KRISTEN WELKER:
This Sunday: Defiant. President Trump cuts off trade talks with Canada and tariff tensions grow as he arrives in Asia for high stakes talks with China, while back home the government shutdown stretches into another week and workers miss their first full paychecks.
LEADER JOHN THUNE:
Democrats have rejected every opportunity they’ve been given to put the American people ahead of their far-left base.
LEADER HAKEEM JEFFRIES:
He needs to get off the sidelines, get off the golf course, and actually decide to end the shutdown that he's created.
KRISTEN WELKER:
I’ll talk to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona. Plus: Demolished. President Trump tears down the East Wing of the White House to make way for a new ballroom.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
It’ll be the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world I think.
SEN. TOM TILLIS:
We're talking about building a ballroom while trying to get the economy squared away. The timing is bad.
KRISTEN WELKER:
And: Full plate. Our Meet the Moment conversation with award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson.
[BEGIN TAPE]
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
For me, searching for my Ethiopian identity through food, through the place I was living in, in Harlem in New York City, what would that taste like? That was a journey for me.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
Joining me for insight and analysis are: CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin; Susan Glasser, staff writer for the New Yorker; Marc Short, former director of legislative affairs for President Trump; and Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris. Welcome to Sunday, it’s Meet the Press.
ANNOUNCER:
From NBC News in Washington, the longest-running show in television history, this is Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Good Sunday morning. President Trump is overseas for the most extensive foreign trip of his second term, trying to secure trade deals with key Asian nations, including a high-stakes meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping later this week. It comes amid turmoil at home and abroad, escalating tensions against Venezuela with the U.S. deploying a carrier strike group to the region, a government shutdown entering its fourth week, with federal workers missing their first full paychecks and lines growing outside food banks, inflation ticking up in September, with prices increasing for goods such as beef, clothing, furniture, and airline tickets, and fierce backlash over the demolition of the East Wing of the White House. The stunning images, part of the biggest changes to the White House in nearly a century to make way for President Trump’s new ballroom, funded by private donors including Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal. But we begin this morning with the president’s attempt at diplomacy and dealmaking in Asia.
[BEGIN TAPE]
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
I have a good relationship with, as you know, President Xi, very good. We’re going to be meeting, we’ll have a good meeting, I’m pretty sure we’re going to have a great meeting, maybe a great meeting, but I think we’re going to do some good business.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
And joining me now is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, traveling with President Trump in Malaysia. Secretary Bessent, welcome back to Meet the Press.
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Kristen, good to be with you.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, it is wonderful to have you. You are there meeting with your Chinese counterparts ahead of President Trump's planned meeting with President Xi of China. Mr. Secretary, do you believe that China is ready to make a trade deal?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Kristen, I can tell you they are because we just finished two days of negotiations, and we’ve created a framework for the two leaders to discuss on Thursday in Korea.
KRISTEN WELKER:
So that's optimism. President Trump had threatened to impose an additional 100% tariffs on China on November 1st if Beijing goes forward with a plan to put restrictions on rare earth minerals, as you know. If China refuses to pull back those restrictions, Mr. Secretary, can you confirm that President Trump will, in fact, impose those 100% tariffs against China?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, Kristen, I think that's old news. President Trump gave me a great deal of negotiating leverage with the threat of the 100% tariffs on November 1st. And I believe we've reached a very substantial framework that will avoid that and allow us to discuss many other things with the Chinese. I think we will be able to discuss them helping us get this terrible fentanyl crisis under control. I think we are going to be able to discuss substantial soybean and ag purchases for our American farmers. I think we are going to be able to discuss more balanced trade, and I'm not going to get ahead of the two leaders, but I think that they will also be discussing President Trump’s global peace plan that he's been so successful at both here in Asia, the Middle East, and now he's looking to Ukraine, Russia.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Mr. Secretary, you said a couple of significant things. It sounds like you're saying you are not anticipating a 100% tariff against China on November 1st. And it seems like you're saying that China is poised to purchase soybeans to open up those markets again?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
I believe that we have the framework for the two leaders to have a very productive meeting for both sides, and I think it will be fantastic for U.S. citizens, for U.S. farmers, and for our country in general.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, but you're not anticipating the 100% tariffs?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
No, I'm not, and I'm also anticipating that we will get some kind of a deferral on the rare earth export controls that the Chinese had discussed.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay.
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
But again, this will all be – you know, my counterpart, the vice premier, and I have set the framework, and it will be up to the two leaders to discuss the final terms.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, well let's talk about another major trade issue, which is Canada. Of course, this week, President Trump abruptly broke off trade talks with Canada and put another 10% tariff on Canada in response to an ad that the Government of Ontario ran. It features former President Ronald Reagan. Why is the president setting trade policy based on a television ad he doesn't like?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, Kristen, let's – let's think about this. This is a kind of propaganda against U.S. citizens. You know, it's psyops. Why would the government of Ontario – I'm told that they have spent, or were planning to spend up to $75 million on these ads to come across the U.S. border. So what was the purpose of that other than to sway public opinion? And it's some kind of propaganda that the premier of Ontario unilaterally launched.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Will the 10% tariffs apply to all Canadian goods, Mr. Secretary?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Kristen, I've been traveling since this unfortunate event happened. I know that the ad has been taken down, so, you know, we'll have to see. But I just think it was terrible, terrible judgment by this premier who has a bit of a reputation for being a hot head.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Does the president know if the tariffs will apply to – 10% tariffs will apply to all Canadian goods? Has he made a determination about that?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, I'm sure he knows, and I'm sure Ambassador Greer knows. But again, you know, we're here out in Asia, and we're doing these big trade deals out in Asia, that – we just signed the Malaysian deal today, which was fantastic, and I've been spending the past two days negotiating with the Chinese. So whatever is going on back in North America, I think, is taking second fiddle to President Trump's leadership out here in the Pacific.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, let me ask you about something here back at home, inflation. We learned this week that inflation in September ticked back up to 3%. That's the highest level since January. I want you to take a listen to something that President-Elect Trump told me back in December. Take a look.
[BEGIN TAPE]
PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:
I started using the word, the groceries. When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period of time. And I won an election based on that. We're going to bring those prices way down.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
Mr. Secretary, coffee prices are up 19% from a year ago. Beef is up almost 15% and bacon up almost 6%, just to name a few. So when are all grocery prices going to come down as President Trump promised?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, Kristen, it's unfortunate, as much as I like you, you like to cherry pick so, you know, when we came in, it was “egg-flation, egg-flation, egg-flation.” You know, egg prices are down. Gasoline prices are down. Overall, the inflation since President Trump has come in has come down. We inherited this terrible affordability crisis from the Biden administration. First thing we had to do was get it under control. And this month's inflation number was actually below the consensus number. If we look at core inflation, it was .2% which was the lowest it's been in a long time. Rents are coming down. So Kristen, you don't get to cherry pick. Inflation is a composite number, and I am confident that in the coming months, inflation is going to come down.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Just to be very clear, though, CPI has been higher in the past three months than it was in the first five months of the year. If President Trump's economic policies are working, why is inflation up? Why are those grocery prices that I just mentioned, that he said were so critical, why are they up?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, again, Kristen, you're cherry picking because inflation actually had a drop, the first drop in four years, in March and April under President Trump. And I am confident that as we come into the coming numbers, that we will see a drop in inflation back towards the Fed's 2% target. And I assume your next question is going to be to blame that on tariffs and the imported goods have actually been quite flat or dropped, and it's mostly service goods. And another factor in the inflation report is what's called investment management income, and that's inflation that goes up because the stock market goes up, so management fees are higher.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, let me turn to another big issue. The Trump administration recently extended a $20 billion lifeline to Argentina that has gotten some bipartisan criticism, Mr. Secretary, including from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. I'll read you a little bit of what she wrote. She says, quote, “Americans are getting decimated with high cost of living and skyrocketing insurance costs. Many of them have zero savings, and some are maxing out credit cards to survive. Tell me how it's ‘America First’ to bail out a foreign country with 20 or even 40 billion taxpayer dollars.” How is this move “America First,” Mr. Secretary?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, Kristen, it is America First because we are supporting a U.S. ally. There will be no taxpayer losses. This is a swap line. This is not a bailout, and it is from the Exchange Stabilization Fund, which Treasury – I control at Treasury. It has never registered a loss. It is not going to register a loss. This time, we are supporting a U.S. ally in Latin America, and we want to set the tone in Latin America, because look at what's going on in Venezuela. It is a failed narco state. And I'm, I'm a big fan of Marjorie Taylor Greene.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay –
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
I think she's a fantastic voice in Congress. And please – let me finish – so we think it is much better to use American economic power upfront to stabilize a friendly government and lead the way because we've got many other governments. We've got many other governments in Latin America – Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, who all want to follow. So I would rather extend a swap line than be shooting at the boats carrying drugs, as we're having to, coming out of Venezuela.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, you take me to my next question because the military has now launched 10 attacks, killing more than 40 people, against these suspected drug-smuggling boats, as you just referenced. Is the United States at war with Venezuela, Mr. Secretary?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Kristen, I have a big portfolio. Defense is not one of them. I think you would have to ask our great Secretary of War Pete Hegseth or Secretary of State Marco Rubio on that. But what I can tell you is the president is committed to protecting you as citizens from the ravages of these drugs. And also you were asking earlier about the China trade deal, and part of that is going to include substantial, very substantial, cooperation to stop the precursor drugs on fentanyl, which make their way to Mexico, to Canada and kill hundreds of thousands of Americans a year and ruin families.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, and it's worth noting that the vast majority of fentanyl comes to the U.S. from Mexico. Let me ask you, because we're almost out of time. I just want to get two more questions in. The East Wing of the White House was demolished this week to make way for President Trump's plans for a ballroom. As you know, it surprised a lot of people, given that President Trump said this back in July. Take a look.
[BEGIN TAPE]
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
It won't interfere with the current building. It won't be – it will be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite, it's my favorite place. I love it.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
Why didn't the president tell the public he was going to tear down the entire West – East Wing, rather – which, as you know, is a part of the People's House?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, again, I think this was a judgment call on the president. The president is a master builder, and Kristen, I was for many years on the board of something called Classical American Homes, and I completely endorse what the president is doing here with the ballroom. And I don't know. I assume that maybe parts of the East Wing could have been asbestos, could have been mold, could have not fit with the design. But the classical architecture firm that's doing this, this is a magnificent structure that's going up that my office looks over it, and I'm watching the demolition here and the construction that's already underway, and this is moving at warp speed, and I think it's going to be something that all Americans can be proud of. And we have a history of presidents renovating and adding to the White House campus. It started with Thomas Jefferson. I don't think anybody would argue when Thomas Jefferson, they added the colonnades, it was controversial at the time.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Yeah, Mr. Secretary. And, of course, the question is about his revealing to the American public and saying he wouldn't have to actually tear down the building. And now that's what's happening. But very quickly, before I let you go, we're now in the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. When will President Trump meet with Democrats to try to bring this shutdown to a close and get federal workers their paychecks back again, Mr. Secretary?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Kristen, I'm going to have to reject the premise of your question. Why did President Trump have to meet with Democrats? Democrats just need to go into the Senate and vote to end the shutdown.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But President Trump has said in the past, “It’s up to the president” –
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT
No, no, no, no, no.
KRISTEN WELKER:
– He said that in the past. He said, “You have to be a leader. The president has to lead. You have to get people into a room. You have to get a deal.” When is he going to do that?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:
Well, he is leading, and there's no deal to do with Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer is trading off his polls. What's different than when he passed the clean CR in the spring, it's his polls. You know, he's, we're the whole country is being held captive to AOC’s polls. But let's look at the numbers. It's 52 to 3. Fifty-two Republicans have voted I believe it's 11 times to reopen the government. Three Democrats have. And right here, right now, I would urge moderate Democratic senators to come across the aisle, reopen the government, because I'll tell you, we're starting to eat in the muscle here. This is starting to affect travel. It’s starting to affect the economy. And you know, this is quixotic. I don't know what the purpose is. I'm not sure they do.
KRISTEN WELKER:
All right. Secretary Scott Bessent, thank you so much. Safe travels. We appreciate your joining us. When we come back, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona joins me next.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Welcome back. And joining me now is Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona. Senator Gallego, welcome to Meet the Press.
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
Good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Thank you so much for being here. Let's start where I left off with the Treasury Secretary and the shutdown. Federal workers have now missed their first full paycheck. Democrats are demanding that any deal to reopen the government include an extension of those Obamacare subsidies which are set to expire at the end of the year. Early enrollment starts November 1st. Senator, are you prepared to keep up this fight through November 1st when early enrollment starts?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
Look, our focus right now is keep costs low. You just heard Secretary Bessent, and he had this long economics professor explanation about inflation right now. It's bad out there. If you go to the grocery store, people aren't buying as much. Food is still high. Energy is high. And now we're going to add health insurance costs on top of that. What we're asking is for the president to take a leadership position, for Mike Johnson to bring back Congress, and let's work at real compromise. And that compromise will look at some type of reform to the ACA. We get that. We understand that. But we need to assure Americans do not see their insurance premiums double overnight. And that's what's going to happen unless Republicans work with us to stop that.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But how long are you prepared to stick out this fight? Past November 1st, past Thanksgiving?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
I'm not looking at a timetable. I'm looking at everyone's personal pocketbook right now.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Do you rule that timetable out though?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
I rule any timetable out right now. What I'm focused on right now is trying to keep costs low. Right now again, everything is just hurting. You know, they talk about the price of rent. It's not going down. It's actually staying stable in some areas. In most every areas, it's going up. We're seeing auto loans are now largely in default, the largest ever it has been in quite a while – and we're going to go back and add, again, insurance premiums doubling for 24 million Americans – that is the decision that the Republicans are going to make, and then they have to own for the next year. And I'm not quite sure that a lot of Republicans in swing districts understand what they're about to do.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, you talk about hurting. I do want to play you something that one furloughed federal worker had to say as she lined up outside of a food bank in Maryland. Those lines are getting longer. Take a listen.
[BEGIN TAPE]
SHIMERE COOPER:
It's pretty difficult. You know, you're trying to figure out how you're going to, you know, pay your bills, eat, you know? But, I mean, you have to make a way. So that's why I'm here today, to see what the options are as far as, you know, food options we can get today.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
Senator, how do you explain to federal workers like the woman who we just heard there continuing the shutdown? They feel like they are being punished and caught in the middle. Why not make a deal now?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
Well, look, we've actually tried. Just last week, we introduced a bill to actually pay all federal workers through the shutdown. And it was not even given a vote. Republicans came down and stopped the unanimous consent, which would have been a very clean bill saying no matter who you are as long as you're a federal employee, you're going to get paid while we work this out. But let's also talk about the fact that 24 million Americans are going to have to pay double their health premiums for a whole year or even longer, right? We're going to be able pay a lot of these federal workers back, actually we've done in the past. But once these rates set in, once, you know, November 1st comes along, you're seeing people that are going to see rates – like, I'll give you a great example: An Arizona family of four, it's going to jump almost $3,500. That's $7,000 someone's going to have to pay for their health insurance. There’s not – many families in this country do not have enough room for them to be able to afford that big of a jump.
KRISTEN WELKER:
All right. Let me ask you about another key issue. You heard me talk to the secretary about this, the military now launching ten attacks against what they have described as suspected drug boats. This is happening largely in the Caribbean. They've killed more than 40 people so far. President Trump saying he may even order land strikes into Venezuela with or without congressional approval. He was asked about it this week. Take a listen.
[BEGIN TAPE]
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
I don't think we're going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We're going to kill them. You know, they're going to be, like, dead.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
The Trump administration insists these strikes are consistent with international law. Do you agree with that?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
No, it's murder. It's very simple. If this president feels that they're doing something illegally, then he should be using the Coast Guard. If it's an act of war, then you use our military, and then you come and talk to us first. But this is murder. It's sanctioned murder that he is doing. And it's very simple for someone like him to talk about killing people or doing something in the name of war. He's never actually served. He's never actually pulled a trigger. And it's very dangerous what he's doing both to our international relations, to our friends down in South America, and to these men and women that have to make these calls for a president that has zero understanding about the responsibility someone has when it comes to having to make life and death decisions. It's disgusting what he's doing.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, he says he will brief Congress. We'll see how that unfolds. I do want to ask you about something that has gotten a lot of attention nationwide, the destruction of the East Wing of the White House. It was demolished to make space of course for President Trump's ballroom. It's a move that has sparked some backlash from Democrats, even from some Republicans. Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh said this. I'm going to read you part of it: Quote, "I will repeat this every single day for the next three years: Any Democrat running for president in 2028 must pledge to immediately tear down, bulldoze, demolish Trump's ballroom and fully restore the East Wing." Is that overstated or would you agree with that, that any Democrat who becomes the next president, if and when that were to happen, they should tear what changes Trump makes?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
No, I think to really mess with him, just name it the Barack Obama ballroom. And I think that will take care of half the problem –
KRISTEN WELKER:
So don't tear it down.
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
– But more importantly, look, this is a distraction. First of all, he should not have done that. It's the People's House. Number two, where is the president? He's focusing on the ballroom. He's focused on everything. But he's not focused on what's happening right now. Inflation's still high. People can't buy what they need to buy. Energy's still high. We have tariff wars that are being caused because he feels icky and feels bad about someone talking bad about him in, you know, a commercial. And inflation's about to double for 24 million Americans and that's what he cares about. This is Marie Antoinette talking about, "Let them eat cake," while Americans are struggling right now. So what I would like for him to do is to focus on this: to make sure that we could actually get costs down, people can actually make, you know, a good standard of living right now and be able to pay what they need to survive instead of him focusing on all these little projects which aren't really bringing anything to help any of the Americans.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Let's talk about the future of your party. On the same night that you won your Senate race in 2024 in Arizona, Vice President Kamala Harris lost that state. In a new interview she is saying that she is open to potentially running for president again. Senator, let me ask you. Do you think that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a strong candidate in 2028?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
I thought she was a strong candidate in 2024. I think there's a lot of strong candidates in 2028. I think she would be a strong candidate also in 2028. You know that’s going to be left up to the primary voters to decide.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But would you encourage Vice President Kamala Harris to run?
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
I would probably talk to a lot of candidates and see where they are. I can't say I'll encourage her right now because I want to see what her policy positions are and make sure they align with the voters of Arizona and make sure it's a winning message. But I wouldn't rule it out.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, and you've gotten a little bit of buzz. Would you rule out a run yourself? Are you thinking about it in 2028 –
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
Well, as I was just telling you earlier, first I got to take care of three kids, and deal with, you know, getting us through 2026, bringing back inflation down, making sure that 24 million Americans do not have their insurance rates double starting November 1st. And then maybe, maybe all after that, I'll start thinking about something like that.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, so not ruling it out.
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
Okay.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Senator Gallego --
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO:
Thank you.
KRISTEN WELKER:
– thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it. When we come back, new warning signs for the economy. A shutdown with no end in sight and President Trump's new $300 million White House ballroom. The panel is next.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Welcome back, the panel is here. Susan Glasser, staff writer for The New Yorker; Andrew Ross Sorkin, co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box, and author of the new book, “1929;” Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Harris and Speaker Pelosi; and Marc Short, former Trump director of legislative affairs. Welcome to all of you, thank you for being here. Andrew, congratulations on the new book. We are going to discuss it.
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:
Thank you.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Before we get to your book though, let's talk about what we heard from Secretary Bessent traveling with President Trump in Asia, seemed to signal some optimism about a deal with China. What are you going to be watching for this week?
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:
So, clearly, he believes that there's a deal and I think he's trying to set a moment up in which there can be a deal. I think the big issue, and you pushed him on it, was this issue of soybeans. You know, 20% of the soybean crop in America used to get purchased by China. And so the question is whether you're going to see that be a part of the deal, how much of that is part of the deal. I think the rare earths is going to be a huge issue. But then there's other issues that no one's talking about. You know, Russian oil I think is going to be part of this conversation. I think there's going to be, even chips, I think the Nvidia piece of this, you know, all of these chips that are being used for AI today. And so I think we're going to have to see who's really got the leverage in this negotiation.
KRISTEN WELKER:
All right. Well, it is going to be a fascinating five days. Susan, kind of in the backdrop of this is all of the tensions that we're tracking here at home. And the visual manifestation of that may just be tearing down the East Wing of the White House. I want to read you what conservative columnist Peggy Noonan had to say in The Wall Street Journal. She said, "The photos of the tearing down of the East Wing were upsetting because they felt like a metaphor for the idea that history itself can be made to disappear." This really touched a nerve with people. Why do you think that is, Susan?
SUSAN GLASSER:
You know, I mean, it's the week that the metaphor became reality, right? You know, I remember in fact back in Trump's first term when Republican Senator Bob Corker, then the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he said to me, he said, "You know, Trump has the instincts of a human wrecking ball." Well, here we are, you know, literally Trump deploying an actual wrecking ball. And I think what struck people like Peggy Noonan, that was a really powerful column, but a lot of people, conservatives, liberals, it's not about ideology. It's about a president who seems to think that there are no rules that apply to him, and he can do almost anything in impunity in this second term. To me, that's the difference between Trump 1.0 and Trump 2.0. No process. You know, read The Washington Post story about what it would take if you wanted to renovate your front door in Georgetown, okay, in a historic district. Then the president can just knock down a historic building? So it’s not so much – it seems like the White House wants to make it about the ballroom, but it's not about that. It's a classic example of the question of Trump and does he recognize any limits to his power.
KRISTEN WELKER:
You know, Marc, Susan points out the differences between Trump 1.0 and 2.0. No one knows them better than you because you lived through it. How do you see this moment evolving as we talk about all of these competing factors, the tensions over trade, the shutdown here back at home and then all of the bipartisan criticism we've seen with tearing down the East Wing?
MARC SHORT:
I think the photos are jarring. I think the reality is that the White House belongs to the American people. It's temporarily occupied by each different president. There is a process to make changes like that. Having said that, I don't think we appreciate how much voters elected Donald Trump to tear down much of Washington D.C. That's what they wanted. I think the bigger issue is going to be heading into the midterms next year and throughout, continues to be the trade agenda. I mean, to your interview with Scott Bessent, in two weeks, the administration's going to stand in front of the Supreme Court, making oral arguments to defend IEEPA, which says that in a national emergency, the president can assess tariffs. What exactly is the national emergency for Ontario running ads of Ronald Reagan? What is the defense to say that's a national emergency? And how upside down is our world today that a quasi-socialist economy in Canada is running ads with one of America's greatest presidents, extolling the virtues of free trade, and a Republican president is condemning the words of Ronald Reagan and has more central planners in their administration than any Democratic administration in the last 100 years? It's an upside down world that we're living in right now.
KRISTEN WELKER:
And also, notable when I asked the Treasury secretary about the new tariffs that he plans to impose against Canada, the 10% Ashley, he wasn't sure if that applied to all goods. What is the Democratic view particularly as, increasingly, polls are showing frustration with both parties over this government shutdown and the question who's going to blink first here?
ASHLEY ETIENNE:
I mean, it's interesting, I was watching the secretary and I was asking myself, "What world is he living in? He clearly isn't living in the shoes of the American people." I mean, I think the political pitfall for the president right now is the split screen. Here he is, the emperor building this big, beautiful ballroom. Meanwhile, federal workers are in line in food banks. You've got a situation where the president's trying to shakedown DOJ for $230 million of taxpayer money, by the way, and we're suffering from higher grocery costs, electricity costs. He's bailing out Argentina, meanwhile our farmers are told to eat cake. That is really what's at play here. And when the Democrats consider the issue of the shutdown, I don't think they're going to take any responsibility for it. It's the president. He owns it. It's his choice. He can lift it right now and get us out of this shutdown right now if he cared anything about the American people and their increasing health care.
KRISTEN WELKER:
What about that, Marc.
MARC SHORT:
The Democrats were pretty quiet during the Biden years when all their spending basically started all this inflation we're experiencing.
ASHLEY ETIENNE:
Well, you know we were in Covid.
MARC SHORT:
The reality is that right now, almost every Republican voted for funding to keep the government open. And almost every Democrat voted to shut down the government. So to say this is the president's fault is ridiculous. The Democrats caused this shutdown. It's not to condone, you know, particular actions of the trade agenda. But to sit here and say that this is the president's fault is ridiculous. The Democrats caused this shutdown.
ASHLEY ETIENNE:
Marc, with all due respect, the president has overseen more shutdowns than any other president in American history. The president --
MARC SHORT:
Every Democrat voted against funding the government. You voted against funding the government. How can you say that's the president's fault?
KRISTEN WELKER:
All right, let me just for one moment bring Andrew back into this, because he does have this new book.
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:
Thank you.
KRISTEN WELKER:
“1929.” And of course the economy --
SUSAN GLASSER:
Excellent author promo.
KRISTEN WELKER:
– is what, yes, looms over all of this. You write, Andrew, "Inside the greatest crash in Wall Street history and how it shattered a nation." And what's fascinating about the book are some of the parallels that one can draw between then and now. Talk a little bit about that and this debate that looms over it.
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:
Right. Look, I don't want to suggest that we are in 1929, but we might be in 1999. And there are these parallels, by the way, tariffs being just one. The Smoot-Hawley tariffs, which went into effect in 1930, you know, literally 12 months later, global trade had dropped by 60%. I'm not suggesting we will be there, but there's a possibility that it's going to have --
MARC SHORT:
Our effective tariff rate is the highest it's been in 100 years.
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:
It's going to have a real impact. And I think right now, when you look at our economy, it is a tale of two cities or two countries, in fact. There's the AI country, artificial intelligence, which is driving almost the entirety of our growth in this nation right now and everything else. And there are these elements of inflation while decelerating, like the Treasury secretary said. You look at beef. You look at furniture. You look at the things that, you know, we are living with, this great experiment around tariffs means ultimately things are going to cost more and there's going to be less competition, full stop. And just one other point, Jason Furman of Harvard did a study recently looking at AI. If you take out all the AI spending in America right now, our economy is flat.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Susan, weigh in here, particularly as we're less than two weeks away from elections, off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey for the governor seats. The economy is still the number-one issue, spending, affordability. That's what voters still care about.
SUSAN GLASSER:
And that's what voters always care about. I mean, that's the thing, right? You go back to, "It's the economy, stupid." I mean, it's always the economy. And I think Trump was very successful in 2024 in shaping a perception about inflation. You know, he's really good at repeating a lie over and over again. So he told people it's the worst inflation in the history of the universe. And, you know, even if people didn't accept that, they accepted the idea that that was the framework. Well now, what we haven't heard and I'm interested to see what Republicans say about this, we haven't heard any ownership that this is – there's a connection between Trump's attempt to upend the global trading economy and what's happening here at home. But I can tell you going to the grocery store that maybe Scott Bessent doesn't go to the grocery store, but it's expensive. And it's more expensive. And the question is when and if people start to blame President Trump for his trade policies in connection with that.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Marc, what about that issue, and do you think that it's going to loom large over these gubernatorial races, the New Jersey race, closer I think than folks were anticipating, certainly. But the Republican candidate there, Jack Ciattarelli, walking a really fine line when it comes to the president.
MARC SHORT:
Look, I think all of us around this table can afford our groceries. I think the challenge is in middle America, particularly.
ASHLEY ETIENNE:
Don't make any assumptions.
MARC SHORT:
Particularly in the agricultural community. I think that's where the tariffs are having their greatest impact. Even though CPI’s at 3%, you know, to the president's credit, he's lowered energy prices by 25% to 30%, but that shows you that the tariff impact is actually even greater when you take that into effect. I think for the elections, look, I think the elections this year are mostly in blue states. I think the one bright spot for Republicans will be Jason Miyares in Virginia. Outside of that, I think it will pretty much be a Democrat year.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Why, Andrew, is the economy always and still the number-one issue? And borne out by your book here?
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN:
Because people always, always, always vote with their wallet. That is the lesson of history. And so when you see what's happening right now and the costs going up, invariably, the costs are going up. By the way, the St. Louis Fed has the math, they say the costs are going up. So when people say, you know, maybe tariffs aren't a thing, it's a thing.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, the other big thing, we got some news from your former boss.
ASHLEY ETIENNE:
Okay.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has said in a new interview that she is not ruling out a run for president for a third time, in 2028. What do you make of that? Were you surprised to hear her say that?
ASHLEY ETIENNE:
I wasn't surprised, but I'm very excited about the possibility. I mean, I hope that there is a robust conversation within the Democratic Party. We have our own issues. I mean, I think we're suffering from major crises. You know, we're going through an identity crisis. We're draining support among our base voters, there's a growing trust gap. I mean, and this has been persisting and getting worse since 2012. So I really hope that she does get in the race. But I hope there becomes a more robust conversation about the direction of the party.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Marc, if she gets into the race?
MARC SHORT:
I think Republicans are equally excited to run against Kamala Harris.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Susan, last thoughts?
SUSAN GLASSER:
Look, it's early out. Let's talk about this again after the '26 midterm elections. I think, you know, the question there really is can Democrats perform historically as they are expected to do, to do well, and does it even matter anymore when Donald Trump has so expanded executive power? My question is, since he doesn't go to the Congress when it's Republicans, is he going to care at all if it is Democratic?
KRISTEN WELKER:
All right, well, we will be watching closely. Again, Andrew Ross Sorkin, “1929,” congrats. Thank you all for being here. Great discussion. When we come back, the NBA returns to NBC and we look back on an interview with an NBA legend. Our Meet the Press Minute is next.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Welcome back. That unmistakable theme returns to NBC this week, meaning the NBA is back on the peacock network after more than two decades. It's the sound that introduced legends: Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and of course, Michael Jordan. In 1997, Jordan sat down with Meet the Press as he talked about the pressure of being a role model to millions.
[BEGIN TAPE]
TIM RUSSERT:
But you cannot deny, Charles and Michael and Grant, that our five, four million young Black boys under the age of 18, and they idolize you. They look up to you. Aren't you a role model?
MICHAEL JORDAN:
To some extent, yes. I think, you know, we have an obligation. It wasn't an obligation that we chose, it was bestowed upon us because of the success that we have gathered. But I think when your parents are there every day, they have much more influence on that kid than what we do. What we do is generalize. It's over a group of people, the probably 400,000 kids that are watching us. And we try to do that to the best of our abilities. But the influence is going to come from a day-to-day basis, when you can see these attitudes and how they accept certain discipline or certain attitudes to change. And we can't do that from a general sense.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
When we come back, our Meet the Moment conversation with award-winning chef and entrepreneur, Marcus Samuelsson.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Welcome back. Throughout his 30 years in America, chef Marcus Samuelsson has made a name for himself in the kitchen and on your TV screen. From his prestigious James Beard Awards to helming the first state dinner of the Obama administration, Samuelsson has been a key voice in bringing African and Black cuisine to the forefront in America. I sat down with Samuelsson in his brand new restaurant, Marcus DC, right here in the nation's capital. In our Meet the Moment conversation, I talked to him about his journey from being born in a hut in Ethiopia to becoming one of the most renowned chefs in the world.
[BEGIN TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
Marcus Samuelsson, welcome to Meet the Press.
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Welcome to Marcus DC.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Thank you. It is such an honor to be here and to be sitting with you. You have an absolutely extraordinary story. You came to the United States 30 years ago.
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Thirty years ago.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Yes.
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Yes.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Yes. Thirty--
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
I can't even believe it--
KRISTEN WELKER:
--years ago.
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Yes.
KRISTEN WELKER:
When you hear that, it really hits you, right?
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Yes.
KRISTEN WELKER:
You were born in Ethiopia in the middle of a civil war. You were adopted by parents in Sweden. You grew up there. You have now become a renowned chef who really puts a focus on Black and African cooking. Why has it been so important to you to build on that goal of showcasing African and Black food to the world?
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
I think it's an evolution. You know, sometimes when you are adopted -- my experience of being adopted is, it's almost like your identity, you can live it backwards, right? When I decided to be a chef, it was really for my Swedish grandmother, Helga. She raised us all around good cooking. And I fell in love with it. The deliciousness of her cooking, but also the storytelling. And when I became a chef, there was only one cuisine in the world that people told us was important. It was French cooking. And as a young Black chef, I never saw anyone looking like me. So I found more identity around Black excellence, whether it was Prince, or whether it was Basquiat, or whether it was incredible American pop culture, right? So I studied these French books. I traveled. I worked in Japan. I worked in Switzerland. I worked in three-star Michelin in France. And I had to learn several different languages. And everywhere I was-, I was the only person of color. And I had a lot of questions around that. Where do I fit in? What is my restaurant going to look like? Do I cook African food? Do I cook Swedish food? Do I cook French food? But the Black experience is obviously not monolithic. You can be Black from Haiti. You can be Black from Jamaica. You could be Black from America, from Africa. And for me, searching for my Ethiopian identity through food, through the place I was living in, in Harlem in New York City, what would that taste like? That was a journey for me.
KRISTEN WELKER:
You speak with such pride about being an immigrant and you've said one of your most memorable experiences, of all of these remarkable experiences you've had, is the day that you were sworn in--
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Yes.
KRISTEN WELKER:
--as a U.S. citizen. Why was that so meaningful for you? And why is that so much a part of what you bring to every dish, every restaurant?
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
I would say, besides my kids being born and day we got married, I would say that's the most important day in my life because it was also a sign of a journey that I do belong, I have a place because I wanted -- you know, immigrants, we choose to come to America. Especially for me, I could live in a very comfortable country. And I love Sweden as well. But in America, I was allowed to hold onto my Ethiopian identity, my Swedish culture, but also at the same time be an American. And as a chef, I can cook from all of these experiences, right?
KRISTEN WELKER:
Do you think the American dream is still available to immigrants today in the way that it was for you when you first got here?
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
I think the American dream is alive. You just have to fight and battle for it more than ever. And I know we will because the American dream, it's not a four-year cycle. It's much larger than that. It's something that the imperfection, or the perfection of my American journey doesn't have an end to it. You know, my kids are born and raised in Harlem. They are truly born in America. But they're equally proud of their Swedish and Ethiopian background. And that's what it means to be American.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Let's talk about this beautiful space where we're sitting right now--
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
Yes.
KRISTEN WELKER:
--Marcus DC. How do you hope people feel after they eat one of your meals here?
MARCUS SAMUELSSON:
I don't hope. I know people feel great, fantastic because guests, our restaurant, we're very privileged and very excited about how busy we are in these very difficult times, right? I know a lot of restaurateurs, not just in D.C., are working extremely hard. And, you know, the restaurant community, we always have to respond to what happens around us, right? When the unknown of cost of goods, we have to deal with that. When the labor market goes up and down, we have to deal with that. When the farms and the restaurant are getting raided, we have to deal with that. Not just as something that we see on social media, but something that is actually, it’s real emotion. We know people in our community, in our very industry. And the cooks and the servers are not the ones that are creating issues. They're hard-working people, extremely passionate about being Americans and contributing. The cooks, the gardener, the server, the person who makes the beds at this hotel, they're not the ones creating issues. They're actually the ones that are adding to the American experience.
[END TAPE]
KRISTEN WELKER:
And you can watch my full interview with Marcus Samuelsson at MeetThePress.com. That is all for today. Thank you so much for watching. We'll be back next week because if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.
