Free Republic

🚨 BREAKING: Scott Bessent tells Kristen Welker to shove it when baited into condemning President Trump's celebration of Robert Mueller's death "Given what was done to Trump and his family, it's impossible to understand what he went through." "I think we should have a little empathy for what has been done to Trump and his family." "I watched the look in his eye. Neither one of us can understand what has been done to him and his family."

Democratic senators say Republicans controlling both houses and presidency voted down multiple resolutions to fund TSA, Coast Guard and FEMA Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., deflected blame when pressed whether their party should vote to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown on Sunday, which has left workers without paychecks for weeks. "We saw terror attacks in West Bloomfield, Michigan, in Norfolk, Virginia. This morning, the CEOs of the nation's major airlines and cargo carriers have written a letter to Congress calling for them to end the shutdown, talking about the importance of American security in...

"Mic-drop" truth bomb. Israeli Ambassador Claps back at NBC Host: "Quoting Gaza Health Ministry is Like Quoting MS-13's Welfare Stats" | WATCH. An on-air clash goes viral as Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter slams NBC’s Kristen Welker for citing Gaza casualty figures, igniting a fierce debate over media bias, wartime propaganda, and the battle to control the narrative. Welker referenced the ministry's reported death toll while grilling Leiter on civilian casualties during Israel's operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Leiter fired back: "Kristen, you just quoted the Gaza Health Ministry. That’s like quoting MS-13 Social Welfare Ministry." The analogy, equating the ministry...

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not a “big fan” of Saturday’s parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the Army. Host Kristen Welker said, “Let’s turn to what we witnessed in Washington, D.C., the Nation’s Capitol on Saturday, a military parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the Army here in Washington yesterday. You expressed some doubt ahead of the parade. President Trump was to showcase the army’s military might, and even to inspire a new generation to sign up for military service. Senator, what do you say about that argument? Could the...

The US senator Amy Klobuchar says she hopes her party does not reflexively rule out running a woman for the White House after Kamala Harris – her fellow Democrat – lost to her Republican rival Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, arguing it is not the “lesson to learn”. Responding to a question Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press about whether Harris’s defeat might dissuade Democrats from nominating a female presidential candidate, Klobuchar said: “You have seen women run other countries quite well” before singling out the former German chancellor Angela Merkel as an example. Klobuchar added, “You’ve also seen...

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that President Donald Trump should not accept a jet from Qatar to use as the next Air Force One. Pence said, “First, we’ve got to remember who Qatar is. We’ve got a military base there. I have members of our immediate family that have deployed to the region. But Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported Al Qaeda. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the United States.” Host Kristen Welker said, “So you are saying President Trump...

President Donald Trump said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the tariffs would make the United States a rich nation. Trump said, “The tariffs are going to make us rich. We’ll be a very rich country.” Host Kristen Welker said, “At your cabinet meeting, you said, ‘Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls would cost a couple of bucks more than you would normally.’ Are you saying that the tariffs will cause some prices to go up?” Trump said, “No, I think the tariffs will be great for us because...

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on Sunday he does not think the law would allow President Trump to send United States citizens convicted of violent crimes to Salvadoran prisons, despite the president’s suggestion that he might be open to that possibility. “No, ma’am. Nor should it be considered appropriate or moral,” Kennedy told NBC News’s Kristen Welker when asked on “Meet the Press” whether he thinks such a move would be legal. “We have our own laws,” he continued. “We have the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. We shouldn’t send prisoners to foreign countries in my judgment.” Trump, in a...

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House, which is prohibited by the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, saying in an exclusive interview with NBC News that there were methods for doing so and clarifying that he was “not joking.” “A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump said in a Sunday-morning phone call with NBC News, referring to his allies. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.” “I’m focused on...

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said on Sunday that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe “lied repeatedly” about messages in a Signal group chat in which top members of the Trump administration discussed an attack on Yemen.“Intelligence officials told your committee this week that no classified information was shared. Do you believe that directors Ratcliffe and Gabbard were truthful when they testified before your committee?” NBC News’s Kristen Welker asked Bennet on “Meet the Press.”“No, I think they lied repeatedly to our committee and to the House committee. Kristen, let me try to make this as...

President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” when Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership, adding that the comments were “not going in the right location.” Agence France-Presse reported that Putin on Friday called for a transitional government to be put in place in Ukraine, which could effectively push out Zelenskyy. “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault,...

When asked if he agrees with scholars who say the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis, Schumer responded, “Yes, I do.” “And democracy is at risk. Look, Donald Trump is a lawless, angry man. He thinks he should be king. He thinks he should do whatever he wants, regardless of the law, and he thinks judges should just listen to him,” Schumer told moderator Kristen Welker. The full interview will air on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

WASHINGTON — As U.S. and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia this week, President Donald Trump has privately made clear to aides that a signed minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv won’t be enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing with the war-torn country, according an administration official and another U.S. official. Trump wants the deal, which would give the United States a stake in Ukraine’s mineral resources, signed. But he also wants to see a change in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attitude toward peace talks, the officials said, including a willingness to make concessions such as giving...

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that suggestions someone other than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should lead his nation was “horrific.” Host Kristen Welker said, “Let me start with Ukraine and that Oval Office meeting. The reaction continues to pour in, and you just heard me speak with House Speaker Mike Johnson. He left the door open to the possibility that it may be necessary for President Zelenskyy to resign in order to get to a broader peace agreement. Let me ask you this question, do you think that President Zelensky needs to resign in...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are planning to head to Saudi Arabia to initiate negotiations toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. Witkoff told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that he is traveling to Saudi Arabia with Waltz on Sunday night. -snip- Two U.S. officials confirmed that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia, but say the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilaterial with Russia, then a bilateral with Ukraine and then...

Chuck Todd, the notoriously biased former host of “Meet the Press,” has finally been shown the door, marking a significant moment in mainstream media. Todd, who has been a figure of controversy and criticism, particularly from conservative viewers, for his overtly biased reporting, announced his departure from the network to pursue independent projects, including his podcast. Todd’s exit comes after he was replaced by another far-left commentator, Kristen Welker, in 2023, which significantly reduced his appearances on the network since then. “There’s never a perfect time to leave a place that’s been a professional home for so long, but I’m...

WASHINGTON — The White House is seeking to send a message to reticent Senate Republicans to get on board with all of President Donald Trump’s nominees, warning of political consequences for those who defy him. “It’s pass-fail. You either support everyone or you don’t,” a senior White House official told NBC News. “The Senate needs to advise and consent, not advise and adjust.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he doesn’t approve of President Trump’s pardoning of the Jan. 6 rioters, especially those who “beat up cops” who were defending the Capitol. “No,” Graham said, when asked whether he’s OK with the most violent offenders on Jan. 6 getting pardoned, in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I’ve always said that I think when you pardon people who attack police officers, you’re sending the wrong signal to the public at large, and that’s not what you want to do to protect cops,” Graham continued. “But he has that power.”

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was afraid there will be “more violence” as a result of President Donald Trump’s January 6 pardons. Host Kristen Welker said, “Your colleague, Senator Tim Kaine, had this to say about President Biden pardoning his family members. He says, ‘It’s harder to stand on the high ground and make a critique of the Trump pardons on January 6 when President Biden is pardoning family members.’ Do you agree with that? Does it make it harder to criticize President Trump’s decision to issue those blanket pardons to the...

On NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday, moderator Kristen Welker asked Sanders for his thoughts on the possibility of Biden preemptively pardoning the committee members ahead of Trump’s upcoming presidency. Sanders replied, “Well, I think he might want to consider that very seriously.” “This is what authoritarianism is all about. It’s what dictatorship is all about,” Sanders, who may not be seeking another term in the Senate, said. “You do not arrest elected officials who disagree with you, who undertake an investigation.”