The following is a transcript of an interview with Reps. Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that aired on Dec. 8, 2024. MARGARET BRENNAN: Thank you both for- for sitting here with us and for doing so in a bipartisan manner. The Secret Service did a pretty self-critical review of what went wrong on July 13 with that near miss on Donald Trump's life. They said a lack of diligence, communications gaps were responsible here. They took the blame, the director resigned. What more did you find that they didn't already fall on their swords for? REP. KELLY: Well, I guess I could start off because this is my hometown, right? And I thought from the very beginning, it probably wasn't the right size venue, because of- when the president had come to Butler before, he- about 50,000 people showed up. The venue we went to would really hold- they would hold a lot of people, but it's a very difficult venue to get in and get out of. I was more concerned with traffic, and how do I get tied up– MARGARET BRENNAN: You thought that before? REP. KELLY: Yeah, when I- when they- when they first said they were coming to Butler, I thought they were going to come to the same place, and they said, no, they were going someplace different. So when you look at that, so to the- in the very start of it, and I didn't realize at the time, but once the campaign team makes a selection, they hand the keys over to Secret Service. And I think looking back on it, Secret Service would have been better at that point to say, you know what, we know you want to be in that town, but there's probably better places for you to be. This is going to be hard for us to secure. And as it turned out- I never imagined, by the way, that it was- the event that took place that day was going to take place, I just thought that Secret Service should have taken more command of it, especially when they're so strained. They- they're- during an election period, there's so many protectees out there, and it kind of marginalizes what they can do and where they can be. So I think the site was a difficult site to secure. On July 13, it was impossible. When they came back on October 5, it was the difference between day and night. They really locked it down, and they did a lot of things they probably should have done in the beginning, but it's always- hindsight's always 20/20. So I think what we- we heard from the very beginning the Secret Service, 'this is the worst day of our lives. We're embarrassed by what happened. We're so sorry.' But the other element was local law enforcement that usually would come in and help out. There was very little preparation for the event on July 13, and I think that's what I would say. The lack of preparation, the lack of coordination, and more than anything, the lack of communication on July 13, were some of the biggest things that we looked at. So how did you guys ever imagine that this would work? There's just nothing that makes sense that happened that day. REP. CROW: You know, I've learned in my time in Congress that, you know, agencies and departments, when they do after action reviews of things that have gone wrong, that they'll often look at the operational and the tactical level of what happened, but they almost never look at the structural level. You know, they don't critique their structure. They won't critique their- their superiors, the agencies that they're nestled within. They will very often not look at overall resourcing, money because of the politics of making asks like that. And they very rarely ever look at culture, right, because it's just too sensitive for them. So we- we actually took those, those areas really seriously. We looked at the Secret Service. Should it be nestled within DHS? Is it structured right? Does it get the resourcing and training? And then the area that I in particular looked at was the culture of the organization, because I was struck by the stories and the recount of the specific actions of officers and agents on the ground that day, and there were some heroic ones, but there were also a lot of examples of people that knew that something was wrong and they didn't say anything, right? So one example of this is the drone operator. So Secret Service has these drone operators, and they literally bought a drone off the market, a commercially available drone, they showed up with this drone in a box. It didn't work, they didn't know how to make it work, so they just put it aside and they didn't have a drone. MARGARET BRENNAN: So it wasn't that the Secret Service didn't have a drone? They just had a drone that didn't work, or they didn't know how to– REP. CROW: That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Use it. REP. CROW: Yeah. They- they bought one off the commercial market. The operator that was responsible for operating it was not trained on how to fix it, on how to troubleshoot it, so, you know, spent an hour trying to get it to work, couldn't get it to work, threw up his hands, put it aside and they were without a drone. And a drone could have prevented, potentially, the shooting. But, you know, the- the larger point of that story is not that they couldn't get the drone to work, which is problematic in and of itself, but that nobody said, hey, we don't have aerial coverage. We don't have a central element of our security plan. So let's revise- let's revisit our plan and make changes that are necessary here. MARGARET BRENNAN: But why? Because you- you did hone in on, during the hearing as well, on the issue of culture. Why didn't anyone say anything? Were they unaware of vulnerabilities? Or is there a culture of silence where people speaking up get smacked down for doing so. REP. CROW: That's- that- that is my concern, is that there's a culture of silence and that individual officers and agents are not empowered to say something is wrong. Now think about it this way. There are examples of this in- in our daily lives, right? When we all get onto an airplane, we get onto a flight to go anywhere, to visit our family, there- there is a standing rule in commercial aviation that anybody in the cockpit, regardless of your position, whether you're the captain or the first officer or the brand new pilot sitting there being trained, anyone at any time can call something out and say, this is unsafe, we're going to stop it, right? And that is designed for safety, and there are plenty of examples in which that actually saves people's lives. REP. KELLY: Absolutely. REP. CROW: That same mentality didn't appear to be a part of what happened at Butler, Pennsylvania. So the question is, how do we change- help change overall culture? MARGARET BRENNAN: That's a very hard thing to solve for. REP. CROW: It's very hard. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, Congressman Kelly on that point, I mean, some of this sounds like management 101, that this is not specific to the Secret Service. A lot of organizations have problems like what you just highlighted there. Acting Director Rowe testified Thursday. He thinks the Secret Service needs to identify leaders earlier on and promote them based on ability, not just hours logged on the clock. REP. KELLY: But isn't that true of everything in life? When you look at this, when people talk about, we need better leadership than that, but my question is then, where do you go to get that talent, and when you find that talent, do you let it escalate, or do you- do you tamp it down? I would just say, whenever we got further and further- the day- I was there, from the time they said they were coming to Butler to find- I was on those grounds the night before, they weren't set up at that point, they were going to work through the night to get it ready. And then you find out afterwards that there was no coordination, there was no team meeting, there was no 'this is going to be your responsibility to know where you're supposed to be and what time you're supposed to be there.' You bring local law enforcement in, but you don't- you don't include them in the planning, or when you do the- the interviews afterwards. 'Well, I thought he was going to do it.' 'No, we thought somebody else was going to do it.' When you look at local law enforcement, instead of one command center, there's two command centers, right? And they are not able to communicate with each other. The thing I think that we look at, more than anything else, and I've said this since day one, the day that- that it happened. Why, when you knew there was a suspicious person on the grounds, and this is a common- going back and forth now, this is where they said they weren't communicating with each other. You can't tell me that you didn't know till ten minutes after six, that you couldn't communicate. At 11 minutes after six, the shooter took action. They knew an hour and a half ahead of time. Out of all the thousands of the people walking around on that terr- on that property, there was a suspicious person, and they kept losing sight of him. I would have said, and I have no background in law enforcement, keep the president back until we clear the area. That's the part that doesn't make sense, because they failed, from the first thing- from the picking of the site, preparing the site, to the coordination of the site, to the ability to communicate, at every step of the way, they failed. And the question is, why didn't you just say, hold up, just hold up. Don't let him come out. If that happens, Corey Comperatore is still alive today. The other two gentlemen that were- were wounded are still alive today, and more- and the person we never talk about is the shooter would still be alive today had they captured him ahead of time or pulled him off. That family lost a son that day. The Comperatore family lost their father and a husband that day. The two people that were wounded, were seriously wounded. It all could have been stopped by somebody saying, hold up. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, when the acting director says on Thursday of this week, we need to pick better leaders. That would suggest that the agency today does not necessarily have the leaders it needs to fix all the things you just laid out. REP. KELLY: Oh- yeah and I think by saying what he said, that's what he meant. They don't have the leadership they need, and as Jason was just talking about, when they morphed them into Homeland Security back in 2001, whenever it was, they took away their identity and their exclusivity. When you're the best of the best, when you're the elite of the elites, if you lose that, then all of a sudden you just become part of a team. And there's just something about it in human nature. If you can reach that pinnacle, if you can be the best of the best, that's what you want to strive for all the time. But if all of a sudden, it's like, just come on in, sit down, we'll let you know when we need you. That kind of destroys that whole foundation that you have to have. And I just- I just think it was- there was a huge mistake back when Homeland came into existence. That's not a criticism, because they did what they had to do back then, but I'm telling you, on July 13, there was a lack of professionalism, there was a lack of concern, there was a lack of coordination, and the ability to communicate is the one thing I'll never understand. You knew you couldn't talk to each other. Why did you go forward? MARGARET BRENNAN: They were text messaging, right? REP. KELLY: Yeah, yeah. MARGARET BRENNAN: Not using the radio. REP. KELLY: Or cell phones. REP. CROW: Can I comment on that? MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, please. REP. CROW: Here's what I think is happening with leadership development and the status of leadership within Secret Service. And I- I want to be really clear that there are plenty of extraordinary agents and officers in the Secret Service, right? And when we talk about a failure of mission, you know, in Butler or any place else, that doesn't mean that, you know, 80, 90% of the- of the Secret Service agents aren't phenomenal and dedicated professionals. But there is a systematic problem here, and I'm familiar with this problem because it's not that different from what the military has experienced the last 20 years because of the global war on terror. Let me explain what's happening. We were- we were at war for 20 years, and we- we were at war in several different places, and we asked our military to deploy constantly. And I was- I was in the military for around four years, and during that time, I deployed three times, so I was either in deployment, getting back from a deployment, or getting ready for a deployment the entire time I was in active duty military and we weren't doing our regular training cycles. So the military spent two decades doing that, and as a result of that, people missed their leadership development schools. They missed their training cycles. They missed that normal pipeline of how we create leaders. Because I'm somebody that believes that leaders are not born, that they're developed and they're made. And that requires intentional development over time, that requires a plan to develop it, and it requires time and resources to develop it. So you- you apply that to the Secret Service now, you know, the- the structure, the personnel, the staffing of the Secret Service, hasn't changed in years, at the same time as we are now asking them to do things that they didn't do a decade ago. And they are- they are fulfilling an operational tempo that requires them to be deployed three weeks out of a month, constantly doing events, skipping firearms training, skipping leadership development training. We are not developing their skills and their training. And I think you see the results of that. MARGARET BRENNAN: The acting director said, you- they are looking to hire 650 special agents, 350 uniformed division officers. You just said building experience takes time, so they're trying to fix this, but it sounds like you could look at that and say they're not ready for the job they have now, in this moment in time. REP. CROW: There's a- there's a long-term problem and a short-term problem, right? The long-term problem is we actually need to make the commitment, the resourcing commitment, the structural commitment, and this is-this is a congressional responsibility, to set them up– MARGARET BRENNAN: Funding. REP. CROW: –for long term success. But in the short term, you're right. You can't mass produce a presidential detail Secret Service agent. It takes, on average, seven years to- from- from recruitment to training to get somebody ready to protect the President of the United States. We're- we're not going to speed that up, nor would anyone want to speed that up. That's not a situation where you want to shortcut that, just like you wouldn't want to speed up medical training for your doctor, right? So we have to look at, in the near term, then, who are those other individuals, those skill sets within Department of Defense, within Homeland Security, who can help cover down? And how can we use technology to actually supplement that, whether that's drones, AI, other things that can take pressure off of some of the agents doing regular jobs that- that can be shifted so we can cover down in the ways we need to. MARGARET BRENNAN: So you made three dozen recommendations in this report on what to change, including to reduce the number of protectees. Right now, Secret Service protects not only presidential leadership, their immediate families, their spouses, their children, candidates, and anyone, really, the president designates. Should all of that continue? REP. KELLY: Well, it depends, you know, as Jason just laid out, it- what is your main purpose? Look, we've increased the size of protectees that are out there, including foreign assets to come here and people to bring- bring their families and things. So that's gotten so big, but if you look at Homeland, I think- I think when you look at Secret Service, it's about 3% of their overall spend, the biggest spend is on FEMA. And we know we don't want to change anything like that. But you can't have an exclusive without funding them to the level that they need to be funded, not only in manpower and in training, but in the assets that they have to have available to them. If you increase the size and scope of what they're supposed to do, but then you keep them housed under a smaller thing, and then try to move back and forth and bring just- not just, but when you bring other people from Homeland in to supplement what you don't have in Secret Service, you're going away, then, from that structure of, these are the people that we have ready to do this job. So I think what- and what- what the Director Rowe said yesterday, if you're looking at a bigger team, you have to get more recruits. And once you get those recruits, you have to make sure that they're ready to get on the field and do the job that they're expected to do. My understanding, it's very difficult now, screening and getting recruits to commit, I think it's a very hard thing to do. And who is it that you're looking for? The best of the best. How hard is it for them to get there? Really hard. So I think from a standpoint of team building, there has to be kind of a different things that- So he's a special ops guy, or paratrooper. And I mean, not everybody can be a paratrooper. It takes a lot of training, because you're not supposed to jump out of a plane unless it's going down right, and you need some help. But it takes a special breed-- REP. CROW: -- It's a commentary on our mindset, the mentality of paratroopers, more than anything else, we're always a little bit off. REP. KELLY: Jump, jump. We were in Normandy this summer together- that's the first time we had met, and he said, I'm going to be jumping out of the airplane tomorrow. I said, why in the world would you do that? He said, because that's what I do. And I said, when was the last time you did it, on the 75th anniversary? I said, so five years ago was the last time you jumped out of a plane. Now go to what we're talking about today. If I talk to a Secret Service guy, says, when was the last time you protected somebody? Well, five years ago. I said, No, no, no, you're not the guy I'm looking for. You want the cream of the crop, right? But in order to get there, you have to develop where that person wants to be there so bad that he or she will do everything that's possible to get there and- and I think that's what we're looking for. We're looking for a really elite group. But then if we're going to ask them to make that commitment to our country, we should make our commitment to make it possible for them to be the best of the best. REP. CROW: So here's how I look at the issue of the structure of the Secret Service. I actually don't look at it differently than I look at the structure and the missions of any organization, whether it's a business, a community club or organization, a political campaign. You always have to ask yourself, what are your missions and what is the thing that only you can do? Like, what is that no-fail mission? In this case, with the Secret Service, that no fail mission is to protect our highest level candidates and our highest level elected officials. Period. All the other things, investigation of financial crimes, training and support, these are all secondary missions. So if you're not actually adequately performing any of those missions to standard, and if you reached a breaking point, then it's time to assess, what are those missions that need to fall off and to be transitioned elsewhere? That's my view. You can't-- MARGARET BRENNAN: You want to cleave off the financial crimes unit? REP. CROW: -- I don't know how else we can handle it, right? If- if we have a challenge of not being able to mass produce agents, right, if it takes time to do that, and those are longer term muscle movements, as I say- and this is a no-fail mission. It just can't fail, today, tomorrow, the day after. Every single day, you have to show up and be perfect in that job. Then you have to, you just have to make a decision about what you're not going to do so that you can perform that no-fail mission. MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Kelly, right after Butler happened, Donald Trump said he thought the Secret Service actually did a good job that day. Do you get the sense that with the passage of time, he's going to support or has any interest in some of the very specific recommendations that you're making? REP. KELLY: Okay, so I was about 60 feet away from the President when the shots rang out, and I just saw him grab his head and he went down, and I said, Oh my god, somebody just shot him. I will tell you this, within seconds, all these agents that were up on- the on the stage with him, covered him. Now, if I'm Donald Trump and I'm thinking, these guys were there, right there, the problem wasn't the people that were around him. The problem was the people around him weren't being communicated with by- from other people. So they were reacting to, boom, I got to be there. So if I were Donald Trump, I would be very thankful for that, right? But the question wasn't- was it the Secret Service that was around him? It was about the Secret Service and the rest of law enforcement, the rest of the people there to protect him, that outer shell-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- The infrastructure, the management, the support-- REP. KELLY:-- It was the infrastructure that failed. It wasn't the group that was around him. So yes, if I'm him, I'm saying, yeah, thank you. You guys were able to put- you were going to put your life on the line to protect me. And they did it within a second or two. But then when he got back up, and I thought, this is, this is absolutely insane, it was just like, my gosh. I can't believe this happened. And then- I will say one thing, though, because it's- when he broke out of that, and he put his hand up, now, when you keep in mind, there's maybe 25, 30,000 people, and they're all on the ground. When he stands up and goes 'fight,' the rest of these people stand up, and I'm thinking, what in the world? And he- they're- they're chanting USA. I thought, you know what, this is a pretty tough country. You know, they all stand up and they start going, 'USA.' And I thought, oh my gosh. Now for me that day, it was difficult. My wife, three of my grandchildren, my son, were there with me, but they weren't where they were supposed to be because of the lack of coordination. So I had a lot of concerns that day. The first one being, where's my wife? Where's my grandkids? Where's my son? And there was a lady named Mrs. Fogel sitting beside me. Marc Fogel who is a teacher from Butler who is imprisoned in- in Russia right now. They were all there for this event. And you watch how quickly that happened and how- how afterwards, it's the after thought you think about, how in the world did this happen? How did this happen in Butler, Pennsylvania, the home of the Jeep and on farm show grounds and an attempted assassination of a president, it's like, wow, times have changed. MARGARET BRENNAN: And then weeks later, it nearly happened again down in Mar a Lago. REP. KELLY: Yeah. MARGARET BRENNAN: We know very little. And you Congressman Crow seemed very frustrated, based on the report and the hearing-- REP. CROW: -- Do I seem frustrated?-- REP. KELLY: -- No, no, you're very-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- with the fact that you couldn't find out more about the shooter, both in Butler and in- the potential shooter, in Mar a Lago? REP. CROW: Well, you know, we completed a five-month investigation which was comprehensive, it was thorough, and it tells, you know, the full story about the actions of the Secret Service and state and local law enforcement and what happened and what didn't happen. Right? That we have the definitive story of that, and we have recommendations around that. There is one area, as you point out, that we weren't able to get to. That- that's actually a really important element to the story. And people have rightful questions about it. I have questions about it. And that is, why did the shooter do this? What drove him to do it? Was he a lone wolf shooter? Did he have associates or affiliates? What was his motivation? How was he radicalized? MARGARET BRENNAN: This is Thomas Matthews Crooks? REP. CROW : That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Who took these shots with an AR-15? REP. CROW: Yeah, these are important questions that America deserves answers to, that Congress deserves answers to. So we endeavored to get answers to those questions. We submitted numerous requests to the Department of Justice and FBI. Their response is, this is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we can't give that information to Congress. That, in my view, is an unacceptable position. And here's why-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- For both Butler and Mar a Lago, that was the answer? REP. CROW: Correct. That's right. And here's why that's unacceptable. Congress is what we like to say, is the article one branch of the Constitution. The founders made us first. They put us first in the constitution for a reason, because we are supposed to be the preeminent branch with oversight authority over the executive branch, with preeminent oversight authority over the executive branch. So you can't come and tell me that there's whole areas of information that we can't access because of an ongoing criminal investigation. And then to add to that, if they're concerned about the protection of that information, about the dissemination of that information, and compromising an investigation, I understand those concerns, but I sit on the Intelligence Committee, I've sat on the Armed Services Committee, and Congress all the time gets access to our nation's most sensitive secrets. Ongoing operations, intelligence operations, military operations, so you can't tell me that there isn't a way to put us into a secure facility and get us information about an ongoing criminal investigation when I regularly am receiving briefs on what our- our spies and our military special operators are doing regularly around the world. So none of this stands to reason, and we have dedicated ourselves to continue to get those answers. And if the FBI and DOJ thinks that they can wait us out and stonewall us, they are wrong. REP. KELLY: -- Good luck-- REP. CROW: -- Because members of our task force, even after we sunset in a couple of weeks here, sit on all of these committees, and we will get that information. MARGARET BRENNAN: Why-- you used the term "slowwalk" us? You think they're intentionally withholding information? REP. CROW: I don't know what their intention is. I'm not a mind reader, but, you know, I've been around Congress long enough to know what- what people do-- REP. KELLY: --When you get stonewalled-- REP. CROW: --When you're getting stonewalled. I mean, listen, this is, this is not uncommon when you're dealing with agencies and departments. It's a pretty regular method, and it's something that, you know, we encounter all the time in our oversight responsibilities, so-- MARGARET BRENNAN: Why do you think that is? REP. KELLY: You know what-- in my life, right? And I've done a lot of different things, but most have been in the retail- in the public. It's always bothered me with there's a sense of paranoia with these agencies, and when you ask them a question, they would- they would try to come back to you, why are you asking that question? I said, well, why are you asking me why I'm asking that question? Why don't you just answer it and we can go to the next subject. It's- it's that holding back, that holding back, that holding back. It's like, well, we don't trust you. And that's a well, that's- that's why we're here today because you know what-- [CROSSTALK] MARGARET BRENNAN: --There is quite-- REP. KELLY: --I'm not so sure the American people-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- a lot of political tension, -- REP. KELLY: -- You know when we started-- MARGARET BRENNAN-- between the Congress and the Justice Department-- REP. CROW: -- Well there should be. They're often like, hey,-- MARGARET BRENNAN: --and the FBI. [END CROSSTALK] REP. CROW: --you're out to get us. Like, well, we're not out to get you, but we are out to hold you accountable and to get answers. So, I mean, we're not, we're not here to- to, you know, just play nice all the time. We have independent obligations. MARGARET BRENNAN: I mean the seriousness of the task and what was being looked at you think should have compelled the FBI and the DOJ to share the information about what they know of the, now deceased, alleged shooter in Butler and the attempted shooter in Mar a Lago. REP. KELLY: Absolutely. MARGARET BRENNAN: What is it that you want to know about them? Because the public knows very little about Mr. Crooks, in particular. REP. KELLY: When you look at him and you try to find out- having four children and 10 grandchildren, parents are usually the best people to go to. You were talking earlier, you have family of your own. I think as a parent, you're more aware of what's going on with your child. What are her good days? What are her bad days? What is it that's bothering her? There's something there that's missing. I don't know what it is and I'm not making a criticism. It's just whenever we were asking questions and told, these are things that we're not done investigating yet, and we're tasked with getting something done in a time period. And at the very beginning of this, do you know our whole- our whole effort was to restore the faith and trust and confidence the American people must have in these institutions. When they stonewall you, when they hold you back, what would you automatically think? What is it they don't want us to know? Listen, I don't know enough about Mr. Crooks or the Crooks family. I just know that a lot of- a lot of things happened that day that didn't have to happen that day. But now, when you do the aftermath of, okay, so what is it we could have done different, and why aren't you telling us certain things that we need to know? Don't stonewall us because when you stonewall us, my feeling is, and I think Jason is the same way, there's something you don't want us to know. Was the failure where, and is it that you don't want to take that? Because as we went through all this stuff and the finger pointing, it wasn't my job, it was his job. And it's like, wait a minute. Just stop. Just stop. We're not here to get rid of you. We're here to make sure this doesn't happen again, to the best of our abilities. So it was frustrating. MARGARET BRENNAN: So we don't know, or tell me if perhaps you know answers– REP. CROW: Yeah we– MARGARET BRENNAN: Was there a foreign nexus? Do we know yes or no? REP. CROW: Margaret, I will get to that. But I want to, I just want to lay the groundwork a little bit for this issue. You know, we're in an age of incredible disinformation and misinformation. Americans are deluged with misinformation and disinformation that's coming from a variety of sources. Our adversaries, our state adversaries, Russia, China and others, non-state actors. And there's a lot of conspiracy theories out there. And conspiracy theories sometimes take root when there's a lack of information or there's conflicting information. So our job is to try to get information out there, to be transparent, to be accessible, to tell the real story. And that's why this is important. This element of that story is important because there's a lot of conspiracies around– REP. KELLY: –Absolutely– REP. CROW: –These shootings, right? And we take that seriously. We want to- we want to, you know, rebuff those. But you know, in this case, and I sit on a lot of other committees with access to information, I have seen no evidence that a state actor and adversary was responsible for either of these attempted assassination attempts. I have seen no evidence. But you know, when you're in a position where you know the government says, "well, it's not this, but we won't tell you what it is." Right? And "we can't tell you, we can't tell you definitively." Well, you know, people respond and have questions about that, and I understand that mentality. So even though we don't have evidence of one thing, people still want to know what else it is. And I still want to know what else it is. MARGARET BRENNAN: Did he act alone? Do we know that? REP. CROW: We don't know that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Or Congress doesn't know that. REP. CROW: Yeah, and you know, it's one thing to say, and I'm going to be really clear about this, because this is very, very sensitive territory, because we want to make sure we're not– MARGARET BRENNAN: -Right– REP. CROW: –Getting people spun up unnecessarily. There is no evidence of- from other sources, you know, internal government sources, from our investigation, that others were involved, that he acted with others, and that a foreign state or adversary was involved in this. But that still raises the question of, why did he do this? Was just- was he just a disturbed young man who decided to take action alone? Probably, I mean, that's probably the answer. REP. KELLY: That's what it looks like now. REP. CROW: Right. That's what it looks like. But we need to know, right? And let's get the information out there that the government has to make sure that we can settle this. And that's, that's our obligation. MARGARET BRENNAN: And, you know, I asked you specifically about foreign nexus, because, as you know, Congressman Kelly, in the weeks leading up to this, there was more information about a direct threat to the now President-elect Donald Trump from the Iranian regime. It was a heightened threat environment. There was a specific, known actor that they were worried about, and because of that, security was increased. So we're not just talking about day to day Secret Service protection. You're talking about an environment where there were threats, known threats. So in that environment, that doesn't speak to a lot of- I mean, you laid out a lot of concerns you have. REP. KELLY: Oh, absolutely. MARGARET BRENNAN: But is the agency today able to do its job if they weren't able to do it in July? REP. KELLY: Well, I would sure hope that they understand that there's more oversight. And when you, when you as you speak, as a foreign government getting involved in it. It's part of the testimony. It's a back and forth between, actually, the people that were there saying "I wonder if this could have been part of what they were referring to with a foreign adversary." I wondered why they didn't share more of it. And I think that- now these are the people you have on the ground doing the protection, and they're saying this as- afterwards, "I wonder if this was what they were talking about, and why didn't we know more about it?" In fact, some of them knew nothing about it at all. You know, back to what you said in the beginning, this is a preparation for anything that is, is the indication of whether it's going to go well or not. There's so many missing pieces on this one. And I think that we're frustrated. And I think the- the task force, the 30 people that were working on this every single day, were frustrated, too. How could there be so many missing pieces, this, it just doesn't make sense that none of this stuff came together, and on that day, none of it, none of it was coordinated. It was just thrown together. And now we look at it and think, you know what we were tasked with, trying to find out what happened that day, why it happened that day, into- into the best of our ability make sure that the Secret Service, that doesn't happen again to them. We can't guarantee that these things won't happen, because it's a crazy world right now. But there was too much ahead of time that we did know that we didn't share. And I- I know when you talk to them, the key to everything is communication. The lack of communication. I'll never understand when it comes down to that, and I'm not going to repeat it again, because I've said it- my wife said please quit talking that way, but I would never let my child play near a road. And when you do, you put people in jeopardy of that. And you know there's a danger there. Don't let it happen. This doesn't, I don't think it's- you don't have to have a degree and everything to understand protection is protection. The main job of Secret Service on that day was that they have protectees. And if that's, if that's our mission, then we can slow walk and help them out with different assets that maybe they don't have, but it was for me, that day, that was a signal that there's something wrong. And as we went through the task force, the inability to communicate, even with the- the federal agencies are on board, that just sends up a red flag right away. I said, why won't you tell us what we're asking you, and if it comes back, we don't know why we're asking- why you're asking us that. That is because we were tasked to find out. At the end of the day, the American people have to have confidence in you, and at this point, it's hard to have confidence with people who won't share information with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: There's- there are already proposals out there. One of your Democratic colleagues has proposed cleaving it off from DHS. Others have proposed other visions for what to do to the agency. In the new Congress, where does this rank in terms of priority? REP. CROW: Well, pretty high for us, right? I mean, as we already talked about, it's a very dangerous world. You know, you have Iran targeting- this is public now, there have been public indictments released by Department of Justice. You have Iran targeting for assassination, current and former administration officials, American elected officials, in the United States. You have, you have, you know, the Wall Street Journal reported not long ago about Chinese hacking of our telecommunication systems, possibly the largest hack and breach in American history. Our adversaries are doing troubling, deeply troubling things right now as we're sitting here speaking about it. So it's a dangerous world– MARGARET BRENNAN: –and domestic actors. Heightened threat environment. REP. CROW: –And domestic actors, domestic extreme- extremism too. You're absolutely right. So again, this goes back to this being a no-fail mission, having to make sure that we are both raising the fences around the things we need to protect, but also establishing deterrence with respect to our foreign adversaries. We can't be in a position anymore where our rivals, our adversaries, are doing these things without substantial cost, without substantial response to them. There has to be penalties imposed much harsher penalties imposed for them doing it because right now, clearly deterrence, in several important respects, has not been established. So, we are going to do both to make sure that our people are protected, because we just cannot be in a situation where our highest elected officials are at risk here. REP. KELLY: Totally agree. MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm getting a wrap on time. But is there anything that you feel important to raise that we didn't talk about? REP. KELLY: Well I think that from the very beginning, we never identified as Republicans and Democrats. We, we defined as a task force to find out what happened that day. And the whole, the whole goal from day one is to restore the faith and trust and confidence that the American people must have in this agency. At this point it's probably at the lowest ebb it's ever been. And the other thing is, I think we realize that threats are 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, you can't take a day off. You can't take a play off. You've got to be ready every single moment for anything that could possibly happen. Is that a difficult task? Yes. Is it almost impossible? Yes, there's a lot of bad actors out there. But you know what's not impossible? Our dedication to the fact that we're going to do the best we can do every single day to ensure that the American people have the faith and trust and confidence they must have in us. We both represent three quarters of a million people. They sent us here to represent them. And so that's the message, I think, from day one, I would just- and this guy's got background in it, I don't. But our task force worked together so well. And I think the best thing is, you know what, there's not an election year which really can take the focus off of these different things that come up from a political standpoint. This isn't political for me. This is strong policy for the American people. REP. CROW: This is a tough place to work. And there are, frankly, there are some people here that don't belong here, that I think are just here to get attention to get, you know, clicks on social media, that aren't here to legislate. But this has been one of the best experiences of my time in Congress, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner than Mike Kelly. You know, and he's a very conservative Republican and I'm a Democrat. We're both proud of that. We're proud of our politics, and– REP. KELLY: –We are– REP. CROW: We represent our districts, right?-- REP. KELLY: –We do, we do– REP. CROW: That's actually, that's actually the job, right? We represent the culture and the politics and the hopes and dreams of our districts. And that's what's so, so beautiful about this place when it works well. But this process, and I think this is really important for Americans to understand, this process was serious, it was bipartisan, it was- it was deep, and we did the job that we were asked to do. And not a lot of people get exposure to that, you know, they just see these clips of people doing crazy things here. And I would just encourage people to read the report, to look at what we did here, and to know that, you know, important things can still get done. REP. KELLY: At the very end, the suggestions we have– MARGARET BRENNAN: They're very specific. REP. KELLY: They're very specific, but there's nothing that most people say, "why in the world would they think of that?" And then the answer is, that's the same way you would think, if you were going on a trip or doing anything and taking your children with you, you would- you go through that same checklist. Everything in life revolves around a checklist, and the worst thing you can do is stop using the checklist. MARGARET BRENNAN: We will see what happens in the new Congress with the new president and the choice of a potentially new director. Thank you. REP. CROW: Thank you. REP. KELLY: Thanks for having us.How to watch Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: TV channel, streaming info
BOISE, Idaho — Freshman wide receiver George Dimopoulos threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge on the first play of double overtime and Jordan Hansen ended the game on a fourth-down sack to give Northern Illinois a 28-20 victory over Fresno State on Monday in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Dimopoulos, who played quarterback in high school, also converted the two-point conversion when he passed it to quarterback Josh Holst for his second completion of the season. Holst, a freshman walk-on, was making just his third start at quarterback as NIU was without starter Ethan Hampton, who entered with 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with six interceptions. Holst completed 18 of 30 passes for 182 and two touchdowns for Northern Illinois (8-5). He was also intercepted on the first play of the game. Both teams missed a 35-yard field goal in the final three minutes of regulation, including Dylan Lynch's third miss of the game on the final play to send it to overtime. Fresno State started overtime with a touchdown when Bryson Donelson was left wide open out of the backfield to haul in a 9-yard touchdown pass. NIU needed five plays, and a defensive holding penalty, to score as Holst found Grayson Barnes for a 3-yard touchdown. Donelson finished with 15 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown for Fresno State (6-7). He added three catches for 28 yards and another score. Dual-threat quarterback Joshua Wood was 16 of 23 for 180 yards and a touchdown. Mac Dalena made six catches for 118 yards to help go over 1,000 yards for the season. Fresno State was without 14 players, including starting quarterback Mikey Keene after he transferred to Michigan. Two top-three receivers, Jalen Moss and Raylen Sharpe, also did not play as the Bulldogs were forced to use five new starters. UTSA 44, COASTAL CAROLINA 15: Owen McCown threw for 254 yards and a touchdown and UTSA scored the opening 27 points of the Myrtle Beach Bowl to cruise past short-handed Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. UTSA (7-6) broke away in the second quarter by scoring a touchdown on three straight drives for a 21-0 lead. McCown was 14 of 17 in the first half, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer. McCown also scored on a 35-yard run after breaking two tackles near the end zone. The other score was a 9-yard touchdown run by Brandon High. Coastal Carolina (6-7) finished the first half with just 140 total yards — 60 coming on the final drive. The Chanticleers punted on five straight drives to begin the game — with the longest possession lasting seven plays for 25 yards. UTSA added short field goals on its opening two drives of the second half, while Coastal Carolina started with two straight three-and-out drives. UTSA ended CCU’s third drive on Jakevian Rodgers’ first career interception to extend the program's single-game streak with an interception and a sack to 23 games. CCU’s first touchdown came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Bryson Graves caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tad Hudson. But UTSA’s Chris Carpenter returned the ensuing kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown to make it 34-7. It was the largest margin of victory in the five-year history of the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Original MLS clubs LA Galaxy, NY Red Bulls cap their amazing turnarounds with showdown for MLS Cup
Aviation workers hail Eno for upgrading infrastructure at Ibom airportSemiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology will receive up to $16 million in federal funding to upgrade its Bloomington facility, yet another Minnesota business tapped to help increase domestic production of the critical technology. Officials announced the funding as part of a preliminary agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce as part of the CHIPS and Science Act, passed in 2022 to strengthen the U.S.’s semiconductor industry and supply chains. Bloomington-based SkyWater will use a total of $127 million — including $19 million in matching funds from the state — through the next five years to improve its infrastructure and cybersecurity systems, among other upgrades, CEO Thomas Sonderman said during a news conference Friday at the company’s headquarters. The funding will enable SkyWater to increase its production capacity by 30% and create an estimated 70 jobs, he said. The company’s semiconductors are parts of cutting-edge technologies in computing, biomedical and thermal imaging. “With these awards, we’re enhancing our capabilities to invest in the future,” Sonderman said. “SkyWater is helping to strengthen U.S. supply chains, develop new technologies and create a resilient infrastructure that supports both national security and commercial progress. The CHIPS Act is the United States’ attempt to combat China’s efforts to dominate the global semiconductor market, a prospect that policymakers fear could jeopardize national security and the economy. The U.S. now accounts for 12% of global chip manufacturing, down from 37% in 1990. In addition to billions of dollars in direct aid to manufacturers, the legislation offers a 25% tax credit to companies that invest in chip plants in the U.S., which officials said SkyWater plans to claim. Earlier this year, SkyWater pulled the plug on plans to build a $1.8 billion semiconductor production and research facility in Indiana, a project that sought CHIPS support. The company cited concerns of potential financial and operational risks in an earnings report at the time. A month later in May, Bloomington-based Polar Semiconductor r eceived $120 million in CHIPS funding for an expansion. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who worked on the CHIPS Act as a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said several other Minnesota companies have applied for funding. As U.S. President Joe Biden’s tenure at the White House winds down, she said she is unsure which firms — if any — could be next in line for direct aid. “This is a major win for Minnesota, once again,” she said. “But we also know that we can expand. And that we shouldn’t just be thinking tech in California and tech in New York. We should also be thinking Minnesota.” When Biden announced the bill, Klobuchar added, he held a chip from SkyWater. Sonderman said the funding will complement more than $320 million in ongoing facility and equipment upgrades planned to run through 2026. The company expanded its facility in 2020 with the help of a $170 million grant from the Department of Defense to boost production of chips for the military. Control Data, one of the nation’s leading makers of mid-range and mainframe computers and Minnesota’s dominant technology firm for decades, originally built SkyWater’s plant in the 1980s. It later sold the plant to Cypress Semiconductor, which sold it to the private investors who formed SkyWater in 2017. Since then, SkyWater has grown from 280 to more than 700 employees and listed as a publicly traded firm in 2021. The Commerce Department announced two other awards Friday, both to companies in Texas. Coherent will receive up to $33 million to modernize its facility in Sherman, and X-Fab will receive up to $50 million to improve and expand its silicon carbide plant in Lubbock. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act is making targeted investments to meet market demands for technology critical to our national and economic security,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement. “Today’s proposed investments across Texas and Minnesota would help bolster domestic chip production and help secure our supply chain for decades to come.”JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu. The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. But in a video released earlier Thursday, Netanyahu listed what he said were the many kind and charitable acts by his wife and blasted the Uvda report as “lies.” “My opponents on the left and in the media found a new-old target. They mercilessly attack my wife, Sara,” he said. He called the program ”false propaganda, nasty propaganda that brings up lies from the darkness.” It was the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus — highlighted by the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial . The pair have also had a rocky relationship with the Israeli media. Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favors with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. Netanyahu denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media. The report obtained correspondence between Sara Netanyahu and Hanni Bleiweiss, a former aide to the prime minister who died of cancer last year. The messages indicated that Sara Netanyahu encouraged police to crack down violently on anti-government protesters and ordered Bleiweiss to organize protests against her husband's critics. She also told Bleiweiss to get activists in Netanyahu's Likud party to publish attacks on Klein. Klein is an aide to billionaire Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and has testified in the corruption case about her role in delivering tens of thousands of dollars worth of champagne, cigars and gifts to Netanyahu for her boss. According to the report, Sara Netanyahu mistreated Bleiweiss, prompting her to share the messages with a reporter shortly before her death. Sara Netanyahu has been accused of abusive behavior toward her personal staff before. This, together with accusations of excessive spending and using public money for her own extravagant personal tastes, has earned her an image as being out of touch with everyday Israelis. In 2019, she was fined for misusing state funds. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees police and has repeatedly said Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara should be fired over a series of grievances against her, said the latest announcement was another reason for her to be dismissed. “Someone who politically persecutes government ministers and their families cannot continue to serve as the attorney general,” he said. And Justice Minister Yariv Levin, another Netanyahu ally and critic of Baharav Miara, accused her of focusing on “television gossip.” “Selective enforcement is a crime!” he said in a statement. AP correspondents Eleanor H. Reich in New York and Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem contributed reporting.
Senate Republicans derailed President-elect Donald Trump ’s first jaw-dropping pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz . But it’s unclear if they will be able to block any other controversial nominees despite skepticism from some rank-and-file Republicans. In the weeks since Trump’s dramatic election victory, the power struggle between the president-elect and independent-minded Senate Republicans has been playing out in plain view. There had been questions about whether the new Senate GOP majority would simply kowtow to Trump, the party’s most dominant figure, and toss aside its constitutional duty of advise and consent. Instead, a handful of GOP senators flexed their muscles and rejected Gaetz . Now their political resolve will be tested several more times as Trump’s frustration builds and the MAGA base demands that Republicans rally behind Trump and quickly get his team in place. Senators are getting a brief reprieve from questions about Trump’s nominees as they celebrate Thanksgiving. But when they return next week, the scrutiny will intensify and focus on a trio of Cabinet picks who are raising alarm bells on Capitol Hill and beyond: Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence ; Pete Hegseth for defense secretary ; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health and human services secretary . With the media spotlight off Gaetz, some Republican senators conceded that Trump’s other embattled picks will now be under the microscope. Hegseth, for example, is facing questions about a 2017 incident where a woman told police he took her phone and blocked her from leaving his hotel room before sexually assaulting her. Hegseth was not charged and has denied the allegations while confirming he paid the accuser in a confidential settlement, but the issue has come up in his meetings with Armed Services Committee members whose votes he will need . “Well, it’s a pretty big problem, given that we have ... a sexual assault problem in our military,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who added that he backed bipartisan legislation by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to prevent sexual assault in the military. “This is why you have background checks, this is why you have hearings, this is why you have to go through the scrutiny,” Cramer continued. “I’m not going to pre-judge him, but yeah, it’s a pretty concerning accusation.” Before Gaetz withdrew his name, Cramer had warned that the Trump transition team was at risk of spending too much “political capital” fighting for a doomed Cabinet pick before the party even begins tackling its 2025 legislative agenda. The former Florida congressman had too much baggage, Cramer and others said — stemming from a yearslong sexual misconduct ethics probe and Gaetz's successful campaign to topple GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year — to win the 51 votes needed to be confirmed as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Republicans will control 53 seats in the new Senate, meaning they can only afford three GOP defections on any vote to confirm a nominee or pass legislation with Vice President JD Vance serving as the tie-breaker. Rather than drag out the fight for several more weeks, Gaetz dropped out of contention Thursday, paving the way for Trump to name former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department . The Bondi choice was cheered by Republicans, and she is expected to have a much easier path to confirmation. How much political capital Trump is willing to burn on other picks with baggage of their own is still an open question. Some Senate Republicans who leveled some of the strongest criticism at Gaetz said they could live with Hegseth, despite the 2017 assault allegations. “He wasn’t charged. He wasn’t even kind of charged in this. There was no crime committed. The police dropped everything there. ...” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a Trump ally and vocal Gaetz critic, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. “And so that doesn’t prevent Pete from moving forward in this.” Kennedy and Gabbard have their own past controversies that could become red flags for senators. Kennedy, whom Trump picked to be one of his top health officials, has made numerous false or misleading claims about vaccines, fluoride, raw milk and other things that would come under his purview if confirmed. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Asked about RFK Jr’s position on vaccines, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Health committee that will host Kennedy’s confirmation hearing, told reporters that “as a parent” she would continue to advocate for the “benefits of modern medicine.” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a close Trump ally, said on Fox News on Sunday he’s done an “unofficial whip count” on RFK, adding that he’s heard concerns but felt assured that the soon-to-be HHS nominee should be “confirmed quite easily.” Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who changed parties and endorsed Trump, has faced scrutiny by Democrats — as well as some Republicans — for making positive comments about Russia and meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017 . “I think she’s compromised ... Russian-controlled media called her a Russian asset,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a decorated Iraq War veteran and Armed Services member, said on CNN Sunday. She added that she didn’t think Gabbard could pass an FBI background check. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., shot back on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” labeling Duckworth’s insults about Gabbard “a slur.” “There’s no evidence that she’s an asset of another country,” he said. In a statement, Trump communications director Steven Cheung said, “President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.” FBI background checks are typically conducted on executive branch nominees and appointees. But the Trump team has yet to submit any of his picks for such vetting. On Sunday, Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., defended the move, saying Americans do not care about who conducts the vetting process. “I don’t think the American public cares who does the background checks. What the American public cares about is to see the mandate that they voted in delivered upon,” Hagerty, Trump’s former ambassador to Japan, said on ABC’s “This Week.” Democrats say that FBI background checks may save Trump and his team a lot of hassle and embarrassment. “He may have still decided to nominate Matt Gaetz, but if they did a thorough vetting, he may have decided not to,” Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press" on Sunday. “That vetting process, having the FBI review potential nominees, is not only to protect the public interests, it’s to protect the president-elect’s interests, to make sure that he’s not embarrassed by nominating someone like Matt Gaetz.” Gabe Gutierrez, Ryan Nobles, Julie Tsirkin, Kate Santaliz and Hallie Jackson contributed. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com . More from NBC News:
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final . The Galaxy were one of MLS’ worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. “Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it’s great,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it’s a special moment. Couldn’t be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game.” Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy , who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus , archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. “We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean,” Schwarz said Friday. “To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it’s necessary, because it’s a final, and without pressure it’s not possible to bring the best quality on the field.” The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they’ve collected three Supporters’ Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy’s trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. “I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit,” Vanney said. “It’s one thing to have players you like, and it’s a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group.” Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle . The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. “He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him,” Schwarz said. “But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it’s not clear now how they’re playing without him.” The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccerThe following is a transcript of an interview with Reps. Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that aired on Dec. 8, 2024. MARGARET BRENNAN: Thank you both for- for sitting here with us and for doing so in a bipartisan manner. The Secret Service did a pretty self-critical review of what went wrong on July 13 with that near miss on Donald Trump's life. They said a lack of diligence, communications gaps were responsible here. They took the blame, the director resigned. What more did you find that they didn't already fall on their swords for? REP. KELLY: Well, I guess I could start off because this is my hometown, right? And I thought from the very beginning, it probably wasn't the right size venue, because of- when the president had come to Butler before, he- about 50,000 people showed up. The venue we went to would really hold- they would hold a lot of people, but it's a very difficult venue to get in and get out of. I was more concerned with traffic, and how do I get tied up– MARGARET BRENNAN: You thought that before? REP. KELLY: Yeah, when I- when they- when they first said they were coming to Butler, I thought they were going to come to the same place, and they said, no, they were going someplace different. So when you look at that, so to the- in the very start of it, and I didn't realize at the time, but once the campaign team makes a selection, they hand the keys over to Secret Service. And I think looking back on it, Secret Service would have been better at that point to say, you know what, we know you want to be in that town, but there's probably better places for you to be. This is going to be hard for us to secure. And as it turned out- I never imagined, by the way, that it was- the event that took place that day was going to take place, I just thought that Secret Service should have taken more command of it, especially when they're so strained. They- they're- during an election period, there's so many protectees out there, and it kind of marginalizes what they can do and where they can be. So I think the site was a difficult site to secure. On July 13, it was impossible. When they came back on October 5, it was the difference between day and night. They really locked it down, and they did a lot of things they probably should have done in the beginning, but it's always- hindsight's always 20/20. So I think what we- we heard from the very beginning the Secret Service, 'this is the worst day of our lives. We're embarrassed by what happened. We're so sorry.' But the other element was local law enforcement that usually would come in and help out. There was very little preparation for the event on July 13, and I think that's what I would say. The lack of preparation, the lack of coordination, and more than anything, the lack of communication on July 13, were some of the biggest things that we looked at. So how did you guys ever imagine that this would work? There's just nothing that makes sense that happened that day. REP. CROW: You know, I've learned in my time in Congress that, you know, agencies and departments, when they do after action reviews of things that have gone wrong, that they'll often look at the operational and the tactical level of what happened, but they almost never look at the structural level. You know, they don't critique their structure. They won't critique their- their superiors, the agencies that they're nestled within. They will very often not look at overall resourcing, money because of the politics of making asks like that. And they very rarely ever look at culture, right, because it's just too sensitive for them. So we- we actually took those, those areas really seriously. We looked at the Secret Service. Should it be nestled within DHS? Is it structured right? Does it get the resourcing and training? And then the area that I in particular looked at was the culture of the organization, because I was struck by the stories and the recount of the specific actions of officers and agents on the ground that day, and there were some heroic ones, but there were also a lot of examples of people that knew that something was wrong and they didn't say anything, right? So one example of this is the drone operator. So Secret Service has these drone operators, and they literally bought a drone off the market, a commercially available drone, they showed up with this drone in a box. It didn't work, they didn't know how to make it work, so they just put it aside and they didn't have a drone. MARGARET BRENNAN: So it wasn't that the Secret Service didn't have a drone? They just had a drone that didn't work, or they didn't know how to– REP. CROW: That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Use it. REP. CROW: Yeah. They- they bought one off the commercial market. The operator that was responsible for operating it was not trained on how to fix it, on how to troubleshoot it, so, you know, spent an hour trying to get it to work, couldn't get it to work, threw up his hands, put it aside and they were without a drone. And a drone could have prevented, potentially, the shooting. But, you know, the- the larger point of that story is not that they couldn't get the drone to work, which is problematic in and of itself, but that nobody said, hey, we don't have aerial coverage. We don't have a central element of our security plan. So let's revise- let's revisit our plan and make changes that are necessary here. MARGARET BRENNAN: But why? Because you- you did hone in on, during the hearing as well, on the issue of culture. Why didn't anyone say anything? Were they unaware of vulnerabilities? Or is there a culture of silence where people speaking up get smacked down for doing so. REP. CROW: That's- that- that is my concern, is that there's a culture of silence and that individual officers and agents are not empowered to say something is wrong. Now think about it this way. There are examples of this in- in our daily lives, right? When we all get onto an airplane, we get onto a flight to go anywhere, to visit our family, there- there is a standing rule in commercial aviation that anybody in the cockpit, regardless of your position, whether you're the captain or the first officer or the brand new pilot sitting there being trained, anyone at any time can call something out and say, this is unsafe, we're going to stop it, right? And that is designed for safety, and there are plenty of examples in which that actually saves people's lives. REP. KELLY: Absolutely. REP. CROW: That same mentality didn't appear to be a part of what happened at Butler, Pennsylvania. So the question is, how do we change- help change overall culture? MARGARET BRENNAN: That's a very hard thing to solve for. REP. CROW: It's very hard. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, Congressman Kelly on that point, I mean, some of this sounds like management 101, that this is not specific to the Secret Service. A lot of organizations have problems like what you just highlighted there. Acting Director Rowe testified Thursday. He thinks the Secret Service needs to identify leaders earlier on and promote them based on ability, not just hours logged on the clock. REP. KELLY: But isn't that true of everything in life? When you look at this, when people talk about, we need better leadership than that, but my question is then, where do you go to get that talent, and when you find that talent, do you let it escalate, or do you- do you tamp it down? I would just say, whenever we got further and further- the day- I was there, from the time they said they were coming to Butler to find- I was on those grounds the night before, they weren't set up at that point, they were going to work through the night to get it ready. And then you find out afterwards that there was no coordination, there was no team meeting, there was no 'this is going to be your responsibility to know where you're supposed to be and what time you're supposed to be there.' You bring local law enforcement in, but you don't- you don't include them in the planning, or when you do the- the interviews afterwards. 'Well, I thought he was going to do it.' 'No, we thought somebody else was going to do it.' When you look at local law enforcement, instead of one command center, there's two command centers, right? And they are not able to communicate with each other. The thing I think that we look at, more than anything else, and I've said this since day one, the day that- that it happened. Why, when you knew there was a suspicious person on the grounds, and this is a common- going back and forth now, this is where they said they weren't communicating with each other. You can't tell me that you didn't know till ten minutes after six, that you couldn't communicate. At 11 minutes after six, the shooter took action. They knew an hour and a half ahead of time. Out of all the thousands of the people walking around on that terr- on that property, there was a suspicious person, and they kept losing sight of him. I would have said, and I have no background in law enforcement, keep the president back until we clear the area. That's the part that doesn't make sense, because they failed, from the first thing- from the picking of the site, preparing the site, to the coordination of the site, to the ability to communicate, at every step of the way, they failed. And the question is, why didn't you just say, hold up, just hold up. Don't let him come out. If that happens, Corey Comperatore is still alive today. The other two gentlemen that were- were wounded are still alive today, and more- and the person we never talk about is the shooter would still be alive today had they captured him ahead of time or pulled him off. That family lost a son that day. The Comperatore family lost their father and a husband that day. The two people that were wounded, were seriously wounded. It all could have been stopped by somebody saying, hold up. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, when the acting director says on Thursday of this week, we need to pick better leaders. That would suggest that the agency today does not necessarily have the leaders it needs to fix all the things you just laid out. REP. KELLY: Oh- yeah and I think by saying what he said, that's what he meant. They don't have the leadership they need, and as Jason was just talking about, when they morphed them into Homeland Security back in 2001, whenever it was, they took away their identity and their exclusivity. When you're the best of the best, when you're the elite of the elites, if you lose that, then all of a sudden you just become part of a team. And there's just something about it in human nature. If you can reach that pinnacle, if you can be the best of the best, that's what you want to strive for all the time. But if all of a sudden, it's like, just come on in, sit down, we'll let you know when we need you. That kind of destroys that whole foundation that you have to have. And I just- I just think it was- there was a huge mistake back when Homeland came into existence. That's not a criticism, because they did what they had to do back then, but I'm telling you, on July 13, there was a lack of professionalism, there was a lack of concern, there was a lack of coordination, and the ability to communicate is the one thing I'll never understand. You knew you couldn't talk to each other. Why did you go forward? MARGARET BRENNAN: They were text messaging, right? REP. KELLY: Yeah, yeah. MARGARET BRENNAN: Not using the radio. REP. KELLY: Or cell phones. REP. CROW: Can I comment on that? MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, please. REP. CROW: Here's what I think is happening with leadership development and the status of leadership within Secret Service. And I- I want to be really clear that there are plenty of extraordinary agents and officers in the Secret Service, right? And when we talk about a failure of mission, you know, in Butler or any place else, that doesn't mean that, you know, 80, 90% of the- of the Secret Service agents aren't phenomenal and dedicated professionals. But there is a systematic problem here, and I'm familiar with this problem because it's not that different from what the military has experienced the last 20 years because of the global war on terror. Let me explain what's happening. We were- we were at war for 20 years, and we- we were at war in several different places, and we asked our military to deploy constantly. And I was- I was in the military for around four years, and during that time, I deployed three times, so I was either in deployment, getting back from a deployment, or getting ready for a deployment the entire time I was in active duty military and we weren't doing our regular training cycles. So the military spent two decades doing that, and as a result of that, people missed their leadership development schools. They missed their training cycles. They missed that normal pipeline of how we create leaders. Because I'm somebody that believes that leaders are not born, that they're developed and they're made. And that requires intentional development over time, that requires a plan to develop it, and it requires time and resources to develop it. So you- you apply that to the Secret Service now, you know, the- the structure, the personnel, the staffing of the Secret Service, hasn't changed in years, at the same time as we are now asking them to do things that they didn't do a decade ago. And they are- they are fulfilling an operational tempo that requires them to be deployed three weeks out of a month, constantly doing events, skipping firearms training, skipping leadership development training. We are not developing their skills and their training. And I think you see the results of that. MARGARET BRENNAN: The acting director said, you- they are looking to hire 650 special agents, 350 uniformed division officers. You just said building experience takes time, so they're trying to fix this, but it sounds like you could look at that and say they're not ready for the job they have now, in this moment in time. REP. CROW: There's a- there's a long-term problem and a short-term problem, right? The long-term problem is we actually need to make the commitment, the resourcing commitment, the structural commitment, and this is-this is a congressional responsibility, to set them up– MARGARET BRENNAN: Funding. REP. CROW: –for long term success. But in the short term, you're right. You can't mass produce a presidential detail Secret Service agent. It takes, on average, seven years to- from- from recruitment to training to get somebody ready to protect the President of the United States. We're- we're not going to speed that up, nor would anyone want to speed that up. That's not a situation where you want to shortcut that, just like you wouldn't want to speed up medical training for your doctor, right? So we have to look at, in the near term, then, who are those other individuals, those skill sets within Department of Defense, within Homeland Security, who can help cover down? And how can we use technology to actually supplement that, whether that's drones, AI, other things that can take pressure off of some of the agents doing regular jobs that- that can be shifted so we can cover down in the ways we need to. MARGARET BRENNAN: So you made three dozen recommendations in this report on what to change, including to reduce the number of protectees. Right now, Secret Service protects not only presidential leadership, their immediate families, their spouses, their children, candidates, and anyone, really, the president designates. Should all of that continue? REP. KELLY: Well, it depends, you know, as Jason just laid out, it- what is your main purpose? Look, we've increased the size of protectees that are out there, including foreign assets to come here and people to bring- bring their families and things. So that's gotten so big, but if you look at Homeland, I think- I think when you look at Secret Service, it's about 3% of their overall spend, the biggest spend is on FEMA. And we know we don't want to change anything like that. But you can't have an exclusive without funding them to the level that they need to be funded, not only in manpower and in training, but in the assets that they have to have available to them. If you increase the size and scope of what they're supposed to do, but then you keep them housed under a smaller thing, and then try to move back and forth and bring just- not just, but when you bring other people from Homeland in to supplement what you don't have in Secret Service, you're going away, then, from that structure of, these are the people that we have ready to do this job. So I think what- and what- what the Director Rowe said yesterday, if you're looking at a bigger team, you have to get more recruits. And once you get those recruits, you have to make sure that they're ready to get on the field and do the job that they're expected to do. My understanding, it's very difficult now, screening and getting recruits to commit, I think it's a very hard thing to do. And who is it that you're looking for? The best of the best. How hard is it for them to get there? Really hard. So I think from a standpoint of team building, there has to be kind of a different things that- So he's a special ops guy, or paratrooper. And I mean, not everybody can be a paratrooper. It takes a lot of training, because you're not supposed to jump out of a plane unless it's going down right, and you need some help. But it takes a special breed-- REP. CROW: -- It's a commentary on our mindset, the mentality of paratroopers, more than anything else, we're always a little bit off. REP. KELLY: Jump, jump. We were in Normandy this summer together- that's the first time we had met, and he said, I'm going to be jumping out of the airplane tomorrow. I said, why in the world would you do that? He said, because that's what I do. And I said, when was the last time you did it, on the 75th anniversary? I said, so five years ago was the last time you jumped out of a plane. Now go to what we're talking about today. If I talk to a Secret Service guy, says, when was the last time you protected somebody? Well, five years ago. I said, No, no, no, you're not the guy I'm looking for. You want the cream of the crop, right? But in order to get there, you have to develop where that person wants to be there so bad that he or she will do everything that's possible to get there and- and I think that's what we're looking for. We're looking for a really elite group. But then if we're going to ask them to make that commitment to our country, we should make our commitment to make it possible for them to be the best of the best. REP. CROW: So here's how I look at the issue of the structure of the Secret Service. I actually don't look at it differently than I look at the structure and the missions of any organization, whether it's a business, a community club or organization, a political campaign. You always have to ask yourself, what are your missions and what is the thing that only you can do? Like, what is that no-fail mission? In this case, with the Secret Service, that no fail mission is to protect our highest level candidates and our highest level elected officials. Period. All the other things, investigation of financial crimes, training and support, these are all secondary missions. So if you're not actually adequately performing any of those missions to standard, and if you reached a breaking point, then it's time to assess, what are those missions that need to fall off and to be transitioned elsewhere? That's my view. You can't-- MARGARET BRENNAN: You want to cleave off the financial crimes unit? REP. CROW: -- I don't know how else we can handle it, right? If- if we have a challenge of not being able to mass produce agents, right, if it takes time to do that, and those are longer term muscle movements, as I say- and this is a no-fail mission. It just can't fail, today, tomorrow, the day after. Every single day, you have to show up and be perfect in that job. Then you have to, you just have to make a decision about what you're not going to do so that you can perform that no-fail mission. MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Kelly, right after Butler happened, Donald Trump said he thought the Secret Service actually did a good job that day. Do you get the sense that with the passage of time, he's going to support or has any interest in some of the very specific recommendations that you're making? REP. KELLY: Okay, so I was about 60 feet away from the President when the shots rang out, and I just saw him grab his head and he went down, and I said, Oh my god, somebody just shot him. I will tell you this, within seconds, all these agents that were up on- the on the stage with him, covered him. Now, if I'm Donald Trump and I'm thinking, these guys were there, right there, the problem wasn't the people that were around him. The problem was the people around him weren't being communicated with by- from other people. So they were reacting to, boom, I got to be there. So if I were Donald Trump, I would be very thankful for that, right? But the question wasn't- was it the Secret Service that was around him? It was about the Secret Service and the rest of law enforcement, the rest of the people there to protect him, that outer shell-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- The infrastructure, the management, the support-- REP. KELLY:-- It was the infrastructure that failed. It wasn't the group that was around him. So yes, if I'm him, I'm saying, yeah, thank you. You guys were able to put- you were going to put your life on the line to protect me. And they did it within a second or two. But then when he got back up, and I thought, this is, this is absolutely insane, it was just like, my gosh. I can't believe this happened. And then- I will say one thing, though, because it's- when he broke out of that, and he put his hand up, now, when you keep in mind, there's maybe 25, 30,000 people, and they're all on the ground. When he stands up and goes 'fight,' the rest of these people stand up, and I'm thinking, what in the world? And he- they're- they're chanting USA. I thought, you know what, this is a pretty tough country. You know, they all stand up and they start going, 'USA.' And I thought, oh my gosh. Now for me that day, it was difficult. My wife, three of my grandchildren, my son, were there with me, but they weren't where they were supposed to be because of the lack of coordination. So I had a lot of concerns that day. The first one being, where's my wife? Where's my grandkids? Where's my son? And there was a lady named Mrs. Fogel sitting beside me. Marc Fogel who is a teacher from Butler who is imprisoned in- in Russia right now. They were all there for this event. And you watch how quickly that happened and how- how afterwards, it's the after thought you think about, how in the world did this happen? How did this happen in Butler, Pennsylvania, the home of the Jeep and on farm show grounds and an attempted assassination of a president, it's like, wow, times have changed. MARGARET BRENNAN: And then weeks later, it nearly happened again down in Mar a Lago. REP. KELLY: Yeah. MARGARET BRENNAN: We know very little. And you Congressman Crow seemed very frustrated, based on the report and the hearing-- REP. CROW: -- Do I seem frustrated?-- REP. KELLY: -- No, no, you're very-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- with the fact that you couldn't find out more about the shooter, both in Butler and in- the potential shooter, in Mar a Lago? REP. CROW: Well, you know, we completed a five-month investigation which was comprehensive, it was thorough, and it tells, you know, the full story about the actions of the Secret Service and state and local law enforcement and what happened and what didn't happen. Right? That we have the definitive story of that, and we have recommendations around that. There is one area, as you point out, that we weren't able to get to. That- that's actually a really important element to the story. And people have rightful questions about it. I have questions about it. And that is, why did the shooter do this? What drove him to do it? Was he a lone wolf shooter? Did he have associates or affiliates? What was his motivation? How was he radicalized? MARGARET BRENNAN: This is Thomas Matthews Crooks? REP. CROW : That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Who took these shots with an AR-15? REP. CROW: Yeah, these are important questions that America deserves answers to, that Congress deserves answers to. So we endeavored to get answers to those questions. We submitted numerous requests to the Department of Justice and FBI. Their response is, this is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we can't give that information to Congress. That, in my view, is an unacceptable position. And here's why-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- For both Butler and Mar a Lago, that was the answer? REP. CROW: Correct. That's right. And here's why that's unacceptable. Congress is what we like to say, is the article one branch of the Constitution. The founders made us first. They put us first in the constitution for a reason, because we are supposed to be the preeminent branch with oversight authority over the executive branch, with preeminent oversight authority over the executive branch. So you can't come and tell me that there's whole areas of information that we can't access because of an ongoing criminal investigation. And then to add to that, if they're concerned about the protection of that information, about the dissemination of that information, and compromising an investigation, I understand those concerns, but I sit on the Intelligence Committee, I've sat on the Armed Services Committee, and Congress all the time gets access to our nation's most sensitive secrets. Ongoing operations, intelligence operations, military operations, so you can't tell me that there isn't a way to put us into a secure facility and get us information about an ongoing criminal investigation when I regularly am receiving briefs on what our- our spies and our military special operators are doing regularly around the world. So none of this stands to reason, and we have dedicated ourselves to continue to get those answers. And if the FBI and DOJ thinks that they can wait us out and stonewall us, they are wrong. REP. KELLY: -- Good luck-- REP. CROW: -- Because members of our task force, even after we sunset in a couple of weeks here, sit on all of these committees, and we will get that information. MARGARET BRENNAN: Why-- you used the term "slowwalk" us? You think they're intentionally withholding information? REP. CROW: I don't know what their intention is. I'm not a mind reader, but, you know, I've been around Congress long enough to know what- what people do-- REP. KELLY: --When you get stonewalled-- REP. CROW: --When you're getting stonewalled. I mean, listen, this is, this is not uncommon when you're dealing with agencies and departments. It's a pretty regular method, and it's something that, you know, we encounter all the time in our oversight responsibilities, so-- MARGARET BRENNAN: Why do you think that is? REP. KELLY: You know what-- in my life, right? And I've done a lot of different things, but most have been in the retail- in the public. It's always bothered me with there's a sense of paranoia with these agencies, and when you ask them a question, they would- they would try to come back to you, why are you asking that question? I said, well, why are you asking me why I'm asking that question? Why don't you just answer it and we can go to the next subject. It's- it's that holding back, that holding back, that holding back. It's like, well, we don't trust you. And that's a well, that's- that's why we're here today because you know what-- [CROSSTALK] MARGARET BRENNAN: --There is quite-- REP. KELLY: --I'm not so sure the American people-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- a lot of political tension, -- REP. KELLY: -- You know when we started-- MARGARET BRENNAN-- between the Congress and the Justice Department-- REP. CROW: -- Well there should be. They're often like, hey,-- MARGARET BRENNAN: --and the FBI. [END CROSSTALK] REP. CROW: --you're out to get us. Like, well, we're not out to get you, but we are out to hold you accountable and to get answers. So, I mean, we're not, we're not here to- to, you know, just play nice all the time. We have independent obligations. MARGARET BRENNAN: I mean the seriousness of the task and what was being looked at you think should have compelled the FBI and the DOJ to share the information about what they know of the, now deceased, alleged shooter in Butler and the attempted shooter in Mar a Lago. REP. KELLY: Absolutely. MARGARET BRENNAN: What is it that you want to know about them? Because the public knows very little about Mr. Crooks, in particular. REP. KELLY: When you look at him and you try to find out- having four children and 10 grandchildren, parents are usually the best people to go to. You were talking earlier, you have family of your own. I think as a parent, you're more aware of what's going on with your child. What are her good days? What are her bad days? What is it that's bothering her? There's something there that's missing. I don't know what it is and I'm not making a criticism. It's just whenever we were asking questions and told, these are things that we're not done investigating yet, and we're tasked with getting something done in a time period. And at the very beginning of this, do you know our whole- our whole effort was to restore the faith and trust and confidence the American people must have in these institutions. When they stonewall you, when they hold you back, what would you automatically think? What is it they don't want us to know? Listen, I don't know enough about Mr. Crooks or the Crooks family. I just know that a lot of- a lot of things happened that day that didn't have to happen that day. But now, when you do the aftermath of, okay, so what is it we could have done different, and why aren't you telling us certain things that we need to know? Don't stonewall us because when you stonewall us, my feeling is, and I think Jason is the same way, there's something you don't want us to know. Was the failure where, and is it that you don't want to take that? Because as we went through all this stuff and the finger pointing, it wasn't my job, it was his job. And it's like, wait a minute. Just stop. Just stop. We're not here to get rid of you. We're here to make sure this doesn't happen again, to the best of our abilities. So it was frustrating. MARGARET BRENNAN: So we don't know, or tell me if perhaps you know answers– REP. CROW: Yeah we– MARGARET BRENNAN: Was there a foreign nexus? Do we know yes or no? REP. CROW: Margaret, I will get to that. But I want to, I just want to lay the groundwork a little bit for this issue. You know, we're in an age of incredible disinformation and misinformation. Americans are deluged with misinformation and disinformation that's coming from a variety of sources. Our adversaries, our state adversaries, Russia, China and others, non-state actors. And there's a lot of conspiracy theories out there. And conspiracy theories sometimes take root when there's a lack of information or there's conflicting information. So our job is to try to get information out there, to be transparent, to be accessible, to tell the real story. And that's why this is important. This element of that story is important because there's a lot of conspiracies around– REP. KELLY: –Absolutely– REP. CROW: –These shootings, right? And we take that seriously. We want to- we want to, you know, rebuff those. But you know, in this case, and I sit on a lot of other committees with access to information, I have seen no evidence that a state actor and adversary was responsible for either of these attempted assassination attempts. I have seen no evidence. But you know, when you're in a position where you know the government says, "well, it's not this, but we won't tell you what it is." Right? And "we can't tell you, we can't tell you definitively." Well, you know, people respond and have questions about that, and I understand that mentality. So even though we don't have evidence of one thing, people still want to know what else it is. And I still want to know what else it is. MARGARET BRENNAN: Did he act alone? Do we know that? REP. CROW: We don't know that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Or Congress doesn't know that. REP. CROW: Yeah, and you know, it's one thing to say, and I'm going to be really clear about this, because this is very, very sensitive territory, because we want to make sure we're not– MARGARET BRENNAN: -Right– REP. CROW: –Getting people spun up unnecessarily. There is no evidence of- from other sources, you know, internal government sources, from our investigation, that others were involved, that he acted with others, and that a foreign state or adversary was involved in this. But that still raises the question of, why did he do this? Was just- was he just a disturbed young man who decided to take action alone? Probably, I mean, that's probably the answer. REP. KELLY: That's what it looks like now. REP. CROW: Right. That's what it looks like. But we need to know, right? And let's get the information out there that the government has to make sure that we can settle this. And that's, that's our obligation. MARGARET BRENNAN: And, you know, I asked you specifically about foreign nexus, because, as you know, Congressman Kelly, in the weeks leading up to this, there was more information about a direct threat to the now President-elect Donald Trump from the Iranian regime. It was a heightened threat environment. There was a specific, known actor that they were worried about, and because of that, security was increased. So we're not just talking about day to day Secret Service protection. You're talking about an environment where there were threats, known threats. So in that environment, that doesn't speak to a lot of- I mean, you laid out a lot of concerns you have. REP. KELLY: Oh, absolutely. MARGARET BRENNAN: But is the agency today able to do its job if they weren't able to do it in July? REP. KELLY: Well, I would sure hope that they understand that there's more oversight. And when you, when you as you speak, as a foreign government getting involved in it. It's part of the testimony. It's a back and forth between, actually, the people that were there saying "I wonder if this could have been part of what they were referring to with a foreign adversary." I wondered why they didn't share more of it. And I think that- now these are the people you have on the ground doing the protection, and they're saying this as- afterwards, "I wonder if this was what they were talking about, and why didn't we know more about it?" In fact, some of them knew nothing about it at all. You know, back to what you said in the beginning, this is a preparation for anything that is, is the indication of whether it's going to go well or not. There's so many missing pieces on this one. And I think that we're frustrated. And I think the- the task force, the 30 people that were working on this every single day, were frustrated, too. How could there be so many missing pieces, this, it just doesn't make sense that none of this stuff came together, and on that day, none of it, none of it was coordinated. It was just thrown together. And now we look at it and think, you know what we were tasked with, trying to find out what happened that day, why it happened that day, into- into the best of our ability make sure that the Secret Service, that doesn't happen again to them. We can't guarantee that these things won't happen, because it's a crazy world right now. But there was too much ahead of time that we did know that we didn't share. And I- I know when you talk to them, the key to everything is communication. The lack of communication. I'll never understand when it comes down to that, and I'm not going to repeat it again, because I've said it- my wife said please quit talking that way, but I would never let my child play near a road. And when you do, you put people in jeopardy of that. And you know there's a danger there. Don't let it happen. This doesn't, I don't think it's- you don't have to have a degree and everything to understand protection is protection. The main job of Secret Service on that day was that they have protectees. And if that's, if that's our mission, then we can slow walk and help them out with different assets that maybe they don't have, but it was for me, that day, that was a signal that there's something wrong. And as we went through the task force, the inability to communicate, even with the- the federal agencies are on board, that just sends up a red flag right away. I said, why won't you tell us what we're asking you, and if it comes back, we don't know why we're asking- why you're asking us that. That is because we were tasked to find out. At the end of the day, the American people have to have confidence in you, and at this point, it's hard to have confidence with people who won't share information with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: There's- there are already proposals out there. One of your Democratic colleagues has proposed cleaving it off from DHS. Others have proposed other visions for what to do to the agency. In the new Congress, where does this rank in terms of priority? REP. CROW: Well, pretty high for us, right? I mean, as we already talked about, it's a very dangerous world. You know, you have Iran targeting- this is public now, there have been public indictments released by Department of Justice. You have Iran targeting for assassination, current and former administration officials, American elected officials, in the United States. You have, you have, you know, the Wall Street Journal reported not long ago about Chinese hacking of our telecommunication systems, possibly the largest hack and breach in American history. Our adversaries are doing troubling, deeply troubling things right now as we're sitting here speaking about it. So it's a dangerous world– MARGARET BRENNAN: –and domestic actors. Heightened threat environment. REP. CROW: –And domestic actors, domestic extreme- extremism too. You're absolutely right. So again, this goes back to this being a no-fail mission, having to make sure that we are both raising the fences around the things we need to protect, but also establishing deterrence with respect to our foreign adversaries. We can't be in a position anymore where our rivals, our adversaries, are doing these things without substantial cost, without substantial response to them. There has to be penalties imposed much harsher penalties imposed for them doing it because right now, clearly deterrence, in several important respects, has not been established. So, we are going to do both to make sure that our people are protected, because we just cannot be in a situation where our highest elected officials are at risk here. REP. KELLY: Totally agree. MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm getting a wrap on time. But is there anything that you feel important to raise that we didn't talk about? REP. KELLY: Well I think that from the very beginning, we never identified as Republicans and Democrats. We, we defined as a task force to find out what happened that day. And the whole, the whole goal from day one is to restore the faith and trust and confidence that the American people must have in this agency. At this point it's probably at the lowest ebb it's ever been. And the other thing is, I think we realize that threats are 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, you can't take a day off. You can't take a play off. You've got to be ready every single moment for anything that could possibly happen. Is that a difficult task? Yes. Is it almost impossible? Yes, there's a lot of bad actors out there. But you know what's not impossible? Our dedication to the fact that we're going to do the best we can do every single day to ensure that the American people have the faith and trust and confidence they must have in us. We both represent three quarters of a million people. They sent us here to represent them. And so that's the message, I think, from day one, I would just- and this guy's got background in it, I don't. But our task force worked together so well. And I think the best thing is, you know what, there's not an election year which really can take the focus off of these different things that come up from a political standpoint. This isn't political for me. This is strong policy for the American people. REP. CROW: This is a tough place to work. And there are, frankly, there are some people here that don't belong here, that I think are just here to get attention to get, you know, clicks on social media, that aren't here to legislate. But this has been one of the best experiences of my time in Congress, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner than Mike Kelly. You know, and he's a very conservative Republican and I'm a Democrat. We're both proud of that. We're proud of our politics, and– REP. KELLY: –We are– REP. CROW: We represent our districts, right?-- REP. KELLY: –We do, we do– REP. CROW: That's actually, that's actually the job, right? We represent the culture and the politics and the hopes and dreams of our districts. And that's what's so, so beautiful about this place when it works well. But this process, and I think this is really important for Americans to understand, this process was serious, it was bipartisan, it was- it was deep, and we did the job that we were asked to do. And not a lot of people get exposure to that, you know, they just see these clips of people doing crazy things here. And I would just encourage people to read the report, to look at what we did here, and to know that, you know, important things can still get done. REP. KELLY: At the very end, the suggestions we have– MARGARET BRENNAN: They're very specific. REP. KELLY: They're very specific, but there's nothing that most people say, "why in the world would they think of that?" And then the answer is, that's the same way you would think, if you were going on a trip or doing anything and taking your children with you, you would- you go through that same checklist. Everything in life revolves around a checklist, and the worst thing you can do is stop using the checklist. MARGARET BRENNAN: We will see what happens in the new Congress with the new president and the choice of a potentially new director. Thank you. REP. CROW: Thank you. REP. KELLY: Thanks for having us.WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before he speaks at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. People are also reading... Nebraska transportation director: Expressway system won't be done until 2042 27-year-old Beatrice man sentenced for May assault Shoplifting investigation leads to arrest for possession of controlled substance Nebraska football signing day preview: Potential flips and a 5-star up for grabs At the courthouse, Nov. 30, 2024 Gage County Sheriff's Office helps catch Fairbury suspect Mother to Mother supporting families Stabler scores 22 in Lady O's season opening win At the courthouse, Dec. 7, 2024 Beatrice company seeks to break China's stranglehold on rare-earth minerals Orangemen open season with win over Nebraska City Holiday Lighted Parade happening Saturday Clarissa Ruh Missouri man sentenced for attempted sexual assault Beatrice Regional Orchestra to perform Sunday "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. Biden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office COLLEEN LONG, ZEKE MILLER and LISA MASCAROAssociated Press He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Immigration advocates hold a rally in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, to protest President-Elect Donald Trump's plans to conduct mass deportation of immigrants without legal status. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Notre Dame Cathedral as France's iconic cathedral is formally reopening its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019, Saturday Dec.7, 2024 in Paris ( Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money." Here are the people Trump picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Pam Bondi, Attorney General Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Paul Atkins, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. David Perdue, Ambassador to China President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador to Canada A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Billy Long, Internal Revenue Service commissioner Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration administrator Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Additional selections to the incoming White House Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington, complaining of “unfair” treatment of American ships and hinting at China’s growing influence. Here are five things to know about the waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. – Panamanian operated – The 80-kilometer (50-mile) interoceanic waterway is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous public entity. The Central American nation’s constitution describes the canal as an “inalienable heritage of the Panamanian nation” that is open to vessels “of all nations.” The United States is its main user, accounting for 74 percent of cargo, followed by China with 21 percent. Panama’s government sets the price of tolls based on canal needs and international demand. Rates depends on a vessel’s cargo capacity. “The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power,” Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday as he dismissed Trump’s threat. All vessels, including warships and submarines, are given a Panama Canal pilot. – National history – Panama’s independence from Colombia in 1903 is linked to the canal. Following the failure of French count Ferdinand de Lesseps to open a channel through the isthmus, the United States promoted the separation of the province of Panama and signed a treaty with the nascent country that ceded land and water in perpetuity to build it. After 10 years of construction and an investment of $380 million, the canal was inaugurated on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the steamer Ancon. Some 25,000 deaths from disease and accidents were recorded during its construction. The canal “is part of our history” and “an irreversible achievement,” Mulino said. – American enclave – Washington’s establishment of a “Canal Zone” — an enclave with its own military bases, police and justice system — gave rise to decades of demands by Panamanians to reunify the country and take control of the waterway. In 1977, Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos and US president Jimmy Carter signed treaties that allowed the canal to be transferred to Panama on December 31, 1999. “Any attempt to reverse this historic achievement not only dishonors our struggle, but is also an insult to the memory of those who made it possible,” former president Martin Torrijos, the general’s son, wrote on social media. Under the treaties, supported by more than 40 countries, the canal is deemed neutral and any ship can pass through. The only conditions are that ships must comply with safety regulations and military vessels from countries at war must not pass through at the same time. – System of locks – Unlike Egypt’s Suez Canal, the Panama Canal operates using freshwater stored in two reservoirs. A drought led to a reduction in the number of transits in 2023, but the situation has since normalized. The canal, which has a system of locks to raise and lower vessels, transformed global shipping. Crafts can travel between the two oceans in about eight hours without having to sail all the way around Cape Horn, the southern tip of the Americas. The canal allows a ship to shave 20,300 kilometers off a journey from New York to San Francisco. – Cash cow – Five percent of world maritime trade passes through the canal, which connects more than 1,900 ports in 170 countries. By the early 21st century, it had become too small, so it was expanded between 2009 and 2016. Today, the canal can accommodate ships up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide (1,200 feet by 161 feet) — equivalent to almost four football pitches. It generates six percent of Panama’s national economic output and since 2000 has pumped more than $28 billion into state coffers. More than 11,200 ships transited the canal in the last fiscal year carrying 423 million tons of cargo. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
Way up high: Dorothy’s ruby slippers fetch record $32.5 millionThe Twins have tendered contracts or agreed to terms with all of their arbitration-eligible players — a group of 11 — that includes some of their top names ahead of Friday night’s 7 p.m. deadline. ADVERTISEMENT Pitchers Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan were tendered contracts for the 2025 season, as were catcher Ryan Jeffers, infielder Royce Lewis, outfielder Trevor Larnach and utilityman Willi Castro. The Twins will need to come to contract terms with those players later this offseason to avoid arbitration. They’ve already done so with a trio of relievers, agreeing with Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin and Justin Topa. Alex Kirilloff was also eligible for arbitration, but the first baseman/outfielder retired earlier this offseason due to an injury history that plagued him throughout the course of his major league career. The Twins made two roster moves earlier in the week as well, adding prospects Marco Raya and Travis Adams to the 40-man roster to protect them ahead of next month’s Rule 5 Draft. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .