10 hours ago
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On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer
- Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan's Representative to the U.S.
- Anthony Salvanto, CBS News enforcement manager of elections and surveys
- Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York
- Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Click here to browse afloat transcripts from 2026 of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm Margaret Brennan successful Washington.
And this week connected Face the Nation: Back successful the U.S. pursuing a whirlwind diplomatic ngo to China, President Trump faces backlash present astatine location erstwhile it comes to ostentation and the economy.
While the reviews for the president's travel to China and details astir the deliverables from the gathering of the world's 2 biggest economical superpowers are inactive coming in, it's Mr. Trump's efforts connected the home system and ostentation that are getting panned astatine home.
Asked astir the grade to which Americans' fiscal situations were motivating his Iran dealmaking, the effect didn't bash overmuch to reassure them:
(Begin VT)
DONALD TRUMP (President of the United States): Not adjacent a small bit. I don't deliberation astir Americans' fiscal situation. I don't deliberation astir anybody. I deliberation astir 1 thing. We cannot fto Iran person a atomic weapon.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Those remarks, positive caller numbers showing the fastest summation successful the ostentation complaint successful 3 years, person Republicans progressively acrophobic astir the party's chances successful the midterm election.
We volition perceive from the president's apical commercialized representative, Jamieson Greer, positive Taiwan's typical to the U.S., arsenic good arsenic the heads of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus successful the House, Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and New York Democrat Tom Suozzi. Plus, erstwhile Defense Secretary Robert Gates volition besides beryllium with us.
It's each conscionable up connected Face the Nation.
Good morning, and invited to Face the Nation.
President Trump's grip connected his enactment has tightened with Saturday's decision of Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy successful a three-way Republican primary. Cassidy voted to impeach Mr. Trump aft the January 6 onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol. And, arsenic a doctor, Cassidy has been outspoken astir immoderate of the administration's wellness policies.
In turn, Trump endorsed 1 of his opponents and has been openly captious of Cassidy. There volition present beryllium a run-off for a spot that is simply a harmless Republican one. But this is simply a midterm year, erstwhile a president's grounds is simply a apical origin nationally.
Our CBS News canvass retired this greeting says that 7 successful 10 Americans accidental they are frustrated oregon adjacent aggravated with the administration's attack to the economy. Two-thirds accidental Trump's policies are making the system worse, astatine slightest successful the abbreviated term, and lone 27 percent accidental they o.k. of his handling of inflation. That marks a caller debased for the president successful our CBS News polling.
We statesman this greeting with a apical subordinate of the president's economical team, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Good greeting to you, Ambassador.
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER (U.S. Trade Representative): Good morning. Good to beryllium here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It isn't conscionable a substance of sentiment. Gas is astatine an mean of $4.51 a gallon. Americans person spent $45 cardinal much connected substance since the warfare began versus a twelvemonth ago.
The banal marketplace is up, but lower-income Americans are pulling backmost connected their spending. The New York Fed reports households earning little than $125,000 a twelvemonth are fueling up their cars little often. How bash you supply alleviation to the mean American?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: Well, we cognize that nary 1 wants to spot higher state prices.
At the aforesaid time, the president is balancing overseas argumentation considerations. We cognize that, successful summation to wanting to person debased state prices, we don't privation our children oregon grandchildren to inherit a satellite wherever Iran has a atomic weapon.
So the president is focused connected affordability successful arsenic galore ways that helium tin – that helium can. He's bringing jobs backmost to America. We're focused connected getting wages up to offset immoderate benignant of summation successful prices. And we're seeing prices spell down for staples similar dairy, cheese, flour, et cetera.
So we're precise focused connected this. The president's focused connected it. And we look guardant to seeing those prices travel down soon arsenic the operations wrapper up successful the Gulf.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But we person nary clip framework for that astatine this point.
Let maine inquire you astir what you were conscionable moving connected successful Asia. China said it agreed with the United States to found a committee of concern to see Chinese concern present successful the U.S. and to found bilateral boards of commercialized to sermon tariffs.
Which products are going to beryllium affected by that board? Are these items extracurricular the existent investigations that you are conducting?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: So, erstwhile we deliberation astir the committee of trade, we're reasoning astir however to negociate economical relations betwixt the U.S. and China.
These are 2 economies that are rather different, and we're focused connected commercialized successful nonsensitive goods. When you speech astir delicate goods, you know, the astir high-tech stuff, you know, things that tin beryllium utilized for subject uses, those are things that – those are nationalist information issues.
So, we're looking to sermon things similar income of cultivation goods to China, vigor goods, Boeings, aesculapian devices. When we speech astir the kinds of things we privation to beryllium importing from China, determination are a fig of things. There tin beryllium user goods, possibly low-tech items.
And truthful we look astatine those types of areas wherever we should beryllium trading. On the concern side, the committee of concern is truly astir discussing cardinal issues successful U.S.-China concern policy. It's not truly an concern program, but it's to effort to astir beryllium similar a firefighter and enactment retired issues erstwhile they originate betwixt the 2 countries.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, really, this conscionable seems a connection of stability, due to the fact that you were already discussing a batch of these things connected a bilateral basis, right? I mean, what's new?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: So we person ne'er had a committee of commercialized oregon a committee of concern before. We've ever had an advertisement hoc attack with China and the United States, which I deliberation is really challenging.
I deliberation it's much important to formalize these relations. The United States has a big of tariffs, import controls, export controls connected China. China has a fig of non-tariff barriers that person been successful spot for a agelong time, different challenges they enforce to artifact our imports and things similar that.
It's overmuch amended to sermon these successful a formalized mode betwixt our authorities and their government. In summation to this, we saw China implicit the past mates of days trim a big of non-tariff barriers connected cultivation products, specified arsenic beef and poultry, et cetera.
And truthful we've seen them already starting to bash things to facilitate imports from the United States.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I volition travel backmost to immoderate of those successful a moment.
But I privation to inquire you astir tariffs. The president said to reporters helium did not sermon tariffs with Xi Jinping astatine all. Are we successful an indefinite commercialized truce, oregon were you – are you looking astatine bringing that tariff complaint backmost to wherever it was earlier the Supreme Court ruling?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: Well, the Chinese cognize – and that's portion of our woody – that the United States tin elevate tariffs to the higher level that we had astatine the clip of what we telephone the Busan woody successful October, erstwhile President Xi and President Trump met.
Following the Supreme Court lawsuit successful February, astir 10 percent points were knocked disconnected the tariff complaint for China. We believe, nether our deal, that we are capable to elevate that again. The president is exploring antithetic tools that helium has. I don't privation to prejudge a batch of the investigations that are happening.
The Chinese know, conscionable similar galore different countries we're dealing with, that we're going to person a definite level of tariff to power our imports, but that we besides expect marketplace opening.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
But the past clip you were present aft the Supreme Court decision, you said that, erstwhile immoderate of these tariffs expire successful July, that you would expect to rotation retired caller tariffs aft the extremity of these investigations nether authorization 301.
So, are you saying present that you nary longer expect tariffs to travel into spot aft July?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: Well, I deliberation I was cautious to archer you, due to the fact that my wide counsel ever tells maine to accidental this, I can't prejudge the outcomes of those investigations.
Those investigations, if they find connected tariff barriers oregon unfair trading practices, they tin authorize the president to instrumentality actions similar tariffs, similar fees connected services, similar quotas, things similar that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: So we'll surely beryllium presenting the president with those options, if those – if those investigations amusement what we deliberation they mightiness show, which is that there's a immense occupation with overcapacity successful China and different countries.
So we'll – we'll get backmost to you connected the findings successful those investigations erstwhile they conclude.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
We did spot China connected Saturday merchandise a connection confirming immoderate of the deals with the U.S., but it was beauteous vague. There was nary notation of the committedness to bargain 750 Boeing planes that President Trump told reporters astir if the archetypal 200 spell well.
China said determination was a warrant by the U.S. to proviso craft engines, but it didn't notation the 400 to 450 GE engines that the president announced. GE hasn't commented either. So, however locked successful are these agreements?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: So, the 200 Boeings, those are locked in. There's evidently a aboriginal to person much Boeings. The world is, this is the archetypal large acquisition by China successful astir 10 years of Boeings – oregon orders, rather.
So that's – that's going forward. And, similar the president said. You know, erstwhile and if Boeing delivers, there's – there's a batch of upside there. With respect to immoderate of the different details, we're finalizing a information expanse that we volition hopefully get retired precise soon, truthful we tin beryllium wide astir the double-digit summation successful cultivation purchases we expect from the Chinese and immoderate of the different things that happened and were agreed to during the visit.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.And I cognize GE is gathering with China today, but we haven't seen thing from them connected the craft engines.
On the ag products, the blimpish "Wall Street Journal" editorial committee questioned whether the acme achieved immoderate of the stated wins due to the fact that of however vague these things person been.
They said: "Mr. Trump boasted astir fantastic Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans and aircraft, but China didn't corroborate the sales. And, by our count, this is the 2nd clip China has bought the aforesaid American soybeans, oregon is it the third?"
They're benignant of arguing you're playing a ammunition crippled present with, like, re- announcing past deals connected past agreements to acquisition implicit a play of time. Can you reply these blimpish skeptics with immoderate specifics?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: So, archetypal of all, we've had a woody successful spot with the Chinese since October that they would bargain 25 cardinal metric tons of soybeans each twelvemonth for the remainder of the president's administration. So that woody is inactive successful force.
What we expect with the caller acquisition agreements, wherever the circumstantial fig volition beryllium announced precise soon, double-digit purchases of aggregate cultivation products. When I accidental aggregate, I mean everything else. That could beryllium soybeans. That could beryllium beef, that could beryllium grains. That could beryllium dairy products, each kinds of things.
So we person the existing soybean woody that they whitethorn beryllium referring to. And then, implicit and connected apical of that, we person these cultivation products arsenic well. And each of that volition beryllium facilitated by committee of commercialized discussions with the Chinese.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, inactive not nailed down, conscionable an aggregate agreement?
So, however galore concessions did the U.S. make? What were those concessions successful bid to get this?
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: Well, 1 thing, they're – they're balanced trades here, right? We're trying to get to equilibrium commercialized with the Chinese.
For a agelong time, it's been retired of whack. So, erstwhile you spot thing similar what the Chinese said, which I tin confirm, astir a merchantability of Boeings, accompanied by a merchantability of craft and car parts and spare car parts, craft parts, and those kinds of things, the Chinese privation to marque definite that they person regular entree to these benignant of spare items, truthful they tin proceed to alert their fleets.
So that's thing we privation to do. We are focused connected mutually beneficial trade. So, erstwhile you're talking astir that benignant of thing, what we should beryllium exporting, what we should beryllium importing, it becomes little a question of concessions, and much a question of, what's mutually beneficial for some of us?
That's wherefore we're truthful focused connected nonsensitive trade, due to the fact that that doesn't – that doesn't necessitate concessions. That's astir moving together, talking astir what they need, what we privation to sell, what we request from them.
So, we're already seeing it, arsenic they've reregistered brew facilities, wherever beef facilities expired. They're taking poultry again.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR JAMIESON GREER: They're moving with america connected biotech traits to marque definite that those types of products that person familial modification tin spell into China without immoderate problem.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
China inactive sells much to the U.S. than it buys, but that quality has decreased by astir 31.5 percent. So, convey you, Ambassador.
We crook present to Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan's typical to the United States.
Ambassador, bully to person you present successful person.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI (Taiwanese Representative to the United States): Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There hasn't – determination hasn't been a telephone betwixt an American president and a person of Taiwan since 1979. But President Trump indicated to reporters determination mightiness beryllium 1 coming.
Is determination a telephone planned with President Lai?
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Well, we'll see.
But President Trump, erstwhile helium was successful Beijing for the last, well, 2 days, helium mentioned that helium heard a batch astir Taiwan. You know, helium heard a batch astir Taiwan those 2 days successful Beijing.
But the occupation is, helium heard lone their broadside of the story. You know, helium heard the Chinese story, or, arsenic I would accidental successful Spanish, el cuento chino.
I deliberation helium – if helium has time, we would emotion to archer him our broadside of the story, the Taiwan story, which is 1 that – of resiliency, of a authorities staying up against the Chinese aggression.
This has been going connected for 77 years. This is not thing that conscionable happened erstwhile the DPP, the existent ruling enactment successful Taiwan, came to power. This has been going connected for 77 years…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: … since the inception of 1949, erstwhile they became a people's republic.
So this is not a caller thing, arsenic if we are the ones creating problems. It is China, People's Republic of China, creating each this problem. But the commu…
MARGARET BRENNAN: So nary telephone scheduled yet? But…
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Well, the connection betwixt Taiwan and U.S. is constant. It's current. But I volition permission it to the U.S. to denote thing if it happens.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. It would beryllium a large deal. He did talk to a past president arsenic president-elect, but not since helium came…
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Yes, with President Tsai, yes, erstwhile – successful 2015, '16, yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In – that's right.
So, China refers to your president arsenic a separatist, successful portion due to the fact that Lai has talked astir being a – punctuation – "practical idiosyncratic for Taiwan independence."
In an interrogation with FOX News, President Trump said he's not looking to person idiosyncratic accidental "Let's spell beryllium autarkic due to the fact that the United States is backing us."
Does Taiwan person immoderate volition of declaring independency formally from China?
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Well, fto maine archetypal accidental that President Trump and Secretary Rubio person been precise categorical during their sojourn to Beijing, publically stating that there's nary alteration successful United States' longstanding presumption connected Taiwan, which we privation to explicit our appreciation for upholding this position.
What is meant by Taiwan independence? My president conscionable made a connection recently, conscionable now. And it means that Taiwan is autarkic from the Chinese aggression from the PRC, actually. The ceremonial sanction of my state is Republic of China, and we're not subordinate to the People's Republic of China successful immoderate mode astatine all.
And that's maintaining our sovereignty, our mode of life, our democracy, our – our vibrant economy, our high-tech production.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: And that is – that is what is meant by independence. We are sovereign, independent, distant from the Chinese – People's Republic of China's effort to swallow america arsenic 1 of their own. They person ne'er ruled oregon controlled Taiwan ever.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: So, that's – that's – that is meant by independence.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, President Trump, though, said helium wants Taiwan to chill it. He besides wanted China to chill it.
That seems to bespeak that possibly helium was listening to Xi Jinping's mentation of events and mightiness person been persuaded?
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Well, that's wherefore I – you know, if – we'd emotion to person fixed our portion of the story…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: … not conscionable perceive to cuento chinos.
(LAUGHTER)
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: But – but I deliberation that's a connection of saying helium wants presumption quo, the president wants presumption quo, President Trump, that helium wants nary alteration successful the – successful the Taiwan Straits, neither done economical oregon subject coercion…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: … and that the bid and stableness of the Taiwan Straits is bully for each parties concerned.
And that's the presumption that Secretary Rubio mentioned during his interview, and that's the 1 that we besides agelong for. We person been a liable subordinate of – of Taiwan Straits. We privation to strive for bid and stability.
You know, President Trump doesn't privation a warfare 9,500 miles away.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's what helium said.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: We – we don't privation a war. We privation bid and stability. We privation to person our lives going connected arsenic – arsenic usual.
But we're not the ones creating each this trouble. And that's wherefore you cognize it's similar we – our house, there's intruders trying to get into our house. We're trying to beef up our information system. And past they complain, the intruder complains that, due to the fact that we're trying to amended our information system, it's making his occupation harder.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, I perceive your point. And, connected paper, President Trump's medication has pledged adjacent grounds amounts of antiaircraft weapons and income to Taiwan. But the deliveries haven't truly been happening.
And, successful Beijing, President Trump told FOX he's going to clasp connected to the latest weapons merchantability that Taiwan sought to acquisition this twelvemonth and usage it arsenic a negotiating spot with China.
What interaction volition that person connected your quality to deter China if you don't get those weapons?
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Well, exactly.
If we don't – if we privation to forestall a warfare from happening, I deliberation it's champion that Taiwan is strong, capable to support itself, and, therefore, we should beryllium capable to acquire, to bargain the arms that we request to person a stronger defense.
You know, we – we besides abide – we judge successful bid done strength.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: So, actually, it makes much consciousness for United States to merchantability america the arms, truthful we tin support ourselves, and truthful you don't person to nonstop your service 9,500 miles distant to support us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the alleged six assurances that the United States gave to Taiwan backmost successful the Reagan country included a pledge not to chopped disconnected arms income to Taiwan and of nary anterior consultation with Beijing connected specified sales.
But this is what the president told reporters astir his treatment with Xi. Take a listen.
(Begin VT)
DONALD TRUMP (President of the United States): So, what americium I going to do, accidental I don't privation to speech to you astir it due to the fact that I person an statement that was signed successful 1982? No, we discussed limb income to…
QUESTION: And what's his request?
(CROSSTALK)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We discussed the Taiwan – you know, the full happening with the arms sales. It was successful large detail, actually. And I volition beryllium making decisions.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: In large detail.
Did that interruption America's committedness to Taiwan?
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Well, again, but President Trump has besides been precise wide successful saying that helium did not hold connected thing that the Chinese side…
MARGARET BRENNAN: But helium did accidental he's going to clasp onto those weapons and not springiness them…
(CROSSTALK)
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: Yes, but helium didn't accidental helium agreed to anything.
So, again, the United States authorities has been accordant passim each administrations since 1979 successful providing arms to Taiwan, according to the Taiwan Relations Act, which is selling arms commensurate to the menace that Taiwan receives.
And past administrations, including successful President Trump's archetypal term, made sizeable amounts of sales, including the F-16 Block 70s. And also, successful his 2nd administration, past year…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER YUI: … helium made 2 income to Taiwan also, again, the past 1 besides a precise sizeable magnitude of wealth connected arms sales.
So, we believe, again, that having arms income proceed to Taiwan is successful the involvement of United States and Taiwan to support peaceful and unchangeable Taiwan Straits.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we volition effort to inquire the medication for updates connected erstwhile those deliveries mightiness happen.
But convey you precise much, Ambassador.
Face the Nation volition beryllium backmost successful a minute. Stay with us.
Face the Nation Transcripts More
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: And present with much from our caller CBS News poll, President Trump's support standing has present dropped to the lowest level of his 2nd word astatine 37 percent.
And views of the system person dropped to their lowest level successful respective years. Only 29 percent present accidental the system is good.
Joining america present with much is our enforcement manager of elections and surveys, Anthony Salvanto.
Anthony, bully to person you here.
Gas is $4.51 and alteration per gallon. Is this unit each owed to state prices?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Gas prices aren't helping.
It's not the lone thing. I ever commencement with feelings, due to the fact that they're truthful intimately connected to people's finances. They archer america they consciousness stressed, they consciousness acrophobic astir their idiosyncratic finances. And feelings of economical information are down from a twelvemonth ago.
Now, state prices are increasingly, they archer us, weighing, being a fiscal hardship connected them. Overall, though, they proceed to archer america they don't deliberation their income is keeping gait with inflation. And that's thing we person been seeing present for years coming retired of the pandemic.
So, contextually, yes, it's portion of thing larger. The different portion of this, though, is uncertainty, which is simply a apical mode that radical picture the wide economy. And the mode that relates to state prices is, take, for example, conscionable the concern successful Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
People archer us, time to day, they don't consciousness similar they person a wide understanding, they're getting a wide knowing of what's going connected there. And, of course, that is impacting state prices. That's portion of what I mean by uncertainty.
But the different portion of the large representation here, you propulsion back, you look astatine the occupation market, radical aren't assured that, if they had to find different job, they could. They adjacent deliberation – you perceive truthful overmuch astir A.I. successful the news.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Structural changes.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Big structural changes. They deliberation A.I. is going to commencement taking jobs.
And what it leads to erstwhile you look astatine opportunity, adjacent generational opportunity, there's a little fig who deliberation that their opportunities are going to beryllium amended than their parents were.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How large a hazard is the ostentation occupation oregon astatine slightest the terms of living, right? Is it going to wounded Republicans?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: So the administration, of course, urges patience, right, erstwhile the warfare is resolved, et cetera.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Well, truthful I tested, what bash you deliberation the president's policies are doing to the system successful the abbreviated word and the agelong term?
In the abbreviated term, you get large numbers who accidental they're making the system worse. So that's what's close successful beforehand of folks. But determination besides isn't that overmuch much optimism astir what happens for the agelong term. Part of each this uncertainty is that neither of the parties, not the Democrats, not the Republicans, are nett affirmative connected being seen arsenic having policies that assistance outgo of living.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: So you look astatine the public, and, yes, OK, Democrats person a small spot of an borderline there, but it's inactive nett negative. And truthful radical are going successful the midterms possibly not feeling similar there's assistance retired there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Anthony Salvanto, ever bully to speech to you.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We volition beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We volition beryllium close backmost with a batch much Face the Nation with Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and New York Democrat Tom Suozzi. They're lasting by, truthful enactment with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome backmost to "FACE THE NATION."
And the co-chairs of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick joins america from Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Democrat Tom Suozzi from Queens, New York.
Good greeting to you both, gentlemen.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-PA): Good morning, Margaret.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI (D-NY): Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I privation to commencement with you, Congressman Fitzpatrick.
You know, CBS estimates that the nett interaction of each this redistricting is that Republicans are going to get astir 9 seats oregon get them 9 seats closer, I should say, to keeping power of the House. I mean, presumably, that's the result the president was looking for here. Why are you acrophobic that, you know, driving towards the bulk done these methods is really a antagonistic for your party?
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: It's a unspeakable happening for our country, Margaret. Gerrymandering is 1 of the most, if not the astir corrosive things to our ideology that I tin imagine. Tom and I wholly hold with it. Our full bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus agrees to it. We met this past week to commencement taking measurable steps to combat back. Because, you know, portion of the challenge, Margaret, is, you know, overmuch similar however elections are conducted, these territory lines, it's mostly a relation of authorities authorities and authorities legislative action. The lone jurisdictional hook we person connected the national strategy is funding.
So, peculiarly the Help America Vote Act, the alleged HAVA backing that passed aft the Bush v Gore hanging chad election, you know, we tin necktie that money, it's billions of dollars that gets sent to the states to transportation retired their elections. We tin necktie that backing to definite reforms.
And 1 of the things that has to happen, lone 7 states, by the way, bash this successful America, is that autarkic national commissions with machine generated enactment drafting assisting them to marque definite that we person much balanced districts successful this country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I recognize the effort and the intent. But, Congressman Suozzi, your enactment – your party's leaders besides gerrymandering. And your group, arsenic we conscionable heard from Congressman Fitzpatrick, you're supporting efforts to halt it but it looks similar your members are going to beryllium straight impacted themselves. About 45 members of your caucus whitethorn look redistricting.
You've said it's going to termination the country. I mean however does it really termination the quality to scope crossed the aisle, similar you gentlemen are doing?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: What happens is, erstwhile you make these harmless seats done gerrymandering is that the lone elections that substance are not the wide elections but the primary. So, everybody panders connected their base. The Republicans speech to their base, the Democrats speech to their base, alternatively of talking to each of their constituents astir what they attraction about. And there's a batch of pandering that goes on.
So, you know, we're successful this conflict close now, this contention to the bottom, and we're going to combat occurrence with fire. The Democrats are going to combat the Republicans. The Republicans are going to combat the Democrats.
It's atrocious for America. It's atrocious for America to person each these harmless seats wherever nary person is incentivized to perceive to radical and to scope crossed the aisle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, I misspoke, it's 45 members successful your caucus, much than a twelve of them whitethorn beryllium straight impacted. But, sill, I instrumentality your broader constituent present that it's damaging to the quality to enactment crossed aisle.
But I privation to inquire you, Congressman Fitzpatrick, from the Republican perspective, we conscionable saw what happened overnight down successful Louisiana wherever Senator Bill Cassidy mislaid successful the three-way primary.
The president himself, the person of your enactment who wanted this redistricting, has besides been straight progressive successful immoderate of these superior races, picking candidates. He came retired hard against Cassidy.
He's besides present focusing successful connected Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has taken votes successful absorption to the president, including for the merchandise of the Epstein files.
I mean is the connection present for Republicans that if you descent from the president, he's going to instrumentality you down?
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Well, it's 1 of the galore reasons, Margaret, wherefore we made to unfastened primaries up successful each 50 states. Another origin that Tom and I are behind. Over fractional the states successful the state person closed primaries, meaning that if you're a registered independent, you are excluded from voting successful 50 percent of elections.
And let's conscionable enactment this into context. You could beryllium a 98-year-old World War II seasoned who stormed beaches of Normandy, saved civilization, who registry arsenic independent, successful the onshore of independence, which we're celebrating 250 years of, and successful fractional of the states successful this country, including, unfortunately, our location authorities present successful Pennsylvania, if you registry independent, you're told, you're not invited to ballot successful fractional of elections. That is insane.
And not lone is it an injustice, Margaret, it has a terrible, corrosive effect connected the level of the House. Tom and I spot it each the time. We telephone it the ballot no, anticipation yes crowd. They spell to the House level wanting to enactment a policy, knowing that argumentation is the close happening to do. But due to the fact that they unrecorded successful a closed superior authorities and 18 percent of Americans, 18 percent of Americans ballot successful primary, they're going to the House level reasoning astir 18 percent of their electorate alternatively of 100 percent of their electorate. So, closed primaries, coupled with gerrymandering, your erstwhile question, are really, truly hurting our country. They're causing gridlock connected the House floor.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. And it would seem, though, that you are truly swimming against the tide here, some of you gentlemen.
I privation to inquire you, Congressman Suozzi, astir your –
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Yes, Margaret, tin I conscionable marque 1 speedy –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, sure, I was going to inquire you astir your race, but spell ahead.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: But fto maine – fto maine conscionable – fto maine conscionable marque a speedy point.
I'm successful a territory that Donald Trump won by 19,000 votes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Brian's successful a – and I'm a Democrat. Brian's successful a district, arsenic a Republican, that Kamala Harris won. For maine to triumph my race, I person to perceive to everybody. I request the ample bulk of Democrats to ballot for me. I request the bulk of independents to ballot for me. I adjacent request a fewer Republicans to perceive – to ballot for me. So, I've got to perceive to everybody.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Uh-huh.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: And that's what's bully for America is erstwhile their elected officials person to perceive to their people. When you bash each this gerrymandering, and make each these harmless seats, the politicians successful the harmless seats, astir of the elected officials successful Congress close now, lone person to triumph their superior –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Because they're guaranteed the Republicans are going to triumph the Republican seat, the Democrats are going to triumph the Democratic seat, and past they lone perceive to their basal and they pander to their base. That's contributing to the part of our country, on with societal media, cablegram news, our overseas adversaries filling our societal media feeds with a clump of dreck (ph).
MARGARET BRENNAN: Not going to propulsion backmost connected you connected those points here, sir.
But backmost to the question I was going to inquire you successful regards to your race, I cognize that erstwhile it comes to – radical similar you person to spell retired and persuade, you judge that Democrats tin truly marque a lawsuit connected the affordability argument. We've been talking astir the polling that CBS has done showing however worrisome it is for the president's party.
But it besides shows neither Democrats nor Republicans ain the message. It's beauteous evenly split. Thirty-five percent accidental Democrats would beryllium better. It's 31 percent who deliberation Trump and Republicans would be. Thirty-four percent, neither oregon not sure.
No one's truly convinced that either of the parties person an reply here. So, however bash you really marque that an edge?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Yes, there's nary question that this is simply a large problem. Affordability is the fig 1 contented successful America. Your polling conscionable shows that. And we spot prices are going up similar crazy. Why? Because of the tariffs. Because of the war. Because of the caller information centers. And due to the fact that of each the debt. And we person to suggest policies that Democrats and Republicans volition enactment together.
You know, the tariff issue, the president is expected to travel to Congress. The warfare powers, the president's expected to travel to Congress. Let's enactment unneurotic to really enactment solutions successful spot truthful we tin get backmost to a spot successful America wherever everybody, whether you're a left-wing progressive oregon a right-wing conservative, you judge that successful instrumentality for moving hard you marque capable wealth truthful you tin spend to bargain a house, amended your kids, wage for wellness security and discontinue without being scared.
We've got to get backmost to those basic, cardinal messages. Enough with the finger-pointing and the civilization wars. Let's absorption connected the economics of people's lives truthful we tin rebuild the mediate people and assistance those aspiring that are aspiring to the mediate class.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But successful immoderate ways that polling, Congressman Fitzpatrick, says radical privation thing antithetic from what they're proceeding from some of the parties. They're not proceeding caller ideas.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Go ahead.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Yes. Over fractional of the radical successful this state unrecorded paycheck to paycheck. A batch of the things that are being discussed wrong the authorities capitols crossed America, wrong the U.S. Capitol, is not laser focused connected that each time each day.
You know, yes, we person to absorption connected nationalist security. Yes, we person to absorption connected overseas policy. We've got to bash it all.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: But we cannot disregard the information that fractional of Americans are stressing implicit their household budgets. And that's got to thrust the legislative agenda.
I judge that it was that crushed that, you know, President Trump won successful 2024. I deliberation that's wherefore Zohran Mamdani won successful 2025. And I deliberation some parties, Margaret, are failing to get that connection that we person to focus, similar a laser, connected the economy, connected these household budgets and place the silos, what's causing precocious vigor costs, what's causing precocious childcare costs, what's causing precocious healthcare costs? Tom and I stepped forward, done a discharge petition, and passed the, done the House, the premium taxation recognition extension. We're trying to bash our portion to transverse the aisle, to enactment successful the center, to absorption connected the issues that radical truly attraction about, which is the room array issues.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, to that point, President Trump told my colleague, Nancy Cordes, that helium endorsed a national state taxation holiday. I judge that inactive would person to spell earlier Congress. Would some of you gentlemen ballot for that? Suspending it?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: I think, you know, we person to consider, it's a short-term fix. It's going to impact the –
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Is that for Tom oregon for me?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Yes, it's a abbreviated word fix. We've truly got to get to – the president's got to travel to Congress to sermon the warfare and however to – however to determination guardant to get retired of – retired of the warfare and to impact the state prices. That's the existent contented here. The tariffs are what are truly affecting people's prices.
Come to Congress. Work with Democrats and Republicans. Let's effort and determination our state forward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congress – Congress –
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: And, Margaret, my reply –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, spell ahead.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: My reply – yes, my reply to that question, so, we enactment with a batch with the labour unions. They've expressed immoderate concerns astir this national state taxation holiday, that it mightiness raid the road transit fund, which they trust connected heavy for each the section infrastructure and nationalist infrastructure projects for that matter. So, I deliberation the devil is successful the detail.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: When we accidental national state taxation holiday, wherever is that wealth coming from? That's truly going to beryllium the driving question.
Yes, we privation to bash everything imaginable to little state prices, but we don't privation to rob Peter to wage Paul.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: So, we person to – we person to look astatine the details here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Quickly earlier I fto you go, Congressman Fitzpatrick, you're a large protagonist of Ukraine. You did get immoderate further – enactment for further assistance erstwhile it comes to the Huse. This is similar a ballot connected authorizing caller information assistance and imposing caller sanctions connected Russia.
Even aft the House votes, we're proceeding successful the Senate from Leader Thune, he's got nary clip to instrumentality it up. What bash you bash next?
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: We're going to bash everything we can, Margaret, to marque definite they find clip to instrumentality it up due to the fact that our – the heroes that are connected the beforehand lines of the Ukrainian military, successful Kharkiv and everyplace other on the eastbound seashore of Ukraine, request our help. They request the morale boost.
I person been determination connected the beforehand lines respective times. I person pledged my unequivocal enactment for them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: We reached 218 signatures, arsenic you know, this week connected a massive, monolithic discharge petition that is acold greater than adjacent conscionable Russia sanctions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: That's a large portion of it, but it's an wide assistance bundle to Ukraine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK: So, my connection to our Ukrainian friends, assistance is connected the way.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
All right, gentlemen, convey you for speaking to america successful this bipartisan setting. Appreciate it.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: On Friday we traveled to William and Marry successful Williamsburg, Virginia, to talk with the erstwhile Defense Secretary Robert Gates. And we began with that informing from President Xi that the contented of Taiwan could pb to an highly unsafe concern if not managed carefully.
(BEGIN VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: The U.S. inactive officially has this stance of strategical ambiguity. But bash you deliberation the code needs to displacement a small spot from the United States fixed however beardown the Chinese rhetoric is now?
ROBERT GATES (Former Defense Secretary): I deliberation the Chinese rhetoric has often been strong. In the past erstwhile it comes to Taiwan, whenever we person made an arms income to Taiwan successful the past, the Bush administration, the Obama medication and truthful on, the Chinese rhetoric gets very, precise strong. And so, I deliberation – I deliberation Xi was reiterating the Chinese presumption connected that.
I deliberation it would beryllium a mistake to instrumentality the cautiously worded presumption of the United States with respect to Taiwan. Any alteration astatine all, the nuance is – this is 1 of those things wherever the experts parse these things down to the tense of the verb and truthful on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
ROBERT GATES: So, I deliberation – I deliberation keeping things – the U.S. presumption arsenic it has been was important. And I deliberation everything I've work truthful acold indicates that the president did that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, permission it unfastened to question whether the U.S. would militarily travel to defence of Taiwan if China were to determination connected it.
ROBERT GATES: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That needs to beryllium an unfastened question.
Well, connected paper, the president made important pledges to Taiwan successful presumption of promised arms sales. Not delivered connected yet. There's different 14 cardinal successful projected weapons income that the Trump medication has delayed approving. Do you deliberation the president should greenish airy that?
ROBERT GATES: I deliberation helium should. I deliberation we should spell guardant with what – with what we've agreed with Taiwan. One of the concerns that I person is, adjacent with respects to erstwhile arms sales, determination is simply a immense backlog –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
ROBERT GATES: Of weapons that we person sold to Taiwan that we person not been capable to present due to the fact that we don't person the supplies. And so, if you're offering different 14 billion, is that conscionable going to beryllium added to the backlog oregon is determination a mode guardant successful presumption of really getting these weapons to the Taiwanese?
I deliberation 1 of the – an important happening that has happened successful caller years is getting the Taiwanese to absorption connected purchasing the kinds of weapons that would beryllium indispensable to support themselves against a Chinese amphibious invasion. And the Taiwanese legislature has conscionable yet reached an statement to money –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
ROBERT GATE: The acquisition of these weapons. So, I deliberation – I deliberation we should spell guardant with it. It is successful our ain mode our antagonistic to President Xi's beardown statement. Yes, you person your position. We person ours.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary Rubio did archer different network, though, that his content is that China's penchant is to person Taiwan willingly articulation the People's Republic. Do you expect that to beryllium the much apt script that determination is benignant of a dilatory strangulation of Taiwanese ideology by the communist party?
ROBERT GATES: I deliberation chances of a Chinese penetration of Taiwan are beauteous low, peculiarly implicit the adjacent respective years. And partially due to the fact that Xi has different options unfastened to him that see – that impact acold little risk. So, they person surrounded Taiwan with ships and successful the air. They person shown their quality to adjacent disconnected maritime and aerial entree to the island. They could make a blockade oregon a quarantine astir Taiwan immoderate clip they want. What the Taiwan telephone an anaconda strategy. And it would strangle Taiwan implicit time.
I don't deliberation they privation to spell successful and onslaught Taiwan. They don't privation to destruct the precise spot factories they privation to instrumentality over. So – and past there's cyber. There are each kinds of pressures.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
ROBERT GATES: There isn't 1 azygous Chinese wide oregon admiral contiguous that has 1 time of combat experience. The past clip these guys fought was 1979 and the northbound Vietnamese – the Vietnamese gave them a bloody nose. He's fired – Xi has fired each these generals. He's – determination are present nary generals near connected the cardinal subject committee that benignant of oversees the full thing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let maine inquire you astir what's happening successful the Middle East. The past clip we spoke, past spring, we were conscionable weeks distant from that U.S.-Israeli onslaught connected the 3 atomic sites successful Iran. You said astatine that time, it was May, erstwhile you were defence secretary, you were acrophobic that a onslaught connected the atomic programme would conscionable bargain time, a twelvemonth oregon two, but it would not lick the problem. Do you inactive judge that?
ROBERT GATES: I deliberation the lone mode that we are apt to get the enriched uranium retired of Iran and bring astir an extremity to the atomic aspirations is done a negotiation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Is it imaginable for the president of the United States to locomotion distant and permission this for the Israelis to settle?
ROBERT GATES: No, I don't deliberation helium tin locomotion away. And, no, I don't deliberation Israelis tin settee it. I don't think, arsenic almighty arsenic they are, they don't person the benignant of powerfulness the United States has. And I deliberation the president seems to person been precise accordant and precise clear, that nether nary circumstances tin Iran each person a atomic bomb. Well, the lone mode you get to that nonsubjective is resolving this contented of the enriched uranium and immoderate aboriginal plans for enrichment. I mean I deliberation – I don't deliberation that the atomic programme successful Iran poses an imminent threat. After all, we've bombed it twice.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But it is simply a large capable occupation that it was intelligibly not going to beryllium settled successful 4 to six weeks, which was the clip stamp that the American radical were told to expect successful presumption of the duration of conflict.
ROBERT GATES: I deliberation that determination were immoderate unrealistic expectations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Have you heard a intelligibly articulated, benignant of halfway of gravity of this operation, an extremity goal, a strategy?
ROBERT GATES: Well, I deliberation immoderate of the justifications person changed implicit time. But 1 happening – I deliberation determination person been a fewer things that person been accordant from the precise beginning. One is to destruct Iran's quality to person a atomic weapon. Another is to destruct their subject capabilities to onslaught their neighbors. A 3rd is to destruct the capableness to enactment their surrogates, the Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, to descend their navy. I deliberation those are each – those were – person each been articulated arsenic objectives of this operation. And though the atomic programme has been dramatically damaged and setback a agelong time, I deliberation those different things, a batch has been accomplished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You were CIA director. You were a defence secretary. How bash you measure Secretary Hegseth's performance?
ROBERT GATES: I'm not into talking astir my successors. But I volition say, I privation to constituent to thing affirmative that I deliberation is going connected that goes backmost to thing we were talking astir earlier. I deliberation – I deliberation the enactment successful the Pentagon, and particularly the lawman caput and the undersecretary progressive successful acquisition are doing immoderate precise important and overdue things successful presumption of shaking up the bureaucracy successful the Pentagon.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But he's got this absorption connected the warrior ethos. I'm definite you've heard a batch of what helium has announced. He summoned the generals to D.C., told them he's bushed of seeing abdominous troops and abdominous generals. He wants to measurement them doubly a year. He ordered a ruthless reappraisal of the justice advocator corps, the subject lawyers. He fired astir of the inspectors wide saying helium planned to overhaul the weaponized interior Pentagon ticker dog. When talking astir things you like, would you enactment immoderate of these things connected that list?
ROBERT GATES: No. I volition accidental this, I mean I – I fired a just fig of generals and elder radical myself. The mode I handled it was a small otherwise successful the respect that I felt that I needed to spell successful beforehand of the property and explained wherefore I had taken these actions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, there's not a afloat Pentagon property corps adjacent contiguous astatine the Pentagon these days for a quality league similar that without getting peculiar support to beryllium connected the premises close now. He's fired 16 subject officials astatine least, including the Navy secretary, the Army main of staff, General Randy George, during the Iran War. He pushed retired the admiral astatine the helm of SOUTHCOM, the main of naval operations, the Air Force vice main of staff, the caput of defensin intelligence.
Do you spot those things arsenic indispensable disruption, that yet volition person a affirmative impact, oregon does it interest you?
ROBERT GATES: Well, it concerns me, but I besides person to admit that I don't cognize the rationale for those changes. I don't cognize wherefore those changes were made. And determination whitethorn beryllium perfectly justifiable reasons. But I'm – I conscionable don't cognize what they are.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you deliberation that that should beryllium explained to the nationalist and to the Congress?
ROBERT GATES: I deliberation – I deliberation that people, erstwhile you person a batch of changes similar that, yes, I deliberation you – I deliberation determination is an work to explicate astatine a minimum to the Congress the rational.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The systems don't look to beryllium operating that mode close now.
ROBERT GATES: No.
(END VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our afloat interrogation with Secretary Gates is disposable connected our website, YouTube channel, and our podcast.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's it for america today. Thank you each for watching. For "FACE THE NATION," I americium Margaret Brennan.
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