Meet the Press NOW — March 31, 2026

Host: Melanie Snow (for Kristen Welker)
Notable Guests: Kelly O’Donnell, Brian Chung, Courtney Kube, Stephanie Gosk, General Joseph Votel, Rep. Mike Kennedy, Lawrence Hurley, Steve Kornacki, Julia Ainslie, Ryan Reilly

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a wide-ranging discussion focused on the aftermath and evolving geopolitics of the US-Iran war, its economic impacts—especially regarding oil and gas prices—significant legal and political developments at home, and breaking news including a major Supreme Court decision and immigration enforcement updates. Key topics include White House messaging about the Iran conflict, volatility in the markets, domestic and international repercussions of the war, as well as the ongoing government shutdown, a landmark Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ rights, and exclusive NBC News investigative reporting.

Main Segments & Highlights

1. Turmoil in the Gulf: US-Iran War and Oil Market Volatility

[01:11–09:15]

Wall Street Rally amid Iran War Ceasefire Hopes

• Dow surges over 1,000 points on Iranian president's comments signaling willingness to end the war if specific guarantees are met.
• Despite optimism, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to most traffic, oil prices spike above $100/barrel, and US gas prices hit $4/gallon for the first time since 2022.

White House and Pentagon Messaging

• The administration downplays rising gas prices, promising relief when "Operation Epic Fury" is complete.
• President Trump’s social media post:
  "Build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just take it and… go get your own oil."
  — President Trump, [01:52]
• At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Hegseth calls for greater allied involvement:
  "It's not just the United States Navy... There was supposed to be a big bad Royal Navy that could do things like that as well."
  — Hegseth, [02:28]

Market Analysts’ Take

• Brian Chung: Today's market surge was triggered by optimism but underpinned by volatility:
  "When you see massive swings on the stock market like this, you do have to remember... options betting... can accelerate both downturns and upturns."
  — Brian Chung, [09:15]
• Stakes remain high if the Strait stays closed:
  "If ships are stuck there, you don’t really see a light at the end for barrels of oil prices going down."
  — Brian Chung, [10:29]

2. White House Shifts & Legal Blow for Ballroom Construction

[04:01–09:00]

• President Trump’s tone alternates between threats and talk of winding down:
  "We’ve been in a pinball effect with the president's comments…"
  — Kelly O’, [04:01]
• Notably, Trump claims to be negotiating with "less radicalized" Iranian leadership.
• Breaking news: Federal court halts construction on the White House ballroom, ruling the president is merely a steward and Congress must approve major changes.
  "There is a hole in the ground and big plans. ...A federal court is now saying Congress has to play a role."
  — Kelly O’, [07:42]

3. War Objectives, Iran’s Nuclear Materials & Current Threats

[12:18–15:59]

Pentagon Briefing and Objectives

• Public details on operational plans are limited for security; transparency is lower than in past US conflicts.
• On removing Iran’s uranium stockpile:
  "It would be a huge undertaking… weeks, not hours, and it's not 100% clear where the entire stockpile is."
  — Courtney Kube, [13:30]

US and Israeli Strikes

• US has disabled majority of Iran’s missile launch capabilities, but drones/missiles continue to be launched daily.
• Accuracy of Iranian attacks is increasing:
  "That's how we end up with things like the attack on Princeton Air Base last Friday that led to a couple of aircraft damaged and several American service members seriously injured."
  — Courtney Kube, [15:59]

4. Middle East Diplomacy and Infrastructure Risks

[16:17–20:09]

Iranian Peace Negotiations and Demands

• Iran wants guarantees of non-aggression, reparations, and control over Strait of Hormuz—terms Western officials find unlikely to meet.
• European leaders reject calls to escalate:
  "France’s position has remained the same since day one. …They are not going to get involved."
  — Stephanie Gosk, [17:27]

Gulf Infrastructure Targeted

• Civilian facilities, notably desalination plants critical for water supply, now under threat: "In that part of the world, desalination plants are what give people water. It is that vital. And to hit a plant like that really could starve the region."
  — Stephanie Gosk, [18:31]
• Regional officials:
  "This region depends heavily on desalination. …We condemn all attacks on civilian infrastructure as completely unnecessary and very dangerous."
  — Raf Sanchez, [19:30]

5. Analysis: What’s Next in the Gulf?

[20:09–25:36]

Interview: Gen. Joseph Votel (Ret.)

• Will the war really end soon?
  "Iran has a voice in this and certainly is taking actions here to respond to the operations that have been conducted."
  — Gen. Votel, [20:37]
• On reopening the Strait of Hormuz:
  "Iran has the operational advantage, at least by geography over the straits... Whether we depart and they open it up or not remains to be seen."
  — Gen. Votel, [22:10]
• Warns against targeting desalination plants:
  "Striking those types of targets… would likely invite reciprocal attacks from Iran… open us up to allegations of violating international humanitarian law."
  — Gen. Votel, [23:04]

US-European Alliances Strained

• On European ability to “get their own oil”:
  "I don't think they are. The best way of creating coalitions… is to start early… Unfortunately, that was not the case."
  — Gen. Votel, [24:05]
• Airspace closures highlight rifts:
  "Certainly like to operate in an environment where we had the full support of our coalition or of our international partners."
  — Gen. Votel, [24:52]

6. Domestic Politics: Shutdown Showdown

[27:36–36:07]

Ongoing DHS Shutdown

• Airport lines easing as TSA gets paid, but shutdown lingers due to Congressional gridlock.
• Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT):
  "Shutdowns are total nonsense... I find it totally unacceptable. That's why I've sponsored the No Work, No Pay Act."
  — Kennedy, [28:40]
• Dispute centers on budget for ICE and Border Patrol; Kennedy criticizes Senate proposals as underfunding these agencies.

War Support & Gas Prices

• Kennedy strongly opposes deploying US ground forces but supports completing the war’s objectives from the air: "I don't want our young men and young women fighting on foreign soil... When you're in the middle of an operation to cut out cancer, you can't cut and run."
  — Kennedy, [33:53]
• Urges patience with high gas prices: "Nobody wants to get surgery. It hurts when it happens. But weeks and months later, people feel better because we've done the thing that was necessary."
  — Kennedy, [35:24]

7. Supreme Court Ruling: Blow to LGBTQ Protections

[37:56–41:08]

• 8–1 decision strikes down Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors as a violation of free speech.
• Justice Gorsuch (majority):
  "The First Amendment stands as a bulwark against any effort to prescribe an orthodoxy of views… Laws like Colorado's which suppress speech based on viewpoint, represent an egregious assault."
  — Gorsuch, [38:59]
• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (dissent):
  Argues the law regulates conduct, not speech.
• Potentially broad implications:
  Could affect state-level regulations regarding both conversion therapy and gender-affirming care.

8. 2026 Senate Map: Democrats’ Uphill Battle

[41:57–45:34]

• Steve Kornacki:
  "Democrats need a net gain of four seats if they're going to take back the Senate... To get there, they would have to win in not one, but two pretty deeply pro-Trump states."
  — Kornacki, [43:04]
• Collins’s Maine seat and North Carolina seen as targets, but other possible pick-ups are in deep-red states.

9. Immigration Enforcement at Military Graduations

[46:24–49:15]

• Julia Ainslie (NBC):
  ICE will conduct Real ID checks at Marine graduation in South Carolina—first time at such events.
• Raised questions about whether arrests will be made on-site; concerns about increased deaths and poor conditions in ICE custody.
• "What we understand now is that they will be present at this graduation ceremony... and they'll be doing real ID checks."
  — Julia Ainslie, [46:24]
• 14 detainees have died in ICE custody this year; advocates allege preventable deaths due to overcrowding and poor conditions.

10. January 6: Rioters Sue for “Excessive Force”

[49:15–53:39]

• A class-action suit by January 6 participants sues the federal government, alleging wrongful use of force.
• Ryan Reilly clarifies some of the claimants have criminal backgrounds unrelated to January 6 and notes the lawsuit may have been filed in Florida to seek a favorable jury.
• "This lawsuit itself… probably more of a generous jury pool potentially down there, even though there's not really a connection so much to the actual events that took place in D.C."
  — Ryan Reilly, [51:11]

Notable Quotes

• On the unpredictability of White House messaging:
  "We've been in a pinball effect with the president's comments about the military action he launched against Iran."
  — Kelly O', [04:01]

• On gas prices and the war's impact:
  "The president has argued that you could get the gas prices to come down quickly... That is unclear, actually..."
  — Kelly O', [06:18]

• On global partners:
  "There are countries around the world who ought to be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well. It's not just the United States Navy."
  — Defense Secretary Hegseth, [02:28]

• On European involvement:
  "France’s position has remained the same since day one. In other words, they are not going to get involved."
  — Stephanie Gosk, [17:27]

Timestamps by Topic

| Time | Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:11 | Iran war, market surge, oil and gas prices | | 02:28 | Pentagon/EU allies called to protect Strait of Hormuz | | 04:01 | White House pivots, legal halt to White House ballroom construction | | 09:15 | Market volatility, oil impacts, gas prices explained | | 12:18 | Pentagon secrecy, Iran’s nuclear sites, war objectives | | 14:32 | US/Israeli strike impact, Iran’s decreasing firepower? | | 16:17 | Iranian peace demands, European pushback, attacks on vital Gulf infrastructure | | 20:09 | Gen. Votel: what’s next in Gulf, legality of targets, alliances | | 27:36 | DHS shutdown debate, ICE/border patrol funding, Rep. Kennedy interview | | 33:53 | Iran war – should US send troops? Kennedy: no boots on the ground | | 35:03 | Gas prices and sacrifices, Rep. Kennedy’s analogy | | 37:56 | Supreme Court: Colorado conversion therapy ban struck down (free speech) | | 41:57 | Senate race analysis, Democrat path to majority, Steve Kornacki | | 46:24 | ICE at Marine graduations, deaths in custody, conditions in facilities | | 49:15 | Jan. 6: Rioters' excessive force lawsuit, Ryan Reilly on legal merits |

Takeaways for Listeners

• The Iran conflict has created immediate volatility in markets and heightened uncertainty about global energy supplies and prices.
• White House and Pentagon are sending mixed signals: winding down the war vs. threats of escalation, shifting more responsibility onto allies.
• Legal setbacks for Trump’s domestic legacy projects and a major Supreme Court free speech ruling with implications for LGBTQ rights.
• Gaps in allied support for US military ventures are widening and impacting logistics.
• Tensions at home: government shutdown drags on, controversial immigration enforcement tactics heat up, and the political landscape for 2026 appears sharply divided.
• The January 6th narrative continues to be contested in courts, even as some participants seek new avenues for legal claims and compensation.

Final Word

In characteristic Meet the Press fashion, this episode combines breaking news, in-depth interviews, on-the-ground reporting, and roundtable analysis to paint a vivid portrait of a nation grappling with global conflict, economic pain, shifting alliances, and deepening domestic divides.