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Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Ben Shapiro of The Ben Shapiro Show

Published

6 years ago

January 29, 2020

QUESTION: Welcome back to the Ben Shapiro Show. We’re joined on the line by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Obviously, the Secretary has very busy day. Secretary, really appreciate your time, sir.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Ben, it’s great to be back on the show with you.

QUESTION: So let’s start by sort of going through some of the details of the Trump peace plan, the deal of the century. Obviously, you would expect the resistance from the usual points of view, but what are the actual kind of barebones of the plan being presented by President Trump today?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Ben, the President’s taken on one of the longest challenges, toughest challenges in foreign policy. And it is the most detailed, most realistic plan ever presented. And what’s important for everyone to know is there’s now a live offer on the table – and this hasn’t been the case before – a live offer on the table for the Palestinians to consider over a four-year period.

I can go through a bunch of the details. For the first time, there’s a plan that ensures Israeli security, that’s endorsed by the Israeli security establishment. Israel will be able to defend itself. It creates a viable path for the Palestinians to get a state, conditioned on a reasonable set of milestones being achieved over a reasonable period of time. Jerusalem remains an open city under Israeli control and sovereignty inside the security barrier. And no change in the status on the Temple Mount; the status quo will be preserved there.

We think this is a reasonable basis for the parties to begin to engage in a vision that can lead to peace and prosperity and security.

QUESTION: Now Secretary Pompeo, what the plan really represents, for those who are knowledgeable about the region at all, is a reflection of just basic realities on the ground. Jerusalem cannot be divided; there’s no physical way to divide it. When it was divided in the past, before 1967, it was barred to entry for Jews as well as many Christians. The notion that Israel is going to dismantle major Jewish areas outside of the 1967 lines not only ignores Israel having an actual claim to that land – it’s a disputed claim by the Palestinians, but they do have a legitimate claim – it recognizes that Israel is not going to dismantle cities that have tens of thousands of people living in them. It also recognizes that the Palestinians are not going to be abandoning the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria, or the Gaza Strip anytime soon, and it recognizes the security challenges that are faced when in what is an extremely crowded neighborhood.

Does the fact that there are so many people who are kicking back against the plan I think is recognition of the fact that people are unwilling to recognize realities on the ground, particularly with issues like the so-called right of return, this idea that suddenly Israel is going to allow millions of Palestinians to demographically settle in Israel and then vote for the dissolution of the state.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Ben, what we’ve tried to do and what the President Trump tried to do in this process is to take history into account and the reality on the ground as it stands today into account. And I think you just ticked through half a dozen ways in which this plan does that. It shows incredible respect and dignity for the Palestinian people, too. It simply asks them, whether that’s in the West Bank or in the Gaza Strip, to stop paying terrorists, stop inciting hatred, to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. These are things that are fundamental, that are facts, that are unchanging, and delivers the possibility of a peaceful outcome.

There are – there’s no one under this plan that will be required to uproot. No Israeli will be required to uproot; no Palestinian will be required to uproot. These are just recognizing fundamental facts, and we think presents a basis upon which to build.

I know there’ll be people that will push back. But what we’ve seen in the region so far to date is a lot of individuals who had an expectation for what they thought might be in the plan realizing that this vision for peace and for the region is one that is worthy of consideration.

QUESTION: Well, this is one of the things about the peace plan that I find so interesting, is the fact that there are a bunch of Arab states that showed up, actually brought envoys to this event – obviously, Oman, the UAE – there were several different countries that actually showed up who never in the past would have shown up to anything remotely like —

SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s right. The Bahraini ambassador was there. That’s correct, Ben. Yep.

QUESTION: Right, exactly. And that signifies a change in mindset on the part of many of the Arab states that have been dedicated for decades to the proposition that the Jewish state was simply going to disappear, suddenly recognizing that that is never going to be a reality.

SECRETARY POMPEO: This has been something that I’ve worked on, the President’s worked on, that Jared Kushner has worked on, for three years now, trying to make clear that – just the ordinary nature of what needed to take place in the region, that the threat was from the Islamic Republic of Iran, that there were shared interests between Israel and many of the Arab states, and that there was a path forward for those states to live in peace and harmony in the region.

QUESTION: Now, meanwhile – quick note – the final question for you, the Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas has already said that he’s rejecting the plan. That, of course, is not a surprise, since the Palestinian leadership has rejected literally every peace plan ever presented to them, including incredibly generous offers in both 2000 and 2008. So what exactly is the future of the plan if the Palestinians don’t decide to accept the plan and move forward with negotiations?

SECRETARY POMPEO: In the end, the Palestinian people are going to have to make a decision about whether they want to continue to difficult challenges they face today with the absence of prosperity, the terrorism that exists, and the corruption that has existed in the region for a long time, or if they want to turn the page and deliver an outcome for themselves and for their children and their grandchildren that’s better, a brighter future.

That opportunity is now on the table. They don’t have to do it today or tomorrow, but I am confident that as they stare at this, as the Palestinian people stare at what the opportunity is, a plan that might put as much as $50 billion into their places of living, a million new jobs created – when they stare at those opportunities, I am convinced that the Palestinian people will, over the coming weeks and months – and we’ve given them four years – will see that this is a better option for them. I’m hopeful that they will. I pray that they’ll make that choice.

QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, I know that you’re on a short time schedule. I really appreciate your hard work on this. Thanks so much for your time.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Ben, thank you so much, sir. Have a great day.

Florida

Byron Donalds Courts Latino Voters in Kissimmee as Florida Governor Campaign Expands

Published

2 weeks ago

June 8, 2026

Willie David

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds continued his campaign for governor by engaging Latino voters during a stop on his “Defending the Florida Dream” tour in Kissimmee, where he shared his vision for Florida’s future and discussed key issues impacting Hispanic communities.

Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News

Florida National News was on hand to capture the event as Donalds met with supporters and community leaders while emphasizing economic opportunity, education, public safety, and preserving what he described as the “Florida Dream.”

Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News

Latinos for Byron Coalition Launch

The Kissimmee event follows Donalds’ May 2026 launch of the Latinos for Byron Coalition, a statewide effort designed to strengthen support among Hispanic voters ahead of Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

The Trump-endorsed congressman announced the coalition during a rally at Hialeah Park in Miami-Dade County, drawing approximately 300 supporters. Many attendees waved American and Cuban flags as Donalds outlined his vision for Florida and highlighted the growing influence of Latino voters in state politics.

Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News

Republican Leaders Show Support

Joining Donalds at the Hialeah event were several Republican elected officials, including Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, the city’s youngest mayor and a lifelong resident. State leaders in attendance included Sen. Bryan Avila and Reps. Juan Porras, David Borrero, and Alex Rizo.

Donalds said Hispanic communities play a vital role in Florida’s economy, culture, and future, and he pledged to continue policies focused on economic growth, educational excellence, and public safety.

Building a Statewide Coalition

The Defending the Florida Dream tour is expected to continue across Florida as Donalds works to build a broad coalition of supporters ahead of the 2026 election cycle. His campaign has placed a particular emphasis on engaging Hispanic voters, who represent one of the fastest-growing and most influential voting blocs in the state.

As the gubernatorial race develops, Latino outreach efforts are expected to play a significant role in shaping the Republican primary and the general election.

Florida National News will continue to follow the Defending the Florida Dream tour and provide updates from campaign stops across the state.

North Florida News

Gov. Ron DeSantis Names Alex Peraza to Miami-Dade Judicial Nominating Commission

Published

3 months ago

March 13, 2026

Willie David

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Ron DeSantis announced Friday the appointment of Alex Peraza to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, which serves Miami-Dade County.

Peraza, of Coral Gables, is a partner at Diamond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A., a law firm based in South Florida.

The Judicial Nominating Commission is responsible for reviewing and recommending qualified candidates for judicial appointments within the circuit.

Peraza earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and his juris doctor from the University of Florida. His appointment term will run through July 1, 2027.

Florida

Advocates Oppose Florida Medicaid Work Reporting Bill, Cite “Deathbed Exemption” and Coverage Gap Risks

Published

4 months ago

March 2, 2026

FNN NEWS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — A Florida Senate committee on Monday advanced SB 1758, legislation that would impose Medicaid work reporting requirements in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates say the proposal would push thousands of low-income Floridians into the state’s existing coverage gap and create new administrative barriers for people with serious illnesses.

The bill goes beyond the recently passed federal measure, H.R. 1 — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which exempts non-expansion states from federal Medicaid work reporting requirements. Critics argue Florida lawmakers are moving forward despite that exemption.

Bill Would Add Work Reporting and “Deathbed Exemption”

SB 1758 would require certain Medicaid recipients to document at least 80 hours per month of work or qualifying activities to maintain coverage. The bill includes exemptions, including a recently added provision that would exempt terminally ill parents only if they can prove a life expectancy of six months or less.

Sadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, said the amendment would require a single mother who is terminally ill and earning less than $8,000 a year to meet monthly work reporting requirements unless she can demonstrate a six-month prognosis.

“It is hard to grasp how we arrived at a policy that effectively asks someone facing the end of their life to prove they are dying quickly enough to keep their Medicaid,” Knight said.

Opponents say the proposal would increase administrative costs while stripping coverage from residents who are already working or unable to work due to caregiving responsibilities or medical conditions.

Advocates Warn of Coverage Gap, Legal and Fiscal Risks

Florida is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid, leaving an estimated 260,000 residents in the coverage gap — earning too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to receive federal marketplace subsidies.

More than two dozen organizations signed a letter urging members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject the bill. Signatories include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Southern Poverty Law Center, UnidosUS, The AIDS Institute, Florida Policy Institute, Florida Voices for Health and 1199SEIU.

Melanie Williams of Florida Health Justice Project called the bill “fiscally reckless,” noting that the state has already spent $1 million defending wrongful Medicaid terminations in federal court and that the Department of Children and Families has reported budget constraints in addressing court-mandated changes.

Rachel Klein of The AIDS Institute said federal law prohibits non-expansion states from implementing Medicaid work requirements and warned the measure could face legal challenges. Others argued the costs of building a new reporting system would outweigh any potential savings.

Advocates say the Legislature should focus instead on expanding access to affordable coverage amid rising health care costs and expiring enhanced premium tax credits.