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 breaking information as we start what’s prone 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 will be averted?
ROBERT COSTA: A shutdown seems to be doubtless at this level based mostly on my dialog this morning with President Trump. He says each side are at a stalemate. Democrats need to lengthen well being care subsidies that have been a part of the Inexpensive Care Act, however President Trump stated his deal with well being care is on stopping undocumented migrants from getting access to 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, when it comes to shifting ahead on any dialogue, until the Democrats come to his aspect on well being care and do not deal with the subsidies. However based mostly on my conversations with prime Democrats, that is not going to occur. So President Trump advised me quote, I simply do not understand how we’re going to resolve this situation. That makes a shutdown fairly doubtless. And contained in the White Home, sources are saying President Trump truly welcomes a shutdown within the sense that he believes he can wield govt energy to eliminate 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 drive, proper. Nicely, we additionally know that the President took some extraordinary public statements prior to now few days. He publicly stated he needs 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 right now. However fishing round all weekend in his internal circle, it is clear, that is just the start when it comes to doable prosecutions of those that have scrutinized the president or criticized him through the years. You talked about the mortgage coverage, doubtlessly, of Senator Adam Schiff of California. He is being mentioned inside the Trump administration. So is Letitia James, the New York Legal professional Normal, 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, could have taken motion towards the administration or president not directly, allegedly, within the views of these inside. They usually need 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 pressure there that is not going away.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No. And a justice system that has to take care of proof and info.
And we will speak about all of this forward with a few of our company. Robert Costa, thanks very a lot to your reporting.
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