President Donald Trump (3:07)

Listen, I can say this. We will see where things lead. And if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction, we have strong signs that this is a possibility. And if a deal happens, it will be great for the country of Iran, for the entire region and the world at large.

Kristen Welker (3:32)

Steve, we appreciate your efforts.

Pete Hegseth (3:35)

We pray for a deal and we welcome a deal. And we have the ultimate dealmaker to make it happen. But in the meantime, as I said yesterday, the Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs.

Kristen Welker (3:47)

Now, this all comes as the clock appears to be ticking down on the president's five day reprieve from striking Iran's power plants if it didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Today, the president dodging questions about whether he will launch those strikes tomorrow when that deadline expires. President Trump, however, did tell reporters that Iran signaled cooperation by allowing 10 oil tankers to transit the strait. The president calling it a present and a sign that the US Is dealing with, quote, the right people. Meanwhile, new polling shows the majority of voters oppose the U.S. military action against Iran. They that number eight, up 8% since the start of the war. Joining me now to start us all off, NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba and NBC News senior national Security correspondent Courtney Kuby. Thanks to both of you for being here. Really appreciate it. Monica, let me start with you over at the White House. So what were your key takeaways, Monica, from this extraordinary cabinet meeting, the first since the war started?

Monica Alba (4:43)

Well, look, Kristen, I think the president continues to talk about this with some mixed messaging. On one hand, the president is saying that this is winding down and that this is really going to be wrapped, wrapping up. And on the other hand, he says, well, some of the deadlines that I had originally set potentially for tomorrow could now be sliding back a day more or really indefinitely, really not wanting to commit to any kind of firm timeline, while also saying that the goal was four to six weeks and tomorrow, as you mentioned, will mark about a month. And so this now does put this in the phase of trying to figure out how there can be an off ramp. But on this other track, you have these Negotiations that the President has also said really conflict conflicting things about. He has said in recent days that there wasn't anybody left to talk to in Iran. He has said he didn't want a cease fire. Today even he said that the Iranians are the ones he claims begging him for a deal and that he's not even sure he wants to make one while then handing off to his special envoy, Steve Wyckoff, who says we are in the process of trying to see if some negotiations can get to the point of a potential peace plan. So I'm still seeing a lot of different things that are a little bit all over the map. As we know, there are all of these additional resources and assets that are being sent to the Middle east also that could indicate this isn't anywhere near winding down. Kristen?

Kristen Welker (5:59)

Well, Monica, one of the interesting moments happened when the President was discussing this apparent gift the President says Iran gave to the U.S. he said he used this to confirm the U.S. was talking to the right people. I want to play a little bit of what the President had to say and get your analysis on the other side.

President Donald Trump (6:17)

Look, they said to show you the fact that we're real and solid and we're there, we're going to let you have eight boats of oil. Eight boats, eight big boats of oil. This was two days ago and they'll sail up tomorrow. That was three days ago. And I didn't think much about it. And then I watched the news and they said a very good anchor actually happened to be Fox. But I watched it and they said something's unusual happening. There are eight boats that are going right up the middle of the Hormo Strait. Eight big tankers are going loaded up with oil right through. And I said, well, I guess, I guess they were right and they were, they were real and I think they were Pakistani flagged. And I said, well, I guess we're dealing with the right people.

Kristen Welker (7:18)

So a lot there. Monica, walk us through what you heard there.

Monica Alba (7:21)

Yeah. So specifically, Iran had already said that there would be passage allowed for what would be known as non enemy vessels which potentially Pakistani flagged tankers could fall under. So it is unclear exactly which vessels the President is referring to. We have tried to confirm that at NBC News and we cannot find evidence of 10 of those so called tankers passing through in the last couple of days. But let's say that they did indeed in the last few days. It is really just a small fraction of what was passing through on a normal day. Look at that chart right there, Christine, where you had dozens and Dozens, more than 100, 150 on any given day. So it really just points to the continued issue that this would just be a drop in the bucket. Even if it is accurate, as the president says, though he is clearly taking that as a sign of good faith. And he did ask his treasury secretary and others in the Cabinet meeting to talk about that. And they all also indicated that they believe more ships, tankers and vessels can get through the strait in the coming days. But right now it is still just a very, very small number compared to where it was before the war started.

Kristen Welker (8:25)

All right, Monica Alba starting us off at the White House. Monica, thank you so much. Court, I want to turn to you. There's been a lot of disposal discussion about the munitions stockpile. President Trump was asked about that today. I want to play a little bit about that and get your reaction on the other side. Take a look. There's been a report that potentially the US Is looking at diverting some munitions, air defenses that were meant for Ukraine to the Middle East. Is there any accuracy to that? Is that something you're concerned?

President Donald Trump (8:51)

Well, I'd have to ask, but we do that all the time. You know, we have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We have them in other countries like in Germany and all over Europe. We have, you know, we're packed and we take sometimes we take from one and we use for another.

Kristen Welker (9:06)

What are you hearing about that, Court?

Courtney Kuby (9:07)

I mean, he's right that their weapons and are diverted from one place to another. But Ukraine is sort of a different situation here because in this case, it's US Allies that are buying these weapons, many of them defensive but also offensive weapons, and then providing them to Ukraine. So in some cases, the allies have already bought these weapons and now there is a consideration to direct them or divert them away to the Middle East. Keep in mind the US has hit more than 10,000 targets in this just under one month of this war. And that's the offensive targets they've taken. That's nothing to say of the hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones that they have defended against. So it wouldn't be surprised if we see this happen. What I'm really curious about is how much of a delay will that mean for these same systems to get to Ukraine? We don't know the answer to that.

Kristen Welker (9:52)

Obviously, Ukrainian officials watching all of this really closely as they continue to fight their own war. Courtney, you have new reporting about tensions that flared yesterday on Capitol Hill with when top intelligence defense officials were briefing lawmakers about the state of the war. They didn't feel like they were getting answers, quite frankly.

Courtney Kuby (10:12)

And what was really remarkable is we spoke with a number of different people who were in these briefings, this briefing that is on Iran for the Armed Services Committee on the Hill. And it was bipartisan in frustration. People saying that one thing that was, that seemed to really be a point of contention was the idea of US Boots on the ground. The officials who we spoke with said they weren't getting an idea of exactly whether the president has decided to do that or not, where they would be sent, how many, how long, what the ultimate goal here was. I mean, they got zero information. And there seemed to be a tremendous amount of frustration about that. Some even voiced that afterwards to cameras.

Kristen Welker (10:45)

Yeah.

Courtney Kuby (10:46)

You know, and also the question of the strategy and why did the US get in in the first place. I was surprised by the language people were using when they came out of that briefing yesterday.

Interjection/Reaction (10:54)

Huh.

Kristen Welker (10:54)

And it raises the question, I think, about whether we are going to see more public pressure from Congress in the coming days and weeks if this does stretch out. The Pentagon also confirmed that Israel apparently took out Iran's top Navy commander. What do you know about that and what are the implications on the battlefield?

Courtney Kuby (11:12)

Yeah, I mean, this has been Israel's main goal, it seems, throughout this war, as they are sort of going after the Iranian personnel while the US Is going after the military targets and assets. The one thing about this is while the, you know, the Secretary Hegseth today and others have been lauding this, there is the possibility as they take out more and more of these military commanders, it could also have a potentially dangerous impact. And that is when you don't have someone telling these more junior people what to do. You always have the potential for what the military calls the strategic corporal. So what that is is someone who's much more junior who decides, I've got this little fast boat, it's got a bunch of explosives, I'm going to drive it up to a ship and I'm going to blow it up or something like that that they may not have, especially as there's more and more chaos within the Iranian military and specifically the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. There's always the possibility that you have more junior people who are taking matters into their own hands who can cause a huge, have a huge impact on this war with a seemingly small decision that they make. When you have less and less command and control, that's more likely that can happen.

Kristen Welker (12:13)

All right, Courtney Kuby, thank you so much for being here. Really appreciate it. And joining me now is Iranian political activist Masi Alinejad. Masi, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it. It's great to see you, my friend.

Masi Alinejad (12:27)

Thank you so much for having me back, Christian.

Kristen Welker (12:30)

Of course. Well, we really appreciate your being back the first time we are hearing from you, Masi, since on this program since the war began. So we really appreciate your taking the time to be here. I want to start with the state of play. President Trump on Monday saying that he was going to pause attacks on Iran's power plants for five days as negotiations are taking place. So we are coming up to the end of that deadline. What do you make of that? And you've been warning about the implications, the impact of striking Iran's civilian infrastructure, saying it would be devastating.

Masi Alinejad (13:05)

Since this is first time being in your show, my sister, I have to allow me to share that how happy I was when I saw President Trump removed Ali Khamenei, the man who ordered massacre of more than 32,000 unarmed people of my country, the man who ordered my killing three times. Removing terrorists is not tragedy, a sign of justice. But at the same time, I'm not that kind of, you know, person who worship politicians. When President Trump does something right, I admire him. When he does something wrong, I dare to challenge him. So that's why, yes, I criticize him about not targeting civilians and power plants because this infrastructure is not actually targeting, that is not going to help the people of Iran, unarmed people of Iran. And it actually will give a gift to the Islamic Republic because they are always looking for the foreign government to blame. And that's why I am worried. To be honest, the moment when I heard that I was getting almost heart attack. But at the same time, I want to call President Trump that this is the situation in Iran. People are waiting for real help and real help is to stand with the people of Iran and target their killers, not their infrastructure or, you know, unarmed people.

Kristen Welker (14:38)

Well, Masi, to that point, I want to get your response to where things stand right now on the battlefield. President Trump says the Iranian regime has been, quote, defeated. Do you think the people of Iran see it that way and do they feel empowered to stand up, to rise up in this moment?

Masi Alinejad (14:59)

You know, this is a war. War is not, you know, beautiful. War is ugly. War is not clean. My people inside Iran are living in a total blackout, my sister, just think about it. In the middle of a war, they shut down the Internet. One war crime, second war crimes. In the middle of the war, the Islamic Republic, instead of giving them cell phones Shelter warning. No, they actually manage to execute people. You know, let me just actually tell you how they massacred people and they arrested innocent unarmed people for simply demanding freedom. And now in the middle of the war, they're going to their Salma, they go to the prison and they tell innocent prisoners, just listen to this carefully. 18 years old prisoner whose crime was just simply taking to the street in January and demanding freedom was forced by interrogator to come in front of TV and they told him that, you know, you are a muhareb. He was a child, he didn't know what muharrab means. And he asked what is muhareb means? Tell me. And the interrogator said one word, execution. That breaks my heart. Shervin is only 18 years old. So last week they managed to hang a 19 year old wrestler, Saleh Muhammadi and five other innocent protesters. And now hundreds of them are in the death row in an absolute digital blackout. So this is the situation. My people are happy when they see their killers, their executors, the barbaric official IRGC commanders are being removed. But at the same time they are concerned, they are worried because they don't want to be left alone by a wounded regime. Because you know, replacing Ali Khamenei with another Khamenei is not going to guarantee global security. It's not going to guarantee peace and security in Iran, in the region, across the globe. And that's why I am concerned as well. I don't even know whether my brother, my family members, my fellow freedom fighters, the woman who joined my campaign to remove the hijab, they are alive or not because of Internet blackout.

Kristen Welker (17:21)

My sister, I can't imagine how difficult it is.

Masi Alinejad (17:24)

And you don't even, you don't even. Let me, let me actually tell you, you don't even hear about this. You don't even hear about this in the media. And that is beyond sad because when you turn on the media, it's like a debate between Republicans and Democrats and I'm really lost that how come people cannot put aside their political differences and think about people being massacred and put your hate. Because a lot of people, I see that in America, no experience of living under war, no experience of living under Islamic republic and executions, no experience of having their loved ones right now in the war zone in and lecturing us Iranians about war and telling us that, wow, you really expect President Trump to help you. And I'm telling myself that how Democrats help us. They abandoned women of Afghanistan and now it has Been five years. The women of Afghanistan being kicked out from schools in 21st century. So that's why I'm calling Republicans and Democrats again and again and again. It's not about you. It's about freedom, it's about democracy, it's about dignity and it's about the safety and security of Americans. For the first time, get united when it comes to end terrorism. And believe me, an Iran without Islamic republic will benefit America as well. I hear people in America say that the Islamic Republic was not an imminent threat to Americans. Really? Really. Ali Khamenei was the one who wanted to kill President Trump. President Trump killed him before getting killed by ayatollahs. He was the one who targeted American based in the region everywhere. Ali Khamenei was the one who actually ordered my killing. I'm an American citizen and I love America. And I know that when they say death to America, they really mean it. Join us Iranians for democracy.

Kristen Welker (19:19)

Well, Masi, your call for Democrats and Republicans and everyone to come together to work on this is a powerful one and I hope it resonates. I While we've been having this conversation, Masi, there's breaking news. The President posted something. I'm going to read it to you. I want to get your reaction on the other side. He says, as per Iranian government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of energy plant destruction by 10 days to Monday, April 6, 2026 at 8:00pm Eastern. Talks are ongoing. Thank you for your attention to this matter. He of course, says some things about the media as well. But my question for you is one, your reaction two, do you think that negotiations are possible in this climate? Can negotiations bring an end to this war?

Masi Alinejad (20:14)

You know, I have mixed feeling because President Trump is the one that I never, never judge him by his tweet and his words. I am very clear because I judged him with his actions and he is the one who actually killed Qasem Soleimani, who was the killer of millions of people in the region. Thousands of people in the region. He was the one actually, instead of handing out billions of dollars to Iranians, he said that he will stand with the protesters. He said that he will help the people of Iran and he did by removing the, you know, Alila Regani Shamkhani, Ali Khamenei and the killers who ordered massacres. So that's why I wait for his action. But if you ask my opinion, no. There is no one in the Islamic Republic who understand language of diplomacy because Islamic Republic understand only language of force and this regime cannot be reformed. And President Trump, President Trump gave them actually time for negotiation. So for me and millions of Iranians and people in the region, it's very clear that they should be gone. And that is the only solution that we can have. Peaceful Middle east and global security. So I wanted to ask President Trump for the last time, President Trump, you promised people of Iran that you were going to help them. Negotiating with the Islamic Republic, getting a deal is not helping the people of Iran, will not help the people in America. History is watching you. So far. You made a good decision and do not let them be, you know, take revenge of Iranian people. They know how to buy time to rebuild Revolutionary Guards and their machinery, weapons to take revenge of Iranians, people in the Middle east and American citizens. So that's why, please listen to the voice of Iranians and finish the job. Help us to end the Islamic Republic. Thank you for paying attention to this matter, President Trump.

Kristen Welker (22:25)

Masi Alinajad, we always appreciate your perspective. Thank you. Thank you for coming on and please come back soon.

Masi Alinejad (22:33)

Thank you so much for having me, my sister. Appreciate it.

Kristen Welker (22:36)

Thank you for being here. We are so grateful. We're so honored. Good to see you. Coming up, signs of momentum fade on Capitol Hill, leaving DHS and thousands of federal employees in limbo as frustrations on both sides of the political aisle soar. Plus, terminal chaos. You're looking at live pictures of long lines at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. I'll get the response from the president and CEO of the top trade association for America's biggest airlines as crippling dysfunction grips Congress with sweeping impacts on airports and passengers. Stay with us. You're watching MEET the Press now.

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Kristen Welker (24:49)

Welcome back. Depending on who you ask, talks on Capitol Hill to fund the Department of Homeland Security are making progress or falling apart today, Senate Majority Leader John Thune telling reporters Republicans have sent their quote, last and final response to Democrats saying he believes negotiations are making progress, despite accusing Democrats of moving the goalposts on negotiations earlier today.

John Thune (25:11)

Republicans have bent over backward to negotiate with Democrats. And now Democrats need to get serious about funding the Department of Homeland Security. If Democrats cared about TSA officers, if they cared about Coast Guard employees, if they cared about the vital work of the Department of Homeland Security, then they would be getting serious about closing a deal, not ceaselessly offering up the same unchanging list of demands like a broken record or a particularly nightmarish version of Groundhog Day.

Kristen Welker (25:48)

Democratic leadership insists they've had the same demands on ICE reform from the beginning, and a Democratic source tells NBC News their offer included pieces the White House already agreed to, but two Republican sources say it also included provisions the White House had rejected. Now this standoff comes as lawmakers are set to leave for a two week recess tomorrow. Leader Thune hasn't ruled out canceling it as the most visible impact of the shutdown plays out at the nation's airports with long lines and delays caused by TSA officers calling out as they continue to work without pay. The acting head of TSA says these are the highest wait times in the agency's history. President Trump, meanwhile, is once again urging his party to terminate the filibuster, something that does not have support from Senate Republicans, as he continues to blame Democrats for the partial shutdown.

President Donald Trump (26:38)

We're now on day 41 of the disgraceful democrat shutdown of Mark Wayne's department. Congratulations. We came into a department that shut down, shut down by the radical Democrats. But Democrats are really punishing the American people, so they need to end the shutdown immediately or we'll have to take some very drastic measures.

Kristen Welker (27:05)

Joining me now from Capitol Hill is NBC's Melanie Zenona. Mel, thanks for being here. So recess is imminent. What is the mood on Capitol Hill? Is it possible they could get a deal before tomorrow?

Melanie Zenona (27:15)

Well, Chris, and I will say the vibes have improved slightly, only slightly over the last few hours. I don't want to overstate the optimism here, but Republicans did offer a counter proposal to Democrats. It still includes funding for almost all of DHS with the exception of isis, immigration enforcement and deportation operations. But this new offer, we're told, also includes some clarifying language really designed to help ease some Democratic concerns that funding from other parts of DHS could essentially be moved around to fund ice, which they do not want to fund. So far though, Democrats being really tight lipped, they said they're still reviewing this offer. But I will say the lead Republican and Democratic negotiators who've been involved in this process are at least leaving the door open to finding a deal. Just listen,

Kristen Welker (28:00)

can you give us more of a sense of what is in this final offer?

Kelly Ripa (28:03)

No.

Monica Alba (28:03)

I mean, you know, I'm going to respect my Democratic colleagues in this back and forth right now, but I hope that we put people over politics. That's certainly what I am here to do.

President Donald Trump (28:12)

But what do you say to your

Sam Brock (28:13)

Republican colleagues who have said you've gotten

Michael Dubke (28:15)

everything you've asked for a funding package that strips out ICE and funds everything else already?

Sam Brock (28:19)

Well, I, again, I don't know if that's exactly what's before us right now.

Kristen Welker (28:22)

I don't want to get into the

Sam Brock (28:23)

details of it, but we got to

Kristen Welker (28:25)

have a, let's take a look at what the actual details are. It's more complex than what's being presented.

Melanie Zenona (28:32)

And so there is a lot of motivation to get a deal, at least in principle, as soon as possible. Not only because, as you mentioned, Kristen, Republicans and Democrats are set to go on a two week recess break starting tomorrow, but also because this chaos at airports is really becoming an untenable situation.

Kristen Welker (28:47)

Well, Mel there reports the White House is actually considering bypassing Congress and invoking a national emergency to unilaterally fund tsa. What impact could that have on all of this and on the talks?

Melanie Zenona (28:59)

So this is an idea that is being discussed. We're told GOP leaders, they aren't necessarily advocating for for it or pitching it, but they did convey to Republican lawmakers during a closed lunch today that this is something in the mix. Another idea being potentially discussed and floated is this idea of Congress passing a standalone bill to just fund the TSA that's something Democrats support. And we've also seen an increasing number of Republicans, particularly some of those Republicans who represent states that have some of the airports with the longest lines, like Texas and Louisiana. They are increasingly supporting that idea as well. But the White House says at this point there are no active contingency plans underway and that the best way to get out of this mess and to fund the TSA ultimately is to reach a deal and DHS funding.

Kristen Welker (29:43)

All right, Mel, as you've been talking, we've been looking at live images of the Houston Intercontinental Airport. Thank you so much for that reporting. We appreciate it. Joining me now is the president and CEO of Airlines for America, Chris Sununu. He is also the former governor of New Hampshire. Governor Sununu, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it.

Pete Hegseth (30:01)

You bet.

Kristen Welker (30:02)

So let's start right there.

Pete Hegseth (30:04)

Tough day? Yeah.

Masi Alinejad (30:05)

Yeah.

Kristen Welker (30:06)

Let's start with the fact that it's a tough day. What we're seeing, the fact that lines are stretched for hours. Hundreds of TSA agents have quit since this shutdown began. Call out rates have reached past 30% in some places. Governor, I wonder, what is your biggest fear right now, given these shortages?

Pete Hegseth (30:27)

The biggest fear is that they walk away and don't, don't have a deal. I mean, it's all about getting a deal done. Probably, as Melanie said, the vibe is definitely changing on Capitol Hill. And, you know, one thing I saw in a few of the different tweets, I know Mark Warner was his tweet had a different, more positive tone. Senator Thune was talking about some wording. When you start talking about wording in a negotiation, that means you're kind of past the big. The big problems and you're just trying to ease people's mind on. And that's usually a pretty good sign. But the clock is really ticking. You know, they want to go on this recess. Thursday is always the day when a lot of these deals really get. Get hashed out. So we're, we're cautiously optimistic over the next few hours. My fear is that if whatever's on the table now doesn't get done in the next 12 hours or so or by, by Friday morning, we could be back at square zero. We really could be. And again, it's only the American public that's getting penalized. Right. It's the aviation system, where they have nothing to do with really the issues at ice. And the Republicans have offered to kind of put the ICE funding aside to meet them in the middle. You know, I go back to when I was governor. You always go in wanting X, Y and Z. But then as you go through negotiations, you do pare. You keep paring it back and paring it back until you find a way to meet in the middle and you have leadership that's transmitting what's happening to their members. So, you know, there's good communication there. The hope is that they're truly, both sides are willing to pare things back. Obviously, you know, removing Secretary Noem, Mark Wayne Mullen coming in, he's going to be tremendously good secretary of dhs. We all have a lot of confidence there. And he knows the other side. He knows the senators and the Democrats and the process, and he's worked with them before. So just that relationship, 180 degree positive change, we think maybe is what it took to kind of get things over the line. But look, if there's anything that Congress wants more, more than passing a bill, it's going on recess. They're like a bunch of kids, you know, don't. They don't want you to take away their recess. So sometimes being up against the clock can really work for you.

Kristen Welker (32:26)

We know that that ticking clock does wonders for a standstill in negotiations. Let me ask you, though, the travelers, obviously, who we've been talking to, yes, complaining about those long lines, Governor, but broadly speaking, should they actually be concerned about safety as well at our nation's airports?

Pete Hegseth (32:47)

Well, anytime there's pressure on the system, you should be, you know, you have to kind of up your game. TSA actually has to up their game. Not kind of put people through faster per se, but just make sure that they're dotting the ISE and crossing the T's. And that's why there's long lines. If there was pressure on the system and there weren't long lines, then I'd be really concerned that they were just kind of rushing people through security. But they're not. They take the job very seriously. So, no, the system is very safe. People should continue booking and traveling. Obviously, especially if you have a morning flight, you got to give yourself more time. That's where the real push is. Because typically mornings you won't have a pressure on the system at 5 or 6am but now everyone's showing up at 2 or 3am even for like a noon or 1pm flight. So everything's being compounded. Even though half the TSA agents are still there, the lines are getting four or five, six times longer than they, than they really should be because everyone's piling in into that morning rush but they are, to your question, they are making sure that they bring people through the system appropriately. Here's the good news is that A, we have more positive stories in the past 12 hours that they could get a deal. B, there is a long term solution. I mean, here's the, we had this six months ago. We have this today. Are we going to see this again in September when we have another appropriations battle going on? That's the big fear that Americans are worrying about. There's a solution today that sits in, that sits on the doorsteps of Congress that says aviation workers, whether you're air traffic control or tsa, they're going to get paid in a shutdown. We're not going to hold the American public hostage over our political games. That could pass. And hopefully the pressure of what we're seeing today, the reality is making everyone in Congress kind of rethink saying, you know what, I think it's about time that we don't keep going through this or, or we can have our political differences and hold something up. But it's the American public that in the traveling public and the aviation system should not be the big, you know, ones that are put in the penalty box over.

Kristen Welker (34:39)

Yeah, well, let me ask you because while we're watching all of this play out, we know that the Trump administration has deployed ICE agents to more than a dozen airports. How is that playing out? Do you think that that has been effective? Has it made things more complicated?

Pete Hegseth (34:59)

No, it actually has been effective. I think a lot of folks were just cautiously optimistic. What's this going to look like? But as has been reported and you guys have done a great job with it, they're doing a lot of, I don't want to say non essential, but not, but the jobs that don't require the specialized training. Right. So it could be the exiting of passengers, making sure folks get into the right lanes. They do have the ability to just check, you know, that first basic checking of an ID as you enter the lane, things of that nature. And then those TSA agents go to the more specialized locations. So the ICE agents, you know, there haven't really been any issues. They've really been there. We've heard stories of them holding people's place in line while they go to the bathroom and all that kind of stuff because you got to wait in a four hour line. So yes, any manpower you can add to a situation like this is usually going to help. And so far there really haven't been any issues. Nothing but positive things so far. And, but look, let's hope that we don't put ourselves in this situation again and hopefully by Monday morning, because there will have to be some votes. Right. Even after a deal's cut, the Senate still has to vote. The House still has to get involved. That could there already talks about when and how that would happen. So that could be this weekend or Monday morning. So we're probably really not out of this for at least a few more days. Still could be a pretty tough weekend if you're traveling. But if you give yourself time, there's no reason we won't get you where you need to be.

Kristen Welker (36:15)

Well, there, of course, you just raised the possibility that Congress could pay TSA separately by passing legislation. We know there are reports the Trump administration is proposing to sidestep Congress directly pay TSA officers. Is that something that you would support?

Pete Hegseth (36:34)

I think we only want to see that as a real method of last resort. Because now what you're saying is, because now what's the incentive to negotiate? What's the incentive to find common ground and work across the aisle? And you're really setting precedent that anytime one side isn't getting what they want, they go to invoke a national emergency. So that really only has to be in a crisis situation. Hopefully, we're moving in a more positive direction and won't have to go go down that, that path because it sets a bad precedent.

Kristen Welker (37:02)

Just finally, Governor, what is your message to travelers? I mean, the wait time at Houston has been four hours in some moments. What would you say to travelers who are frustrated, who quite frankly, feel let down by the federal government, by Congress?

Pete Hegseth (37:18)

They have everything. So look, I don't want to be too negative, but I always say fire them.

Savannah Guthrie (37:23)

All.

Pete Hegseth (37:23)

Right. You know, it's incredibly frustrating dealing with, with Congress. Right. So they should be frustrated, you should be upset, and you should be picking up the phone and weighing in with your representatives, because every one of them has effectively done nothing up until this point to fix the problem. Right. Only when, you know, we're at the last minute here, only when they get to go on vacation do they finally step up and start moving things. You should absolutely feel frustrated. And the answer is be part of the solution to say, look, when a bill comes across to say we're going to fund TSA and air traffic control agents regardless of the next shutdown, say yes, everyone needs to get involved and put pressure on the system. The polls say 90% of America agrees with that. Have you ever heard of something that 90% of Americans agree with yet on a bipartisan level, yet Congress refuses to do. It's crazy. So you got to provide that pressure to make sure we're not in this situation again. We'll get out of it. It's going to be a little tough for the next few days, but hopefully there's a long term solution there. And we just got to tell all of our elected leaders, regardless of what party they're from, just say yes. It feels, it always feels better to say yes.

Kristen Welker (38:27)

All right, Governor Kristenunu, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Appreciate your perspective. Coming up next, Venezuela's captured leader Nicolas Maduro back in a federal courtroom today in New York for a key hearing as his lawyers push for the Trump administration's criminal cases to be thrown out. We're live outside the courthouse. Keep it right here on MEET the Press now.

Kelly Ripa (38:51)

Hey, it's Kelly Ripa, and if you don't know, I have a podcast where I get to say whatever I want. Hold on, Let me get a shovel

Kristen Welker (38:59)

and a body bag.

Kelly Ripa (39:00)

I envision doing a podcast with the conversations that happen in my dressing room off camera, where people feel free to talk. No hair, no makeup. This is my kind of job.

Courtney Kuby (39:10)

Only Kelly Ripa can ask me these questions.

Kelly Ripa (39:12)

I'm flipping the script and saying what's really on my mind.

President Donald Trump (39:15)

We're seeing a different side of you.

Kristen Welker (39:17)

It's a little bit more honest.

Kelly Ripa (39:19)

When the cameras go off, the real fun begins.

Savannah Guthrie (39:22)

Get my hair done over here.

Kelly Ripa (39:23)

Hey, this is an off camera podcast, so it doesn't even matter. It's unfiltered conversations and unexpected confessions.

Pete Hegseth (39:30)

My mom says, Woody, I know. New Year Dad.

Courtney Kuby (39:34)

Stop the presses.

Kelly Ripa (39:36)

I would like to volunteer to administer any and all DNA tests.

Pete Hegseth (39:41)

Maybe that should be part of the show.

Kelly Ripa (39:42)

Let's talk off camera with me, Kelly Ripoff.

Courtney Kuby (39:45)

You just put that in the universe.

Kelly Ripa (39:47)

Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

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Kristen Welker (40:38)

Welcome back. For the first time since his arraignment captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro appeared in court. Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, arguing that the drug trafficking indictment against them should be dismissed because the government is blocking their ability to pay for a defense. The judge says he will not dismiss the case, but does have questions about whether Maduro and Flores would be allowed to use money from Venezuela's government to pay for legal representation. The judge also considering a request from federal prosecutors to bar Maduro and Flores from sharing discovery materials with co defendants who are still on the loose. Today's hearing comes nearly three months after Maduro and Flores were captured during a nighttime raid in Caracas by U.S. forces. NBC News correspondent Sam Brock joins me now from New York. So, Sam, bring us up to speed here. The judge says he will not dismiss this case, but he did seem open to the case Maduro and his wife were making explain their argument and what the judge said about it.

Sam Brock (41:35)

The explanation, Kristen, right now is effectively the judge feels like he's in legal no man's land in the sense that he doesn't want to dismiss the charges against Nicolas Maduro. But by the same token, he says this is a fundamental Sixth Amendment right to counsel and counsel of your choice. And so the federal government has said, well, look, they're trying to access a Venezuelan sovereign wealth fund, effectively what they've called a slush fund for parties or bad actors that have been involved and accused of narco terrorism and drug trafficking and plundering, in the words of the prosecutors, money from the Venezuelan people. And you want to dip into that fund to allow Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores to defend themselves in court. That really undermines the whole point of US Sanctions to begin with. There's been sanctions, Kristen, against Venezuela since 2019, from Maduro since 2020. And there's good reason for that. The judge turned around and effectively said, look, you know, we have a different relationship with Venezuela now than we used to. Some of those sanctions have been relaxed and in fact, there's oil revenue that is flowing in. We have a different dynamic with the country. So, so why would we be making that argument? But again, it's not like all of a sudden there's no human rights violations in Venezuela and everything is just hunky dory. But he almost was suggesting that it's much better than it used to be. So these are some of the legally complex questions that are being wrestled with right now. But the bottom line is he didn't set a date. He didn't make a decision on this. He just said he's not inclined to dismiss the charges. But what can he actually do? Because at one point he asked the prosecutors, can I intervene and ask the federal government to issue a license for Maduro to be able to access this money? And they're like, no, you can't do that. So where does that leave us? That's the million dollar question.

Kristen Welker (43:13)

I know you'll be tracking it closely. I do want to turn to the other matter that was discussed in court today. Federal prosecutors requesting to block Maduro and his wife from sharing discovery material with their co defendants. What are prosecutors saying and what was the reaction from the judge there?

Sam Brock (43:28)

Yeah, that was the, the request of the prosecutors for a protective order to prevent Maduro and his wife from sharing material evidence that's uncovered in discovery with the four other people who have yet to be apprehended by the United States who are guilty, according to the prosecutors, of using violence and witness tampering and are a threat to destroy evidence if they get their hands on this. And Judge Hellerstein said, yeah, no, that makes sense, we should not be sharing that information. But by the same token, talking about it is different than sharing it. And this is where he sort of sympathized with the defense on this because the defense is arguing whether we apprehend these four people or not, their actions are going to be presented and talked about in court as possible part of the case over this narco terrorism charge. And so how are we not going to be having any sort of communication over the evidence at hand? It's again a sort of threading of the needle, if you will. But the judge did seem inclined to say you can't share the actual evidence with people that might destroy it or try to intimidate witnesses that surround it. So that was the other big component in court today that was discussed.

Kristen Welker (44:28)

Interesting. Sam Brock, we will look for an update when they are next in court. We really appreciate it. Coming up after the break, spring awakening as cherry blossoms peak here in Washington. President Trump's approval numbers hit a new low according to a brand new Fox News poll. The panel digs into the numbers and the blossoming politics of it all. Stay with us on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. President Trump's approval rating has hit a new low in FOX News most recent poll with 41% of voters approving of the President's job performance and 59% disapproving as parts of his own party and some key voting groups begin to drift away from the president. That's a drop of eight points from a year ago and the lowest mark for President Trump's second term in FOX News polling. I'm joined now by our panel. Nicholas Wu, congressional reporter at Semaphore, Meghan Hayes, former special assistant to President Biden and Michael Dubke, former Trump White House communications director. Thanks to all of you for being here. Nicholas, let me start with you. Let's put these poll numbers up so that everyone can see them. So this is a new low for President Trump in this poll basically showing 41% approved, 59% disapprove. What do you make of these numbers? What are the implications coming against the backdrop of the Iran war?

Nicholas Wu (45:50)

There's a lot of factors right now that are working against the president, whether it's increasing gas prices, the war in Iran and so on the return of inflation. And, you know, for Republicans in Congress, many of whom I talked to, the big question for them is what they do about November and whether you start to see folks put any distance between themselves and the administration. And they'll feel that most acutely in the coming weeks when Congress takes votes on anything from a war powers resolution to rein in the action in Iran or even voting potentially on money to fund the war. There could be a number of Republicans who end up opposing both of those.

Kristen Welker (46:23)

Michael, it's a great question. And let's take a look at the Republicans. Specifically, 84% approve, 16% disapprove. That's also a new low for President Trump in this poll.

Michael Dubke (46:36)

Now, granted it's and probably within the margin of error. And this is where, when I got, when I got the poll, I took a look at it to see where, where the, the base was on this. And I, you know, I still make this argument that until that number significantly slips, and I think losing three points is not a significant slip, I think the White House is going to feel fairly comfortable with the direction that they're going. But that number goes from 84 and it gets down in the 70s or the 60s. Now he's got a real problem.

Kristen Welker (47:06)

So that's when alarm bells start.

President Donald Trump (47:07)

Yes.

Michael Dubke (47:08)

And then a lot of polls are now trying to separate MAGA Republicans from traditional Republicans. And then we really get back to the midterms because Donald Trump's not going to be on the ballot. And where do those voters go? Or do they stay home?

Kristen Welker (47:20)

Yeah. Megan, weigh in on this. How do you Democrats view these numbers? How are they planning to capitalize, quite frankly, on this moment. As Mike is saying, this is not necessarily Alarm Bell territory yet, because Republicans still are largely unified. The MAGA base is unified.

Savannah Guthrie (47:35)

Yeah.

Interjection/Reaction (47:36)

I think it's going to depend on how Republicans are looking at their members of Congress going into the midterms. But Democrats need to stay focused on the economy, but they also need to come up with solutions. You can't just say everything Trump is doing is wrong and then not have solutions. We already understand that some of his decisions have led to things being higher prices with gas and groceries. So I just, you know, Democrats need to focus on plans to get those lower and really convince people in their own districts that they need, that they should vote for them because Republicans in the district are not Donald Trump. So they, their constituents may still vote for them, regardless of Donald Trump's poll numbers.

Kristen Welker (48:05)

And one of the constituents that we watch so closely in 2024 and that we're watching to see what happens in the midterms. Nicholas. Latinos, because they did shift. They helped President Trump to win a second term in the White House. Take a look at, at the approval today. 28% approved, 72% disapproved. That's down from 48% in December. That's actually a big shift. I mean, we don't typically see that large of a swing in polling.

Nicholas Wu (48:34)

This is one of the biggest questions for me with the midterms, since what we saw in the 2024 results was that a lot of the President's gains across the country were driven by minority voters, mostly Latinos and Asian Americans. But heading into this cycle, a lot of the assumptions that Republicans have baked into the congressional map are based on shifts in Texas and Florida, especially with redistricting. And, you know, if everything went according to the way it did in 2024, sure, you might see a lot of Republicans do pretty well in November. But if shifts end up being like that, you know, these gerrymanders that were drawn into place or, you know, even places that Republicans thought were safer with shifts in Latinos, you know, might not be as safe anymore.

Kristen Welker (49:11)

Mike. President Trump was asked if he had concerns about the Latino vote. Take a listen to his response.

President Donald Trump (49:18)

You know, I turned that whole thing around. The Hispanics like me, and I like them. And, you know, it's interesting with Hispanics, when I built the wall, everybody said, oh, that's going to ruin us. For the Hispanics, it was just the opposite. They know all about immigration, and they know all about death and crime, and they're smart people, and they have common sense.

Kristen Welker (49:39)

What do you make of that response?

Michael Dubke (49:40)

No, I think the last part of his, of his comment is spot on. We've seen that in other polling that Latinos actually do, especially Latinos that are here legally really do have the same kind of feeling about the wall as other Americans. The problem that the President and the White House has is that the other makeup of where ICE has been not going after necessarily hardened criminals, but in Minneapolis and other locations, that's problematic. And then to your point, the, the gerrymander, the mid season gerrymander was all based on 2024 numbers. If that vote isn't there, we got a problem.

Kristen Welker (50:21)

Meghan, Democrats don't exactly have glowing numbers and their popularity overall is deeply underwater as a party. So. And I know you're saying Democrats have to stay focused on affordability, on the economy. To what extent do they need to stay focused on here are our plans as opposed to this is our plan again, this is why we're opposed to Trump.

Interjection/Reaction (50:43)

Yeah, I think they absolutely have to stay focused on their own plans. But I think that the Democratic Party is more of a bottom up organization. And so their local leaders and their communities are winning races. They've won 28 special elections since election day in 2024. A woman just won a House seat in Mar A Lago's in Trump's backyard, who he won by like 10 or 14 points. And we saw it in Texas and Tarrant county. We saw a massive swing. So the people are turning out. So I think that some of these different constituency groups might stay home where Democrats and independents are going to turn out in droves where other people just might stay home. They might not. Poll numbers good in certain areas it is.

Michael Dubke (51:16)

You still have a problem with the Democrats, I mean, just looking at Democrats don't like Democrats.

Kristen Welker (51:21)

Yeah.

Michael Dubke (51:21)

And that shows up. And so I mean they're underwater with their own party. And at some point, you know, on the federal level for the officeholders, them Democratic officeholders who had to deal with Donald Trump, that's going to be a problem.

Interjection/Reaction (51:34)

Oh, absolutely. And I don't think that Democrats are going to have this like sweeping majority. I think they will win back the House, but I don't think it's going to be this wide margin. I think they're going to have a sliver of a margin. But I do think that this is going to be an incumbent. This is a referendum on the incumbents. I don't think it's like we're for Democrats. This is, this is against the incumbent.

Michael Dubke (51:48)

Yes.

Kristen Welker (51:49)

I want to take a small turn and talk about these landmark social media cases that came in this week in New Mexico, in California, basically finding these giant social media companies liable for harming children online. Nicholas, what do you think the implications are for Congress? Is there going to be more pressure to pass bipartisan legislation to enhance security?

Nicholas Wu (52:10)

This could certainly give some more momentum to the different pieces of legislation that are going through Congress right now. There's cosa, there's the KIDS act, both of which would try to rein in social media companies as it relates to children. But as with so many other things in Congress right now, there's a big split between the House and Senate on them. So it's up to them to figure out how to reconcile that.

Kristen Welker (52:28)

Megan, what do you think? Do you think that this issue is going to become a bigger issue politically, that it's going to become something that candidates start to talk about on the campaign trail as much as any of the other issues we're talking about you about?

Interjection/Reaction (52:40)

Absolutely. And I also think the reforms on AI and how you regulate AI is going to become a really big thing. And if I was an AI company, I would be taking a look at these lawsuits. And I know it's not apples to apples and what they can do to get ahead of some of these lawsuits because they also are impacting teenagers. There's been several examples of that. And I would really take a look at that because they are, they are next to be sued and they are going to be the next targets for Congress.

Kristen Welker (53:00)

Like in so many ways, this is a bipartisan issue. I mean, this is an issue that parents care about all across the country.

Michael Dubke (53:07)

Right. And you've seen that, though, in Arkansas, the governor, Governor Sanders, outlawing cell phones in schools. So, I mean, on the Republican side and the Democratic side, you've had similar pieces of legislation. So it is a, it is a bipartisan issue.

Kristen Welker (53:21)

All right, guys, really appreciate your being here today. Thank you very much. We do want to turn now to our beloved friend and colleague Savannah Guthrie, who is opening up about the desperate search for her mother and the anguish she is personally battling every single day. In her first interview since her mother Nancy's disappearance nearly two months ago, Savannah told NBC's Hoda Kotb, her dear friend, about the moment she and her family realized something was terribly wrong.

Savannah Guthrie (53:51)

From the very early moments, you know, Annie and Tommy were saying, this isn't, this isn't that case that you are used to where someone wanders off. She can't wander off. My mom, her, her, she Was in tremendous pain. Her back was very bad. You know, she was trying to. On a good day, she could walk down to the mailbox and get the mail. But most days not. So there was no wander off. And the doors were propped open. Yeah. And there was blood on the front doorstep. And the ring camera had been yanked off.

President Donald Trump (54:29)

Yeah.

Savannah Guthrie (54:30)

And so we were saying this is.

President Donald Trump (54:33)

Do something.

Savannah Guthrie (54:34)

This is not okay.

President Donald Trump (54:35)

Yeah.

Savannah Guthrie (54:36)

This isn't. Something is very wrong here.

Kristen Welker (54:42)

Savannah also says she fears her mother was taken because of her. Here she is recounting part of a conversation with her brother that was deeply painful.

Savannah Guthrie (54:53)

I just said, do you think because of me? And he said, I'm sorry, sweetie. But yeah, maybe. But I knew that you did. I hope not. I mean, we still don't know. Honestly, we don't know anything. We don't know anything. So I don't know that it's because she's my mom and somebody thought, oh, that girl, that lady has money. We can get. Make a quick buck. I mean, that would make sense. But we don't know. But yeah, that's probably. Which is too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside, that it's because of me. And I just say, I'm so sorry, mommy. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids and my nephews and Tommy, my brother in law, just. I'm like, so sorry. I'm so sorry if it is me. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

Kristen Welker (56:29)

And we are all just so heartbroken for Savannah and her whole family and we are just keeping all of our prayers for her. You can see more of Hoda's interview with Savannah tomorrow on the Today show and on NBC News now. And please, if you have any, any information about Nancy's disappearance, call the tip line, the FBI tip line. You see it right there. 1-800- call FBI. Please reach out if you know anything. We are back tomorrow with more Meet the Press now. There's more ahead on NBC News now.

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