we'll hand it over to chris. >> i see the cold medicine is still working. look at me now, will i ever learn? i don't know how, but i suddenly lose control, there's a fire burning in my soul. i wonder if the president has those lyrics banging around in his head at those rallies. good to have you back. great show as always. i am chris cuomo. welcome to primetime. sign the deal. that is the call from people around the president. the president says he's extremely unhappy with the new shutdown stopper, but is there a better option? he has to decide what matters more. making a deal that's good for the country ordealing with the rabid right wing of his party. we have the latest on the vote count as we take down the days to another potential shutdown. we have two players here tonight for you. one that helped crack this deal. another in the opposition and we're going to see if they can hash it out. let's see if left and right can get to reasonable. one thing the president is

decisive about, calling for a democrat to re-sign for bigoted comments about jews. we dug up sound on the same subject that may surprise you and here's the question, why speak out now yet be mum about steve king? that's our great debate. a lot of people are testing the waters for a 2020 run but none has set off the left like the man you're going to see here live on cnn in just minutes. a presidential town hall you will not want to miss. so what do you say? let's get after it. >> we're about 72 hours until the government runs out of money. where are we? we have two players. one from each side. this was the president this afternoon on the potential for a deal. >> i have to study it. i'm not happy about it. it's not doing the trick, but i'm adding things to it. it's very simple. we're building a wall.

>> see kellyanne back there? a source says the president isn't completely sold on a compromise after the call with top republican negotiator senator richard shelby. weren't they supposed to figure out what he would accept before this point? the deal falls short of the big price tag that will help him substantiate his promise. he wanted 5.7 billion for the wall. this falls short of money they offered him before the first shutdown. they are going to give him $1.6 billion which is about what the white house asked for in their budget for the year. now it's not there. it includes other sweeteners but this is enough to seal the deal for the hard liners on the republican side? we have one. >> thank you for having me on.

>> what's your council to the president? >> the president needs to stick with the plan that the american people want which is a secure border. i was in rio grande valley last week and i wish all the american people can see what i saw which was almost 150 to 250 people personally coming across the border. talking about the 400,000 people that will come through the rio grande valley this year alone of whom 200,000 won't be apprehended and the ones that will be 90% will have caught and release. we found 54 people in a stash house in houston, texas being held ransom by the cartels that have operational control of our border and dictating to the united states the terms of what our security and border looks like. the state across the river is a level 4 state which is a no travel zone. it's more dangerous than honduras and guatemala and many other countries. we need to secure the border and

the president ought to stick to that. the question has always been priority. i have done the reporting and been along the border. they need physical barriers but only one person said it is the top priority and that's the president of the united states. many of those don't deal with physical barriers, they deal with rules, flows, understanding in the home countries and all of those should be funded and the requirements are great. the president says it's all about the wall. that's where the trouble is. >> what the president offered if you remember was 234 miles of fencing, $600 million of humanitarian relief. 75 judges, 50,000 beds and democrats now for some reason they want to make an argument that we don't need beds when the beds are the very issue with the asylum crisis which is the judges have put on our backs and created mandatory release.

>> sure, how many beds should isis have versus how many should dhs cdp have. >> i get the issue. >> and as you know, we need beds for interior enforcement, for i.c.e., we need beds at the border and we can help the migraines that seek to come here rather than the girls getting sold into the sex trafficking trade and leveraged by the cartels and it's a very dangerous environment. >> it's just the wall won't stop that. >> i disagree with that. i do. >> let's talk about that quickly and then we'll go into what the alternative is. how does a wall stop trafficking when, first of all, the main part of our problem with trafficking is american kids being trafficked around this country. and there's no similar sense of urgency about dealing with that. i spent months on a documentary documenting it. it's a real problem and you guys don't talk about it but the trafficking that comes across the border, it's not about not

having a fence. it's about poverty and criminal criminali criminality. you're not a wall away from fixing it. >> i actually very much appreciate you spotlighting that issue. it's very important and i take a little issue with that. when i was in the attorney general's office we created a human trafficking division to focus on this problem and internally it's a problem with american citizens. >> huge. >> but it's a problem for the children, the 10-year-old and 11-year-old girl walking from h honduras without their parents and a third of those girls are mistreated on the journey. >> terrible. >> to your point about fencing, if you look at the rio grande valley alone, you have about 35 miles of fencing and significant infrastructure. on the western side, you have very little. 94% of the traffic comes up the western side. >> the 55 miles they're asking for in this deal is a minimum but cdp was asking for something like that before that. i never argued they were

immorale or unnecessary. >> i appreciate that. >> i'm just saying as a matter of priority, the rules of flow are killing -- not literally -- what's choking the system is the rules of flow. the rules are choking them. >> the priority for me would be to make sure that we have physical infrastructure for our border patrol but also the cameras and technology they need, but here's the important part, fix the floors and asylum decisions and undermine the cartel. >> get after it. >> argue about the rules, but none of this is about the wall. the president has hyperfocused you guys on physical barriers and i know you wouldn't have done that. no savvy politician would have started i'm all in on a wall or forget it, i won't negotiate. that's his politics. i don't know how you get a better deal? would you rather have him call a national emergency? have him go executive action and have to pick from this list of

pro priorities? but if he does executive action you have to pick winners and losers. do you take it from counter narcotics, military construction? natural disaster repair? do you want to pick losers for a barrier that's not the main priority. >> we have the resources to be able to secure the border if we'll focus them in the right direction. we know that physical barriers will help the border patrol. it ought to be one piece of the entire solution and here's the reason the american people want a physical barrier. it's evidence that there's something happening at the border rather than more talk. we had talk for 15 years and now people are dying. american citizens like jared vargas murdered last year by an illegal immigrant and the stash house i described and the people being abused on the journey. we can stop this. >> a wall will not stop those things. there's a lot of things you need to do. >> it will help. >> but you have to make a decision whether or not to vote on this deal. it's not going to give you

everything, it's going to give you something and if you don't vote it i don't see a better alternative. what's the chance that you come to a place where you can be comfortable saying yes? >> i need to see significant resources for both the physical assets that are needed and i need it to be well above the baseline which is currently this deal. it's not enough. it's not what we need and i want to see actual action. i think we ought to do a two week clean zr and force these people in the room to do their job. >> that's what we did the last time after a shutdown that was so bad for people. i just feel like -- >> that's why a two week -- another two weeks, we fund everything we need to fund. let's force everybody back into a room and let's go find the resources we need to do our job. >> you're not going to do that in two weeks. put this behind you, get the government open and then keep it going. you don't need this kind of leverage to get something. these problems are real. as soon as you get the president and this hyperfocus on the wall out of the mix, you'll find all

kinds of partners willing to deal with these things. >> but it's never been just the fence or the wall. >> it has for him. >> no. it's been the 15,000 beds rejected by democrats. >> he never mentioned it the way he does the wall. we had to pull it out of him. we had to force them to talk about the other priorities because they're so high on the list. >> i can tell you that we in congress are talking about it and the president and his team set that up in their proposals. we had 50,000 beds. that we have 75 judges. humanitarian relief. border patrol gets the resources they need and we have a fence that the american people can see and fences work and stop the cartels from getting action across the river and keeping the flow cross. >> tons of fences down there. they need more. i understand that. it's a question of priorities and timing. you got an open avenue to me on this. let me know where your head is on the plan. how it's working. i'd love to be able to report it to the audience and you're welcome back to discuss it. >> thank you and thank you for focussing on the humanitarian

crisis and the sex trafficking. it's so important. thank you having me on. >> be well. good luck doing your job. >> thank you. >> i want to bring in a democrat that was one of the people that helped architect this current deal. the democrats are giving in on this too. speaker pelosi called walls immoral. the chief deputy whip of the house democratic caucus here to make the case in response, next. ♪ now audible members get free fitness and wellness programs to transform your mind and body. download the audible app and start listening today. ♪ to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing it's best

to make you everybody else... ♪ ♪ means to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can fight and never stop. does this sound dismal? it isn't. ♪ ♪ it's the most wonderful life on earth. ♪ ♪ this round is on me. hey, can you spot me? come on in! find your place, today, with silver sneakers... included with many medicare plans. call the number on the screen now or visit getsilversneakers.com ♪

♪ ♪ guess what day it is?

guess what day it is! huh...anybody? julie! hey...guess what day it is? ah come on, i know you can hear me. mike mike mike mike mike... what day is it mike? ha ha ha ha! leslie, guess what today is? it's hump day. whoot whoot! ronny, how happy are folks who save hundred of dollars switching to geico? i'd say happier than a camel on wednesday. hump day!!! get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. >> we don't even know if congress is going to vote for it. let's get perspective from a democrat that took part in negotiations. welcome to primetime. it's good to have you. >> good to be with you, chris. >> so we'll get into the specifics of the dynamic but you hear there from chris who was a great example of the freedom

caucus. something that the president has to be sensitive to saying not enough money. i need more to make more of a man f manifestation of priority, especially where physical borders are concerned. do you think there's any money left to be had? >> we were tasked with juggling these priorities and we came to an agreement. now these are the same individuals, the house freedom caucus by the way that whispered in the president's ear that he should force a shutdown. the offer then was 1.6 billion in barrier and he has less now. >> right. and they're saying we want more. this is a tricky thing for you because politics are at play. democrats have always funded physical barriers. sometimes it's we want to repair and replace. we don't want to add too much more. and then because the president made it a binary proposal, wall or no wall, all of a sudden democrats hardened up.

not a dollar for the wall. nancy pelosi called it immoral so how hard of a sell is this on the democrat side? >> let's keep in mind what the president's promise was, it was a sea to shining sea wall that mexico was going to pay for. that's not happening here. give us evidence based approaches on what is necessary, but as you highlighted this is about competing priorities. we want to make sure that adequate money is going into humanitarian aid and technology at the border. it isn't just one or the other. we have to look at all of these together and that's what the appropriations committee and this conference committee was tasked to do. we found a compromise. we'll have a bipartisan solution and our job is to encourage our colleagues and to talk them through what this means against the alternatives which were not great. we want to make sure that we keep government open and that we protect our borders and honor our values. this agreement does that. >> from understanding all the

different sides i have in my ear about this, the one place where there's space for you guys, you're right, there's that church and other areas on the border where people are going to fight and say our community doesn't want it, but that rio grande corridor is a real concern. i know you know the politics very well of the area. not to tell you your own business. you haven't funded all of what they want there across that corridor. is that something you considered as potential space on the table? >> well, this was one of the long standing priorities that we are funding. so we listened to them. >> they wanted more than 55 miles. >> they wanted more than 55 miles and this is what is on the table. we looked at their priorities and made a decision based on the data that this would be something that we could reasonably support. so i want to be clear. if democrats were drawing this entire bill, we would not come up with this mix, but we were tasked to do a job post shutdown

in order to keep the government open and this is the best that we can possibly do at this point. >> what are they telling you about the chance to get the votes? any trouble on your side? the other side? >> we're going to have a conversation in the morning and we'll walk through this dynamic and so our job is to make the case and to tell folks exactly what is in this and exactly compare it to what a cr would have done, a continuing resolution which my colleague mentioned as an alternative and how that would have effected our key priorities as well. this is the better offer on the table and that's why we're carrying it forward. >> how about a couple of what ifs? is it going to be a two week thing because thooat least you' talking and making progress. how about the daca stuff? we saw what they offered up. it was a digging into daca, not extending the protection the way

you guys wanted but is daca on the table or two week extension? >> no and a temporary protection for daca and tps is not on the table either. if they want to come to the table with a permanent solution we're all ears. >> so you have given that up for now? >> well, we have this deal on the table. so adding the other dynamics at this point makes it too complicated. so we're trying to focus specifically on the homeland security appropriations bill which is our task in funding government without including the other priorities. i want those priorities but this is not the opportunity to do that. we were given a short window and a limited run delay in order to develop that frame work and in order to fund all of these priorities that we have. >> what is your guess that this gets done by friday? >> we can get this done. this is a bipartisan deal and what we need to reinforce to the american public and our community and our colleagues is that nobody gets everything that they want in this deal, but this

advances the ball. this holds back the president's ridiculous request for $5 billion. gives him less than a republican controlled senate gave him last year. >> they haven't even finished spending all of that money yet. just because you guys appropriate money, not to make the case that you're wasteful, which i could make, but we'll do that another night, they haven't even finish spending it yet because just because you get the money doesn't mean you can spend the money which is why there's that money sitting around that the president may tap into. if you worried that he doesn't shutdown the government but winds up reaching into the pocket for executive or national emergency action in a way that you could forget. >> congress has to appropriate funds. that's or job. that's our responsibility. i understand that the president doesn't respect that we're a co-equal branch of government here. we can focus on what we can do and focus on working together. we have democrats and republicans in the house and senate moving forward in the

same direction and i would hope my colleagues would also push back against executive overreach but we reserve all options on the table if he does. >> leaving daca and tps out of it. that's a big give. hopefully it's a sign of good faith with the other side. i am an open channel for you. we'll be in contact with the office. you can contact us and let us know how it's going and what people need to understand because we need progress. >> thanks so much. >> be well and good luck doing your job. i wish both of them the same on that because that's what this has to come down to. congress has to do its job. i'm worried about these intervals. two weeks, two weeks, two weeks. the president's argument is a big part of this problem. he made the wall a singular priority and he tells you that it will stop what you fear, like drugs. well you just got an amazing window into the reality of how that poison gets to our

communities. the el chapo trial. i watched the trial. i studied the issues, i'm going to show you a lesson that he wants to ignore, next and we're awaiting another big 2020 event that you'll see only here on cnn. a run by the former ceo of starbucks. would that ensure a two term trump? lots of questions for howard schultz tonight in houston. we're going to take you there, ahead. ef from symptoms caused by over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. like those from buddy. because stuffed animals are clearly no substitute for real ones. feel the clarity. and live claritin clear. got it? got it. it's slippery. nooooo... noooo... nooooo... yeeeesss... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent

than the leading ordinary brand. hey look, i got it. bounty, the quicker picker upper. - want to take your next vacation to new heights? tripadvisor now lets you book over 100,000 tours, attractions, and experiences in destinations around the world like new york, from bus tours to breathtaking adventures. tripadvisor makes it easy to find and book amazing things to do. and you can cancel most bookings up to 24 hours in advance

for a full refund. so you can make your next trip monumental. read reviews, check hotel prices, book things to do, tripadvisor.

want more from your entejust say teach me more. into your xfinity voice remote to discover all sorts of tips and tricks in x1. can i find my wifi password? just ask. [ ding ] show me my wifi password. hey now! [ ding ] you can even troubleshoot, learn new voice commands and much more. clean my daughter's room. [ ding ] oh, it won't do that. welp, someone should. just say "teach me more" into your voice remote and see how you can have an even better x1 experience. simple. easy. awesome. a wall will stop the drugs. tell el chapo found guilty on

all counts. mandatory life sentence. i've covered his decade's long reign. i went to the borders, saw his operation, how he stayed ahead of the law for so long. take a listen. >> looks like a bathtub, right? check this out. a signature el chapo tunnel. >> the reality we saw spelled out in a courtroom is why i have been telling you that the wall is not the cure the president promised. >> if we build a powerful and fully designed see through steel barrier on our southern border, the crime rate and drug problem in our country would be quickly and greatly reduced. >> almost three months of testimony. federal prosecutors got e el chapo's own men to layout how they smuggled boats into this country. fishing boats, trains, cars,

tractor-trailers, sub marine, but not a single witness ever said they ever drove around the barriers. the tunnels were the method of choice. who says? the top lieutenant. a tunnel is the most secure way to cross drugs to the u.s. the easiest way to cross over weapons. in the late 80s or 90s, 95% of the cocaine was brought into the u.s. by tunnel. 2012, the border tunnel prevention act passed with bipartisan approval. that's when they started relying on legal points of entry. hiding it in all sorts of cars and trucks, flooding the ports, playing a number's game knowing there aren't enough agents or technology to search every vehicle. and as for the drivers, it's interesting that the president chose to make el paso his case study for the wall. the cartel made it a point to hire families that live in

el paso to drive drugs across the board several times a day. the president used to love to use el chapo as an example of why we need to get tough on the border but when the truth came out, it proved the wall isn't the fix we need and as unmistakable of a win it is to see someone like el chapo heading to prison for the rest of his life, the fact is physical barriers are more farce than fix when it comes to stopping drugs. so why would potus make them a top priority when they're just part of a solution? that's the question. now, i also want to get back to our other big story. the president's call for the resignation of congresswoman omar. the democrat from minnesota. should she be held to a different standard from steve king? the president certainly thinks so. what do you say? great debate? next. if you have moderate to severe psoriasis

or psoriatic arthritis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be.

ready to treat differently with a pill? otezla. show more of you. this round is on me. hey, can you spot me? come on in! find your place, today, with silver sneakers... included with many medicare plans. call the number on the screen now or visit getsilversneakers.com

try my sourdough patty melt combo with fries and a drink for just $4.99. it's the perfect remedy for the uncomfortable things in life... like flying, the dentist ...and guys named ronald. i have my reasons. try my $4.99 sourdough patty melt combo today.

comes with 100% beef, grilled onions, and two types of melty cheese on toasted sourdough, plus fries and a drink. it's comfort food for the uncomfortable things in life. yep, this guy knows what i'm talking about. try my $4.99 sourdough patty melt combo. a day after a democratic congresswoman apologized for

comments that some said were anti-semitic, here was the president's take. >> her lame apology, because she didn't mean a word of it was inappropriate. she should re-sign from congress but at a minimum she couldn't be on committees. >> the president weighing in on the political future of a freshman democrat. when it was his own, his buddy, his mentor, congressman steve king, here was the president's level of concern. >> i haven't been following it. i haven't been following it. >> you have known him for years. you're his acolyte. come on. do you believe the president should have been as vocal about king as he is about omar? the answer is yes, why? >> well he should have been as vocal as king and about other members of his party, whether you're talking about mccarthy that used anti-semitic tropes

himself. but the president himself has his own racist history. he traffics in racism. steve king is a racist. it's ironic and i don't think people take seriously what he says when he criticizes congresswoman omar. her comments were anti-semitic and ignorant and do not deserve to be heard in our discourse at that level. apac is an organization that does not spend within the top 50 in lobbying funds. when you look at the fact that it's bipartisan and her comments make the nuisanced conversation we have to have about israel more difficult. >> should she be removed? >> you can talk about the way law enforcement treats eth yo ethiopians, that's fair and be critical, but you can't delve

into anti-semitic tropes. >> democrats said steve king should be off the committees. why not here. >> steve king has a history. this young lady has been in congress not two or three months and i do have a sincere problem with her comments. i will say this, though. i believe that many republicans need to sit this one out. donald trump has no moral high ground here and nancy pelosi did what she should do. she seemed insesincere in her apology. >> he doesn't want to let that new look go to waste. don't think i didn't see it. >> it's wintertime. >> my wife does not like it. so it might not last. we'll see. >> it won't last long. >> it is just not true that she doesn't have a history. she absolutely has a documented social media history. she had to apologize in fact for calling israel evil.

that's not talking policy. she said israel had hypnotized the world. that's where we are getting into anti-semitism rather than criticism of israel which is fine from a policy perspective. the idea that she shouldn't be removed from her committees, both of them were trafficking in hate. both of them equally wrong and they should face the same consequence. but here's the other difference, you said that she seems sincere in her apology. i don't believe that because unlike steve king, his crimes were bad enough, but he didn't double and triple down. she is set to appear february 23rd in florida for the islamic relief usa event. she's going to be on with a man on social media called quote beautiful the killing of jews in israel and the rocket bombing of tel aviv. she will share a podium and stage with that merchant of hate. that tells me she is not remotely sorry. >> i don't know what she plans on doing in her future other

than the words that she said. but my push back would be this. one is that steve king has a history of racism. he even has confederate flags on his desk. that's first. second i think that chris started out by saying that the president of the united states should he be interjecting himself into this and while i appreciate whether or not we can find sincerity in the apology of representative omar, my question is where is the apology from donald trump to the central park 5 and the individuals he discriminated against in housing. where is the apology from donald trump when you talk about the casino dealers. where is the apology for those that come into this country to find a better life and donald trump prefers to them as racist. they don't have the high ground. i'll give you this though, we have a problem in this country with the rise of anti-semitism and the rise of racism and hate. it does not belong in the discourse of this country and as a democrat, i can say

congressman omar is wrong. i challenge you to say donald trump is wrong. >> the president said nothing about steve king. there was a lot of momentum around it, the left, the media, then the right, mccarthy to his credit, came out and took action against the guy. all of congress. the president never said a word. literally, the cliche, the silence was deafening. why was that allowed by your party. >> to his discredit. he should have said it. >> why didn't he? >> one reason perhaps he didn't is because the republican party on the hill disciplined his own. so he didn't have to. >> he commented on everything. he didn't need to intervene. he is totally ineffective in the house. >> the democrats have not done that by the way. they have not done that with representative omar and they need to. this is a blot on them. this is an anti-semitic blot on

them and the fact that they won't discipline her the same way that king was disciplined by the republicans is reprehenceable. >> why should the president talk about omar and not king. >> my point is that she has not been disciplined by her own party. there's been no consequence to her in reality. and in fact, she is planning on sharing the stage with a sympathizer with terrorism, with muslim brotherhood. >> i hear your point. >> i cannot speak to that. i have no information on that. i don't know that to be true or false. i can't sit here and lie to the american public and speak to that. but what i can say is that nancy pelosi and even me as a progressive democrat in the south, we will all stand up and say that was anti-semitic. we will all stand up and say you have lessons to learn about israel. you have lessons to learn, as i said earlier today on another show about what's going on all the way up to tel aviv and everywhere in between. we can ask you to apologize but

we can also say this is a learning moment, not just for you congressman omar but everyone and we're going to hold you to that. i don't see what's wrong with that when we're trying to move this country forward. >> i agree with all of that, but it can't just be an apology. it has to be an apology an consequences as it was for steve king, as it should have been for steve king. why is she not stripped of her committee assignments? why is she not just forced to apologize but actually forced to suffer consequences in her career, legislative, professional consequences. >> i'm with you on the logic. you're walking in the same steps, the same path for both, equal but your problem is you lose it on the president. and he layed out his own, i'll give you a pass for the sake of argument. when you guys didn't say mr. president we're coming after steve king and for good reason, lift your voice, tweet, do what you do best, weigh in on

something that is a potential outrage and he didn't. he never has, silence deafening unexplained. >> i'm sorry, go ahead steve. >> chris as i already said, i can see. i wish he had. but i'm also grateful and perhaps the reason he didn't is the fact that the republican party took care of discipline on its own. >> or does he agree with steve -- >> in your introduction you called him his mentor and trump his acolyte. that's unfair. >> that's not unfair. >> he is not an acolyte of steve king. >> the mentor for steve king. steve king took up that border zenophobic deal. trump went out to see him and wound up picking up that issue shortly there after and adopting similar rhetoric. they both used the term nationalist to explain themselves to americans. >> i use the term nationalist because i'm an american

nationalist and america has nothing to do with race. we are a country, not a race. >> the idea of nationalism is a dangerous thing. >> you can be a nationalist all you want. >> american nationalism is about shared values and our constitution. it has nothing to do with racism. >> that's patriotism. >> you're confusing that word. don't protect everything this president does. go ahead. >> you're confusing -- steve is confusing patriotism with prejudice and you can envelope nationalism in anything you want. you can even dress white supremacy up in anything you want and at the end of the day it's still white supremacy. to get back to donald trump and steve king, donald trump campaigned for steve king and said he represents our values. steve king is a racist today. he was a racist yesterday. he will be a racist tomorrow. he is a scourge on what we try to do in our democracy, but even

more importantly, donald trump is the same person that went to charlesto charlottesville and said good people on both sides. >> we have to wrap it up. >> my only point is donald trump traffics in racism and steve king is a racist and they belong together. >> final words because we're out of times. >> he rebuked david duke. the fact that david duke endorsed him does not mean trump endorses david duke. >> he said i don't know who that is. >> we don't have time to get into it. >> the past is prologue, right? he's had this thing dogging him and we have to look at why. well argued and thank you. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> all right. big night tonight. got our show here. but also you have cnn's big event with one of the most controversial contenders for 2020. right back from where it's all going down, next. ♪ hoo

- want to take your next vacation to new heights? tripadvisor now lets you book over 100,000 tours, attractions, and experiences in destinations around the world like new york, from bus tours to breathtaking adventures. tripadvisor makes it easy to find and book amazing things to do. and you can cancel most bookings up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. so you can make your next trip monumental. read reviews, check hotel prices, book things to do, tripadvisor. ♪ ♪ ♪

what do you look for i want free access to research. yep, td ameritrade's got that. free access to every platform. yeah, that too. i don't want any trade minimums. yeah, i totally agree, they don't have any of those. i want to know what i'm paying upfront. yes, absolutely. do you just say yes to everything? hm. well i say no to kale. mm. yeah, they say if you blanch it it's better, but that seems like a lot of work. no hidden fees. no platform fees. no trade minimums. and yes, it's all at one low price. td ameritrade. ♪

alright, i'm getting in the car nosounds like a plan.n. woah! sorry, i dropped you. it's really dark down here. don't let this happen to you. the weathertech cupfone fits virtually any size cup holder. that's better. order you're cupfone today at weathertech.com.

we're just a few minutes out from howard schultz taking the stage in houston texas. he's going to take voters questions in cnn's presidential town hall. he hasn't decided on a bid yet but he has drawn the fury of democrats that say his potential third party run could split the anti-trump vote in 2020. let's bring in cnn's political director now. good to have you. you're in the place to be tonight. am i overstating the proposition that he does, while he's not in the race yet he seems to be the one drawing the most attention that's negative from the democrats. >> that's totally right. that's fair. in fact, i think that's all anybody really knows about howard schultz. but that's all people know is that democrats are concerned that he's going to throw the election to donald trump.

what tonight offers is an opportunity for him to provide americans more information about his background and about the major issues on the minds of these voters here in texas who don't know too much about his policy proposals. this is an opportunity to tackle that and not be the guy that democrats are quite frankly freaking out about. >> true. i did homework on him today and interviewed him back in the day during the great recession about his indivisible. it will be interesting to see how he navigates non-economic issues because that's going to be a big part of the rattle ground against president trump with whoever gets the nomination for the democrat. what are you looking for there? >> yeah. i agree. economic issue is sort of his wheel house. that's why i think voters will be eager to hear from him on health care, on climate, on foreign policy issues.

we are in the midst of a presidency from somebody who was outside of politics and was in the world of business and i think that the questions are sort of like, how do you take those business skills, make them applicable to impacting these people's lives and do that in a way that contrasts with the president. he wants to contrast with the current occupant of the oval office. why would his application be different than what the country is seeing from donald trump right now? >> that's going to be a real softball for him. their personal stories couldn't be more different and their business acumen couldn't be more different in terms of management and success. and what is the chance percentage wise that he's going to say, look, i'm going to run and i'm going to run as a democrat? >> i think that's a great question. he's made clear that neither party speaks to him right now. he believes there is a real viable path to 270 electoral votes for an independent candidate. now, we know other folks like michael bloomberg, right, in

path cycles and said there is no viable path. that's why bloomberg is now considering running for the democratic nomination. howard schultz is clearly coming to a different conclusion. i think he's already made it clear where he is out of step with where the democratic party grassroots is right now, chris. so i think it would be hard for him to kind of run as a democrat at this point and win the nomination. >> poppy harlow is in the chair next to him tonight. none of us know more about business than she does on the anchor level. it's going to be great to see her tonight with him, because she's going to be really able to channel and finesse the questions from the audience, because she understands the issues so well in the same wheelhouse that schultz has. we'll see what happens. david chalian, thank you. excited to watch. >> thanks, chris. i want to give you one more thought on a situation we've been talking about this hour. this situation with omar versus king, i don't like the comparison and i don't like how the intolerance and discrimination at some of the top levels of our government has

been handled. there's a lesson here and we ain't learning it. the argument, next. looking good! at booking.com, we can't guarantee you'll good at that water jet thingy... but we can guarantee the best price on this hotel. or any accommodation, from homes to yurts. booking.com booking.yeah you won't find relief here. congestion and pressure? go to the pharmacy counter for powerful claritin-d. while the leading allergy spray only relieves 6 symptoms, claritin-d relieves 8, including sinus congestion and pressure. claritin-d relieves more. to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing it's best

to make you everybody else... ♪ ♪ means to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can fight and never stop. does this sound dismal? it isn't. ♪ ♪ it's the most wonderful life on earth. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ and everywhere i go ♪ there's always something to remind me ♪ ♪ of another place and time ♪ ♪ sleep number 360 smart bed.

it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. save 50% on the sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. plus, 24-month financing on all smart beds. only for a limited time. heyi'm craving somethingkin! we're missing. the ceramides in cerave. they help restore my natural barrier, so i can lock in moisture... and keep us protected. we've got to have each other's backs... and fronts. cerave. what your skin craves.

what's a gig of data? well, it's a whole day's worth of love songs. [ baby crying ] or 300 minutes of baby videos. a gig goes a long way. that's why xfinity mobile lets you ...pay for data one gig at a time. and with millions of wifi hotspots included, you'll pay even less for data.

or if you need a lot, we have unlimited, too. you could save hundreds of dollars when you switch to xfinity mobile. it's simple, easy, awesome. click, call or visit a store today. is bigotry wrong or not? is intolerance wrong or not? if the answer is yes, then call it all out when it comes from elected leaders. call them to account, period. always, amen. but we can't do this. and when i say "we," no one stands out more than our president. >> congressman omar is terrible, what she said. and i think she should either resign from congress or she should certainly resign from the house foreign affairs committee.

>> he wants congressman omar to resign for playing up ugly stereotypes about jews, saying they use money to buy political sway, making the point more than once, by the way. many in the media called it a trope. it wasn't. it was a direct attack. she was bigoted and she was right to apologize. should the dems do more? legit question. they certainly wanted more done when it was steve king. and now there's this which is worse, king or omar feudal feud. omar is new, but king has been spewing this for years, but she targeted the joews and he targeted everyone that is not white. call it all out. ask for the same consequences for similar actions. don't go light on your own and hard on others. that's one of the reasons why so many think so little of politicians, especially in d.c. now to the president. he's calling for omar to get out. and that is interesting, because he seemed to say something very similar to what omar said when

addressing the republican jewish coalition in 2015. >> you're not going to support me because i don't want your money. you want to control your own politician, that's fine. >> now, why is it different? is it because omar is muslim and wears s s a hijab? i hear a lot of that, and it's not right. especially when you remember this president has been down the road of intolerance more than most. remember this? >> it's called a nationalist. and i say, really? we're not supposed to use that word. you know what i am? i'm a nationalist, okay? >> you remember that? he acknowledged that the word is stained and he used it anyway. all right, for the sake of argument, let's assume that the president now thinks bigotry is not to be tolerated. that's why he moved on omar. so where was he on steve king? not a damned word about years of ugly exclusionexclusionary, div talk. his whole party moved on king,

all of congress, and this president said nothing. why not? only two choices. one, he agrees with king. and there is a case for that. trump did visit with king early on. he did adopt his pet issue of border security. he does discuss it the same way. and king describes himself the same way the president does. >> under any fair political definition, i am simply an american nationalist. >> nationalism is not patriotism. they should not be conflated and he knows it, and so does the president, or he should. the second choice, the president saw no upside. the media, the left, they'd come after him, no matter what he said. so he just stayed quiet. that's what several of his people have told me since that time. i would buy it if he didn't have the history he does. and if he had ever showed the ability to stay silent when it matters. he championed birtherism. it was racist and untrue. president obama was from somewhere else. we know what that was about.

so did the president. he called senator elizabeth warren pocahontas, makes reference to the native american genocide on the trail of tears. so when it comes to omar, the president's selective outrage is transparent. maybe he popped off on this to distract from the border deal that he almost likely will have to sign. if that's what this is, i'll take the debate. because it needs to be called out, because ignoring bigotry unless it suits you politically is wrong. mr. president, we thought you learned this lesson. there are not good people on both sides when it comes to bigotry. and there is no such thing as bigotry that's okay. what you ignore, you empower. and in your case, what you ignore, you may have to own. you call out bigotry because it is always wrong. it is hard to see how you could ever get a majority of this country to agree to anything less, especially when election day comes. thank you for watching.

cnn's town hall with independent howard schultz starts right now. a big night going towards 2020. stay with cnn. good evening from houston, texas, and welcome to a cnn town hall on the 2020 presidential race with howard schultz. i'm poppy harlow. i'm so happy to be with everyone tonight. an unexpected twist on the road to the white house. the former ceo of starbucks says he is seriously considering an independent bid for the presidency. mr. schultz has already shaken up this race, sparking outrage from the left and taunts from president trump. well, tonight, mr. schultz comes face to face with you, the voters, participating in his first-ever live televised town hall. he will take questions from across the political