On the heels of several Antifa sniper shootings, President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization, but Face the Nation Anchor Margaret Brennan is not so sure Antifa is anything more than an idea. In an interview Sunday with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Brennan guides her questions to hint that Trump may break some Fourth Amendment protections by going after Antifa.
“Have you seen evidence that these left-wing activists are now becoming a more organized group with national leadership, something the FBI has said in the past that they’re really more of an ideology?” Brennan asked. And further minimized the threat by thrusting more concern on Trump’s response than snipers who fire bullets imprinted with very specific messages.
This was not her only outrageous segment. Opposing Trump is Brennan’s default setting. For proof, look at the introduction of the show when she promotes a discussion about the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for lying to Congress, and worries more indictments may be on the way.
“But what can stop him from pursuing more cases?” she asks her viewers, as if any charges the Trump administration would bring will be baseless.
The propaganda press still has not heard: the American people don’t want to stop Trump.
In interviews we focus on the answers and forget about the interviewer, but below, the answers have all been removed so you can see how Brennan guides the conversation to oppose Trump on every topic she covers. Here are just the questions.
(Introduction)
Margaret Brennan: I’m Margaret Brennan in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation: President Trump says another blue city needs federal protection. Plus, his opponents say he’s stepping up a campaign of political retribution.
President Trump now says that Portland, Oregon, is under siege and that he’s sending troops there to protect ICE. But will his solution cause new problems?
Back in Washington, Mr. Trump put his political opponents on notice after directing his Justice Department to indict former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress.
(Video Clip)
Margaret Brennan: But what can stop him from pursuing more cases?
We will talk with the head of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Rand Paul.
Plus, as the clock ticks down again towards a possible government shutdown, this round of the Washington blame game has the potential to hurt more than just the two parties. This time, the Trump administration is threatening to fire, instead of furlough, some federal workers, unless Democrats support their funding bill.
Why won’t they? We will ask two key Democrats in the Senate, Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar and Virginia’s Tim Kaine.
Overnight, Russia launches a massive attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles on Ukraine’s capital city. Republican Congressman Mike Turner just returned from the region, and he will join us.
It’s all just ahead on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.
We have breaking news as we begin what is likely to be another turbulent week here in Washington. Congress faces a government shutdown deadline of October 1.
Our Robert Costa spoke this morning to President Trump.
Bob, top leaders, both parties, both sides of the Capitol, are coming to the White House. Did the president tell you he thinks a shutdown can be avoided?
Robert Costa: A shutdown looks likely at this point, based on my conversation this morning with President Trump.
He says both sides are at a stalemate. Democrats want to extend health care subsidies that were part of the Affordable Care Act. But President Trump said his focus on health care is on preventing undocumented migrants from having access to any of the U.S. health care system.
Now, it’s illegal for any noncitizen to have that sort of access. But President Trump says, we’re not going to have it – quote – “We’re not going to allow it” in terms of moving forward on any discussion unless the Democrats come to his side on health care and don’t focus on the subsidies.
But, based on my conversations with top Democrats, that’s not going to happen. So President Trump told me – quote – “I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue.”
That makes a shutdown quite likely. And inside the White House, sources are saying President Trump actually welcomes a shutdown, in the sense that he believes he can wield executive power to get rid of what he calls waste, fraud, and abuse. And there is that memo, as you mentioned, that says the government is ready to have mass firings if a deal isn’t struck.
Margaret Brennan: Reductions in force, right.
Well, we also know that the president took some extraordinary public statements in the past few days. He publicly said he wants to see Adam Schiff, now a senator, Letitia James prosecuted, along with James Comey, the former FBI director, who is now indicted.
Yesterday, he twice posted on social media about former FBI Director Chris Wray. Did the president tell you, is he planning prosecutions?
Robert Costa: I did not speak directly to the president about that today.
But fishing around all weekend in his inner circle, it’s clear this is just the beginning in terms of possible prosecutions of those who have scrutinized the president or criticized him over the years. You mentioned the mortgage policy potentially of Senator Adam Schiff of California. He’s being discussed inside of the Trump administration.
So is Letitia James, the New York attorney general, who sued the president over how he valued his real estate holdings. And there are others not even on our radar at this moment, like retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, who are being discussed as people who may have taken action against the administration or president in some way, allegedly, in the views of those inside, and they want to see the Justice Department hold them to account.
There’s such a gap right now in Washington. Republicans believe what President Trump is doing is accountability. Democrats are alarmed and see this as authoritarian government at work. And there’s a real tension there that’s not going away.
Margaret Brennan: No, and a justice system that has to deal with evidence and facts. And we’re going to talk about all of this ahead with some of our guests.
Robert Costa, thank you very much for your reporting.