Washington Today (5-29-26): POTUS meets with advisors on Iran, Bondi questioned on Epstein files

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-30

[00:00:04]Welcome to Washington today on CPAN Radio for Friday, May 29th, 2026.

[00:00:08]President Donald Trump posts a list of requirements for any deal to end the war with Iran peacefully, then says he is meeting in the White House situation room to make a final determination. Some media reports say he did not reach a decision. A Russian military drone hits an apartment building in Romania. The US, NATO, and European Union condemn it as a reckless act by Russia. The week ends as it began outside the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey. Protesters clashing with federal agents. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi sits for a closed door interview with House Oversight Committee members on the process for releasing the files of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epste.

[00:00:49]Democrats on the committee say she pinned the blame for any mistakes on now acting attorney general Todd Blanch. She says that's not true. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson gives a speech at the Ronald Reagan National Economic Forum in California titled While America Slept, arguing that the US policym has prioritized efficiency over resilience.

[00:01:10]Disney-owned ABC criticizes the Federal Communication Commission as it formally applies to renew early licenses for its eight broadcast TV stations as the FCC demanded. One station writing this effort to suppress speech under the guise of bureaucratic process must not prevail. Plus, longtime Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Democrat of Florida, says she will not run for reelection.

[00:01:31]And Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, promotes a bipartisan bill he introduced this week to overhaul the business of college sports. That and more ahead on Washington today. New York Times writing that President Donald Trump said he was meeting with advisers at the White House on Friday to make a final decision on a potential ceasefire deal with Iran. In a social media post, he again insisted that a deal involve Iran's reopening the straight of Formuz, pledging never to develop a nuclear bomb and allowing the United States to remove its enriched uranium. Spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry Ismael Bagay said in a telephone interview with Iranian state media on Friday that current negotiations were limited in scope and did not include the nuclear issue. In recent days, the sides have exchanged fire and Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened a return to full-scale war. Then later, there's this from the New York Times. President Trump's meeting in the situation room lasted about two hours, but the president did not reach a decision on any new deal with Iran, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about internal deliberations. The administration believes it is close to an agreement, but there are still certain matters being debated, including the unfreezing of funds for the Iranians, the official said. And that's all from the New York Times. While that was happening, the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessend was at the Ronald Reagan Economic Forum at the Reagan Library in Semi Valley, California, being interviewed by Larry Cuddlo from Fox Business Channel and was asked about what's happening at the White House, the meetings about Iran.

[00:03:03]>> The president is meeting with the cabinet. I'm sure you're plugged into this remotely. Um, how do you read the situation? Are we close to a deal? Uh the last truth social I got said basically they're looking at the issues but the red lines have not changed with respect to denuclearization and no enrichment and reopening the straight of hormones and no money in the next uh 30 or 60 days. Uh it's a little sketchy but the whole world is watching. The markets are positively reacting to it. So I thought I'd give you a chance to clarify its situation. Give us your thoughts.

[00:03:41]>> Yep. So the the president was very clear in the cabinet meeting what he was looking for o on the the straits free free and open access that a as we saw before February 27th and that Iran must give up their highlyenriched uranium and cannot have a nuclear weapon. And to be clear, I I think one of the things that has gone unappreciated and unnoticed here is this is the first time the Iranians have been willing to discuss the nuclear subject like you know before we we have the right to do this. We have undisputed.

[00:04:18]And so I think between five and a half, six weeks of an incredibly successful military campaign and then operation economic fury where we have really cut them off and they they are at the end of their tether now financially. Uh I think 40 or 50% of the troops aren't getting paid. Police aren't reporting to the station. Uh inflation's probably over 200%, they're having to give out food vouchers. They they have turned off the internet.

[00:04:51]So there there was an information vacuum and you we'll see is the the Iranians have engaged as they could.

[00:05:05]I would point out we did not change we did not have regime change but we changed the regime. the the first level leaders decapitated, the second level decapitated. So, we're dealing with with the third level. And it it's it's very tough because on one side we have a theocracy with the clerics. On the other side, we have a thugocracy with the IRGC.

[00:05:32]And you know, you you've got to convince both sides. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant at the Ronald Reagan Economic Forum at the Reagan Library in Semi Valley, California, interviewed by Larry Kudlo from Fox Business Channel. Defense Secretary Pete Hexath spoke about the Iran war as he did PT with US military service members on the USS Boxer as a secretary was heading to the Shangrla Dialogue, a premier Asia defense summit in Singapore.

[00:05:59]>> Iran has a choice. meet at the table with the president to give up their nuclear program. And as the president said, I'm lost on time. Two days ago now in the cabinet meeting sitting right next to him, he looks in the camera and says, "Well, Iran can either do it the right way with a deal across the table or they can deal with my guy on the left." And it happened to be me. But it's not me. It's you guys.

[00:06:28]>> It's what you're ready to do. is what the world knows you're prepared to do.

[00:06:32]And I know you left early. You left a month early cuz we asked you to leave early and you were ready early, ahead of standard, ready to go. When I talked to your commanders, when I talked to all you this morning, I know you're ready.

[00:06:44]And that gives me confidence. That gives the president confidence. And it should give the American people confidence. And they should have 250 years in, if our founders could look out at this beautiful group of people and say that there are still Americans that we produce of this caliber that are willing to raise their right hand to defend the freedom they fought off 250 years ago.

[00:07:09]We're in a good spot and we're going to do it FOR 250 MORE.

[00:07:13]>> ABSOLUTELY. SO, thank you for everything you do. Defense Secretary Pete Hexth meeting with US service members on board the USS Boxer as he was heading to the Shangrila dialogue and Asia defense summit in Singapore. US Central Command posting on X. US forces continue to enforce the blockade against Iran. As of May 29th, 115 commercial vessels have been redirected to ensure no commerce enters or leaves Iranian ports. From Associated Press, a Russian drone that was part of an attack on Ukraine went astray and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people in the NATO member country. Romanian officials said Friday the incursion added a concern that the war could spread across the alliance's borders.

[00:07:59]That was from AP. The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, posting on X. We stand with our NATO ally Romania and condemn this reckless incursion on its territory. Our thoughts are with the injured in Galotti. We will defend every inch of NATO territory. And Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinski was asked about this attack in an interview with CBS News's Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan.

[00:08:22]>> Russia uses this just to attack politically and by weapon pressure on NATO countries to look and the reaction.

[00:08:32]So the reaction we we I I I think the reaction has to be more strong from the unity of NATO countries and uh I think that Putin is comparing how this reaction and how it changed during this one year or two years three years. This is the way how and he also the testing of air defense of other countries NATO countries which are bordering us or bordering Barus or Russia. So he's testing what air defense they have. Can they destroy all the uh all the missiles or drones? This is what I think.

[00:09:13]>> Ukrainian president Vomir Zalinski part of an interview with CBS News. Dmitri Medvev, deputy chair of the Russian Security Council and former Russian president posting on X. Citizens of EU countries, you should realize your authorities have unilaterally entered into a war with Russia. So be vigilant and don't be surprised by anything. The peaceful sleep is over, but you know who to ask why. This is Washington today.

[00:09:39]BBC News reporting a Kenyan court has suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens in the country that has sparked public concern about crossber infection risks. The 50 bed isolation center is to be staffed by US medics and was due to begin operations on Friday. According to an American official, the Kenyan government has not directly commented on the plan. In its court petition, rights group, the Katiba Institute, warned that the arrangement posed grave and imminent risks to public health. That was from BBC News. Dr. Satish Patai, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ebola Incident Manager, held a teleconference today, and he was asked about the Kenya court's decision, but referred reporters to the State Department. Here's part of his opening statement as he talked about CDC's response to the Ebola outbreak.

[00:10:31]>> While this is a serious outbreak that requires sustained international action, the risk to the United States remains low.

[00:10:40]As with many Ebola outbreaks, the number of reported cases may not fully reflect the extent of transmission, and we do expect the response will require sustained international coordination.

[00:10:53]CDC's priorities are straightforward.

[00:10:56]Helping stop transmission at its source, supporting affected countries and neighboring nations, and ensuring readiness here in the United States. To that end, key activities in support of CDC's domestic readiness goals include implementing enhanced travel screening, public health measures to uh prevent Ebola disease from entering the United States, including exit screening and entry restrictions, and travel screening has now been stood up at four uh US airports.

[00:11:33]CDC's activities in support of the international outbreak response goals are focused on supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda CDC country offices and the respective ministries of health as they respond to the outbreak.

[00:11:51]And finally, CDC continues to work across the US government and with other critical partners to effectively respond to and control the outbreak in order to ensure an effective public health response.

[00:12:06]The most effective way to protect Americans is to stop outbreaks as quickly as possible where they occur.

[00:12:14]That's why CDC's response focuses both on supporting affected countries and maintaining readiness here at home. Dr. Satish Patai, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola Incident Manager, opening up a teleconference. AP writing, the head of the World Health Organization arrived in Congo's capital late Thursday to witness efforts against an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola virus as medical personnel struggle with a lack of equipment, a distrustful population, and armed groups in a volatile region. WHO director general Tedros Adnam Gberus told reporters at the airport, "To come here is to really show to the community that they're not alone. Pushing orders from my comfortable office in Geneva is easy, but I'm asking my colleagues to work with the community and I'm asking communities to protect themselves. That was from AP. And you're listening to Washington today WABC TV in New York writing that nine protesters were arrested Thursday night outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey after clashing with federal agents.

[00:13:15]Demonstrators have been outside the migrant detention center for 4 days while detainees on the inside participate in a labor and hunger strike calling for better food and basic human rights. The overnight protests have been growing as word spreads of allegations of inhumane treatment against detainees inside. Reporting from WABC TV, several members of the US House and Senate have been visiting that ICE detention facility this week, sometimes with protesters outside and but also getting a look inside. Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, was on MS Now's Morning Joe program this morning.

[00:13:49]>> So, Congressman Espiad, New York congressman and I spy were in there and the horrifying things when when they granted us ability to meet with people alone where the guards were not there were chilling when we met with the women who circled around to support each other. A woman who was recently postpartum ripped away from her American child and her other American children.

[00:14:13]no criminal convictions and talked about just the pain of that separation.

[00:14:18]Another woman who came in pregnant and had a miscarriage uh and was denied appropriate medical care. Another woman who came in who was pregnant who told horrific stories of the treatment that she was enduring. We have a situation going on in Newark and again around the country where we have what amounts to internment camps of people who are ripped away from their American families, American children, American grandchildren even, who have done nothing wrong, who were trying to comply with our immigration rules to try to navigate the complicated processes showing up for immigration hearings, but they were te torn away from their families, from our neighborhoods. And so this is a moral test for our country. We cannot allow this to go on. All of us have to begin to point out this cruelty and this assault on not just the dignity and humanity of the people being held, but this is cheapening and demeaning the humanity and the dignity of our nation.

[00:15:16]>> Senator Cory Booker, Democrat from New Jersey on MS Now's Morning Joe program this morning. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen was interviewed on Fox News Thursday night about the protests at Delaney Hall.

[00:15:28]>> Cory Booker and I talked about his visit to uh to detention center. If you listen to what he said, he says conditions uh need to change. They but we fall within federal compliance. This isn't a holiday in Brian. Uh we're not providing luxury housing. What we're doing is we're providing a sanitary place for them to be detained. Remember, we're detaining murderers. We're obtaining rapist, pedophiles, drug dealers, um, uh, gun traffickers. I mean, we have some real serious criminals there. Plus, every one of them broke the law. That's why they're there to begin with. And we're providing them three meals a day and we're meeting the calorie standard. And as I told Cory Booker and I told the other representatives that called me, I said, "Listen, they have commissary. If you want to put money on their books, put money on their books. That's fine.

[00:16:11]But we not only we provide them a safe place to to to stay and the food and a place to to sleep, but we're also give them a convenience store to be able to buy products out of. So, we're going above and beyond. Um the fact is this is political theater, Brian, and they know this. And I have no respect for people that would rather um you know, defend criminals than actually pay attention to their to their safer streets because of ICE and President Trump's policies.

[00:16:38]Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen on Fox News Channel on Thursday night. New Jersey Governor Mikey Cheryl, a Democrat, held a news conference today in Trenton to talk about Delaney Hall.

[00:16:50]>> I want to talk today about the situation at Delaney Hall, a private detention facility in Newark that I've long said needs to close. For days, we've heard reports of unsafe, inhumane, and unconstitutional conditions there. I've personally heard from families, some of the hundreds of people being held, people who are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, members of our communities, including people with no criminal charges against them and who are in this country legally. For days, I've asked ICE to act for access to inspect conditions to see what's happening inside in New Jersey on our soil. I went there myself and I was denied entry for days. My colleagues in our federal congressional delegation have done the same. For days, ICE has refused most of our request, raising serious questions about what it's trying to hide from public view. Yesterday, the New Jersey Department of Health sought to inspect the site, but it was denied full access as well. And for days, protests have grown.

[00:17:59]We've seen increasing violence, arrest, and pepper spray at Delaney Hall, as well as public threats from the Trump administration. And we've seen the risk to public safety rising outside of Delaney Hall. It has grown unsafe and that's completely unacceptable.

[00:18:17]We know what ICE has done in other states and we know American citizens lost their lives and I refuse to let that happen in New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Mikey Cheryl, a Democrat, holding a news conference in Trenton.

[00:18:32]Politico reporting that police on Friday arrested a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer charged for a shooting that took place in Minnesota during the White House surge of immigration agents to the state. The Henipin County Attorney's Office, which initially brought the charges, announced the apprehension of Christian Castro, 52 years old, in Texas on Friday. He faces four counts of seconddegree assault for the non-fatal shooting of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa in January and one count of falsely reporting a crime for his actions in the aftermath.

[00:19:04]Reporting from Politico, former Attorney General Pam Bondi writes The Hill repeatedly pointed the finger at acting attorney general Todd Blanch and FBI Director Cash Patel when asked about issues with the release of the Epstein files during her interview with congressional investigators Friday and refused to answer any questions about President Trump's involvement. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee fumed over Bondi's closed door appearance before the panel. Though initially subpoenenaed to answer questions about the Department of Justice's handling of files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She appeared under voluntary terms, was not video recorded, and refused to answer many questions posed by lawmakers under the direction of Justice Department lawyers who accompanied her. That was from the Hill.

[00:19:46]Congressman Robert Garcia, Democrat of California, is the committee's ranking member. He spoke to reporters outside the interview room during a recess in the questioning.

[00:19:54]>> To repeat what we've continued to say, it is a shame and a disservice to the American people that this interview is not being recorded, videotaped, and then released to the American public and that she was not brought in under oath. We continue to say that this vid this should be recorded by video and released to the American public. And we're also asking that Chairman Comr immediate immediately release the transcripts that right now are being done throughout today. I want to also say just uh a few a few other things. It it is clear in just this this part of the of the interview that she continues to push all of the investigation and the blame on acting AG Todd Blanch.

[00:20:41]She said, and I quote, "Acting AG Blanch was managing the entire investigation."

[00:20:47]End quote. And what you're going to hear in that interview, and what she's saying here in her words and remarks, is that it was Todd Blanch, the current acting AG that was leading the Epstein investigation. And quite frankly, all of the mistakes that we saw, the redactions, not protecting survivors, she continues to push that back onto the acting AG, Todd Blanch, who by the way was Donald Trump's former personal lawyer.

[00:21:17]I also personally asked the former AG five times and five different questions about her conversations with President Trump, whether he directed her any at any given time on the Epstein files, what he knew, what he asked her to redact or not. And she refused to answer any questions about President Trump. In fact, she said that she would not speak or or respond to any questions that had anything to do with President Trump.

[00:21:49]It's also interesting that sitting next to her is DOJ counsel, somebody that currently works for the Department of Justice, who on multiple occasions stepped in and told the former attorney general that she was not going to answer those questions and especially when we asked questions of what the president directed her to do. And so the DOJ is in there right now stopping questions about President Trump and about what happened in the release of these files and why so many survivors were doxed and their information of course released to the public.

[00:22:26]And let me also just say finally before I turn this over to to Liz to Miss Stein here. We asked questions about Golain Maxwell in the transfer and again she referred those questions to Todd Blanch in the Bureau of Prison. So, let's be clear. We have many questions for Mr. Blanch and for the Bureau of Prisons that yet Republicans are refusing to ask. Why was she transferred to a less secure facility?

[00:22:51]And Miss Bondi claims to have no knowledge of the of the actual transfer, no knowledge that it was a less secure prison, and didn't know about it until she found out found out after the fact and then will refuse to answer additional questions. Congressman Robert Garcia, Democrat from California, the oversight committee ranking member, speaking to reporters in the hallway outside the room where the committee members questioned former attorney general Pam Bondi in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Former Attorney General Bondi responding on X, not true. I praised acting AG Blanch's management of this herculean task. I said his ethics are beyond reproach and that he is an incredible attorney general. The House Oversight Democrats X account responding to that with LOL L M AO. Even the committee's chair, James Comr, Republican of Kentucky, spoke to reporters this morning before the interview started.

[00:23:43]>> Can you assure us that today we will get information from Pam Bondi about why the files were released in the manner that they were released? Specifically, um the redaction process, um survivors names over and over and over were exposed. Yet we see time and time again perpetrators names have been redacted when they shouldn't have been. Are we going to get some answers about that?

[00:24:07]>> I hope so. Those are the questions we're going to ask. And and you know, we're doing this. We want justice for the survivors. We do. Every you know, we've got Nancy Mace and and Lauren Boowbert and and uh you know, you got the Democrat members. Everyone has gone to great lengths to try to get this far.

[00:24:23]And I think I I hope that you all see many of these people have never been interviewed before. I I don't know how that >> can even be possible. So, we're going to bring them in and uh we're releasing every transcript. You'll know everything that's been asked and and uh if there are questions at the conclusion of this that weren't asked that you all felt should be asked, then let us know and we will we will get those questions answered. We're going to do everything in our building.

[00:24:50]>> Bottom line, >> you know, Epstein is gone, but there are many people that were on the island. And there are many people that were involved that have not been brought to justice.

[00:24:59]Is that what you're hoping to bring?

[00:25:00]>> We're we're going to do everything we can. We want to bring people to justice.

[00:25:03]If anyone was involved in uh these hideous crimes, they should be held accountable and we're doing everything we can. And and remember the these crimes occurred decades ago, some of them. And but all along the way, I think the one thing that we can say with confidence thus far is the the survivors were failed by the government. and and I hope that we can do the best that we can do in getting answers and getting the truth to the American people, trying to provide some type of justice for the survivors and if if there's any way possible to hold people accountable.

[00:25:37]That's what we want to see happen. So, >> well, we thank you for being here and again, we we will continue communications and if there are questions that aren't asked, anything you're not satisfied, let us know and we'll do everything in our ability to get answers for you all. Okay. Thank you all for being here. Thank you all.

[00:25:53]>> Congressman James Comr, Republican of Kentucky, the oversight committee chair with reporters outside the Capitol Hill room where the committee today interviewed former Attorney General Pam Bondi in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

[00:26:06]Her opening statement was obtained by many news outlets and in it she says that the Justice Department made redaction errors in its release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein and the only materials that were withheld were either non-responsive, privileged, or duplicative. And the bottom line is justice and transparency in this matter have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and his administration.

[00:26:30]You heard Congressman Comr speaking with some women there who were Jeffrey Epstein survivors and they also spoke to the press. Here is one.

[00:26:39]>> Hi, my name is Danny Bensky.

[00:26:42]I was 17 years old when I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein. I was a high school student. In classrooms all over the US, we are taught with liberty and justice for all. That justice piece really needs some work. I am one of the hundreds of survivors who had their most personal and sensitive information released by Pam Bondi, Todd Blanch, and the Department of Justice.

[00:27:06]If your neighbor published all of your personal information on a public website, would that be criminal?

[00:27:13]How about if they shared intimate details of the most harrowing moments of your teen years?

[00:27:18]What if you knew they published porn without the consent of those involved?

[00:27:24]Maybe even a photo of you that you didn't even know existed. Would you consider any of that to be a criminal act? Let us be clear. What Pam Bondi and Todd Blanch have done is criminal. They have broken the law.

[00:27:42]And yet they decide to use government funds and taxpayer dollars to criminally investigate our survivor sister Eene Carol instead of pursuing a single investigative lead from the 3.5 million files of documents from the US's largest sex trafficking ring. We deserve more than a transcribed interview. We deserve a proper under oath sworn deposition that is filmed and released. We deserve to hear every inflection. see every reaction and digest this information in real time so that we can figure out a response for ourselves. As a nation, we deserve more than closed door backroom deals. We have already been through five administrations and AASA's 2008 plea deal. What is it going to take for transparency and consequences for criminal activity to exist? Pam Bondi and Todd Blanch have derailed the lives of so many survivors. They have serious questions to answer for. So, for the Epstein time, when do we get investigations?

[00:28:49]And who the hell are we protecting?

[00:28:51]Thank you.

[00:28:52]>> Daniel Bensky, one of the many survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse at a news conference on Capitol Hill, while the House Oversight Committee today interviewed former Attorney General Pam Bondi about how the federal files related to the Epstein criminal cases were reviewed and released. Washington today continues in a moment.

[00:29:11]>> Today on C-SPAN Ceasefire, retired US Army Brigadier General Mark Kimid and former State Department spokesperson Naara Huck join our host Dasha Burns for a foreign policy conversation about the challenges facing the country and the world. Watch Ceasefire today at 700 p.m.

[00:29:29]and 1000 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on C-SPAN.

[00:29:34]You can also listen to Ceasefire on demand anytime as a podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

[00:29:45]>> Welcome back to Washington today.

[00:29:47]Available as a podcast on the free C-SPAN now mobile app and wherever you get your podcasts. A few more headlines.

[00:29:52]CNN writing, "A federal judge in Virginia has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving ahead with plans to create a nearly $ 1.8 8 billion fund to compensate people who it says were wrongly targeted by the government in the past. The Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, writing on X about this decision of all Trump's corrupt schemes.

[00:30:13]His insurrectionist slush fund is one of the most depraved. This ruling is an important win, but the fight is far from over. Democrats will keep fighting in the courts and in Congress to make sure this $2 billion giveaway to copers, criminals, and MAGA cronies never sees the light of day. And from Politico, President Donald Trump's effort to rebrand the Kennedy Center in his own name is illegal, a federal judge ruled Friday. The US District Judge Christopher Cooper said the rebranding of the institution that honors President John F. Kennedy as the Trump Kennedy Center violated the clear language of federal law that requires the building to honor President Kennedy and President Kennedy alone. The order to revert to the original long-standing name came as part of a broader ruling that also overturned a plan announced in March to close the center for 2 years for renovations. That was from Politico.

[00:31:02]Axio's previewing a speech today by the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, writing, "Decades of failures by both political parties left the US strategically vulnerable, Bessant will argue in a speech Friday. And the Trump administration is focused on turning the tide." Driving the news, Besson's talk titled While America Slept, which invoked US strategic failures before World War II, will argue that this has been an era of dangerous complacency and the deterioration of US manufacturing strength, a Treasury official tells Axios. Here's Secretary Besson speaking at the Ronald Reagan Economic Policy Forum at the Reagan Presidential Library Museum in Semi Valley, California.

[00:31:40]>> Now, nations rarely see their security in a single moment. More often they drift into dependence through a series of politically expedient decisions. For our part, we made a series of mistakes, some bipartisan, others ideological, and many defended long after their cost became impossible to ignore. One was treating trade policy as though it existed apart from national strategy. We convinced ourselves that we could pursue commercial partnerships in one silo while managing security relationships in another as if the world would honor these distinctions. But a nation that relies on a rival for critical inputs finances the rise of countries that do not share our interest and allows its productive base to erode while promising to defend the international order. will find sooner or later that these two silos collapse into each other. As damaging as our willingness to extend strategic trust where it had been not earned, China's assession to the WTO and the granting of permanent normal trade relations were sold to the American people as steps that would level markets and moderate behavior.

[00:33:06]Instead, we left our workers to compete against state-led subsidies, excess capacity, and practices that distort trade and undermine reciprocity.

[00:33:18]>> Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant at the Ronald Reagan Economic Policy Forum at the Reagan Library in Semi Valley, California. Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman begins a CNBC article on Friday cautioned against raising interest rates to address the current spike in prices. With inflation running well above the central bank's 2% target, markets are expecting the Fed to stay on hold this year, then possibly start raising rates in early 2027. Current pricing is indicating virtually no chance of cuts anytime through at least 2027. But Bowman said adjusting policy to offset energydriven inflation surges has proven ineffective. She spoke at a conference in Reikavic, Iceland. That was from CNBC. More from the Ronald Reagan forum in California. Jamie Diamond, JP Morgan Chase CEO, was asked about the new Fed chair, Kevin Walsh.

[00:34:08]>> We got a new Fed chair, Kevin Walsh. Um, how do you see this new regime taking shape, especially when you have a bond market that according to some investors, uh, is pricing in a worsh effect?

[00:34:18]>> Is Oh, yeah. I don't not not sure that's true. Uh so first of all high quality guy uh experienced knows markets was at the central bank. He was at the he was at the New York Fed when we were going through the great financial crisis. Um uh it's it's a fresh look. I think it's good. I like his views. I mean the the the Federal Reserve did in fact get involved in a lot of stuff that they should not have in my view. And they're independent on monetary policy. They're not independent on regulatory policy.

[00:34:47]And when they did regulatory policy, they violated the constitution. There were no costbenefit studies, no analysis, no stuff they're supposed to do. And you know that that was wrong.

[00:34:59]You know, I'm not and I like Jay Powell too. I'm not just saying that you when I look at my own institution, I often say the same thing. You know what? In hindsight, we shouldn't have done that.

[00:35:07]And so I think they should take a fresh look. They were the adults in the town.

[00:35:10]They still are, but they're better off looking to financial system. Let the OC do more regularly banks. Reduce all this. you know, they they were getting into climate and DI and and stuff like that. We've been adding year after year after year. You wouldn't know this rules and regulations on top of rules and regulations. I think you can make the system safer and let banks what they're supposed to do, make more loans, create more liquidity, have more intervention in the markets by the people who shouldn't do as the Fed put themselves in the position where you have any kurfuffle, they have to do something. I think that's a huge mistake. So, I think he's right about relooking at that. And I think he's right about reducing the size of their balance sheet. you know, we had too much QE and we still don't fully know the effect of $10 trillion of borrowing and $8 trillion of QE and and I'm not sure those things play out over the, you know, a year or 12 months, even a 5year period. Um, to reduce the size of the balance sheet, he's got to change some of these requirements. My view and I, when we talk about regulations, is they we should talk about better. I think you can let banks lend more, create more liquidity, and make them safer. I'd be much tougher in certain rules. I be much easier than other ones, but you know the way it works out there is every rule is important as if it's the only rule is going to save a bank from failing. And so I think he'll do a good job. Now I don't think it's in the market what he can do because remember he's one person. He's walking in a room probably right now. There are 12 people at the table. They're smart people.

[00:36:33]They're econ mostly economists. Uh and they're going to say, you know, Kevin, we'd like to hear your ideas and let's think about it. Let's let's review these things. So it's going to take study.

[00:36:41]They're going to take time. So my is there's almost no chance he can actually change anything in six months a and and and he needs the time. So uh in the meantime the environment change that he's entering into you know we have more inflation uh uh so we'll see and he's you know he's smart he's got to figure out how he wants to navigate the environment and uh the new Fed governors.

[00:37:02]>> Jamie Diamond JP Morgan Chase CEO at the Ronald Reagan Economic Policy Forum at the Reagan Library in Seami Valley, California.

[00:37:10]Wall Street today, the Dow up 363, NASDAQ up 55, S&P up 16. Story at the Wall Street Journal, Securities and Exchange Commission wants to officially do away with requirements for companies to report climate change information.

[00:37:24]The agency on Friday called for a formal recision of its climate related disclosure rules that were put forth under the previous administration. Some more views about what the US economy might need. A panel at the Reagan forum included Ted Decker, Home Depot CEO, Congressman French Hill, Republican of Arkansas Financial Services Committee Chair, Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Sharf.

[00:37:45]The moderator is Kimberly Strael, Wall Street Journal editorial board member.

[00:37:50]>> If you were to look out right now, and I'm going to ask you, what would you say is the one thing that you see that continues to be the biggest hurdle to more broad-based economic growth at the moment? And you know, Ted, you go first.

[00:38:04]Yeah, I I would, you know, uh focus on housing.

[00:38:07]>> Housing >> housing is is an enormous sector in the economy. You think of it as an asset class. US housing is now worth $50 trillion, truly one of the largest asset classes in the United States. And in its broadest sense, it contributes between 15 and 18% of GDP. Now, that includes rent in in in mortgage payments. But if you look at just pure construction, it's still over a trillion dollar uh in home improvement in construction. So it's it's an enormous part of the economy.

[00:38:40]It's an enormous contributor to GDP, but we actually need more housing. So if I would say what would be one thing that we should focus on, it would be building new homes. We have a supply shortage. An incremental 2 to 5 million homes are needed in the country. We build about a million single family homes a year, about 500,000 multifamily homes a year.

[00:39:04]But even with that, that's just keeping up with population growth and household formation. So somehow we need to find a way to build an incremental to2 to5 million two to five million uh more units. And it's a supply issue and that's >> not demand. s there's there's plenty of demand for housing and that's why I'm thrilled with with Chairman Hill's uh new piece of legislation which is all about supply of new homes into the country.

[00:39:33]>> Chairman Hill, >> well I think with the the success of President Trump and Chairman Jason Smith's good work on the working family tax cuts act last year where we rightsize that tax incentive structure in the country. that would say I would answer your question this year is continuing to cut the costs across the economy from government intrusion through too much regulation or misaligned regulation.

[00:40:02]>> So I'm in alignment with President Trump's commitment to eliminating as much regulatory burden as you can. And in my area of jurisdiction with Chairman Atkins in the securities industry or all of our bank supervisors and our our Treasury Secretary will hear from at lunch, my focus is we can do that. We can make the economy grow faster, reduce that regulatory burden, but not in any way uh hurt safety and soundness or investor protection or orderly markets.

[00:40:30]We can do both. So mine would be cutting red tape compliance costs and every day you have to fight harder to do it.

[00:40:38]people, we did that last year. No, you need to do it every day of every week of every month of every year to keep after it. It's like uh going to Home Depot. I can't get the weed eater thing to work.

[00:40:50]I cannot I can't reload the wheat can.

[00:40:53]Who can reload their weed eater line? I I can't do it. But it's like taking care of your lawn. You have to do it every week in the summer. even in Alaska.

[00:41:05]>> Charlie, >> um well, I agree with both of uh what you all you all said, but I want I want to say permitting reform, but I'm not going to say that. And I think that >> broadly >> Yeah. And I think that feeds into housing. It feeds into a whole series of things. When you look at, you know, the amount of money which is just held up in process waiting for permitting, it's a billion to a billion and a half.

[00:41:25]>> Um uh and so then the amount, you know, the knock-on effect of that is probably three times that. But what I I'm not going to say that even though I said it.

[00:41:33]What I would talk about is AI.

[00:41:36]>> And I think, you know, the reality is we all have these incredibly powerful tools today that go beyond anything that we've been able to use in a reasonable period of time to help drive incremental growth in the country. And it's incredibly complicated because there are huge opportunities to do things more efficiently, but there are huge risks that come along with it. And I'm not going to talk about the cyber risks per se. I'm going to talk about just what it means for employment, what it means for jobs. And whenever you've had something like this, um, which can just just so vastly change how business is done, um, and tools that individuals can use, it's a it's a it's a huge opportunity for growth. But we've got to be very conscious of who's going to be displaced, what kind of jobs are going to be needed, and if we don't figure out how to thread that needle, we risk the huge benefits that should come out of the opportunities here. Charlie Sharf is Wells Fargo CEO on a panel with Congressman French Hill, Republican of Arkansas Financial Services Committee Chair and Ted Decker, Home Depot CEO at the Ronald Reagan Economic Policy Forum at the Reagan Library in California.

[00:42:43]This is Washington today. CNBC writing that Disney shot back at the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday as part of an early renewal process for broadcast licenses for eight of the company's stations. Disney said in filings it was submitting the applications under protest in response to an unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional order from the FCC. In late April, the FCC said it was launching an early review of the Disney owned ABC stations years ahead of schedule following concerns around the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. That's the article from CNBC. The FCC chair, Brendan Carr, was interviewed today on CNBC.

[00:43:19]>> But you can see why they think this is about something else, right? Right. I mean, you called for the early review of the broadcast licenses right after President Trump called for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired. Um, and there and there have been a number of instances where you and the president have been critical of what you've seen on ABC.

[00:43:38]>> Well, look, obviously the president has every right to express his view. And again, broadcasters have to be accountable to the public interest, which makes them different from a cable channel or a newspaper. And I understand Disney wants to make this about a lot of other things and their PR machine has been in high gear, but we've been very clear about what this is. Concerns about invidious forms of DEI discrimination.

[00:43:59]The next step here is probably as soon as today, we'll issue a public notice at the FCC that creates a pleading cycle so that people that want to petition to deny the renewal of Disney's licenses can file and then Disney again will have an opportunity then to file an opposition. There'll be replies. So we are moving down the path at this point of that additional process and all these issues can be aired out. But once that process runs its course uh then there'll be another decision point for the FCC.

[00:44:25]You can either renew the license at that point or you can designate the license for hearing and we're going to follow the facts and the law wherever it goes.

[00:44:32]I mean at the end of the day there's no company that's above the law and that includes Disney.

[00:44:36]>> FCC chair Brendan Carr today on CNBC.

[00:44:40]It's a story at Variety as Christopherson might have put it.

[00:44:44]Freedom 250 is just another word for a festival with very few acts left to lose. As of Friday morning, five out of the nine artists announced roughly 48 hours earlier for the Freedom 250 concerts on the National Lawn in Washington DC have officially declared their intentions to back out of the gigs, which were set up by a private public partnership founded by Donald J.

[00:45:05]Trump. The fifth and latest to declare he was pulling out was rocker Brett Michaels of Poison fame, whose exit statement essentially said the atmosphere around the show had been poisoned and that he was unnerved by threats that were coming in over the controversial festival. That's how Variety reported it. A spokesperson for Freedom 250, Julia Freeland, was interviewed today on the Sunrise on the Hill show on DC News. Now, >> how was this event sold to these artists? because you now have multiple artists saying we were misled about what this event was, misled about this event being nonpartisan. So, if you can't answer the question, where is the disconnect here?

[00:45:45]>> So, I can't speak to negotiations that were made um for for performers, but what I can say is we're selling it the same way to every single person in this country. This is a celebration of America, 250 years, glorious years.

[00:46:00]We're It's inherently non-political.

[00:46:02]We're coming together to celebrate our country. We live in the best country on earth and we're putting on a huge birthday party because America deserves it and it is free and open to the public and everyone is invited.

[00:46:13]>> Freedom 250s uh CEO Kevin Cratch who was appointed by President Trump has said that your public private partnership is an opportunity to execute the president's vision. Um just going back to these claims from these artists about being misled about the event being nonpartisan. What is your response? Is it you say it's not political, but there is a partisan element to it, is there not?

[00:46:36]>> I don't think there's anything partisan about America being around for 250 years. You know, there's like think about the founding of our country. Um, this we have a history obviously, but we have a president that wants to celebrate 250 years of America. Um, and that's exactly what we're doing. And that's how it was sold to performers. We we'll have military bands, military ensembles as well. um we will have um representatives from every state and territory in the United States um to to come and represent their their culture um what makes their state and territory unique.

[00:47:12]Um so it's sold the same way to everyone that we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. We'll have military bands, orchestras, talented um performers. We will be announcing more in the coming weeks and days. Um and we will have something for everyone there. Julia Freeland, spokesperson for Freedom 250, interviewed on Sunrise on the Hill on DC News Now. As of this morning, performers still expected to appear at this event include Flo Rida, Vanilla Ice, and Millie Vanilli. Roll call writing that Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, Democrat of Florida, will not seek re-election this year, bringing to a close a decadesl long career in Florida politics and decreasing the number of colorful cowboy hats worn on Capitol Hill. with her decision not to run for a ninth term, which she announced Friday at a ceremony in Miami Gardens to rename a street in her honor. Wilson joins around a dozen other Democrats over the age of 70 retiring from the House. That was from roll call. Congresswoman Wilson was also interviewed by the Miami Herald, which posted this video.

[00:48:14]>> I decided to not seek reelection because it's time. It has been the joy of my life.

[00:48:24]absolute honor to serve the people of South Florida and uh it's been a long ride almost 35 years and it's time I think my legacy will be children that I've fought for children uh I am a lover of children and uh I've been fighting for them not Not neglecting anyone else, but they have always been at the top of my agenda.

[00:49:01]When I served in the House of Representatives in the Senate of Florida, we were together. We worked together as a body. And I think that we've got to get back to that collegiality again.

[00:49:22]And that is something that I hope to focus on during my time out of Congress.

[00:49:32]>> Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Democrat from Florida, a video posted by the Miami Herald, pardon the interview she did with the news outlet as she announced her retirement. The Hill writing that the new Florida congressional district map is expected to flip several Democratic seats to the Republicans in the midterms, but Wilson's 24th district remains deeply blue. and she told Miami Herald that she had delayed her announcement to leave Congress to prevent GOP legislators from disenfranchising voters in the region.

[00:49:59]And the House Minority Leader Hakee Jeff, Democrat from New York, putting out a statement that reads in part, "Throughout her entire career in public service, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson has been an unyielding champion of our children, a defender of the disadvantaged and a voice for the voiceless. The House Democratic Caucus will deeply miss her iconic hats, more than just her signature style that represent her many roles throughout a lifetime of service. Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas and Senator Maria Canwell, Democrat of Washington State, the chair and ranking member respectively of the Commerce Committee.

[00:50:30]This week introduced a bipartisan bill to reform college sports, including antitrust protection, salary cap for players, and regulation of NIL name, image, and likeness. Senator Cruz has been doing a lot of interviews to promote the bill. Today he was on Sports Talk 790, a radio station in Houston.

[00:50:48]>> I'm guessing you've probably talked with university presidents, with athletic directors, with conference commissioners, everybody of the sort that tell you, hey, if this doesn't change, like some of our schools are going to have to lose baseball, they're going to have to lose track and field.

[00:51:01]They're going to have to lose volleyball. All these non-revenue sports. And as has that kind of been what has been the constant conversation that you've had with all of those people? Look, that that is a huge part of it and I'm talking to to all the stakeholders across the spectrum and and I think if if Congress doesn't act, we are headed to to a world where 3 to five years from now, there's going to be maybe 30 to 50 schools across the country that still have college football and it will be essentially a mini NFL and the rest of the colleges they they can't afford to be competitive and and and that's a terrible outcome here in Texas. The only two schools I'm certain survive in that world are UT and&M.

[00:51:46]>> I love the Longhorns. I love the Aggies.

[00:51:49]But but a world where we don't have UFH and we don't have Rice and we don't have SNU and TCU. Uh we don't have Baylor, we don't have Texas Tech, that's a terrible world for Texas football. We need to keep competition going across the board.

[00:52:03]and and and listen, the legislation that we've introduced protects the athletes right to get compensation and name, image, and likeness. It has really robust athlete protections, but it also brings some stability to the system so that you can have as a fan. Look, we're seeing now season after season, your team can be just just lose the entire team as they all go to other schools.

[00:52:28]And that kind of chaos, it's not good for the athletes. It's not good for the schools. And it's it's certainly not good for the fans.

[00:52:34]>> I think that that's also kind of what leads into, you know, part of this which has been dubbed the Lane Keifin rule of coaches who leave while the season is still going. I understand, you know, on its merit why to make that rule. But then could you also from some of the coaches that you've talked with, I'm sure you probably get this feedback of, well, you know, Senator, what am I supposed to do? Like I've got to be able to have a team when I go to the next place.

[00:52:58]>> Sure. So, one of the elements we've written in this bill is what we're calling the Lane Kippid rule, >> and it is that coaching staff, you you cannot recruit or hire coaching staff during the season or during the playoffs. And what we've done is adopted the same rule the NFL has. So, that's how the NFL works is if you want to recruit or hire coaching staff, you can do it during the off season, but you can't do it during the season. and and and listen, it's not fair to the young athletes who are working for a coach when suddenly in the middle of the season or heading into the playoffs, your coach takes off and goes goes to coach one of the chief rivals you're facing. That that's not right to do. and and so there's plenty of opportunities for schools to hire uh coaching talent, but they can do it during the off season, which gives the the students and players that have poured their heart into it some modicum of stability at least when the season is ongoing.

[00:53:52]>> Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas on Sports Talk 790, a radio station in Houston, Associated Press, writing about this proposed bill. College Sports has been looking to Washington for help as it grapples with rising costs of paying players and an outofcrol transfer portal that have threatened smaller sports, many involving women that make up the backbone of the US Olympic pipeline. On the latest episode of C-SPAN's Extreme Mortman podcast, host Howard Mortman marks 40 years of the Senate on C-SPAN 2. Digging into the history and impact of televised Senate coverage with an all-star panel of Capitol Hill reporters, Carl Pulz of the New York Times, Paul Kaine of Notice, and Chad Pergamum of Fox News. Dream team of congressional reporters reflecting on how television changed the Senate politics and Washington itself. Here's a clip from the program beginning with the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.

[00:54:46]>> America is a better and freer nation than Robert Bourke thinks. Yet, in the current delicate balance of the Supreme Court, his rigid ideology will tip the scales of justice against the kind of country America is and ought to be. The damage that President Reagan will do through this nomination, if it is not rejected by the Senate, could live on far beyond the end of his presidential term. President Reagan is still our president, but he should not be able to reach out from the muck of Iranate, reach into the muck of Watergate, and impose his reactionary vision of the Constitution on the Supreme Court and on the next generation of Americans. No justice would be better than this injustice. What was notable there is that you had um for the first time that I recall uh at least when I was paying attention, you know, a a very personalized look at a Supreme Court justice that they made this political that groups outside interest groups on both sides really knew something about Robert Bourke. Uh and so so so Ted Kennedy used this as a wedge and this kind of invented the current model that we see from time to time now about the opposition leveling all of these different charges and whatever else at these nominees that they have something in their past or there was something in their uh philosophy and how they would comport themselves on the court that just isn't right for the country. and he's talking about everything about segregation and he's talking about abortion, issues that are very important to the Democrats as a party in terms of a getting minority blocks of voters to the polls. Uh getting women who are pro-choice to the polls or other voters as well. And so that's what Ted Kennedy was starting to do. And I think in that in that Robert Bourke confirmation fight, that really was the entree if you're looking for who who fired the first shot in these battles. Fox News reporter Chad Perram speaking with Extreme Mortman host Howard Mortman.

[00:56:44]Hear the entire conversation now wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search Extreme Mortman. Thanks for listening to Washington today. For more news, tune in to C-SPAN Radio at the top of each hour during the day when we bring you Associated Press news updates.

[00:57:00]And tonight, C-SPAN Ceasefire will air at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Host Asha Burns will welcome retired US Army Brigadier General Mark Kimtt, former US assistant secretary of state for political military affairs during the George W. Bush administration and Naara Huck, former senior director of cabinet affairs during the Obama administration and former State Department spokesperson talking about foreign affairs. He's been ceasefire tonight at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

[00:57:27]Eastern and Pacific. Also available as a podcast. Have a good night and weekend.