Meet the Press NOW — May 25

Summary

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Meet the Press NOW — May 25, 2026

Host: Melly Zenona (NBC News)
Main Theme: U.S.-Iran War, Peace Negotiations, Political Fallout, and Memorial Day Reflections
Date: May 25, 2026

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Episode Overview

This Memorial Day episode of Meet the Press NOW focuses on the evolving state of U.S.-Iran war peace negotiations, with President Trump wavering publicly on the status of a potential deal. With regional, economic, and domestic political implications hanging in the balance, the show features in-depth analysis from NBC reporters stationed worldwide, leads a conversation about intraparty strife within the GOP, covers a recent security incident at the White House, and concludes with moving reflections from military veterans on Memorial Day.

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Key Discussion Segments

1. Latest on U.S.-Iran Peace Talks and Regional Diplomacy

The State of the Negotiations

• President Trump oscillates between optimism and caution about a deal to end the war with Iran, posting a series of conflicting statements over the holiday weekend.
  • “If he makes a deal with Iran, it will be, quote, good and proper...the deal isn't even fully negotiated yet.” — Melly Zenona summarizing Trump’s weekend posts [02:29]
• The U.S. insists Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon; Trump demands Gulf countries normalize relations with Israel as part of negotiations.
  • “The ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon…certainly not as long as Donald Trump is president…” — Steve Patterson [03:25]

Iran’s Red Lines and Reaction

• Iran demands unfreezing of billions in assets, lifting of the naval blockade, and an end to the Israel-Lebanon war, but won’t commit publicly to limits on its nuclear program.
  • “Tehran also making no commitments about its nuclear program or its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.” — Melly Zenona [03:51]
• Qatar emerges as a new key mediator, with potential for assets to be unfrozen outside U.S. jurisdiction.
  • “If the money released to Iran does not come from the United States. Instead it potentially comes from somewhere like Qatar.” — Raf Sanchez [08:21]

Internal and External Skepticism

• Congressional Republicans (Graham, Wicker) voice skepticism about the deal's terms, including whether military goals against Iran's programs have been met.
  • “He is aware of the criticism. Whether it’s ultimately affecting his decision making…is another matter.” — Garrett Hake [07:09]
• Iranians still await final word from the Supreme Leader, suggesting that the deal’s fate remains in Tehran’s hands.
  • “They say that they need final approval from their supreme leader, who of course is the ultimate decision maker…” — Raf Sanchez [08:21]
• Israel and Hezbollah: The ongoing Israel-Lebanon conflict is a sticking point.
  • “The Israelis are absolutely adamant that they are going to continue their attacks inside of Lebanon aimed at Hezbollah…” — Raf Sanchez [09:57]

Abraham Accords Expansion?

• President Trump ties normalization with Israel to Gulf incentives, but Raf Sanchez notes Gulf nations see this as “a totally separate track."
  • “The short answer is no. The view here in the Gulf is that these are separate issues…” — Raf Sanchez [11:10]

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2. Market Reactions and the Strait of Hormuz

Oil Markets Respond to Negotiations

• Optimism about a deal leads to a sharp drop in oil prices—from over $100 to around $90/barrel—but volatility remains.
  • “A $10 to $15 drop is pretty significant here.” — Ali Kanal [12:38]
• Long-term effects won’t be immediate; logjams of oil tankers, security threats, and the need to rebuild schedules create lasting delays.
  • “Even if the Strait of Hormuz were to reopen tomorrow, it is going to take months…” — Ali Kanal [13:29]

Gas Prices?

• Gas prices likely to stay above pre-war levels in the short term.
  • “I don't think we're going to get back to sub $3 gas anytime soon. But hopefully things start to improve from here.” — Ali Kanal [14:11]

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3. Political Fallout: GOP Turmoil and Polling Pressure

Intraparty Divisions

• Trump faces rare, open criticism from within the GOP over Iran policy, the White House ballroom spending, and a new “anti-weaponization fund.”
  • “I laugh at all the Democrats, RINOs and fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran…” — President Trump, via Melly Zenona [27:10]
• Some Republicans cautious about opposing Trump openly, fearing primary challenges.
  • “For every Republican that you hear saying these things in public, know that there are five more who are not saying these things in public.” — Stephen Hayes [28:59]
• Democratic strategists aim to use this Republican rift for turnout but acknowledge the need for their own positive agenda.
  • “It's easy...saying we're against Donald Trump, but Donald Trump's not going to be here forever...” — Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha [29:44]

Polls Reveal Erosion in Trump’s Base

• Wall Street Journal poll shows president’s approval is slipping, including a “nearly 20 point drop for strongly approve among Republican voters.”
  • “That if you're in the White House, you're tearing your hair out about that.” — Stephen Hayes [30:45]
• Control of the House and Senate in play for the midterms, with a handful of critical races and significant outside spending expected.
  • “It's hard to imagine a president…he seems like every week he's giving Democrats something more they can use in an ad…” — Stephen Hayes [32:19]

Texas Republican Primary

• Trump’s late endorsement in Texas Senate runoff could mark the end of John Cornyn’s political career.
  • “I think it's Ken Paxton's race to lose…” — Stephen Hayes [33:55]
• Both panelists agree Paxton’s scandals could open a rare window for Democrats, but Texas remains tough.
  • “Paxton is a flawed candidate…He is a walking scandal sort of across issues…” — Panel [35:00]

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4. Breaking News: White House Security Incident

Shooting at White House Checkpoint

• A 21-year-old, Nasir Best, opened fire at a Secret Service checkpoint; bystander also wounded.
  • “This was an individual that was known to law enforcement around the White House…” — Gary Grumbach [23:10]
• Incident not believed to be political; prior mental health and trespassing incidents cited.
• Security concerns reignite debate over White House event planning, but authorities confident about precautions for upcoming gatherings.
  • “The United States Secret Service is at the absolute top of their game…” — Gary Grumbach [24:41]

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5. Orange County Chemical Explosion Averted

Update on Chemical Tank Crisis

• Explosive danger from a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (“blevy”) at a chemical facility has been eliminated, but risk of a lesser explosion and chemical release remains.
  • “...the threat of a Highly dangerous boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion or blevy has been eliminated…” — Melly Zenona [36:38]
• 50,000+ remain under evacuation in Stanton, CA as officials work to stabilize the site.
  • “Even if there's no explosion, that tank could still fail, leak everywhere, cause this huge environmental disaster.” — Steve Patterson [37:05]
• Officials now exploring a phased return for some evacuees, pending further safety data.

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6. Memorial Day Reflections: Veterans in Congress

Vietnam Veterans’ Perspective and Service

• Bipartisan For Country Caucus cleans the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: an emotional act of remembrance.
  • “Memorial Day is not a sale. It's not a celebration. It's a remembrance. And we have gotten away from that a little bit.” — Rep. Jack Bergman [40:12]
• Veterans discuss the healing process since Vietnam, the unique bonds formed in service, and the importance of having veterans’ voices in Congress.
  • “There's a bond between veterans that you just can't explain, but it's there.” — Rep. Jim Baird [46:23]
• Mental health initiatives for veterans—including psychedelic therapies and transition support—highlighted as areas of bipartisan progress.

Calls for Unity and Service

• “Always remember appropriately those who gave it all, they gave their today so you could have your tomorrow and never make light of it…” — Rep. Jack Bergman [51:41]
• “America needs every citizen right now to step up and to be a part of this… to keep this experiment, this fragile, extraordinary experiment…alive.” — Rep. Elaine Luria [52:04]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The Iranians are really masters at dragging these negotiations out…once some sanctions are lifted and assets are unfrozen, I think these negotiations are going to drag out a bit."
  — Elyse Labitt on Iran diplomacy [16:45]
• "It does feel like it was a real breaking point over these last few weeks in Congress at least."
  — Melly Zenona on GOP infighting [30:24]
• "We've created in the farm bill…an environment that allowed young veterans or returning veterans to get involved in agriculture. And I think the peace you obtain from working with the land…there's a peace there that helps mental health."
  — Rep. Jim Baird [49:55]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:11 – Melly Zenona opens with updates on Iran negotiations & Memorial Day events
• 03:25 – Steve Patterson: U.S. red lines, nuclear nonproliferation
• 04:48 – Garrett Hake: Details on negotiation process and deal “punt”
• 08:21 – Raf Sanchez: Qatar’s new role, Iranian demands in Doha
• 14:05 – Oil market and gas price reaction analysis
• 27:10 – Trump lashes out at Republican critics on social media
• 30:45 – Polling: Trump loses ground even with GOP base
• 33:35 – Texas runoff: Cornyn vs. Paxton, Trump’s endorsement
• 41:11 – Veterans’ reflections cleaning the Vietnam Wall
• 51:41 – Memorial Day messages from Vietnam veterans in Congress

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Tone & Style

The conversation maintains an urgent, pragmatic, and often somber tone on security and geopolitics, while the veterans’ segment is heartfelt and reflective. Analysis from correspondents is measured yet direct, and segments featuring strategists and political analysts show candid humor but underscore real concern about American governance and party identities.

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For New Listeners

This episode is essential listening for understanding the complexity of current U.S. foreign policy with Iran, the domestic repercussions shaping both parties heading into the midterms, and the continuing impact and importance of honoring America’s military sacrifice—apparent in the raw, unpoliticized words of Capitol Hill’s remaining Vietnam veterans. The blend of real-time reporting, analysis, and lived experience tells the story both of a nation at a crossroads abroad, and a democracy wrestling with its identity at home.

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Transcript

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[Melly Zenona]

Welcome to MEET THE press. Now, I'm Melly Zenona in Washington, and we begin this Memorial Day with the latest developments in the war against Iran and the status of peace talks which President Trump claimed over the weekend were largely finished but then seemingly backtracked, muddying the picture of where things stand, all while purported details of an emerging agreement have alarmed some White House allies. This morning, President Trump participated in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in commemoration of Memorial Day. The president then delivered remarks honoring the U.S. service members who gave their lives for this country, including the 13 U.S. troops who have died during the war with Iran.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

This Memorial Day, we salute them, we exalt them, and we thank them for

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

all that we have and for all that they gave.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

They gave everything.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

In Operation Epic Fury, we lost 13

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

wonderful souls, wonderful special people.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

These incredible men and women gave their

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

lives to ensure that the world's number

[Melly Zenona]

one state sponsor of terror will never

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

have a nuclear weapon.

[Congressman Jim Baird]

Oh, and they won't.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

They will never have a nuclear weapon. I'm sure you know that.

[Melly Zenona]

It comes after the president spent the weekend at the White House trying to push a deal with Iran over the finish line, while providing updates via social media on Saturday, saying an agreement has been largely negotiated subject to finalization between the US And Iran, the details of which would be announced shortly. Then Sunday morning saying negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, but adding that he will not rush into a deal, but by Sunday evening posting, if he makes a deal with Iran, it will be, quote, good and proper and then going on to say the deal isn't even fully negotiated yet, and this morning saying it will only be a great deal for all or no deal at all, while also demanding Gulf countries sign on to a separate deal to normalize relations with Israel. Speaking during a joint press conference in India yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said significant progress was being made while reiterating the administration's red line.

[NBC News Correspondent Steve Patterson]

The ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon. The president has been clear about that. They will never possess a nuclear weapon, certainly not as long as Donald Trump is president of the United States. And it will require some future work on negotiating the details.

[Melly Zenona]

When you're talking about a nuclear program

[NBC News Correspondent Steve Patterson]

as an example, these are highly technical matters and ones that would probably need to be addressed over some period of time.

[Melly Zenona]

Today, Iran is also making clear its red lines, saying any agreement to end the war must include the release of billions of dollars of Iran's frozen assets, the lifting of the US Naval blockade, and the end of the war between Israel and Lebanon. Tehran also making no commitments about its nuclear program or its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. Oil prices, however, are rapidly falling on renewed hopes for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Right now, prices per barrel are at $90, down from around $105 just a few days ago. Joining me now is NBC News chief White House correspondent Garrett Hake. NBC News international correspondent Raf Sanchez is in Doha. And also with me is NBC News business and economy reporter Ali Kanal. Thank you all so much for joining us on this Memorial Day. Garrett, I do want to start with you over at the White House. Are we getting any clarity on what is in the deal with Iran and just how close the two sides are to a final deal?

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

Well, Nell, to hear the secretary of state describe it, we're essentially waiting for the Iranians to respond to the proposal here to basically punt the hard decisions out to a 60 day negotiating window according to a senior administration official and lift the economic pressure that exists on both sides by ending these mutual blockades of the Strait of Hormuz. But if all this sounds to viewers like deja vu all over again, I think that's fair. We have been in this position before where a lot of what appeared to have been momentum towards some kind of deal or memorandum of understanding or one page framework to keep the conversation going has ultimately fallen apart. What seems different about this time is the weight of some of the other regional players who've gotten involved. And I think the President's willingness, at least based on his true social posts, to truly take some of the nuclear issues that were the crux of this whole conflict from the jump and push that discussion further out to reopen the strait now and talk about the big stuff later.

[Melly Zenona]

And Garrett, one of the things I mentioned is that Tehran is demanding the release of frozen Iranian assets. Is that something this president is willing to concede on, especially given that he attacked President Obama for doing that as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal?

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

Yeah, blasting the President Obama over this has been sort of a key talking point for President Trump across two terms in the White House. I think if the administration could find a way to unfreeze some of these funds in a way that don't come from American banks. Some of this money, for example, is frozen in Qatar, where the Iranians have been engaged in some recent conversations. That might be the kind of thing that allows the president to basically look the other way politically while this happens. But he's going to be accused of hypocrisy by some either on the left or on the right or possibly both, no matter really how this deal shakes out. We've started to see some of that already, particularly from some of his critics who felt emboldened on the Republican to side to basically say that they don't really understand the elements of this deal, even the few that have been outlined by the administration so far.

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah, I want to follow up on that Republican criticism that you mentioned because over the weekend he got some pushback from some of his own typical allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham, also Roger Wicker, both of them questioning some of the reported details of the deal. So how much do you think that the President is actually listening to the concerns of members in his own party?

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

Well, I suppose that here I would point to the difference between hearing and listening. He's definitely hearing it. He's been responding pretty aggressively on social media. He is aware of the criticism. Whether it's ultimately affecting his decision making process is another matter. And it's important to note he's basically getting two sets of criticism here from folks like Graham and Wicker who you pointed out who are saying that the point of this was to go really destroy the Iranian nuclear program, significantly set back their missile program. That work, they believe, has not been done. He, he has other critics in that caucus of defeated or retiring Republican lawmakers who've questioned other elements of this deal or even the Iran strategy more broadly. I don't know how he satisfies all of them and still extricates himself from this situation. And that's part of the reason you've seen such delay and this sort of strategy of constantly extending the timeline on these talks, looking for a Goldilocks solution that may not exist.

[Melly Zenona]

Garrett, thank you so much for breaking all of that down. Raf, I want to get over to you. You're in Doha right now. That's where Iran's top negotiator is. So what do you know about those meetings and what are Iranian officials saying about what is or is not in this deal?

[NBC News Correspondent Raf Sanchez]

Yeah, Melanie. So we have the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, we have Iran's Foreign Minister here in Doha right now. These are Iran's top to negotiators. It is notable that they are here in the Gulf. Up until this point, Pakistan has been the main mediator between Iran and the United States. But in the last couple of days, we've seen Qatar really stepping up, really trying to get this deal over the line. The Iranians are saying that there is agreement in large parts, but that a final deal at this stage is not imminent. They say that they need final approval from their supreme leader, who of course is the ultimate decision maker inside of the Iranian system. Why are these senior Iranian officials here in Qatar? Garrett mentioned one of the tricky things in this first stage of the deal is the Iranians are looking to have some of their money unfrozen. They're looking for sanctions relief. The United States is saying they are going to have to make big concessions before they get any of that. One way potentially to square that circle is if the money released to Iran does not come from the United States. Instead it potentially comes from somewhere like Qatar. It could possibly be dressed up as a human humanitarian loan instead of direct handing over of cash, something that President Trump is so eager to avoid. So it does seem that that is one of the many, many things being discussed here in the Gulf tonight.

[NBC News Legal Affairs Reporter Gary Grumbach]

Melanie?

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah, you mentioned some of those sticking points. Another major sticking point in these negotiations is the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. Would Israel abide by a peace deal if it included ending that conflict?

[NBC News Correspondent Raf Sanchez]

Yes. So we are seeing Lebanon become a major, major complicating factor in this. The Israelis are absolutely adamant that they are going to continue their attacks inside of Lebanon aimed at Hezbollah, the Iranian backed militant group. We heard from the Israeli Prime Minister tonight that they are intensifying those strikes. On the other side, you have the Iranians saying that this deal has to end the fighting on all fronts, and that includes in Lebanon. So far from the administration, we have seen them somewhat trying to walk the line on this. Secretary of State Rubio in India earlier was asked about what was going to happen in Lebanon. He said the Israelis, of course, would retain the right to self defense. But does that mean that they can keep their forces inside Lebanon? Does it mean that they can continue airstrikes against the Lebanese capital? That's going to be one of, one of the tricky, tricky issues to resolve here.

[NBC News Legal Affairs Reporter Gary Grumbach]

No.

[Melly Zenona]

And Raf, this morning President Trump seemed to suggest that as part of the Iran talks, that Gulf nations will need to also sign the Abraham Accords, which would normalize relations with Israel. Would those Gulf countries be willing to take that step?

[NBC News Correspondent Raf Sanchez]

The short answer is no. The view here in the Gulf is that these are separate issues. Ending the war with Iran is one thing. It is a big priority for the Gulf countries. Getting the Strait of Hormuz open, big priority. Making peace with Israel, they see as a totally separate track. The position of Qatar, the position of Saudi Arabia is there needs to be, at minimum a pathway to a Palestinian state for that discussion to happen. At this point, that does not look on even the far horizon, let alone the near horizon. It's not totally clear why President Trump added this new complicating factor to what is already an extremely complicated negotiation. The Abraham of courts, one of the signature foreign policy achievements of his first term. He has been eager to expand it in his second term, especially to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. But also you were discussing with Garrett that the President is taking a lot of political heat from Republican hawks like Lindsey Graham, who are extremely pro Israel. And it may be that he thinks he can sell this deal with Iran a little more easily to those constituencies if he can pare it to some kind of advantage to Israel, like an expansion of the Abraham Accords.

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah, no doubt. Raf, thank you so much for all of that reporting in the region. I want to turn to the business side of this with Ali. Canal transit through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly lower than its pre war levels. But how are oil markets reacting to this latest news about the Iran negotiations?

[NBC News Business Reporter Ali Kanal]

Double. They're reacting positively. We're seeing US crude trade just around 90 bucks a barrel. For the past few weeks, we were hovering at around $100 a barrel. So that 10 to 15, 10, $15 drop is pretty significant here. But I will say that oil markets are pretty volatile. There are still a lot of questions when it comes to the details of this potential peace negotiation. Will Iran continue to control the Strait of Hormuz? There's a lot that we still don't know. And also, even if the Strait of Hormuz were to reopen tomorrow, it is going to take months for ships to resume their normal flows to rebuild schedules, to decide which vessel moves at which time. Remember, there are still 15 oil tankers that have just been idle in the Persian Gulf. So that is going to take some time. There's also likely still going to be some fear of retaliation, particularly around the security threats within the Strait of Hormuz. Are there still those sea mines? All those questions are going to be running through the minds of these insurance companies as well as these shipping companies at the same time. Now, analysts have also told me that we could potentially see a floor to oil prices because a lot of these energy companies have depleted their reserves. So they might want to rebuild those stockpiles since we lost a lot of oil that we're sitting on those ships over the past three months here since the war began. So a lot of question marks still to come.

[Melly Zenona]

Real quick, Ali, does a drop in oil prices mean consumers should expect prices at the pump to fall anytime soon?

[NBC News Business Reporter Ali Kanal]

Yeah, well, oil and gas very closely correlated. If we see a drop in oil, we're likely going to see a drop in gas prices. But again, because oil is expected to remain elevated in the near term, even if we are trading at 80 to 90 bucks a barrel. Prior to the war starting, oil was closer to $67 a barrel. Gas was below $3 a barrel because of that. So I don't think we're going to get back to sub $3 gas anytime soon. But hopefully things start to improve from here.

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah. Thank you so much, Alec. Now joining me now is Elyse Labitt, host of the Cosmopolitics podcast. Thank you so much for joining us here to break this all down, the president really seemed optimistic on Saturday about the prospect of a deal, saying it would be, quote, announced shortly before then back and saying he's not going to rush into anything. It was quite the whipsaw over the weekend. So what do you make of his backtrack?

[Elyse Labitt]

Well, the Iranians say that they haven't fully agreed because as Garrett said, they're waiting for and Ralph said they're waiting for word from the supreme leader. It looks as if, you know, for Iran's case, the deal is very heavily tilted in Iran's favor. Melanie. I think President Trump has heard, as you know, some backlash from Republican senators also on the left. So I think he, you know, they're ready to go. I think he's at least saying right now that he's not ready to announce it. He's saying take their time. But I think it's mostly coming from, you know, the Iranians. I think President Trump's ready to put this in his rearview mirror.

[Melly Zenona]

No doubt. The President has also stated repeatedly over the last month that a deal hasn't come together yet because it was unclear who was in charge in Iran. So is it clear now who the US Is negotiating with and do they actually have the power in Iran to enforce whatever their side of an agreement might be looking like?

[Elyse Labitt]

Look, I think that's kind of been a little bit, you know, oversold the idea that they don't know who's running Iran. Yes, there is a lot of, you know, chaos in the regime since the killing of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. But there is, you know, a committee, if you will, about five or six leaders, some of the irg, some clerics, the speaker of the Parliament, Golubov, and then there's the Supreme Leader. So everyone kind of comes together in consensus and ultimately the Supreme Leader has the say. It's really just whether the Iranians feel that they have the terms to come to the table and make a deal. I think it's really up to the Iranians right now. It's pretty clear that the US Is ready to make a deal. The Iranians just thought if they could survive and they have, that they can frame this as a win. And when we hear about what's in the deal, which is a lot of lifting up the sanctions, a lot of, you know, unfreezing of assets, lifting up the blockade, yes, they would have to open the Strait of Hormuz, but the nuclear deal, you know, they've pushed it till after everything is settled with, you know, the maritime traffic. And so the Iranians are really masters at dragging these negotiations out. So everything is really kind of front loaded for the Iranians in terms of de mining the strait, opening up the Strait of Hormuz. They really don't have to do anything until they get some of that, those things. It's really once those 60 day negotiations start for an actual nuclear deal, it's going to get more complicated. And if you remember, the nuclear deal that the Obama administration signed with the Iranians took two years to negotiate. So once that maritime traffic opens and once some sanctions are lifted and assets are unfrozen, I think these negotiations are going to drag out a bit.

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah. You mentioned the deal that was struck underneath President Obama. And based on what we're hearing, this deal could actually end up looking pretty similar to that Iran nuclear deal, the jcpoa, that was negotiated under Obama, which President Trump has criticized for providing Iran with sanctions relief. Do you think sanctions relief, though, is sort of inevitable as part of these negotiations?

[Elyse Labitt]

Once you kind of go down that road and you release some of the assets and you lift some of the sanctions to get some of the concessions from Iran, it's really hard to put the genie back in the bottle. Ultimately, Iran's not going to get everything until it suspends its nuclear program, until it hands over that highly enriched uranium. The Iranians have shown some signal that they're willing to do that. They may not hand over everything. Maybe they'll do it to a third country, such as Russia, which has been discussed over the last few years. But I think, you know, the Iranian economy is really in shambles. The Iranian regime knows it has to do something. This is a sit isn't sustainable for the Iranians as well as the world economy. So I think once you get this initial kind of ceasefire in place, where the Strait of Hormuz opens, yeah, that deal is going to look very much like that jcpoa. There's a little bit of question as to how many years would be a moratorium on Iranian enrichment. The original deal was 15 years. The Trump administration is looking for 20. The Iranians were looking for five. I think they'll probably come somewhere in the middle. And so, yeah, that deal is going to look a lot like the jcpoa. Of course, you know, President Trump will find a way to frame it as a victory for him, and the Iranians will find a way to frame it as a victory for themselves. But as we said, the deal is pretty heavily tilted right now in the Iranians favor.

[Melly Zenona]

Elise Lavitt, thank you so much for your insight and analysis. We really appreciate it. Coming up, the very latest in the investigation into yet another terrifying incident of political violence in this country after a gunman opened fire at a White House security checkpoint over the weekend. Plus, base politics new polling shows a significant erosion among the president's most fervent and reliable supporters. We'll break it down and dive into what it means heading into the midterms. You're watching Meet the Press now.

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[Melly Zenona]

Welcome back. An investigation is underway into a shooting just outside the White House this weekend. While the president was inside, a gunman opened fire at a Secret Service checkpoint on Saturday evening as NBC's Julie Serkin was preparing to report from a camera on the North Lawn. Here was that moment.

[NBC News Correspondent Raf Sanchez]

What is that?

[Melly Zenona]

What is that.

[Charles Barkley]

Right now?

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

I'm going to.

[Melly Zenona]

According to The Secret Service, 21 year old Nasir Best pulled a pistol out of his bag and began firing at officers. They returned fire, killing him. A bystander was also shot and remains in the hospital. The shooting comes just a month after a gunman reached security at the White House correspondence dinner. The Secret Service director praising officers for operating, quote, heroically in a heightened political threat environment. NBC News legal affairs reporter Gary Grumbach joins me now. You've covered so many of these incidents of political violence over the past just few months alone. But I want to start with this incident. Do investigators believe that this incident was politically motivated?

[NBC News Legal Affairs Reporter Gary Grumbach]

Gary it doesn't appear that way. This was an individual that was known to law enforcement around the White House. In fact, he had a stay away order issued by the Secret Service. But those are only Effective if the person that's given that order actually does indeed stay away. Last year, this man was arrested on a charge of unlawful entry after he tried to walk into a restricted area near the White House. He often walked around the White House asking folks how to gain entry into that location. And at one point, he was actually even committed to a mental institution for blocking vehicular traffic to the White House complex. So this is a tough situation here. Clearly, this was a mental health issue, and luckily, it did not turn out deadly for anyone else involved in the situation. Mel?

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah. I also want to ask about that bystander I mentioned who was also shot. Is there any update on the condition of that person?

[NBC News Legal Affairs Reporter Gary Grumbach]

Yeah, bystander and adult male was also shot. It's unclear by who, whether it was by Best or by Secret Service officers when they were returning fire. But he was taken to a local hospital. We're told by the Secret Service he is expected to be okay. Again, these were 30 shots that were fired in both directions here. We're very lucky we're not talking about a more serious situation here.

[Melly Zenona]

And as I mentioned, this happened just a month after the shooting at the White House correspondence dinner. You and I were both there for that. The White House is also preparing to host a UFC fight. So are there concerns about whether the White House can be secured for an event of that scope right now?

[NBC News Legal Affairs Reporter Gary Grumbach]

So to be incredibly clear, when we're talking about the ballroom, for example, the construction of the ballroom would not have stopped what happened this weekend from happening again.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Right?

[NBC News Legal Affairs Reporter Gary Grumbach]

I mean, this isn't stopping the administration from using that as a reason to want the ballroom to move forward. And they've certainly the president was very clear about that on social media, and they have been clear about that in court filings over the weekend, suggesting this is why they need a ballroom. But the United States Secret Service is at the absolute top of their game. They are the experts at making sure the perimeters are secure. They are the experts at making sure that their people that they are securing are as safe as possible. When there are 5,000 people on the South Lawn of the White House, they will be helped by not only the Secret Service, but also the FBI, the atf, every national agency that you could think of, making sure that that UFC fight that comes up on June 14th is going to be safe for everybody involved.

[Melly Zenona]

Gary Grumbach, thank you. Up next, the president lashes out as a growing number of Republican lawmakers publicly voice their concern about his hand of the negotiations with Iran. You're watching Meet the Press now

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

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[Melly Zenona]

welcome back. President Trump was already dealing with a growing revolt within his own party over some of his own priorities, including a White House ballroom and the new $1.8 billion so called anti weaponization fund. But now he's also getting pushback from within own party over the potential deal with Iran. The president posting online this morning, I laugh at all the Democrats, RINOs and fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, adding that Republican lawmakers like Senator Bill Cassidy and Congressman Thomas Massie, who lost their recent primaries after the President mounted fierce campaigns against them, should quote, go home and rest. They do nothing but create division and loss. In other words, they are losers. Kristen asked Congressman Massie about the growing Republican opposition to the President's agenda on Meet the Press this weekend. Take a listen. Do you think that the party is

[Elyse Labitt]

beginning to break with President Trump?

[Melly Zenona]

Well, listen, they're worried about their own political mortality. It's true. You can take out Republicans in primaries,

[NBC News Correspondent Raf Sanchez]

but Republicans are going to be very vulnerable this fall.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

The ballroom, I mean, that is such

[Melly Zenona]

an egregious waste of money. We were told it would be funded

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

with, with private money initially.

[Melly Zenona]

I do think it's dangerous to indulge

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

in these things like a gold plated

[NBC News Correspondent Raf Sanchez]

ballroom in Washington, D.C. while Americans are suffering.

[Melly Zenona]

Joining me now is our panel, Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist and president of Solidarity Strategies, and Stephen Hayes, editor and CEO of the Dispatch and an NBC News contributor. Thank you both so much for joining us. There's so much to unpack on this Memorial Day. But Stephen, I do want to start with you with this rift inside the gop. You heard what Congressman Massey told Kristen yesterday. Yesterday. What do you make of the break that we're seeing in the gop? Is it real? Is it temporary?

[Commercial Voiceover]

Yeah, it's real. I mean, as you know from all of your reporting up on Capitol Hill, the divisions within the Republican Party are nothing new. What's new is that we're hearing this in public now. You have prominent Republicans, including people who have been strong supporters of the president, pretty consistently raising questions like Thomas Massie did on issues like the ballroom, on the slush fund, on the Iran war, on, you name it, they've sort of had it with him. And for every Republican that you hear saying these things in public, know that there are five more who are not saying these things in public.

[Melly Zenona]

Absolutely. I want to ask your opinion, though, about how Democrats are sort of viewing all this. Are they sitting back eating popcorn or is there acknowledgement that they're going to really have to still do some work to win over some of these voters?

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

Well, there's two things you got to do to win elections, especially in the midterm, is you need to give a good example of why the American people should fire the Republicans. And we do pretty good job at that when Donald Trump is the president. The second part is what we have to work on moving into the interim is in the midterms is what are we far it's easy and we've won lots of elections as Democrats saying we're against Donald Trump, but Donald Trump's not going to be here forever. And that's what you're seeing with these Republicans right now. You see that these primaries are starting to pass and a lot of them are growing a spine because they know he won't be there and they're looking towards their own mortality in the House in the midterm. So Democrats need to do two things. Keep on your message about the ballrooms and all the crazy stuff Trump's doing, but then also say, here's what we're going to do for working for families and about your prices.

[Melly Zenona]

It does feel like it was a real breaking point over these last few weeks in Congress at least. Stephen, I want to put up some new poll numbers from the Wall Street Journal showing his approval. The president's approval rating down 4% in just the last four months. But I was most intrigued by there is a nearly 20 point drop for strongly approve among Republican voters. Just how troubling is that for the White House?

[Commercial Voiceover]

I mean, it's a huge problem going into the midterms because what you need is you need people who are fired up so they show up at the polls if they're not going to show up at the polls. And you've seen the president slipping among swing group, among independents, among Latinos. That's a real problem for them. There's a similar finding in a Fox News poll that found that only 54% of MAGA, non MAGA Republicans approve of the job that the president's doing. That if you're in the White House, you're tearing your hair out about that.

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

And as you look about the midterms, this is much different than a presidential election. In an off year election, which we're headed into, about 35% of the electorate normally doesn't show up. So it becomes a turnout mechanism for Democrats and for Republicans. So you're looking, including that number being the one that bothers folks the most. And what we've seen in Democratic primaries and special elections leading up to today is Democrats are more energized because there's this hate for Donald Trump. Sure, a lot of that's the base, but what we're looking at is what's that middle of the road voter. Do they really want to show up in a midterm? Are they that mad? That's the unknown so far.

[Melly Zenona]

Well, there's this other polling in the Wall Street Journal poll that shows an eight point advantage for Democrats heading into the midterms. Congressman Massie also told Kristen that some of Trump's priorities could potentially cost them both the House and the Senate majority parties. I'm curious both of you, do you think the House and Senate are actually both in play in November?

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

The midterm elections are not a national election like a lot of these national polls. You'll see. I would caution operatives out there and politicians, it's only going to be a handful of congressional seats And a handful of Senate races. And the one thing that Republicans have an advantage over Democrat, the Democrat will say this is that Donald Trump has $300 million in a super PAC that we did not see spent on us in 2018.

[Melly Zenona]

Steven, do you, do you think that the Senate is actually something.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

I do.

[Commercial Voiceover]

I do think the Senate's in play. I mean, I think the question is whether that kind of money can overcome the kind of abysmal numbers that you're see for the president and whether he drags Republicans along with him. I mean, he's having such a hard time. His popularity in some polls is now as lower, lower than it was in the days after January 6th. It's hard to imagine a president and he's giving, he seems like every week he's giving Democrats something more they can use in an ad, whether it's this comment the other day when he was asked about Iran that he doesn't really care. He doesn't really think about Americans financial interests because it's so important that Iran not have a nuclear weapon. I mean, I can imagine a Democratic ad maker just cutting that up and running that he doesn't care. He's telling us he doesn't care.

[Melly Zenona]

And chuck this. The Democratic brand, though, still has some problems. So what do Democrats do to overcome that? It can't just be anti Trump the whole time.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

Right.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

And it goes back to this is about elections in small little congressional districts and in states where every state's different. You're going to see Graham Platner run a different ad than Talarico, run a different ad than Michigan or Alex Vindman in Florida. They need to really be concentrating on what's going on in that state. In Florida right now, folks can't afford flood insurance. In Michigan. You see the auto industry going through what's going on with these tariffs. If you show up and talk to what people are really worried about, then I think you can overcome the bad Democratic brand at a local election.

[Melly Zenona]

I do want to get to Texas. Voters are heading to the polls tomorrow in a primary race. It's a runoff between Senator John Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump initially withheld his endorsement for a really long time. At the last minute coming in endorsing Paxton, some people saying this is essentially going to end John Cornyn's career. What do you think, Stephen?

[Commercial Voiceover]

I mean, I'm always, I'm reluctant in this political environment to make any straight line prediction.

[Congressman Jim Baird]

Right.

[Commercial Voiceover]

We've been wrong about enough of them. But yeah, it's Hard to see. Paxton had momentum determined by the OR as judged by the public polling, but also by private polling that showed him in one case by with a double digit lead. I think it's Ken Paxton's race to lose. You see John Cornyn still unwilling to say that he opposes Donald Trump. Even as Donald Trump kicks him and his staff kicks him. Cornyn is saying like I was good to the president. I voted with him 99% of the time. I think that's not going to be enough.

[Melly Zenona]

We'll see if he loses. If he is still right, he joins the YOLO caucus.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

I work, I've worked in Texas for 36 years. I worked for Ann Richards. I'm so old, I've seen a lot of changes. I'm not one of these guys that say pay attention, Texas going back blue. But I'll tell you that James Tyler Rico is running a special race down there. I work for James. I got a lot of privilege to work for a lot of folks in Texas. People in Texas where Republicans have had control for 31 years, their lives don't feel like it's gotten better. As soon as gas got to $4 a gallon, everything changed in Texas.

[Melly Zenona]

Chuck.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

We like big trucks and we like to drive.

[Melly Zenona]

Chuck, do you think that PACs in potentially becoming the nominee does make it easier for Talarico?

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

Anybody who's been in politics more than 30 seconds knows that because it's just like all of his corruption, all of his stuff. As much as they're going to attack James on being woke or whatever the thing of the week may be, Paxton is a flawed candidate.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Stephen, that is the most charitable description of Ken Paxton I've heard in the past six weeks. He is a walking scandal sort of across issues, whether it's personal, governmental, financial, you name it.

[Melly Zenona]

Stephen, really quick, do you think that Democrats could actually flip tax.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Yeah, I mean if ever there's, if ever there's a moment, I think if you look at this environment and you look at Ken Paxton's flaws, you know there's a chance.

[Melly Zenona]

Yeah, it's definitely a race. We will be watching tomorrow and in November. Thank you both so much for joining us. Up next for us though, we have a positive, some positive developments out of the Orange County, California where tens of thousands are under evacuation orders over the risk of a devastating explosion from a storage tank full of, of toxic chemicals. You're watching Meet the Press now. Welcome back. Some positive news in the ongoing effort to avert a devastating chemical explosion in Southern California. Officials say the risk of a Highly dangerous boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion or blevy has been eliminated, although the threat of a different type of explosion still remains. A crack inside the tank which contains a toxic chemical has released pressure and brought down the tank's internal temperature. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated when the tank began heating up and bulging outward, triggering fears of an explosion or chemical leak. Those evacuation orders remain in place. NBC news correspondent Steve Patterson joins me now now from Stanton, California. Steve, thank you so much for joining us. The threat of a so called blevy explosion has been eliminated. But are there still concerns about a different type of explosion and are officials concerned at this point?

[NBC News Correspondent Steve Patterson]

Yeah, Melanie, I just spoke to some of those officials. The chief on scene here, we were talking about safely storing that chemical. He told me the company usually stores it and at about 50 degrees or so right now it's reading anywhere from 92 to 93, which is of course better than the 100 degrees that they were reading yesterday. But it is still really bad. So of course the ignition point for an explosion still of course on the table as well as not to mention the chemical that's in there could leak out. Even if there's no explosion, that tank could still fail, leak everywhere, cause this huge environmental disaster. And those vapors, of course, course if they get into the air, they're not only an irritant to humans, they could be a toxin to humans. So I asked him about the timeline for getting residents back. He says right now they are just focused on safety. Take a listen to this.

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

The blevy our evacuation zones had to

[Melly Zenona]

be this big because of the data,

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

the specifics and the detail we have

[Commercial Voiceover]

now that's off the table. So now we're looking at what is

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

the data, the details of specific state

[Commercial Voiceover]

for a fire or small explosion. What does that evacuation zone look like? So right now that's what they're doing.

[NBC News Correspondent Garrett Hake]

They're starting to look.

[Commercial Voiceover]

What is that going to look like? So they're actively doing that.

[NBC News Correspondent Steve Patterson]

Again, no timeline on when those residents can come back, but we are hearing they may be close with the reduction sort of that blevy. That means that maybe the outer edges of those evacuation zones might start having a plan in order to get those residents back, but nothing as of yet.

[Melly Zenona]

Melanie, I know we, I know we keep throwing around this term blvy break down for us. What is the difference between a blevy explosion and the type of explosion that is still potentially possible?

[NBC News Correspondent Steve Patterson]

In simple terms, Melody, it is magnitude a blevy explosion. First of all, it's just going to be way bigger. It's the reason why the evacuation zone encompasses 50, 50,000 people. All these businesses, all these schools, all these evacuees now out of their homes because of that size. The other one is, is the thermal pathways that trigger the explosion releases vapor. It's part it's called a vapor explosion. Those vapors, again, are toxic. They're irritants to the skin, to the nose, to the mouth, to the eyes. It can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting. You could have people that have real respiratory issues as well, because it can infect your lungs. All of that may still be possible in a smaller explosion with a much smaller radius. But we know it's going to happen if there's a blevy explosion. So the fact that that is eliminated is tremendous. And it is a much, much different situation on the ground. Now they can start to talk about possible solutions, getting more coolant on the chemical inside so they can eliminate this whole thing in the first place. But again, they are still hoping and still, still keeping people out of their homes, hoping that they can have a solution soon. Melanie.

[Melly Zenona]

Steve, thank you so much for all of that reporting. Still to come, though, on this Memorial Day, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including the last three Vietnam veterans serving in Congress, gather for a quiet act of service and remembrance. My conversation with some of those veterans is next.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

Memorial Day is not a sale. It's not a celebration. It's a remembrance. And we have gotten away from that a little bit.

[Congressman Jim Baird]

The fact that we can talk or do whatever we want to do, so to speak, that was earned by blood and sweat from those folks that gave it all.

[Melly Zenona]

Welcome back. As Americans across the country commemorate Memorial Day, last week, some two dozen members of the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan group of military veterans serving in Congress. Congress participated in an annual event to clean the more than 58,000 names etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in an act of remembrance for those who gave their lives. That group included the last three Vietnam veterans in Congress, Congresswoman Jack Bergman, Jim Baird and Mike Thompson. I had the opportunity to sit down with three members who participated in that event. I began by asking them what was going through their minds while washing the

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

wall for the longest time. It was a very hard thing before coming to Congress, I had a hard time going to the wall just because of the personal connection. Thankfully, thanks to Mike Wall's leadership and Four Country Caucus, they've created an annual event that more people are getting involved with. And it's emotional, but it's I believe it's productive, especially the way the media has taken it and shown the American people what we're really doing. This is not a political event.

[Melly Zenona]

So is it easier to go to the wall now?

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

It is in some cases. It'll never be totally easy, but, you know, we come to grips with the realities of life, and the only way we do that is by getting into what makes us uncomfortable.

[Melly Zenona]

And Congressman Baird, you're also a Vietnam veteran, so what was it like for you to be there today?

[Congressman Jim Baird]

It's an emotional experience. It took us. It took me 30 some years ago because I was afraid of how many names I might see on the wall that I knew. But in the end, it was a healing experience and it was a very emotional experience. And I take every opportunity that I've had in recent years to make sure that the Vietnam veterans understand that they did a great job, they were good soldiers, and I enjoyed serving with every one of them that I served with, and I would go back and do it again. What I'm trying to say is I think the country should be proud of the kind of young people that we put into the military and the job that they do. And you're talking about 18, 19, 20 year old individuals, and they end up in a combat zone, and it's unbelievable. The courage and the strength and the backbone they have to really, really defend and protect their fellow soldiers.

[Melly Zenona]

And Congresswoman, you weren't a Vietnam veteran, but you are a veteran. You served 11 years in the U.S. navy Reserves. What did it mean for you to participate in the event today?

[Congresswoman Elaine Luria]

Well, it was, it was deeply humbling and it was a true honor to be alongside Jack and Jim at the wall. It's. It is. There is no greater love than the love that leads a person to put their life on the line to give their life to our country. And the memorial is, it's an extraordinary thing because Americans from every corner of our country came together to pay tribute to this heroism. And that's what it is. It was a humbling experience and one that I hope every American can share in.

[Melly Zenona]

And there's only three Vietnam veterans left serving in Congress. Congressman Bergman and Congressman Baird being two of them. What is it like for you guys? Do you have a small community? Did it used to be bigger?

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

Well, they're not making any more of us. So, you know, when I got here, there in 10 years ago, there were a few more Vietnam veterans, but they, they've all retired. There's none in the Senate. It's up to us. I believe, as the remaining few to make sure we understand what the next generation of veterans has gone through. The Mike walls of the world and the oif OEF veterans and how we make sure that it's not just about World War II, it's not just about the Korean War, it's not just about Vietnam. It's about the sacrifices and the price paid. And we do, I think, a pretty good job with the veterans in Congress. Whatever. Democrat, Republican, doesn't make a bit of a difference. It's understanding what we've been given by the sacrifices of others.

[Melly Zenona]

And just generally how important is it to have veteran representation in Congress?

[Congresswoman Elaine Luria]

You know, I, I love working with these two and I came early in my career. I had a chance to work for Senator John McCain. And what you see in the trajectory of Congress, it used to be that the majority of members had spent time serving in uniform. And today we have a lot of work to do to recruit and retain people who have served in the military. And I think the reason I love working with veterans in Congress, it's a mission focused group. It's a group that. In a very noisy place, place with a lot of noise. It's a group of people who tune that out, who stay focused on the mission and who know how to work with anyone. And that's one of the gifts that the Navy gave me. It was one of the things I love most about serving, that you don't think about the ideology of the person to your left or your right. You get to work and you stay focused on the mission until it's done. Yeah.

[Melly Zenona]

Veterans operate a different way than maybe civilian folks, right?

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

Oh, we're a little bit more mission focused. And we'll call baloney if we see baloney very quickly. We don't suffer wasting time.

[Melly Zenona]

And I'm sure you see a lot of that up here on Capitol Hill.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

They're masters.

[Congressman Jim Baird]

But that's one reason I joined For Country Caucus because there's a bond between veterans that you just can't explain, but it's there. I have friends all over the United States that I could call that would be here if they thought I really needed them. And so that bond, and that's what the For Country Caucus does, is try to capitalize on that and plant the seeds that we do need to work together. You know, this place operates the best when you can compromise and get together and, and, and it may not. You may not get everything you wanted, but. But the product is a result of everyone participating. So I think that's an important part of this mission.

[Melly Zenona]

And it seems that bond transcends political lines. It's not partisan. You're a Democrat, two of you are Republicans. Talk to me about reaching across the aisle and how maybe it's perhaps easier amongst veterans to do that.

[Congressman Jim Baird]

It's kind of like a family, you know? You know, you can see brothers and sisters fight, but I guess I'd encourage you not to get in that fight fight because they are brothers and sisters, you know, So I feel that a little bit that way about veterans. We stand for each other.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

We hold each other accountable. And that's important because we were trained. You have to. There's a phrase in the Marine Corps, the Marine doesn't fight for themselves. They fight for that Marine on their left and their right. And that's what we do. We bond together and hold each other accountable and be a step above what we have seen here. Unfortunately, too much of in D.C. we're better than that.

[Melly Zenona]

I do want to dig into some of the legislation. I know you guys have worked together on some bills before, but Congressman Bergman, you've been a champion of mental health support for service members for veterans. You've talked about how difficult it can be transitioning from active duty to civilian life. What is some of the progress we have made and what more needs to be done to try to meet some of those needs?

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

Well, as odd as it may seem, because I've never taken an illegal drug in my life, I'm the Republican lead for advancing psychedelic therapies. And I fought long and hard for a couple of years before getting involved. But for me, there was one driver, suicide. My co lead on the Democrat side, Lou Correa, and I came in as freshmen together, and we are as tight as tight can be on this. And over the last three plus years, we've had great advancements, the most recent one being the executive order that was written advancing the opportunity for psychedelic therapies. You know, 20 plus suicides a day. In the veteran community, waiting is not an option. I mean, I'm sure Jim would speak to this, but we saw several too many of our fellow combat veterans in Vietnam come back and never assimilate back into society. And it was largely mental health issues. And one of the things to the credit to the United States, they realized that not welcoming us home in the 60s and 70s, they created a mental health problem that didn't need to be there. So when Desert Shields, Desert Storm came in the 90s and then oif oef later, the country has awakened to the fact that they welcome home their veterans. That's a good thing. That's a good sign of healthy growth.

[Melly Zenona]

Talk to me about those invisible wounds. And do you think the government is doing enough to service veterans, especially when it comes to mental health?

[Congressman Jim Baird]

I don't know what you would call enough. I'm not sure that you ever feel enough. But I do go to this. And continuing on with what the general said, said I've been involved in agriculture all my life. And so there's a piece I get out of being a part of that. But we've created in the farm bill and we just passed that out of the House, for example. But in that farm bill, we created an environment that allowed young veterans or returning veterans to get involved in agriculture. And I think the peace you obtain from working with the land and growing product or growing livestock, there's a piece there that helps mental health. And so continuing on what he said, I think all of that's important.

[Melly Zenona]

And Congresswoman, what are some areas that you see as ripe for bipartisanship when it comes to potential legislation as it relates to veterans?

[Congresswoman Elaine Luria]

Well, I'd say two things. One, you know, we have a lot of work to do to fulfill what I think is a sacred obligation to our veterans, to our service members and our military families. And when I think think about health care, we're the richest country in the history of the world. No veteran, no American should go without the health care they need, when they need it and where they need it. And on mental health, you know, mental health care is health care, period. And that is a bipartisan principle that Congress laid down more than two decades ago.

[Melly Zenona]

How can we get the rest of Congress to embody that sort of bipartisan spirit?

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

You think we should draft them? That's a little inside humor, humor here that they we need to put them through some kind of a boot camp, see if they'll survive.

[Elyse Labitt]

I'm sure the speaker would love that

[Melly Zenona]

for some of his members. I want to wrap up here by just asking each of you what is your message to Americans this Memorial Day? I'll start with you.

[Congressman Jack Bergman]

Always remember appropriately those who gave it all, they gave their today so you could have your tomorrow and never make light of it. Honor it and then after you've done that, then celebrate their service in appropriate ways and never make it, you know,

[Congresswoman Elaine Luria]

partisan Congresswoman, we are who we remember. And Memorial Day is a time to remember the men and women, women for 250 years who have given their lives to each and every one of us. It's, it's an extraordinary inheritance. And the way that we, we honor, that is, is by remembering and by living up to the sacrifice and the devotion that they, each and every one of them, gave to us. And America needs every citizen right now to step up and to be a part of this. You know, 250 years is a long time for any republic to have existed. And the way that we keep this experiment, this fragile, extraordinary experiment, unlike any other the world has ever known, is by ordinary people who believe in our Constitution, who believe in one another step in stepping up and being a part of this.

[Melly Zenona]

And Congressman Baird, I'll give you the last word here.

[Congressman Jim Baird]

So I think, I think the fact that we carry on in memory of what they sacrificed and gave their whole life for, that we have a responsibility as Americans to continue that on and to protect what they fought for. And I certainly intend to do that.

[Melly Zenona]

I want to thank Congressman Bergman, Baird and Goodlander for their time and for their service. That does it for us today on this Memorial Day. We're back tomorrow with more MEET THE PRESS now. And there's more ahead on NBC News. Now.

[Charles Barkley]

It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair. And let me tell you, game day is serious business at my house. If I'm grilling, chilling and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play. That's where Wayfair wins. From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill it accessories, Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast. I'm talking fast and easy delivery. So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game and head to Wayfarer.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season.

[Melly Zenona]

Wayfair, every style, every home.