TMJ4 Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson spoke with NBC's Kristen Welker about the week's top political stories, including the war in Iran, rising gas prices, and the Republican push for voter proof-of-citizenship requirements.
President Trump is sending mixed signals about the status of the United States' involvement in the war in Iran, as rising gas prices are drawing concern from Americans across the country.
WATCH: TMJ4's Charles Benson speaks with NBC's Kristen Welker about the week's top political stories
"There has been a lot of mixed messaging," said Welker, moderator of Meet the Press. "On the one hand, President Trump saying the US has effectively won the war. On another day, saying that it's important that the United States stay and finish the job."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-administration-iran-statements-rcna263243
The administration has floated a range of potential goals for the conflict, from regime change to dismantling Iran's nuclear weapons program. Trump has suggested the effort could wrap up in a matter of weeks and has said he can pull out at any time.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/iran-negotiate-ceasefire-deal-trump-kharg-hormuz-oil-rcna263474
Meanwhile, gas prices are climbing — and the administration is working to address the issue.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/energy/iran-war-oil-prices-supply-trump-rcna263135
"There's an all-out effort inside the administration to try to deal with that issue," Welker said.
Steps taken so far include releasing hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve and easing sanctions on Russia — a move that has drawn criticism. Welker said Meet the Press will speak with Energy Secretary Chris Wright about efforts to bring down gas prices and the timeline and endgame in Iran.
On the political front, Republicans are pushing the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-save-america-voting-bill-rcna262706
Several Republican-led states, including Florida, are already moving in that direction.
Democrats have raised concerns about the requirements.
Trump told NBC News' Peter Nicholas this week that passing the legislation is a top priority. "I'm not doing anything until they get it done," Trump said, referring to the SAVE Act.
Welker said the path forward in the Senate is uncertain.
"If you talk to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, he says that it's an uphill battle. It's not realistic to get the SAVE Act passed," Welker said
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-warn-trumps-save-america-act-elections-fail-rcna263250.
Thune has also said there is not enough support to eliminate the filibuster. Meet the Press will also speak with Senator Adam Schiff of California about the issue.
You can watch Welker on Meet the Press Sunday's at 8 a.m. on TMJ4.
This story was reported on-air by a Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
