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On this "Face the Nation" broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Hanna Siegel, sister of Keith Siegel, who is being held hostage by Hamas
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky
- Rep. Summer Lee, Democrat of Pennsylvania
- University of Chicago governmental subject prof Robert Pape
- Catherine Russell, UNICEF enforcement director
Click here to browse afloat transcripts of "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm Margaret Brennan successful Washington.
And this week connected Face the Nation: Pressure builds to effort and get the Hamas-held hostage negotiations backmost connected track, and field protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas struggle dispersed crossed the country.
On Saturday, much Hamas proof-of-life propaganda featuring different American hostage held successful Gaza appearing precise overmuch nether duress.
(Begin VT)
(MAN SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Biden vows that helium volition not remainder until each hostage is returned and sends his apical diplomat backmost to the region.
Plus, with $61 cardinal successful assistance present headed to Ukraine, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell apologizes to Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Senate Republicans' relation successful that hold that took its toll connected the country's warfare effort.
(Begin VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you consciousness your enactment is liable for those setbacks?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (R-Kentucky): Many of them, yes. We – we took excessively long.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Plus: What's helping substance those field protests from seashore to coast? We volition archer you.
It's each conscionable up connected Face the Nation.
Good morning, and invited to Face the Nation.
We statesman contiguous with overseas analogous Debora Patta successful Jerusalem.
(Begin VT)
DEBORA PATTA (voice-over): Like astir days successful Rafah, this 1 began with mourning…
(SINGING)
DEBORA PATTA: … aft much Israeli strikes deed what is mostly a structure metropolis successful the southbound sheltering implicit fractional of Gaza's 2.3 cardinal Palestinians crammed up against the Egyptian border.
There were heartbreaking farewells to tiny bodies wrapped successful shrouds. This babe has known lone warfare her full life. It's been a brutal week for children. Even occurrence babe occurrence Sabreen al-Ruh, who was saved from her dying mother's womb a week ago, lived conscionable 5 days. She's been buried adjacent to the remainder of her family.
Rafah is already nether regular bombardment, but Israel keeps threatening a crushed invasion. And Palestinians who've already fled aggregate times support asking, wherever volition they go? Much of Gaza lies successful ruin, the demolition connected specified a standard it is uninhabitable.
This morning, much humanitarian assistance was airdropped implicit the territory, and this IDF footage shows the floating pier being built by the Americans adjacent the Gazan coastline, which officials accidental volition beryllium completed aboriginal May, allowing much supplies to travel into Gaza.
But the dire warnings of imminent famine person not gone away. Already, the U.N. says 1 successful 3 children nether the property of 2 is acutely malnourished, anterior to October 7, hardly any. And contempt an summation successful aid, the U.N. says it is inactive not capable to avert famine, which could dispersed crossed the northbound adjacent month.
(End VT)
DEBORA PATTA: Ahead of a imaginable rougher invasion, determination are present last- ditch attempts to revive cease-fire talks.
Hamas has stepped up the unit by releasing propaganda videos that amusement 3 hostages, including 2 Americans, inactive alive, but speaking nether duress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our Debora Patta successful Jerusalem.
And we are joined present by Hanna Siegel, whose uncle, Keith Siegel, is 1 of those American hostages.
Good greeting to you, Hanna.
HANNA SIEGEL (Niece of Hamas Hostage): Good morning, Margaret. Thank you for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thank you for speaking to us.
I cognize that the Biden medication has reached retired to you and your family. The FBI is analyzing that video released yesterday. What stood retired to you? I deliberation this is the archetypal impervious of beingness truthful far?
HANNA SIEGEL: We – we've ever believed that he's alive. We person to judge that he's alive.
And his wife, my aunt, Aviva Siegel, who was held for 52 days, released successful the woody that took spot successful November, she was with him. And truthful we knew – erstwhile she came out, she told america that helium was alive. But this is the archetypal clip that we're seeing him, that we're proceeding him.
It's – it's surreal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you person "205" there. That's the fig of days helium has been held.
In the video, your uncle, nether duress, mentions the protests that person been taking spot successful Israel pressuring the authorities for a deal. Do you deliberation that a woody tin beryllium reached astatine this point, and is it up to the United States to adjacent it?
HANNA SIEGEL: I bash deliberation a woody tin beryllium reached. I mean, we – we cognize that. A woody was reached successful November. Dozens of women and children were released, including my aunt, Aviva Siegel.
So we cognize that it's possible. And I bash deliberation that's truly important to remember. The United States plays a captious role. It played a captious relation successful November. I think, you know, ultimately, this is simply a dialog betwixt Hamas and Prime Minister Netanyahu successful Israel.
And 1 of the things that truly worries my household and worries maine is that it's arguably not successful Prime Minister Netanyahu's governmental involvement to adjacent a deal. And, you know, for us, this is the moment. These videos – arsenic you know, determination was a video released a mates of days agone of different American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
HANNA SIEGEL: I bash deliberation that these 2 videos are a awesome from Hamas that they are acceptable to marque a woody and a reminder that determination are American citizens being held, including – including Keith.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There are 133 hostages that we cognize of, 5 of them Americans. Why bash you judge it is not successful Prime Minister Netanyahu's involvement to chopped a woody to bring them home?
HANNA SIEGEL: I think, you know, determination is simply a batch swirling successful the governmental scenery successful Israel. And I'm not present to speech astir that.
But determination person been negotiations going connected for months now. We're astatine 205 days. There person been deals connected the table. And they've proven elusive. And I interest that that is due to the fact that of Prime Minister Netanyahu. So I deliberation that present is the moment.
I deliberation – I person religion that we tin bash a woody now. But I besides deliberation that, if that isn't possible, past the Biden medication should deliberation astir what they tin bash straight to bring our American citizens home.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is flying to the portion present and is going to speech astir a cease-fire and a hostage deal.
Do you cognize if the Biden medication is considering making a woody to bring the Americans location without the Israeli government's support oregon relation here?
HANNA SIEGEL: I don't know.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you privation them to look astatine that option?
HANNA SIEGEL: What I cognize is that the Biden medication has shown unwavering and relentless committedness to my household and the families of each of the hostages.
And I cognize that it is their precedence to bring each hostages, including the Americans, home. And truthful I cognize that they are doing perfectly everything that they can. Keith, successful this video, I mean, helium starts the video by saying however overmuch helium loves us, helium loves our family.
And he's evidently nether duress. He's gaunt. He looks weak. But that's real. I cognize that helium misses his family. He talks astir – you know, I deliberation the hardest portion of the video is, helium breaks down talking astir being unsocial connected Passover.
Those of america Siegels successful America got unneurotic for Passover and those successful Israel got unneurotic for Passover. And we had – we had this small representation of Keith astatine the table, but he's not home. And truthful I person specified faith, and I person felt the committedness from the Biden medication to get him back.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Keith's girl sent a recorded connection to protesters who were successful the streets successful Israel past night.
And she said: "I request the country's leaders ticker the video and spot their begetter crying for help."
Hamas released this arsenic propaganda. Why bash you deliberation watching that video is important? What – what bash you deliberation is not understood by the government?
HANNA SIEGEL: First of all, my cousins, Keith's kids, and his wife, of course, a hostage subsister herself, are incredibly brave.
And they person spent each azygous time going to anybody who volition perceive astir the satellite and telling them, reminding them that determination are people's lives astatine stake. I deliberation there's truthful overmuch swirling successful the governmental realm that it's casual to hide that these are quality beings. Keith is simply a grandfather. He's a husband. He's a brother. He's an uncle.
We're a very, precise adjacent family. And that's what we're feeling, much than immoderate of the governmental considerations, much than reasoning astir the time aft and what happens. Those are really, truly important questions, but I deliberation this video is simply a reminder that these are quality beings, and they request to travel home.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The U.S. says Hamas is lasting successful the mode of a deal.
Are you acrophobic that, if an penetration of confederate Gaza, of Rafah happens, that your uncle volition beryllium astatine hazard of death?
HANNA SIEGEL: Very concerned. I mean helium – helium talks successful the video astir weaponry – proceeding bombs each astir him.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
HANNA SIEGEL: And truthful we interest astir the information that he's being held underground by a violent group, of course.
We interest astir the information that he's starving. When Aviva came out…
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
HANNA SIEGEL: … she talked to america astir however they were opening to starve.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well…
HANNA SIEGEL: And I can't ideate that that hasn't gotten truthful overmuch worse.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
HANNA SIEGEL: You tin spot it connected his face. And we besides interest astir the bombs going disconnected astir him.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Of course. Of course.
Hanna, convey you for reminding america astir the humanity here. And we privation you luck.
HANNA SIEGEL: Thank you truthful overmuch for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We visited Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell connected Capitol Hill Thursday conscionable aft helium apologized to President Zelenskyy for the hold passing the $61 cardinal assistance bundle for Ukraine.
Leader McConnell acknowledged to america the six-month process, 4 successful the Senate, was a costly hold for the Ukrainian warfare effort.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: In the clip of the delay, Russia's subject onshore forces person grown backmost to wherever they were earlier the invasion, the service is 15 percent larger, and they've reinforced the 20 percent of Ukrainian territory that they hold.
These are each the words of the ultimate allied commandant himself. Do you consciousness your enactment is liable for those setbacks?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (R-Kentucky): Many of them, yes.
We – we took excessively long. This contented was similar a household reunion, if you will, with a batch of antithetic points of presumption being expressed astir the table. All the Democrats were for Ukraine. There is nary question that the statement was successful our family, connected our side.
And determination was a batch of skepticism for a agelong time, but I deliberation it got better. And I deliberation we proved that earlier this week.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What bash you deliberation changed minds?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: The existent facts.
Once we realized we were not going to get a borderline result, I deliberation our members truly started focusing connected the – the package. It was – it was wide that it was not going to person a borderline proviso attached to it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: And determination are astir nary bully arguments against this. Every statement that made it – made by the opponents is provably wrong. And the facts, I think, were convincing for a fig of our members, and they changed their minds.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are person for different 8 months.
But you've said you're going to enactment and service retired your term. Donald Trump whitethorn again go president. According to our latest CBS polling, 79 percent of self-identified Republicans told america that the root of accusation they astir spot connected Ukraine and Russia is Donald Trump.
This sentiment doesn't look to beryllium disappearing. How are you going to antagonistic that?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: What I privation to bash and what I'm focused connected is not the statesmanlike race, but getting the Senate back.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But this isn't the race. This is persuading nationalist opinion.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: Yes.
I deliberation the azygous astir important happening I tin bash is marque definite my successor is the bulk leader, nary substance however the statesmanlike predetermination comes out. I deliberation the information that our nominee fundamentally decided not to proceed whipping radical against the bundle was a bully sign. And I'm going to beryllium advocating expanding the defence budget, nary substance who gets elected, and preparing ourselves for the agelong term, which is China, Russia, and Iran.
This administration's fund requests for defence haven't adjacent kept up with inflation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You said the Republican nominee decided not to whip against the package, successful different words, stopped telling lawmakers that – not to ballot for it.
But we cognize Donald Trump is not a instrumentality of – of Zelenskyy. Viktor Orban, the premier curate of Hungary, precocious had meal with Mr. Trump astatine Mar-a-Lago and past told reporters that Trump said helium won't springiness a penny to Ukraine and that'll beryllium the mode helium forces an extremity to the fighting.
If that's the cardinal content of the antheral who's going to beryllium commandant successful chief, however bash you halt him?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: What I'm doing is trying to alteration the Senate, truthful that we person a majority, nary substance who wins the statesmanlike election.
I can't power that. I person immoderate power present successful the Senate. I mean to usage it, nary substance who gets elected president, to summation our defence fund and get acceptable for the challenges that we person up of us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But that's a situation wherever you mightiness person to beryllium the firewall against your ain enactment and its person again.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I person been consenting to bash that. I had thing to bash with changing sentiment successful the Senate connected this issue. And I deliberation a batch much of my members present recognize the value of it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: About a period aft January 6, you voted to acquit Donald Trump aft helium was impeached.
And you said connected the Senate floor: "Trump"…
(Begin VT)
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: Didn't get distant with thing yet.
We person a transgression justness strategy successful this country. We person civilian litigation. And erstwhile presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you inactive judge that erstwhile presidents are not wholly immune from liability?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: Let's enactment it this way. I addressed that contented connected February the 13th…
MARGARET BRENNAN: It's progressive earlier the Supreme Court arsenic we speak.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: … and January the 6th of 2021. I basal by everything I said then.
Obviously, it'll beryllium up to the Supreme Court to determine whether I was correct.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Part of what you said is portion of this lawsuit successful immoderate ways, due to the fact that you argued for the Senate not to convict Mr. Trump.
And cardinal to his immunity statement is the assertion that a erstwhile president who was impeached and convicted by the Senate tin beryllium criminally prosecuted. He was not.
Do you regret your choice? It's portion of the defense.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I don't regret thing I said then. I haven't taken thing I said past back.
But the reply to your question is going to beryllium successful the courts. The Supreme Court's going to determine that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you basal by your statement of Trump arsenic practically and morally liable for provoking the events of January 6, and perchance criminally liable and liable?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I don't cognize however galore times you're going to inquire maine the aforesaid question. I basal by everything I person said connected January 6, and February 13, 2021.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I'm asking you the question because, since the past fewer months person passed and our past conversation, you've endorsed him for reelection.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: You request to get amended research. I was asked that question 3 years again, if helium were the nominee, would I enactment him?
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you said you would enactment whoever the nominee was.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: And I said yes, due to the fact that the voters of my enactment crossed the state person made a decision. As the Republican person of the Senate, obviously, I'm going to enactment the nominee of our party.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you person taken stands connected issues you consciousness are of – of beardown nationalist information interests and morally imperative. That – that was your statement connected Ukraine, and that you were bucking, successful immoderate ways, a populist opinion.
So, connected this one, I'm conscionable wondering however you explicate that, erstwhile you accidental it was bully capable for a fig of Republicans that he'd beryllium the nominee, due to the fact that that is the populist opinion. It's not taking the presumption that helium has – helium doesn't unrecorded up to the role.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: The contented is – the contented is – the contented is, what benignant of power – adjacent if I had chosen to get progressive successful the statesmanlike election, what benignant of power would I person had?
MARGARET BRENNAN: You're 1 of the astir almighty Republicans.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I'm – I'm the Republican person of the Senate.
What we bash present is effort to marque law. I similar america to beryllium successful the majority.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Your worldview seems much aligned with Joe Biden erstwhile it comes to American leadership…
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I wouldn't…
(CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: … successful these planetary conflicts…
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: Well…
(LAUGHTER)
MARGARET BRENNAN: … than with Donald Trump.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I surely wouldn't…
MARGARET BRENNAN: … who has spoken against Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has not endorsed the bundle that you conscionable worked truthful hard to get implicit the decorativeness line.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: Yes. OK, look, I – I wouldn't person withdrawn from Afghanistan. I wouldn't person submitted 4 budgets successful a enactment for defence that don't adjacent support up with inflation.
I person got plentifulness of differences with the existent administration. Whether I volition person differences with the adjacent medication remains to beryllium seen. I cognize what – what I think. And it doesn't marque immoderate quality what the result of the statesmanlike predetermination is. I'm going to beryllium focusing connected this remainder of my clip successful the Senate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What I perceive you saying – archer maine if I'm getting it incorrect – is that you tin halt Donald Trump if he's commandant successful chief. Even if you're not leader, you're going to bash the astir you tin to antagonistic this isolationist worldview and to counter…
(LAUGHTER)
MARGARET BRENNAN: … oregon bounds what helium could bash if reelected.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I'm going to counter, nary substance who's elected president, advocating things that I deliberation are not bully for America.
What I attraction astir is, what does the idiosyncratic who really gets elected yet do?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should Mr. Trump, arsenic candidate, arsenic typical of your party, spell and spot Ukraine for himself?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I – I'm not going to springiness him immoderate advice. I – I'm focusing connected turning the Senate Republicans into the bulk present and focusing connected advocating, arsenic I deliberation I successfully did this precise week, for moving distant from the isolationist question that began with Tucker Carlson.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It began with Tucker Carlson?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: It did. He has a immense – helium had a immense assemblage among rank-and-file Republicans. And I deliberation it was precise destructive, precise impactful connected regular Republican voters and created a large problem.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because helium mimicked Republican propaganda and amplified it, and past that's been repeated connected the House floor, arsenic the House Intel Chairman said?
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: Well, I surely disagreed with him. And helium surely ended up wherever helium should person been each along, interviewing Vladimir Putin.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Will you fact-check Donald Trump erstwhile helium says these things? Because helium has besides repeated immoderate of these claims.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: I'm not going to springiness immoderate proposal to our campaigner successful the – successful the statesmanlike election. What I'm focusing connected is turning the Senate into a bulk Republican.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our afloat interrogation with Leader McConnell is connected our Web tract and our YouTube channel.
We volition beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our Mark Strassmann reports connected those assemblage field protests that person erupted crossed the country.
(Begin VT)
MAN: Back up! You backmost up!
MARK STRASSMANN (voice-over): All the clamor connected field keeps spreading, a clash of much than ideas, riot cogwheel astatine Ohio State, Tasers astatine Emory University successful Atlanta, mostly pro-Palestinian protesters astatine times scuffling with police, waved connected by schoolhouse administrators, with hundreds of arrests, communities similar the University of Texas turning connected each other.
Israel's warfare connected Hamas has different beforehand line…
PROTESTERS: Free, escaped Palestine!
PROTESTERS: Let my radical go!
MARK STRASSMANN: … a escaped code and hatred code field statement that's thing but academic.
STUDENT: If you privation to support escaped speech, past you don't interruption up peaceful protests.
GREG LUKIANOFF (President and CEO, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression): People didn't look to beryllium alert of however atrocious the concern for escaped code and world state already was connected field until October 7.
MARK STRASSMANN: Greg Lukianoff of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a radical defending the close to escaped speech.
Do you person the consciousness that immoderate of this is moving the shot forward?
GREG LUKIANOFF: Some of the ways the protestation has been going on, connected assemblage campuses has been alienating much of the nationalist than bringing it in.
MARK STRASSMANN: On Columbia University's westbound lawn, civilian disobedience, this ongoing structure city, galvanized nationalist protests. They privation the assemblage to divest investments successful Israel and companies they accidental nett disconnected repression of Palestinians.
PROTESTER #1: Send them home!
MARK STRASSMANN: Dueling protests astatine Columbia, pro-Israel, pro- Palestinian, bespeak a larger welter of sentiment and emotion, passionateness and perceived prejudice.
PROTESTER #2: People would beryllium up successful arms and protesting that close away. But due to the fact that it's the Jews, I consciousness similar cipher cares.
MARK STRASSMANN: All this coast-to-coast commotion is good into its 2nd week, and what began present astatine Columbia has present rippled overseas.
From Paris to London, assemblage students occupied buildings and marched successful the streets. They're echoing this U.S. pupil movement, astatine times a infinitesimal that's been unflattering, adjacent dark, from intolerant protesters to stumbling universities.
GREG LUKIANOFF: A batch of campuses are teaching young radical to deliberation similar activists and little similar scholars. When you're reduced to conscionable shouting astatine each other, that is simply a nonaccomplishment of immoderate of the things that makes higher acquisition truthful special.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We volition person much connected what's fueling those protests coming up.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Join america adjacent week, erstwhile we volition speech to South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem astir her caller book, "No Going Back."
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We volition beryllium close backmost with a batch much Face the Nation, truthful enactment with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome backmost to FACE THE NATION and the kickoff of our 2024 battleground tracker polls. Our CBS News battlegrounds are those 7 cardinal states wherever things could spell either way. Today we're looking astatine 3 of them that Biden won successful 2020, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In effect, Trump and Biden are moving even. The erstwhile president is up 1 percent constituent successful 2 of those states, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The existent president is up 2 implicit Trump successful Michigan.
Joining america present is our enforcement manager of elections and surveys, Anthony Salvanto.
So, Anthony, wherefore are they truthful adjacent if Biden won them successful 2020?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: The crushed this clip is, I conscionable asked people, to commencement to campaign, however bash these candidates marque you feel? And the apical reply for each of them was, worried. Then you look astatine the Biden numbers particularly, and helium gets feelings of insecurity, which could beryllium benignant of pugnacious for a sitting president, though calm is 1 that accrues to his benefit. But past for Trump you get feelings of anger, right, that's peculiarly existent for Democrats, besides immoderate insecurity. And neither 1 of them does precise good connected eliciting confidence.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The system is ever contented fig 1 for voters. How is it faring successful these 3 states?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: And it is again here. But what's absorbing is this communicative starts backmost successful 2020. When we polled these states, astatine the clip the pandemic was going on. People past said the system successful those states was bad.
So, we asked them now, OK, has it gotten better? And precise fewer radical accidental that it has. In fact, galore accidental they consciousness it's gotten worse. And ostentation is the crushed that they accidental that.
But what's besides absorbing is, we asked them, OK, look backmost to the system during the Trump years, however bash you retrieve it? And a bulk accidental they retrieve it arsenic being good.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because they hide astir the pandemic?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Well, they look to beryllium skipping implicit the pandemic. And that's precisely what that tells you successful their representation of this. But it besides explains present erstwhile you inquire them, OK, present let's look forward, they accidental - much accidental they consciousness they'd beryllium financially amended disconnected nether Donald Trump. And that cuts straight to vote. And that is helping the erstwhile president.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, successful these 3 peculiar states, entree to termination is legally protected. How overmuch of a motivator volition it beryllium past for voters determination to really spell to the polls?
ANTHONY SALVANTO: That's astir apt the cardinal question. It is for Democrats. What you spot is, these different states wherever determination has been termination laws, Arizona, with that 1864 law, Florida with their instrumentality going into effect, their ban, you know, six-week prohibition going into effect, voters successful these states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, accidental they're watching what's happening successful those states. So, what's happening determination is not staying there, successful their minds. And what's important determination is it becomes a nationalist issue.
And truthful present we see, particularly for Democrats, erstwhile they are saying they consciousness aggravated that Roe v. Wade was overturned, they're voting overwhelmingly for Joe Biden. But for the ones who accidental termination should beryllium ineligible but they're not aggravated astir this, they're dissatisfied, they're unhappy astir it, the contention is overmuch closer. And what that tells you is, for the Biden run successful particular, it's going to beryllium an workout successful motivation, it's going to beryllium trying to enactment that contented adjacent higher connected the issues list. And that is the large happening connected which – connected which their, you know, fortunes mightiness hinge.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Anthony Salvanto, convey you.
ANTHONY SALVANTO: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we spell present to Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee. She joins america from her territory successful Pittsburgh.
Good greeting to you, Congresswoman.
REP. SUMMER LEE (D-PA): Good morning. Good to beryllium with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You conscionable heard our CBS polling successful notation to your location state. I cognize past play Governor Shapiro told us, "if President Biden's intermission connected earthy state permits goes connected a agelong clip it volition outgo Pennsylvania jobs." And we're seeing successful our polling the cognition that Donald Trump would beryllium better, 49 percent of voters said, than Joe Biden, 33 percent, connected these lipid and state exploration issues. This seems to beryllium a headwind for Democrats successful your state. Are you concerned?
SUMMER LEE: Yes. I deliberation that there's - I deliberation there's a batch to beryllium acrophobic about, right? I deliberation that erstwhile we look astatine these polls, you know, we'll propulsion retired 1 contented astatine a time. But the world is, is that determination are a fig of issues mixed unneurotic that marque voters consciousness confident, that marque voters - immoderate different voters consciousness hopeless oregon consciousness similar possibly there's a small crushed to participate. And I deliberation that we're dealing with that a lot, right?
When we speech to voters passim my election, we speech to a batch of voters who, whether it's the economy, the terms of, you know, goods, gas, food, things of that nature, oregon abortion, similar each of these antithetic issues, made voters consciousness similar determination was precise small options that they had and that they didn't privation to participate. And we person to fig retired thing precise rapidly to code that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In your primary, which you won, your Democratic challenger's constituent of onslaught was your willingness to interruption with President Biden successful his unequivocal enactment for Israel with its warfare with Hamas successful Gaza. You've called for a ceasefire.
If you judge that this is specified a substance of conscience and truthful important, tin you genuinely inquire progressive voters to spell and ballot for Joe Biden successful November?
SUMMER LEE: Yes, I deliberation that we bash that each year. Every 2 years we inquire voters, progressive voters, we inquire achromatic and brownish voters, young voters, and we inquire them to measurement the totality of our options, right? The totality of a candidate. The totality of the things that we attraction about, that we travel to the polling places with. And that's not new, right? This is an contented that gets a batch of issue. And determination are going to beryllium precise reasonably a batch of radical who volition consciousness apprehension astir that. And I deliberation that is not a foregone decision that there's conscionable thing that Democrats tin do.
When we look astatine an predetermination similar mine, we've seen however fashionable it is to instrumentality a pro-(INAUDIBLE) stance, however fashionable it is to telephone for a antithetic absorption successful the policies that the United States has towards the warfare successful Gaza, towards sending unconditional weapons, violative limb to Netanyahu, and our authorities inactive has clip to react. We inactive person clip to perceive to the folks who person feelings astir that. And that's what we person to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you went to conscionable with immoderate of the field protesters retired successful Pittsburgh recently. You were successful enactment of immoderate of those young radical who person chosen to protestation against what's happening successful Gaza. Do you perceive from them, that they're excited to spell ballot for Joe Biden?
SUMMER LEE: To beryllium honest, you know, we don't. It's not a taxable that, you know, ever comes up, but it does a lot.
I deliberation that the fig 1 extremity for them close now, you know, conscionable listening to what they person to say, is that they privation to spot a ceasefire successful Gaza. They privation to spot the indiscriminate bombings and killings end, right? That is the crushed wherefore they're connected - there's a batch of sound astir this that - that distracts from that. There's a batch of sound that tries to instrumentality distant from that cardinal message. But that is the cardinal happening that they are warring for. And they judge and they consciousness similar our authorities tin bash more. And that's what they're looking for. They're looking for immoderate benignant of acknowledgment from our enactment that they perceive our needs, that they perceive these young radical saying that we privation our country, we privation our authorities to spell successful a antithetic direction.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I perceive you intelligibly distinguishing betwixt Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel, but immoderate people, and I'm definite you cognize is, perceive disapproval and recognize it arsenic anti-Semitic erstwhile it is captious of Israel.
The premier curate of Israel said that what's happening connected America's assemblage campuses is horrific. He said the protesters are anti-Semitic mobs. And helium compared it to what's happening successful German universities backmost successful the 1930s.
How bash you respond to that, oregon the cognition of that, possibly among immoderate of your constituents?
SUMMER LEE: Certainly. You know, his connection is intentional. And it's ever been. But the 1 happening that I cognize is that Benjamin Netanyahu has not been connected a assemblage field successful the United States. He has not talked to these students. He has not seen their encampments. He has not seen oregon heard the connection that they're delivering. And helium doesn't privation to perceive it, right? His fig 1 extremity is, you know, what he's doing implicit there. And thing that - that harms oregon - oregon helps - oregon makes it harder for him to execute that goal, he's going to - he's going to distract from.
But this thought that each disapproval of Israel is anti-Semitic is dangerous. There is simply a just critique that we indispensable marque of each government, of each war, of each appropriation. And erstwhile we accidental that students who are engaging successful the clip honored contented of civilian disobedience, of field protestation and enactment are inherently atrocious oregon inherently anti-Semitic, peculiarly arsenic we spot Jewish students lasting successful solidarity with Muslim students oregon Arab students and achromatic students, erstwhile you're connected the ground, you spot that each of those students person been moving unneurotic oregon person been learning and educating together. And they are each successful 1 dependable crying for a quality successful direction, peculiarly from Benjamin Netanyahu.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SUMMER LEE: So, I'm not shocked that helium would privation to formed them arsenic evil, formed them arsenic the wrong.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SUMMER LEE: That's been his M.O.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman, convey you for explaining what's happening wrong your enactment and your position. We'll person to permission it close there.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we're joined present by the founding manager of the Chicago Project connected Security and Threats, University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape, who has caller findings connected the assemblage protests implicit the Israel- Hamas War.
Welcome backmost to the program.
I recognize you've been surveying astir 5,000 students, 600 colleges and universities betwixt December and January, due to the fact that this stretches backmost to close aft October 7th.
ROBERT PAPE (Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago): Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What did you larn astir what's happening?
ROBERT PAPE: The large happening we learned is that the feelings of fearfulness connected assemblage campuses are much wide and much aggravated than we person known. Overall, 56 percent of Jewish students study feeling successful idiosyncratic danger. Close behind, 52 percent of Muslim students study feeling successful idiosyncratic danger. And 16 percent of each students who are not Jewish and not Muslim, this is 2 to 3 cardinal assemblage students, besides study feeling successful idiosyncratic danger.
We besides asked them successful substance boxes why. And implicit 1,000 students told america why. And what they're reporting, Margaret, is not TikTok. What they are reporting is observing acts of carnal unit and intimidation close I beforehand of them. Jewish students are seeing Jewish buildings attacked. Muslim students are seeing radical antagonistic backmost - counterattack against Muslims. The students not Jewish and not Muslim, they're conscionable seeing everyone getting attacked. Also, protestation chants are playing a role.
So, what we are seeing successful wide is that this is not fading away. This is simply a nonstop relation of the escalation successful the Middle Eastern struggle implicit there. And this is having spillover effects connected our campuses and, of course, successful immoderate cities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the talker of the House, Mike Johnson, went up to Columbia University this week. You had 4 Democratic lawmakers, each Jewish, who went, they said, successful solidarity with Jewish students determination and threatened to withhold national funding. Is that benignant of governmental engagement adjuvant oregon is it putting substance connected the fire?
ROBERT PAPE: It is putting substance connected the occurrence due to the fact that it's truthful one-sided. If Speaker Johnson had gone unneurotic with Hakeem Jeffries with an existent program to bring calm - and we'll speech astir what that mightiness look similar - past this is simply a antithetic story. But by travel - making it a surprise, by making threats, you know, if you don't bash x we volition occurrence y and we're going to bash x and this is each a surprise, this is really not adjuvant for assemblage power astatine all.
So, I besides survey the existent convulsive portion of this, and the fig 1 happening erstwhile you person protests and that are gathering is, don't bash a surprise. In Portland, during the George Floyd protests, you mightiness remember, DHS amazed Portland. That escalated things. This is simply a precise atrocious idea.
So, you request to person a much thoughtful attack to calming tensions that spell beyond assemblage power and that are not simply 1 broadside is right, everybody other is wrong, and we're going to hammer it done until we win.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, who is that archetypal enactment of enactment coming from? Is it assemblage presidents oregon are you talking astir instrumentality enforcement?
ROBERT PAPE: There are roles present for assemblage presidents, instrumentality enforcement and nationalist leaders. And, actually, talking to instrumentality enforcement present directly, successful folks who bash this successful Chicago, instrumentality enforcement is really overmuch much sophisticated, I think, than you mightiness spot from the nationalist (INAUDIBLE). So, that's wherefore I deliberation it's truthful important to absorption connected the solutions from the position of our assemblage leaders, our nationalist leaders, due to the fact that they are lone episodically progressive with dealing with unit and governmental violence. And that's truly wherefore it's truthful important to absorption connected what our assemblage leaders should beryllium doing and our nationalist leaders beyond simply assemblage control.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It sounds similar you're saying radical person forgotten however to person a civilian speech astir a heated issue.
ROBERT PAPE: Well, they've -
MARGARET BRENNAN: And isn't that what assemblage is expected to beryllium about?
ROBERT PAPE: They are. But cognize - October 7th caught each of america by surprise. And it caught universities by surprise. So, we are simply - we person policies. We person policies astatine (ph) the Calvin Report (ph) astatine the University of Chicago. These were galore of the field policies and our practices developed successful the 1960s. And astir nary person who was moving either our authorities oregon a assemblage was progressive successful the 1960s. And the issues we're dealing with contiguous are new. They're not wholly new, but I would accidental similar 90 degrees new. And that is what we person to travel to grips with and not conscionable presume everything was good before.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
ROBERT PAPE: So, they volition conscionable slice distant and they volition beryllium good again.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There's a batch of absorption connected the carnal protests close now, but going backmost to October, you had those 3 Palestinian boys changeable successful Burlington, Vermont. You had legislature hearings grilling assemblage assemblage leaders for not reigning successful the connection utilized connected campus. I mean this has been going connected for six months now. Does it halt erstwhile the schoolhouse twelvemonth ends?
ROBERT PAPE: I don't deliberation we tin number connected that for respective reasons. Number one, we person graduation play to get through. Number two, galore of our colleges present person summertime programs that are rather extensive. So, for galore colleges and universities, things don't wholly travel to a halt during the summer. But besides adjacent fall, autumn is each - not that acold away. And this could besides hap again. It could hap successful - successful the mediate of our predetermination play arsenic well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You betcha (ph).
ROBERT PAPE: So, determination are many, galore reasons, the Chicago convention, determination are galore reasons wherefore we should instrumentality calming steps now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
ROBERT PAPE: And again, not conscionable support assuming, oh, yes, everything's fine. We conscionable request to get done the adjacent time oregon 2 oregon the adjacent week oregon 2 and past things volition conscionable slice away. I deliberation that was an presumption by galore rather important and credible leaders.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
ROBERT PAPE: That presumption present needs to beryllium pushed aside.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Professor, convey you for your insights.
ROBERT PAPE: Absolutely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We'll beryllium backmost successful a moment.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We privation to instrumentality a person look astatine the increasing humanitarian situation erstwhile it comes to the world's children. Catherine Russell is the enforcement manager of UNICEF, and she is conscionable backmost from Israel and the West Bank.
It's bully to person you here.
CATHERINE RUSSELL (Executive Director, UNICEF): Thanks, Margaret. Good to beryllium here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I cognize you met with immoderate of the families of Israeli children who are inactive being held hostage. There's a one-year-old. There's a four-year-old.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you met with Israeli officials astir entree for assistance going into Gaza.
Did you get immoderate bully answers?
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Well, we got immoderate bully answers, which is that I deliberation a increasing consciousness of however captious it was for america to get much assistance in, and specifically what we needed, much entree points, amended security. You know, I'm surely not the lone idiosyncratic who made those arguments and advocated with the authorities of Israel.
But we person seen a small spot of an betterment successful Gaza, truthful that's a affirmative that came from it. Obviously, the needs inactive far, acold outweigh what we're capable to do, but astatine slightest we've seen immoderate progress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You besides went to the Palestinian West Bank.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: I did.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And 2023 was the deadliest twelvemonth for children successful the West Bank since they began monitoring astatine the U.N. successful 2005. With each of the attraction connected Gaza, archer maine what's happening to kids successful the West Bank close now.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes. Well, it's - you know, the archetypal time I met with, arsenic you said, the hostage families. The 2nd time I was successful the West Bank and heard determination astir the challenges children look each time conscionable trying to get to school, the barriers they face, the trouble successful benignant of moving around, the checkpoints, each the remainder of it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: (INAUDIBLE).
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes. And arsenic you said, determination is an summation successful violence. And I deliberation conscionable successful this twelvemonth unsocial determination person been 40 children, Palestinian children, killed, 2 Israeli children killed. There's conscionable an uptick successful violence. And it's, arsenic always, children who are truly impacted by that.
You besides mentioned, you know, I met with the hostage families. I mean they're devastated by what's going on. Some children inactive being held. Others who are traumatized either by being held themselves oregon by seeing household members killed and hurt.
And I deliberation I would conscionable accidental that wide I came backmost feeling similar there's conscionable truthful overmuch symptom and misery everyplace you look. And it's truly unfortunate to spot it. And conscionable praying for a amended time for everyone successful the situation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The U.N. says each 10 minutes a kid is killed oregon wounded successful Gaza. I mean that conscionable hits you successful the thorax erstwhile you perceive that.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes, it's a shocking number. And it is what's happening.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It's horrific.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And the U.S. called this week for an probe of this wide sedate that was conscionable recovered successful Gaza of hundreds of people. Were determination children there? What bash you know?
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes, we don't - UNICEF doesn't cognize overmuch astir that, honestly. I deliberation that - I would accidental a mates things. One, determination needs to beryllium a afloat probe of what happened. And I deliberation that astatine immoderate constituent volition certainly, I hope, instrumentality place.
And second, to me, it argues again for the value of having planetary property successful Gaza. I accidental this implicit and implicit again due to the fact that you person disputes astir what has really happened, what's going on. And I deliberation not - you know, look, determination are incredibly brave Palestinian reporters and property radical determination who are doing an unthinkable job. Many of them person suffered truthful much. People person been killed. I deliberation having the planetary property successful determination is besides truly important, and I anticipation that that gets - that that changes sometime soon and planetary property folks tin get in, truly marque their ain assessments of what's going on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And if the Israeli authorities allows for it -
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Exactly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I deliberation a batch of quality organizations would perfectly spell in.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: And they should beryllium there. They should beryllium seeing what's happening.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The U.S. military, arsenic you know, is mounting up this larboard that's expected to beryllium opened sometime successful May. We had Doctors Without Borders main connected recently.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And she said to me, "There's a dilatory question massacre of radical suffering from deprivation of nutrient and h2o for six months successful time."
You can't driblet lentils from the entity is what she said.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: That's right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You request a wide aesculapian response. Is determination immoderate program successful spot to bash this, to revive immoderate of these children who are starving to death?
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And volition it travel earlier determination is an penetration of Rafah?
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Well, fto maine accidental a mates things. One, the humanitarian situation, particularly for children, is incredibly worrying everywhere. We cognize successful the northbound wherever it's been precise hard for humanitarians to get successful with food, and arsenic you're pointing out, children successful peculiar request what we speech astir arsenic therapeutic feeding, right? So they request plumpy seed oregon benignant of interventions by aesculapian professionals. So, it's not, arsenic you say, conscionable dropping successful food. That's not enough. We request to bash much for small children.
It is decidedly not anyplace adjacent wherever it needs to be. I deliberation that the, you know, the thought of the port, the thought of aerial drops, you know, each - look we enactment it's getting overmuch - getting arsenic overmuch assistance successful arsenic we perchance can. But the information is, the astir important happening is getting much and much successful done roadworthy access. That's the champion access. It's the safest access. It's the champion for humanitarians and it's the easiest mode for america to really get around.
Having said that, it's precise hard to bash that for truthful galore reasons, not slightest of which the roads are each torn up, right? We person information issues. So, it's a challenging - it's a challenging benignant of array of problems.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: And I deliberation we request aggregate ways to effort to respond to it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Please archer maine what is happening successful Sudan, which is the biggest displacement situation successful the satellite for children close now.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Yes, Sudan is unspeakable for children. It is, arsenic you say, the largest displacement. Millions of children are connected the move. Almost nary children are successful school. I deliberation 90 percent of children are retired of school. There's unthinkable violence, including intersexual violence, that children are suffering and witnessing. Children are suffering from malnutrition. It's perfectly a devastating concern and we each request to wage much attraction to it for sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And these are the adjacent generations that we are talking about.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: You cognize what, Margaret, that's the happening astir moving with children, right? It's like, connected the 1 manus they're truthful susceptible to everything that happens to them. And, you know, you mentioned Rafah. I mean if there's an incursion into Rafah, that's unimaginable to ideate what the unit volition beryllium similar and what - however they volition suffer.
But whether it's successful Gaza oregon successful Sudan oregon Haiti oregon truthful galore different places, children are suffering truthful much. And we each speech astir children of the future. Well, OK, past we request to support them. We request to marque definite that they are educated and steadfast and person immoderate decent aboriginal ahead. And that's captious for them and it's captious for their countries and it's captious for each of humanity.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Catherine Russell, convey you for your insights today.
CATHERINE RUSSELL: Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's it for america today. Thank you each for watching. Until adjacent week, for FACE THE NATION, I'm Margaret Brennan.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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