Major Garrett hosts The Takeout from Washington. He previews his substitute anchoring of the CBS Evening News and opens with new CBS reporting for 60 Minutes: U.S. officials say Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to track U.S. military movements. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tells Garrett U.S. commanders are aware of the Russian involvement, are tracking it and are mitigating risks. Hegseth praises the president’s ability to confront back-channel communications and says U.S. personnel are not being put in danger by these activities. He argues U.S. forces are “putting the other guys in danger” and describes U.S. air supremacy and a multi-layered shield of regional air defenses, while noting the expense and quantity problem of interceptors versus cheap Iranian drones.
CBS News national security analyst Aaron MacLean says Russian targeting capabilities developed during the Ukraine war make their assistance to Iran particularly concerning. MacLean explains why interceptors are important but limited, and why the U.S. has shifted to targeting Iranian launchers, storage sites and personnel to reduce incoming strikes. He notes early reductions in Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks and warns about the challenge of protecting energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, including risks from mines and shore-fired attacks on tankers.
Garrett interviews Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment, who calls the administration’s diplomatic approach — deploying advisers to tackle multiple complex negotiations at once — a strain on capacity. Miller argues Trump’s oscillation between maximal objectives (crushing Iran’s capacity to project power) and attainable goals complicates diplomacy. He says Trump’s public comments calling for “unconditional surrender” were later qualified and that regime change remains a difficult, transformative outcome.
Garrett asks about the Kurds and the possibility of cross-border action; Miller cautions that an externally-backed insurrection risks moral hazard and regional complications, including Turkey’s role if Iran’s internal balance shifts.
Weijia Jiang reports from the White House: the president hosted defense company CEOs and announced they’d agreed to increase production of high-end weaponry used for intercepting Iranian missiles — though details and timelines were not offered. Officials stress existing inventories and planned backfill for allies. Jiang previews further interviews on jobs, politics and regional developments.
Economy: Kelly O’Grady explains February’s U.S. jobs report: the economy lost 92,000 jobs in February and unemployment ticked up to 4.4%. She attributes much of the monthly drop to bad weather, leisure and hospitality declines and a strike at Kaiser Permanente affecting healthcare hiring. Revisions showed weaker prior months as well, suggesting a softer labor market trend. O’Grady links rising energy prices — crude oil rising amid the Iran war — to higher gasoline prices; she advises filling up now and watching how long the regional conflict lasts to assess broader inflation and growth impacts.
Politics and Texas: Garrett and Jiang cover the life and legacy events for Rev. Jesse Jackson and move to Texas politics. Congresswoman Julie Johnson, in a runoff against Colin Allred, says she’s energized after an unexpectedly strong primary showing and defends her record against Allred’s accusations about trading and PAC money, calling the attacks false. She supports Democrats’ prospects in state races and calls for reforms at DHS, criticizing former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and pushing for comprehensive change rather than mere personnel swaps.
Former Michigan GOP Congresswoman Peter Meijer, an Iraq war veteran, tells Jiang Russia sharing intelligence with Iran is serious because it provides Iran targeting sophistication it otherwise lacks. He calls the development part of a strategic competition: while the U.S. wants to isolate Iran’s threat, Russian assistance risks entangling broader great power rivalry. Meijer warns that Iranian-backed plotting and past cases show the U.S. homeland could be a target and urges vigilance by federal law enforcement.
Panel: Garrett convenes a political panel to discuss Noem’s firing and whether it satisfies Democrats. Republican strategist Erin Maguire argues replacing Noem with a respected senator could stabilize Senate confirmation dynamics, while Democratic strategist John McCarthy says changing a secretary won’t alter unpopular policies on the street; voters want policy changes, not only personnel moves. The panel also debates whether Trump will endorse a Texas Senate candidate and whether intra-MAGA alignment or rival wings will shape future GOP dynamics.
Other segments and note on casualties: Garrett and colleagues review the U.S.-Israel operational campaign and Iranian counterstrikes. Defense officials claim the coalition’s strikes in Iran have reduced missile and drone attacks and are targeting launchers and storage to degrade Iran’s capabilities. Maclean and Meijer stress risks from Russian assistance, the need to protect carriers and regional oil routes, and the possible strategic implications if the conflict broadens.
Closing: Weijia Jiang wraps the episode, noting Garrett’s interim role at the evening news and previews upcoming coverage: the Daily Report and continuing updates on the war, the economy, and political races. The Takeout ends with an emphasis on monitoring developments in Iran, Russia’s reported intelligence-sharing, regional air defenses and the evolving political fallout in Washington and key states.