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More than half a million women and girls in the United States are living with the physical and psychological scars of female genital mutilation — including many in Minnesota, home to a large Somali community from a country where roughly 98% of women have undergone the procedure, according to United Nations data.

Yet despite a state law that makes performing the procedures a felony, Minnesota has never secured a single criminal prosecution under its law — raising questions about enforcement, and whether cases could be going on undetected.

Female genital mutilation, or FGM, involves the cutting or removal of parts of a female’s genital organs, typically for cultural rather than medical reasons. The practice is irreversible.

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“It’s hidden — it’s a cultural practice, and who is doing the cutting could be a family member or a doctor who is also in that same culture,” Minnesota Republican state Rep. Mary Franson told Fox News Digital, noting it may be carried out within tight-knit communities. She said the secrecy surrounding the practice makes it exceptionally difficult to detect and confront.

[MINNESOTA ‘ON THE CLOCK’ AS HHS THREATENS PENALTIES OVER CHILDCARE FRAUD SCANDAL]

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For some within Minnesota’s Somali community, the issue is less about public crime statistics and more about private silence — a practice survivors say is carried in secrecy, shame and fear.

The lack of prosecutions comes amid broader scrutiny of how Minnesota agencies handle oversight failures, including high-profile welfare and daycare fraud cases in which prosecutors allege billions of taxpayer dollars were siphoned off while warning signs went unaddressed. Investigators and watchdogs later concluded that officials were reluctant to probe deeply in culturally sensitive contexts — a reluctance, critics say, allowed large-scale violations to persist in plain sight.

The estimate of more than half a million survivors in the United States comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent national analysis, published in 2016.

Together, the scale of the issue and the difficulty of detection have raised questions about whether Minnesota’s ban on FGM is being effectively enforced when the crime is often carried out in secrecy.

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Survivor warns of lasting harm

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born activist and author who survived FGM, described the lasting physical and psychological damage she endured and called for legal accountability.

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“Female genital mutilation is violence against the most vulnerable — children,” Hirsi Ali told Fox News Digital. “It causes infection, incontinence, unbearable pain during childbirth and deep physical and emotional scars that never heal. Religious or cultural practices that deliberately and cruelly harm children must be confronted. No tradition can ever justify torture.”

Hirsi Ali, who founded the AHA Foundation as a means to end FGM, said that the pressure placed on parents in these groups to enforce the practice poses an overwhelming risk to girls.

“Only legal accountability can help reduce that risk,” Hirsi Ali said. “I survived female genital mutilation and I carry its scars with me. But I refuse to accept that another girl in America must endure what I did in Somalia.”

‘I remember being held down’

Zahra Abdalla, a Minnesota-based Somali survivor of female genital mutilation, told Fox News Digital that the practice survives in secrecy, shielded by family pressure and silence.

Abdalla, who spoke to Fox News Digital on camera but asked that her face be blurred, said she was between six and seven years old when she was forcibly restrained in a refugee camp in Kenya while adult women in her community carried out the procedure without anesthesia, using a razor blade.

“They tied my hands and my legs,” Abdalla said. “I remember being held down. I remember the pain — and knowing I could not escape.”

Abdalla said she was “lucky” because she fought back during the procedure, kicking one of the women who was pregnant at the time. The disruption, she said, caused the cutting to stop before it was fully completed. She said the wound was later washed with salt water.

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“That pain — I thought I was going to pass out,” she said.

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The damage followed her into adulthood, she said, later requiring surgery and, in her view, contributing to multiple miscarriages. She also said intercourse was very difficult.

She said the practice is often driven by marriage expectations, adding that in some communities men are reluctant to marry women who have not undergone the procedure.

“It’s tied to dowry. It’s tied to marriage,” she said, referring to the financial and social expectations placed on families when arranging marriages. “It’s tied to what men expect,” she said. “Families believe it protects a girl’s value.”

She said silence remains one of the biggest barriers to enforcement. She is the executive director of the nonprofit Somaliweyn Relief Agency (SRA), which seeks to raise awareness about the practice.

“You don’t talk about it,” she said. “You’re told to stay quiet.”

While she said she cannot confirm specific cases inside Minnesota, she said she believes some families take girls back to Somalia during school breaks to have the procedure performed.

No prosecutions despite felony law

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Her warning mirrors how some of the only known U.S. cases have surfaced.

In a high-profile federal case in Michigan in 2017, prosecutors alleged that two young girls were taken from Minnesota to undergo female genital mutilation. The case later collapsed because the judge ruled that Congress did not clearly have the constitutional authority, at the time, which expanded federal jurisdiction in cases involving interstate or international travel.

That ruling prompted Congress to strengthen the statute, a change signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2021 under the Stop FGM Act, which expanded federal jurisdiction in cases involving interstate or international travel.

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However, a Fox News Digital review of publicly available Minnesota court records, enforcement announcements and professional licensing disciplinary records found no documented prosecutions or sanctions tied to FGM. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office said prosecutions for state crimes like female genital mutilation are handled by county attorneys and did not identify any FGM cases. County prosecutors contacted for this story also did not identify any prosecutions.

Those provisions, however, have not resulted in documented criminal prosecutions.

Minnesota criminalized female genital mutilation in 1994, classifying the practice as a felony.

The Minnesota Department of Health told Fox News Digital that it does not track specific data on female genital mutilation, underscoring how difficult the practice is to monitor or enforce.

Global context, local uncertainty

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Around the world, FGM is most prevalent in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

[Somalia has among the highest prevalence] rates in the world, with United Nations data estimating roughly 98% of women ages 15 to 49 there have undergone the procedure. The United Nations, World Health Organization and UNICEF classify FGM as a human rights violation rooted in efforts to control female sexuality and enforce gender inequality, and the UN observes an annual day of awareness in February to combat the practice globally.

Those figures describe conditions in Somalia and are not proof the procedure is occurring in Minnesota, but they help explain why risk is acknowledged even as the practice remains difficult to detect.

[Medical experts] say the procedure can cause chronic pain, severe bleeding, infections, urinary problems, sexual dysfunction, childbirth complications and, in some cases, death. Because it permanently alters genital tissue, the harm cannot be undone. Survivors often require repeated medical care and carry lasting psychological trauma.

Critics say the gap between the law and enforcement is fueled by silence.

Survivors often do not report the practice out of fear, stigma, family pressure or concern about involving authorities — even when mandatory reporting laws exist. Medical professionals, particularly OB-GYNs, are often the first to encounter adult survivors, placing clinicians near the center of any enforcement effort that has yet to materialize.

[MINNESOTA FRAUD WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS ‘LACK OF GUARDRAILS WAS PRETTY SHOCKING’]

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The CDC has not released a newer national estimate, and there is no data on the number of people in Minnesota who are victims. However, a CDC-supported Women’s Health Needs Study conducted from 2019 to 2021 included [Minneapolis as one] of four U.S. metro areas documenting a significant survivor population.

The study did not track where procedures occurred or whether anyone was charged, underscoring how little the public knows about enforcement.

Fox News Digital also contacted multiple Minnesota clinics that provide reproductive and women’s health services asking whether clinicians encounter patients with physical evidence of female genital mutilation. None responded.

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Lawmakers push task force amid accountability questions

Some Minnesota state lawmakers have introduced [legislation this session] to establish a “task force on prevention of female genital mutilation” — a step that Rep. Mary Franson said reflects concerns raised by women in the community that the practice may be occurring or going undetected in Minnesota.

Franson said the legislation was prompted by concerns raised by women in the Somali community. The bill’s chief author is Rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley, a Democrat of Kenyan heritage, and it is co-sponsored by Franson along with Democratic Reps. Kristin Bahner, Kristi Pursell and Anquam Mahamoud, who is Somali-American. None of them responded to multiple Fox News Digital requests for comment.

Franson said she became a focal point of opposition once she became publicly associated with the bill.

“The bill was brought forward by women in the Somali community. I was the chief author, but then Democrats told one of the DFL women that if I carried the bill, they would not support it,” Franson said. “Of course, it’s because they believe I am a racist.”

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Franson, who is white, first introduced FGM-related legislation in 2017 that would have classified the practice as child abuse and clarified parental accountability. That effort stalled and never became law.

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At the federal level, Congress criminalized female genital mutilation in 1996 and later expanded federal jurisdiction in 2018 under legislation signed by then-President [Donald Trump,] explicitly covering cases involving interstate or international travel.

Even so, prosecutions nationwide have remained rare, with the only widely cited state-level conviction occurring in Georgia in 2006, where a woman was convicted under Georgia state law for performing FGM on a minor.

In Minnesota, where the practice has been a felony since 1994, there is no public record of a single criminal prosecution — raising an unavoidable question: with laws on the books and a documented survivor population, who is responsible for enforcing the ban, and why have prosecutions not followed?

符祝慧：莫让《何日君再来》变成“何日军再来”

发布/2026年2月23日 05:01

日本首相高市早苗去年11月发表“台湾有事”言论，今年又恰逢远东国际军事法庭对二战战犯审判（“东京裁判”）80周年，中日两国围绕历史与安全课题的交锋再度升温，双边关系如履薄冰。

中国外长王毅近日在慕尼黑安全会议上的谈话，引发日本政府强烈不满。王毅指高市的涉台言论，直接挑战中国的国家主权以及台湾已经归还中国的战后国际秩序。王毅还对比日本和德国在战后的做法，指德国全面清算法西斯，日本却把甲级战犯（东京裁判定罪者）供奉在神社里，政要络绎不绝去顶礼膜拜，把他们奉为“英灵”，显示“日本侵略殖民台湾的野心未泯、复活军国主义的阴魂不散”。

日本政府随即通过外交渠道表达不满。外交部在社媒X的官方账号发文，虽未点名中国，但批评“国际社会中存在某些国家，多年来持续进行不透明的军事力量扩张，不断强化以武力或胁迫手段单方面改变现状的企图”。

美国要求合作伙伴信守承诺 履行已达成协议

发布/2026年2月23日 07:19

美国贸易代表格里尔说，美国与中欧日韩等贸易伙伴达成的协议仍然有效。 （路透社）

美国贸易官员捍卫总统特朗普的强硬贸易政策，称尽管特朗普动用《国际紧急经济权力法》加征关税的措施在最高法院的诉讼败诉，但此前与美国伙伴达成的协议不会因此失效。

综合彭博社和《纽约时报》报道，美国贸易代表格里尔星期天（2月22日）接受多家美国媒体访问，强调政府已找到“重建”其惩罚性对等关税的方法。

格里尔接受哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）访问时说，美国与中国、欧盟、日本、韩国等贸易伙伴达成的协议仍然有效，试图将这些协议与特朗普21日新宣布的向全球征收15%的关税区分开来。

格里尔说：“我们希望他们明白，这些协议是有效的。我们会信守承诺，也希望我们的合作伙伴信守承诺。”

美国最高法院20日裁定特朗普援引1977年《国际紧急经济权力法》（IEEPA）加征关税逾越总统权限，构成违宪。特朗普当晚迅即签署行政令，援引《1974年贸易法》122条款，向全球贸易伙伴征收10%进口关税，为期150天；不到24小时后，他又宣布将税率上调至法律允许的15％上限，且立即生效。

格里尔同日告诉美国广播公司（ABC），特朗普向全球征收15%关税所援引的法律，是一个“非常可靠”的工具。

特朗普还下令贸易代表办公室援引《1974年贸易法》301条款启动“不公平贸易行为”调查，此举意在展现美国政府的信心，即法律上的挫败不会阻碍美国在贸易问题上惯用的边缘政策。

对此，格里尔说：“总统多年来一直以关税和保护美国工业为竞选主题，这项政策没有改变。”

格里尔向CBS透露，他和欧盟对口官员已在周末进行了沟通，并将与其他美国主要贸易伙伴的官员通话。

“请放心，我一直在与他们沟通。过去一年，我一直告诉他们——无论诉讼结果如何，我们都会有关税，总统的政策将继续执行。”

“这就是为什么在诉讼结果出炉前，他们已跟我们签署协议。”

美国最高法院在特朗普即将访华之际裁定特朗普动用紧急权力对包括中国在内征收对等关税违宪，有分析者认为这将削弱美国与中国谈判的筹码。但格里尔指美国可以利用其他贸易手段，例如调查他国贸易行为。

格里尔说：“我们已经对中国实施类似的关税，我们已经有公开的调查正在进行。”

特朗普预计将在3月31日启程访问中国，其间将与中国国家主席习近平会晤。

格里尔接受福克斯新闻星期天节目访问时说：“总统和习近平关系良好。”他说，美国对中国维持平均40%的关税，而这并未动用被最高法院否决的《国际紧急经济权力法》。

朝鲜劳动党九大拥戴金正恩为总书记

2026年2月23日 07:46 / 联合早报

朝鲜劳动党第九次代表大会2月22日通过《关于选举朝鲜劳动党总书记》的决议书，一致拥戴金正恩（前排中）为劳动党总书记。 （路透社）

朝鲜劳动党第九次代表大会一致拥戴领导人金正恩为劳动党总书记。

朝中社星期一（2月23日）报道，朝鲜劳动党第九次代表大会22日通过了《关于选举朝鲜劳动党总书记》的决议书。

决议书说：“朝鲜劳动党第九次代表大会根据全体代表、数百万党员、全国人民和人民军官兵的坚定意志和一致要求，决定竭诚拥戴金正恩为朝鲜劳动党总书记。”

Violence erupts in Mexico after cartel leader “El Mencho” killed in military operation

Updated on: February 22, 2026 / 3:09 PM EST / CBS/AP

Violent clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday amid a military operation that led to the death of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, triggering widespread security concerns throughout the region.

Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during an operation in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement on X. It said he was wounded during the raid in the town of Tapalpa and died while being flown to Mexico City.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who also confirmed the cartel leader’s death, described him as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”

“This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” he said on X.

The operation followed several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

A member of the Prosecutor’s Office stands guard near a burning bus set on fire by organized crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026. Ulises Ruiz /AFP via Getty Images

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro activated a “code red,” which is a protocol for a state of emergency or security crisis, in response to the clashes. In a post on X, he said public transportation was suspended across Jalisco and urged people in the area to remain in their homes until the situation was under control.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic.

A similar situation unfolded at the airport in Reynosa, a Mexican border city in the state of Tamaulipas, sources on the ground and family members in the city told CBS News’ Nidia Cavazos. They said roads to and from the airport had been blocked off by cartel members. Reynosa borders McAllen, Texas, and is typically packed with Americans traveling back and forth. While international bridges remained open, key streets to get to the bridges were blocked off.

The U.S. State Department has released a security alert advising American citizens in several Mexican states, including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, to shelter in place until further notice.

Air Canada temporarily suspended operations at the Puerto Vallarta Airport because of what it described as “an ongoing security situation in Puerto Vallarta” that impacted the airport.

“We are monitoring the situation and in contact with local authorities who are working to resolve the issue,” the airline said.

A man extinguishes a burning truck set on fire by organised crime groups in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026. Ulises RUIZ /AFP via Getty Images

Southwest and Alaska Airlines confirmed they canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, while Delta Air Lines issued travel waivers to customers with flights into or out of the airport in Puerto Vallarta as well as Guadalajara.

“The safety of our customers and crew always comes first and we are closely monitoring the situation in the region. We have taken steps to adjust our operation accordingly and are working to communicate with our impacted customers,” Delta said in a statement.

The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho.

A U.S. wanted poster for “El Mencho,” head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, saying that in addition to trafficking fentanyl, the group “engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, as well as weapons trade.”

Emily Mae Czachor, José Diaz and Nidia Cavazos contributed to this report.

Transcript: U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 22, 2026

2026-02-22T11:11:00-0500 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 22, 2026.

*

MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, Ambassador. Welcome back to Face The Nation.

JAMIESON GREER, UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you. It’s great to be on.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So the president had imposed these tariffs using several different statutes, but the Supreme Court declared that invoking tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was illegal because taxation is the authority of the Congress, but the president then said he is going to issue quote “legally permissible tariffs” and that he doesn’t need to go to Congress. So can you clarify? Will you ask Congress to legislate tariffs? And if so, which ones?

JAMIESON GREER: So again, thanks for having me on and right now, it’s important to understand that over the years, Congress has delegated enormous tariff-setting authority to the president, depending on the situation. So even though the Supreme Court struck down tariffs under one authority, tariffs under other national security elements remain in place. Tariffs under what we call Section 301 related to unfair trading practices, remain in place. And so we of course, can conduct additional investigations under these tools to impose tariffs, to have continuity in the president’s trade policy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But to be clear, those investigations, they have guardrails. They have processes. In fact, the 301s, they could take a year or so to complete those investigations before tariffs come in. You won’t have the ability to move as quickly now that the court has ruled, correct?

: So we don’t have the same flexibility that IEEPA gave us, which is the emergency statute under Section 301, we have series of hearings, we have public comment, we consult with the other countries, and then we try to resolve the unfair practices we identify, and if they’re not resolved, you can take actions like tariffs or other things to try to resolve them. We have tariffs like this already in place on China. We have open investigations already.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But back on the question of congressional authority, there were six House Republicans who voted the other week to roll back the tariffs that the U.S. had put on goods from Canada. That is a signal here of apprehension among members of the president’s own party. Given the president’s low approval ratings on the economy, according to CBS polling, he’s at 39% now, can you go and ask Republican lawmakers, when you were just months out from those midterm races, to take a vote to legislate on tariffs?

: So this is, this is interesting, because one, I’ve heard from a lot of Republicans over the past year, ones who traditionally, you know, weren’t always in favor of tariffs, they’ve now come around. And they said, one, we’ve seen this as effective to negotiate deals. Two, we’ve seen it’s effective to re-shore. And three, it’s real money coming in. And so I’ve heard from folks all over the spectrum, and I have to point out too, we did get one Democrat voting in favor of the tariffs as well. And the Republicans who voted against the president, they vote against him on everything, these are people who are either in the doghouse or on the way out. So it’s not, it’s not really representative of where the party is.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, one of them had been endorsed by the president, though the president just pulled back the endorsement because he didn’t like what he said about tariffs, but it but to my point, will you ask Congress to actually legislate, or are you just going to avoid going to Congress?

: Well, well, first of all, Congress has already put out statutes allowing the president to impose tariffs. And tariffs have been in place under those types of statutes for, for many years at this point. So in some ways, Congress has already pre-approved these types of authorities. I’m happy to have conversations with Congress about how to legislate the president’s trade program. And I’ve had, you know, conversations like that already, and there is some interest, and so we’re happy to talk to them about it, but we’re not going to stop our program. We’ll just use the congressional authorities they’ve extended already for now.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so in terms of the existing authorities, the president said he’s going to sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122. That was Friday. The next morning, he posted on social media, he’s going to hike it to the maximum of 15%. What changed overnight in your strategy?

: Well, I think, well, the strategy didn’t, didn’t change, because the problem remains the same, and frankly, as the president’s advisers ref- review- reviewed this action, this authority allows the president to go up to 15%. And considering the severity of the issue we’re dealing with, which is a huge, huge unfairness, huge disparity, huge imbalance between the United States and its trading partners, just the urgency of the situation demands that he use his full authority, which is to impose a tariff at–

[CROSSTALK BEGINS]

MARGARET BRENNAN: –but that expires at five months–

: –15% for about five months.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, that expires at five months.

: That’s right. That’s exactly right–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –what back to, you would have to then ask Congress–

: –So in the meantime what we will be doing. No, so I’m not sure you understand how Section 301 works. We [inaud] process process–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –No, we’re talking about Section 122–

:–an investigation–

[CROSSTALK ENDS]

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re talking about Section 122, you said, isn’t that what the president’s using to hike to 15%?

: I’m agreeing with you. So that’s right, that’s right. And during that time, we’re going to conduct investigations that can allow us to impose tariffs if it’s justified by the investigation. So we expect to have continuity in the president’s tariff program. We know that these laws work. They’re tried and true, and so we’ll have continuity. The pres- the policy hasn’t changed, just the tools have changed.

MARGARET BRENNAN Okay, so you’re saying 122 expires after, after this period of time, but you expect your investigation to sort of pick up where they left off. Is that what you’re saying with continuity?

: Yeah, that’s one way to put it, yeah, yeah.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so in terms of what’s happening around the world, you had India reportedly call off a visit by their trade delegation to Washington, because they’re trying to figure out what just happened South Korea, the EU bloc, they’re both holding emergency se- meetings to try to figure out what’s going on. They have trade deals with the U.S. What’s going to happen to those trade deals? Are they in jeopardy?

: So I spoke with my counterpart from the EU this weekend. I have a call that I’m going to have with others. I spoke to my counterparts in other countries. And so the deals, the deals, were not premised on whether or not the lit- the emergency tariff litigation would rise or fall. They weren’t premised on that. So it’s totally normal for these countries to talk to each other, have meetings internally to determine this. But rest assured, I’ve been speaking to these folks as well, and I’ve been telling them for a year whether this case, whether we won or lost, we were going to have tariffs. The president’s policy was going to continue. That’s why they signed these deals, even while the litigation was pending. So we’re having active conversations with them. We want them to understand that these deals are going to be good deals. We, we expect to stand by them. We expect our partners to stand by them. And I haven’t heard anyone yet come to me and say, the deal’s off. They want to see how this plays out. I’m in active conversation with them on it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so we’ll watch that space. The Supreme Court ruling that vote was 6-3. The president, as you know, you were there, came out publicly, and he railed against some of those justices by name. He said this on Friday, take a listen.

[SOUND ON TAPE BEGINS]

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They’re very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution. It’s my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think.

[SOUND ON TAPE ENDS]

MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s a pretty huge allegation. What foreign interest has corrupted the Court according to the president?

: Well, I won’t characterize his words too much. He speaks for himself what I will say is that–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –Do you know what he’s talking about?–

: So many, so many of the interests that are, that were at issue in this case, were really about foreign importers or foreign- foreign companies that have interests here in the U.S. who are suing the president and suing the administration. It’s foreign companies that are benefiting from, from the tariffs being struck down. This is why, when we impose tariffs, foreign countries don’t like it and foreign companies don’t like it, because they’re the ones that don’t want to have the tariffs in place. They’re the ones that are suing. They’re the ones that are trying to get together coalitions and groups who oppose what the president is doing. The president’s fighting for American workers. He’s trying to impose a trade policy that has a, has a through line through the first Trump administration, Biden and Trump with tariffs. But it’s foreign countries and companies that are suing that want these things to go away.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They are suing, but the president wasn’t talking about them. The president was talking about the Supreme Court justices who he said are unpatriotic and disloyal and swayed by foreign interests. Do you have any evidence to back–

: –the foreign–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –that allegation about the Supreme Court justices who, as you know, face security threats on a daily basis?

: So when the foreign interests sue, they appear before the courts. They’re literally arguing before the courts that they should have a different outcome. So they are, and it’s quite obvious that foreign interests are involved. They’re helping bring lawsuits. They’re arguing before the Court, and these justices, six of them, agree with what a lot of these foreign interests want, which is take down the tariffs, take down the barriers and let us import as much cheap crap as we want to the United States at the expense of American workers.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But do you need to clarify, or feel compelled in any way to clarify, in regard to the allegations against the justices themselves?

: I’m not, I’m not speaking for the President. What I’m telling you is that when the President talks about foreign influences, at a minimum, what we see is that foreign companies are involved in the coalitions, the PR effort, they’re involved in the cases and they don’t want these tariffs. It’s not a secret. I mean, for, for months these, these foreign countries and companies and people the United States who benefit from their commercial relations with them, they want these tariffs to be gone. That, that should be the signal for us that we’re doing the right thing, that we’re over the target, when the foreign countries and companies are literally arguing in court through their advocates to take it down, we know they have influence.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, 1500 businesses, including Costco, have filed lawsuits to get repaid for these tariffs, but we will leave it there. Jamieson Greer, thank you for your tim this morning. We’ll be right back with a lot more Face the Nation, stay with us.

Transcript: Govs. Laura Kelly of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Mike Braun of Indiana and Mike DeWine of Ohio on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 22, 2026

2026-02-22T11:16:00-0500 / CBS News

The following is the full transcript of the interview with Govs. Laura Kelly of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Mike Braun of Indiana and Mike DeWine of Ohio that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 22, 2026.

*

MARGARET BRENNAN: Every year, America’s governors gather here in Washington, and we’re joined now by Kansas Democrat Laura Kelly, Kentucky Democrat Andy Beshear, Ohio Republican Mike DeWine and Indiana Republican Mike Braun. Thank you all for being here and having a bipartisan conversation, they are rare these days, and we enjoy them. I- There’s so much to talk about, but I need to start on this big decision from the Supreme Court, because it has a huge impact on the economy, including in many of your states. It was a 6-3 ruling from the court that President Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs on certain items by using this 1977 law. A dozen states and a handful of small businesses had sued over these tariffs, which is how it ended up in the courts in the first place. So let me start with you, Governor Kelly, what impact will this have on your state? Do you know yet?

GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY: I don’t know the specifics, but I’m hopeful, optimistic, that it will settle some of the issues that we have, particularly in our agricultural industry. You know, they’ve been hit very, very hard by these tariffs, and I’m hoping that this court decision will reverse some of those and allow them to get back to business again.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Beshear, Kentucky bourbon, had been hit hard by those retaliatory tariffs. Does this ruling do much for that industry, or, more broadly, for your state?

GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: I hope so. Tariffs are a tax on the American people. We’ve seen studies that show that 90% of these tariffs are being borne by American business. Those are all in our states, as well as our people. We’ve seen parts of the economy slow down because of it. It can add 30% more cost to a major new construction project, which could slow down new jobs coming to our communities. Bourbon has been hit hard, and now this is the second straight time, and this is from a state where both of our U.S. senators and this governor, despite being in different parties, are all against tariffs.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Braun, for you, what are you seeing out in Indiana? Because we checked the stats and it looked like your auto and machinery manufacturing have lagged a bit. The Indiana business review says your farmers were hit hard by retaliatory tariffs. Is this going to bring relief?

GOVERNOR MIKE BRAUN: So Indiana’s along with Wisconsin, the two biggest states per capita manufacturing, so tariffs would have been a plus due to the industries that have been kind of hollowed out. You look at Gary, Indiana, that was the largest, second largest city in Indiana. Steel goes overseas. I think the key is-is trade has to be fair and free, and from the Marshall Plan through rebuilding the global economy, we did some things that got that out of balance. I mean, we were in a trillion dollar, give or take, annual deficit in trade, $2 trillion on our fiscal account. That turns you into a debtor nation. So ideally, through reciprocity, you get things down and even free and fair and get back on an even playing field over those 40-50, years, it got imbalanced, and I think that’s where Trump was coming from.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But the court said he over, over reached–

[CROSS TALK]

GOV. BRAUN: Well, that’s that’s a constitutional issue, and–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.

GOV. BRAUN: And you’re going to have to deal with it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: In your state, though you said you believed this theory, that it might actually help bring back some of those manufacturing jobs. Did you see that it did any of that?

GOV. BRAUN: Yes, it was starting, I mean, the amount of investment that’s coming back to this country that whooshed out of it, that created chronic trade deficits, that needs to be rectified. And you can do that through tariffs. You can do it through trade negotiations, and we were going the wrong way for a long time.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you think this is a negative?

GOV. BRAUN: I think the other ways to continue what’s already occurred, it’ll be interesting with the countries they’ve already done deals with, whether they’ll try to renege. I got a feeling a lot of them will stay put with the trade deals they put in place.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor DeWine for you in Ohio, the Cleveland Fed said the tariffs drove price increases across multiple sectors in your state, including in manufacturing and including in retail. Do you believe their analysis, or do you believe the President’s analysis?

GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE: First of all, Margaret, I don’t think we know what’s going to happen–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Now after this ruling?

GOV. DEWINE: You know, look, the President, I’m sure, is going to look for any way he can to basically go back and do-do this-

[CROSSTALK]

MARGARET BRENNAN: He pretty much said that, right, at 10% global tariffs.

GOV. DEWINE: One of the dissents certainly said he had the authority to do it. We’ll have to see. So I don’t think anybody knows. It’s been mixed for us. I think you know, for agriculture, particularly soybeans, for example, it was not, it was not helpful. But we are, we are a manufacturing state. And I think one of the things that we learned all of us who were governors at the time during Covid Is that the supply chains, we got to make more- We’re not- we’re broken. We have to make more things back here in the United States, but I think that’s a general feeling of the, of the public. So I think as- as a manufacturing state, you know, we’re seeing some new investment coming in. It’s hard to tell sometimes. Do you attribute it to the fact that they now have to be investing more and don’t want to have the tariffs or not? But my feeling is that we’re getting a lot that’s coming in because frankly, because of those tariffs.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But the administration also says, though, that those manufacturing jobs are going to be replaced by robots, right? That we’re going through a huge technological shift, that we’re moving forward towards non human manufacturing.

GOV. DEWINE: We’ve been doing that, We’ve been doing that for decades–

MARGARET BRENNAN: So how do you explain that to your state when you go home?

GOV. DEWINE: And for companies, for companies to be efficient, they have to do that. But that doesn’t mean they’re not employing people. That doesn’t mean they’re not selling so, you know, we want our businesses to survive, and they will use the tech, the new technology that’s not new, that’s been going on for a long time.

GOV. BRAUN: And Margaret, real quickly. I ran a business for 37 years before I got into the Senate, and technology is something we’ve woven into our own business, distribution, logistics. It creates jobs in many ways. What AI is going to do, where you take a lot of the mundane things that just take a lot of time, it’s hard to tell where it goes, but if it increases productivity, it’s going to be a blessing. And that’s really how you bring prices down in the long run.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me quickly ask you both, since you were in the room at the White House when the President was passed this note that the Supreme Court had just ruled, did he give you any sense of what he’s going to do next? Was it exactly what he said from the White House podium, or was it different?

GOV. DEWINE: It was very quick, frankly, you know, he expressed his displeasure. He read it first to everyone to express some displeasure–

GOV. BRAUN: Took questions, and left.

GOV. DEWINE: Yeah, and said, basically, I have to go out and get ready to give a speech. And that’s, then he left.

GOV. BESHEAR: Margaret, my hope is that this decision stops the chaos in how these tariffs are being implemented. Because business needs stability. Trade needs stability. And if a president can wield this authority that he was trying to, then you see the chaos we’ve seen, where we had, first across the board, then reciprocal tariffs, then industry specific tariffs, then we had tariffs on a- on a country for non economic reasons. What this should say is the President has to go to Congress. We have former members of Congress here and actually work it through in a thoughtful way.

GOV. KELLY: And what I’d like to see is I do think there are ways that the President can work around this and get where he wants to go on tariffs. I’m hoping, though, that the approach will be, what about his tariff policy before worked, you know, in the manufacturing arena, for instance, but where did it not work? And be very careful when you’re looking at what impact it has on small businesses and agriculture. So I hope whatever comes next is more thoughtful.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well and- and they’re not going away, right? The President did announce at the White House podium a 10% global tariff above the normal tariffs, and he’s talking about these temporary authorities. So the story is still developing at this point, no doubt. But is–

GOV. BESHEAR: Is this a story of him potentially defying his own Supreme Court?

MARGARET BRENNAN: That is a great question that I would love to put to that to the President and perhaps some members of his administration. But on this, broadly speaking, I don’t hear one clear view from you that you would ask the president to hold off. It sounds like, in some ways, you governor, thought maybe the tariffs are working in certain sectors.

GOV. KELLY: I wasn’t- I wasn’t trying to come across this as a-as a proponent of the tariffs at all. No, I, you know, I was probably the only Democratic governor who actually signed on to the USMCA, the trade agreement between Canada and Mexico and the United States. Those are our two biggest trading partners. That was working really well for us.

MARGARET BRENNAN: That was in the first Trump administration.

GOV. KELLY: Exactly. And so, you know, I’d like to get back to doing business that way. But if you know, just given the reality of who’s President right now and what likely to come, if we can’t go back to that exactly, then you know, then what I said before about let’s if there were any good things that came out of the approach he took to tariffs, let’s focus on that, but let’s not reinsert all of the things that were really horrible.

GOV. DEWINE: Margaret, I think you’re going to see the President remain a tough negotiator. He’ll figure out a way to do that. You know, we all believe in free trade, but I think that we have not let countries run over us, to some extent in the past, and I think the President was correct in that regard. Did it all work out? No. Some of them did. Maybe some of them did not. But I think that being tough a negotiator. I think the vast majority of the American people want to see a tough negotiator.

GOV. BESHEAR: But my concern is that these other countries aren’t paying the tariffs. We are. 90% percent of all the costs borne by American families and American businesses, at a time when people struggle just to get by to pay the bills at the end of the month, this is adding $1,000 plus in costs.

GOV. BRAUN: And on the other hand, in the big picture, you cannot become a debtor nation because you’re nursing a chronic trade deficit and fiscal deficit.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Isn’t that your old job, though, over in Congress?

GOV. BRAUN: But try getting 60 senators to agree to anything, and we had to do all that through reconciliation. But the- where we’re headed as a country, and that is my background, finance, macro economics, we’re on a bad business plan because we’re turning into a debtor nation in our trading account and in our fiscal account, and that wouldn’t sell well in Kentucky or Indiana.

GOV. BESHEAR: But if we allow a president to do this, he can tax the American people on his own, without Congress.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re going to talk about this as the story develops, but I want to ask you about another big issue many of you are facing, and that is how to deal with immigration and immigration policy as it affects your states. Governor Kelly, you’re a Democrat, but you did sign a bill to get state law enforcement to work with federal authorities when it comes to immigration enforcement. That’s unusual, as many Democrats or cities and states have what the president refers to as sanctuary city policies, or policies of not necessarily being aligned in enforcement on detentions. And one of the complaints is often that having local authorities involved is a drain on their resources, or it’s a distraction for them. Why isn’t that the case in your state?

GOV. KELLY: I didn’t say it wasn’t. We haven’t–

MARGARET BRENNAN: You think that cooperation is a drain on locals?

GOV. KELLY: I think when ICE comes into your state, that it creates some problems and creates some problems for your local law enforcement, because it’s sort of a who’s on first. Who’s in charge here? And I think that that’s been a problem. My approach has always been, you know, when we work with the federal government on anything, whether it’s disaster relief or with our National Guard, you know, we-we look for ways to to cooperate and partner. That’s what we want to see. You know if they’re going to come in and try to do enforcement- immigration enforcement in our state.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Have you had that communication from federal authorities about–?

GOV. KELLY: No, no, we- no, I mean, and we have had, they’ve started now- we’ve seen some ICE in some of our communities, and we are, you know, I mean, the whole idea of, you know, picking up criminals who are illegal, here illegally is nothing new, that- that happens on an everyday basis and has for years. So we don’t have any problem with that. What we would like is for ICE to then work with our local law enforcement, so that, if they want to come into Kansas communities, work with us, so that we can go after the- those targeted folks, not sort of what we saw in Minnesota, where it’s just a free for all.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Beshear, in your state, the Republican legislators want to pass a bill to force the state to work with ICE as I understand it. You’re not a fan of this idea. Why?

GOV. BESHEAR: We’ll see what happens in my state legislature, because at the end of I think last week, two of our Republican senators got up on the senate floor and talked about how they thought this immigration enforcement had gone too far. For me, I believe that border security is national security, and we need it to tighten our borders. We also have to enforce our laws as a nation, but how we do it shows our humanity or our lack thereof. Shackling people’s legs, putting them in cages that we would not put animals in is wrong.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Where have you seen that?

GOV. BESHEAR: Well, you see it in the pictures coming out of the Alligator Alcatraz or other facilities. We read about kids getting sick and not getting the health care they need in the Texas facility. But the tactics of ice show that there is a significant training problem, far too aggressive, and there is now an American body count. They believe they can go into an American citizen’s home with just an administrative warrant, they cannot. So I’ve called for the retraining of all ICE agents, and in the meantime, if they think there’s a violent criminal in Kentucky illegally, send us his or her name. We’ll go get him.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking there about administrative versus judicial warrants and the ability to enter. Do you then appreciate what’s happening here in Washington with Democrats cutting off some of that short term funding for Homeland Security on that issue, along with others?

GOV. BESHEAR: I do, and I wish we didn’t have to be at this point. But we have an American body count. We have at least two ICE agents that are being investigated for perjury. We have others- Americans that have been injured or hurt that shouldn’t have been. I was the top law enforcement official in Kentucky. I’ve never seen a law enforcement agency, state, local or federal act with the same tactics that ICE does. And these are on our streets. These are in our cities.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They would argue that the amount of immigration was at such unprecedented levels that new operational things had to be adapted. That’s what the administration argues right? That they have to do the tough business now. You’re not buying

GOV. BESHEAR: Watch the videos. This is not how law enforcement acts. This is not respecting our rights as Americans. It’s wrong.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor DeWine in Ohio, your state has been the focus of the Trump Vance campaign during 2024 and of their administration now, particularly the Haitians that you have, tens of thousands in the state of Ohio. You said this week, ICE has not been clear on when they’re going to surge to your state. Did you bring that up when you were at the White House?

GOV. DEWINE: I did not. I really didn’t have that- have the opportunity to do that. Look, Margaret, my position has been very clear in regard to TPS for Haitians, I think–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Temporary Protected Status.

GOV. DEWINE: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Which the President is trying to revoke right now.

GOV. DEWINE: I think the policy to revoke that is wrong. I think there’s a consensus in this country. As we all have said, let’s get rid of the violent offenders. Get them out of here. I think there’s a consensus behind the need to do a good job on the border, and I think the president gets high marks for doing that on the- on the border. But once you get beyond that, I don’t think there’s a consensus for taking people who are working, who are supporting their family, and we’ve kind of seen it, almost in a micro way, with the Haitian community that’s come into Springfield. Springfield is an industrial city, manufacturing city that was down. It has been coming back. And frankly, one of the reasons it’s coming back is because of the Haitians who are working there. These are people who, if you talk to the employers, they were filling jobs that were not being able to be filled in any other way. So it’s been a big boost to the economy. So if one day they know that TPS is taken away, no- no employer can hire them anymore. And so you gotta have all these people who are unemployed. So I think the policy there is-is wrong. If I could just say this, I think that this is a real opportunity for the president in regard to immigration, probably after the election- after the election, because nothing’s going to get done before

MARGARET BRENNAN: Before the midterms of 2026

GOV. DEWINE: That’s right, but I think there’s an opportunity here. He sealed the border. You know, I was in Congress in the 80s when the Mazzoli bill, Simpson bill was passed- excuse me. I’ve been through all the arguments. I think there’s an opportunity here to get reform in legal immigration and make a decision who we really want to come in. I’ll give you- if I could just one example. We have our last count, 22,000 foreign students in the state of Ohio. We educate them, and then guess what happens? They go back home, or they go someplace else. We’ve already educated them. They would be a great asset to the state of Ohio. That’s the type of reform–

MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about comprehensive immigration reform and legal pathways.

GOV. DEWINE: I think the president has a chance to do something that no president has done for four decades. If you- if you would take that opportunity, and I think after the election, he’ll have a chance.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Because you think there’s going to be a switch in the political hold of one of the chambers of congress? .

GOV. DEWINE: No, no, no- either- no, no, either- however the election comes out, I just think the time is now right, because we’ve always said, we can’t do legal immigration because the illegal is such a mess and the border such a mess, and the president, frankly, has fixed the border. So I think it’s an opportunity for all of us to go forward. I think it’s an opportunity for the president to do as sort of a Richard Nixon going to China.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I hear you on that, and we’d all love to talk about policy–

GOV. DEWINE: But we’ll see. We’ll see.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But respectfully, the president’s not talking about any of what you just laid out, particularly when he’s talking about Haitians in Ohio–

GOV. DEWINE: Well I’m an optimist you know.

MARGARET BRENNAN: – everyone remembers that campaign with the claim they’re eating cats and dogs. You’re talking about hard working people who are legally here and continuing to work.

GOV. DEWINE: And my position has been very clear. I’m against them losing–

MARGARET BRENNAN: You are clear. But are you making that clear to the president’s immigration team? Are you coordinating or anything? Because we hear the complaints that Democrats and Republicans are not coordinating.

GOV. DEWINE: Margaret, I don’t- I don’t discuss my contacts with the president or what I tell the president, but I think it’s- the administration knows my position on this. And I think you know, if they were there, they would see that this has been good for our economy. It’s been good for our community. We have people who are fixing up houses, opening up restaurants, spending money and filling jobs that couldn’t be filled before. They’re doing- we need them in Ohio. We’re a state that- that as far as our influx of people coming into the state last year, 70% of those individuals were foreign born. They’re giving us vibrancy and helping us and the fact that they’re working creates other jobs frankly.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Braun, Indiana also had exceptionally high levels of immigration in recent years when we checked the data, according to the census bureau, nearly 10% of your lab- labor force are immigrants. What are the president’s policies doing? Are you having a similar experience to, to Governor DeWine?

GOV. BRAUN: So Indiana, among the pair states, has the lowest unemployment rate, and we’ve got the highest economic growth rate too. That’s due to certain policies. But let’s get back to the border, it was the same legislative template under the prior administration that encouraged tens of millions to come into the country. So just like when we were talking about the trade issues, go back to the source of why it occurred. Here, it was bad policy calculated, I think, in a very political way, to maybe think it’s going to benefit you down the road electorally. Put that aside, it’s a whole other issue, I think–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sorry just to be clear here, you’re not talking about illegal people who cannot vote.

GOV. BRAUN: No, I’m talking about how the census is determined, who- who- how your congressional districts are put together. All I can tell you, it was a mess in those four years, and the same legislative template was in place during the Biden administration that the Trump administration has used. I think everybody agrees that we’ve got to have border security. And what we’re hearing here is that immigration is definitely important, legal immigration and the country was built upon immigrants. And when you’re in a state like ours, where you’re constantly looking for workforce, need to do it. There was even a conversation in an executive session at the NGA about governors getting more involved in work permits and bringing people in coordinated, you know that- I think that’s a good idea.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Wait how would that work? What do you mean?

GOV. BRAUN: Well, that would mean that governors would have some say so like the dairy industry in our own state, many other industries need certain workforce that generally is coming legally across the border, and many now illegal that are not documented. So there’s a lot to get fixed, but we got to look at why the problem we’re dealing with now, you know, occurred in the first place.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But just to put a button on it, because I don’t want us to speak past each other, what Governor DeWine was talking about was legal immigration, and people with legal status, Temporary Protected Status, not people who were–

GOV. BRAUN: No I know that–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –crossing illegally–

GOV. BRAUN: –And I think we all agree on legal immigration, all I’m saying–

MARGARET BRENNAN: but you would like to keep that temporary protected status?

GOV. BRAUN: If that was something that was aimed at a particular workforce need, yes, it occurred, so I think you have to respect it. But I think it was all part of a really kind of chaotic approach that allowed a lot of illegal immigration to come across. That’s what we’re dealing now with ICE enforcement. And I’ll agree too, that’s got to be done in a way that has humanity to it. I think the reason Tom Homan went up to Minnesota is maybe that was for that reason. But again–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –to bring humanity?

GOV. BRAUN: To do something other than what we were seeing, to try to put some- something together that was going to be different from what was occurring there. But again, I think you got to respect why did it happen? And this was due to bad policies in the prior administration. That’s why we’re dealing with all this.

GOV. KELLY: If I could just jump in here. You know, I’ve been governor now for seven years. I was a state senator for 14 years. So we’re looking over 20 years. Immigration, legal immigration and workforce have been issues forever. These are decades old. This didn’t start in the Biden administration. And you know, not only the Trump administration, and this is just and- and I’m I hope you’re right, Governor DeWine, that when this election is over, that we can sit down and have that really important conversation and get something done so that we do have a common sense responsible immigration policy that meets the needs of our businesses and our communities.

GOV. BESHEAR: There’s bipartisan agreement on that one.

MARGARET BRENNAN: That cooler heads prevail and policy making actually happens?

[CROSS TALK]

GOV. BESHEAR: Yes, and we actually do the math and get the law right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. Just want to move us along here, because you touched something that I want to bring to the table as well, which is just the environment we are in and how difficult it is to get things done. Governor Braun, there were at least 12 state senators in Indiana targeted with swatting or bomb threats this fall, and that happened after the president faulted you as well by name in a social media post for not–

GOV. BRAUN:– And I was one of those targets as well.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You were, and that’s why I want to bring it up to you. You were being faulted by him for not getting the votes to redistrict your state and carve out a more favorable voting map for Republicans.

GOV. BRAUN: That’s because he didn’t understand all I could do is call a special session. Okay, so be clear on that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: That the president didn’t understand Indiana law?

GOV. BRAUN: Well, I- the only thing I as governor could do that was the call, which I did.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I’m not faulting you, sir. But the elected officials, though, who don’t deliver the President what he wants, at risk. I mean, that is difficult for you. You’re having to explain that–

GOV. BRAUN: I think there’s a political consequence to anything that you do. And in this case, —

MARGARET BRENNAN: — and you bucked the president–

GOV. BRAUN:– Well, in this case, every other state that was requested to do it, did it. That doesn’t mean that the next state has to. But let’s look again. I always like to look at the root of the issue. The root of the issue is that Massachusetts, which is a same size state, we are for 20 years, 60-40 blue, red. We’re 60-40 the other way, has gerrymandered to where there isn’t a seat. In New England, the place where there are a lot more electoral votes than the four or five western states that hardly have any congressional districts. They’ve done it. I think what he was looking for is an even playing field, and now it’s kind of back and forth. I don’t know what we’re going to end up with.

MARGARET BRENNAN: He was looking for a Republican majority.

GOV. BESHEAR: He said it out loud.

GOV. BRAUN: Because I think if you look at it, the other side is gerrymandered more effectively over the years, and that’s what he was after–

MARGARET BRENNAN: And Democrats, no doubt, are gerrymandering as well.

GOV. BESHEAR: I want to give Donald Trump credit. He owns his policies, and he just said out loud, I want more Republican seats.

GOV. BRAUN: And that’s because of this- best example cited. New England. been gerrymandered for years. They’ve been faster footed than we’ve been on that issue.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And California as well jumping in on that. But Governor DeWine, we’re talking about the environment we’re in right now. And when I brought up the Haitians in your state, I mean, you have also brought national- that has brought national attention to Ohio. The President’s messaging around this. You’ve had bomb threats you’ve talked about recently. How do you deal with that, with this level of rhetoric and managing that?

GOV. DEWINE: Well, when that came up a year ago–

MARGARET BRENNAN: — But it’s continued.

GOV. DEWINE: I understand. I mean, you ask, how we deal with it. We deal with it. The schools– the Superintendent wanted to close the schools. Felt he needed the school- close the schools. They were getting bomb threats every day, and so I called him up. I said, what do you need? And we put in the highway patrol in the schools, and we kept them in for three weeks. Look, you do what you have to do. That’s what all governors do. You do what you have to do. We want those kids in school, and that’s- that’s what we did. I mean, the bigger question is, how do we tamp down the rhetoric from both sides, and how do we, you know, get things done. And I think one of the things coming out of the last three days at the National Governor Association, whenever we get together, it’s pretty clear we’re all problem solvers. We deal with problems every day. We solve problems or we try to solve problems every single day. And I think, you know, to me, that’s where our focus needs to be. But solve the different problems that we have.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, and that’s what’s interesting in the dynamics both of you have in your states as Democrats, but with states that voted overwhelmingly for Trump and states where you’re dealing across the aisle with Republican controlled legislatures. How do you govern as a Democrat in this environment? And are there lessons? I mean- is that too simplistic to say that there are lessons on the state level you can bring to the national level?

GOV. KELLY: Well, my approach has always been to go across the aisle, form relationships and get things done. I started- the day I walked into the state Senate in 2005, I was one of eight Democrats and 32 Republicans. It was very clear to me, if I didn’t make some friends across the aisle, that I was never going to get anything done. And just like Governor DeWine said, we’re problem solvers. We get into these jobs because we want to do something. And so that was the approach I took then. I think that’s- that’s carried over into my time as governor. The relationships that I formed in the legislature has boded well for my time as governor. I’ve been able to continue those relationships. And clearly, we don’t agree on a lot of things, but I think we have enough respect for one another to sit down and to listen and to not always, but at times, come to some consensus on legislation. You know, at the times we don’t, I work with the super majority, you know, and they can easily override my vetoes.

GOV. BESHEAR: (unintelligible)

GOV. KELLY: But even even there, you know, because of the relationships I have, we’ve been able to, if it comes to that, you know, been able to go down and work with some of the Republicans to get them to perhaps sustain the vetoes, because it’s in the best interest. And think most legislators, regardless of party, really are interested in doing good things.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you bring this to the national stage? This idea?

GOV. BESHEAR: I think governors can. I mean, my approach is to spend 80% of my time on things that matter to 100% of the people of Kentucky or the American people. Those are things like your job and whether you make enough to support your family, your next doctor’s appointment for yourself, your parents or your kids, the roads and bridges you drive, the school you drop your kids off at, or whether you feel safe in your community. Those aren’t bipartisan issues. They’re non-partisan issues. I’m working with both of these governors on building bridges, actual bridges between our states. You know, infrastructure, something that’s good for everyone, that everyone benefits from, and maybe if we all spend 80% of our time on things that matter to 100% of the American people. We get a lot more done.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, thank you for having this conversation today. It’s good to have you all here at the same table. We’ll be right back.

Transcript: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 22, 2026

2026-02-22T12:10:00-0500 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchithat aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 22, 2026.

*

MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. has assembled what is, by some measures, the biggest military buildup in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as the world’s largest warship also heads towards the region. But President Trump has said he’d prefer a diplomatic deal with Iran. For the latest, we go now to Tehran and the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Welcome to ‘Face The Nation.’

FOREIGN MINISTER ABBAS ARAGHCHI: Well, thank you, Margaret. Thank you so much for having me this evening.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you believe President Trump plans to strike Iran, or is he using this threat as leverage?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, I’m not- I cannot judge. But one fact is there that if they want to find a resolution for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, the only way is diplomacy. And we have proved this in the past, and I believe that still, there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution which is based on a win-win game, and a solution is at our reach. So there is no need for any military buildup. And military buildup cannot help it, and cannot pressurize us.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you said on Friday that you would have a draft proposal within two to three days. Have you gotten the supreme leader to sign off on that proposal yet? And if so, when will you give it to envoy Steve Witkoff?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, we are still working on that, and we are trying to make it something which consists of elements which can accommodate both sides’ concerns and interests, and we are working on those elements. And I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday, in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal. This is my understanding. I see it quite possible.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you have confirmed a meeting with Steve Witkoff Thursday in Geneva, but your leadership has still not signed off on the proposal. Is that right?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: But these are two separate things. Of course, we continue our negotiation. At the same time we are working on it- on- on- on on the elements of a deal, and draft of the text. So I hope that when we get there, we are prepared to talk and negotiate on those drafts.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, let me ask you this. You helped negotiate that 2015 nuclear deal under the Obama administration. How would this deal with Trump be different than that one?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, 10 years have passed, and there is a new situation. Our nuclear program has advanced, technologically more advanced at that time, and there are, of course, more sanctions and more pressures. So I believe that a better deal than JCPOA or 2015 nuclear deal is possible. And there are elements that are- could be much better than the previous deal. So–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –Like what?

MINISTER ARACHI: I have the experience- I have the experience of that- that deal, as you said, I negotiated that deal. We went into so many details, but I think right now, there is no need for that much details. We can agree on basic things, and we can make sure that Iran’s program, nuclear program, is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever, and at the same- same time, more sanctions would be lifted.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, just very quickly you’re talking about nuclear, you are offering a nuclear only deal at this stage? Because Secretary Rubio said anything meaningful would also have to involve ballistic missiles and your support for proxies in the region.

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Right now, we are negotiating only nuclear and there is no other subject.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Would you be willing to allow weapons inspectors unfettered access to your nuclear sites and for American inspectors to be among them?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, we are a committed member of NPT, Non-Proliferation Treaty, and we have a safeguard agreement with the agency, International Atomic Energy Agency, and we are ready to- to cooperate with the agency in full, according to the, you know, safeguard and we may accept, in certain conditions, the additional protocol to the safeguard, to the NPT. And I think a full verification mechanism, full monitoring mechanism, is acceptable and can be in place.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so you continue to say that your nuclear program is peaceful. And you know, there are a lot of skeptics around the world, including in the United States Congress. There is pressure on President Trump from within his own party. There were 52 Republican senators, 177 House Republicans who have called on President Trump to demand zero enrichment and full dismantlement of your nuclear program. Why should President Trump consider allowing Iran to have even the smallest bit of enrichment?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, first of all, enrichment is our right. We are a member of NPT, and we have every right to enjoy a peaceful nuclear energy, including enrichment. How we use this- this right is something you know related to us only. The enrichment is a sensitive part of our negotiation. The American team know about- they know our position, we know their position, and we have already exchanged our concerns, and I think a solution is achievable, but I’m not going to negotiate through media.

MARGARET BRENNAN: No, I understand, but we have seen very public statements from the president that he said no enrichment, and that’s a red line. But when you say it’s your right, okay, but you could get enriched uranium and buy it from someplace else. You know this. You’ve done this. Is demanding the right to enrich on Iranian soil really worth the risk right now? You’re facing a potential destruction of your country and the regime based on the kind of military buildup we’re looking at.

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, I think, as a sovereign country, we have every right to decide for ourselves, by ourselves. We have developed this technology by ourselves, by our scientists, and it’s very dear to us, because we have paid a lot- we have paid a huge expense for that. We have been on the sanctions for- for at least 20 years and we have lost our scientists, and we have- we have had a war because of that. So that is now a matter of dignity and pride for Iranians, and we are not going to give it up. There is no legal reason to do that, while everything is peaceful, while everything is safeguarded by the agency, while we had an agreement in the past when we were- we remain fully committed to that, and you know, it was the U.S. who just withdrew with no justification. So we are a committed member of NPT. We want to use our right. We want to have our right and to exercise that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you understand this could be make it or break it for you here. I mean, look, your air defenses were largely demolished by Israel this past summer. They dominate your military. They killed the leader of your most powerful proxy in Hezbollah the United States bombed your underground nuclear facilities. Your economy is in shambles right now. So why do you think the regime could even survive unless you give this up?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, that is not the case when you talked about the air defense and the war we had with Israel. You know, yes, we had problem with our air defense, but Israelis had also problem with their air defense and our missile- missiles were able to hit targets inside Israel. So it’s- so you know, they started the war, but after 12 days, they asked for a cease fire, unconditional cease fire. Why? Because they couldn’t defend themselves against our missiles. So we have a very good capability of missiles, and now we are even in a better situation than previous war. So as a matter of fact, we are in a powerful position to defend ourselves. We know how to defend ourselves. We did it in the- in 12 day war, and we are fully prepared to repeat that, if necessary.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Respectfully, Israel has air superiority over Iran. But let’s talk about what you’re- you are saying in terms of your–

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: –no, our missiles- our missiles have also- our missiles have also superiority over the space of Israel. They can hit their targets. They hit their targets in a very exact way, and they can do it again.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Well, there are 40,000 American personnel in the Middle East right now, in Iran’s letter to the U.N. Security Council, you seem to threaten them, because you said America will bear full responsibility. You said you don’t want war. But if that’s what happens, all bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force in the region will be legitimate targets. Are you saying Iran will hit U.S. bases in the Gulf, or will you also bomb the Gulf countries that are your neighbors?

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Well, I’m not going to say what we are going to do exactly. Obviously, we defend ourselves. If the U.S. attack- attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves. If the U.S. attacks us that is the act of aggression. What we do in response is the act of self defense. So- and it is justifiable and legitimate. So our missiles cannot hit the American soil. So obviously we have to do something else. We have to hit, you know, the Americans’ base in the region. That- that is- that is a fact. I am a diplomat. I’m not supposed to talk about, you know, our military plans, but what can I say is that why we should go for war when there is every possibility for a peaceful solution?

MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Foreign Minister, I have more questions for you, but I am out of time here. We are going to watch this diplomacy very carefully to see what happens in the coming days. Thank you for joining us. We’ll be right back–

MINISTER ARAGHCHI: Thank you, thank you–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –with a lot more ‘Face the Nation.’ Stay with us.

DHS denies reports of suspended TSA PreCheck amid government shutdown | Fox News

Homeland Security
TSA says PreCheck not suspended as partial government shutdown affects DHS
==========================================================================

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blames Democrats for third shutdown during 119th Congress, says it ‘endangers our national security’

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By Michael Sinkewicz , Anders HagstromFox News

Published February 22, 2026 3:47am EST | Updated February 22, 2026 11:58am EST

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DHS Secretary Noem: We don’t have the funding to help people through this

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem discusses the partial government shutdown as it hits day 6 on ‘Hannity.’

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided an update Sunday morning, saying TSA PreCheck is operating normally Sunday following reports that it had been suspended amid the partial government shutdown.

The suspension of the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs was first reported by The Washington Post, which noted the changes would begin Sunday at 6 a.m. EST. DHS says it will now be evaluating PreCheck on a “case by case basis.”

“At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public. As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” TSA wrote in a statement on X.

“Courtesy escorts, such as those for Members of Congress, have been suspended to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America’s skies,” it added.

DHS FUNDING BILL FAILS AFTER SCHUMER REJECTS TRUMP’S ICE REFORM OFFER

The Department of Homeland Security will suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry as a partial government shutdown continues.(Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday blamed Democrats for shutting down the government, saying they were causing “serious real world consequences.”

“This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,”Noem said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Shutdowns have serious real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security.”

Noem said the department was making “tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”

She said TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would be “prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), she added, will halt all non-disaster-related response to prioritize disasters.

NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: ‘I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES’

Kristi Noem blamed Democrats for the government shutdown as DHS announced changes to airport programs on Feb. 21.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Noem noted the suspension comes as a major storm is expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, criticized the Trump administration for “idiotically” shutting down the programs “to punish the American people.”

“This is Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games,” he said in a statement. “TSA PreCheck and Global Entry REDUCE airport lines and ease the burden on DHS staff who are working without pay because of Trump’s abuse of the Department and killing of American citizens.”

He called on the administration to immediately reverse the decision.

The third government shutdown in under half a year began on Feb. 14 after Democrats and Republicans were at an impasse on reaching a deal regarding President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

DHS was the only department left without federal funding after Democrats walked away from a bipartisan plan released last month in response to the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS would pause certain expedited travel programs amid the shutdown on Feb. 22.(AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

DHS is the third-largest Cabinet agency with nearly 272,000 employees. Roughly 90% of DHS workers were expected to continue working, many without pay, according to the department’s Sept. 2025 government shutdown plan.

DHS has jurisdiction over numerous agencies and offices, including CBP, TSA, FEMA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller contributed to this report.

Michael Sinkewicz is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent tomichael.sinkewicz@fox.com

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U.S ambassador’s comments on Israel and the Middle East were taken out of context, embassy says

February 22, 2026 / 12:13 PM EST / AP

An uproar continued Sunday after the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East, as more Arab and Muslim countries objected and the U.S. said his comments were taken out of context.

Huckabee spoke in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, including parts of modern-day Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. He quoted from Genesis Chapter 15 and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land.

Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy said Sunday that Huckabee’s comments were taken out of context and that there is no change to U.S. policies on Israel.

In the interview, Huckabee added: “They’re not asking to go back and take all of that, but they are asking to at least take the land that they now occupy, they now live in, they now own legitimately, and it is a safe haven for them.” He added that Israel isn’t trying to take over Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, or Iraq but is trying to protect its own people.

A joint statement Sunday by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories and several Arab governing bodies called Huckabee’s remarks “dangerous and inflammatory” and ones that endanger the region’s stability.

“These statements directly contradict the vision put forward by U.S. President Donald J. Trump … based on containing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive settlement that ensures the Palestinian people have their own independent state,” the statement said.

During the six-day 1967 Mideast war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of a peace deal with Egypt following the 1973 Mideast war. It also unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Since the ceasefire with Hamas began in October, after two years of fighting, Israel’s military controls most of Gaza’s eastern half.

Israel has attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. Trump has said he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank and has offered strong assurances that he’d block any move to do so.

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/ambassador-to-israel-mike-huckabee-on-starvation-in-gaza-hostage-families-pleas-to-end-war/