Major Garrett Brings Daily Washington Insights to CBS News Takeout Show

Four-hour security lines snaked through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Wednesday as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security hit its 40th day, and the White House warned that President Trump would "unleash Hell" if Iran failed to reach a deal. CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett put both crises at the center of Tuesday's edition of The Takeout, his weeknight show airing Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the CBS News app.

Multiple airports reported callout rates above 40%, and more than 480 transportation security officers quit during the shutdown. CBS correspondent Skyler Henry reported from Atlanta, one of the cities where passengers faced growing security lines as roughly 50,000 TSA workers deemed essential continued screening passengers and cargo while working for deferred pay. The episode noted both that agents were calling out in growing numbers and that those who remained on the job were doing so without regular compensation, two conditions that CBS News reporting presented simultaneously.

The TSA's acting administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, warned that the agency may have to shut down operations at some airports entirely, describing mounting hardships for unpaid workers, including eviction notices and plasma donations to cover living expenses. She also raised alarm that the shutdown is shrinking the pool of candidates willing to train as TSA agents, with the 2026 World Cup less than 80 days away.

On Iran, the White House's threat that Trump would "unleash Hell" if no deal materialized ran alongside a defense spending figure that underscores the scale of the conflict's anticipated cost. Congress, which has not authorized the war with Iran, may be asked to provide $200 billion to fund it; senior House and Senate Republicans did not deny that figure and sounded vaguely supportive. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the Pentagon formally requested that $200 billion from Congress. Earlier in the week, the show had also covered Pentagon preparations for potentially sending ground troops into Iran and Trump's criticism of NATO for not deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

The episode's political segments stretched from South Florida to the northern Rockies. Democrats flipped a Florida state House seat in a district that includes President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in a special election Tuesday, with political strategists Kendra Barkoff Lamy and Doug Heye joining Garrett to analyze the result. Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez, identified as the only Cuban-born member of Congress, also appeared to assess Trump's foreign policy toward Cuba and Venezuela and lay out what democratic governance would require in both countries.

Montana hasn't elected a Democrat to the House since the late 1990s, but smokejumper Sam Forstag, who parachutes into remote wilderness to fight wildfires, joined the show to discuss his progressive campaign for Montana's 1st Congressional District, the seat being vacated by outgoing Republican Ryan Zinke. Garrett closed the episode with CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman, whose Oscar-winning documentary "All the Empty Rooms" examines the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings, joining The Takeout to discuss the film's making.

The Takeout describes itself as a "never-take-yourself-too-seriously daily show" with the motto "relentlessly curious, steadfastly non-ideological," featuring guest interviews, investigative journalism, and coverage of the day's biggest events while aiming to "simplify and explain the complexities and acronyms of official Washington." The show is also available as a podcast on the free Audacy app and wherever podcasts are distributed.