Meet the Press NOW — August 21

President Trump says he will send troops to Chicago and defends his deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles despite a ruling today that found the deployment to be illegal. Congress faces a tight deadline to avert a government shutdown as legislators return to Capitol Hill. NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss key races this November.

The White House plans to expand its ICE operations to other major U.S. cities, including Chicago. Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts a regional summit where he joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in projecting a united front. President Trump continues to threaten to ban mail-in voting even as members of his own party appear wary. 

Former “Today” co-anchor Hoda Kotb joins Kristen Welker for a Meet the Moment conversation about landing her dream job later in life and adopting children in her fifties.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) react to the Trump administration firing the CDC’s director and trying to oust a Federal Reserve official. Leigh Ann Caldwell, Ashley Etienne, Andrea Mitchell and Marc Short join the roundtable. Hoda Kotb joins for a “Meet the Moment” conversation.

President Trump tests the boundaries of his presidential power after ousting top officials at key agencies. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the former director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss what prompted his decision to leave the health agency. The families of the two children killed in the Minneapolis church shooting speak out as the community continues to grapple with the tragic event.

Minneapolis officials provide updates on the mass shooting that left two children dead and 18 injured as investigators search for a motive. Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the CDC, says he’s witnessing an “all-out assault on public health” after the White House fires the head of the agency.

Former Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo discusses the latest developments out of Minneapolis, where two children are dead and 17 others are injured after a gunman opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School. NBC News Correspondents Brian Cheung and Daniele Hamamdjian report on President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on goods from India.  

President Trump looks to assert control over the Federal Reserve as he moves to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over unconfirmed accusations of mortgage fraud. Top Democrats push back against President Trump’s threats to deploy troops to Chicago. UNICEF Spokesperson Joe English joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the Israeli military continues its offensive in the region. 

President Trump threatens to deploy National Guard troops to more cities as Democrats push back nationwide. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s attorney discusses his client's case and potential deportation to Uganda. NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell joins Meet the Press Now on the latest in potential peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. 

Vice President JD Vance, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) weigh in on the developing talks toward peace in Ukraine. Monica Alba, Matt Gorman, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Amna Nawaz join the roundtable.