1 00:00:01,233 --> 00:00:03,000 GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour." 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,066 The Trump administration ended week one with a Friday night mass firing 3 00:00:06,066 --> 00:00:10,833 of more than a dozen lead inspectors of government oversight, a weekend uptick 4 00:00:10,833 --> 00:00:15,833 of immigration arrests and a daylong fight over deportations and tariffs with Colombia. 5 00:00:17,066 --> 00:00:18,866 AMNA NAWAZ: President Trump is meeting tonight 6 00:00:18,866 --> 00:00:22,300 with House Republicans at his golf resort in Miami. Moments ago, 7 00:00:22,300 --> 00:00:27,300 he addressed the GOP lawmakers as they gathered for their annual strategy retreat. 8 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,500 DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: If we do our job over the next 21 months, 9 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:35,900 not only will House Republicans be reelected and expand our majority. In 2026, we will 10 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:42,633 cement a national governing coalition that will preserve American freedom for generations to come. 11 00:00:44,766 --> 00:00:46,666 AMNA NAWAZ: Congressional correspondent 12 00:00:46,666 --> 00:00:50,466 Lisa Desjardins is in Miami at the Republican retreat and joins us now. 13 00:00:50,466 --> 00:00:52,733 So, Lisa, tell us what you're hearing from 14 00:00:52,733 --> 00:00:57,700 those House Republicans. Are they all firmly behind the president's actions? 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,133 LISA DESJARDINS: The sense here, Amna, is that they are. 16 00:01:01,133 --> 00:01:04,666 Certainly, publicly, Republicans are all telling me that they back even his most 17 00:01:04,666 --> 00:01:09,200 controversial ideas. Now, what is happening, though, somewhat behind the scenes is that 18 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:14,200 there is some discomfort for some members on some ideas, including things like Cubans and 19 00:01:16,300 --> 00:01:19,400 Venezuelans who have temporary status. That's an issue here in Miami in Florida in particular. 20 00:01:21,666 --> 00:01:24,000 But members who have problems with the way that President Trump has proceeded here seem to be 21 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,000 trying to influence him behind the scenes, not criticizing him. Overall, he has basically a wide 22 00:01:31,266 --> 00:01:34,433 grace period, a very wide berth from his own party to do what he will right now as they watch him. 23 00:01:36,366 --> 00:01:39,700 I asked Speaker Johnson just a few hours ago about President Trump's announcement 24 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:44,666 that he may want to dismantle FEMA, as well as his firings of those inspectors general. 25 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,466 And Johnson defended both of those moves as the sign of what he calls a new era in government. 26 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,800 REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): When the president says he wants to make the government more 27 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,533 efficient and effective, and we say we want to limit the size and scope of government, 28 00:01:57,533 --> 00:01:59,966 it means that everything is on the table for reevaluation. 29 00:01:59,966 --> 00:02:04,933 This is a new moment for us to reevaluate everything that the federal government does. 30 00:02:08,733 --> 00:02:12,733 LISA DESJARDINS: Now, essentially, what we have here is not just the party of Donald Trump, 31 00:02:12,733 --> 00:02:15,733 but also the Congress for now of Donald Trump. 32 00:02:15,733 --> 00:02:18,866 It really is more than symbolic that House Republicans are meeting here 33 00:02:18,866 --> 00:02:23,866 at his resort. Trump stands to profit both politically and financially from this retreat. 34 00:02:25,866 --> 00:02:28,833 AMNA NAWAZ: And, Lisa, of course, this is a critical time for Republicans' larger 35 00:02:28,833 --> 00:02:33,733 agenda. So what are they discussing at this retreat specifically? 36 00:02:33,733 --> 00:02:35,900 LISA DESJARDINS: You know, I have got to tell you, Amna, I have been to many of these retreats, 37 00:02:35,900 --> 00:02:39,200 and I don't think I have ever been at one where the decisions here have had 38 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:44,033 such high dollar figures and potentially such high, far-reaching effects to them. 39 00:02:44,033 --> 00:02:49,033 So let's look at this sort of massive fiscal goals that Republicans have here at this retreat. First, 40 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,500 they want to extend the Trump tax cuts. That has a price tag of some $4 trillion 41 00:02:56,366 --> 00:02:58,333 and could affect every American either way, whether they're extended or not, 42 00:02:58,333 --> 00:03:02,733 most every American. They also want to add to that a host of other tax cuts. 43 00:03:02,733 --> 00:03:07,733 Remember, Trump on the campaign trail raised, for example, exempting tipped wages from tax 44 00:03:09,666 --> 00:03:11,500 cuts. Well, what we have here, what I have seen and other reporters have obtained, 45 00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:16,133 is a list, a menu of over 200 kinds of actions related to this tax cut 46 00:03:17,866 --> 00:03:20,233 agenda. That includes also how you might pay for those tax cuts. 47 00:03:20,233 --> 00:03:25,233 So, going along with that, though, there are also some hurdles that Republicans face as well, 48 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,200 including fiscal deadlines coming up quickly, including the funding 49 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,633 of government. They also need the House and Senate to agree on an outline for spending. 50 00:03:35,666 --> 00:03:39,000 Deficits are climbing, about $700 billion just the first three months of this year. 51 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,533 And some of these ideas, cuts in particular to Medicaid, are tough politically, 52 00:03:42,533 --> 00:03:46,266 Amna. So they really have their work cut out for them. They all have to agree, 53 00:03:46,266 --> 00:03:48,566 and these are not easy things to figure out. 54 00:03:48,566 --> 00:03:51,333 AMNA NAWAZ: Lisa, walk us through the timeline here. What's needed to get all of that time? 55 00:03:51,333 --> 00:03:55,633 LISA DESJARDINS: OK, we're going to talk about this a few times, 56 00:03:55,633 --> 00:03:57,500 but let me go through this, first of all. 57 00:03:57,500 --> 00:04:00,700 The first step for Republicans is they have to pass a budget, 58 00:04:00,700 --> 00:04:05,666 a framework of spending. So let's talk about what this would look like. If you look at today, 59 00:04:05,666 --> 00:04:10,666 you look at exactly what that outline would be, you start today and you look at January 60 00:04:12,733 --> 00:04:16,133 27 today. And then the first major deadline, the first fiscal deadline coming up March 14 61 00:04:17,900 --> 00:04:21,033 is when they have to figure out how to fund all of government, no less. 62 00:04:21,033 --> 00:04:25,800 Then Speaker Johnson has announced before that, that major deadline, 63 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,933 that he wants to have a budget for the following year from his 64 00:04:29,933 --> 00:04:34,500 party by that last week of February. And what's more is the Congress will not be 65 00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:39,500 here all of February. So there's only three weeks really remaining to get these things done, Amna. 66 00:04:41,700 --> 00:04:44,833 And a reminder that they are down or they will be down soon to just a single-vote majority in 67 00:04:44,833 --> 00:04:49,833 the House. So this is a very difficult business and they're working on it here. 68 00:04:51,733 --> 00:04:53,233 AMNA NAWAZ: That's our Lisa Desjardins reporting from Miami, Florida, tonight. 69 00:04:53,233 --> 00:04:56,200 Lisa, thank you. 70 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:57,633 LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.