CSPAN - Washington Journal 04/28/2025

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April 28, 2025 07:00-10:02 - CSPAN

03:01:52

Washington Journal 04/28/2025

Participants

Main

mimi geerges

cspan 34:31

Appearances

adam smith

rep/d 01:13

bernie sanders

sen/d 01:45

brian lamb

cspan 00:40

donald j trump

admin 02:52

jake sullivan

d 00:43

karoline leavitt

admin 02:50

marco rubio

admin 01:25

margaret brennan

cbs 00:42

scott bessent

admin 02:51

sergey lavrov

01:15

Clips

barack obama

d 00:02

bill clinton

d 00:05

george h w bush

r 00:02

george w bush

r 00:04

jimmy carter

d 00:03

kristen welker

nbc 00:25

patrick s j carmack

00:04

ronald reagan

r 00:01

saint john hunt

00:10

Callers

steve in arizona

callers 00:13

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Speaker	Time	Text
unidentified		And then the Globe and Mail's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife previews federal elections in Canada.
		And Catherine Tully McManus of Politico discusses the week ahead in Congress.
		Also, the Washington Examiner's Christian Day Talk previews the week ahead at the White House.
		And Mohsen Milani of the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida on U.S.-Iran relations and the state of nuclear negotiations.
		Washington Journal is next.
		Join the conversation.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning.
		It's Monday, April 28th.
		Trump administration officials continue to try to reach a deal with Iran to end their nuclear program.
		Talks are also ongoing to reach a deal with Russia and Ukraine to end the war there.
		U.S. negotiators are involved in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
		There are believed to be 24 living hostages still being held and 52,000 Palestinians killed in the war.
		This first hour will ask you if you approve or disapprove of President Trump's handling of global affairs.
		Here's how you can share your thoughts with us.
		Republicans are on 202-748-8001.
		Democrats 202-748-8000.
		And Independents 202-748-8002.
		You can text us at 202-748-8003.
		Be sure to include your first name in your city-state.
		We're on social media, facebook.com/slash C-SPAN and X at C-SPANWJ.
		Welcome to today's Washington Journal.
		We're glad you're with us.
		We're talking about global affairs this first hour.
		We'll start with a Fox News poll.
		This is about the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, and it has several items here, but this one is foreign policy.
		So blue is approved, yellow is disapproved.
		He's got a 40%, according to this poll, 40% approval on foreign policy, 54% on disapproval.
		With respect to tariffs, it's 33% approval and 58% disapproval.
		And this is an Ipsos poll.
		We'll get to that.
		This is Pew.
		It says, Americans give early Trump foreign policy actions mixed or negative reviews.
		And let's take a look at what Secretary Rubio said yesterday on Meet the Press when he was asked about the Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
marco rubio ▲ ● ▼		I think this is going to be a very critical week.
		This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in or if it's time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more important in some cases.
		But we want to see it happen.
		There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well.
		We're close, but we're not close enough.
kristen welker ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk about what we've heard from and seen from President Trump online, who now says he wants to deal with President Putin, quote, differently through banking or secondary sanctions.
kristen welker ▲ ● ▼		Will President Trump follow through with imposing new sanctions against Russia?
marco rubio ▲ ● ▼		Well, first of all, I'm not going to, the president, we have multiple options, frankly, to address this and to deal with all of this, but we don't want to get to that point.
		This is still not the time.
		I think what the president is saying and has been saying for some time now is he is aware that he has these options.
		People ask him about it all the time.
		But what he really wants is a peace deal.
		He wants the dying and the killing to stop.
		This is a terrible war.
		It's cost the lives of thousands of people, billions of dollars, and generational destruction on the side, especially on the Ukrainian side.
		We want the war to end.
		You saw yesterday at the Pope's Mass, there was talk about war and how it needed to stop.
		The Pope, the late Pope, who's celebrated for being a peacemaker and trying to talk about these things.
		We should all be happy that we have a president of the United States and Donald J. Trump who wants to end and prevent wars.
		And that's what we're trying to do here.
		And so ultimately, look, if it doesn't happen, it doesn't come to fruition, then as a nation state, there are options that we have for those who we hold responsible for not wanting the peace.
		But we prefer not to get to that stage yet because we think it closes the door to diplomacy.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And this is some data for you from Pew.
		It says 43% say Trump is favoring Russia too much, but Americans are more divided about Israelis and Palestinians.
		Here's the information about Russia: 43% say that President Trump is favoring Russia too much, 31% say striking the right balance, 3% says favoring Ukraine too much, and 22% are not sure.
		Regarding Israel and Israelis and Palestinians, 31% of those polled say that President Trump is favoring Israelis too much.
		29% say it's the right balance.
		And 3% say it is favoring Palestinians too.
		And 37% say they're not sure about which side they feel President Trump is on to favoring too much.
		Here is the New York Times with the headline.
		Rubio says Trump will decide this week on continuing Ukraine war.
		It says Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there are reasons to be optimistic, but also asserted there are quote other issues on which the administration wants to spend its energy.
		Wonder what you think about that.
		We'll take a look at what former Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on ABC News yesterday.
		He was asked to point out what he thinks the Trump administration has done right in foreign policy.
jake sullivan ▲ ● ▼		It's hard in 100 days to come up with a good example of that.
		I mean, there are things where they have taken forward what we have in motion.
		Yeah, I mean, they've done some things on immigration, but honestly, when you balance it against giving no due process to people and sending them to El Salvadorian prisons, that damage is so much greater than what they've been able to achieve.
		I think there are certain steps with respect to the Houthis that I could really get behind.
		You know, we took military action against the Houthis.
		They have stepped that up.
		I still believe that we need to connect that to a larger strategic endgame with the Houthis.
		But that would be an area where I think there's been some continuity.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We're asking you this morning whether you approve or disapprove of President Trump's handling of global affairs.
		We'll take your calls now.
		Here's Joshua in Schaumburg, Illinois, Republican.
		Good morning, Joshua.
unidentified		Good morning.
unidentified		I think that Trump up.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Here's the Washington Times: the headline: Russian strikes give Trump new reason for doubt.
		President suspects Putin is bluffing on proposed peace negotiations.
		Here's what the article says: Russia ramped up its drone assault on Ukraine on Sunday, one day after President Trump expressed a new skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's interest in ending the three-year-old conflict.
		The latest Russian strikes killed at least four people across Ukraine, officials said.
		Ukrainian President Zelensky, who met with Mr. Trump face to face at Pope Francis' funeral Saturday, said Sunday that, quote, more tangible pressure on Russia is needed to create diplomacy and the situation remains, quote, difficult.
		Well, let's see what the Russian foreign minister was on CBS Face the Nation yesterday.
		This was taped earlier in the week, but he talked about those negotiations between the U.S. and Russia.
margaret brennan ▲ ● ▼		Broadly speaking, when you look at what's happening in the battle space in Ukraine right now, analysts say about 18% of Ukrainian territory is under the control of Russian forces.
		U.S. intelligence says battlefield trends are in Russia's favor.
		So if that's the case, why should the U.S. believe Russia is serious about ending the war if everything is in your favor?
sergey lavrov ▲ ● ▼		Well, we judge by the reaction of our American colleagues to what we tell them.
		And this is being done during negotiations.
		They're confidential as any serious negotiation.
		And they know our position.
		And Mark Orubio, he publicly said that now they better understand the Russian position and the reasons for what is going on.
		And he said that nobody in Washington lifted a finger to do the same, to understand, to try to understand Russia during the Biden administration.
		And this implies that the dialogue continues, that the dialogue is supported by the United States.
		And I reiterate that it is supported by the Russian Federation.
		And this dialogue continues.
margaret brennan ▲ ● ▼		So President Trump said he expects to meet soon with Vladimir Putin.
		What's an acceptable time and location?
		Why should they meet?
sergey lavrov ▲ ● ▼		Look, the presidents are masters of their own destiny and of their own schedule.
		I heard President Trump say that he is planning to be somewhere mid-May, and that after that, he would be suggesting some days.
		I cannot add anything else.
margaret brennan ▲ ● ▼		But you think it would be good for the two leaders to meet soon?
sergey lavrov ▲ ● ▼		We're always in favor of meeting with people who are ready for a dialogue.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Back to the calls now.
		Here is Tina in Baltimore, line for Republicans.
		What do you think, Tina?
		Approve or disapprove of President Trump's handling of global affairs?
unidentified		I approve.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Why?
unidentified		I think it takes swift action.
		I think it takes talking.
		I think he's a good talker.
		And it's time for Russia and Ukraine to get together and stop.
		That's all.
		I think he's doing the best he can.
		What else can anybody do besides try to bomb them?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Okay.
		And what do you think of the other issues around the world as far as, say, Israel and the Palestinians?
		What do you think about that?
unidentified		I think the Palestinians are completely misguided, completely misguided.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So what do you think President Trump should do about that?
unidentified		Oh, man, I don't know what more he could do except what he's doing.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		Let's talk to Bill, Line for Democrats, Grandview, Texas.
		Hi, Bill.
unidentified		Hi.
unidentified		I actually don't approve of Donald Trump's handling of foreign affairs because his male and we've got this from Ipsos.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		America's reputation drops across the world.
		It says the proportion saying that the United States will have a positive influence on world affairs has fallen in 26 out of 29 countries over the last six months.
		America's reputation has fallen most markedly in Canada.
		For the first time in our decade-long survey series, China is placed ahead of the U.S. when it comes to playing a positive role on the international scene.
		So this is a poll of countries.
		This is a new 29-country Ipsos poll.
		And it explores attitudes towards the U.S. alongside a number of other nations and international institutions.
		It provides an update on how President Donald Trump's second non-consecutive term has impacted America's global reputation.
		So you can see here, global average is at 46%.
		Percent believing America will have a positive influence.
		This is taken this month, April 2025.
		This is where Canada is at 19% at the bottom of the list.
		And here is Robert and Clearwater, Florida, Republican.
		Hi, Robert.
unidentified		Hi, how are you, everyone?
		Thanks for shaking my haul.
		I think Russia is on bidding, and they're going to keep pest with us.
		So what we got to do is get India, get Korea, get all of them against him, put a nuclear bomb in front of his place.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Robert.
		Well, let's take a look at yesterday on ABC, the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Beshunt, was asked where Trump's trade deal negotiations with China currently stand.
		Here he is.
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		Look, this was IMF World Bank Week, the NDC, as you know.
		And I had interaction with my Chinese counterparts, but it was more on the traditional things like financial stability, global economic early warnings.
		I don't know if President Trump has spoken with President Xi.
		I know they have a very good relationship and a lot of respect for each other.
		But again, I think that the Chinese will see that this high tariff level is unsustainable for their business.
unidentified		Why would they deny that the negotiations are going on?
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		Well, I think they're playing to a different audience.
unidentified		So they're actually going on.
unidentified		There's actually things happening that the Chinese are just denying, but it's not true.
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		That we have a process in place.
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		And again, I just believe these Chinese tariffs are unsustainable.
unidentified		Okay, according to Bloomberg, you said because of the Chinese business model.
		According to Bloomberg, you said recently that a comprehensive deal between the U.S. and China could happen in two to three years.
		Trump said a deal will come quickly.
		You've heard him say that.
		You said obviously it was going to be a slog.
		So how long do you think?
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		Well, look, I think that there is a path here.
		So the first path will be, again, a de-escalation, which I think the Chinese are going to have to have.
		Then I think there can be an agreement.
		In principle, these 17 or 18 important trade deals that we're negotiating, the actual papering of the trade deal, a trade deal, can take months.
		But an agreement in principle and the good behavior and staying within the parameter of the deal by our trading partners can keep the tariffs from ratcheting back to the maximum level.
unidentified		Sure.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And Elizabeth, in Randallstown, Maryland.
		Line for Democrats is.
		Oh, sorry.
		I hit the wrong one.
		Elizabeth, Randallstown, Maryland.
		Democrat.
		Now you're on the air.
unidentified		Yes.
		I just want to say that I think Trump's foreign policy is just a disaster.
		He's arming Israel and Israel is destroying Palestine, genocide in Palestine.
		He's arming Israel and his terrorists are alienating all the countries.
		He has terrorists on alienating everyone in the world against the United States.
		And he wants to amend Greenland, which is just absurd, and take over the Panama Canal, which is more absurd than anything in the whole world and to have a bad relationship with Canada.
		I don't know what Trump's problem is, but he's one of the worst presidents we've ever had in terms of foreign policy.
		That's all I want to say.
		Thank you very much.
		Thank you.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Elizabeth.
		And that Pew Research poll did ask about the possibility of the Trump administration to pursue a takeover of Gaza and Greenland.
		It says that Americans have mixed feelings, but the majority oppose doing so.
		So here is the percentage of U.S. adults who say it is likely that Trump will pursue a takeover.
		Not at all, is 34% for Greenland, 38% for Gaza.
		Somewhat likely that the Trump administration will pursue taking over is at 28% for Greenland, 26% for Gaza.
		Extremely or not very much is at 23% for Greenland, 20% for Gaza.
		And those saying not sure, 14% and 16%.
		The percentage of adults who oppose the U.S. taking over Greenland is at 54%.
		Opposed taking Gaza is at 62%.
		And here is Helen in Long Beach, California Republican.
		Hi, Helen.
		Hi.
unidentified		Hi.
		I read a recent article in the Journal of Foreign Affairs called, I'm trying to pull it up, titled The Age of American Unilateralism.
		And what it talked about is the U.S., the world economy is highly dependent on the health of the United States economy and the health of the dollar.
		So there's a movement within, I think, Trump's foreign policy is unilateralism to go it alone, to be the only one calling, I guess, the shots.
		And there's also another movement with the Vice President, JD Vance.
		He's very much an isolationist.
		He wants self-sufficiency for the United States.
		And I think a lot of Americans want that self-sufficiency too, economic.
		They don't want that dependency on the global economy and on other countries.
		With Russia, now, Russia's and Trump, you know, Putin and Trump had some kind of a bromance going on.
		And I think Trump was trying to woo Putin away from China, thus breaking that autocratic alliance that would kind of strike back at the United States.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So, Helen, do you think he's been successful at doing that?
unidentified		He'll never be successful at it for the very reason that Putin and a lot of other parts of the world realize Trump could be out of power in four years.
		So you don't throw your alliance to someone who's just going to be around for a few years.
		They're going to stick with China, and China's going to stick with Iran and North Korea.
		And, you know, you've got the Axis of chaos still thriving.
		These regimes will become more militarized.
		The population is not happy with what's going on with all these wars being fought by Russia and the trade war with China.
		But I think Trump is really taking a stand.
		And if you want to compare, contrast Biden with Trump, God, yes, Trump is much better.
		Biden was just floating us towards another World War III.
		It was just getting worse and worse, and we knew it was getting worse, was a never-ending conflict in Ukraine.
		It has to be resolved before there's any change in foreign relations, especially with China and with Russia.
		Russia and China are very, very much dependent on each other.
		China gets the oil and all the energy needs from Russia, and Russia gets the help it needs militarily from China.
		So they're not going to break up.
		So Trump's biggest challenge is making peace and getting cooperation with China and Russia.
		As far as the rest of the world, I'm not going to stretch out into that.
		Frankly.
		Okay.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Okay, we got it, Helen.
		And we will talk about, we've got a whole segment on Iran coming up later in the program.
		So we'll definitely talk about that in detail.
		Here's Stephen in Arlington, Virginia Independent.
		Good morning, Stephen.
unidentified		Hi, good morning.
		I definitely agree with what Helen was saying before: that Trump's efforts to make us sin are at least a lot better than the Biden administration.
		One thing I'd like to say about their national security strategy, what it seems like, is just the boy who cried wolf.
		He keeps saying, and I'm talking about President Trump here, saying, you know, what he was saying on the campaign trail was that he would end the war on the first day as soon as he got into office.
		And now he's realizing how difficult it is and how crafty and how tricky Putin really is.
		One thing I would say and advise to their national security team is they need to go read some game theory by John Nash and recognize that every meeting that he takes and every statement that he gives from Air Force One to the press is going to make an actual dent in how the Russians will respond.
		It's an extremely important thing that it doesn't seem like his national security team has any strategy for him.
		I believe the national security previous security advisor under Obama, John Brennan, explained how, you know, Ukraine has already been attacked.
		Their land has already been taken over by Russia.
		They've been doing this since 2008 with Georgia, the Crimea.
		So they've already kind of taken what they've needed to, but they've done it through such terrible aims and utilizing mercenaries and subjugating their own people that America, and especially Donald Trump, needs to recognize that this is just a dictator's ploy that he's been doing for many, many years.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So what do you suggest, Stephen, when it comes to negotiating with Russia?
unidentified		Well, I suggest that he goes on, you know, Trump likes to talk to the people directly, talk to the American people, and explain how Putin has been subjugating his people through terrible means and using these wars as a distraction to how crappy his country is being built up.
unidentified		By doing that, he'll get American support for either some type of tariffs or sanctions or, you know, God unwilling, some type of military force against this crazy Russian regime, which is going to continue this disastrous campaign against the Ukrainian people far long after Trump leaves office.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Got it.
		And this is Armin in Salt Lake City, a Democrat.
		Good morning.
		What do you think of President Trump's handling of global affairs?
unidentified		Global affairs for Trump is this one.
		First of all, let's see.
		We are almost 300 million people, more or less.
		China has a billion.
		India have a billion.
		So it is impossible we can compare with them computer with muscle.
		The only thing which the United States can do now is having the muscle of the brain.
		And this is the way we should have to look.
		Number two, Trump.
		He's doing Canada is belong to us, disrespectful.
		Greenland.
		What he wants to do about parasite.
		I was born in Palestine.
		So my grandfather was buried in Gaza.
		I cannot go there because Trump is telling, you know, this is a very good place.
		We can put the casinos and this thing.
		Trump does not have any idea, much any area.
		Just he's doing whatever he wants to do for his own benefit, such as Bitcoins.
		Can you imagine any present?
		You know, I have Bitcoin too.
		Bitcoins are about $130 million is in Jail.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And speaking of Gaza, President Trump was at a news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back in February, where he talked about his vision for Gaza.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Take a look.
donald j trump ▲ ● ▼		I also strongly believe that the Gaza Strip, which has been a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it, and especially those who live there, and frankly who's been really very unlucky.
		It's been very unlucky.
		It's been an unlucky place for a long time.
		Being in its presence just has not been good, and it should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there.
		Instead, we should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza, ending the death and destruction and frankly bad luck.
		This could be paid for by neighboring countries of great wealth.
		It could be one, two, three, four, five, seven, eight, twelve.
		It could be numerous sites or it could be one large site.
		But the people will be able to live in comfort and peace and will make sure something really spectacular is done.
		They're going to have peace.
		They're not going to be shot at and killed and destroyed like this civilization of wonderful people has had to endure.
		The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative.
		It's right now a demolition site.
		This is just a demolition site.
		Virtually every building is down.
		They're living under fallen concrete that's very dangerous and very precarious.
		They instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony instead of having to go back and do it again.
		The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.
		We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.
		Do a real job, do something different.
		Just can't go back.
		If you go back, it's going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And back to the phones to Joe in New Providence, New Jersey, Independent Line.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Joe, what do you think of President Trump's handling of global affairs?
unidentified		Well, let me tell you, he's doing a real good job.
		And just imagine what he could do if he had half of the backing of the Democrats.
		But the Democrats, everything he does, they say no.
		They're against him 100%.
		They're just so against him, it isn't funny.
		For one reason or another, I don't know.
		But let's put it this way.
		He's doing pretty good with the Russians.
		At least he's trying to get the war to stop.
		The Democrats, all they want to do is put money, money, money.
		They didn't even try.
		And now, one other thing that the polls you put on all the time, polls change like everything else.
		Day and night they change.
		So you can't go buy polls.
		That's only a news guy thing.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Joe.
		And here's Les Dodge City, Kansas, Republican.
		Good morning, Les.
unidentified		Good morning.
		And I agree with Joe.
		Trump is doing the best he can.
		He is the best president we have ever had.
		And to you Palestinians, please get it through your head.
		I'm sorry, but you need to move on somewhere else to another Muslim nation, Islamic nation, that God gave that land to the Jews.
		They are God's chosen people.
		It says in the Bible, they are the apple of his eye, and Jerusalem especially.
		Don't get it in your heads that that is your land.
		It's not.
		It never was and never will be.
		And God will see to it you never get that land.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Les.
		And we're going to pause our calls for a few moments.
		We're going to speak to a reporter because there are elections going on in Canada today.
		So we'll get an update on that.
		But you can continue to call in, and we will get back to your calls shortly.
		Robert Fife joins us from Ottawa.
		He's the Ottawa Bureau Chief of the Globe and Mail.
		Robert, welcome to the program.
unidentified		Good morning.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Can you tell us what Canadians are voting for today?
unidentified		Well, we're electing a new government and a new prime minister.
		It's between Mark Earney, who was a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
		He's leading the Liberal Party, replaced Justin Trudeau as the Liberal Party leader.
		And his main opponent is Conservative leader Pierre Polyev, who has been in parliament since 2004, has had various roles and is now the leader of the party.
		It's a tight race, but I think the way the polls are going is that the Liberals will probably end up with a slight majority, perhaps more.
		And the election campaign has largely been fought about Donald Trump.
		He's changed the whole dynamics of the campaign.
		The Liberals had been in power for 10 years.
		People were sick and tired of the Liberals and of Justin Trudeau.
		And so Mr. Trudeau was finally forced out by his party.
		And then along came Donald Trump, threatening an economic trade war with Canada and the rest of the world.
		And then talking about annexing Canada as he has talked about annexing Greenland.
		And needless to say, that upset the whole country.
		And there was a profound shift back to the Liberal Party.
		The Conservatives had led for more than a year and a half by about 20 points.
		And after Mr. Trump started talking about tariffs on Canada and annexing the country, it swung right back.
		So the Liberals were in a lead for a long time for about 10 percentage points ahead.
		But in the last few days, it's narrowed down to about 4%, 5%.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And explain how members of parliament are elected in Canada.
unidentified		Well, we have a parliamentary system.
		And so every it's normally every four years, unless there's a minority government, people go to the polls and they elect members of parliament in each constituency.
		And whoever has enough seats forms the government.
		And the cabinet ministers also are selected from members of parliament.
		So they have to run for office.
		And then they are selected to become cabinet ministers.
		And a parliamentary system is that the prime minister has to show up at least three times a day, sorry, three times a week when parliament is sitting to answer questions from the House of Commons.
		There is legislation that is put before the House.
		It's passed.
		It also goes to a Senate as well for review and passage.
		The Senate, unlike the United States, is unelected.
		They're appointed members.
		There have been many tries over the years to have an elected Senate, but we can't seem to get consensus on that because you need provincial approval to change the Constitution.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And there are more than just the two parties in Canada.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So what happens if one party doesn't get the majority?
unidentified		Well, the last, since 2019 and 2021 elections, they're minority governments.
		So Mr. Trudeau had to cut a deal with the NDP, which you would regard as the Social Democratic Party.
		There was also a fairly significant segment from Quebec of the Bloc-Quebec law, which are a separatist party.
		There were about 33, 34 of them in the House.
		But it turned out to be a very expensive proposition for Canadians because to get the approval of the NDP to stay in power, Mr. Trudeau had to spend a lot of money on a whole range of issues, including pharma care, dental care, and a whole other range of issues.
		And the spending and just the wokeism of Prime Minister Trudeau eventually just turned off the Canadian elected.
		But it's not surprising after 10 years, governments tend, no matter where, tend to be defeated just because people have had it with them.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And you said it was a tight race.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Give us an idea of the demographics of Canada and where kind of the younger people, the older people are men, women, those kind of issues.
unidentified		Okay, well, first of all, people should understand that Ontario and Quebec are the larger population centers, particularly Ontario, and then British Columbia after that.
		So those three provinces are pretty pivotal to winning the election campaign.
		The younger men, as they've seen in the United States with Donald Trump, have been supportive of Pierre Polyev, the Conservative leader.
		Women were supportive of Mr. Polyev, but after Mark Carney was elected, they've swung back to Mr. Kearney.
		And surprisingly, and this is where probably the Liberals are going to end up winning, is that people over 55, 50 and over, which tend to support Conservatives, are now supporting Mr. Kearney, the Liberal leader, and that's largely because of concerns about economic uncertainty because of the trade war launched by Donald Trump.
		So Mr. Trump is having a major role in this election campaign.
		Mr. Kearney is playing up his expertise as a central banker and a businessman who he chaired Rookville Asset Management, which is a massive investment company worth about $1 trillion U.S. in investments.
		So he's playing up his experience and being able to deal with Donald Trump.
		Mr. Polyev has had the misfortune of trying to copy some of Trump's tactics over the years, including name-calling, like calling Mr. Trump, for example, or sorry, Mr. Carney, you know, sneaky Kearney, carbon tax carney, that sort of stuff.
		And the name-calling and other issues that are very similar to what Trump does has turned off voters against Mr. Polyev to a large extent.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And when do polls close?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		When are you going to know the results?
unidentified		Well, they change across the time zones, but let's look in Ontario.
		The Ontario polls will close at 9:30.
		That's when we'll see whether, I think we'll probably see whether he gets a majority government.
		We know now the Liberals are leading in Atlantic Canada.
		They're leading in Quebec.
		They're leading in Ontario.
		They're doing well in Manitoba.
		Saskatchewan and Alberta are heavily going to the Conservatives as they always tend to do so.
		And British Columbia has become a very tight two-way race between the Liberals and the Conservatives.
		But given the population centers in Quebec and Ontario and coming out of Atlantic Canada, probably with more seats, they stand a very, very good chance of forming a majority government.
		But by how much, it's hard to know.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And finally, if Mr. Carney were to win, what fundamental differences would we see or would Americans notice would be different between him and Mr. Trudeau?
unidentified		Well, Mr. Carney is a very serious man.
		He's got enormous experience on the world stage.
		He's moved the Liberal Party back to the center where most Canadians are comfortable.
		So you're going to see he wants to build more pipelines to get our natural resources to world markets because right now we sell oil to the United States, but it's at a discount.
		And he wants to build more liquefied natural gas facilities so we can get our natural gas to Asian markets, but also to Europe.
		You're going to see a significant change from how do we, we're going to get interprovincial trade barriers down, which we have in Canada, which are disadvantaged to our own internal trade.
		So they're going to be going to be very heavily on the economy.
		And the first thing he's going to do within days of forming the government is to try to get talks going with the United States on a new economic and security arrangement.
		That was something that both President Trump and Mark Carney talked about when they had a phone call on March 28th.
		And look, and I think if Mr. Polyev was to win, he'd do very much the same policies.
		And just so you know, both parties have also talked about increasing defense spending.
		We've long been a laggard in defense spending, relying on the United States largely for our defense.
		Well, that's not going to cut it anymore.
		And we're going to have to start to see some significant standards on defense as well.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		And we will watch what happens with those Canadian elections.
		Robert Fife, thanks so much for joining us, Ottawa Bureau Chief of the Globe and Mail.
unidentified		You're welcome.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Come back to your calls now.
		Our question this morning is, do you approve or disapprove of President Trump's handling of global affairs?
		Keith is on the line from Denver, Democrat.
		Good morning, Keith.
unidentified		Well, good morning.
		I'm a Democrat, so you obviously know, and the audience obviously knows what I think.
		It's a disaster.
		America in 100 days has lost 20% of its wealth to dollar this week.
		All our allies, you just had a Canadian reporter on, all of our friends and allies know and tell us the era of reliance on America as the leader of the free world is complete.
		It will take a generation or more if we're ever able to reestablish that.
		Trump has set some major records in his two terms within his first 100 days.
		The lowest approval rating of any U.S. president in history.
		I think where the news lies right now, it doesn't matter what Democrats say.
		It doesn't matter what Republicans say, particularly MAGA.
		So-called independents, only 5% of people that identify as independents are actually swing voters.
		We know this.
		And I wish people would make that clear.
		Only 5%.
		So when you're claiming you're an independent and you're always vote Democrat or always vote Republican, you are not an independent.
		May I suggest a segment as we approach this 100 days of only independent callers because he won them and they are so regretful.
		His approval, his disapproval among independents sits at 67%.
		Talk about buyers, remorse.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Sorry.
unidentified		Please try to do a segment for independent citizens.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We got that suggestion.
		Thank you, Keith.
		And CNN is announcing that Putin announces a unilateral three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8th.
		The article says that the Russian president has declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8th to the 11th.
		He called on Kiev to do the same.
		We will find out a little bit more about that as that story develops.
		But that is what CNN is reporting right now.
		Here is Bruce in Tennessee, Independent.
		Hi, Bruce.
unidentified		Hey, finally, I got out.
		Actually, the trade device is what could help us very much.
		We have too much money going out of the country, not enough in.
		When you cut off the gravy trains, these other countries, naturally, they're not like it.
		Our national debt is not killers.
		The interest on our national debt now is cost as much as our military.
		People need to start worrying about our country.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Looks like we lost you, Bruce, but we got your point.
		And here is Representative Adam Schiff.
		He's a Democrat from Washington.
		He talked about, sorry, Adam Smith.
		He talked about Trump's tariff policies and negotiations with Russia while discussing the Democrats' agenda on Fox News Sunday yesterday.
adam smith ▲ ● ▼		I am deeply troubled by what President Trump is doing.
		And by the way, I really want to talk about Ukraine because I completely disagree with Senator Kennedy on that.
		What Donald Trump did on Ukraine is he came into office and he appeased Putin from day one.
		We had a strong position against Russia.
		We were supporting Ukraine.
		But by attacking Zelensky and appeasing Putin, he gave Putin a huge, wide-open door to walk through.
		And now, President Trump is surprised that Vladimir Putin is continuing the war.
		Taking the pressure off of Putin was an enormous mistake by Donald Trump, and we need to talk about that and figure out how to fix it.
		But yes, I've been very open about the fact.
		I completely disagree with President Trump's agenda.
		I think he is acting like an authoritarian.
		I think his tariff policy is scattershot and is creating massive economic problems that are only going to get worse in the months ahead.
		He hasn't been honest with the American people.
		I could go on, but at the end of the day, if all we Democrats do is stand up and say what we don't like about Donald Trump, that is insufficient.
		The American people knew pretty much everything I just said, and they still picked him.
		So we as Democrats need to come up with a reasonable alternative and a better agenda to address the issues that the American people have with us and the policies that we've chosen.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And checking in on Facebook, Neil sent us this: very much approve.
		We had disastrous, quote, leadership under Obama and Biden, abandoning people and equipment, alienating our allies, and courting our enemies.
		Totally reckless.
		Now we finally have strong, intelligent leadership and are respected again.
		And Mary Ann says, disapprove.
		He is illegitimate.
		He is an insurrectionist, given comfort by an idiot Supreme Court who thinks disability in the Constitution means an insurrection can become a terrorist president.
		And this is Becky who says, approve.
		We need to be patient.
		It'll take a while to get it done.
		And Greg says, what exactly has he, quote, handled?
		Demanding to take over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal isn't handling global affairs.
		A world leader isn't snubbed at a funeral by other world leaders.
		And let's talk to Robert in Greenville, Texas, Independent Line.
		Good morning, Robert.
unidentified		Oh, good morning.
unidentified		How are you doing today?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good.
unidentified		Hey, listen, I had the same difficulty one of the callers earlier said about getting through to you folks, but regardless of that, I do have an opinion on how he's doing on foreign affairs.
		And my opinion is: I said it eight years ago.
		You know, he's going to destroy the Republican Party and what it stands for for 20 years.
		All these people lining up, and, you know, it's going to ruin everybody's political career in the Republican Party by not standing up to him.
		He's already ruined, in my opinion, the world's viewpoint of what America is and why democracy is a better answer than authoritarianism.
		You know, siding up, and he openly says, you know, he admires these people that are authoritarians.
		He's alienated us against NATO.
		He's alienated us against Asia.
		It has been a disaster.
		And unfortunately, loose lips sink ships.
		And Donald Trump flying off his cuff of these tariffs, these pulling out of alliances, these throwing up a NAFTA agreement that he actually initiated back in 2018, I believe it was.
		Nobody can trust him.
		So we have a child at the helm, and I listen to a lot of the callers calling in and saying, well, he's doing the best he can.
		But the reality is, yeah, he probably is.
		And the people advising him are not more educated enough to give him the good advice he needed, at least in the first term.
patrick s j carmack ▲ ● ▼		He had some legitimate people there trying to steer him.
unidentified		And what did he do?
		He systematically went through pretty much his entire cabinet firing people left and right.
		Now, since he's been in office, what has he accomplished?
		Well, I mean, he's basically tried to attack the media and destroy the media, forcing, you know, major people to, you know, submit, resign, quit, banning the Associated Press.
		And, you know, I mean, that's the media, but move on.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		We got your point, Robert.
		Let's talk to Matt, an independent in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Only thing I'm going to say that Trump is right on is remember Zelensky, they knew that NATO was not supposed to be around Russia.
		There was biggies that were saying that the United States admitted that they wouldn't allow NATO to go around Russia.
		And everybody could say what they want about Putin.
		Putin is a great man, and let me tell you why.
		The Russians have stopped all the imperialist governments from invading Africa in the past.
		They're good people.
		I don't care what nobody says about them.
		And then that guy who was talking about the Bible and Israel, come on, the Bible is a document filled with stolen documents from indigenous people in Africa.
		And I guess it is there.
		The Jews were the biggest slave traders of all times.
		And right now, they're putting black people and white people to fight together.
		This thing with MLK, they did it.
		And let me say another thing.
		The Middle East, there's no Middle East.
		There's no Middle West.
		This was created in 1798 by the British, all of these Arab countries that live on African land.
		It wanted Africans to get there.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		I've got it, Matt.
		And take a look at what Ipso says.
		This is a portion of what the report from IMSO says, the poll that they've just put out.
		It says this.
		China is now seen as a more positive influence than the U.S.
		It's the first time this has been the case during the 10 years we have tracked this question.
		Across the 29 countries covered, an average of 49% say China will have positive effect on world affairs, up 10 points on six months ago.
		Israel and Iran remain the countries least likely to have seen as having a positive influence on the international arena.
		Iran's score has, however, improved over the last six months, as have those of China, Pakistan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
		Wonder what you think about that.
		We are taking your calls for about 10 minutes.
		Here is George in Hyannisport, Massachusetts.
		Democrat, good morning.
		George, are you there?
unidentified		Oh, hi.
		Sorry.
		No problem.
		Donald Trump has managed to cow the corporate media in this country to an extent I've never seen in my lifetime.
		They're afraid to report on the fact if Joe Biden had fallen asleep at the Pope's funeral, it would be all over the front page of every newspaper in America.
		Yet he shows up in a blue suit among thousands of people dressed appropriately and falls asleep in the front row and no one's saying a word about it.
		It's just astonishing.
		They're afraid to report anything bad personally about Donald Trump because they fear the repercussions of his vendetta against them.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And what do you think about his handling of global affairs?
unidentified		It's a disaster.
		United States went from a beacon of liberty around the world to people are fleeing.
		I mean, foreign students are leaving the country on their own.
		They're not necessarily being deported.
		They just want to get out.
		Tourism from Europe is down 20, 25%.
		He's made America an embarrassment, really.
		It's terrible.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We got a post on X from Gary who says, our all caps, best president ever, Donald Trump, is now responsible for America first policies.
		The leaders around the globe now respect America after four years of taking advantage of us.
		And Patty on X's from Ohio says, I approve.
		Change is constant and painful.
		It takes time, and I am not sure peace is attainable in the Middle East.
		But God knows he is trying.
		As long as some feel they would be martyrs if they kill, peace will never come.
		Jenny in Michigan, Line for Democrats.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Good morning.
		I've been waiting to call in for the perfect opportunity.
		I remembered when I've never been a fan of Sarah Palin, but I remember when she said, when you play with pigs, you just get dirty and the pigs like it.
		And she was talking about all of the crap going on or whatever, but it is so appropriate today.
		And I think that's all I had to say today.
		I've been waiting to call in with that comment for ages.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Well, tell us a little bit more about why you think that's the case now.
unidentified		Well, everything is falling apart.
		We've been seeing it happen.
		When I saw him go down the escalator in 2016, 17, whatever, I retired that year and everything has gone to hell since then.
		He's been just a thorn in all of our sides.
		And when he says the whole country's for him, I resent that because I'm not, and I'm not a radical Dem either.
		I'm just a patriotic Dem.
		And I really am praying for our democracy.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And Jenny, one more question for you because I just read the posting by Patty who says, you know, he is trying.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So how do you react to that idea of, well, at least he's trying?
unidentified		No, he's trying to get his cronies already.
		He's nothing but a grifter and emoluments yang, yang, yang, everything.
		I mean, nothing matters with this guy.
		Our whole country, I mean, we're going to look back at this and we're going to wonder what the heck.
		I have had a really hard time maintaining civility to my Republican friends, of which I have many, because I just don't get it.
		I mean, everything is bad.
		Everything is bad.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		And let's go to Randy in Millington, Michigan, Democrat.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Good morning, Mimi.
		I'd like to start by thanking you, along with all the other men and women it takes to bring us this program.
		You're doing the nation a great service.
		I think we're starting to see the leaders of the world have figured out our current felon for a president, that he does, he's got a real good talk going, does a good job talking, but his results aren't turning out.
		They're finally learning how to play him, and that's not good for the country.
		I hope he can get it on track.
		We need it so our country survives and improves.
		But right now, I don't see him handling world affairs in a very good way at all.
		So thank you very much for letting me put my two cents in.
		Have a great day.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Here's Terry in Cleveland, Tennessee, Republican.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning, Terry.
unidentified		Yes, good morning to you.
		And Trump is Obama had 12 years of leadership and he just ran this country down.
		And now Trump's got to start all over again to dig us out of the problems that the Democrats gave us.
		And it's just simple as they need to work together, Republicans and Democrats, to make it instead of cutting his throat every chance he gets.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Terry.
		And later this morning on Washington Journal, we'll discuss U.S.-Iran relations and the state of nuclear negotiations with Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida, Marsin Milani.
		But up next, we've got Politico Congress reporter Catherine Tully McManus.
		She joins us to discuss the week ahead in Congress.
		We'll be right back.
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		Also, on Tuesday, as the Department of Education prepares to recognize its 45th anniversary, Education Secretary Linda McMahon will discuss why the department needs to be eliminated, how that can be done, and what American education would look like without a federal Department of Education.
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		Democracy.
		It isn't just an idea.
		It's a process, a process shaped by leaders elected to the highest offices and entrusted to a select few with guarding its basic principles.
		It's where debates unfold, decisions are made, and the nation's course is charted.
		Democracy in real time.
		This is your government at work.
		This is C-SPAN, giving you your democracy unfiltered.
		Washington Journal continues.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Welcome back to Washington Journal.
		We're joined now by Congressional Reporter for Politico, Catherine Tully McManus.
		Welcome to the program.
unidentified		Thank you.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Congress is back after a two-week recess.
		Now the process is for the Republicans' budget reconciliation process.
		First, remind us what reconciliation means.
unidentified		Reconciliation is this process by which Republicans or whoever's in the majority can move legislation through a very complex set of budget rules, but what it gives them is the opportunity to pass legislation through the Senate without having to worry about the filibuster, that 60-vote threshold.
unidentified		And especially with tight margins in the Senate and not always united, that is a really, really important goal for them to be able to pass major, major policy legislation, huge packages of basically Donald Trump's entire domestic agenda almost, with just a simple majority in the Senate is major.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		This is the big, beautiful bill, so there is a budget blueprint for that.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So remind us what's in that blueprint and how much it costs.
unidentified		That blueprint is enormous.
		It's the most important thing as we head into this week is to think about that the numbers for the House and the Senate are not the same.
		And so while it was a huge victory for them to pass the same budget blueprint, the fact that there are trillions of dollars in difference between the House and the Senate's goals is going to make writing these bills that come next very, very challenging because they're both trying to meet separate, hit separate goalposts here, but then have to get on the same page.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So how did they, how is the blueprint the same that they passed with the numbers not being the same?
unidentified		Because the instructions within that budget blueprint, they give instructions in both the House and Senate.
		And for example, the instructions to the House Ways and Means Committee, the tax writing committee, are different from those for Senate Finance where tax writers in the Senate do their job.
		And so that was kind of a compromise just to get that, to force that blueprint through because they had not figured out those issues yet.
		They had not settled those levels of both spending cuts, debt reduction, and revenue.
		And so what they kind of did, which Congress is known to do, is to kick the can down the road.
		And that will be now further down the road.
		So they will be battling that out.
		What's exciting this week is we're going to finally see markups for some of those committees bills, especially on the House side.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk about that.
		I'll just remind people that if you'd like to ask a question of our guest, Catherine Tully McManus of Politico, about the week ahead in Congress, you can start calling in now.
		The lines are Republicans 202-748-8001.
		For Democrats, it's 202-748-8000.
		And for Independents, it's 202-748-8002.
		So committee markups, what happens with that?
unidentified		What's that process?
		So those will start this week on Tuesday.
		We'll see House Homeland, Armed Services, Transportation, and then later in the week, judiciary, oversight, financial services.
		Basically, they are building the Big Beautiful bill piece by piece.
		So each committee has their chance to write their portion of the big beautiful bill, pass it through their committee, and then they will all be compiled.
		And some of those big, big fights will have to be fought as those are compiled to create that larger, big, beautiful bill.
		Of course, the Senate will also have to do their part.
		And there are going to be a lot of discrepancies between those bills, but the first step is to get pen to paper and start writing those.
		So I think we're expecting some fights over safety net or entitlement programs like food stamps now called SNAP.
		We're going to see fights definitely over there's significant cuts required within one committee that it will be almost impossible to not touch Medicaid.
		And that's a hard line, especially for some, not just for Democrats, but especially for some moderate Republicans or Republicans in a purple district, for example.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		This is the Energy and Commerce Committee.
unidentified		The Energy Commerce Committee to hit their goals for cutting spending.
		Outside experts are saying that it will be really, really hard to not touch Medicaid.
		And of course, there's not a lot of interest on Capitol Hill in cutting any actual tangible services within Medicaid.
		But if you chip away at maybe the infrastructure around it, we don't know what those impacts are.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		You mentioned Republicans in purple districts, these are the swing districts, and then you've got the fiscal hawks.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Talk about the interaction between those two groups of Republicans.
unidentified		That fight is on full display right now, as it has been within the Republican Party on Capitol Hill for years now.
		What we are looking at, this is kind of the crux of the issue because we're looking at revenue, spending, and deficits here within the reconciliation process, and those are the core issues.
		So moderates, those in purple districts are really concerned about preserving the government systems and benefits that their constituents rely on and appreciate and like the way that those programs are running.
		Whereas fiscal hawks are trying to cut spending and cut deficits aggressively.
		Some of the most aggressive approach to cutting spending and deficits that I've seen on Capitol Hill and are willing to cut into certain programs that they say are full of fraud, waste, and abuse.
		Although, of course, President Trump also got rid of the inspector generals in many of these departments.
		So those people who root out fraud, waste, and abuse have been eliminated.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk about revenue, which is tax cuts.
		So there is broad agreement that many Republicans want to extend the Trump 2017 tax cuts and make them permanent.
		Could there be negotiation with that?
		Like what's going on with those tax cuts?
unidentified		Yeah, there's a lot of different point of views here, even within the Republican Party.
		There is broad agreement.
		To expand those 2017 tax cuts, keep them going down the road.
		There is a little disagreement on how to count that revenue, how to count that savings, and how much it would cost to eliminate, like to continue those tax cuts, so to halt potential revenue going forward.
		There's also going to be major discussions regarding, you know, Trump is saying no tax on tips, no tax on, you know, Social Security benefits and things like that.
		And that is going to be much harder to implement.
		But those are campaign promises that he made.
		So Republicans on Capitol Hill are now tasked with figuring out how to make the revenues pay for some of these cuts.
		And when you're cutting taxes, that's cutting down revenues.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And what's the stance of Democrats?
unidentified		Democrats are not interested in seeing the continuation of those 2017 tax cuts.
		Something that is being floated where you sometimes get this circle in politics where the left and the right actually come together is some Republicans have been talking about, including those within the Freedom Caucus, about potentially taxing the very, very top earners within America.
		We're talking billionaires, and that, of course, is a Bernie Sanders talking point, tax those billionaires.
		That is looking not very popular among Republican leadership on Capitol Hill, so we're not sure that is actually going to move forward.
		But the fact that those talking points have come together is something, one of those fun moments in politics where the left and the right go so far that they end up next to each other.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk to callers.
		We'll start with Pat in Long Island and Democrat.
		Hi, Pat.
unidentified		Hey, good morning.
		My question is: won't Trump just lie about figures?
		And who will actually approve or provide any reality as to the figures that Trump submits?
		If we're talking about the reconciliation bill, like that will be codified.
		So that will be adopted by Congress and they will then get to pass that along to the executive branch for implementation.
		If you're talking about the president's budget request, which is also expected this week, those numbers do come from the executive branch to Congress.
		But as we have seen for generations, what the White House requests for the president budget, it is not a mandate and the Congress does not have to abide by it.
		And even a Congress that is run by the president's own party rarely meets every single request of the president's budget.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What is, you've talked about the eliminating green energy tax credits.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What's going on with that?
unidentified		So C-SPAN viewers might remember the huge Democratic legislation under the Biden administration that passed both the Inflation Reduction Act, and that included so many green energy tax credits that Republicans hated at the time.
		And many of them are still looking for total elimination of those green energy tax credits, many of which include tax credits for electric cars.
		So Elon Musk is kind of towing a line here at the White House.
		But there are Republicans who saw major, major federal investment and private investment from these companies that build these technologies in their districts.
		So there is some stress from some Republicans on Capitol Hill who are afraid of losing that major private and public investment in their districts.
		Those are jobs.
		Those are huge investment-generating industries that could are revitalizing some areas.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Would they vote against repealing those provisions?
unidentified		What is hard with a bill like this is that there will be thousands and thousands of little details like that that they will have to weigh.
		Some are threatening to vote against it right now over the tax credit issue.
		But if they would like to extend the Trump tax cuts, if they would like to see some of these other policies enacted, it's a question of whether they're willing to swallow the tax credits issue.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Here's Aaron in Michigan, Independent Line.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning, Aaron.
unidentified		Good morning.
unidentified		How are you doing today?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good.
unidentified		I was just calling for your guests.
		I had a question to ask.
		You know, President Trump enacted Doge, and on February 19th, the head of the SSA had stepped down from her office and position.
		I was born here in Cadillac, Michigan.
		I'm a U.S. citizen and I want to know.
		I was denied on that same day that Doge stepped in.
		How are these tax cuts and everything that's ripping off us true Americans and giving it to the rich?
		I want to know basically how your guests' feelings are on that.
		I think we're about to hit about 100 days of Doge being in place.
		And it really has upended the federal government in so, so many ways.
		I'm sorry to hear that your application for benefits was denied.
		I think that the Social Security Administration is one that they are also targeting because they say that there is waste, fraud, and abuse.
		But as I said before, that there were people who were tasked by the federal government to investigate the waste, fraud, and abuse.
		Those were inspectors generals, and those were eliminated across much of the federal government or replaced with Trump loyalists.
		And so I don't have an answer for your specific situation, but I can tell you that this is happening across the federal government right now.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What's been the mood among Congress lawmakers about Doge and over these last 100 days?
unidentified		I'll say at the beginning of the process, you know, late January when everything began, there was really a, this is what we've asked for.
		We want a real reset of the federal government.
		And there was interest in seeing where this goes.
		As the cuts have mounted and as I think we can say at this point that they're not particularly targeted.
		They are across the board cuts without a lot of investigation into what the outcomes would be for services across the federal government.
		More and more Republicans are questioning, especially as Social Security offices are shut in their districts or major environmental protections are not being enforced in their districts and especially those cuts to NIH funding,
		which bolsters many, many universities across the country and not just big fancy, expensive private universities, but those public land-grant universities that keep states running.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Here is Patricia, who's calling from Florida, Republican line.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning, Patricia.
unidentified		Good morning.
unidentified		How are you?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good.
unidentified		Good.
		I have more of a statement than a question.
		I love President Trump.
		I voted for him.
		I used to be a Democrat.
		Now I'm a Republican fully.
		I fully believe in Doge because we need to get some of this illegal crap out.
		And where is the Epstein list?
		I want to see who is on the Epstein list.
		It is time to get all these people that are on the Epstein list.
		They need to be handcuffed and in prison.
		I pay taxes and I want this information out.
		But I love President Trump, everything he does.
		And Elon Musk, thank you.
		Thank you for showing everybody the illegal, the people that are raking us with money.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Patricia.
unidentified		All right.
unidentified		As a congressional reporter, I have very little insight into the Epstein situation.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		This is Darrell in Upland, California, Independent.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning.
unidentified		It's hilarious to me that you, number one, Trump supporters are saying Elon Musk found all this fraud and all that.
		So if you're being fraudulent against the government, that is a crime.
		We're the criminal cases.
		And number two, Republicans are, well, the Republican Party is dead.
		These are now Trump Publicans.
		So the Trump Publicans keep saying that Donald Trump is doing his best and the Democrats are holding them back.
		But how is it possible when the Democrats have absolutely no power in the government?
		The Republicans control all three branches of the government and they have no will to say no to Donald Trump.
		So why is it that they can't get anything accomplished?
		The Democrats are holding them back.
		They can't do anything but sit there and talk and filibuster for 24 hours or whatever.
		That's all the Democrats can do is talk.
		The Republicans have all the power and we are going down.
		We are suffering because there is no will, there is no backbone in the Republican Party.
		Period of point blank.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What do you think, Catherine?
unidentified		Yeah, I think that there are some points there.
		Republicans do control all levers of power in the government right now.
		But as we talked about, there's a significant disagreement within the Republican Party about how to approach some of these things.
		You know, they have broad agreement.
		For example, let's cut taxes, how to go about it, whose taxes are you cutting, by how much.
		There's a lot of disagreement there and what, you know, tax credits, et cetera, to keep or let go of.
		In terms of what Democrats have at their disposal, he mentioned it.
		There's a lot of speechifying.
		We saw a quote-unquote sit-in at the Capitol yesterday with minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Corey Booker.
		And they're going home and talking to their constituents about pain points within the Trump agenda that are impacting their constituents.
		That is what the Democrats have at their disposal.
		They, of course, that Democrats have enough people on Capitol Hill that it makes Republicans have to be united in the House.
		It forces unity there because Speaker Mike Johnson can lose less than a handful of votes to lose the majority.
		And on the Senate side, as we said, part of why reconciliation is so important is not needing 60 votes in the Senate because Republicans do not have 60 votes.
		Democrats can filibuster non-reconciliation legislation.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		They'll only need 50.
unidentified		Yeah.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And then they'll get the tiebreaker if they need it from the vice president.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Maria in Pennsylvania asks you, can you be more specific about the difference in money between the House and the Senate?
unidentified		Yeah, I think one of the biggest ones that we talked about is that Medicaid funding and the amount of cuts that the House and Senate are looking to pursue.
		I believe that there is also some disagreement between Capitol Hill and the White House on food assistance, as we've talked about a little bit.
		I think that there's pretty broad agreement on the border, investment in the border, on both the House and Senate Republicans.
		We'll see that brought up this week at both Homeland Security and Judiciary.
		We expect those to both touch on the immigration part of this.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What about defense spending?
unidentified		Defense spending.
		The bill came out yesterday and it's massive.
		It's a massive investment beyond current spending levels on defense, which are some of the highest in the world.
		They are looking to bolster not just readiness, but also technology and kind of this pivot that even though there's less and less appetite for foreign intervention from this Republican Party, there is interest in massive bolstering of defense spending.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk to John.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		He's calling from Georgia, Republican.
unidentified		Hi, John.
		Hello.
		Good morning.
		According to the GAO, there's about $520 billion a year in fraud.
		42% of that is in the entitlement programs, which would be about $50 billion a year.
		When you say there's no way to cut from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, how is that possible if there's not, if there's $50 billion a year?
		If these people who are supposed to do away with fraud, waste, and abuse were looking over this, why haven't they done something about it?
		Trump is not doing anything different than what the Democrat politicians in charge today have said for years.
		Even Obama said that there was waste, fraud, and abuse in the entitlement programs.
		So I don't understand why everybody's picking on Trump for doing something that the Democrat politicians have mentioned for decades about doing.
		Secondly, if you look at the CBO report, the United States government in fiscal year 2024 collected $4.9 trillion that tied the most ever with fiscal year 2022, $4.9 trillion.
		Of that $4.9 trillion, $4.1 is spent on mandatory spending.
		That only leaves, what, $800 billion to cover the rest of the government spending.
		So you could cut out the entire defense budget and still not balance the budget.
		So I think the United States government's done a pretty good job with entitlement spending.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's get a response.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What do you think, Catherine, tell you about Manis?
unidentified		I mean, he really hit some of the key points here, which is the vast majority of the federal budget is mandatory spending, spending that Congress cannot touch year in and year out.
		They cannot be adjusting those numbers annually the way that they do with discretionary spending and the appropriations bills.
		And that is one of the reasons that especially fiscal hardliners on Capitol Hill are saying, let's open the gates, let's make changes to these programs, whether it's changing work requirements, age restrictions, work requirements, things like that, to try to tackle the costs of the social benefit programs in this country.
		I do think that the GAO, of course, has done umpteen reports on these issues and especially on waste, fraud, and abuse.
		And they outline in great detail how different departments could tackle these issues.
		And what we've seen in both Democrat and Republican administrations is a kind of a feet dragging to implement those pretty.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Why, though?
unidentified		I think that this, I think the change, changing those programs is hard when you cannot be, you can't be adjusting those levels.
		So if you want to go in and make evaluations, say to do a, like a, not a survey, but an evaluation of how this works, that actually takes some investment in order to do that.
		That takes people to come in from the outside and evaluate it.
		And there has been an unwillingness to do that on both sides, honestly.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We've got a question for you from Karen in Fairfax, Virginia.
		And she says the House Oversight Committee is scheduled for budget reconciliation for federal benefits.
		She's asking, is the FEHB going away?
unidentified		That's the federal employee health benefits.
		My guess is that those will be discussed, especially in the wake of all of these cuts by Doge and the administration, because federal employee health care, of course, is on the table here.
		But I'm not aware of any movement to, for example, not have federal workers have health insurance through that program or to eliminate that program.
		I have not heard those discussions, but we will see what comes up in the markup this week.
		What kind of, I would be on the lookout for what kind of amendments both Democrats and Republicans are proposing and to see how much that comes up as a talking point as they debate this bill, because that will point you in the direction of whether that could be on the table for the larger hashing it out between the House and the Senate further down the line.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And also on X, Annette says, what will happen to FEMA?
unidentified		FEMA has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.
		Of course, they have been put into disaster zones already during the Trump administration, as we've seen.
		But Trump's stance for a long time has been that FEMA is not effective.
		And of course, in a disaster situation, almost nothing runs smoothly.
		But people who, there are people who are very fed up with FEMA and say that it takes too long to get the help that they need, and others who would say that FEMA saved their lives, their home, et cetera.
		I do think that there is an interest from Republicans on Capitol Hill to potentially rework how FEMA works.
		Trump has talked about having state-by-state emergency assistance, but states have pushed back and said, we have our own emergency assistance.
		When a disaster hits, you need the big guns, which is the federal government, is what even some Republican governors have said.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		In Chicago on the line for Democrats, Gladys, you're next.
unidentified		Yes, hi.
		I have a question.
		This is my first time ever calling, but I just, no one's mentioned it.
		They're saying that we're $36 trillion in debt.
		And then they're saying that the Republicans are eliminating the debt with the waste, fraud, and abuse.
		Are the Republicans balancing the budget, making the budget higher or lower?
		That's my question.
		Am I saying it right?
		I just want to know if what they're doing is going to lower their debt.
		All right, Gladys.
		So this budget, even the budget blueprint that they put out will not come close to balancing the budget.
		We have not, I don't believe we've had a balanced budget since the 90s where revenues and spending are actually in alignment.
		This country has operated with significant debt since then.
		Republicans are trying to lower the federal debt, but of course they're also trying to expand and extend significant tax cuts, which is part of that revenue piece.
		So they're looking at boosting other revenue and evaluating some of the other tax cuts like we've talked about for clean energy and things like that.
		Right now, no.
		This Congress, this Republican-led Congress is not on track to balance the federal budget, even with this really ambitious bill.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Pep is asking you on X, when is Congress scheduled to take another two-week break?
		And there's three question marks.
		So I would think that that indicates some sarcasm about the two-week break.
unidentified		I think our next break is the July 4th holiday, which could be in jeopardy because, but that's just one week scheduled right now.
		But there are some real doubts.
		Speaker Mike Johnson wants this reconciliation stuff wrapped up by Memorial Day, or at least ready to move by Memorial Day.
		And that is even Republicans are kind of unsure that they can get that done.
		And that could throw 4th of July into question if they think they're going to be close and they want to save the August recess, which of course is much, much longer.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		During this recess, were lawmakers meeting with constituents?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Were they having town hall meetings?
unidentified		Yes.
		Even though, of course, we know that some of the national Republican committees have recommended that they not because of the feedback that they were getting and some of the raucous behavior at town halls.
		I know that Mike Lawler held a town hall in New York.
		He's a Purple District Republican.
		And I think Chuck Grassley, a whole bunch of lawmakers held town halls during this recess.
		And they have gone, I don't know, I don't know how to describe it.
		There's folks who have showed up who are angry and have a lot of questions, especially federal workers, those impacted by federal funding and investment.
		And Mike Lawler, I saw, had some interesting rules for his town hall that I believe was this weekend, including to show ID that you live in the district so that there could be no what they call outside agitators, maybe Democrats coming in from a different district to heckle and things like that.
		And kind of some tough rules, but that might make sense to let constituents who are actually from the district have their say.
		He still did get some tough criticism, but also support from people who voted for him.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		That's Catherine Tali McManus, Congressional Reporter for Politico.
		You can find her writing at politico.com.
		Thanks so much for joining us here.
unidentified		Thank you.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Still ahead this morning is Marcin Milani, Professor and Executive Director at the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida.
		We'll talk about U.S.-Iran relations and the state of those nuclear negotiations.
		But first, it's open forum.
		If there's a public policy or issue you'd like to discuss or highlight, you can start calling in now.
		The numbers are on your screen.
		Republicans, 202-748-8001.
		Democrats, 202-748-8000.
		And Independents, 202-748-8002.
		We'll be right back.
brian lamb ▲ ● ▼		Dr. Hassan Teta, in his latest book, opens the introduction with a question.
		How do we prepare for the future with AI?
		His primary focus is on healthcare and AI.
		But it's subtitled, Harnessing Military Medicine to Revolutionize Healthcare for Everyone Everywhere.
		Dr. Teta is currently based at Howard University and Enoba Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, after serving 25 years in military medicine.
		His specialty is as a thoracic surgeon doing heart and lung transplants.
		He retired from the Navy in 2023.
unidentified		Author and Dr. Hassan Teta with his latest book, Smarter Healthcare with AI, subtitled Harnessing Military Medicine to Revolutionize Healthcare for Everyone Everywhere.
		On this episode of BookNotes Plus with our host, Brian Lamb.
		BookNotes Plus is available on the C-SPAN Now free mobile app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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		Washington Journal continues.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And we are back with you.
		It is open forum.
		You'll have your chance now to talk about whatever's on your mind as far as public policy, politics, the goings-on in Washington, foreign policy as well.
		And we'll start with Kathy in Hudson, Florida, Republican.
		Hi, Kathy.
unidentified		Good morning.
		How are you?
		Good.
		My thing is, I've been looking at all the different branches of the government and going through the accounting.
		And we pay billions of dollars for accounting companies to go through our books.
		And they list recommendations.
		Nobody seems to have followed these recommendations because the things that Doge is talking about with these payments going to people that we don't know about and all that.
		If Congress had gone through the audit, a lot of this would have been caught.
		And I don't understand why Congress neglected it.
		That's my opinion.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Kathy.
		And let's talk to Kendra in Ashland, Virginia, Independent Line.
		Hi, Kendra.
unidentified		Hi, good morning, Mimi.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Morning.
unidentified		Regarding the first 100 days for President Trump, News Nation, an unbiased news station, will hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday regarding his first 100 days.
		That's April 30th at 8 p.m.
		It's for two hours and hosted by Chris Cuomo and Bill O'Reilly.
		Stephen A. Smith will also be present, and most importantly, President Trump will be on the phone answering their questions.
		Hopefully, they will ask meaningful questions, and hopefully, Trump will answer questions fully, but without being long-winded with his answers.
		If anyone from his administration is currently listening, please advise him to keep his answers short because Americans want as many questions answered as possible within the two-hour allotted time.
		Have a great day, Mimi.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Kendra, before you go, what question would you want to ask President Trump?
unidentified		Well, you know, I did vote for him for the first time this, you know, but I just would like to know.
		I want to know when, you know, prices are going to go down.
		That's what I want to know.
		He did run on that.
		He is making some changes, and hopefully that will be discussed.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Kendra.
		And the Fox News, there's a Fox News poll about President Trump's job performance.
		Overall, they have this, this has it at 44% approval, 55% disapproval of President Trump's job performance.
		But on what Kendra was talking about, which is inflation, his approval rating is at 33%, disapproval at 59%.
		Here's Clara in Virginia on Democrat.
		Hi, Clara.
unidentified		Hi, good morning.
		Yes, I'm interested.
		I was really interested in what the last person who was speaking on.
		My question is, could you please put up a graph of what other countries are budgeting for their military and then for what our last military budget is and what the changes are in this year's military budget?
		Because it sounds like they're very substantial, but I'm not seeing any graphs or numbers behind it.
		And I think it's super important for Americans to know how much of our actual money is going towards this new military budget while we're making so many other cuts in the parts of the government that people use that are really imperative for a lot of people.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So Clara, you want to see as a percentage of GDP, I guess?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Defense spending?
unidentified		I would mostly just like to see the dollar amounts that every country, like, you know, maybe these, you know, industrial nations spend.
		Got it, Clara.
		United States.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And sorry, I got to cut you off because we're going to take you live to the White House press room.
		Caroline Levitt is speaking.
		Tom Homan will be joining her.
karoline leavitt ▲ ● ▼		Undoubtedly been the most monumental and historic of any administration in American history.
		President Trump has already delivered on hundreds of promises he made to the American people, and we will continue to talk about all of them throughout this week.
		Tomorrow, I will host a press briefing at this same time, right and early again, to highlight the Trump administration's economic accomplishments with our Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant.
		And tomorrow night, President Trump will travel to Michigan to discuss all that he has achieved on behalf of the American people.
		On Wednesday, the President will host an open press cabinet meeting where each cabinet member will discuss their success thus far and their plans for the future.
		Today, we kick off 100-day week with a focus on the president's historic effort to secure our southern border.
		Later this afternoon, President Trump will sign an executive order on law and order and another executive border on sanctuary cities.
		The first EO will strengthen and unleash America's law enforcement to pursue criminals and protect innocent citizens.
		The second EO is centered around protecting American communities from criminal aliens, and it will direct the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to publish a list of state and local jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
		After these are signed, the President will have signed more than 140 executive orders already, rapidly approaching the total number signed by the Biden administration over the course of four years in office.
		Speaking of Joe Biden, it was his awful open border policies that recklessly allowed more than 10 million illegal aliens to invade the United States over the past four years.
		Innocent Americans like Lake and Riley, Jocelyn Nungre, Rachel Morin, and so many others were viciously murdered at the hands of these illegal aliens as a result of Biden's dereliction of duty.
		That's why one of President Trump's central campaign promises was to secure the border and end this invasion.
		In just under 100 days, 99 now to be exact, the president has overwhelmingly delivered on that promise.
		America's borders are now secure because of President Trump.
		He has restored the rule of law, enforced our immigration laws, and defended America's sovereignty.
		The president immediately declared a national emergency on the southern border, deployed the U.S. military and border patrol to repel the invasion, and ended reckless catch and release policies.
		The results have been nothing short of extraordinary.
		Between President Trump's inauguration and April 1 of this month, only nine illegal aliens were released into the United States, a staggering 99.99% decrease from the more than 184,000 illegal aliens who were released into the country under Biden during the same period last year.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		The number and that's happening live right now at the White House press room.
		If you'd like to continue watching that live, it is over on C-SPAN 2, or you can watch it later on our website, c-span.org.
		And she did mention that President Trump will be in Michigan later.
		This is the Washington Times with the headline, Trump Thrills MAGA Base Rattles Some.
		Presidential rally in Michigan to mark a busy first hundred days.
		He is scheduled to hold his first rally of his second term today, Tuesday, in Macomb County, Michigan, where Republicans are in awe of his actions in a little more than three months to stop illegal immigration, cut government spending, claw back regulations, and implement a host of other policies through a flurry of executive orders.
		Macomb is the most heavily Republican county in the critical swing state.
		And we are back with open forum and we'll take your calls.
		James is in Georgia.
		Republican.
		Hi.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Good morning.
		I wanted to talk about your early segment with the Congressional Reporter.
		You had a call that called in from California saying that President Trump has not done anything.
		And the reason, in my opinion, that he can't get anything done is because of these rogue judges.
		Judges that's hiding illegal aliens in their homes.
		Judges that's hiding illegal aliens in their courtrooms.
		That's the problem.
		The problem is with these rogue judges.
		But you let her go on and on and talk about what the Republicans are not doing and didn't push back on the rogue judges.
		That's the problem.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We got that.
		Joe is in Providence, Rhode Island, Independent.
		Good morning, Joe.
unidentified		Hi, I'm a retired IMS agent.
		I retired 29 years ago before ICE existed, but I never saw anything like this.
		You know, this judge was quite lawfully arrested because she committed a felony by interfering with an arrest by ICE agents.
		You know, I saw all this outrage from people.
		Oh, they're arresting judges.
		You know, if we go back 20-some-odd years to Chicago, they arrested over a dozen judges in Operation Greywood for corruption.
		Nobody said anything about that.
		And I mean, people agreed with that.
		Obviously, these judges were taking bribes.
		Now, I doubt this judge took a bribe.
		She just decided to do something illegal.
		There was a similar case in Massachusetts a couple of years ago when Judge Richmond is up there.
		You know, I just don't understand this.
		See, the Democrats are going to die on the cell with illegal aliens.
		I'm an independent, but I can't agree with the things they've done.
		We have a lieutenant governor in the state who said people don't want ICE here, and people who are here under any status are Rhode Island citizens.
		I don't know where this woman gets her ideas from.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		And Joe, some more information on what you were talking about from CBS FBI arrests.
		Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan for obstruction in immigration case.
		It says that that arrest happened on Friday by the FBI.
		Wisconsin County Judge, obstruction charges accusing her of preventing the arrest of a man by immigration authorities during a federal law enforcement operation at her courthouse.
		FBI Director Patel said that the man Eduardo Flores-Ruiz was later arrested and is currently being detained.
		Judge Dugan was arrested at 8 a.m. on Friday at the courthouse where she works, according to federal law enforcement source.
		She was charged with two counts of obstruction and released from detention after making an initial appearance in federal court.
		Here's Gina in Decatur, Alabama, Republican.
		Hi, Gina.
unidentified		Hi, how are you doing, Mamie?
		Good.
		I just got a couple of things on a couple of subjects you've had already.
		Number one, about the budget.
		The Democrats didn't raise minimum wage because they wouldn't overrow the parliamentarian because the parliamentarian is advisory, and Nelson Rockefeller did it as vice president in 1975.
		And if the Democrats did not like the tax cuts and jobs acts of 2017, they could have repealed it.
		But they're all rich and they're not going to, you know, cut their nose off despite their face.
		And as far as the wars go, I have a son on active duty right now.
		And it makes no sense to me that we're getting ready to give a loan to Ukraine for $50 billion.
		And they don't have any money to pay us back.
		And I don't think they have any minerals either.
		And even if they do, it's probably in the eastern part of Ukraine from the old maps from the 1960s.
		And as far as Iran, I understand you got somebody coming up.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Yep.
unidentified		Jake Sullivan lied on the news.
		$6 billion went to that other country to dish out for humanitarian stuff from South Korea under Biden.
		$10 billion was released.
		And I'm going to give you the date because I remember April 15th of 2024.
		Kirby announced it.
		It flew under the radar.
		And Iraq gave Iran money when they had to pay them for the natural gas because the president Blinken met the president of Iraq in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
		And the only reason I keep up with this stuff is because I have one on active duty.
		So when these people call in, they want to continue.
		You know, we got troops in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, and Israel, and everywhere around this world.
		So when these people call in, want to continue these forever wars, you better think again.
		All right, I don't think there are people who are serving.
		Thank you, Mamie, and you have a very blessed day.
		I'm sorry, I got upset.
		Thank you.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Sorry.
		Rick in Raleigh, North Carolina, Democrat.
		Good morning, Rick.
unidentified		Good morning.
		I just think the politicians need to let the people have their trial and be considered innocent until proven guilty instead of condemning these people on the air.
		And the Republican politicians talk a lot about balancing the budget, but they never do any laws to try to do it.
		Thank you very much.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And we are in open forum.
		If you'd like to give us a call, you can.
		Our lines are Republicans.
		202-748-8001.
		It's 202-748-8000 for Democrats and 202-748-8002 for independents.
		You can also text us at 202-748-8003, which is what Teresa in Little Rock, Arkansas did.
		She says, Who will be responsible if, when, citizens die or get sick from bad food as the FDA is not reviewing milk and food with four lab closures?
		Why is there not more outcry?
		And here is Ronnie in Wadesboro, North Carolina.
		Democrat, good morning.
unidentified		Good morning.
		Good morning, Mamie.
		Thank you for taking my call.
		First of all, I'm out to shock a little bit, shout the United States a little bit.
		I'm going to blame the Democrats for Donald Trump because they should never ran Hillary and they should never ran Kamala Harris.
		This country is controlled by, you know what?
		Is it my son?
		The people know what I'm talking about.
		Now, Trump beat two ladies.
		He lost his Joe Biden.
		And these slick-brained Republican Donald Trump supporters, they don't understand about the immigrants.
		The immigrants is the backbone of this country.
		They don't collect Social Security.
		They pay into it.
		And that's why our Social Security is so strong.
		But these people call in, love Donald Trump.
		I don't care if you love Donald Trump.
		But think about the country.
		The country is controlled by a person that don't know what he's doing.
		And he got people in his administration that don't know what the hell they're doing.
		Look at the Pentagon.
		I mean, it's so crazy.
		Now, when I say blame the Democrats for Donald Trump, because this country is controlled by Tu Paul King.
		And thank you, darling, for having me on.
		And you guys are doing a good job.
		Thank you very much.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Ronnie.
		And Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent of Vermont, agrees that he is criticizing the Democrats.
		He was on Meet the Press yesterday.
		Here's what he had to say about that.
bernie sanders ▲ ● ▼		What Democrats lack right now is a vision for the future.
		How are we going to provide a decent standard of living for a younger generation, which everything being equal, will be poorer than their parents?
		How do we repair a broken health care system?
unidentified		How do we raise the minimum wage to a living wage?
bernie sanders ▲ ● ▼		How do we deal with a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to control both political parties?
unidentified		Those are some of the issues that need to be discussed.
		And we are going out around the country right now, asking people, working people, run for office.
		You want to run as a Democrat?
		Great.
		You want to run as an independent?
		That's great.
bernie sanders ▲ ● ▼		But you got to get involved in the political process because right now the two-party system is failing the working class of this country.
unidentified		Let me ask you about something that your colleague, Senator Alyssa Slotkin, said.
kristen welker ▲ ● ▼		She said, Democrats should stop using the term oligarchy because it's a phrase that doesn't resonate with all Americans.
unidentified		Are you missing a chance to speak to a wider audience, Senator?
bernie sanders ▲ ● ▼		Well, geez, we had 36,000 people out in Los Angeles, 34,000 people in Colorado.
		We had 30,000 people in Folsom, California, which is kind of a rural area.
		I think the American people are not quite as dumb as Ms. Lockton thinks they are.
		I think they understand very well when the top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 90%.
		When big money interests are able to control both political parties, they are living in an oligarchy.
		And these are precisely the issues that have got to be talked about.
		Are you living in a democracy when Mr. Musk has spent $270 million to elect Trump and then becomes the most important person in government?
		Or APAC and other super PACs have enormous power over Democratic candidates.
		Those are issues that we have got to talk about.
bill clinton ▲ ● ▼		That is the reality of American society today.
unidentified		The very rich getting richer.
bernie sanders ▲ ● ▼		Working class people are struggling.
		800,000 people sleeping out on the streets.
		If we don't address that issue, the American people will continue to turn their backs on democracy because they're looking around them and they're saying, does anybody understand what I am going through?
		And unfortunately, right now, to a large degree, neither party does.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		That was Senator Bernie Sanders yesterday, and we are in open forum.
		Vancouver, this is the Wall Street Journal front page.
		Vancouver mourns victims after car attack kills 11.
		That was at a street festival, and Reuters is reporting that prosecutors charge a Vancouver man with murder for the attack on that Filipino festival.
		It says police, quote, confident it was not an act of terrorism.
		The driver is 30 years old, and he's charged with eight counts of second-degree murder.
		And this is Tala in Virginia, Line for Independence.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Good morning, ma'am.
		I had a question.
		This is regarding dogs.
		According to the HUD Housing and Urban Development Rules, the Section 8 program that they administer, if a voucher recipient does not pay their portion of the tenant rent or does damage to the property, then voucher is terminated.
		But however, in Prince William County, the person that was overseeing the program was promoted to a director, and now he is part of the board of county supervisors.
		So any complaints that are made, no one is overseeing them, and those same people are committing taxpayer fraud by keep reissuing the vouchers to those same problem tenants.
		So do you know how I could report it to the dog office, or is there a mechanism where this can be reported?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		I would go through your congressional representative, Tala, and probably start there.
		Steve in Painesville, Ohio, Democrat.
		Good morning, Steve.
unidentified		Good morning.
		The President's job is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States to the best of his ability.
		He takes an oath to do that.
		He's not doing it.
		He's either unable or he's unwilling to do it.
		The 25th Amendment, Section 4, has never been used, but I think it should be used.
		Where if the President is unable or unwilling to do his job, he should be removed from office.
		It would require JD Vance, vice president, and a majority of the cabinet to start that process.
		Maybe it's wishful thinking, but they need to either use that or they need to impeach this president.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Based on what, Steve?
unidentified		Well, he's flagrant.
		He's violating the Constitution.
		He's ignoring the rule of law.
		The Supreme Court, just for one example, they ruled 9-0 to return Brego Garcia.
		He was, whether he had tattoos or he was a gang member or not, he was denied his due process.
saint john hunt ▲ ● ▼		You can't just come around and pick people off the street because they have tattoos or you suspect them of being a criminal.
unidentified		So this sets a precedent.
		And the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, she's acting like the president's personal lawyer.
		This is way out of hand.
		And, you know, most of us are law-abiding citizens.
		We've been working our whole lives.
		We're paying our taxes.
		We're serving our country.
steve in arizona ▲ ● ▼		I've served the country, you know, 78 to 82, served in the Navy.
unidentified		I took an oath, support and defend the Constitution.
		It's not a Republican or Democrat thing.
		It's an American thing.
		Everybody should love their country, love this country, and everybody should abide by the rule of law and the Constitution.
		I could go on.
		I mean, the Emoluments Clause, Section 1, or Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8.
		I mean, where's the money going?
steve in arizona ▲ ● ▼		President Trump is selling little golden tickets to foreign nationals or whatever.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We got your point, Steve.
		Let's talk to John, a Republican in Malta, New York.
		Hi, John.
unidentified		Hi, Mimi.
		Thanks for taking my call.
		Mimi, a while back, C-SPAN did a segment on civility and discourse in government.
		And, you know, a lot of your viewers called in and gave their reasons why things were as heated and uncivil as they were.
		But one of the things that really shocks me, and it's very disturbing, is to watch some of these Democrat, women, especially, and their rhetoric and vitriol.
		And specifically, it started with somebody like Maxine Waters getting up and sensationalizing things, telling people to get in your face, whipping up hysteria and things.
		And you had a lot of incidents following that.
		And then, of course, you had Jasmine Crockett, I believe her name is, coming up and, you know, give me a birthday present, take down Musk.
		And again, using charged and heated words.
		But one of the worst things I've seen, and you know, I'm trying to be unemotional about this, was this Frederica Wilson.
		I believe that's her name.
		She came up and it looked like a circus clown.
		And she got up and she says, threaten, call up Republicans and threaten them.
		And, you know, I'm just totally shocked that the Democrats don't come out and tell these people to mollify it a little bit.
		It's just unbelievable.
		And I'll wrap this up.
		My congressman is a Democrat.
		And the person in the next district where I am is Elise Stephonik.
		And I've, you know, I certainly wished I could get in Stephonik's district.
		But when I call the Democrat up and I tell him this, that this is happening, you know, I really don't get a response.
		So I don't know what could be done.
		The Democrats boast a big tent, but all you see is people like Tim Waltz coming out on the stage, jumping up and down, you know, wishing that Musk would suffer misfortune.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So, John, I do have this about what you were talking about.
		So this is the New York Post.
		It says, Dem, let's get it right there.
		Dem rep in pink cowboy hat calls for anti-GOP, quote, uprising over Florida ICE detention center conditions.
		So she went to the ICE facility and talked about the conditions there.
		She says, urged Americans to hit the streets, flood Republican lawmakers with, quote, threatening calls, and cause a, quote, uprising over the conditions at a Florida ICE detention center, all while clad in full pink suit and flower-adorned cowboy hat.
		That is the New York Post.
		This is Diane in Florence, South Carolina.
		Democrat, good morning.
unidentified		Good morning.
		To the American people, good morning to everybody.
		I just want to say that we have elected a 34-count convicted felon, and still we are yet giving him a claim that's named affectionately the F-47 for the felon 47 President of the United States.
		Isn't that appropriate?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		I'm just so sick and let's go to Angel in Alabama, Republican.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Hi, Angel.
unidentified		Yes.
		This is the first time I've called, and there's a few things I'd like to say.
		First of all, Social Security starts in 1937.
		The average age was 65, but at that time, the life expectancy for a man was only 59.
		For the lady, it was 60.
		And so it was not supposed to be your main source of living.
		It was supposed to be just a little extra.
		Cal Thomas spoke a couple of weeks ago concerning the three things that a country has to have in order to collapse.
		One is an extraordinary amount of debt, which I believe we have.
		The second is an extraordinary amount of immigration that a country has that has not had time to be absorbed into the general population, which we had in the last four years.
		And the third thing was that we have a general lack of lowering of moral character, which of course you can see people attack cars, they tear up property, and they think it's okay.
		They kill a person like the president of the United Health, and they lauded the killer, even though he did not have United Health.
		I don't understand that.
		I believe in law and order and obeying the law.
		I don't mind people coming into the country, but if you come in, you don't break the law, you speak English, and you pay income tax.
		That's it.
		And I think that President Trump said that it would take a little while for us.
		We will be in discomfort for a while because of the tariffs.
		But give it time.
		And that's all I have to say.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Angel.
		And we will pause our calls for open forum, but we will come back to it because we're going to speak to a White House correspondent for the Washington Examiner, Christian Daytock, joins us.
		Hi, Christian.
		Welcome.
unidentified		Mimi, good morning.
unidentified		Thank you for having me.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So, Christian, let's talk about the continued fallout from the arrest of the judge in Milwaukee County over on Friday.
		She has been charged with two felonies.
		She was released after appearing in federal court.
		Can you talk about the White House's stance on that and if they're continuing to stand by that arrest?
unidentified		The White House is certainly standing by the arrest.
		And if you just look at the reactions of Kash Patel at FBI and Pam Bondi, his boss at DOJ, they think this is a great selling point to deliver to voters ahead of the president's first 100 days.
		Look, President Trump has been very clear.
		He thinks the judicial branch is undermining him at every turn.
		But critics still maintain that this is an attack on democracy.
		It's the executive branch undermining not only the judicial branch, but also the legislative branch as well.
		And I think if you're not a fan of Donald Trump, this arrest last Friday has you shaking in your boots because it feels like just the start of something even bigger here.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Turning to the war in Ukraine, what are you hearing from administration officials about the next steps regarding those negotiations?
unidentified		The administration is still optimistic they can broker a ceasefire, but if you look at President Trump's meeting with President Zelensky in Rome over the weekend, it obviously had a very different tone than that Oval Office sit-down, which Vice President Vance blew up back in March.
		And I do want to point to the president's comments themselves regarding Vladimir Putin, urging him to stop these missile strikes on Ukraine.
		He is shifting because it seems that the Russian president is acting intransigently and he does not want to broker a ceasefire despite Donald Trump sort of buttering him up over the last several months, let alone his entire political career.
		So the White House, the administration, they are optimistic that they can reach a ceasefire, but it's going to take significant concessions from Ukraine, potentially even giving parts of Crimea, if not Crimea, entirely over to Russian control.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		You mentioned there was a Truth Social post by President Trump with the, quote, Vladimir stop in all caps.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		How much leverage does the White House still believe that President Trump has with President Putin?
unidentified		The White House believes he has all of the leverage because he's Donald Trump, the greatest deal maker in the world.
		But again, folks on the periphery of this, if you're talking to European embassy officials here in Washington, they are not sure that Donald Trump's current tact with Vladimir Putin is working.
		They believe that tactic has run its course, hence the shift in messaging.
		And again, you see Donald Trump sort of getting closer to Zelensky, keeping Putin at arm's length over the weekend.
		It is a shift in the negotiations, but again, the American officials are confident that President Trump can close this deal.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And the White House is celebrating the president's first 100 days in office this week.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What are some of the things that they're going to be doing to mark that?
unidentified		Well, as you can see behind me, they've already started.
		They've lined the driveway of the White House with pictures of migrants who have been deported.
		And the White House claims that these 100 men, convicted rapists and murderers, are the worst of the worst.
		And they're sending them home.
		It's not a surprise the White House is leading with immigration this week on Monday, considering it's really the only issue that Donald Trump has positive approval ratings from American voters.
		But there's going to be more of these issue briefings throughout the week.
		Caroline Levitt spoke to reporters at 8.30 this morning, extremely early, and she'll do the same on Tuesday and again Thursday.
		Now, of course, President Trump himself is traveling to Macomb County, Michigan on Tuesday for a big speech at 6 p.m. Eastern.
		It's the first time he'll be back in Michigan since the night before the election last year.
		And it's a tradition that he thinks can hammer home his message to not only voters in battleground states, but across the country as well.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		The Canadian elections are today.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Have you heard from the White House as to who they would like to win that election?
unidentified		It's no secret that they want Pierre Poliva to win, but I think the hopes of a conservative victory are fleeting right now.
		And you have to thank Donald Trump's tariff agenda for that.
		Look, the way that the president has embraced sort of antagonizing Canada amid this tariff and fentanyl debate has really rankled Canadian voters.
		There was a time not so long ago when the Progressive Party, they were down more than 20 points in the poll, and now it looks like Mark Carney is going to deliver a surprise victory again, thanks in large part to Donald Trump's gruff tone and overtures about annexing Canada.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And regarding tariffs, anything that we're expecting this week?
		I mean, there was reporting about the administration saying that they are speaking to China about tariffs.
		China saying, no, we are not speaking to the United States.
		What do you know about that?
unidentified		Well, China is certainly the biggest domino here.
		It's the one that we believe can sort of get Asian countries off of their slow start in terms of some of these negotiations.
		Now, you do have leaders like Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan.
		The Japanese trade minister will be in Washington this week to meet with Jamison Greer and Scott Besson and Howard Lutnick.
		But as it stands right now, China, the number one target for this tariff agenda, is not cooperating.
		The White House says they are reaching out to their counterparts.
		But like you mentioned, Beijing is saying no talks have taken place.
		And until the China negotiations formally launch, I think you're going to see some of these other countries hesitant to really bend over backwards and give this White House what they want when it comes to trade.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Christian, anything else you're watching this week at the White House?
unidentified		We're watching everything, Mimi.
		I mean, let's be honest, with Donald Trump, we could be coming into Monday talking about immigration and heading out talking about foreign policy or other parts of his domestic agenda.
		That's one of the interesting things about covering this White House.
		You never really know what to expect when you roll out of bed, and we've got to stay on our toes because news can break at any time.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		Well, we appreciate you watching that for us.
		This is Christian Daytalk.
		He's White House correspondent for the Washington Examiner.
		Thanks for joining us this morning.
unidentified		Take care, Mimi.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And we are in open forum.
		You can give us a call up until for about another seven or eight minutes about anything public policy-wise for your schedule.
		I want to make sure that you know that at 12 o'clock we'll have live programming over on C-SPAN 2.
		That is President Trump recently signed an executive order that includes reforms to a program which provides drug discounts to hospitals and that serve low-income patients.
		That's today at the American Enterprise Institute.
		They host a discussion on the intended and unintended consequences of this federal program.
		Again, that's on C-SPAN 2.
		You can also watch it on our app, C-SPANNOW, or online at c-span.org.
		And let's go to Longo in Columbus, Mississippi.
		Democrat, good morning.
unidentified		Good morning.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Go right ahead.
unidentified		You're on open forum.
		Okay, I have a different take on all the people that's so-called illegally coming over from other countries.
		I believe that the Republicans is just as much blamed as Democrats.
		And the reason I say that is because I think the Republicans encourage a lot of those people to come over by a constant drumbeat of our borders are wide open.
		Our borders are wide open.
		All during the campaign, that was the drumbeat.
		So I believe that the Republicans encouraged a lot of those people to come across.
		Thank you.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And here's Mike in South Bend, Indiana, Republican.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning.
unidentified		Yes, I have a question about Biden.
		He's been in politics for over 50 years.
		How is his net worth over $10 million?
		And why isn't anybody delving into that?
		No politician should have that kind of money that's been in politics for 50 years.
		And he's got three houses also.
		Why doesn't anybody say anything about that?
		He's been in politics for over 50 years.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Mike.
		And on the front page of the Washington Post, there's an article that says, tariffs already affecting economy.
		Trump softens tough trade talk.
		Changes begin to disrupt supply chains and pricing.
		It says, with 14 months remaining before the U.S.'s 250th birthday on July 4th, 2026, Stacey Blake should be placing big orders with the Chinese factories that supply her fireworks company in St. Joseph, Missouri, but she's not.
		And she blames President Donald Trump's tariffs.
		This is Bill in Midland, Texas, Independent Line.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Morning.
unidentified		Martin, Martin, morning.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Bill, you there?
unidentified		Yes, ma'am, I'm there.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Yep, go ahead.
unidentified		Okay, I just want to have a little fun this morning with my mega friends.
		Matter of fact, last time I talked to you, you corrected me when I said the Soviet Union still exists, and I was totally wrong.
		So, but I just got back from Europe, and I'm going to relocate to Europe.
		But the fun I want to have is that when they say Donald Trump is the best president we ever had, okay, I'm going to give him that.
		So let's look at his record.
		Let's look at his record before he came in.
		The man was convicted.
		Fell it, I believe, 34 conviction.
		He was sexual assault liable.
		He's sexual assault, a woman.
		Okay, he bankrupts casinos.
		Now, everybody voted for Donald Trump, knew what we were getting.
		They knew that he was going to wreck the economy.
		We know that he's an imbecile, that he can't get nothing done.
		But yet, they still voted for him.
		So all this fun about the polls that he's tanking and everything, that does not matter.
		It does not matter one bit because they'll still vote for him.
		And the reason why they still vote for him, that's the fun part.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		So, Bill, where are you going to move to in Europe?
unidentified		I'm going to need to geese in Germany.
		I got a daughter.
		She's over in West Berlin, but that's too expensive.
		I'm going to read it quick to Geese in Germany.
		Unfortunately, we did have an 800 hotline number at the V Hospital, you know, that consists of veterans that want to relocate, but that line has been shut down.
		So it's a little bit tricky, you know, because you've got to meet all the criteria.
		You know, you got to have health insurance that you can make enough money to live over there and with not.
		And so that assistance program is gone.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		And this is David, a Democrat in Cincinnati, Ohio.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Morning.
		How is it that the American people are so dumb that they elect a criminal to the United States presidency?
		This is the only president in history who has actually employed illegal aliens, and then he wants to get rid of all these illegal aliens.
		You see the irony in that?
		I do.
		Thanks.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And this is Eric in Minnesota, Democrat.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning.
unidentified		Yes, I'd like to comment on what seems to be a world situation dominated by one principle, and that is huge oil money.
		And the center of that is Putin and his oligarchs.
		In my view, the world is shifting toward that magnet.
		And if you watch professional golf, why did all of our top golfers suddenly go over to Saudi Arabia's side where money is, and Putin is in the same hotel?
		They control commerce, and in that way, they control the world.
		And that fear has flowed into the MAGA base and is why Putin basically hired Trump to be his circus announcer.
		Everything Trump is doing is degrading the American continent.
		He wants to break it down for Putin.
		He's setting the trade for Putin.
		In other words, it's a hostile coup happening silently or not so silently through Trump.
		I don't think there's any easy answer because it's so far along now and the money base is so deep.
		Again, watch the golfers continue to flow where there's easy money.
		Big money people will flow to the magnet of big money, and that's what the world is doing right now.
		If there's any answer to Trump, it would be that he's best adjudicated through the world court, an independent entity to see that he's destroying the civic agencies that have made the world safe, that he's plundering and taking even more money than Putin gave him.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, Eric.
		And yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant was on the Sunday talk shows talking about why he thinks the tariff strategy has been successful.
		This is from ABC.
unidentified		Let's talk about the time interview with President Trump.
		He said that he has made 200 deals on tariffs.
		200 deals?
		Who has he made deals with?
		Is there actually any deal at this point?
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		I believe that he is referring to sub-deals within the negotiations we're doing.
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		And Martha, if there are 180 countries.
unidentified		But those aren't actual deals.
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		Martha, if there are 180 countries, there are 18 important trading partners.
		Let's put China to the side because that's a special negotiation.
		There's 17 important trading partners, and we have a process in place over the next 90 days to negotiate with them.
		Some of those are moving along very well, especially with the Asian countries.
unidentified		And President Trump's strategy really has been to announce these tariffs and dial some back, pause them, make exceptions.
unidentified		Explain why you see this as a good negotiating strategy.
scott bessent ▲ ● ▼		Well, in game theory, it's called strategic uncertainty.
		So you're not going to tell the person on the other side of the negotiation where you're going to end up.
		And nobody's better at creating this leverage than President Trump.
		He's shown the high tariffs, and here's the stick.
		This is where the tariffs can go.
		And the carrot is come to us, take off your tariffs, take off your non-tariff trade barriers, stop manipulating your currency, stop subsidizing labor and capital, and then we can talk.
		But I tell you, Martha, that we've had several of these Asian countries that come in and said, oh, well, we'll stop doing this, this, and this.
		And I look at these lists, and I think, how did we get here?
		How did we get here?
		Because this trading system has been so unfair.
		And as President Trump says, I don't blame the countries.
		I blame the previous administrations that let them get away with it.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		That's the Treasury Secretary.
		And with that, we will end our open forum.
		But there's more to come because next on Washington Journal, we'll talk about U.S.-Iran relations and the state of nuclear negotiations with Mohsen Malani of the University of South Florida.
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mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Welcome back to the program.
		We're joined now by Mohsin Milani.
		He is Executive Director at the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida.
		He's also the author of the book called Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East.
		Welcome to the program.
unidentified		Thank you very much.
unidentified		It is an honor to be on your program.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Well, Mr. Milani, U.S. and Iran entered a new round of nuclear negotiations in Oman over the weekend.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		As far as you know, where do things stand right now?
unidentified		As of today, I think the two countries are moving in the right direction.
		Both countries are expressing enthusiasm and hope that they can eventually reach an agreement.
		But there are serious hurdles ahead of these negotiations.
		But the most important thing is that the two countries have decided to talk, although they're talking at this time indirectly.
		But I hope soon they begin talking directly to each other and de-escalate the situation in the Middle East and hopefully reach an agreement that is win-win for both countries.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And when you talk about talking indirectly and directly, typically the negotiations have always been indirectly.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Has the U.S. and Iran ever actually negotiated directly with each other?
unidentified		Many times, many times.
		In fact, they did during the Tehran hostage crisis.
		They went to Algeria and the two countries signed an agreement.
		And it was based on that agreement that the American hostages held in captivity for 444 days in Tehran were released.
		Also, during the civil war in Iraq, Iranian officials in Iraq dealt directly, negotiated directly with the American ambassador, Ambassador Crocker.
		And now during the JCPOA or the nuclear deal, Iran dealt directly with the United States.
		Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif met many times with Secretary of State Kerry.
		But therefore, there is a history, a well-established history of direct negotiations.
		And I hope Tehran changes its strategy and begins directly talking to the Trump administration.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What is each side looking for, though, between the two negotiating sides?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Can you break down their positions for us?
unidentified		Yes.
		On the Iranian side, they're basically looking for three things.
		First and foremost, they want sanctions relief.
		These sanctions have been crippling.
		They have created major economic problems for Iran and for the Iranian merchants and businessmen in terms of banking, in terms of connection to the global market.
		So they want to have economic, these economic sanctions lifted.
		Second thing they want, they want the United States to recognize Iranian right to enrich uranium indigenously.
		And thirdly, they are looking for some kind of guarantee that once a deal is made with the United States, the U.S. cannot reneck on its pledge and get out of a deal, as it did in 2018 when President Trump unilaterally got out of the nuclear deal.
		On the part of the U.S., obviously, the first and the most important objective is to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
		And nuclear Iran is going to change, fundamentally going to change the strategic balance of power in the Middle East and the United States, Israel and the Europeans, and most likely even the Russians do not want to see a nuclear Iran.
		Secondly, what the United States wants, and here there seems to be a division within the Trump administration.
		There are those who are pushing for a Libyan model.
		And by Libyan model, I am talking about depriving Iran of having any, any nuclear program, including enrichment activities.
		It is very important, however, to point out that when the West was able to eliminate Libyan nuclear and chemical programs, Libya was far away from having a program.
		It was more of a plan.
		Iranian nuclear program is much more advanced.
		Its infrastructure is much more sophisticated than Libya.
		So there is one side of the Trump administration pushing for the Libyan model, but the other side is more or less pushing for some kind of a longer and a better deal that we had with Iran in 2015, perhaps based on strict verification and also enrichment activities indigenously, but below 5%.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk about, we'll break down a couple of those things that you talked about.
		One was about how close or how far Iran is from nuclear capability.
		How close are they to getting a weapon and to being able to deliver that weapon?
unidentified		Excellent question.
		Two points.
		Number one, Iran has repeatedly said, and the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly said that it is against Islamic principle for Iran to develop, use, and build a bomb.
		Having said that, though, there are credible reports that Iran is somewhere between six months, perhaps even less than a year to building the bomb, should they, should the top leadership decide to build the bomb.
		We do know that Iran has enough enriched uranium to build a bomb.
		But having enough uranium does not mean you can build a bomb.
		You have to be able to weaponize the uranium and then you must be able to deliver it.
		Frankly, we don't know enough.
		What we do know that from 2003 until today, the 16 or 17 major American intelligence agencies have repeatedly said that Iran has not made the decision to weaponize.
		What I can say, based on my information, based on the information I got from open sources, Iran has the infrastructure, has the expertise to build a bomb should it decide to build one.
		It could, as I said, it would take the breakup town, the breakout time could ranch anywhere from, some people say a few weeks, but I believe it's probably somewhere between, and I'm making an educated guess, somewhere between six months to a year.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And if you'd like to join our conversation with Mohsen Malani of the University of South Florida, we're talking about U.S.-Iran relationships and the negotiations currently going on between those countries about their nuclear program.
		You can give us a call.
		The lines are bipartisan.
		So it's 202-748-8001 if you're a Republican.
		It's 202748-8000 for Democrats and 202748-8002 for independents.
		One of the things that you mentioned, Mr. Milani, about what the Iranians want is the ability to continue or the right to continue to enrich uranium.
		If they're saying that they're not interested in building a bomb, why would they need to continue to enrich uranium?
unidentified		Iran is the signatory to NPT, as the United States is, and a lot of other countries.
		Under the provision of NPT, Iran has the right, has the right to enrich uranium indigenously.
		That right cannot be taken away.
		However, the reality is that Iran has excelled in riching uranium up to 60%.
		I'm not a nuclear scientist, therefore, I am not in a position to make judgment about why they have done that.
		From what I have been able to gather, when you go above 60%, you're very close to reaching the point above 95%, which is the kind of enriched uranium you need to weaponize.
		So the argument that the U.S. and a lot of other countries are making is that why is it that Iran is going to 60%?
		Do not forget, under the JCPOA, the nuclear deal between Iran and six global powers, Iran had agreed, had agreed, based on strict verification, to keep its enriched uranium below 5%, which is what Iran needs for its reactor.
		But once the U.S. got out of the nuclear deal, and once sanctions were imposed on Iran in violation of the JCPOA,
		then Iran decided to increase its enrichment activities, perhaps as a bargaining chip, or perhaps as a signal to the West and to the United States that we do have the option of weaponizing if there is too much pressure on us.
		But I think any kind of agreement between Iran and the United States that is to be made in the near future is going to be based on less than 5%.
		The Libyan model, which is the model that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing, that is zero enrichment.
		And even he has implicitly suggested that no nuclear program, I don't think is going to be accepted by Iran.
		During the first Bush administration, the U.S. played with this idea of zero enrichment, and the Iranians said there is no way we're going to agree.
		So in many ways, I think it is a non-starter.
		And if the U.S. pushes for that argument and Iran gets out of the negotiations, then unfortunately we'll be heading toward a possible military confrontation between Iran and the U.S. and Israel, which is going to be devastating for everyone involved and for the entire Middle East region.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Just going back to the JCPOA that was negotiated during the Obama administration, do you feel that had the United States not come out of that agreement in the first Trump administration, that we would be, that Iran would be farther away from a breakout date for a nuclear weapon?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		They would be not as far along as they are today?
unidentified		It is.
		I can only guess.
		And my guess is that yes, Iran would be much farther away from being able to weaponize.
		But don't forget, Iran does have the infrastructure and the technology and the knowledge.
		You can bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, but you cannot bomb knowledge.
		They have gained the indigenous knowledge to develop a bomb.
		The fundamental problem I see with JCPOA and the fundamental problem I see with the ongoing negotiations is that as long as Iran and the U.S. do not move in the direction of normalizing relations,
		as long as Iran does not stop its wrong policy of pursuing anti-American policies in the Middle East and demanding the kicking out of the United States from the Middle East,
		as long as Iran does not stop calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, as long as Iran does not stop supporting organizations that are fighting against state of Israel, we might be able to have a nuclear deal, but we are not going to be able to normalize relations.
		And if we do not normalize relations, even if these sanctions are partially lifted, Iran is going to be unable to address its economic needs.
		Iran has to become integrated into the world economic system.
		And that integration is not going to be possible unless we move toward normalizing relations between Iran and the United States.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Now you mentioned Iran's proxies.
		Israel has severely weakened Hezbollah in Lebanon.
		They've weakened Hamas in Gaza.
		There's also the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
		There's the ongoing U.S. attacks on the Houthis.
		So how does this impact Iran's geopolitical status and their strength in the world?
unidentified		Excellent question.
		And that is the topic of my book, Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the United States.
		In that book, I argue that Iran has risen as a major power in the Middle East.
		And I wrote the book before the fall of Assad, before the killing of Hassan Nasrullah of Hezbollah, and before what we have seen as weakening of Iranian position.
		In that book, I argued that Iran's rise is unsustainable.
		Iran's rise is unsustainable, and I explained why.
		I just want to bring two of those issues.
		One, I said Iran is relying on non-state actors or proxies in a world dominated by states.
		And I argue that Iran cannot sustain that in the long term, for a long time, that Iranian security support for various non-state actors has helped Iran rise to a new position of power in the Middle East, but it is not going to be sustainable.
		And the second issue I raised is that immediately after the Tehran hostage crisis, a Cold War started between Iran and the United States.
		And that Cold War is still raging.
		And my argument in that book was that Iranian ambitions of winning the Cold War against the United States is unreal, is unrealistic, has been counterproductive.
		And therefore, I call for pushing toward normalization of relations between Iran and the United States.
		And that is the key point.
		And I have to tell you, based on everything I have seen in Iran, the atmosphere in Iran, even amongst the elite, has changed.
		The days of calling death to America no longer has too many supporters in Iran.
		There are some fringe elements that are still calling for this.
		But I believe the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people, and I believe a good part, a good segment of the Iranian elites want to have normalized relations with the United States.
		President Trump said something very interesting a couple of days ago or last week.
		He said Iran wants to make a deal with us.
		They don't know how to do it.
		Frankly, I think that is the dilemma Iran has because there is popular support for normalized relations, even establishing diplomatic relations, but there are still elements, radical elements within the elites in Iran that are calling for continuation of the Cold War with the United States, which has devastated the Iranian economy.
		And I hope they come to their senses and end this useless propaganda propaganda machine.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And we've got a posting on X from Buddha Rollo who says, the explosion in Iran's harbor, was it an accident?
		And just to keep everybody up to date on that, the AP reports a massive explosion at an Iranian port, possibly linked to missile fuel, kills 25 and injures some 800.
		That happened on Saturday.
		What do you think about that, Mr. Milani?
unidentified		First, my condolences to the families of the victim and to those who have been injured.
		Over the last I heard this morning, about 46 people have been killed and over 600, between 600 to 900 people have been injured.
		As far as I'm concerned, it is way too early to make a judgment about whether it was an accident, whether it was due to neglect of keeping some chemicals in the storage, or it was an act of sabotage.
		One Iranian parliamentarian by the name of Mohammad Assadraj has recklessly said that it is sabotage by the state of Israel.
		I don't know at this time, and I don't want to make a judgment.
		I want to find out more about what happened, and then we can make a judgment.
		At this time, I think it is irresponsible for blaming anyone in this tragic accident.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		All right, let's talk to callers and start with Chris in Boston, Line for Democrats.
		Chris, you're on.
		Good morning.
unidentified		Thanks.
		There's a U.S. law called the Symington Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act, and it states that any country that produces or possesses nuclear weapons without having signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty shall not receive United States foreign aid.
		Israel possesses and produces nuclear weapons.
		Israel refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
		Israel is the largest recipient of United States foreign aid.
		In 2018, Egypt proposed a United Nations resolution making the Middle East a nuclear-free weapon zone.
		Every Arab country was in favor of it, including Iran.
		But it was vetoed.
		It was vetoed by the United States because it would have shone a spotlight on Israel's nuclear weapons program.
		This is an example.
		These are two examples of how the United States Congress and its president are wholly owned subsidiaries of pro-Israeli interests.
		Perhaps you care to comment.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Yes, let's get a comment.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Go ahead, Mr. Mulani.
unidentified		Well, many of the points the gentleman has alluded to are correct.
		However, we live in a world in which the international system is established through power.
		In other words, those countries that have power have established an order that serves their interests.
		That is the end of the story.
		Every country seeks to expand its power.
		In fact, I argue that the international system is based on what I call PSI: power, security, and interests.
		Today, the international balance of power is such that Israel can get away with what the gentleman said.
		Now, if tomorrow the balance of power changes, maybe Israel is going to be forced to get rid of its nuclear program.
		But I think we are far, far away from the day that Israel is going to agree to get rid of its reportedly 200 nuclear weapons.
		By the way, before the Iranian revolution, Mohammed Ezrashah, the king of Iran, also proposed a nuclear-free Middle East, and he was an American ally.
		It didn't go anywhere.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Here's Gary in Carleton, Ohio, Republican line.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Good morning, Gary.
unidentified		Good morning.
		I find it amazing if Israel would give up its nukes, we'd have another Russia and that other little country over there fighting, because that's what they did, give up their nukes.
		United States was supposed to protect them.
		I kind of glad that we ain't involved in that no more than we are.
		But as far as Iran, they've been a terrorist country as long as I've been alive.
		And I'm 67 years old.
		And they cannot be allowed to have a nuke.
		And you know as well as I do that's what they're shooting for.
		Obama and Joe Biden is two of the worst presidents that we've ever had in this country.
		And I pray for Donald Trump.
donald j trump ▲ ● ▼		If our Air Force decides to take that country out over there, Iran, that's all we'd have to do.
unidentified		It's turn our Air Force loose.
		No, we got to pick and choose these little things to do.
		Our Air Force would take your country out in no time.
		Thank you.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What do you think, Mr. Milani?
		What would happen if there was an air war in, I mean, God forbid, with Iran, what would happen?
		What do you think?
unidentified		First, let me just make one slight correction to what the gentleman said.
		He's 367 years old and Iran has been a terrorist state for all his life.
		Well, the U.S., not the international community, the U.S. called Iran not a terrorist state, but a sponsor of terrorism, number one.
		Number two, that designation took place in 1985.
		So it has been only 40 years, not 65 years, that Iran has been designated as a sponsor and now as number one sponsor of terrorism.
		Now, regarding the war with Iran, I think it is delusional to think that we can go ahead and strike Iranian nuclear facilities and then once we destroy these facilities and some of the infrastructure, the Iranians are going to raise the white flag and they would surrender and then the regime would be overthrown and they would have a democratic regime, a pro-West, pro-Israel democratic regime.
		That is daydreaming.
		That is not going to happen.
		The most likely scenario, and this is most likely scenario, is that even if there is an attack on Iranian nuclear program, it is going to delay, not to destroy Iranian nuclear program.
		There is widespread consensus among experts that any attack on Iran is going to delay, not to destroy.
		Number two, Iran could react by getting out of the NPT agreement, kick all the inspectors out of Iran, and begin a rush program to build them up.
		When you bomb another country, expect that country to respond.
		And if Iran gets out of the NPT and there are no inspectors, how are you going to know what Iran is doing about this nuclear program?
		Furthermore, I want to make one important point.
		It is true, as you correctly mentioned a few minutes ago, that Iranian power in the region has declined significantly in Gaza, in Syria, and to a much lesser extent in Lebanon.
		But don't forget, Iran still is a player in the Middle East.
		It still has militias in Iraq.
		It still has good relationship with the Houthis.
		And most importantly, it still has a very effective missile and drone programs.
		And it has 800,000 armed forces that have been trained both in conventional warfare as well as asymmetrical warfare.
		Iranian military has been engaged in eight years of war against Iraq in the 1980s.
		Iranian armed forces have been involved in the civil war in Iraq, have been involved in the civil war in Lebanon, in Syria, and in Yemen.
		And therefore, it is not a kind of force, a kind of country where you can easily go send a few missiles and then the Iranians are going to surrender.
		I think I give President Trump a lot of credit.
		I give President Trump a lot of credit for understanding the uselessness of these endless wars in the Middle East.
		We spent over $2 to $3 trillion in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
		And I think people should ask themselves, what did we get?
		What kind of dividend did we get for that kind of money?
		Look at what happened in Afghanistan.
		After all that money that we spent, after two decades of being involved in Afghanistan, which was America's longest war in its history, the Taliban are back in power.
		Look at Iraq.
		Look at Syria.
		Look at other countries.
		And when you look at these countries carefully, and when you look at the position of the United States today, in which China has become the real challenge for the United States, and the U.S. has been trying to get out of the Middle East to pivot toward Asia so that they can manage their conflict and their competition with China.
		Do we want another war with the largest and arguably the most powerful country in that region?
		The answer is no.
		That is why I am cautiously optimistic because both the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and President Donald Trump both want to prevent war.
		They are not warmongers.
		And I wish both of them good luck.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Wilson, North Carolina, Independent Line.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Kenny, you're next.
unidentified		Yes, I have a few questions for him.
		And I have a comment to make, so please let me finish.
		Number one, I want to know if Iran have a chemical weapons talk, Paul.
		Okay, I'm going to finish, and you can answer this later, the questions I'm asking you.
		And I heard the same thing about North Korea.
		They got nuclear weapons now, and nothing has happened.
		But, you know, Israel, I want to know, I want to ask him, is Israel a true democracy?
		Now, Israel seems to be running, somebody else has said this, our foreign policy over there.
		And, you know, when we let someone, a little country like that, run our foreign policy, they control all our media.
		Rupert Murdoch, one of the richest people in the world, he owns Fox News.
		And most of the news here in America, through the money that we give Israel, they invest that money back into control of our media.
		And now it seems that they are controlling ceasefire.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Okay.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Professor Milani, what do you think he's asking about chemical weapons in Iran?
unidentified		During the Iran-Iraq war, Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iranians and innocent Kurds.
		We know that.
		It has been established.
		There are hundreds of documents released by the U.S. government that shows that the U.S. was aware of Iraq using these chemical weapons.
		And the U.S. was aware that some European companies, including some German countries, were providing chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein.
		As far as I know, and I could be wrong about this, the Supreme Leader of Iran at that time, the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, insisted that the use of chemical weapons in which innocent people are killed is forbidden in Islam.
		And therefore, Iran did not use chemical weapons.
		And if they did, they did it occasionally.
		But as far as I remember, they did not use chemical weapons.
		Do they have chemical weapons now?
		Iran has signed the international agreement that bans chemical weapons.
		I really do not have that much information whether they have it or not, but all I can say that Iran did not use it during the Iran-Iraq war.
		Regarding the second question about Israel being democracy or not, as you know, this is a very sensitive question.
		And my answer to it is yes.
		Israel does have democracy, especially for its Jewish citizens and even for the Arabs that live there.
		However, Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians is anything but democratic.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		What would you say, Professor Milani, is the relationship.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		How would you characterize the relationship between Iran and Russia?
unidentified		The relationship between Iran and Russia at this time is based on an important agreement signed a few weeks ago in Moscow.
		And it established strategic relationship, not strategic alliance, a strategic relationship between Moscow and Tehran.
		I was in a conference a few weeks ago outside of the U.S. in which there were a few Russian experts.
		And I raised the question that push comes to shove.
		If Russia has to choose between a nuclear-armed Iran and an Iran that has become real friend and real ally of the West, which one would they choose?
		And of course, there was disagreement, but at least half of the people there said that they would prefer a nuclear-armed Iran.
		I don't know if their answer is correct, but there is a point I'm trying to make.
		Russia, which has played a historic role in Iran for over the past 250 years, does not want to see an Iran that is aligned with the West, that is especially aligned with the United States.
		At the same time, Russia does not want to see a war between Iran and the United States.
		Russia is pretty much content with what Iran is doing right now.
		Very close relationship with Russia, with China, but not good relationship with the U.S. My own view is that for Iran, the best policy is based on a balanced relationship with Russia, Iran's neighbor, as well as with the United States.
		Iran should not take a side in favor of one power against the other.
		And unfortunately, the goal of a policy that is based on no West, no East, that is a policy that is based on Iranian protection of Iranian sovereignty, which was the foundation, which was one of the main goals of the 1979 revolution, has been violated and Iran has become increasingly close to Russia and hostile to the United States.
		We need to have a balance in that relationship.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Let's talk to Don in Hawaii on the line for independence.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Don, good morning.
unidentified		Yes, good morning.
		Thank you for taking my call.
		My concern is regarding North Korea.
		They have the missile capability.
		If they need uranium for their bombs or missiles, how strategic is that with a neighboring country like South Korea, Japan, and Hawaii in the Pacific Basin?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Not exactly our topic, but would you like to comment on North Korea's nuclear program?
unidentified		Well, if you do not mind, I'd rather not because I hardly can explain Iran's nuclear program and I don't want to add to the confusion.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		No problem.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Oliver in Pulteney, Vermont, Independent Line, good morning.
unidentified		Good morning, sir.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Go right ahead, Oliver.
unidentified		Good morning, sir.
		My question or my comment is I do believe that the United States and Iran should make a nuclear deal.
		It was rather foolish to pull out of it in the first place, but the leadership we have in this country, as we all know, is not particularly interested in making deals with countries that they consider to be supporters of terrorist organizations.
		And my question is: do you really believe we can make a deal with the current administration in the United States?
		Yes, I do.
		In fact, I think a deal made with President Trump is going to be much more sustainable than a deal that Iran can make with a democratic administration.
		Remember, in 1970, 71, when Richard Nixon opened the door to negotiations with China and changed the strategic landscape of the world, he could open the door to China because he was established.
		He was recognized as a true anti-communist.
		Today, President Trump comes from the right wing of the Republican Party.
		And if he can make a deal with Iran, I think its chances of being sustainable is much more than a deal that was made with Obama or possibly with the future democratic administration.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		We've got a question here from Jim in South Bend, Indiana on text who says, USA, Israel, Saudi have nukes.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		Why can't Iran?
unidentified		I'm sorry, did they say Saudi Arabia has the bomb?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		They're saying Jim believes that Saudi Arabia has nuclear weapons.
unidentified		Well, maybe Jim has information, access to information that I don't have.
		That's not my understanding.
		I don't think there is any credible evidence that Saudi Arabia has a bomb.
		Of course, Saudi Arabia is rich enough that it wants to start a nuclear program.
		They are negotiating with the United States and they're making good progress on that.
		But they are not a nuclear power.
		They have said, though, that if Iran becomes a nuclear power, they are going to move toward weaponization.
		They even might be able to buy a bomb.
		Who knows?
		But we all know that Israel is an established nuclear power.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And finally, what would an Iran, a nuclear-powered Iran look like?
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		How would that impact the world?
unidentified		Well, first of all, I think there is this myth.
		There is this myth about the leadership in Iran that they are suicidal and that they are going to use the bomb if they have it to destroy Israel.
		I think if there is one thing I can say with certainty is that the leadership of the Islamic Republic is not suicidal.
		They do like people who are willing to commit acts of suicide on their behalf, but they're not suicidal themselves.
		Number two, if they are not suicidal, and if we assume they are not stupid, which I think is a pretty good assumption, otherwise we would not be negotiating with them, is that they know that even if they have the bomb, if they use it, then Iran is going to become a parking lot.
		The reason why some people are pushing, the reason why some people are pushing for weaponization in Iran today is very simple.
		Having a bomb is an insurance to protect the territorial integrity of Iran.
		And if you look at the history of the countries that have had the bomb, you'll see that once two rivals are both nuclear-armed, the chances of a war between them diminishes significantly.
		Consider the case of Pakistan and India.
		Both are now nuclear power and both understand the limit of their power and how much they can push.
		But Iran is far, far away from becoming a nuclear power.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And we'll end it at that.
		Mahsen Malani is the author of the book called Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East.
		He's also executive director of the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida.
		Thanks so much for joining us today.
unidentified		Thank you very much for having me on.
mimi geerges ▲ ● ▼		And that's it for today's Washington Journal.
		Thanks for watching.
		We'll be back tomorrow morning, 7 a.m. Eastern.
		Have a great day, everybody.
unidentified		President Trump recently signed an executive order that includes reforms to a program which provides drug discounts to hospitals that serve low-income patients.
		Today, the American Enterprise Institute will host a discussion on the intended and unintended consequences of the federal program.
		That's live at noon Eastern on C-SPAN 2.
		Also, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, or online at c-span.org.
		Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill from their district and state work periods later today for a busy week of legislative business and votes.
		The House gavels in at noon Eastern.
		Members will consider several bills, including bipartisan legislation supported by First Lady Melania Trump, to combat online deep fakes and revenge porn.

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