Fox Report With Jon Scott 8/24/25 | BREAKING FOX NEWS August 24, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Trump administration could be ready to expand its crime crackdown
and deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. The Windy City's
mayor is not happy. In New York City, far left
democratic socialist Zoron Momdani widens his lead over the rest
of the mayoral field in the polls and in fundraising,

(00:20):
all with no endorsements from mainstream Democrats.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
What does that say.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
About the party?

Speaker 1 (00:26):
And Israel launches a major strike on Iran backed hooties
in Yemen's capital after they target Israel with a weapon
they've never used before.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Good afternoon on John Scott and This is the Fox Reporter.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
More on all those stories ahead, but first, another disturbing
attack on ICE officers, a mob assaulting four agents in
San Francisco, even threatening their families. Christina Coleman is live
in Los Angeles with Moron on this Christina, John.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
Dozens of protesters rallied outside of San Francisco's Federal Court
building waiting for the release of a person who DHS
identified as Adrian Guerrero, a US citizen who federal officials
say assaulted ICE officers and threatened law enforcement by saying, quote,
I'm going to go after your family and I'm going
to stab you. Guerrero, who identifies as a woman and

(01:24):
goes by the name Angie, which charged with assault and
destruction of federal property after allegedly slashing the tire of
a government vehicle. DHS says it happened on Wednesday when
a group of about fifteen to twenty violent anti ICE
rioters in San Francisco assaulted, grabbed, punched, and pepper sprayed
ICE agents who were conducting targeted immigration enforcement in San Francisco.

(01:47):
In that city, DHS says they surrounded and assaulted for
federal agents. DHS says, quote, while standing at arms link
from an officer, Guerrero made repeated threats, stating quote, I'm
going to f you up, I'm going to go after
your family, and I'm going to stab you.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
DHS says.

Speaker 4 (02:05):
Guerrero was also in possession of a black knife and
patterned headscarf during this incident. Guero was later granted bell
and surrounded by supporters after being released, and had this
to say about the situation. I'm good despite the brutality
and repression that the federal government is placing on this city,

(02:26):
my city, the city I was born in the attack
on law enforcement in San Francisco is yet another example
of violence against immigration agents. DHS says ICE law enforcement
are now facing a one thousand percent increase in assaults
against them as they risk their lives to arrest the
worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens. Despite all the violence,

(02:49):
immigration officials continue to carry out their operations in various
cities nationwide.

Speaker 5 (02:55):
We're making Los Angeles and California sayer place.

Speaker 6 (02:58):
We're going to continue that and they can take that
one to the.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
Bank in Cashion.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
And as for that attack on ICE agents in San
Francisco last week and those allegedly involved, Guerrero now faces
a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a
fine of up to one hundred thousand dollars.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Sean, I'm surprised the maximum isn't even higher. Kilmar Abrego
Garcia from his native El Salvador to Maryland and back
to El Salvador, then to tennessee Rebecca Castor as the
whole story.

Speaker 7 (03:33):
Abrego Garcia is accusing the Trump administration of trying to
pressure him into a plea deal. He's the so called
Maryland man who's become the picture of President Trump's immigration crackdown.
After he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year.
He was brought back in June, but is still waiting
to face trial in Tennessee on human smuggling charges, and

(03:54):
was on ICE's radar in the first place over alleged
ties to MS thirteen.

Speaker 5 (03:58):
He is not a Maryland as they continued to say.
He is a criminal man and the charges against him
transporting MS thirteen into this country, trafficking people around the country.
We know that this guy should be deported.

Speaker 7 (04:18):
After months in custody, he was released from jail on
parole Friday and is back in Maryland with his family,
but it looks like he won't be a freeman for long.
He was told to report to ICE in Baltimore on
Monday and has been notified that they plan to port
him to Uganda.

Speaker 6 (04:33):
Preposterous that they would send him to Africa, to a
country where he doesn't even speak the language, a country
would documented human rights violations. Trying to use which country
they're planning on deporting him too, as a means of
punishing him for exercising his constitutional rights.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
That's not permitted.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
That's not allowed.

Speaker 7 (04:52):
Abrego Garcia's attorney says they will fight this tooth and
nail and claims the government initially offered to deport him
to Costa Rica if he pled guilty to the smuggling charges.
It's unclear if that deal is still on the table,
but his attorneys believe the Trump administration is weaponizing the system.
If Abrego Garcia is deported again, it's almost certain he
will never be allowned back in the country, at least

(05:14):
not under this administration.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
John, Rebecca Castor, thank you for more on this. Let's
bring in Ashley Davis, former special assistant to America's first
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. This Abrego Garcia case has
been in the news a long time. It's reaching a
boiling point.

Speaker 3 (05:34):
Now, it appears.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
What about the idea of sending him off to Uganda,
for instance?

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Oh John, first of all, good afternoon.

Speaker 8 (05:45):
But I just don't understand why this story and why
Democrats continue to fall on their sword, especially about this individual.
And as Senator Blackburn said earlier, this person is here illegally.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Let's remember this.

Speaker 8 (05:58):
He came in twenty eleven illegally, so from the beginning
he broke the law.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Then in twenty nineteen he was.

Speaker 8 (06:05):
Apprehended about potentially being an MS thirteen gang member. In
twenty twenty two, he was also arrested for human smuggling,
and then in between then his wife turned him in
for potential abuse two different times. So the fact that
Democrats are continuing to say that this person's a good

(06:25):
human being and should stay in our country, it's just
mind boggling. And earlier when his lawyer said he's going
to Uganda, where he doesn't speak the language, well, when
he came here and I looked this up, he did
not speak English either. So this is just a narrative
that just blows my mind from a national security perspective
for the United States of America.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, well, he still has his supporters in the United
States Senate. I want to read part of a statement
from Chris van Holland, the Maryland senator who went down
to l Salvador to visit him after he had been
deported the first time. Van Holland says, the federal courts
and public outcome I forced the administration to bring up
Brego Garcia back to Maryland. But Trump's cronies continue to
lie about the facts in his case, and they are

(07:06):
engaged in a malicious abuse of power as they threaten
to deport him to Uganda. As I told Kilmar and
his wife Jennifer, we will stay in this fight for
justice and do process because if his rights are denied,
the rights of everyone else are put at risk. As
you point out, he is an illegal immigrant. Talk about

(07:27):
you know, what kind of rights does he have under
the US constitution.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Not really many.

Speaker 8 (07:34):
I mean there are different parts that he could go
through in regards to courts. But I mean this is
why the administration he would not be able to go
under this what Secretary of Christy Gnome has been doing,
which is called cbb CBP home, which means that you
can self deport. This is something we actually under a
different name we're contemplating under the Bush administration, you actually

(07:57):
self deport, and if you do, you can have the
opportunity to come back in the United States in a
legal manner. So we are giving people and plus at
the same time giving them money if they self deport.
So we are giving people an opportunity to come into
our country legally and do it the correct way. But
a lot of these people that are making the most

(08:18):
noise right now, and just the clip that you showed
that what's happening in California again with people that are
attacking ice that are trying to protect our country. I
just don't understand why again, and I don't mean to
be making this political issue, but it is a political issue.
Why Democrats keep going and falling on their sword about
illegal immigration as well as crime. I can get into

(08:39):
that as well. In regards to what's happening in Washington,
d C. Where I've lived for twenty five years. I mean,
this is just something that just blows my mind in
regards to why they're picking these battles.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
You talked about self deportation, and it seems to be effective.
The latest numbers, according to the Pew data that we
have on screen, unauthorized immigration population in this country reached
a record fourteen million in twenty twenty three. Preliminary data
indicates continued growth into twenty twenty four and now in

(09:12):
twenty twenty five, a decrease fifty three point three million
in January of twenty twenty five to fifty one point
nine million in June of twenty twenty five. So when
the Biden, when President then President Biden said that, you know,
he didn't have the authority or the ability as president
to change the situation at the southern border.

Speaker 3 (09:35):
President Trump found a way to do it.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Absolutely.

Speaker 8 (09:39):
Remember this is what he did day one with all
the executive orders that he put in place. Now, listen,
I am the first one to say that we need
comprehensive reform and regards to our immigration system, and it
needs a lot of it needs to come through Congress.
But there is absolutely no way that the administration cannot
put things in place.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
The President has done it.

Speaker 8 (10:00):
To stop people crossing our border illegally. I mean, I
just just refreshed my numbers again. There's at least four
hundred people on the terrorists watch list that came in
under Biden. Four hundred people on the terrorists watch lists
that are the worst of the worst in the world,
that want to kill us every day. Those are the
ones that we apprehended. So who knows how many actually
got it up.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
It's good to talk to you, Ashley, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (10:22):
I ue to talk to you.

Speaker 8 (10:24):
Thanks.

Speaker 1 (10:25):
Well, it's a busy weekend for the White House. The
FBI raided for former Trump National Security advisor John Bolton's
home and office, and preparations were underway to deploy National
Guard troops to nearly twenty states, all ahead of President
Trump's meeting tomorrow with South Korea's new president. Lucas Tomlinson
is live outside the White House with more Lucas.

Speaker 9 (10:49):
Good afternoon, John, and the President says National Guard troops
could be going to Chicago. Next city's mayor says he's
not so sure about that.

Speaker 10 (10:59):
What this president is doing, He's declared a war on
poor people, you know, picking on homeless people, you know,
you know, picking on the most vulnerable. That is not
what the people of Chicago are going to stand for.
And so we'll use all means necessary to us to
ensure that we protect the Constitution and we protect this
beloved city.

Speaker 9 (11:19):
Now today, there are over two thousand National Guard soldiers
patrolling the streets the nation's capital.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
Last muster John.

Speaker 9 (11:26):
Last night, the White House says there were ninety three
arrests in DC, including forty sixy legal aliens. In Maryland,
next door, Governor Wes Moore Is invited President Trump to
visit Baltimore. More rejected the idea that Guard is needed
in his city with the second highest murder rate.

Speaker 11 (11:43):
There's plenty of reasons, you know, One, it is not sustainable.
You cannot continue this type of pace of operations, particularly
when when it's costing over a million dollars a day
in order to do this. The second it's not scalable,
you're not going to be able to do this in
every single major American city.

Speaker 9 (12:00):
President Trump has declined the invitation on true Social Governor
Wesmore of Maryland disasked in a rather nasty and provocative tone,
that I walked the streets of Maryland with him. I
assume he's talking about the out of control crime rate
in Baltimore. As president, I would much prefer that he
clean up this crime disaster before I go there for
a quote walk. Now, speaking of law enforcement, as you

(12:22):
mentioned John, After the FBI rated John Bolton's home and
office early Friday, the Vice President wihed in earlier today.

Speaker 12 (12:30):
We're in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation
into John Bolton.

Speaker 2 (12:34):
I will say, we're going to let that investigation proceed.

Speaker 12 (12:36):
What I can't tell you is that, unlike the Biden
do OJ and the Biden FBI, our law enforcement agencies
are going to be driven by law and not by politics.

Speaker 9 (12:47):
Now, Missouri Senator Eric Schmid says he welcomes federal support
and more officers in the city of Saint Louis, which,
of course has the highest murder rate in the country.

Speaker 1 (12:57):
John Wow, Lucas Tomlins at the White House today.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
Lucas, thanks.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
We saw redistricting in Texas and we might see it
in California, But what about New York. Democrats in the
state are pushing for it. New York Congresswoman Claudia Tenney,
a Republican, with her take.

Speaker 3 (13:15):
Tommy to run this city, is heating up.

Speaker 1 (13:17):
A massive fundraising haul in the last few weeks is
putting more distance between front runner Democratic socialist Zoron Mamdani
and his top two competitors, current Mayor Eric Adams and
former New York Governor opener Andrew Cuomo. But Adams and
Cuomo say they are still in the fight. They've ramped
up attacks against Mamdanni and his lofty campaign promises.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
Seebe Cotton has the latest.

Speaker 13 (13:44):
Hey John Well, Democratic nominee Zoram Mamdanni continues to have
a clear lead, not just in the polls, but also
with campaign funding. Take a look. According to the New
York City Campaign Finance Board, between July twelfth and August eighteenth,
mam Donnie raked in a little more than a million dollars,
which is twice as much as his closest competitor in
the polls, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as

(14:05):
an independent and had his donations total about five hundred
and forty one thousand dollars. Mam Donnie's campaign has promoted
government run grocery stores, free childcare, a rent freeze, but
the thirty three year old has also taken heat for
his past social media comments where he showed support for
defunding the police or the phrase globalize the Antivada. While

(14:27):
Mam Donni has since walked back his views on both,
even saying he'll discourage use of that phrase, some of
New York's most prominent Democrats still have not endorsed him.
House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries was pressed today on whether
these hot button social issues have caused him to stop
short of backing Mam Donnie.

Speaker 6 (14:47):
Well, Listen, I've raised several of the issues with him
privately as well as publicly spoken about some of the
concerns that I've had, But at this particular moment, we're
going to keep those conversations moving forward.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
So with establishment.

Speaker 13 (15:01):
Democrats continue to show some hesitancy about supporting Mom Donnie.
Bar Left progressives in the party clearly have none, and
some of Mom Donnie's competitors have repeatedly said that's where
they believe they'll be able to come out on top
by winning over voters who feel abandoned by the current
state of the Democratic Party. John C.

Speaker 3 (15:22):
B Cotton reporting, CB, thank you.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
Let's bring in New York Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. She also
sits on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
So you represent a district in New York.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
What do you think about the prospect of a Democratic
socialist leading the race for New York City Mayor.

Speaker 14 (15:42):
I'm not surprised, and he's likely going to win. The
minority of the Democratic Party is very energized.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
It will be a catastrophe for the Democrats.

Speaker 14 (15:51):
This guy is going to be the mayor of the
largest city in the United States, the most important city
in terms of economic conditions in the States to New York,
and he's going to influence policy in Albany, which is
going to be terrible for everyone in Albany. These socialist
policies don't work. They're really rooted in Marxism, his anti
police rhetoric, his anti you know, the Democratic Socialist of

(16:12):
America are against the prison system. They think everybody's innocent,
they're anti Semitic, and it's going to be really, really
hard for us to thrive in upstate New York without
New York City and a mass out migration of some
of the wealthiest people, probably because socialism, but also because
we're not going to be able to maintain the businesses
that we have that are driving our economy.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
And we have already the.

Speaker 14 (16:34):
Highest taxes, the highest energy costs, the highest you know, wages,
the highest regulatory regime. It's a very difficult place to
do business, and that's why people have left in droves. John,
It's just not that, you know, these policies don't work
in New York proves it, and doubling down on them
isn't going to make things better in New York.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
Yeah, he's promised things, like said, voters, especially the wealthy ones,
are going to vote with their feet and get out
of town.

Speaker 14 (16:58):
It always hurts the people in the lower echelons too
when these types of policies are enacted.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Socialism never works.

Speaker 14 (17:05):
You run out of other people's money, and I've lived
in a socialist country and it was you know, there's
just a couple of things on the shelves. Can you
imagine if they start rationing what you can buy at
the grocery store and deciding at picking winners and losers.
You don't follow what the democrats socialists do that run power.
You're not going to get what you want at the
grocery store. And that's how socialism works. It eventually leads

(17:26):
to an authoritarianism, and it eventually leads to, you know,
to mass poverty across the board. And we've seen this
story over and over. He's really a fake populist. He's
trying to tell people where you don't have to work,
We're just going to give you everything you want. And
that never works. It's also contrary to our very system
of government, which is about self governance, self reliance, about

(17:48):
getting out there and having that ingenuity and the spirit
to go out and take care of yourself.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
That's what our country has.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
Founded on the one branch of government. Smack down the
Attorney General of New York State who brought that lawsuit
against Well he was then former President Trump over his
business dealings. The Appeals Court threw it out, said it
was absolutely unconstitutional and basically a waste of everybody's time.

Speaker 14 (18:19):
Your reaction, yeah, well, this is a good news for
everyone who's a member of the bar.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
I am a member of the New York State Bar.

Speaker 14 (18:25):
My father was actually a Supreme Court justice, and the
Appellate Division, although very left leaning, got it right.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
This is an Eighth Amendment violation.

Speaker 14 (18:33):
It was an excessive fine launched against President Trump one
hundred and ten thousand dollars a day on a deal
he made with another party who they both agreed, and
they were.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
Both happy about the situation.

Speaker 14 (18:44):
Letitia James, as I've said for over and over, her
malicious prosecution, her abuse of process, her complete upside down
view of getting Trump as opposed to finding justice, means
she should be not only disbarred, but removed from office.

Speaker 2 (18:59):
Same with the judge who.

Speaker 14 (19:01):
Made gross errors that were I think subject to judicial
conduct commissioned review and possibly removing him as a justice too.
These are really bad days for New Yorkers, but the
fact that the left leaning pell Division was through this
out is good news for New Yorkers because there is
justice in some ways in some cases in New York.

Speaker 1 (19:22):
Still even the Washington Post, which is generally no fan
of Donald Trump, put this headline out there from its
opinion page, the editorial page, donald Trump.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
And selective prosecution.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
An outrageously excessive fine is thrown out in New York
with an important warning against law there. And that is
what the paper says that she was engaging in.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
Absolutely.

Speaker 14 (19:46):
I think it's amazing that they would put that out
and that just shows you it's doubly wrong. If you
can get the left leaning or Washington Post, and also
the left leaning justices, by the way, all appointed by Democrats,
serving down in the First Department, I believe is where
the decision was made. This is really important that we
are upholding a standard of justice and it's justice for

(20:07):
all and it has to be equal justice under the law, law,
fair targeting, abusive prosecution. I mean, Leticia James has a
long record of doing this, not just against President Trump,
but many others. My former colleague in the State Assembly,
Steve McLaughlin, who's now the Renstler County Executive, was a
subject of law fair and abusive process by Letitia James.
He woned an unanimous jury verdict in a matter of minutes.

Speaker 15 (20:30):
But you know.

Speaker 14 (20:31):
Unfortunately he had to spend his own money to get
his own justice and to get himself relieved.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
She's doing this across.

Speaker 14 (20:36):
The state, intimidating by the way, county officials who comply
with two eighty seven G, which allows for local governments
to work with ICE on finding criminal, illegal aliens and
gang members within their counties.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
This is how bad she really is.

Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, and now the taxpayers are having to pay her
attorney who is fighting some of the charges that the
Department of Justice has brought against her.

Speaker 14 (21:02):
New York congress Woman and Governor Cathy Holkle put that
in the budget with the taxpayer put it in the
budget that we pay for Letitia James legal fees unprecedented.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
New York Congress One, Claudia Tenny, thanks for coming on,
Thanks so much.

Speaker 3 (21:16):
Well.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Israel on the offensive today with strikes in Yemen. Jeff
Paul President Zelenski delivered an address promising to delivered an address,
I should say, promising to keep fighting for freedom against Russia.
He also responded to a recent letter from President Trump.
Stephanie Bennett is live in London with more on that.

Speaker 16 (21:35):
Stephanie Hey, John Yeah, Ukraine celebrating thirty four years of
independence from the Soviet Union. President Zelensky's message, peace is coming, But.

Speaker 3 (21:47):
Each passing year of this war, the pressure on Russia
and their real losses are increasing.

Speaker 2 (21:52):
We know that peace is coming. My peace for Ukraine
is getting closer.

Speaker 16 (21:58):
Prime Minister Mark Karney took part, saying Canada will always
stand with Ukraine and will invest one point five billion
dollars in new military assistance. Zelenski also thanked King Charles
for an inspirational letter, along with Pope Leo shijingping European
leaders and others for their messages. US en Voy Keith
Kellogg also was in attendance. Zelensky awarded him the Ukrainian

(22:19):
Order of Merits of the first Degree for his significant
contributions to supporting Ukraine and strengthening bilateral relations, he said.
Zelenski also thanked President Donald Trump for his letter, which
Trump said in part that the United States respects their fight,
but now is the moment to bring an end to
the senseless killing, calling for a negotiated settlement that leads

(22:39):
to a durable, lasting peace. Also happening today, families reunited
as Russia and Ukraine exchanged one hundred and forty six
prisoners of war from each side after mediations from the
United Arab Emirates.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
I can't explain what I am feeling. We haven't seen
each other for.

Speaker 16 (22:58):
Three down about ninety five drones that were sent over
from Ukraine overnight, while Ukraine's air force says that Russia
sent around seventy.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
John all right. Stephanie Bennett reporting live, Thank you, Stephanie.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital today, and the major air
strikes come after Iran backed Hoothy rebels fired their first cluster.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
Bomb toward Israel. Jeff Paul is live in Tel Aviv, Israel,
with the latest on that. Jeff, Well, yeah, John in.

Speaker 17 (23:29):
Despite a potential ceasefire deal that's on the table that
Hamas has reportedly agreed to, Israel is still planning on
moving forward with its plans for an operation targeting Gaza
City and the potential takeover of that highly populated area
in the territory of Gazen As you take a look
at this new video here that is a giant plume
of smoke shortly after a recent IDF strike there. The

(23:52):
Israeli forces there continue to build up on the perimeter
of Gaza City, with both tanks and soldiers preparing for
an eventual and actual operational takeover that could reach the
city center. All that's happening as the leading authority of
food security declares a famine for Gaza City.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
There's fears that.

Speaker 17 (24:10):
Could spread as humanitarian aid coming into the territory remains
very scarce now. Efforts to end the war remain on
hold as Israel has yet to officially respond to the
latest seasfire proposal. The government's delay to end the war
is once again sparking protests throughout Israel, where families of
hostages are appealing now to President Trump for help.

Speaker 18 (24:34):
Mister President, Sir, we are reaching out to you because
we know that you are a president of life and peace,
not of death and wos. Lives can be saved, our
loved ones can be brought out of the tunnels alive.

Speaker 3 (24:51):
Now.

Speaker 17 (24:52):
Beyond the war in Gaza, Israel and Yemen's Huthies continue
to exchange strikes.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
Nearly two years into this war.

Speaker 17 (24:58):
Today, the idea of confirmed airstrikes hit the capital city
of Sunna, targeting Hoothy infrastructure. This included a fueling depot,
a power plant, and a military side at the Presidential Palace,
and missiles continue to be fired from Yemen into Israeli territory.
In factors, two days ago we heard the air raids
sirens right here in Tel Aviv as the IDF intercepted

(25:19):
a missile that they now believe had a cluster warhead
on it. The idea of today's saying that is the
first time a missile like that has been fired from
Yemen into Israeli territory.

Speaker 3 (25:30):
John Jeff Paul reporting Live. Jeff, thank you.

Speaker 1 (25:35):
Let's bring in Professor Lauren Right, Princeton University political scientists. So,
doctor Wright, President Trump has obviously been pushing very hard
to get some kind of a peace deeal first of
all in Ukraine, but also in Israel. What are the
political benefits of that? I mean, is the fear that
the American people are going to take it out on him?

Speaker 3 (25:58):
Or is there something else work?

Speaker 15 (26:01):
You know What's really interesting, John, is Trump's not in
step with public opinion on either of these issues consistently.
And even though I'm often a critic of his, I
think his position on Israel, saying hamas we need to
get rid of them no matter what, is very brave.
And so long term, it's good for presidents to have
vision and to have clarity and to have principles. But

(26:24):
on Israel, for instance, American's public opinion has largely turned
against them. A very thin plurality of Americans support Israel
over Palestine, but that has dropped simpetuously in recent years.
And just to say quickly, on the Ukraine issue, there's
even members of the president's own party who have said,

(26:45):
why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars there?
What's the plan? And so sort of the old Republican
guard that knows Putin is a tyrant, that knows if
he gets away with this, then that puts the West
at risk. A lot of that has gone away, and
the politics are very different, but the president seems to
be sticking to his guns.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Well, President Putin could end this war with a snap
of his fingers if he wanted to. He obviously thinks
he's going to get something out of continuing to slaughter
civilians in Ukraine.

Speaker 15 (27:16):
And so could Hamas by the way, they could release
the hostages today. It's actually a pretty parallel issue. The
way you're talking about it is very appropriate.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
So President President Trump has been leaning on President Putin,
but he also invited him to that summit in Alaska.
It doesn't seem like whatever message President Trump gave him
has gotten through because the attacks, the nightly bombings and
drone attacks continue well.

Speaker 15 (27:48):
Putin's basically the most untrustworthy person that you could have
this sort of negotiation with. But Trump is trying to
bring an end to the war, trying very hard for peace.
I do think he's learned the lesson that Putin is
not trustworthy from his first term and even from recent interactions,

(28:09):
and so yes, he's trying to put the pieces in place.
He has a lot of good advisors on this. But
actually the fact that he's not very ideological on the
Russia Ukraine issue might be helpful because he's able to
credibly communicate with both sides and bring an end to it, hopefully.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
Really tough issue.

Speaker 1 (28:31):
I want to play a couple of US senators with
their thoughts on to.

Speaker 3 (28:35):
Be able to push until he just pushed back.

Speaker 2 (28:36):
I think the President.

Speaker 9 (28:39):
Gave a impetus to the process, but nothing has resulted
from these meetings.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
Right now, we're talking, as I said, we're talking past
each other. Senator Jack Reid and before him Senator James
Langford US on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Breen. So again,
Russia again could end the war, but they think they
are getting something.

Speaker 3 (29:04):
Out of it.

Speaker 1 (29:05):
And I guess the challenge for President Trump is not
to be bamboozled by Vladimir Putin here.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
That's right. They think they're getting land out of it.

Speaker 15 (29:14):
They think they're getting increased territory that they believe should
have been part of Russia in the first place. And
that's a pretty devastating outcome. You cannot invade a sovereign
nation with no consequences. But Trump here is trying to
be a realist, and so I do think this is
where even the most conservative members of the Republican Caucus
are saying, let's see what he can get. Proceed with caution.

(29:39):
This is a murder and a thug, as many have said,
but we need to bring an end to it. It's
a really, really difficult situation, and Russia is the sole
cause of it. They are solely at fault.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
We have a map of what Russia claims to want.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
There are fears that.

Speaker 1 (29:57):
If you gave them the eastern flank of Ukraine that
that wouldn't satisfy them that they would continue to attack
and continue to go on and try to grab more territory.
Is that the reason that the President is talking about
peacekeepers and are you going to need European or possibly

(30:18):
even American boots on the ground to make sure that
Vladimir Putin doesn't continue on.

Speaker 15 (30:24):
It's a very real concern, and Americans of course don't
support boots on the ground. But at the same time,
one of the key benefits of Trump having these meetings
is it's keeping this extremely important geopolitical issue in the news.
And on the Ukraine Russia issue, Americans have really bumped

(30:45):
it to the bottom of their list. They care more
about their everyday lives. They don't really understand how this
affects them. But again, they see the billions being spent
and they're wondering, why are we so invested in this region.
The President needs to continue to make that case. I
think even more that he has that this is in
the United States interest to push back on Russia for

(31:09):
their horrendous behavior here while also trying to save lives.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
Princeton University political scientist Lauren Wright.

Speaker 15 (31:18):
Thanks John, nice to see you.

Speaker 3 (31:19):
Good to see you.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
Well. SpaceX is set for another launch this evening. Madison
Scarpino has a preview of