations have overreached here. So there was no real acknowledgment in those things, you know, which are driving a lot of the Democratic advantage in the run up to the midterms. And I think that's where Republicans worry that you can't just message your way out of that problem. People have to feel, especially on an economic, on a pocketbook level, that their lives are better. And President Trump did not acknowledge that. The question is, are they going to be able to deliver something to voters between now and the midterms?

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (18:15)

Yeah, I think that is the big question. Aaron, speaking of the voters, let me turn to you. I know you've been talking to voters in Georgia. What are they telling you?

Kristen Welker (18:24)

Well, Kristen, I'm going to let you hear from a couple of voters that we talked to both last night before the speech and again today after the president's speech. And we're here in Fayette county in particular because this is an area that is a red county. It's one that went for Mitt Romney back in 2012 by more than 30 points, but for Donald Trump in the last election cycle by only three points. And so it's becoming less and less conservative over presidential cycles in the last decade or so. And the people that we talked to last night told us, Democrats told us they wanted to hear a State of the Union speech that was hopeful, one that was made an effort to unite people's different perspectives. Republicans we spoke to said they wanted to hear a speech that was heavy on details about what the president has done for the economy and what he intends to do on the future. In both cases, we heard that people felt like the president missed opportunities with the address that he gave last night. Here's a little bit of what we were told by voters here in Fayette county today.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (19:22)

I heard sarcasm and unaccountability. No apologies. I wanted to hear maybe about Iran or Greenland or Venezuela. He didn't apologize to people he hurt. I mean, he laughed at people losing health care. That to me is unbelievable. That's not a prison. No. I think this is going to make more people come out. We're not going to have a democracy if we don't show up.

Kristen Welker (19:55)

I'd give him an A force for content. I think he hit a lot of things. Iran I would have talked a little bit more about. I would have been a little more specific about immigration. I think ultimately we're going to see how the economy works out. It always comes back to what am I paying for groceries, why am I paying for gas and can my kids get a good education. Those are generally what these elections hinge on. And I think we're going to have to see how the Republicans are proposals fall out before the midterm election. Now, we also heard from other voters who didn't want to go on camera necessarily, who said that they did not watch the State of the Union address because they didn't want to have to sort of parse through information that was going to be useful for them in decision making going forward and things that were more for the show, more for an audience to make an opinion about whether they like or don't like the president of the United States. We also heard from some Republicans here that they wanted the president to really drill down on the trickle down, if you will. They didn't want to hear so much about tariff policy and so much about things that were sort of easy for economic professors to understand, but things that people could really boil down and understand at the kitchen table, if you will. Kristen, something we talk about so often and what we heard from Republicans is that the president didn't really simplify his message enough for folks who don't have lots of degrees or don't get into the weeds on these things all the time. And that may make it harder, the Republicans here think for them going forward into the midterms, Kristen, to make the president's case for him.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (21:33)

Well, it's just fascinating, Erin, to hear your interviews and to hear the perspective of the voters, because ultimately it is about the voters. Gabe, let me turn to you finally and just ask you about the president's comments on Iran. I thought it was notable. He was very clear that his preference is diplomacy, but he was also very firm in the fact that the United States will not allow Iran to move forward with a nuclear weapons program. Is the administration saying anything about which way the president is leaning when it comes to a potential military strike against Iran? And we know they're going to be those critical diplomatic talk tomorrow.

Kristen Welker (22:15)

Well, I was just going to mention those talks, Kristen. That is something that the administration is waiting on. And look, over the past several days we have been trying to get from White House officials, some inkling on the president's thought process on this. And yesterday you mentioned during the speech he did bring up that he preferred a diplomatic solution here. But then significantly, he also referenced this idea that according to him, Iran was somehow working towards building a missile that could soon reach the United States. That's not something that we were tracking. We've been trying to get more information from White House officials on that today. Previously, the Defense Intelligence Agency had said that that was something perhaps the Iranians could achieve by 2035. So it's unclear what, if any, new evidence the president may have been looking at for him to make that assertion in yesterday's State of the Union. Again, we hope to asked the president about that. But certainly the vice president was asked about this earlier this morning. And he's reiterating what the president's message, what he, you know, what the administration says is the president's message, that he's been crystal clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. And while the president does prefer a diplomatic solution to this, he's ready to take military action if it comes to that. Kristen.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (23:27)

All right, Gabe Sahil and Aaron, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Coming up, we'll get the view from both sides of the political aisle responding to President Trump's address and what's next for both parties. Midterm messaging. Republican Congressman Mike Kennedy is in studio with me right now. We'll talk to him after the break. You're watching Meet THE Press. Now.

Kristen Welker (23:50)

Modern enterprise is made up of a lot of moving parts and Comcast business helps you orchestrate it all with SD WAN working at scale to keep 150 hospital locations connected and working as one, plus SASE and Zero Trust Security, protecting financial data across a bank's 2,000 branches and AI powered networking that optimizes traffic across five continents. No one does business like Comcast Business, avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte, paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app download today.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (24:36)

I need to start off the new year right by getting the most for my money.

Kristen Welker (24:40)

I just opened a goto bank account and it's paying off out the gate.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (24:44)

I want to save money on filing

Kristen Welker (24:45)

my taxes look no further than GoToBank. You'll get 20% off TurboTax when filing your 2025 taxes.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (24:52)

That sounds like a great way to start the year.

Kristen Welker (24:54)

Open your GoToBank account today and get started.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (24:57)

Learn more at GoToBank.com tax green bank member FDIC. Welcome back. Joining me now is Republican Congressman Mike Kennedy of Utah. Congressman, thanks so much for being here.

Kristen Welker (25:13)

Thanks for having me on.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (25:14)

Really appreciate it. Let me start off by getting your reaction to President Trump's State of the Union address, the longest in history. Started off talking about the economy. Do you think he laid out a blueprint for Republicans to campaign on in the midterm?

Kristen Welker (25:29)

Absolutely. God bless America. It is the greatest country in the history of the planet. And we were able to see that vision from President Trump. We brought in our gold medalists from the Olympic Games. The hockey team did extraordinary things against all odds, and they were able to bring back the gold. In addition, we recognized our soldiers, soldiers who have put their lives on the line for the safety of the American people. And I just am so impressed with the people of America. As a freshman legislator, it is a real privilege to represent my constituents. But I tell my team all the time, I represent my constituents, the state of Utah. I represent the United States of America and the opportunity for people to be free. And President Trump is America first in every step he takes. He's trying to fight for the American people. And I know there's problems, there's an infinite number of problems, and it will keep us occupied for the rest of our lives trying to solve those problems. But myself and sensible Republicans and Democrats, there's ways for us to find opportunities to work together to fix these compelling problems so that the American people benefit.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (26:30)

Well, I want to get your reaction to what the Wall Street Journal wrote about this speech. They write, President Trump told a national audience on Tuesday that he had unleashed a new age of American prosperity. One thing he didn't say, I feel your pain. Do you think that was a missed opportunity? Should he have shown more empathy with those Americans who still don't feel like the economy's working?

Kristen Welker (26:53)

I'm a doctor and I'm a big fan of empath. That makes a big difference when we're like that. But here's the fascinating thing about the doctor world that I live in. Some doctors are not very empathetic. They do the job. So I'll take the example of an emergency doctor or somebody that needs to have their appendix out, is you don't need when you're in critical circumstances and your appendix needs to come out. You don't need somebody who's going to be soft, warm and cuddly and trying to do this work. You need somebody that's technically able to do that job. And when president came in and inherited the Biden disaster that we've had over the past four years and I think about the doctor circumstances that it takes time when you move forward in a positive direction and you're trying to do the right thing. If somebody needs that appendix out, get them ready for surgery, you got to bring them back. It takes time for this process to happen. And if the American people can be patient a little bit longer, the big beautiful bill is in process. When people get their tax refunds and they see that they're three to $5,000 ahead from where they were last year just based on the big beautiful bill, they will be happy about that.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (27:56)

Do you acknowledge though, so many Americans they feel like there's an affordability.

Kristen Welker (28:02)

Yes. And when we talk about inflation under Biden was 9% and now it's down to 2.4% is we should say congratulations, but there's still a lot of work for us to do so. Absolutely. My constituents and I, we, we hear plenty from all sorts of people about the various issues that they confront. I want those problems to be resolved, but it does take time for us to execute on these plans that are going to actually make things better.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (28:26)

I want to ask you about some numbers I referenced at the top of this show. If you look at the midterms, more Democrats than Republicans said they are certain to vote this fall. Here are the numbers. 66% of all voters say it. 79% of Democrats compared to 65% of Republicans. How do you close that enthusiasm gap and how concerned are you about it, Congress?

Kristen Welker (28:49)

We know angry people like to get out to vote and we totally on the Republican side, we understand that we are the party that's in charge at this point. People recognize that we also have to deal with the fact that we have a 53 seat majority in the Senate. We have seven Democrats on the Senate side that we need to get on every bill that we pass. So there's a collaboration that needs to go on here. But I and my colleagues take seriously the fact that we need to make sure that the American people understand that we are on the right track. And I suspect. And that's where the big beautiful bill passing last July, that was a big deal because we passed the biggest tax cut in the history of the United States of America at that point that's not going to be felt until this tax season right now. And people are going to notice the differences in that, their own personal economy and the economy generally, as they start to see the economy explode in a positive direction over the next several months.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (29:38)

Let me ask you about the state of play right now in the House. Obviously, I don't have to tell you this. The margins are very slim. There's a lot of focus right now on one of your colleagues, Congressman Tony Gonzalez, allegations that he had an affair with a staffer who tragically went on to take her own life, absolutely tragic, by setting herself on fire. There are growing calls for him to resign, including from some Republicans. Now, Congressman Gonzalez has said he's not going to resign. He says that the public has not seen all the facts and he believes this is a political hit job. Given what is publicly available, though, Congressman, do you think that Congressman Gonzalez should resign?

Kristen Welker (30:26)

The fact that the American people, his constituents in the next week can render an opinion about that, what really matters is do those people want to put this man back into office? That's all that matters. The opinions of various other people who say what they think about these sort of things. I'm not a voter in his district, and I believe that those people should render that opinion, not me, These accusations. In the United States of America, you are innocent until proven guilty. And I know everybody wants people like me to say statements about all sorts of other people, but I'm just going to withhold judgment because I don't have all the information at this point. We need to get as much of that information out as possible as fast as possible so people can make that decision in his district.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (31:09)

One of your colleagues, Congressman Massie, is saying that House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has not called for him to resign, is being nearsighted, is trying to protect his majority. I understand what you're saying, which is that you want to see all the facts play out first, but is there a point to that? And is there anything that's disqualified?

Kristen Welker (31:29)

I'll just ask Representative Massie what information does he have that other people don't have that makes him rush to judgment as to this circumstance? This tragic death should be acknowledged, and it's a devastating impact for his family, especially goodness sake for these poor people, with this young woman who took her life. And I just say this is something that if Representative Massie has additional information, he can come to me in the Republican conference and tell us what that is so that we can render justice judgment more accurately.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (31:57)

Let me ask you about the government shutdown. There's a school of thought that the president would deliver his State of the Union address and then perhaps that would encourage both sides to come together, get a deal. Do you think it's time for Republicans to agree to some concessions so that DHS can reopen?

Kristen Welker (32:15)

Shutdowns are a disaster. Republicans executed on that years ago. It was a disaster for them. Democrats in the past four months have shut the government down now twice. And I think it's a reflection of the fact that they seem to have a policy. They don't have a way forward themselves. The only thing they can do is make sure tsa, Coast Guard and FEMA are not funded. This is a funding appropriations package that the House sent over to the Senate weeks ago, and we've already approved it. The Senate was in agreement until the Schumer shutdown. Folks saw an opportunity politically to try to score political points. I think it's shameful. We need to pay those government workers for the work that they're doing. And I think the Schumer shutdown needs to end yesterday.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (32:58)

One final question. President Trump is weighing potential military action in Iran. Do you think he needs to come to Congress first and make his case?

Kristen Welker (33:08)

I'm always a fan of information because people hold me accountable for these decisions and I don't have as much information as I want to answer those questions. I also recognize, Kristen, this is sad is when the president tells us things, sadly, it all goes directly to the press. And so nothing is confidential. And if President Trump needs to do things to protect the United States of America and America first is his primary objective. And he knows that he can't tell us until after because of leaks. That's our fault, not his fault. But I'm a big fan of the president conveying as much information to people like me so that we can explain it to the American people as to why it's compelling that we do any military action in Iran.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (33:46)

Congressman Kennedy, thank you so much. And thanks for being here in person after a very late night. We really appreciate it. Coming up next, we will speak with one of the Democrats who was part of last night's State of the Union counter programming about what's next for the party as it responds to the president and looks ahead to the midterms. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is standing by. Keep it right here on Meet the Press.

Kristen Welker (34:07)

Now, avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to. You don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what? That clunking sound from your dryer is with thumbtack. You don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app. Download Today I need to start off

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (34:33)

the new year right by getting the most for my money.

Kristen Welker (34:36)

I just opened a Goto bank account and it's paying off out the gate.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (34:40)

I want to save money on filing my taxes.

Kristen Welker (34:42)

Look no further than Goto Bankruptcy bank. You'll get 20% off TurboTax when filing your 2025 taxes.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (34:47)

That sounds like a great way to start the year.

Kristen Welker (34:50)

Open your GoToBank account today and get started.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (34:52)

Learn more at GoToBank.com tax Green bank member FDIC.

Kristen Welker (35:01)

Instead of addressing the urgent problems of poverty and disinvestment, instead of restoring the funding that he has cut from health care and food assistance, instead of doing anything to address the cost of living crisis, the fact that the rent is too high and wages are far too low in this country, this president spoke of an America that does not exist for hundreds of millions of Americans across this country.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (35:28)

Welcome back. That was Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaking at an alternate event last night aimed at countering the President State of the Union address. In his remarks, Mayor Johnson described President Trump's State of the Union remarks as rambling and incoherent phrases of nothing and hitting the administration for not doing enough to address concerns about affordability, an issue Democrats are zeroing in on heading into the midterms. Joining me now is Democratic Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson. Mayor Johnson, thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate it.

Kristen Welker (36:00)

You're welcome. Thanks for having me.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (36:02)

So we are going to get to the affordability issue, of course, in just a moment, but I do want to start with a big moment that Republicans are seizing on from last night's State of the Union. Take a look. I'll get your reaction on the other side.

Kristen Welker (36:13)

Tonight, I'm inviting every legislature to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (36:41)

And today Vice President Vance called that moment a sad commentary on the Democratic Party. Do you think it was a mistake for Democrats not to stand up?

Kristen Welker (36:51)

I think it's a mistake for this president to continue to find wedge to divide people in this country. Right when I think about the history of Chicago established by a black Haitian immigrant and a Potawatomi woman. And they established what is now the global capital of the world. That's the story of America. And if this president was serious about ensuring that we had a pathway to citizenship and to ensure that our borders are secure, he would use the. The fact that he controls every single level of government to put forth legislation that could do just that. This president has demonstrated over and over again that he's more interested in dividing people by race, by whether they are documented or undocumented, than he is motivated to actually unite people around the values that working people are concerned about. As the mayor of the city of Chicago, what people talk to me about every single day is how we build safe and affordable communities. That's what my focus has been. That's what we're doing in Chicago. And it's quite disappointing that this president has not caught on with the hopes and aspirations of working people.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (37:57)

Well, one of the biggest flashpoints, certainly last night and right now, is the issue of ice, how it's being deployed. You have called for abolishing ice. What do you say to Democrats who argue that goes too far and could actually give Republicans the upper hand on that issue politically?

Kristen Welker (38:16)

Well, what has gone too far is this president. He has worked outside of the confines of the Constitution. We have filed multiple pieces of litigation against this president because he has overreached and we have prevailed. And every lawsuit that he has put forth against our city, we have beat back. Look, a dad was dropping his children off to school and was murdered by federal agents. And then they lied about it. Another woman was shot multiple times in the city of Chicago. They lied about it, pressed charges against her. Those charges were later dropped. We know that, you know, Renee and Alex and those families are still grieving because they too were not just shot, but they were murdered. We have seen this president circle Black Hawk helicopters over apartment buildings on the south side of Chicago where long guns were placed in the faces of black women and children, were zip tied. A black man was put into an illegal hold chokehold, which we know an illegal chokehold is a death sentence for a black man in this country. That has gone too far. This president is not serious about immigration reform. He's certainly not serious about education. And his priorities are not with the priorities of working people. It's becoming increasingly more unaffordable to live in this country. And this president has done nothing to do that. The only thing that he has done is he has secured the wealth for the ultra wealthy and big corporations, which we know the wealth concentrated in the Hands of the few people has caused a great deal of turmoil. And that's why in Chicago were providing a different vision. Building affordable homes, investing in education, creating good paying jobs for families. That's what working people want us to do. That's what Democrats have to continue to lead on.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (39:58)

Well, let me ask you about the issue of affordability. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices have actually gone up in the Chicago metro area by as much as 7% since you became mayor. Why is that and what's your argument for why Democrats are the party to bring prices down?

Kristen Welker (40:18)

Well, first of all, what we've seen with this president, with those tariffs that have been deemed illegal, that that created an additional burden of an average $2,000 per household. Right. So that's, you're seeing a reflection of his poor policies. What we've done in the city of Chicago, I've invested in our education, but we also have made sure that our teachers are supported and our childcare workers are supported, are supported. We just gave childcare workers a raise in our city an additional $7 million in our budget to do just that. A half a billion dollars into our public education system. We've hired 31,000 young people just to work over the summer, while at the same time I've invested over a billion dollars for economic development and housing, which is the largest economic and housing investment in the history of Chicago. That's what we're doing to beat back against the Trump administration. We have to double down on our efforts to ensure that our public institutions and that we're growing our economy. Look, we have economic development that is happening on the west side of Chicago, the 1901 project just outside of the United center. We're talking about $8 billion of new investment on the southeast side of Chicago where there hasn't been investment in over 30 years. Where the steel mills used to exist. We have a brand new entity, Psi Quantum. Quantum computing will be the first spot in America for this new technology that's going to draw economic development throughout that entire region. 20% of the world's fresh water. Of course we have you one of the most diverse economies in the entire country. And so the economic development that's happening in the city of Chicago is certainly strong. But we are competing up against an administration at the federal level that has a great deal of disdain and animus against working people. What we're doing in America, in the cities across this country is actually working. This president, of course, is opposed to our values and that's what we're going to continue to push back.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (42:09)

All right. Mayor Brandon Johnson, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it.

Kristen Welker (42:13)

It, you're welcome anytime.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (42:16)

Coming up after the break, with Texas voters about to head to the polls, Speaker Mike Johnson says he sent a message to Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez as the Texas lawmaker faces mounting pressure to resign after being accused of having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide. The panel's next on MEET THE press now. Welcome back. As we mentioned, there are growing calls for Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez of Texas to resign over allegations he sent disturbing text messages and had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Gonzalez has accused his political opponents of using the allegations to, quote, score political points ahead of his primary election next week. At least five House Republicans say Gonzalez should step down, but Gonzalez is remaining defiant.

Kristen Welker (43:11)

I am not going to resign. I work every day. I work every day for the legal business. But are those text messages? Are they, are they accurate? Are those legal text messages? I can resign. I work every day for the people of Texas.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (43:25)

Some House Republicans, though, agree now is not the time for Gonzalez to step down.

Kristen Welker (43:31)

That would be the stupidest thing he could ever do. Why was that? I'm not the speaker of the House, don't get me wrong. But we've got some very thin numbers.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (43:39)

We will have much more on that and more next with our panel. You're watching MEET THE PRESS now. Joining me now is our panel, Daniela Diaz, congressional reporter for notice Josh Orton, president of Demand justice and former senior advisor to former Vice President Harris and Rob Blueie, president and executive editor of the Daily Signal. Thanks to all of me, you for being here. Danielle, I want to start with where I just left off, talking about this scrutiny around Congressman Tony Gonzalez. House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about it. I want to play a little bit of that and get your reaction on the other side.

Kristen Welker (44:27)

I'm not going to say any more. I can't add any more.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (44:31)

Daniela, the speaker has called on Congressman Gonzalez to address the allegations. At the very least, what are your sources telling you about how much pressure he is facing to resign? Kristen, my colleague and I talked to nearly a dozen House Republicans yesterday about the specific issue, what they thought should happen with Tony Gonzalez. And most of them said, look, we want to wait to see what that Office of Congressional Conduct report that is going to be released after the March 3 primary, which is on Tuesday, what that has to say. They said they concluded an investigation into his potentially improper relationship with his late aide, but most of them said he does need to address this, this is the text message has really changed course on how a lot of people are seeing what happened in this scenario. And it made a lot of people feel that it was improper and that that's something he needs to talk about. Look, the Republicans have a very slim majority. They can't afford to lose. Tony Gonzalez right now. He has a tough primary on Tuesday. He's being chall. A lot of his colleagues have endorsed his primary opponent. So really it's up to the voters to see what happens on Tuesday. There's still a chance he could win his primary and potentially he plans to run for reelection. So all of it remains to be seen how it plays out. Rob, pick up on that point because I think Daniela hits at the key issue for Republicans who are wrestling with this. They may not like the optics of it, the ethics of these allegations. And again, there's still an investigation ongoing. And yet. Yet the majority is just so slim.

Kristen Welker (45:58)

Sure. They lost two Republicans in January. Right. Doug Lamotha passed away and Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned. So they're down to 218. Democrats have 214. This would bring them to 217. It doesn't get any easier for Mike Johnson. However, Kristen, I will say this can't be about the numbers. The Republicans need to have a higher moral standard. These are abhorrent, these allegations. I think that Congressman Gonzalez does need to address this immediately. He has this test before voters coming on Tuesday, and I think ultimately his fate will be determined by the people of Texas.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (46:30)

Josh, how do you think Democrats should be responding given the fact that some Republicans are already calling for him to step down? There is a primary. He's got to face voters. They will ultimately have the final say here.

Kristen Welker (46:45)

Yeah, I think Republicans are facing a couple of problems here. The first is, as Rob said, this is ethically a very clear problem. Right. This was deplorable conduct. The public sees that. The second problem Republicans face is that they don't have any credibility right now in terms of their covering up for offenders. We hear every day about how they're still withholding parts of the estimates files to try and cover up some of the people who are accused of crimes. And I think the third thing is you see House Republicans actually coming out and talking about it in political terms. If you're gonna say that there's a problem that this guy needs to address, you can't say, well, we have to think about our numbers because it's admitting that their first calculation is politics and not ethics.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (47:20)

Rob, what about that?

Kristen Welker (47:22)

Yeah, no, that's the real question, right. I mean, Speaker Johnson took a position on Jorge Santos, which put him in a situation. Now that I think he's trying to grapple with. Do you let the process play out before voters and before the committee or do you call on him to step down? When it comes to Epstein, though, I slightly push back. I mean, I do think this administration is going through a lot of information and is as we saw today, it was Larry Summers who was actually in the news, stepping down from his position at Harvard. So it continues to snare Democrats even more than Republicans. Yeah, I'm fine with Larry Summers stepping down. I think that anybody who's in those files, who's credibly accused of wrongdoing will face consequences. The thing that I think is fishy is when the Republican Party is credibly trying to make the claim that they're being transparent, when it's clear that the Justice Department is operating with political standards to hold things back because they don't want the repercussions for the problem.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (48:10)

Well, and it's not just Larry Summers. Bill Gates apologized to his foundation staff over being mentioned in the Epstein files and some of his associations with Bill, with Jeffrey Epstein. Do you see this fallout, Rob, continuing, where, where is this going from here?

Kristen Welker (48:28)

Well, the poll numbers tell us that the American people are dissatisfied with the President's handling of Epstein. Right. And so I think that's probably why you didn't hear a lot of it last night or any of it last night. You saw some members of Congress, Congress try to elevate that issue. I do think it's going to continue to, you know, be an issue that surfaces and I don't necessarily know how the President was beyond it other than trying to change the topic and focus on the issues that he thinks are more advantageous.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (48:52)

Josh, before we get to the speech itself, do you think voters should Democrats be using the Epstein files on the campaign trails is something they should be focused on?

Kristen Welker (49:00)

Well, I think the problem is that Republicans conduct about this. In some ways the COVID up is actually making this much, much worse. Is that the fact that we're seeing and we're getting credible reporting that these files are being held back, some of these three or two interviews are being held back. Makes, creates this presumption of guilt, creates this image of guilt. And I think that of course Democrats are going to be talking about the ethical and moral issues that are facing the Republican Party and I think Republicans are only shooting themselves in the foot about it.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (49:26)

Daniela, let's talk about the speech. Overall President Trump started off talking about the economy, number one issue for voters. He's underwater on it. Didn't exactly give an I feel your pain speech. He gave a rah rah speech. But what are you hearing on the Hill today in terms of how this may play in the midterms? I think it's going to be major, considering we didn't hear from President Donald Trump on how he plans to proceed this year. Leading up to the midterms. It was a lot of I've been successful. This is what my administration has done. What Republican lawmakers facing tough reelections want to hear is what can we expect to be able to campaign on going forward? It seems like it's going to be the one big beautiful bill that is going to be what they're going to continue to have to advocate for on the campaign trail. But that might not be enough for these battleground district Republicans who make up the majority in the House and are facing tough reelections, for them to be able to convince constituents to continue to vote for them. Rob, do you think it was a missed opportunity for the president not to say, yes, there's an affordability crisis? Yes, we're working on it, but I understand that some of you are still struggling.

Kristen Welker (50:29)

Well, he did address it. I mean, in terms of citing several measures of the economy that indicate that they're making progress. Kristen, I do think that what the president was trying to do, this was a positioning speech. He wanted to show a contrast where he had common sense ideas that he think resonate with the American people versus, as he, in his own words said, crazy Democrats who refused to stand for some of the most basic things that you would expect them to applaud for.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (50:53)

Josh, what about that? The fact that Democrats, they had that dichotomy that the president laid out, they seem to walk right into take the bait, if you will. Do you think that moment in any way could backfire for Democrats?

Kristen Welker (51:06)

I think the problem with that stunt is that its author was Donald Trump, and Donald Trump does not have a lot of credibility with the American public right now, not just on immigration, but anything else. And I think the problem that we saw with the speech overall for Republicans is Donald Trump, especially in a midterm year, makes everything about himself. He made other people's heroism about himself. He made other people's Olympic victories about himself. And. And in this year, Republicans are gonna have to dance with the one that brung them, and they're not gonna see Donald Trump putting on an apron and going to McDonald's. He's gonna be focused on any number of other things. And so when you hear him talk about the issues that might appeal to working people about making sure that Wall street doesn't own housing, he never actually takes on power. What happened to the 10% cap on interest rates to credit cards? He says things, but he's never willing to take on the corporate world.

Guest/Correspondent/Panelist (51:50)

Daniela, let me give you the final thought here because. Because more than three dozen Democrats boycotted this speech. Is that a move? And did their protest last night energize their base or potentially backfire? I'm happy to report I watched a lot of that counter programming yesterday. It was such a contrast to what was happening at one screen that was State of the Union. The other screen, these counter protests, this counter programming. And it was a lot of Epstein files. It was a lot of the economy. And you know what I heard the most, Kristin? I heard about ICE and dhs, Department of Homeland Security, the shutdown, which has lasted two weeks. And that is what Democrats see as the winning issues. And it's likely that that is energizing all of it. A preview of things to come. Thanks, guys. Really appreciate it. We are back tomorrow with more MEET THE Press. Now there's more ahead on NBC News.

Kristen Welker (52:35)

Now, why have I asked my electrician I found on Angie.com to bury my pet hamster? I was so moved by how carefully he buried my electrical wires, I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet nibbles after his untimely end. This is very strange, Angie. The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects at Angie combination.