it will be entertaining, i guarantee you that. charles: thank you very much. we appreciate it. lou dobbs, special congress, two hours, the trump thank you tour. lou: good evening, a packed schedule for the president-elect who is filling out his cabinet. defending his job creation policies and still finding time to thank the voters who helped him win the white house. donald trump on his way to des moines, iowa where he will be holding his third thank you rally with president-elect trump and terry branstad who if he has his way will be the ambassador to china. branstad, the governor is

expected to make his first public comments since being nominated as ambassador. mr. trump is hard at work add thing to his cabinet. tonight we learned he tapped andy puzder. he also served an an economic advisor to donald trump during the campaign. he's a major republican donor. we'll have special coming of the trump rally with an a-list lineup of political analysts. among our guests, ed rollins, chairman of the republicans national lawyers association, randy evans. and guy benson, and charlie hurt, republican pollster lee carter all with us. we'll be talking with the first congressman to endorse donald

trump for president, congressman chris collins and many others. our top story, president-elect trump today visitedio state university. he met privately with survivors and the first responders to that terror attack that stunned the campus last month. somali refugee artan wounded 15 students and got out of his car and started slashing people with a butter night before the police shot him. >> this is a great honor for me today. we are in a fantastic state. i love ohio. we saw the victims and the families. these are brave people, amazing people. the police and first responders were incredible. lou: earlier in the day donald trump met with more potential

choices to serve as secretary of state. trump sat down with former boeing ceo. and ford ceo. mr. ma hally. he says trump knows what to do to get our manufacturing sector moving again. he also visited with others -- by the way. a lot of the paperwork has been done when he was vetted by the hillary clinton campaign. trump said to be considering senator joe manchin of west virginia for energy secretary. they will be meeting tomorrow. joining me to talk about these latest developments, the latest

critical cabinet choice and preview the trump thank you valley, it will be taking place tonight. we'll be bringing you that throughout the evening. i'm joined by randy evans, veteran of 10 presidential campaigns and ed rollins. randy, this is a president-elect who is in he respect acting as if he has already taken the oath of office. he's standing up, meeting with victims. he will be at the army-navy game. i think back to those -- if you will -- the wasteland moment in his campaign where he was being besieged by people saying he's not presidential. he couldn't be more presidential, could he? >> he he merngd as our leader, the leader of the united states

of america, and he's doing it in a phenomenal way. restoring confidence. that's make ourselves believe in ourselves again. think how impressive that is. to take us from where we were and take us to the point where we have a little step in our stride. i think people feel better about the future and better about the country. lou: he's stand standing i am boiblgly with first responders. and whether it be i at ohio stae or the trump towers. is this the way thought it would go? >> it's going better than i ever thought it would go. it's one of the strongest cab nets i have seen and i have been

around many administrations. the two latest appointments for epa and labor are people who have suffered at other side of these agencies. they know the agencies from the perspective of the things they have done that have been unfair against the business or what have you. so it's not like someone will come in there and say good job, keep together same things you are doing. these agencies have done so many to destroy the economy for working people, i think it's a great choice. lou: referring to scott pruitt to head up the epa and andy puzder the head of cku restaurants, known to me as hars hardee's and carl's jr. restaurants.

>> these choices leave no doubt who is in charge, do they? they leave no doubt, you picked the attorney general who sued the epa to be in charge of the epa. you pick somebody who deals with minimum wage workers in charge of the department of labor who says they are going to put people back to work. that leaves no doubt about who is calling the shots. that's what we need is a leader who leads from the front and not from behind. lou: i don't think we'll even hear anybody put that up as a choice or attempt on the part of any president. this president will leave those who would lead from behind, behind. i do think what's interesting here is there is some -- there is some -- i will say some extended deliberation on the part of the president-elect on who will be his secretary of state. now we are starting to hear

rumors of conflicts within the transition team about direction. mitt romney's name keeps coming up. your thoughts? >> i think if he appoints mitt romney as secretary of state, it will be a lap back to the people who elected him. the problem with the secretary of state job, it's the biggest and most visible job outside the president and vice president. to put the man who was the most critical without any experience in foreign affairs is a slap to those who supported him. >> think the base for a romney pick is indefensible. they will say we want a change, that's not change. that's taking us back to a nominee we rejected, we didn't vote for. lou: randy evans is speaking as

a member of the republican elite. you are establishment. i don't mean it as a pejorative. but if you feel that way, it's almost incomprehensible how anyone could be advancing his name. there is a subtle or perhaps not so subtle change in the center of gravity that could occur within the administration very quickly. that's with ryan i reince priebd bringing in a former bush white house bureaucrat. people are starting to put down numbers and write names in the program. and this is starting to look heavily connected to the establishment, and particularly with mitt romney and you have the connection to reince priebus and the connection to paul ryan who is already on extremely --

let's put it this way, unsure footing as far as conservative republicans are concerned. >> well, it makes complete sense. after all, romney picked paul ryan. romney and paul ryan are best of friend. there is no doubt in my mind there is a connection there where the new chief of staff is interested in repaying him for helping pick him as the vp. >> i lived through jim baker in the reagan white house who had run campaigns against reagan. and came in with the man who had been most close to reagan, ed meese. i watched jim baker cut him up every single day ended up cutting up reagan and bush both. i was there. i watched the disloyal i. i watched the disingenuousness.

i think to some extent you will get some of that again and i think it's outrageous. lou: i look forward to talking with you again soon. americans mourning the death of an american hero. john glenn, the first american to orbit the earth died after being hospitalized in his he state of ohio. glenn circled the for nearly five hours in a tiny spaceship. the spaceship friendship 7. that was back in 1962. can you imagine this? in 1998 he made history again when all of s. senator at the age of 77, he became the oldest man to fly into space. president-elect trump today called glenn a hero.

>> of course senator john glenn today, the passing -- to me he was a great american hero, a truly great american hero. i met him on two separate occasions, liked him, always liked him. but he was indeed an american hero. lou: john glenn, 95 years old. traordinary life and extraordinary man. we are coming right back with much more. in trump is set to hold a rally in des moines, iowa as he continues his thank you tour. stay with us, we'll be right back. the president putting his cabinet together, suspense building for his sick to nomination. >> i believe we are in the process of putting together one of the all-time great cabinet that has ever been assembled in our nation's history. lou: lee carter and guy benson our guest next.

dr. jill stein's desperate and misguide efforts to recount the votes in michigan, wisconsin and pennsylvania blowing up. you totanobody's hurt, new car. but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three-quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do? drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement™, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement™, we'll replace the full value of your car. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance.

lou: we are apparently nearing an end to the presidential recounts sought by jill stein and the hillary clinton campaign. the state of wisconsin reporting its recount is more than 70% complete. hillary clinton has gained 82 votes as a result of the recount to this point. donald trump still leads clinton by more than 22,000 votes. a federal judge in michigan ended that state's ineffectual recount. he ended it last night concluding there was never any evidence of foul play, no valid reason or irregularities that would permit any reasonable person to continue the process which has become something of a farce, thanks to dr. stein. she is appeal together michigan supreme court. we are told there is little chance they will be sympathetic

toer appeal. and the fast it her request for a recount in pennsylvania should be decided just four days before states have to certify their election results. good to have you both with us. what we are watching with these recounts is now -- as if the federal judge in michigan came to his senses because he's the one who permitted it to begin with. now after listening to the state attorney general and the board of canvassers, he decided maybe this is a stupid thing to do, to filial recount requested by jill stein who couldn't win. >> it's a joke. giving hope for people who shouldn't have hope and coming

to terms with what happened. hillary clinton lost the reflects electoral college. we are never seen and recount result in anything more than a few hundred votes being picked up. this is a complete waste of taxpayer money. lou: your thoughts, guy? >> it's christmastime. there are people who are hungry and need clothes. think about the millions of dollars jill steinle bill,ed out of gullible liberals to pursue this recounts garbage when that money could have been put to better use. if there was a chance the election outcome could be changed and it was razor thin. lou: thin would have an automatic recounted. >> it's a joke, she is right.

lou: the joke that goes on. the joke of course is jill stein is playing to her audience. the aggrieved people suffocated on their bile at the thought hillary clinton as "time" magazine called the american moses went down to a bitter defeat. it's pathetic. i want to turn to donald trump who after three days was accused by the "new york times" of having a transition team that's the halgt and unfocused. they are putting together what time after time expert after expert say is the most expert cabinet they have seen. >> he has a diverse cabinet. the bottom line, he's got appropriate people for the job. he's putting people into the positions that can activate the

plans and policies he promised he would deliver on. he's doing a fantastic job. and he's demonstrating that he's vetting out a whole bunch of different folks and i think people even thuds and even couraged by the decisions he's been making. looking today at the department of labor. it's fantastic we have people with so much business experience. >> we have a hardees and carl's jr. >> i think it's an excellent choice, and we are continuing to see more and more. lou: guy, this is also in the case of scott pruitt, somebody who sued several times the epa. we are hearing the left start to wag their tongues about he will undo all of our work. >> precisely. that's what he's there to do.

>> trump campaigned on it. when president obama was going through the executive order after executive order bypassing congress to do things the american people didn't want, constitutionalists warned, mr. president you are setting a precedent by using executive orders on big things. the left mite love what you are doing. but if a republican gets in office, they might get more circumspect about executive power. and here we are. lou: it's time to get government efficient and productive and rational. first and foremost. guy, and lee, we have just about a minute here. i want to get to the issue of -- we heard randy evans and ed rollins say they didn't think it would be a very good idea to turn over the secretary of state

to mitt romney. your thoughts, guy and lee. >> i think mitt romney is a patriot and statesman. very smart who is right about almost everything in his criticisms of president obama's foreign policy. mitt romney and president-elect trump have had a meeting of the minds so they are burying the hatchet. if trump decides to go to that direction, i hope the peanut gallery will support it. lou: you mustn't call everybody who disagrees with you a peanut gallery. i think i understand why it would be. >> difficult decision for so many folks. especially the loyal trump supporters who don't like the establishment and don't like mitt romney. lou: you people hole elected --

>> donald trump, right. i understand why those folks would be disappointed in that choice. but i any donald trump is demonstrating he's doing thorough vetting. so were this his decision, i would support it. lou: 2-2. breaking news. a second georgia police officer has died of his wounds after being shot with a fellow officers responding to a domestic dispute. jodi smith and nicholas smarr have been friends since they were boys. the gunman took his own life where he was hiding from police officers.

the dows jones industrial surged 55 points. the nasdaq up 24. vol on the big board up 2.4 million shares. it helps increase household net worth up from 88.6 trillion. i love it when we take the trillions up to this level. we want you to know about the .2 the previous quarter. listen to my report coast to coast on the salem radio network. >> the families have done so he will to come through this -- have done so well to come through this so well it was an honor to be here today. lou: former cia analyst and security expert joins me to talk about president-elect trump's

promise to keep the terrorist threat outside this country. president-elect trump has a ring to it. let me say it again. president-elect trump in des moines to say thank you to the thousands upon thousands who put him in the office to which he is about to ascend. stay with us. we are coming right back.

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lou: joining me now, fred blythe, also author of the new book "obama bomb." it's interesting to me that this president-elect is behaving more like a president and a president-elect. he's taking responsibility upon himself to talk to victims of

terrorist acts. to put himself in their presence, and express his condolences and sympathy and respect and gratitude to those who intercede to stop further tragedy. he's at the army-navy game. we haven't seen this kind of president-elect in a very long time, since ronald reagan. >> this trip to ohio is so important. the american people are tireder time there is an act of isis-inspired terrorism to get lectured about islamophobia and gun control. he's basically carrying through on his promises to crack down and radical islam and address the question of immigration. hough that amongst the priorities of his promises he made on the campaign trail. he's execute on that in terms of

calling up carrier and talking with investors. they will bring $50 billion into this cub triin the case of softbank. and if he tears up the deal with iran there will be consequences that will be retribution on the part of iranians. your judgment on that threat. >> are they going to step up their support for terrorism? are they going to fire missiles at our ships? are they going to test ballistic missiles? they are doing this already. the iranians are afraid of a decisive president who will do something in our national interest and not allow himself to be walked upon. lou: we are going to the rally in des moines. come back and we'll continue the conversation.

we are coming right back. stay with us. the president-elect creating and securing thousands of jobs in america. >> together we'll raise incomes and create millions and millions of new jobs. it's going to happen. it's already happening. lou: congressman chris collins joins me next. these skiers about to take their world class skills to one of the highest sand dunes in the world. who needs snow when you have got sand and lots of it. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. with it, i earn unlimited 2% cash back on all of my purchasing. and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... which adds fuel to my bottom line.

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lou: president-elect trump is in des moes, iowa for his third stop on the thank you tour. you can tell it's under way. donald trump set to speak momentarily. there are a few things to take care of there first. we'll include as well iowa governor terry branstad who the president-elect nominated to be ambassador to china. the house today voting to approve a spending bill ahead of a goment shutdown deadline, the continuing resolution passed, 325 to 9. it funds the government through

april 28. it's on his way to the senate where some democrats are threatening to not support the bill, to hold it up. democrats today focused more on the departing senator harry reid whose portrait was unveiled. you have to have a portrait of a senate leader. reid who is retiring after 30 years in the senate recently said he's satisfied about having invoked the nuclear option that allows confirmations pass with a simple majority all but the supreme court. the senate says thank you very much, we'll be doing just that now that it's the republicans' turn in the senate and the white house. congressman chris collins. great to have you with us.

i have got to say that this thank you tour for the president-elect is a stroke of genius it puts him back with the people who helped him win the office. he is obviously having a grand time. and it gets him out of the office when he's working 14, 16-hour days. what do you think? >> this is the unconventional donald trump doing it his own way. he appreciates the support he got. he hasn't stopped. i think he sleeps about three hours a night. this gentleman has more energy than any 10 of us combined. but he understands who elected him, and it's just donald trump the human being from the bottom of his heart thanking his supporters and america as we know needs to thank donald trump for saving our country.

i think it's the greatest thing ever. lou: i agree gratitude should flow both ways without question. a continuing resolution on an uncertain faith in the senate. why is that and why shouldn't it be straightforward. >> it is straightforward it should be. we are funding it through april. we move forward, south many perfect timing. at last year's spending level it comes down to i think an issue on coal miner's mention and healthcare which we took care of through april. senator manchin wants to somehow extend that for years down the road, lou, i don't see there is any what it's not going to pass the senate. if it doesn't, they have to stay in session and something tells me our senators want to get home, they don't want to spend

the weekend in washington. lou: did that go into your calculus? >> tino senators want to go home. i don't think it would face a problem tomorrow. lou: i heard the house members enjoy going home this time of year. >> i got off the plane about an hour ago. lou: trump's choices for his cabinet are being met with almost universal applause. >> what i said early on, a chief executive officer surrounds himself with people who are going to make him better. he will bring the best and brightest. cleave executive donald trump will have the best cabinet that's ever been assembled by any president.

he doesn't have hangers on. he doesn't have an entourage that he's going to bring in. you are seeing the best and brightest focused dedicated men and women who are action or ynltd. these are not bureaucrats coming into the washington bureaucracy. these are private sector folks coupled with some generals and admirals. they are focused on a mission and focused on winning. lou: did you say admirals? are you giving as you news break here tonight? >> well, no, i'm just -- lou: congressman, it's great to see you. i couldn't help but having a little fun with you. >> good to be with you, lou. lou: concerns over a major winter storm taking shape in the pacific northwest. but it will not end there because the radar is showing

this arctic blast will blanket eventually much of the country. a 2,600 mile swath over the next several days. 200 million people in the plains, the midwest, the northeast and the mid-atlantic are 13ebg9ed to experience heavy snow, sleet and ice over that period. from bone-chilling cold to the scorching hot sands of peru, please roll e video. watch as these two olympic skiers brave desert heat. the thrill seekers jump spin and flip off rails. the dunes 6,800 feet above sea level. most people would have thought we would be talk about the sahara. no, right in this hemisphere in peru.

that's wild. up next, president-elect trump already striking big deals with global business leaders to create and save new jobs and to take us to places we haven't been for a while with a president-elect. we are coming right back. the president-elect will speak in des moines in a matter of moments. stay with us. we'll be right back. afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me.

lou: president-elect trump firing back at a union leader who accused him of lying about the number of jobs he saved in the carrier deal. the president-elect on twitter said chuck jones show is president of the united steel workers 1999 has done a terrible job representing workers. no wonder companies flee country. joining me now, "wall street journal" senior reporter shelby holiday, and john lonski, great to have you both here.

i think of the number of times donald trump told us he was a wish and we would have to get used to winning. now we are here with a market up%. he has everything breaking his way in europe right now. the u.s. steel workers fight, a steel worker fighting? u.s. steel stock is up -- do you know? over 70%. 70%. >> he said we are going to get sick of winning. i don't think anybody is sick of it yet. >> we haven't won for so long, i they he was worried about enriching our di too quickly. the empirical evidence that this country has a new direction that is a brighter one, we see it almost everywhere. >> everyone is becoming more

confident. the russell 2,000 index up 16%. that's where a lot of jobs growth comes from. smaller firms. lou: what do you think is drying it? >> there are a few factors. we have seen positive economic data and signs of a healthy american workforce. but overall it's trump's policies. investment in infrastructure and defense. lower taxes and reduced regulations. but up vestors are ignoring some of trump's rhetoric on trade and his threat to tax companies at the border. they don't think that's going to happen. lou: i would only if i may add this caveat. it may be those very investors that count the impact of his trade palsies in various ways, including that it's very

positive for the economy and will focus the impact of whatever stimulus results within the borders of this country and he will drive employment. >> it's a bargaining chip. that's how it will be used and hopefully other countries will go along with trade negotiations the way we want them to and we'll both be better off as a result. lou were think about it. people are not even discussing the fact that rational trade policies, fair and equitable mutual trade policies will be mutually beneficial. right now trump is right. we have since 1976 run deficits. think about that. for 40 years. and the result is we have slowed our own economies' growth. how much growth are we giving up because of those deficits? it's huge. >> you will find out the middle

classes in china and india are much big are than that of the united states. and because of that the u.s. is no longer the price maker but the price taker and that could can calamitous for the u.s. economy. you can't run these deficits indefinitely. lou: think about it. >> trump is not a right-winger. he's a pragmatist and realist. lou: he's the on rationalist on trade policy. >> he also said he's flexible. businesses like predictability. trump said you have to be flexible. he signaled he will be flexible. the big question is what will those policies ultimately look like. he's a negotiator. we don't know yet. that's what the rest of the world is going to find out. that's what businesses are going

to find out as well as labor. lou: without reservation driving home what he said he would do with corporate american on the issues of outsource and offshoring. he's only started and he will gain momentum. up next, president-elect trump's search for secretary of state, well, it's expanding. who's still under consideration? who maying next? who may be his choice? charlie hurt and lee carter join us next as the special coverage of the president-elect's thank you tour continues from des moines, iowa.

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lou: president-elect trump taking his thank you tour to des moines, we're going there now, mr. trump to start his rally at the iowa even center in moments, peter ducey is in des moines as well. we'll find out what is going on good evening peter. reporter: it is interesting, mr. trump when he was running for president, trying hard to win iowa came to this room in downtown des moines with his newly named running mate mike pence for an event. we have not heard from the fire marshal how many people

are here, it seems like there are more people in attendance tonight than the campaign. the mood seems there are fewer angry -- people are not as upset, it does not seem just about the campaign. i was speakingwith some folks who were here before, a lot of repeat customers. either in iowa or elsewhere, and they have different reasons for coming back, big reason is they came, they saw him during the campaign, they heard him say ha he could do if he won, now they want specifics. lou: we hope for our sakes we'll get specifics. i was think about your repeat customers in the room anger

diminished. right now the country is going to go in a great direct with some evidence. energy he is bringing to president elect role is much like of that a president. we're trying to get a sense of the room, is the room at capacity there? reporter: it is not necessarily the room could fit more people if it was set up. the way they set them up they have a big press that we're standing on. there are risers. it is hard to tell how many people walked through the security. to your point about evidence that these mr. trump is doing things, people are excited to be here. and see him in part because

they say he has already done a few things. they mention the carrier deal and some of his cabinet picks. they are excited here that a politician came back to des moines so soon, they have to wait a couple years until caucus campaigning gets going. they get to see the next president here just a few weeks after he appeared in the state, whichy -- he easily won. lou: he also, he named branstad, their governor ambassador to china. peter thank you.