This Sunday, Aiding allies, President Biden makes his case for funding the wars in Israel and Ukraine as vital to America's national security. Terrorists don't pay price for their terror. When dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and debt. And he calls on Congress to fund both wars.
You can't let petty Carson hanging politics get in the way of responsibilities of great nation. Now, the urgent effort to free more hostages after two Americans are released. As both conflicts rage on, will the US Be able to build support for staying in the fight? I'll ask Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Plus House in chaos. The speaker has not been elected. We need to come together and forgot who our speaker is going to be. The House of Representatives remains leaderless as the Republican fight over who will become the next speaker drags on the crazy agency by gates the amount of damage to him that his party into this country is instrumental.
Is there a solution to this dysfunction? Will anyone be able to get the gavel? I'll talk to the former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. And admission of guilt.
Guilty. Two former Trump lawyers plead guilty in the Georgia election case. What will it mean for Donald Trump's legal defense? Joining me for insight and analysis are New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker, Ana Nawaz, a co anchor of PBS NewsHour, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, and Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute.
Welcome to Sunday. It's Meet the Press from NBC News in Washington, the longest running show in television history. This is Meet THE PRESS with Kristen Walker. Good Sunday morning.
The US Is stepping up its military readiness across the Mideast, citing escalations by Iran and its proxy forces as the US And Israel prepare for a widening war. American Israeli hostages Judith and Natalie Ranan spoke to President Biden on Saturday after being released by Hamas. They were abducted in the terror attack two weeks ago in southern Israel. Hey, Judith.
Hello. I'm so glad you're home. We're not home. I'm glad you're out.
Thank you. So thank you very much. How are you? God love you.
Now, according to the Israeli military, 212 hostages are still being held captive, at least 30 of them under the age of 16. The first 20 trucks carrying aid moved through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza on Saturday, but did not include fuel, critical to keeping hospitals running and to providing clean water. And there's the threat of a widening war. President Biden and his top aides have been urging Israeli leaders against carrying out Any major strike against Hezbollah and Lebanon, which could draw Israel into a two front war.
And there's the growing threat from Iran. On Wednesday, at least two drones targeted a US Garrison in southern Syria, injuring several US Personnel. Drones and rockets also targeted bases with US Troops in Iraq this week, resulting in several more minor injuries. Thursday, a U.S.
navy ship in the northern Red Sea downed four cruise missiles and more than a dozen drones launched from Yemen by pro Iranian Houthi forces that seem to be heading towards Israel. Overnight, the Pentagon announced the U.S. is sending additional missile defense systems to the region, moving a carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf and putting additional U.S. troops on prepare to deploy orders.
President Biden is linking a request for aid to Israel to Ukraine, formally asking Congress for $105 billion in EM funding. On Thursday night, the president pressed for American engagement at a time of growing global instability. History has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going and the cost and the threats to America in the world keep rising.
And joining me now is Secretary of State Antony Blinken who recently returned from a whirlwind diplomatic trip to the Middle east which took him to Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia twice. Secretary Lincoln, welcome back to MEET the press. Good morning. Good to be with you.
Thank you for being here on a very big Sunday. I want to start with a hostage situation. As we reported, of course, those two American hostages have been released this morning. Hamas has come out with a statement saying they are prepared to release two more hostages.
What can you tell us about that? Do you see this as a credible offer coming from this terrorist organization? Well, first question, we've been working on this from day one, engaged with different partners in the region, sending clear messages about the need to immediately and unconditionally release all the hostages. And it was gratifying to, to see that Judith and Ali Ran were released yesterday.
I had a chance to speak to them as well. They were, they sounded strong of mind, strong spirit. But there remain many others and we're hopeful that more released. But the bottom line is this.
They need to be released, each and every one of them now, unconditionally. Do you take this word by Hamas that they are potentially prepared to release two more hostages seriously as the US Government, for example, working with Qatar to make that happen as we speak? Well, acts are what speak not words, particularly coming from Hamas. But we've been engaged As I said, with partners.
So one of the first things that I did after the horrific attack of October 7 and hostages were taken, men, women, young children, elderly people, it's extraordinary, was to talk to everyone we could who might have influence with Hamas in terms of releasing them. In the instance of Judith and Natalie. I again want to thank the government of Qatar playing a very important role in getting them out and now on their way home to see their loved ones. I want to ask you about their release.
Can you tell us why those two were released and why now? Mr. Secretary? I can't.
We don't know why Hamas chose to release Natalie and Judah first. I use the word first advisedly because again, we're hopeful that more follow. I can't speak to that. What I can speak to is our incessant efforts from day one to try to get people home, to try to get them out of Gaza, back with their families and loved ones.
That is continuing as we speak. This is something we're engaged in virtually around the clock. Do you believe that all 10 unaccounted for Americans are being held hostage? Kristen?
We don't know. As you said, we got 10 unaccounted for Americans. We believe that some significant number are hostages. But you know, what's happening is, and it just underscores the horror Israel continues to discover, uncover people who were killed, who were slaughtered, and I use that term very advisedly slaughtered on October 7th.
So what we don't know for sure is whether some of the unaccounted for are dead and have simply not been uncovered yet, or whether the hostage. But we, we have a pretty strong idea that some number of the 10, at least, are being held in Gaza by Hamas. I want to talk to you about the ground operation in Israel. I spoke to an IDF spokesperson earlier this week who said they're not planning to change their strategy, despite the fact that two hostages have now been released.
I want to ask you, does the US Want Israel to wait on its ground operation until more hostages can be freed? Kristen, let's first step back a second and put this in perspective. The attack of October 7, the slaughtering of men, women, children, the rocketing of Israel continues to this day. No country, no country to accept that.
And so Israel has not only the right, as we said, but the obligation to defend itself. We're not in the business of second guessing what they're doing. We are talking to them on a regular basis about how they do it. It's vitally important that every measure be taken to protect civilians.
That united Chinese assistance gets into people who are caught in this crossfire that Hamas is making. And of course, both of us want to make sure that the many hostages have been taken come home. That's why we're working on it, as I said, virtually every minute of the day. But these are decisions that Israel has to make.
We can give our best advice, our best judgment again, about how they do it and also how best to achieve the results that they're seeking. I want to try to get some clarity from you about the water situation in Gaza. As you know, Israel decided to cut off water to Gaza, along with the fuel electricity that powers the water and sewage plants in the territory. That has exposed residents to all sorts of potential contaminated water and sickness as what was the strategy behind that?
And can you clarify, has any of the water been restored, Mr. Secretary? So this is something that we've also been working on from virtually from the beginning. When I was in Israel and throughout the region, as you mentioned a while ago, one of the things I was very focused on was making sure that people in Gaza, innocent people who are caught in this, through no fault of their own, in this crossfire from us, is making get the assistance they need, whether it's food, whether it's medicine, whether it's water.
And so we were able to. Has any of been restored, Mr. Secretary? In short?
Yes. In short, yes. Two things. First, there are multiple pipelines.
Israel turned back on one of the pipelines about six or seven days ago. So that was an important step. There are a couple of other pipelines that we'd like to see restored. In addition, water is coming in, as you mentioned, we had the first 20 trucks of assistance come in.
That includes water. We're getting more that we hope will be moving as early as today. In fact, we were just told that some of the convoys have started to move again and moving as we speak. At the same time, there are other things that need to happen.
There are desalination plants that need to be powered in order to make sure that the water people are drinking is clean. We do have concerns about the spread of diseases as a result of people drinking dirty water. All of these things are very much part of what we're doing again every day to try to make sure that Palestinians have these systems they need. We pointed a very senior diplomat, David Satterfield, to be on the ground every day working to make sure that the humanitarian aid that people need is getting there.
And this is a work in progress. It's something we're at all the time. Mr. Secretary, there's been a lot of discussion about what happens after the war.
Can you tell us what Israel's strategy is after your meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu? Who will govern Gaza once the war is over? One thing's for sure. Israel cannot go back to the status quo.
And again, no country would be able to accept that. Is there a clear strategy? Does the secretaries and clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over? I think we know two things.
We can't go back to the status quo. They can't go back to the status quo. With Hamas being a position in terms of its governance of Gaza, to repeat, what it did. At the same time, what I heard from Israelis has absolutely no intent, no desire to be running Gaza themselves.
They moved out of Gaza unilaterally, unconditionally, a couple of decades ago. But they can't be in a position where they're constantly at the threat of the most horrific terrorist attacks coming from Gaza. So something needs to be found that ensures that Hamas can't do this again. But it also doesn't refer to Israeli governments of Gaza, which they do not want and do not intend to do.
They're different. They're different ideas out there about what could follow. But all that, I think, needs to be worked. And it's something that needs to be worked even as Israel is dealing with the current threat.
As I mentioned earlier, we have seen an uptick in attacks against US Military facilities, against troops around the region. Overnight, the Pentagon announced it was actually increasing its force posture in the region. How concerned are you about Iran trying to escalate this war? We are concerned.
In fact, we expect that there's a likelihood of escalation, escalation by Iranian proxies directly against our forces, directed against our personnel. We are taking steps to make sure that we can effectively defend our people and respond decisively if we need to. This is not what we want, not what we're looking for. We don't want escalation.
We don't want to see a second or third front develop. We don't want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire. But if that happens, we're ready for it. Is the US Opposed to a preemptive strike by Israel?
As has been discussed by some Israeli officials, Israelis have been very clear with us, and we share this with you. No one wants a second or third front, including when it comes to Lebanon, northern Israel, southern Lebanon. That's not in anyone's interest. And that's exactly why we've sent a very strong message to try to deter Hezbollah, deter Iran more directly from opening up the second front.
You heard the president speak this very clearly. He has put countries and non state actors on warning, don't take advantage of the situation. We've also deployed very significant assets to the region, two aircraft carrier battle groups, not to provoke, but to deter, to make clear that if anyone tries to do anything, we're there. So my expectation is that again, coming from us, coming from Israel, no one is looking for that second front.
And I just finally, with a few seconds we have left here, I want to ask you about the more than $100 billion in aid that President Biden is requesting from Congress, currently in a state of paralysis without a Speaker of the House. How can the US Deliver on that aid if you can't get it through the House, where there are also deep divisions about potentially linking aid to Israel and Ukraine. We need to see the continuation of strong bipartisan support for both Ukraine and for Israel. We have two friends who are under attack in different ways.
But you heard the president speak very powerfully, very eloquently this the other night, speaking to the American people. We know that if we let would be aggressors act with impunity, whether it's a state like Russia, whether it's terrorists like Hamas, we open a Pandora's box for other aggressors around the world to try to get away with the same thing. So we have to stand strongly with our friends. We have to stand strongly with both Ukraine and with Israel.
We have to be looking out for the people of Gaza who were caught in this crossfire. The supplemental budget request, the money the president asked Congress for would do just that. It gives us the assistance that Ukraine needs, that Israel needs and also the people of Gaza needs with a lot of humanitarian aid. So we need Congress and we needed to move forward on the strong bipartisan basis we've already seen when it comes to supporting both Ukraine and Israel and I hope the people of Gaza.
All right. Secretary Blinken, thank you very much for your time this morning. We really appreciate it. Thanks, Kristen.
And when we come back, there's still no speaker of the House, as we just said, as the war rages on in Israel, the former speaker of the house, Kevin McCarthy joins me next. Welcome back. With no speaker of the House for more than 18 days, a government shutdown looming and an aid package for Israel stall, Republican divisions have broken out to the open in angry reclamations and even death threats. On Friday, House Republicans dropped hard right.
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan as their candidate for speaker after he failed for the third time to get the necessary votes, leaving Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffreys as the candidate with the most votes. But short of a majority, nearly 10 House Republicans are now exploring bids for speaker. Joining me now is the man whose name is still on the sign above the Speaker's office, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Mr.
Speaker, welcome back to Meet the Press. Thank you. Thanks for having me on. Well, thank you for being here.
Look, as we have said, the House of Representatives has been without a Speaker for nearly three weeks now. What do you say to Americans who look at this chaos and believe it's a sign that Republicans cannot govern? Well, it's embarrassing. You gotta understand why we're here.
Eight Republicans led by Gates, have created this chaos by joining every single Democrat in voting to shut down one branch of government. Look, I would do the exact same thing again. Could you imagine if we're having this discussion right now with the American government shut down, with our troops in the Middle east wondering when they'll ever get paid again? Keeping the government open was the right decision to make.
And I'd make it again each and every day. Now, the two men, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan, they could have done the job as Speaker. Unfortunately, the chaos has continued. We need to solve this problem.
We've got a wide open Southern border. We got crushing inflation, we've got war in the Middle East. This is not a moment in time to play around with learning on the job. We need someone who understands how to do this job.
I believe Tom Emmer, our whip, he's been in the room with all of our successes from our bills to secure the border, from Parents, Bill of rights, from cutting $2 trillion, getting work requirements. He knows how to do the job across the street at the same time helping us win the majority. He sets himself head and shoulders above all those others who want to run. We need to get him elected this week and move on and bring this not just party together, but focus on what this country needs most.
We're going to delve into Tom Emmer in just a moment, but first I want to ask. I hear you invoking Democrats. I understand why. The reality, though, is, as you know, Republicans, the House.
Does this not come down to Matt Gaetz ultimately moving to oust you? And therefore, do you bear some responsibility for this, Mr. Speaker, for agreeing to give him the deal in the first place, to be able to remove you with just one vote? That deal has been with every speaker in the House.
The only person who changed it is Nancy Pelosi, but no other party. I had the power to make this motion against Nancy Pelosi, but I never did because I believe in the institution of the House. All the other Democrat leaders believe they never should be able to raise this issue. Remember, as we go forward in the next decade, if the majority changes, no one's going to have a big majority.
So what King Jeffries has just done, change the institution itself to say it's okay to always make a motion to try to shut down one branch of government. Mr. Speaker, what Matt Gates has done here, think about this. He has chosen with no plan, concerned about an ethics complaint that was registered against him in the last Congress, to try to go and move and shut it down.
This is a wrong approach. It's brought chaos. The Democrats went along with it and they have blame, too. But I would sit back, I'll take whatever blame needed.
But if the blame is on me for keeping government open and voting for the troops, I would do that again tomorrow. But just very quickly, just to put a fine point on it before we get to time, do you regret giving Matt Gaetz that power over you? You don't have that choice. You have 218 votes to pass a rule.
No Democrat would vote. They all voted just like they did to shut this, throw me out. They all voted against that rule as well. So they wouldn't help at that time.
So I believe moving forward is the best, like every other speaker has had. Let's talk about Tom Emmer. Obviously, you had Steve Solis, you had Jim Jordan, who couldn't get enough votes. Do you think Tom Emmer will actually be able to get enough votes to be speaker?
Because all of my reporting suggests it's an uphill battle. I do. I believe it's gonna be uphill battle. But if you simply look at what's the chaos right now, the wide open southern border.
I'm concerned about a cell sitting inside America today. We just caught 18 people just last month on the FBI terrorist watch list coming across our border. More than 160 have done it this year, a record breaking when we're looking around the Middle east and the uprisings popping up around Europe and others. They could be sleeper cells right now in America.
But this administration hasn't done nothing to change what's happening on the southern border. We got government funding where our troops wouldn't be paid sitting here in a month. Tom Emmer has been a part of our successes for not just winning the majority, but being in the room to help us pass A border security bill to make US Energy independent. Parents Bill of Rights to stand up when the Democrats wanted to defund the police and decriminalize somewhere that's lost and he's been successful.
This is not a time for a learning experience of Speaker Tom would be able to walk into the job and do it on. Mr. Speaker, you're talking about all the urgent needs, all the pressure, including the war in Israel. Why isn't that enough to have already gotten a speaker in place holding the gavel?
Why should it be any different now with Tom Emmer? You said the same thing about Jim Jordan last week. I think. Why wouldn't it be the case?
I'd still be in the job, unfortunately, we have eight people led by Gates that put something different in their belief. I don't know why they would follow Gates about his ethics complaint. I don't know what's in it. I legally can't be involved in it.
Must be rather serious to put this much jeopardy into this nation. I would have hoped that everyone would come together with their. Put the country before the politics and actually solve this. Steve Scalise would have done an excellent job.
I supported him. Jim Jordan would have. I just know this is not a time to play games. This is a.
This is embarrassing for the Republican Party. It's embarrassing for the nation. And we need to look at one another and solve the problem. Mr.
Speaker, just to put a very fine point on it, if there is not a speaker, if Emmer cannot get the votes, would you rule out running for speaker again to get your old job back? Look, I don't need the title. I'm going to help in any way I can. I don't know.
You rule it out. Mr. Speaker, would you rule it out? Look, I know you have your job.
I'm supporting Tom Emmer. But I'm going to tell you I'm still a member of Congress and I'm going to lead in any capacity I can help to protect America. I'm going to work to secure our border. I'm going to work to stop the inflation.
I'm going to make sure war does not break out in Israel and that Israel has every resource they need to defend themselves. But most importantly, I'm going to press this administration. We have to destroy Hamas. But you cannot do it without confronting Iran.
They need to change their policies. Iran only had $4 billion in foreign exchange when they took office. They now have 70 billion. Iran only produced 400,000 barrels of oil a day when Biden took office.
They now produced 3 million. They're getting billions of dollars to fund terrorism around the world. And you cannot stop Hamas. You cannot get the American hostages back without confronting Iran.
And they cannot make the same mistake they did in Afghanistan. We have to be very clear. Every single American has to come home. No one will be left behind.
And I can do that as a congressman. I can do that as a citizen, and I will do it and stand up for the American people. Mr. Speaker, just speak.
We didn't hear you rule out potentially putting your name back in if there's no Speaker. But let me move on. Look to your point, to the urgent need. We just heard Secretary Blinken make the same exact case.
So once there's a speaker back in place, will you move immediately on the by President Biden, which includes linking aid to Israel and Ukraine? Look, we will look at exactly what they put up. We're a different branch of government. We'll make sure there's no bloating in here.
But the one thing this administration has to know from the day I became speaker, they have to stop ignoring the southern border. Israel should have their money. Right now, they are at the brink of war. There are more Americans dying on our southern border than they are in Ukraine.
Ukraine has $9 billion right now. So let's sit down and let's look exactly what weaponry they need. Israel. Let's not.
Let's not. Mr. Speaker, 31American tomorrow, and then let's make sure. Yeah, the 31Americans just lost their lives.
Yeah, but 31Americans just lost their lives in Israel. That is not something that we have seen happen at the southern border. Mr. Speaker, but just be very clear.
Would you support Ukraine to Israel? Would you support linking aid to Ukraine to aid for Israel? No, because I wouldn't want. I would not want to delay any aid for Israel.
I would have already sent aid to Israel. If I was still SPE speaker today, I would have done a number of things. We wouldn't even be talking about it today. First and foremost, I would have made sure that no longer we paying for American hostages, that there would be consequences for any American and no one's going to get left behind.
I would have already sent the aid to Israel. I would have stood up for the anti Semitism coming across the aisle, the lies that are being said by the Democrats where Hakeem just says there's no statement. I would have made sure that we had looked at our own border, that we don't have any sleeping cells here, that we would actually stop these terrorists coming across our own border. And I would have made sure from that perspective going forward that Israel had every sophisticated weapon they needed to defend themselves.
Mr. Suno, then we would have brought up Ukraine aid at the same times we were talking about our own southern border and we would have been able to get the job done. As you know, former President Trump has inserted himself at various moments both in the speaker race, endorsing Jim Jordan, now not endorsing Tom Emmer, also calling for the government to shut down. Do you think former President Trump has made it more difficult for Republicans to govern in the House?
Look, no. I think the individuals themselves can make their decisions. Tom Emmer has the ability and shown the ability not only can he pass the very difficult bills, he'd help win the majority. He is the best person for the job.
I've watched what we've been able to do just in these nine months. Think about this. We passed a bill that makes us energy independent. We have passed the most conservative border security bill that would secure our board.
We have passed the Parents Bill of Rights. We have cut $2 trillion of wasteful spending. We have brought in work requirements. At the same time, we were passing appropriation bills, some that have never been passed by Republicans in 16 years.
Unfortunately, eight Republicans led by Gates have brought us this. Mr. Speaker, we need to make sure that we make that correction and move forward. We only have a few seconds left here.
My question was about former President Trump. Let me just ask you this quite simply. Why haven't you endorsed him yet? Well, the campaign is still going.
There's a very good chance I wouldn't. He's the clear front runner. He's the clearest front runner. What are you paying for?
Well, I believe. You know what? Because I've got a Southern border wide open. I got war in the Middle East.
I got things. I'm focused right now. I believe President Trump will be our nominee. I believe President Trump will get reelected.
Are you still a mad Republican? He's been brought. He has broaded chaos. You know what?
I am a conservative Republican from the beginning to the end. That's what I've always been. You can try to phrase different names to people, but I'm proud of who I am. All right, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Thank you. We know you have a busy week ahead. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you for having me.
And when we come back, former President Trump spent more time in the courtroom than on the campaign trail this week, and yet he is still the dominant front runner of the GOP nomination. His former Vice President Mike Pence, who is running against him, joins me next. Welcome back. Kenneth Chesbro, a former lawyer for Donald Trump's campaign, pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally conspired to overturn Mr.
Trump's 2020 election loss in Georgia, becoming the second former Trump lawyer and third defendant to plead guilty in the criminal racketeering case. Chesbrough pleaded guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to file false documents. Former Trump lawyers to be Powell and Bail Bonds and Saval have also accepted plead deals and agree to testify against others. Joining now is former Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican candidate for president.
Thank you for being here. Welcome back to the press. Congratulations. Thank you so much.
It's wonderful to have you here in studio. We're going to get to all of the Trump legal matters in just a moment. I want to start with what's happening in Israel, the Middle East. Look, we know that President Biden has asked for this more than $100 billion aid package, and it's really exposed some divisions within the Republican Party.
Former President Trump has said, for example, he doesn't necessarily think we should be writing a blank check to Ukraine. Do you support linking aid to Israel to aid to Ukraine? Is that the right path? Well, first, I think it's important that American leaders in both parties speak with one voice.
If the world knows nothing else, the world needs to know this. America stands with Israel. What happened two weeks ago was the most brutal assault on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And we need to stand with Israel as they prepare to do what needs to be done, which is going to require ground invasion.
They're going to have to hunt down and destroy Hamas once and for all. And there's going to be hardship, there's going to be difficulty. But I really do believe this is a moment where American clarity and leadership is more important than ever. And before you get to the a question, I also think President Biden said the other night, this is what happens when dictators are held to account.
It's also what happens after a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. It's also what happens after two years of appeasement by President Biden with Iran. And I really do believe it's also what happens when voices in my own party have been signaling retreat from the war raging in Ukraine. And any of the one candidate for president, Vivek Ramaswam Swami, recently was signing the retreat in support for Israel.
So, look, I really believe that this is a moment where we need to stand firm. We need to learn the lessons of history, but we need American Leadership that's strong and firm and, and resolute for the sake of Israel, for the sake of peace in Eastern Europe and for the security of the world. Very quickly on Ramaswamy, he said overnight there's no clear long term objective is a recipe with no clear long term objective. It's a recipe for no win war that will be bad for Israel and bad for the US does he have a point?
Is it important to make sure there's a clear long term strategy? What's important is that Israel knows we are with them. I mean, it was about a month ago that Ran Swami actually said that we wouldn't, we wouldn't send American armed forces into harm's way if Iran attacked Israel. This is.
There's an old Bible verse that says if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will know to get ready for battle? I really believe in this moment America has to send a clear call that we will stand with Israel every step of the way as they do what needs to be done. I agree with what one Israeli official said recently. Israel and Hamas cannot coexist.
We must support Israel in their effort to crush Hamas and secure their nation. Do you think that aid to Ukraine and Israel should be linked? Of course. I've been a very strong supporter of military aid to Ukraine since the invasion of the aid.
I would support Congress moving that measure together or separately, but I think it's more important what the outcome is. I just heard the former speaker of the House say that we need to make sure Israel has what they need, particularly with resupplying Iron Dome and other security apparatus that exist in Israel in their war. And we've been supporting Ukraine, but at the end of the day, weakness arouses evil. And I really do believe that if America does not continue to respond to this moment in Eastern Europe and in the Middle east and to no less extent in the Asia Pacific with resolute American strength, the balance of the 21st century could look a whole lot more like the first half of the 20th century.
Let me ask you about some of your comments. Because you said US Special Forces should go into the region to rescue American hostages. I just want to be very clear. You would support putting American boots on the ground to get hostages out.
Chris, we got Americans being held by bloodthirsty terrorists in Gaza. And if I was President of the United States, I would have directed Joint Special Operations Command to stand up Delta Forces, stand up the Navy seals who do the best hostage rescue in the world and say you need to, you need to work with IDF. And we need to tell Hamas. You've got 12 hours to turn American and Israeli hostages or we're coming together.
I mean, this. Look, I welcomed the release of two American hostages this week. I'm grateful for that. But going hat in hand to Cutter and standing by while Hamas decides whether they're going to release another hostage, it's totally unaccepted.
We are the leader of the free world. We are Israel's strongest ally on the planet. We need to send a message to Hamas that you need to turn those hostages back over or you'll answer not just to Israeli Defense Forces, but you'll answer the United States Armed Forces. I do want to ask you about former President Trump's legal challenges.
His former lawyer, city Paladin Chester, have taken plea deals in that Georgia election case. They've agreed to testify against other defendants. Do you believe that this is evidence that the false elector scheme was essentially not defensible? Well, I must say this.
I know I did my duty on January 6th to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. And thanks to the courage of law enforcement, we quelled the violence that day. We reconvened the Congress and completed our work under the Constitution. But this whole business of false electors was something I wasn't aware of at the time.
I've learned about efforts afterwards. You didn't hear any conversations about the false electors? I just didn't. Other than in the press, there was some discussion about people convening for electors.
I mean, most of. Most of what I was dealing with was that the president and a group of crackpot lawyers that had surrounded them were making the case that I had the authority to reject or return votes back to the states, which no vice president in history had ever asserted or ever should. The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone. I know.
By God's grace, I didn't. I do. That day. The president told me when I spoke to him last month, Mr.
Vice President, that he was calling the shots. He said it was his decision to pursue the false election claims even after he lost in court. You have made the case he was listening to crackpot lawyers. But did he undercut that argument that he was listening to the crackpot lawyers?
No, I just. I was in the room when I saw him doing it. But, you know, the president is responsible for the decisions that he made and the demands he made on me. Look, our nation won a revolutionary war against a king.
And I knew from the first time I heard a rumor about the vice president being able to reject or return votes to the states that the founders of this country would have never granted one person the ability to decide which votes to be counted. But the president chose to believe that. He still believes it. He still stands by that, as do many of his supporters.
But I must say, as I travel around the country, there's not a day that goes by that someone for literally every walk of life doesn't come up to me at an airport or at a diner, at a pizza place and just thank me for what we did that day. And I always tell them it was God's grace. It gave us the strength. Let me ask you about your travels around the country, because you just released your fundraising, which has trailed behind a number of your competitors.
Of course, you have been struggling the polls. Mr. Vice President, if you don't qualify for this next debate, will you drop out of the race? We're working very hard to qualify for the debate, and it'll be down in Miami.
Lots of people are going to go to mikemen24.com and make a contribution to give us the numbers in contributions that we need to qualify. But you know, I will tell you, look, I don't have the most money in this campaign, but I do have the most experience. I mean, it's a reason why I'm running, Kristen. I mean, when Karen and I fought through this over the last two years, I reflected on the fact that I think this country's in a lot of trouble.
I think Joe Biden has weakened America at home and abroad. It's become more clear around the world in recent weeks. And here at home, a crisis at our border, a crime wave in our major cities, families struggling in the worst inflation in 40 years. And when I look at my experience, not just as vice president, but as a governor of a successful conservative state, as a leader in the Congress of the United States, we thought of that other verse that says, to whom much is given, much will be required.
And we stepped forward out of the sense of duty. And it's carrying that message, bringing that experience forward, that gives us great confidence that we're going to continue to drive forward in this campaign and continue to marshal support of people all across the country. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
We really appreciate it. And when we come back, protests have erupted across the Middle east this week as the war in Gods intensifies. Is there a plan to deal with the core issues fueling the conflict? Welcome back.
Fears of a widening war in the Middle east are growing this week. Israel's neighbor Jordan called for a greater effort to de escalate tensions. In 2009, Jordan's King Abdullah described what he believed is at the root of the instability in region. Unless we solve the core issue of the Israeli, Palestinian, Israeli, Arab challenges, then we will always be an area of instability that costs all of us.
The challenge that we have in front of American public is connecting the dots. Any crisis that you want to talk about, whether it's Al Qaeda, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, all comes back to the soar. The emotional issue that is Palestine and Jerusalem. Any conflict that you pick in the Middle east today, all roads lead back to Jerusalem is probably a better way of explaining it.
When we come back, can the US Present for Israel's war with Hamas from spreading? The panel is next. Welcome back to panelists here. I'm Nawaz Cohen of PBS NewsHour, Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, David Ignatius, foreign affairs columnist at the Washington Post, and Daniel Plaatka, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Thanks to all of you for being here. I want to start with you. Because you were in the region, you saw this firsthand. What were your key takeaways?
Having been in Israel, you know, this is a nation that is forever changed. Kristen I think this was an attack, the brutality of which really just shook the core of the people of Israel and people around the world, as we've seen. And I met a number of people who spoke to that. There was a woman in Noam whose father was among those currently being held hostage.
She's elderly. They don't know if he's alive. He requires medication. It's heartbreaking to hear that story, isn't it?
Named Gil, who actually himself opposed the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. He'd been in the streets protesting this government. He previously protested against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. He is sending his son off to more to come back because this nation says this can never happen again.
And we all bore witness to the brutality of that day. At the same time, I talked to a woman named Hala who lives in Islam. Her sister is in Gaza and she doesn't know her family's gonna make it alive. I spoke to a 25 year old woman named Aseel as her family was fleeing their home in Gaza.
And I could only speak to her on the phone because the connectivity is so bad. She tells me now she is waiting to die. Here's the challenge I found on the ground. I think it's gonna be the challenge for journalists moving forward.
We have to hold two very different ideas in our heads. At the same time, this was a brutal and barbaric attack, the likes of which shook the nation in the world. And Israel has a right to exist in dignity and freedom and peace. The same time in the last two weeks, we've seen thousands of Palestinians, including children, killed as a result of retaliatory strikes.
And how do we report on that moving forward? With empathy and skepticism. That is the challenge as reporters and as a global community. And Peter, you were on Air Force One when President Biden traveled to Israel, and that's exactly what Ana is saying.
The fine line and the challenge for President Biden, publicly speaking is saying, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you. But privately his message is different, complicated. He went to Israel to give a hug to these other people, basically said, I'm here with you. This is, of course, one of President Biden's longtime strengths, empathy and sympathy and moments like us to share sense of loss.
I was in the room with him when he met some of the people who, as I talked about, had great loss or had been defiant in the face of an enormous threat. And he had tears on his face. He had, you know, people. He was hugging each of them one at a time.
But he does have another message. It is a message meant out of friendship, as they say, but one of caution, saying that we made mistakes after 9 11. We felt that all consuming rage that you feel now. And they have in some ways, 15, 9 11s, if you do the math on their population versus the losses that they suffered.
But he said, don't give into that primal feeling because we made mistakes don't make sense. What he's talking about there is widening the war beyond where it has to go. That doesn't mean he's lecturing them. He wants very clearly to say, I'm not lecturing, but in the private means.
He asks pointed questions in a way that may clear his views and his feelings of violation of 4. David, you've been talking to IDF officials, Israeli officials, I should say. What are your thoughts? So the first thing I hear after expressions of the trauma that the country is going through underlines what Peter said.
Israelis are genuinely grateful for President Biden's support. This combination of embracing Israel at the time it really needs it, and also being honest and direct about the dangers of overreaching. I hear Israeli officials thinking carefully about how to stage this next phase, the ground invasion of Gaza in a way that doesn't get all the hostages killed. They have been trying over the last two weeks to map every inch of Gaza to find, if they can, where people are so that they know where the hostages are being held, know how to behave appropriately.
I hear people talking in great detail about how to avoid a two front, two front war. Every day. There's been some kind of action over the Lebanese border. The Israelis were tempted to go in hard.
They worry that deterrence has failed with Hezbollah as it clearly did with Hamas. But I think America's council has been heated. Don't be in a hurry to start that two front war. Be careful.
And finally, I hear a lot of discussion about what happens when this war ends. Israel is committed to destroying Hamas. What then? I think that's the question we're all going to be talking about for weeks.
From us. David, the Secretary of State couldn't answer that. What happens then? He talked about concerns about this two front war that David mentions.
Well, the two front wars is a choice that Iran is making. This isn't Israel's choice. Right now what we're seeing is the Iranians are allowing or asking their proxies, Hezbollah and others to harass, to have a sort of a low grade harassment campaign across the Syrian border, across the Lebanese border, against American troops in Iraq. We've seen two or three separate attacks.
Those are coming on Iranian borders for sure. So it's unclear whether the Iranians really want to make this a two front war. Certainly for the Israelis, it's absolutely right. They don't want that.
They want to be able to focus on Hamas. I think the one problem that we see is that as you see these calls for the bear hug as you've described it, right. Which is we love you, stay here. And the problem with that is the Israelis have pursued that policy of restraint over the last 15 years, 16 years with Hamas, they called it mowing the lawn.
Right. We get down to people who we need to deal with. We push away the people we need to push away. They can't do that anymore and they're going to finish this no matter what.
All right, great conversation. Thank you all so much for being here. That is all for today. Thank you for watching.
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