A rush transcript of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” airing on Sunday, March 16, 2025 on ABC Information is under. This copy will not be in its remaining kind, could also be up to date and will include minor transcription errors. For earlier present transcripts, go to the “This Week” transcript archive.
MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC “THIS WEEK” CO-ANCHOR: Let’s flip now to President Trump’s nationwide safety adviser, Mike Waltz.
Good morning, Mr. Waltz.
Let’s get proper to this.
We’ve got seen strikes like this earlier than below the Biden administration. The Houthis stored firing missiles. What’s completely different with this?
MIKE WALTZ, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Nicely, thanks.
And the distinction is, these weren’t sort of pin prick, forwards and backwards, what in the end proved to be feckless assaults. This was an awesome response that really focused a number of Houthi leaders and took them out. And the distinction right here is, one, going after the Houthi management and, two, holding Iran accountable. It’s Iran that has repeatedly funded, resourced, skilled and helped the Houthis goal not solely U.S. warships, however international commerce, and has helped the Houthis shut down two of the world’s most strategic sea lanes.
We’ve got, Martha, 70 % of world delivery is now diverting round southern Africa, including to the price of items, disrupting international economies, including to – or shutting off provides to the USA. President Trump has discovered it unacceptable. What we inherited was – was a horrible scenario. And that is one of what’s going to be a sustained effort to proper that unsuitable and to reopen international commerce.
RADDATZ: And, Mr. Waltz, let me learn from what President Trump stated on Reality Social. He stated, “to Iran, assist for the Houthi terrorists should finish instantly. Don’t threaten the American individuals or worldwide delivery lanes. In case you do, beware as a result of America will maintain you totally accountable.”
Does that imply direct navy motion on Iran is feasible?
WALTZ: Nicely, all actions are at all times on the desk with the president. However Iran wants to listen to him loud and clear. It’s utterly unacceptable and it will likely be stopped. The extent of assist that they’ve been offering the Houthis, identical to they’ve Hezbollah, identical to they’ve the militias in Iraq, Hamas and others. The distinction right here is the Houthis have extremely refined air defenses, they usually even have anti-shipping cruise missiles, drones, sea skimming varieties of assault drones and different ballistic missiles even. They’ve launched dozens of assaults on a number of struggle ships, dozens of assaults, over 175 on international commerce, sank a number of ships.
I simply assume the American individuals want to grasp what has occurred right here. The pervious administration had a sequence of feckless responses. President Trump is coming in –
RADDATZ: So – so –
WALTZ: With overwhelming pressure. We’ll take – we are going to maintain not solely the Houthis accountable, however we’re going to carry Iran, their backers, accountable as properly. And if meaning they’re focusing on ships that they’ve put in to – to assist their Iranian trainers, IRGC and others, that intelligence, different issues that they’ve put in to assist the Houthis assault the worldwide financial system, these – these targets will probably be on the desk too.
RADDATZ: And the president has stated Iran won’t be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, per week in the past warning that Iran –one thing goes to occur very, very quickly that can remedy the issue if there is no such thing as a peace deal and speaking about nuclear weapons.
So, what’s he speaking about? Is he speaking a few doable strike on the nuclear amenities by Israel, and would the U.S. take part that?
WALTZ: Nicely, what the president has utterly – has repeatedly stated is that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. All choices are on the desk to make sure it doesn’t have one. And that’s all features of Iran’s program. That’s the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment. They’ll both hand it over and provides it up in a manner that’s verifiable, or they’ll face a complete sequence of different penalties.
However, both manner, we can’t have a world with the ayatollahs with their finger on the nuclear button. We can’t have a scenario that may end in an arms race throughout the Center East by way of nuclear proliferation. And President Trump is decided, a method or one other. Iran has been supplied a manner out of this to ensure that we don’t have a world that may be threatened by a radical regime, not solely our ally Israel, however the complete world that may be threated with a – with – by a radical regime that would destroy, not solely Israel, however its neighbors, and have the aptitude to hit the USA.
Martha, we can’t think about a scenario like that, and we’re not going to have it.
RADDATZ: I wish to flip to Ukraine now. You have been in Saudi this week assembly with Ukraine – Ukrainians, crafting this so-called 30-day ceasefire. Vladimir Putin mainly rejected that, saying he desires a long-term peace deal however this one didn’t work.
So, what’s subsequent and can there be a gathering between President Trump and Vladimir Putin quickly?
WALTZ: Nicely, I used to be in Jetta with our nice secretary of state, Marco Rubio. And, , we walked by a lot of – of features, a lot of elements that should be in place to attain a everlasting peace. You recognize, a elementary side of the strategy right here from President Trump is that, , this must be everlasting. That’s what we proceed to listen to from the Ukrainians, that, , we can’t have a scenario the place this continues to interrupt down.
On the identical time, we’re partaking with the Russians. What we heard from President Putin was that he’ll completely think about a ceasefire. There are another factor that he wish to see that President Trump’s nationwide safety staff has – is contemplating over the approaching days. So, this forwards and backwards diplomacy is – is ongoing. Because the NATO secretary normal simply stated this week, solely President Trump may have damaged this log jam.
Simply assume the place we have been a number of months in the past. I imply we have been actually this far aside. And we at the moment are driving either side collectively to attain a everlasting peace, cease the killing, cease the bloodshed that’s on the battlefield with 1000’s of individuals being misplaced a day.
RADDATZ: Mr. Waltz –
WALTZ: And what I discover so fascinating concerning the criticism is, basically the criticism is, we should always simply proceed open-ended warfare, which has devolved into trench warfare, a meat grinder of individuals, nationwide treasure, munitions, with no sign of ending.
RADDATZ: Mr. Waltz –
WALTZ: President Trump’s decided to finish it, and we’re – we’re having to cope with either side to do this.
RADDATZ: Sean Hannity from Fox – from Fox Information laid out to you what he thought a deal would appear to be. He stated, uncommon earth minerals deal, a part that retains U.S. involvement and a presence in Ukraine, perhaps European troops, Ukraine won’t be a part of NATO, and elements of Ukraine closely populated by individuals from Russia, perhaps the Donbas area, would go to Putin.
You agreed with that, appropriate? Is that the plan?
WALTZ: Nicely, these are the elements of negotiations which have occurred earlier than in 2022. And even earlier than then. That is going to be some kind of territory for future safety ensures, the long run standing of – of Ukraine. We talked about, as – as secretary of protection has stated on the NATO – the NATO protection ministerial that, , a pathway – a everlasting pathway into NATO, or a everlasting membership into NATO for Ukraine is extremely unlikely. And that’s not simply from the USA. That’s from a lot of different –
RADDATZ: However – however let me – we’re simply operating out of time right here.
WALTZ: That’s from a lot of different nations as properly. So, these are all of the elements, Martha. We all know the elements. There’s a deal that will probably be had right here. And we’re – we’re – we’re speaking to either side to determine how we are able to get either side to the desk and shuttle diplomacy and cease the killing and cease this struggle.
RADDATZ: So, shortly – shortly – Mr. Waltz, and I – I don’t imply to interrupt, however so Russia might be given the Donbas along with hanging onto Crimea, despite the fact that they invaded Ukraine. Shortly for those who can, please.
WALTZ: Martha, now we have to ask ourselves, is it in our nationwide curiosity? Is it sensible? We’ve talked to the Europeans about this, and the Ukrainians. Are we going to drive each Russian off of each inch of Ukrainian soil, together with Crimea? And what the technique of the Biden administration was, was, so long as it takes, as a lot because it takes, it doesn’t matter what the timeline is, which is basically countless warfare, in an setting that we are actually shedding a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals in a matter of months. And will escalate into World Struggle III. So, we –
RADDATZ: Mr. Waltz –
WALTZ: We will speak about what’s proper and unsuitable. And we even have to speak concerning the actuality of the scenario on the bottom. And that’s what we’re doing by diplomacy, by shuttle diplomacy, by proximity talks.
RADDATZ: We’ve received to cease proper there.
WALTZ: And I – , it astounds me how that’s criticized.
RADDATZ: OK, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us this morning. I recognize it, Mr. Waltz.
MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC “THIS WEEK” CO-ANCHOR: Our due to Jay O’Brien on Capitol Hill.
I’m joined by Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who voted towards the funding invoice.
Good morning, Senator.
You stated Democrats got no good highway on funding the federal government, and stated that was a alternative between two MAGA choices. What do you imply by that? And why did you vote no?
SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D), RHODE ISLAND: Nicely, we in a traditional world would have had three choices. One could be shut down the federal government. One could be this actually terrible deformation, I’d name it, of a C.R. And the third could be proceed with a short-term clear C.R., conclude the almost concluded settlement between Republicans and Democrats on appropriations numbers, and return to common order and bipartisan appropriations.
That might ordinarily — that third alternative would have ordinarily been the way in which we went. However the Republicans refused to permit it as a result of they needed to pressure us to decide on between the C.R. and the shutdown. And the important thing to the shutdown right here is that in an abnormal world, the manager department desires to get out of the shutdown, desires to return into regular operations.
With these MAGA extremists in cost, they do not essentially wish to come out of shutdown, they usually have instruments in shutdown contingencies and non-essentialness determinations and riffing and issues like that, that they’ll use to destroy the federal government identical to doggy (ph) — DOGE is doing besides with a veneer of legitimacy, with the authority of shutdown powers.
In order that they have been each extraordinarily, extraordinarily harmful choices. And my view is that as Democrats, we have to cease the intramural quarreling about who voted what manner and get again to work saving our democracy.
RADDATZ: So, after all, it was Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer’s choice to assist the invoice that shocked and angered many Democrats coming simply hours after he stated he would block the invoice. Your response to that and what do you assume his technique is? I imply, what do you assume we’d be doing proper now sitting right here if the federal government was shut down?
WHITEHOUSE: Nicely, we might be in actual hassle. There is a man over on the Workplace of Administration and Price range named Russell Vought. He is received a bit sidekick over there named Mark Paoletta who is without doubt one of the individuals within the portrait with Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo and Clarence Thomas. He is a part of that court docket fixer operation.
These are very excessive individuals and OMB will get wild powers throughout a shutdown. So what we might be doing might be voting first to convey the Division of Protection again out, then voting to convey Homeland Safety again out, then voting to convey veterans again out — whereas they went by different businesses of presidency they do not like a lot and stated that this — this a part of the company that a part of the company is unessential and due to this fact, we will cut back in pressure all the staff. We’ll take away it, cease funding it, shut it down and then you definately get a really, very completely different authorities.
In the end, we get to some extent the place they by no means convey the Division of Training, as an example, again out of shutdown.
RADDATZ: Senator, I assume — I assume my query is — let let’s speak about Senator Schumer. He didn’t need the federal government shut down as a result of he felt that may not be good for Democrats both.
So what’s your response —
WHITEHOUSE: Proper.
RADDATZ: — to what he did and the way would Democrats cope with that now?
WHITEHOUSE: I believe that he and the opposite 9 colleagues of mine who made that call made a really conscientious and principled choice after a variety of reflection. I’m not going to throw any of them below the bus for the selection that they made. If you perceive how harmful a shutdown is, it is much more, type of, comprehensible why they might really feel that manner.
And so I believe what we have to do is cease the intramural combating and bleeding as shortly as we are able to. We’re in a combat for our democracy proper now, and if we’re having a combat in our dugout, we’re not out on the sector, and the opposite staff is scoring runs.
So all people must have their say. All people must reply to their very own passions and feelings. However as quickly as we are able to, we received to get again on the sector and combat Trump and Musk and MAGA.
RADDATZ: You may have supported Senator Schumer, however let me play once more what Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries stated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Has Senator Schumer in your thoughts acquiesced Trump?
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): That’s a query that’s finest addressed by the Senate.
REPORTER: Is it time for brand new management within the Senate?
JEFFRIES: Subsequent query.
REPORTER: Have you ever misplaced confidence in him, the truth that you guys see this so otherwise?
JEFFRIES: Subsequent query.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RADDATZ: Is it time for brand new management?
WHITEHOUSE: That isn’t my agenda. That isn’t a useful narrative proper now. I believe that, clearly, there may be a variety of misery forwards and backwards between the Home and the Senate. That isn’t unprecedented earlier than.
And one can learn Chief Jeffries’ solutions as mainly, look, transfer on, I’m not going to dwell on inner infighting amongst Democrats and never essentially like I’m throwing Schumer below the bus.
They’ve recognized one another a very long time. They’re skilled politicians. We have to pull this again collectively and get again to work.
RADDATZ: Okay. Thanks so very a lot for becoming a member of us this morning, Senator. We recognize it.
Arising, we’re on the bottom in Florida speaking to farmers and enterprise house owners concerning the uncertainty sparked by President Trump’s tariff techniques.
Plus, prime economist Diane Swonk on what most considerations her concerning the financial system proper now.
We’ll be proper again.
