This Sunday on Meet the Press, Kristen Welker discusses the rising threats following a deadly New Year's Day terror attack inspired by ISIS. She also speaks with Senate Majority Leader John Thune about the Republican agenda and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Adam Schiff about the Democrats' strategy in the minority.
This Sunday: rising threats. The country is on edge after a deadly New Year’s Day terror attack that investigators say was inspired by ISIS.
Well, you know what? We are – it’s evolving. From NBC News in Washington, the longest-running show in television history, this is Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. All of this comes as the 119th Congress convened on Friday, narrowly re-electing House Speaker Mike Johnson to lead the razor-thin Republican majority, after he and President-elect Trump persuaded several initial holdouts. I sat down with the first new Senate Republican leader in 18 years, Majority Leader John Thune. Senate Majority Leader Thune, welcome back to Meet the Press. SEN.
You know, you said in your statement after the horrific attack in New Orleans that the threat posed by ISIS, quote, 'Is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump's national security team in place as quickly as possible.' As you know, there are Senate Republicans who say they still have questions about the qualifications, about the character of some of President-elect Trump's picks, from Pete Hegseth to Tulsi Gabbard.
Let me ask you about Kash Patel. In his book, as you know, as has been reported, he has a list of 60 people he calls members of the so-called 'deep state.' Are you certain that Kash Patel's priorities would be fighting crime, protecting national security rather than settling political scores? SEN. Are you a yes on Kash Patel? SEN.
When I spoke with President-elect Donald Trump, he said that his mass deportation plan was his top priority. He wants to deport everyone who is here illegally. Do you support that plan to deport everyone who is here illegally? SEN. – you actually said deporting everyone here illegally wasn't realistic. Have you changed your mind about that? Do you think it's realistic? SEN.
You've said that the size of the national debt is actually a national security threat. You're talking about the 2017 tax cuts, but when you lump all of these other potential tax cuts onto it, it just balloons the debt. How would you pay for that? I hear you expressing some skepticism that the whole entire package could get done. SEN.
Monday marks four years since January 6th, since the attack on the Capitol. You were here that day. You've been in this building for more than 20 years. In my interview with him, President-elect Trump said he plans to pardon those who attacked the Capitol on that day and potentially even some of those who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers. Do you support that? Pardoning people who attacked police officers, who stormed the Capitol that day? SEN.
Quick little lightning round if I could. President-elect Trump told me he is open to doing a deal with Democrats to protect Dreamers, those who were brought here illegally as children. Do you commit to working with Democrats to try to get a deal on the Dreamers? SEN. Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Thank you so much for your time. SEN.
Kristen, good to be back. And happy new year to you and your family and to all of America. Well, look, I think it's clear that whenever we can get things done in a bipartisan way, we try to do it. And that's the best way to go. It creates programs that are long-lasting and very popular. So back in 2021-22, when we had the most successful session of the Senate, of the Congress in decades, seven of the eight major bills were done in a bipartisan way. So, we always look for bipartisan cooperation and would welcome the ability.
Look, we've asked for three things that are reasonable. First, that there be thorough FBI background checks of every one of the nominees at the Cabinet level. Second, that there be hearings where members have the opportunity to fully ask the questions that they want answered. And then third, there be a vote. That's been the tradition here under Democratic and Republican presidents. It's been advice and consent.
No, I'm waiting for this process, this reasonable process that we've asked for, to unfold. No, look, I told my caucus and I – I'll say it here too. We should regard this election, certainly it was a loss, but it's also a challenge. And we did some things right against very severe headwinds. We kept four of those seven contested Democratic seats. But we did some things wrong. And we have to look in the mirror and see what we did wrong. And then there's some things we didn't do that we should have done.
I talk to President Biden, you know, regularly, sometimes several times in a week, or usually several times in a week. His mental acuity is great. It's fine. It's as good as it's been over the years. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong. Well, I'm not going to speculate. As I said, I think his record is a stellar one. And he'll go down in history as a really outstanding president.
Thank you. Great to have you here. Happy New Year. Thank you for being here. SEN. Let me ask you about something else the President-elect said to me. He said that he believes everyone who was on the committee should go to jail. That includes you. Senator Schiff, are you bracing to be targeted by the president-elect, by his incoming administration? SEN.
We learned this week that sentencing will be scheduled for President-elect Trump in that hush money case. The judge has said he's not going to seek jail time. That sentencing is going to happen a little bit later on this week. Do you agree with that decision, not to seek jail time? SEN. Will you continue to focus on his election interference? SEN.
All right. Senator Adam Schiff, thank you so much for being here in person. We really appreciate it. SENATOR think the American people resent being put in boxes, and I have always avoided that myself. Obviously, since the beginning of this calendar year, as the Iowa Caucus approached, I have been heavily covered by the news media, and it is not possible for me to make a different statement in Iowa than the one I make in New Hampshire or Florida.
Jonathan, talk about high expectations. President-elect Trump has conveyed to the new House speaker he wants to get border, taxes, trade done all in one big bill. And it all comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson barely won the gavel back. – wants? Sure is a big first test. Symone, let's talk about the Democrats. I thought the conversation with Leader Schumer was fascinating. I asked him if he thought President Biden could serve another four years. He kind of pivoted, didn't answer that directly. There's obviously a lot of soul searching going on right now in the Democratic Party.
– And I think it hurt Democrats – it hurt Democrats in November to try to tell the American people something they could see with their own eyes wasn't true. Are you sure – Which is extraordinary. --on foreign policy, which is his wheelhouse. He's going to talk about America's alliances, the importance of that. The second one, a farewell address where he'll have a message for the American people about the future, talk about his legacy.
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