Acting AG Todd Blanche, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ambassador Christian Turner

22:54And when I heard something in the audience, I thought it was a protester or something we're very used to. But then when I saw SWAT team members come to the head table and rush us to the ground and say, down, down, down, we were crawling off the stage. And in the back, that is a holding area where people wait, including President Trump and distinguished guests, to go onto the stage. And we were sitting there and I saw more than a dozen SWAT officers. There were members of the Secret Service milling about. There were members of the president's team. And as you can imagine, a lot of conflicting information because it had just unfolded.

23:39I will say it was remarkable to see that in action and to understand it was their quick work that protected all of us that night, not just the president, not just the cabinet, everybody in that hotel. And, you know, that is heartening. But obviously, it was a tough situation for everybody that was there, including you.

24:02Margaret Brennan:You were very stoic, though. You had great grace under pressure. You had to go out. You had to talk to everyone. And I know you shared that because you were in this role of the presidency, this was a proud moment for you. Your seven-year-old daughter was there. Your parents were there. Your husband was there. This was a lot. And I wonder what you think about this and why it was so important for all of us to be gathered. How are you making sense? Is that how you? I think we're processing this still. I think we're all processing it. I have covered countless shootings and murders and terrible things in my career.

24:45And this is the first time that I've been on the other side of a potentially violent and deadly situation. And no amount of reporting can prepare you for that. You're right that my family was in the audience and it was incredibly meaningful to have them there. And so that added an additional complicated layer because I'm thinking about the safety of my members, the safety of all of our dinner guests, and obviously at the forefront, the safety of the people who I can see who matter the most to me. And we didn't have information. So when I was in the back, I didn't know if there was an active threat.

25:27I was watching the monitors and keeping my eyes right on their table, but at the same time trying to find more information so I could share it with everyone in that room. And President Trump called me to his holding room and briefed me before he sent out a post about the dinner being, in his words, postponed and that he was going to have a press conference. And he really wanted to talk it through. and to explain that he himself realized how important that night was. It's something we do every night. And when I did address the room, I reminded everyone that, you know, the freedoms that we are celebrating tonight in the First Amendment are still incredibly fragile.

26:17And I appreciate that the president acknowledged that. And he told me that we were not going to be deterred. He refused to stand down. And that's why he was there, despite what had unfolded. And I don't know what his team was telling him. They were relaying to me. The president keeps saying he's not going anywhere. So that's why he stayed.

26:40Margaret Brennan:No, we kept hearing that with the he wants to come back. And can we leave? Weja, I want I want you to go home to your family. Thank you. Thank you very much for sharing with us. We'll be right back.

26:56Why have we asked our contractor we found on Angie.com to be our kids' legal guardian? Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids, all eight of them, should something happen to us. Are you my dad now? Uh, no, sorry, I do basements. Connecting homeowners with skilled pros for over 30 years. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects at Angie.com. Hey parents, we all know summer break is for fun, but it's also a time when kids can start losing some of the progress they made during the school year.

27:33We want them to stay engaged and keep those young minds active. Between camps, vacations, and family time, it can be tough to keep a learning routine going. That's why I want to tell you about IXL. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning. Whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and writing skills, or reviewing science concepts, from pre-K through 12th grade, IXL offers personalized interactive learning that adapts to each child's level and pace. It's an easy way to keep learning going through the summer and helps kids feel confident heading into the next school year.

28:09Studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests, proven in all 50 states. And get this, IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the U.S. That's a huge endorsement. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. And listeners can get an exclusive 20 % off IXL membership when they sign up today at IXllearning.com slash audio. Visit IXllearning.com slash audio to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. As a woman entrepreneur, you know that every connection counts, whether it's with your customers, your team, or your community. Spectrum Business is here to help you build those connections stronger and faster.

28:50Imagine running your business with fast, reliable, fiber-powered internet so you can stay connected to customers, employees, and vendors without having to worry. We know flexibility matters. That's why select Spectrum Business packages come with a three-year price guarantee so you can focus on running your business. Plus, enjoy savings on internet, phone, TV, and mobile services when you bundle, all with a 30-day money-back guarantee and no long-term contracts. With Spectrum Business, you get more than just internet. You get support with 100 % U.S.-based customer service. Real people who understand small business, ready 24-7 to help you stay up and running.

29:26Join millions of business owners like you across America who trust Spectrum Business for reliability, speed, and support. Visit spectrum.com slash business today to get started. Restrictions apply. Service is not available in all areas.

29:45Margaret Brennan:We turn now to Samantha Vinograt. She was a top Homeland Security official in the Biden administration and is now a national security contributor here at CBS. And A.T. Smith is a former deputy director of the Secret Service and now a CBS law enforcement analyst and joins us from Greenville, South Carolina. Good to have you both here. Sam, you were in the room with us, sheltering with some of our colleagues. As I understand it, you were close to the perimeter and able to detect some of what was happening. I was struck. National Guard was there. Secret Service was there. Private security was there.

30:22Margaret Brennan:National Guard was there. The perimeter of the security went out pretty darn far. There were protests surrounding the building. There weren't just protests about Trump. There were protests around Jeffrey Epstein. There were protests about the corporation that owns this news network. There were protests about the Iran war. How did you assess the security situation last night? Well, Margaret, I think a lot of us are waking up this morning and asking the basic question of, is anywhere safe? And the reality is that in this country, we are facing the most complex threat environment in our nation's history, in particular from lone actors, individuals who radicalized to violence, often online.

31:01In this scenario, two things can be true. It can be true that law enforcement and intelligence professionals prepared exhaustively for last night. Weeks of planning, intelligence gathering, physical security barriers, officers on site. But it can also be true that in this moment, in this security environment, the paradigms of the past may not be sufficient to meet the moment. And with that in mind, security professionals as well as private citizens need to rethink what it is going to take to actually secure these mass gatherings where there are so many protectees and what it's going to take to secure communities.

31:38It's frightening.

31:40Margaret Brennan:I mean, A.T., we were in a room with the most heavily guarded man in the world. And yet this happened. The acting attorney general said the system worked. In your view, did the system work? The system did work in terms of what the Secret Service trains to do every day when it comes to covering and evacuating a protectee. And as you saw, the security plan there had the scenario where the president and the vice president exited different ways. They exited in different ways than the normal folks had come into the gathering. Having said that, the Secret Service, as I've said many times, no one is more critical of themselves than the Secret Service.

32:27So they're going to have to look at this very diligently in terms of this individual, how he was able to run that magnetometer as he did and get as close as he did with two firearms. That is not acceptable. And they will have to try to figure that part out and, you know, see what what the intelligence and the investigation is going to bring in terms of what this individual's history was. And then, as you said earlier, Margaret, try to figure out exactly how he got those guns into the hotel. Did he avoid, as you said, you know, taking an airplane to get there and by using a train and so forth, was able to secrete them in some way and get them there?

33:09So it's a it's a tough thing. The Secret Service was very successful in how they did that. And as Sam said, the perimeter around the hotel was exhaustive. But anytime you have a breach like this, you've just got to address it and be your worst critic.

33:28Margaret Brennan:You know, I was speaking with some of our producers before the program. Many of us have traveled with the president in the past and past presidents and other high level officials. When the president goes overseas or the vice president, they typically take over an entire hotel. Secret Service really locks the place down. That didn't happen last night here on U.S. soil. Is that the kind of thing we're going to start seeing that it'll be more sort of like an Israeli model? You may have to. Particularly, you know, it's difficult because you have obviously a hotel that's open to the public. They have other guests that are unassociated with the event last night.

34:04And they are going to have to take a hard look at how you maybe screen those guests coming in. It's very hard to necessarily know everything about everybody that's there. But probably one safety scenario would be what you just said, to more or less lock down the hotel. We don't normally do that in the United States. And usually the Secret Service is very successful at coordinating and sort of corralling that area, like the ballroom that's going to be used for the event. and making it secure. But again, they'll have to take a look at that. And I said also that, you know, this was not a national special security event, but the planning, preparation, the weeks of work really align it to that kind of a security plan.

34:50So I'm sure in terms of parameters, that was all done.

34:54Margaret Brennan:Sam, I think you make such a great point, which is essentially you can't protect against the unexpected, right? You can't protect against everything. We've talked about this, though. I mean, as parents, as human beings and being in that room, so many of those lawmakers, so many of those journalists are dehumanized. They are attacked online. They are attacking each other. You have a high level of animosity in the public space. People were united, and the president said he wasn't wrong in using that word, because they were all scared of what was going to happen next. I don't know how we solve for that as a society because it seems to have really seeped in to our politics and to our conversations.

35:45Margaret Brennan:I mean, it is just the new normal. Every time an incident like this happens, the optimist in me thinks perhaps this will be a turning point. Perhaps this will be a turning point where each and every person in this country thinks about what they say and how they act. Words do matter, certainly. At the same time, whenever an incident like this happens, and I say this, Margaret, as a mother and as a security professional, I hope that it is also a wake-up call to law enforcement professionals to rethink whether additional steps are needed, like perhaps screening guests coming into a public venue at a mass gathering with a lot of protectees, but that it is also a wake-up call to every person in this country to understand that they have a role to play in our homeland security.

36:30While law enforcement looks at whether additional protocols are needed at various sites, every viewer, every person in this country needs to say something when they see something. An individual in their circle, at their workplace, in their family, is demonstrating signs that they could be going down a pathway to violence. They need to ask for help from a law enforcement professional or other trained official. And we need to really devote all the resources that we can to ensuring that the integration between state and local and federal officials is not just where it was before, but tighter than ever so that we can try to prevent these incidents from happening in the future.

37:06Margaret Brennan:Sam, I'm glad you're safe. I'm glad you're with us. AT, thank you very much for your insights. We'll be right back. And we're back now with Maryland Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin. Congressman, you were there last night. Yes, indeed. One of the guests in the ballroom. Unfortunately, this is not your first encounter with political violence for many people in that room. The president, Steve Scalise, who survived a shooting himself, Charlie Kirk's widow was there. RFK Jr., as we mentioned, and you were at that Capitol on January the 6th, sheltering in fear for your life at that period of time.

37:44Margaret Brennan:How did that influence what happened last night? What did you do? So I just entered the room and I was talking to some reporters who approached me from the Boston Globe. Their table was right near the perimeter as I was entering the ballroom. Kerry Kennedy was their guest. And we were in conversation when there were three loud booms. I heard some screams, plates, glasses, silverware hitting the ground. And then everybody was yelling, get down. Somebody kind of pushed me from the back and we all ended up on the floor. When it was over, Carrie, who, of course, lost her father to an assassin gunman and her uncle, President Kennedy.

38:32She said, I can't believe that schoolchildren are dealing with this all across America and don't have the resources to process their trauma. And so that launched a conversation about gun violence and how, you know, somewhere between 275 and 300 people are shot every day in our country. And we lose more than 100 of them every day. So even as this nightmare was unfolding at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, dozens and dozens of people had been shot and killed in our country. And so I hope this isn't just an inside the Beltway story. I hope we talk about the conditions for schoolchildren and people all over the country who are dealing with this.

39:20Margaret Brennan:No, it's a good point. We had we benefited from all that security. That's right. Children across the country don't have a sliver of it. Well, that's right. And, you know, I heard President Trump talk about this demonstrating the importance of the new ballroom. And he sent out some messages about the ballroom and that might help people who are visiting the White House. But what about people who are in shopping malls and movie theaters and high schools and elementary schools across the country? So I hope we can have a serious bipartisan national conversation about what we can do to improve public safety for everybody.

39:56Margaret Brennan:Well, to that point, I mean, we're in the 10th week of a partial shutdown of Homeland Security, which, by the way, Secret Service falls under the umbrella of Homeland Security. So do many essential workers. This has been just tangled up in this policy standoff in Congress. Do you think things change after last night? I certainly hope so. I mean, you know, of course, we had a unanimous vote out of the Senate. All the Republicans, all the Democrats, and then all the Democrats in the House vote to restore all of the funding except for ICE. And, of course, it was about ICE killing innocent people in Minneapolis, Alex Preddy and Renee Good, that led to this standoff over this.

40:36So I hope we can improve public safety for everybody.

40:40Margaret Brennan:But it was in the House and Republican leadership wasn't willing to do that. But do you think it changes now that Democrats and Republicans will say, let's fund everything fully? Yeah. Again, we've got three quarters of Congress all together on moving forward, resolving the remaining issues and getting everything funded. Fortunately, you know, there's no interruption in any of ICE's funding because it was so super hyper funded originally. So that's why it's kind of a made up controversy, because they have the money that they need. But we still have to deal with the underlying issues that led to this in the first place.

41:17Margaret Brennan:It was the Democrats position to hold that up. To hold up. To make the argument over changes policy wise to ICE and CBP. Well, right. After the killings in Minneapolis. Yes, absolutely. The vast majority of American people agree. No, what's made up is the idea that ICE somehow isn't getting its money. Got it. It's been getting I mean, it's got the money for a long time because of the original, you know, big, beautiful bill. The president, I want to make sure that I recognize what he said, because we don't hear him speak this way very often. He said, I asked all Americans to recommit with their hearts to resolve our difference peacefully.

41:54Margaret Brennan:And he talked about being unified with members of the press. Yes. Well, that certainly that's a new message from him. And that's great. He had called the press, of course, the enemy of the people. And he's been engaged in a lot of lawsuits against your profession. Well, yes, we are going into this politically charged midterm season. There's going to be campaigning around the country with lawmakers out there. I mean, does something change? He said this. Does something change? Does Democratic language need to change as well? We have said all along that we need every politician in the country, every leader in the country, every citizen in the country denouncing political violence across the board, regardless of where it's coming from.

42:41So, you know, I find this a welcome change in rhetoric. But, you know, what happened last week, they brought a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center, whose whole purpose is to work, is to investigate violent right wing extremism in the country. And now they're prosecuting them for having used undercover agents, which, of course, the FBI uses and the government uses all the time.

43:04Margaret Brennan:Understood. And there is across party lines, some some political violence, way too much of it right now. And actually, Speaker Emerita Pelosi on this program said to me recently that she thought the threat or the concern about violence or threats to your family is what is hurting recruitment of people to run for office, particularly mothers, particularly women. Are you seeing that, that people are afraid to even join public life because of this? Sure. Anybody who's thinking about running for office undoubtedly thinks about that. Anybody who's thinking about running for president undoubtedly thinks about that.

43:39And those people have the most protection with the Secret Service and other people don't have the same kind of protection. So, look, we've got to rediscover the great American tradition of nonviolence and Dr. King and the civilizing movements that have always opposed violence versus the violent groups that have used violence historically, beginning with the Ku Klux Klan, in order to terrorize other people.

44:06Margaret Brennan:Congressman Raskin, thank you for joining us, and we're glad you were able to do so. We'll be right back. Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie. When you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Roof repair? Done well. Kitchen sink install? Done well. Deck upgrades? Done well. Electrical upgrade? Done well. Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros for nearly 30 years, so we know the difference between done and done well. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find a pro for your project at Angie.com. Hey parents, we all know summer break is for fun, but it's also a time when kids can start losing some of the progress they made during the school year.

44:50We want them to stay engaged and keep those young minds active. Between camps, vacations, and family time, it can be tough to keep a learning routine going. That's why I want to tell you about IXL. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they're learning. Whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and writing skills, or reviewing science concepts, from pre-K through 12th grade, IXL offers personalized interactive learning that adapts to each child's level and pace. It's an easy way to keep learning going through the summer and helps kids feel confident heading into the next school year.

45:27Studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests, proven in all 50 states. And get this, IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the U.S. That's a huge endorsement. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. And listeners can get an exclusive 20 % off IXL membership when they sign up today at IXLLearning.com slash audio. Visit IXLLearning.com slash audio to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price.

45:59Margaret Brennan:We turn now to the British ambassador to the United States. It's His Excellency Sir Christian Turner. Good to have you here. Good to be here, Margaret. Thank you. You too were in that ballroom last night. You've had a lot of security training for unstable countries where you have been posted as a professional diplomat over the course of your career. Did you ever imagine in one of the most heavily guarded rooms in D.C. you'd have to put that to use? Well, the training I've had in some of those places I've been actually kicks in last night. You basically do what you're told and let the professional security folk do what they do.

46:30And I think it was one of my big takeaways last night. I think it was, I'm with the people who say it was a success story. The Secret Service absolutely did what they needed to. Not only that, but seeing actually all the journalists in the room and their training kicking in, in a weekend that is all about the freedom of the press. I'm full of admiration for the way people responded last night.

46:52Margaret Brennan:Well, you, me too. But you have a week ahead of you because King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive tomorrow. This is going to be a big event regardless of what happened last night. But just to be clear, you haven't changed your security assessment. You believe it is still safe for them to come and speak to Congress and be at the White House? So we respond to that professional advice. I'm currently planning to be welcoming their majesties tomorrow. But, of course, our team's been in touch way through the night, and we'll be through the day to see whether the events of last night have any change in our operational planning.

47:29And I'm very confident that Their Majesties will have the very best security throughout the visit.

47:34Margaret Brennan:All right, because there is another big ballroom gathering planned, right, for the King? It's going to be an extraordinary three or four days for us, Margaret. We've been planning this visit for years, really. It's the 250th between our two countries. is, I mean, a somber background after last night for all of us. But I still hope we'll be able to showcase this moment and make it the celebration that it deserves to be. Well, a celebration, but to be clear, it's also a bit of repair work, right, to the special relationship. The president had been quite upset with your prime minister, Keir Starmer, who didn't initially support the offensive operations by the U.S.

48:14Margaret Brennan:and Israel against Iran. And the president It was very clear he was not happy with him. He mocked him. He said he's no Winston Churchill. He said it was too late for the UK to even offer help. And then there was other tension about the UK as a NATO ally. How much repair work is this visit actually about? Well, the extraordinary thing in the British Constitution, of course, is the king is above politics. I have to remind people he's never given... He is a definite political asset. Let's be clear. But he's never given an interview, which I have to remind people, because, of course, he's the head of state, but he's not the head of government.

48:51So actually, that's why we can make this a moment to step up and step back. And I think, I mean, just to take it back to last night, I mean, the other takeaway is that strong sentiment you were just discussing with your last guest, the president calling for us to resolve our differences peacefully, that there is there is no place for political violence in any of our democracies. You know, these are enduring messages. They're baked into our political makeup, into your political makeup. That ability for us to look back, we had a small difference of opinion in 1776. We've been through that. We've come a very long way.

49:25And that, in a way, for me, is what is so enduring about this relationship. It's that we've had differences. Thatcher to Reagan, Roosevelt, with Churchill, actually, over how to handle Stalin. These are moments in the relationship, but actually it endures because it is so deep on security. Yes, NATO, on our investment. We are the largest investor in 21 states,$430 billion of trade. I mean, the statistics come out, but it's actually about the people that we want this to focus. So I am very confident that's where we will want to focus our time this week. And I should add, the prime minister spoke to the president this morning after the incident.

50:05The king sent a personal message to the president and first lady. So actually in diplomacy, it's as much personal as it is political.

50:13Margaret Brennan:Well, on the diplomatic front, the U.K. has been convening European countries to try to figure out what to do with the Strait of Hormuz after combat ends. You know the Iran file quite well. You were previously a negotiator here. What's your assessment on who is running Iran right now and whether we see an end to this conflict anytime soon? So it's difficult in Tehran. There are clearly some divisions. You pointed to that initial disagreement before the war. But since then, Margaret, actually, the U.K. has been doing a lot. We were using our bases for defensive strikes. We've flown something like 2 ,000 sorties with aircraft in the Middle East shooting down drones and missiles to protect our allies every night in very close coordination with the U.S.

51:01And, of course, our intelligence base, we don't talk about it much, but it's the absolute foundation of so much that is going on. We share the same intent, the same policy as the U.S. We want to constrain this regime and its threat. We want the straits open again. So this coalition you refer to that President Macron has worked with my Prime Minister Keir Starmer on, what we want that to do is something like 50 countries coming together to work out.

51:29Margaret Brennan:Secretary Hexler called it silly. He said it was just a bunch of meetings. Well, it is. What are you going to plan to do? It is planning once the straits are open to ensure that the navigation we need has got the assurance of a whole package of boats, of drones, of intelligence, to be able to make sure that shipping goes through, because that's what American citizens need. That's what British citizens need. The people of Asia need. The global economy is suffering, and we want to see that result. It is indeed. Thank you, Ambassador. Good luck this week. A night to celebrate the First Amendment, abruptly ended by a gunman, permitted by the Second Amendment to own those weapons.

52:09Margaret Brennan:Gun violence is not new in America, but the threat of violence is now a cost of public life. It permeates our politics. Last month, Supreme Court Justice Roberts publicly appealed for personal attacks on judges to stop U.S. Marshals report there were 564 threats last year and nearly 15 ,000 against lawmakers, staff and their families, according to U.S. Capitol Police. Multiple Trump cabinet members now live on military bases for their own protection. No such fortress for the federal and state officials who face growing number of threats in communities across the country. There's a marked increase in harassment and threats of physical violence to journalists in the U.S.

52:57Margaret Brennan:from the very public they are working to inform. As the nation wonders how to keep the next gunman out, let's also reflect on how we we let this hate in, how we stop it from corroding our democracy and grasp onto our civility before we lose it. That's it for us today. Stay tuned to CBS News 24-7 for all the latest on this story, and be sure to tune in to the evening news tonight Tony DeCoppo will anchor from the White House. Due to breaking news today, we will air our interview with Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike worth next Sunday. Thank you to all my colleagues at CBS. I'm Margaret Brennan. Today's guests were acting attorney general Todd Blanche, CBS News senior White House correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents Association, Luisa Zhang, former Department of Homeland Security official Samantha Vinograd, former deputy director of the U.S.

53:53Margaret Brennan:Secret Service A.T. Smith, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, and British ambassador to the United States, Christian Turner. The senior executive producer of Face the Nation is Mary Hager Laird. The executive producer of Face the Nation is Ann Hsu. This broadcast was directed by Shelley Schwartz. Face the Nation originates from CBS News in Washington. For more Face the Nation, we're online at facethenation.com and on YouTube. We're also rebroadcast on our CBS News 24-7 streaming network at 1230 and 2 p.m. on Sundays. It's available through our apps, CBS News and Paramount Plus.

54:58Autotrader, buy your car online. Really? There's a lot going on right now. Mounting economic inequality, threats to democracy, environmental disaster, the sour stench of chaos in the air. I'm Brooke Gladstone, host of WNYC's On the Media. Want to understand the reasons and the meanings of the narratives that led us here? And maybe how to head them off at the pass? That's On the Media's specialty. Take a listen wherever you get your podcasts.