military air. wolf. >> this is a really, really serious development that's unfolding with a lot of unfortunate potential all around, all right, barbara, thank you very much, barbara starr at the pentagon. to our viewers, thank you very much for watching. "erin burnett out front" starts right now. >> "out front" next, breaking news, president trump considering an executive action to get the wall as nancy pelosi pulls the plug on the state of the union. ants and the shutdown, no end in sight. is the president guilty? michael cohen says he is threatening his family. ed lavandara goes under ground at a tunnel under the border to see how drug cartels will get around trump's new wall. let's go "out front." good evening, i'm erin burnett. "out front," tonight, president trump considering executive action to build the wall.

this according to a gop source, the president is putting it back on the table if there is no deal with democrats soon. there is no deem. house speaker nancy pelosi chance ancelled the state of th union. this afternoon the president lashing out at her. >> nancy pelosi or nancy as i call her, she doesn't want to hear the truth and she doesn't want to hear, more importantly the american people's truth. we found out she's cancelled. i think that's a great blotch on the incredible country that we all love. it's a great, great horrible mark. >> okay. one big take away would be this. the state of the union is not strong. just look at the childish letters that trump and pelosi sent each other today. yeah, they were actual letters. hand delivery. not text, not e-mails, not calls. start today with the president. he sent nancy pelosi with a letter that began this way, dear

madam speaker, thank you for your letter of january 3rd, 2019, sent to me long after the shutdown began, inviting me to address the nation on january 29th as to the state of the union. he is plaik mamake is making tht she invited him, she can't continue the shutdown. she addressed him, saying there are no security concerns, therefore, i will be honoring your invitation and fulfilling my constitutional duty to deliver important information to people and the the congress of the united states of america regarding our state of the union. he is citing the department of homeland security, now, nancy pelosi says, i never thought it would be shut down this long. that's why i invited you to begin with and she took the day off. she wrote him a letter. and she cancelled the state of the union, nancy writing, quote, i am writing to inform you that the house of representatives will not consider a concurrent

resolution authorizing the president's state of the union address in the house chamber until government is opened. cancelled. trump was not happy. so at least he stopped this silly little letter writing. he decided to respond to the cameras. >> the state of the union speech has been cancelled by nancy pelosi because she doesn't want to hear the truth. she doesn't want the american public to hear what's going on. and she's afraid of the truth and the super left democrats, the radical democrats, what's going on in that party is shocking. >> this game of canceling the state of the union and writing letters is really no joke. because trump and pelosi spent the day doing this a formal letter writing, as 800,000 of americans are without a paycheck. we are at 33 days and counting. no one is doing anything to help the 7800,000 federal workers who are getting a second 0.00 dollar

paycheck and now struggling desperately to end days meet. >> i find it unacceptable that coast guard men and women have to rely on food pantry and donations to get through day-to-day life to service members. >> we have processes not there, training not taking place, distraction in the workplace. >> having to have food brought in your fbi office to assist family members to actually bring food home so they can feed their families. that's just outrageous. >> it is outrageous, caitlin collins is live outside the white house. caitlin, no deal tonight. you have new reporting when the president wrote his letter, you know, sort of taunting, hey, nancy pelosi, you invited me when the government was shut down. now you can't uninvite me. he was caught off guard when she responded to just that. >> reporter: they were not expecting, in that mind, they suggested that letter, she

hadn't actually formally disinvited him from giving it. so they thought when they sent this letter today, they were calling nancy pelosi's bluff. they thought it was a political stunt and they were going to press forward after the government had shut down to go ahead and deliver the state of the union. they weren't expecting that pushback from her to say, actually, i'm not going to deliver this resolution. so formally you cannot deliver this address in front of congress on bill capitol hilcap. now they are looking for new place. they were advised against a rally, if those settings, they are not able to mirror the formal witform formal switch it is. he goes off message, the president says that will be announced shortly. in the meanwhile, beyond just the state of the union the white house is trying to decide what to do about the shutdown.

they're widely expecting those two bills that will be brought up in the senate tomorrow to fail. they believe once both of those fail, including the president's proposal, that then they will be able to negotiate with democrats, that this day 33 of the shutdown is turning into day 34. >> thank you very much, caitlin. i want to go to steve moore. he was at the white house. you saw him today speaking. steve moore was there, an informal white house adviser. joe walsh, and patrick healey the politics editor of the "new york times," steve, you were there with the president today. a gop source telling us tonight the president is considering that executive action to build the wall if this doesn't end soon. did he talk at all about that? >> it's funny. i know that subject came up about whether there would be the president would use executive action. i don't recall him saying that. i'm not saying he didn't. we talked about a lot of things. so i can't confirm he said that. but i think the mood among all these conservative leaders was

that trump has made a very reasonable offer to pelosi and, in fact, i was worried that some people would say on the right, oh, this is just an amnesty and we can't go along with this. but i think trump is certainly unified conservatives behind us. and on the state of the union, i have to say this, what is nancy pelosi afraid of? why in the world is she worried that trump is going to make his case in front of a national audience? it seems a little of 57th grade maneuver by her. >> both of the letters, you know, as i said, it's pretty pathetic, right, we are writing letters back and forth and hand delivering them. when it comes, though, to the president said i'm coming to do it. she wrote back and said, actually, it's cancelled. you heard caitlin saying the president was surprised by that. they thought they called their bluff. do they not know who they are up against? >> i don't even understand. i don't think the american people understand the rationale

for not having the state of the union speech. does anybody think we can't keep the capitol safe at this point? you are right, this is a major confrontation between our two parties? why not let the american people hear the president and, of course, nancy pelosi or whoever the democrat might be. i think they're worried trump will make a strong case he's put on the table, open the border and do the daca legalization, i think they're afraid, the democrats think they're afraid to hear that message. >> afraid,? is that why? >> she's not afraid, she's anything but afraid. he should be very afraid. i mean the president had two chances to make his case to the american people and his poll numbers continue to crater. so nancy pelosi is not afraid. she is showing him that there are -- we have separation of powers. she has the right to either invite him or not invite him and she has chosen not to invite him while the government is shut

down. she has said, open the government. can you come speak. we will negotiate, but she is saying, you will not take these 800,000 americans hostage to your whim of a wall. still, there is more than a billion dollars that has been allocated for the wall that remains unspent. it's closer to $2 billion. maybe patrick can check me on that. so this is a stunt by the president and it's not going to end until he realizes that she means business. >> when you talk about a student, patrick. i mean, these letters. >> right. >> it's ridiculous. i understand people can say you pick on the guy for using twitter all the time. this is absurd. >> no, it was getting into the sandbox pretty badly. what's interesting is president trump for the last two years has been a norm breaking president. you know, we can go through the list, him siding with vladimir putin over our own intelligence agencies, him questioning american involvement in nato. him taking his talking points and agenda from fox news, from

shutting down the government over his border wall. now you have nancy pelosi, yes, breaking the norm, not inviting the president to speak in the house. but we have to remember, this is not so extraordinary given the context and this the abnormal nature of the trump presidency for so long. the reality is what would that state of the union be like you know in the house? you would have had all of those new freshmen democrats who see president trump as, we can choose a lot of word we will not say on televising vision an outrage in a lot of ways. the president getting up there, giving an unbelievable political speech you know about all of his accomplishments. about the shutdown, about the wall. it would have descended into probably a lengthy amount of booze. >> right. >> as it is right now. >> parliamentary type altercation. you know, again, i say these things, but not to make light. i mean, the strategy for the president today, joan --

>> i was on cnn the night last year when donald trump gave his state of the union speech. >> yes. >> and even his opponents said that was one of the best -- this guy hits those out of the park. that's why i think the democrats don't want him to give that speech. because he's a great speech maker. >> he's really not, steve. are you dog good job, but no. >> i have to say i'm a little surprised. you are defending pelosi. >> when trump does things that i think are juvenile or inappropriate, i'm willing to say it. i'm surprised the three of you are defending pelosi's kindergarten tactics. >> i don't think it was juvenile with the letter writing, could that be more clear? >> i am defending nancy pelosi. i want to go on the record, i am defending nancy pelosi. i think what she did was exactly the right thing. she's raised five children and she knows how to deal with a toddler. >> okay. >> she has never seen anything like this. >> he is trying to separate his, you know, nancy and chuck as he

calls them. he is doing so by using a specific word. he doesn't use words randomly. he looks like he does, he never is. here he is? right. >> i think that chuck schumer sadly is dominated by the radical left and he's dominated by nancy pelosi, very strongly dominated. he can't move. he's a puppet, he's a puppet for nancy pelosi, if you can believe that. >> puppet, dominated, dominated, joan, not a random word. >> not a random word. he is projecting wildly. he is trying to emasculate chuck schumer. chuck schumer is man enough to know he needs to stand by nancy pelosi. she knows what she is doing. there is no daylight between schumer and pelosi. they are doing this correctly. but the president is showing us his own sexual insecurities by saying something like that about chuck schumer. it's kind of gross. but we expect no different.

>> what do you say to that, steve? why dominated by nancy pelosi? >> because it is clear pelosi is driving the agenda here. look, as a conservative republican, i'm really happy with that. i want nancy pelosi to be i think this is one time that i guess we agree, i think nancy pelosi for the republicans is, she's the gift that keeps on giving and when she pulls these stunts like today, she doesn't just make herself look petty, i think she makes the whole party look petty. >> the president said two word today, he also said radical democrats. he threw it out at the beginning. i thought he was going to do that nine times. so he's pushing that, whether that will stick as an ad joketive. the word dominated, that was done purposefully. i can't imagine chuck schumer will do nothing other than laugh at. >> he will laugh. he's a new yorker. he gets what's trump will imply. the reality is trump has boxed himself in around here. he doesn't have sclumer to

negotiate w. he doesn't have pelosi to negotiate with. he has been trying to divide them and find daylight. it's sort of the childish antics. you know, i don't think they're going to get him very far in this. >> as caitlin said, it will be day 34 and counting. thank you all. next, president trump responding to michael cohen's claim. cohen says he can't have this hearing in congress if he actually, you know, offered to do because the president is threatening his family. but "the washington post reporting the administration is making preparations in case the shutdown lasts until april. and our ed lavandara live on the border. guess what he will show you? you will see first hand, new tunnels. r. /*. >> reporter: this is the labyrinth of tunnels in mexico to get people and drug noose the united states. labyrinth of tunn to get people and drug noose the united states. >> reporter: this labyrinth of tunnels in mexico to get people and drug noose the united states. labyrinth of tunn

to get people and drug noose the united states. >> reporter: this labyrinth of tunnels in mexico to get people and drug noose the united states. labyrinth of tunn to get people and drug noose the united states. >> reporter: this labyrinth of tunnels in mexico to get people and drug noose the united states. labyrinth of tunn to get people and drug noose the united states. oughs) hi susan! honey? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey. the real honey you love... plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? new robitussin honey. because it's never just a cough. always a catch. like somehow you wind up getting less. but now that i book at hilton.com, and i get all these great perks. i got to select my room from the floor plan... very nice... i know, i'm good at picking stuff. free wi-fi... laptop by the pool is a bold choice... and the price match guarantee. how do you know all of this? are you like some magical hilton fairy? it's just here on the hilton app. just available to the public, so... book at hilton.com and get the hilton price match guarantee. if you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25% off that stay. if you turn up your swagger game with one a day gummies. one serving... ...once a day...

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. new tonight, michael cohen postponing his hearing for february 7th. his reason, ongoing threats to his family from president trump. that's a quote. his attorney likely referring to excepts like these. >> his father-in-law is a very rich guy, i hear. his father-in-law i thought was the guy that was the primary focus. well, what did he do? did he make a deal to keep his father-in-law out? did he make a deal for his wife,

supposedly, maybe i'm wrong, you can check it. did he make a deal to keep his wife out of trouble? he should give information maybe on his father-in-law. >> that itself one people want to look at. where is that money? that's the money in the family. >> so i hear. right? and a tweet where trump said of cohen lying to reduce his jail time, watch father-in-law. so he keeps bringing it up. president trump, though, is now claiming he has not threatened cohen as all. >> i would say he has been threatened by the truth. he's only been threatened by the truth. he doesn't want to tell the truth for me or other of his lies. >> the chairman of the committee interesting, quote, we will hear from him, talking about cohen. evan perez is out front. tell us what is happening here. >> reporter: i think the undercurrent of the cohen place is, one of the reasons is to protect his family. during the time they were negotiating for his plea, one of the things the prosecutor mentioned his wife had some

legal exposure that she could possibly face charges. i think president trump is pointing to the fact some of this had to do with tax medallions, michael cohen's father-in-law was a part of that business. so the question was, would republican lawmakers, if michael cohen testified, would republican lawmakers go there and make it much more uncomfortable for michael cohen? i think the answer is yes. >> so, evan, to be clear, when people say this, right the president keeps bringing it up. there are all kind of reasons that someone might think that could be an implicit threat, or causing a threat. no one is saying trump or guiliani will go after someone's family, i want to be clear, what are the safety concerns cohen could be talking about? >> reporter: right. i don't know, no one is saying the president or guiliani would do this? this tax me talion business is notoriously corrupt. the fbi has been pointing at

this. so it's not a small thing and it's not unreasonable for michael cohen to be concerned that when he goes to prison in march that his family or he could face some danger. so i think that's also at the top of michael cohen's mind, as he made the decision. >> evan, thank you very much. i want to go to john dean and the counsel for national security kerry core dhar ro. john -- kerry cordaro. john, did he repeatedly threaten him by brigg up his father-in-law? >> at least that's the case, they have stated because of the president and his statements. he hasn't said he will start a department of justice investigation against the father or the wife, but what he is doing is he is poking a hornet's nest. i think that's what's troubling cohen and his wife. he is obviously trying to prevent this testimony. >> right. certainly trying to get somebody

to think, kerry, perhaps, someone will look into the father in lawsuit. oh, the father-in-law will squeal on other people is what evan is referring to. there could be a danger, do you think this is a legitimate fear that michael cohen might have? >> well, when i look apt lanny cohen's explanation, his attorney, i see three different reasons, one piece is the president and rudy guiliani's statements over the last several days, which i think could be interpret as maybe trying to intimidate his testimony or perhaps be political messaging to the president's allies in congress that they should ask michael cohen about these types of issues related to his family business and his father-in-law's businesses and things like that. the second piece is matters that might affect the special counsel's investigation. and that was always a question that i had when this hearing was even announced, is whether there were certain things that michael cohen might be asked that perhaps those members of

congress who don't want to disrupt that investigation would see it. and the third piece that lanny davis mentions is safety. that's a separate issue, i think. i haven't heard a lot of information about what the basis of their safety concerns are. >> all right. so, you know, on this point of michael cohen's testimony, this is the first time when you know at least when lanny davis came out and said he is worried about his safety, his family's safety. that's why he will postpone this. it's the first time we've heard from cohen since december. here he was. >> here is the truth. the people of the united states of america and the people of the world don't believe what he is saying. the man doesn't tell the truth. and it's sad that i should take responsibility for his dirty deeds. i will not be the villain of his story. >> then i guess john reported, right, that cohen is going to testify, right? come if front of congress. the "wall street journal" says that at the hearing he was going to quote tell the story of what

it's like to work for a madman. why he did it for so long. he will say things that will give you the chills. that's what he was going to say. but, john, nothing about the russia investigation was supposedly going to be asked. so this was all going to be stuff that was going to be at the least hugely embarrassing for trump. not about the russia investigation. so i guess, do you think trump's response makes sense that he would do whatever he could do to get cohen to be quiet? >> it certainly does. i remember when i testified, what i tried to do is put not only the problems nixon had with watergate, but the larger setting in which things happened. and i was surprised to read in nixon's memoir, that he said he wasn't particularly troubled by my watergate-related testimony, but deeply troubled by the atmosphere i painted of what was going on in the nixon white house. and that's what exactly the sort of thing that michael was going to address of how he operated as

a businessman and during the campaign. and that could have been very damaging. >> and, kerry, you know, to that point, perhaps that is what the president is most afraid about. right? i mean, that what cohen is saying, the acts of a madman? >> see, i think most important thing that michael cohen could have been asked about from the perspective of the big russia investigation and the public desire to understand what the motivations were of the trump campaign had to do with the trump moscow project. and that might be precisely the type of information that on advice of council he would not want to get into, it would affect the special counsel's investigation. i think that actually this standing down of this hearing might turn out to be a good thing for congressional oversight. here's why. this hearing was going to be a complete spectacle. maybe it was going to tell all about sort of why donald trump is a terrible person to work for or how he lies. but i don't think that's necessarily the type of thing that is relevant to -- it might be interesting and make good tv.

it's not relevant to what serious congressional overseeers are interested in getting at if they're trying to understand whether the president or his campaign were influenced by russia. >> all right. thank you both very much. next, breaking news about president trump's meeting about the shutdown today. one person there saying the president is digging in but does not have a plan b. plus a story will you only see out front. our ed lavandara went to the border. he is live there tonight. to go to the front lines and go under those lines. . >> the wall has never been the answer to stopping drugs or people coming across the bordered and it will never be the answer to it. our broccoli cheddar is made with aged melted cheddar, simmered broccoli, and no artificial flavors. enjoy 100% clean soup today. panera. food as it should be. got it.r pickup order? ran out of ink and i have a big meeting today and 2 boxes of twizzlers...

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breaking news, the president meeting and according to person there he doesn't off a back-up plan. i have to be clear the senate is not expected to pass either of those bills. so you need a plan b. and the lack of one comes as the trump administration is making preparations for the government shutdown in case it happens another few months. asking agency to make preparations if it lasts until april. april? there is so much activity where you are and this voting going to happen. it seems like none of it is going anywhere. >> reporter: it kind of raises the question whether anything will happen, to be frankly. a lot of people are throwing up their hands in the air. democrats passed for the ninth time a package to reopen a

portion of the federal government. the white house issued a veto threat and senate republicans said they weren't going to take it up. the difference is you know the senate will for the first time hold votes that could lead to the reopening of the government. the president's proposal, $5.7 billion for a wall if exchange for daca recipients, temporary status recipients and that's make clear is not a compromise and a democratic poefl, a house bill. both have a 60-vote threshold. the optimistic take right now i am picking up from staff and a couple law makers is once these fail and everybody recognizes the two top proposals can't pass, perhaps lawmakers will get into a room and negotiate. you made a lead-in whether the white house has a plan b. i talked to multiple people involved and says, once that fails, what's the next step out of this? they don't have an answer tomorrow. we expect them to fail. what happens after that, still

anybody's guess here. >> phil mattingly, thank you very much. now out front, the freshman democrat out of california. thank you for being with me. congresswoman. >> thank you. >> you and others have called out senator mcconnell for not doing anything. he hasn't brought anything to the floor, thus far, showing up outside his office. now he is doing it. two bills going to a vote. both expected to fame. you heard phil say the big question is, then what's the next step? what's the answer? >> reporter: well, first of all, we are flood to see some bills are coming to the floor. we think this is an important temperature taker of where we stand, which bills will reopen the government will be an important indicator of the american people of bo needs to hear from them as to the kind of pressure that needs to be put on them. but the next step is going to be like let's see what comes from this. hopefully the two weeks, cr the continuing resolution will pass and we will begin resolutions for what happens after that if

it does not pass, then we have to keep coming back. that's where really at this point, i'm a big believer in activism as a representative in this capacity. i'm not able to tell people what they can do. or what they're supposed to do. in my personal capacity, i believe this is where the activists that helped people get elected need to step up to the plate. >> so congresswoman jim clyburn, the number three democrat in the house raised the possibility today, congresswoman, of approving trump's number the $5.7 billion specifically he says he wants for border security, but not for a physical wall. he says, okay, i will throw that number out there, i will say not for what you want, right, the wall the physical wall is the one thing trump won't budge on. is that $5.7 billion number congresswoman a real effort to move towards the president or is it a way to mock him? >> well, i don't think anything that we are doing is an attempt to mock the president.

right now what we are most concerned with is figuring out how to open up the government and get people paid. my district is full of federal workers about to miss their second paycheck. so we're not interested in any kind of games. we're trying to get things done. so we need to get these appropriations bills to move forward and that's what will tell us the exact numbers. we have some incredible people who are leading this effort, including what someone from my own state -- >> that number, the president's magic number? >> you know, a specific number is to be determined. but i'm opened to spending money on border security. i think most democrats are. and it just is this whole semantics over the wall has been a major barrier for us. i think we got to figure out how to move past it. on the democratic end, we have to say, we're not for a wall. here's what we are for and what we are proposing. >> today you opened a bill for the government. we said nine of them so far? it was a democrat, though, that

voted against it, your congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez. she did so, she says, because it funded i.c.e., which she says she thinks needs to be de-funded. do you agree with her decision to open the government? >> i certainly voted for it. i don't agree with that. but i do think that we have some very distinct differences within our own caucus about the approach on border security and around immigration and that's the part we have to reconcile. right? so that's a big part of what this whole concept of negotiation and compromise is going to look like. it means that not everyone is going to get everything that they want. but i do think that we have to come to some kind of ma skroert consensus here. >> i want to ask you about the michael contechnical. he says he is scared for his family's safety because of comments made by the president. do you believe him? >> oh. i can imagine he is scared for his family. the fact that we have a sitting president who is trying to intimidate a witness who is

coming before congress is completely unacceptable, that his lawyer is doing it is absolutely shameful and we cannot let that stand. >> that is a completely amoral precedent to set by the president. and so, one way or another, he is going to testify before congress and we have to make it clear that this is not something we are going to tolerate, no matter what. >> are you going to subpoena cohen? would you support that? >> i hope it doesn't come to that. if it does, we will make sure he testifies one way or another. >> i appreciate your time. >> thank you so much for having me. next, officials uncover new tunnels deep under the wall that's already there. all right, ed lavandara is there tonight to show you a first hand, a crime cartels are getting under the wall. . >> is it by happened or shovels? >> it is almost exclusively by hand or power tools. plus americans given hours to leave venezuela the country

breaking relations with the united states. the president responding.

. tonight the president is selling his wall as a way to stop the illegal flow of drugs. tweeting in parts put an end to stoppable drugs, border security and wall, no doubt. it's not a move from the border.

in the past month alone, three new tunnels have been discovered in one border town. tonight for the first time, we will take you inside for a look at what is really hang underground. ed laven tara is "o-- lavandara "out front." >> reporter: take a look in mexico where world security is not in the darkness underground. in the drainage system under the city of nogales, mexico, often used by drug smugglers to get people and drug into the united states. local police guide us through the rivers of raw sue ooj and even down here the international border line is printing on the ceiling. this wall is actually the international border line. this black patch you see is an old tunnel used by smugglers. mexican authorities have sealed it off. this is what it looks like underground here. >> reporter: in the last month, mexican authorities discovered

three tunnels in this city all designed to reach under the border what ul that exists here and pop up north of the border. the most recent tunnel actually emptied out in this area behind me. it started contractor started deeper inside the city about three-quarters of a mail away from where we are standing right now. >> reporter: there were two tunnels here. >> reporter: they have spent decades patrolling the borderlands of santa cruz county in arizona. they've seen organized crime cartels adapt to every new evolution of border security. >> they have the world's records as far as tunnels are concerned. >> reporter: more than 100-tonne els have been discovered in nogales since 1995. >> it's opportunity. it's very practical for them. the more difficult you make it for them the more creative they will be. >> reporter: that's a lot of tunnels. >> that's a lot of tunnels. at some point wonder if there will be a few sink holes this side of the border. >> reporter: as the trump

administration pushes to expand the border walls, border securities think this will force cartels to expand the underground operations. >> when we talk about tunnels, it's linked to the dynamics of the drug trade. we will continue to see drug traffickers using tunnels, corruption, drones, catapults, anything else to get contraband across that border as long as there is that money there. >> reporter: the detective say it's incredibly difficult. the cartels have become masters of tunneling. >> reporter: you could be in mexico and not know if someone is below your feet? >> yes. >> reporter: they took us two years ago inside a border tunnel in california. he is a part of a team known as the tunnel rats. is it by hand? shovels? >> it's mostly exclusively by hand and power tools. >> reporter: in the trial of el chapo guzman, they detailed how

vast amounts of cocaine and weapons have been smuggled through tunnels, but that there is always more than one way to get through a border wall. leiutenant jerry castille says a wall alone won't stop it. >> it's a cat and mouse game. it's, you know, we would think that we were on top of the game and all of a sudden something else pops up. >> reporter: it never ends? >> it never end. and, erin, immigration customs enforcement in the united states says more than 203 tunnels have been discovered along the southwest border since 1990. more of that is expected. what every border official talks about is this idea of how these criminal organizations adapt to whatever changes are made on the u.s. side of the border. so as more border security is expected to be deployed down here to the southwest border region, they expect these cartels to adapt acourseingly. >> thank you. these visuals matter so much.

out front, former assistant secretary for the department of homeland security under obama. they showed these growing labyrinth of tunnels, just in the last month, three new ones, taking us in here for the first time. we're talking three new ones in the past month in one place. >> exactly right. it's an amazing story. nogales has some wall. parts have wall, suggesting even if he built the wall, there will be there adaptability. so i think what it shows is specifically is that america's law, sort of border enforcement policies have almost no relation to the magnet that draws people and drugs and other this i think so to the united states. and we've seen that consistently over the last 50 or 60 years. the harsher we get on immigration, it really does not impact if people come or go and to quote, you know, the former

secretary of homeland security john kelly, the problem with our border and legal activity coming across it starts 3,000 miles south of here. these images are just proof not only if you bailed 50-foot wall you will find a ticket or a 51-foot ladder, but that the challenge of border enforcement is really, how do you do secure flow? >> right. >> how do you threat good things in and bad things out. >> one of the things ed was showing how deep they r. he was talking to the county schiherif saying you could be on top of a tunnel, it is because they are so deep, that is how easily they can adopt. >> so what do you want against an adaptdable enemy? the drug traders. what do you want against an adaptable enemy? you don't apt stationary thing. one of the crazy aspects of this

shutdown is we have a wall. it's called the coast guard, it's called pcb, it's called tsa. we have people adapting to the enemy, instead they're not getting paid and not showing up for work, we're spending all of our time for a wall that will not adapt for challenges of legal activity. which democrats and republicans all agree we need to stop. >> certainly, no one can dispute it is happening. thank you. next, breaking news, president trump taking a stand against venezuela's dictator. now americans there are told they have hours to leave. plus, you know her name, but can you say it? >> kamela harris. >> just think of this comma and add a la. with less of the sugar you don't. (straining) i'll take that. (cheers) 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. ensure max protein. in two great flavors.

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tell me what's happening. >> reporter: yes, exactly, erin. right now the whole of the venezuela and the whole of the world are watching to understand what will happen within the next few hours after a historic day here in the venezuelan capital. how will the government react? will the military side line with nicholas maduro who has sworn himself in as the new interim president, or will the military side line, we have yet to hear a clear announcement from them. and many people here are going to stay awake and keep monitoring and watching for signs on what side of the board will eventually fall. >> and obviously when you say how important the military is, there is great fear what may happen. what is the view of what president trump did where you are? from the people that you've been

talking to. >> reporter: well, caracas and the whole of venezuela is a deeply divided society, erin. the people that were on the streets today, the people who were cheering and the people i was able to speak with here in the morning would say what trump did was the conclusion of a subsequent process and actually the only way for this situation to reach a break through, to reach a conclusion. i spoke with people who are saying we welcome the support from the united states. we welcome the fact that mike pence, the vice president will speak with juan. >> thank you very much. but again, donald trump, the president taking a stand against the venezuelan dictator.

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contender is called mayor pete for a reason. here's jeanne. >> reporter: there's a new democrat looking to run for president if only we could pronounce his name. you try saying the name of the mayor. >> they just call me mayor pete and that's fine with me. >> reporter: what isn't fine that so many of the presidential wannabes have names that trip you up. and don't do what whoopi did when she introduced. >> kamala harris. >> reporter: it's really a shame when both names are tricky. >> please welcome senator

kirsten gillibrand. >> i know her. that's kirsten gillibrand. >> reporter: and there's this guy whose childhood name stuck. but his political foes delight in saying beto rather than beto. >> referred to as beto. >> reporter: campaigns sometimes go along with the joke. >> where do i get me one of them beto signs. >> beto. >> it's not kamala. >> it's kamala. >> reporter: to help pronounce this maltese name that translates to lord of the poultry. but even easy names get mangled. take bernie sanders. sometimes a name is more than people can bite off. jeanne moos.

cnn. >> it's moos, right? >> reporter: new york. >> that is haunting. thanks for joining us. anderson starts now. good evening. today the president of the united states dared the speaker of the house to disinvite him from giving the "state of the union" address to congressneck week, so she did. this has never happened before. there's no getting past it and understating how totally bonkers it is. and keeping them honest, it's also a sideshow. we begin instead tonight with a sumgz. if you want to know about the state of the union, the president of the united states is not the one to ask. these people are. >> you have a 9-year-old, so how is this affecting your family? >> i don't need my extra milk at lunch,