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The next is the transcript of the interview with Robert Costa that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 28, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to Face The Nation. We’ve got breaking information as we start what’s more likely to be one other turbulent week right here in Washington. Congress faces a authorities shutdown deadline of October 1. Our Robert Costa spoke this morning to President Trump. Bob, prime leaders, each events, each side of the Capitol, are coming to the White Home. Did the President let you know he thinks a shutdown could be averted?
ROBERT COSTA: A shutdown appears to be like possible at this level primarily based on my dialog this morning with President Trump. He says each side are at a stalemate. Democrats wish to lengthen well being care subsidies that had been a part of the Inexpensive Care Act, however President Trump stated his give attention to well being care is on stopping undocumented migrants from accessing any of the U.S. well being care system. Now, it is unlawful for any non-citizen to have that form of entry, however President Trump says we’re not going to have it. Quote, we’re not going to permit it, by way of transferring ahead on any dialogue, except the Democrats come to his facet on well being care and do not give attention to the subsidies. However primarily based on my conversations with prime Democrats, that is not going to occur. So President Trump instructed me quote, I simply do not know the way we’re going to resolve this subject. That makes a shutdown fairly possible. And contained in the White Home, sources are saying President Trump really welcomes a shutdown within the sense that he believes he can wield govt energy to do away with what he calls waste, fraud and abuse. And there’s that memo, as you talked about, that claims the federal government is able to have mass firings if a deal is not struck.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Reductions in power, proper. Nicely, we additionally know that the President took some extraordinary public statements previously few days. He publicly stated he desires to see Adam Schiff, now a senator, Letitia James prosecuted together with James Comey, the previous FBI director who’s now indicted. Yesterday, he twice posted on social media about former FBI Director Chris Wray. Did the President let you know, is he planning prosecutions?
COSTA: I didn’t converse on to the president about that in the present day. However fishing round all weekend in his interior circle, it is clear, that is only the start by way of attainable prosecutions of those that have scrutinized the president or criticized him through the years. You talked about the mortgage coverage, probably, of Senator Adam Schiff of California. He is being mentioned within the Trump administration. So is Letitia James, the New York Legal professional Common, who sued the president over how he valued his actual property holdings. And there are others not even on our radar at this second, like retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, who’re being mentioned as individuals who have, might have taken motion towards the administration or president indirectly, allegedly, within the views of these inside. And so they wish to see the Justice Division maintain them to account. There’s such a spot proper now in Washington. Republicans consider what President Trump is doing is accountability. Democrats are alarmed and see this as authoritarian authorities at work. And there is a actual stress there that is not going away.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No. And a justice system that has to take care of proof and information.
And we’ll speak about all of this forward with a few of our company. Robert Costa, thanks very a lot in your reporting.
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