Daines on Fox Business: Time to Go on Offense Against Narco-Terrorists as Well as End the Government Shutdown

• November 6, 2025

U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined Fox Business to discuss President Trump's ongoing action against narco-terrorists. Daines also spoke about the ongoing shutdown and what it will take to reopen the government.

Watch the full interview HERE.

Daines on President Trump's aggressive action against narco-terrorists:

Remember the problem that we face in this country. About 25,000 Americans die from cocaine deaths alone [every year], and that probably underestimates the other crime and murders going on because of cartels and drugs. Talk to members of local law enforcement around the country. They will tell you it's drugs that are driving most of the violent crime in this country. Remember, under Joe Biden's watch, cocaine deaths in this country rose 85 percent. And let's not forget that President Maduro has been indicted by the Department of Justice as a narco-terrorist. If you think about how to win a fight, how to win a war, you can't do it simply by playing defense. You've got to play offense. And I applaud President Trump's aggressive actions, taking out these boats, taking out these narco-terrorists. That is protecting our country and saving lives.

Daines on America's renewed strength under President Trump:

President Trump inherited terrible policies and outcomes coming from President Biden, and [President Trump] is back on the offense. You've got to come back to why is the United States respected again? It's because of President Trump. It is truly about the strength that President Trump projects, both in terms of who he is as a leader, as well as using the U.S. military, whether it's economic force, whether it's military force. America is back again, and we'll be safer because of it.

Daines on the government shutdown and what it will take to end it:

Well, it's not about Schumer now. It's about five to 10 more moderate commonsense Democrats who will break from Chuck Schumer. We've seen cracks developing now amongst the Democrat senators. I'm grateful for those maybe five to ten brave Democrats who will join us to stop this nonsense. But we always knew they were going to have to push this probably through that No Kings rally, through the election on Tuesday, you know, these purple states, blue states, certainly of Virginia, New Jersey, and then the New York mayor race. And then they want to set the record. So, yep, they got the record. Yesterday was day 36. That breaks the all-time record. Give them a gold medal for the longest shutdown in American history of the government. Now it's time to talk common sense. We've got to put these Senate Democrats in a witness protection program right now because the far-left will absolutely vilify them for deciding to work with us to open the government back up. And look, as Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said, we're going to see a 10 percent reduction in air traffic starting tomorrow. It is time to stop the nonsense and open things back up. I'm cautiously optimistic right now that common sense will prevail, and we'll get this thing opened up sooner versus later.

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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Gabby Wiggins