will be in the area soon. >> i don't think they will be able to do anything on the offense. they cannot reveal if they have that plan. charles: thank you very much. here is lou dobbs. [♪] lou: good evening, there is a lot happening on this the 99th day of the trump presidency. we are beginning tonight with breaking news. north korea has test fired a ballistic missile. the missile which launched has been assessed to be a kn-17, single staged liquid fuel rocket. it flew roughly 25 miles and was in the air for 15 minutes.

they are not surprised this latest test took place today. it broke up over the korean peninsula and never made it to the sea of japan. we'll have reaction from kt mcfarland in just moments. but first as i say, it's the 99th day of the trump presidency, and by all standard president trump has done a remarkable success. he has put russia, iran, north korea on in the, some would include china. the dow jones has soared 14% since president trump was elected president. the stock market add some $3 trillion. and by any measure he has led the nation well.

even a government shutdown averted today despite unprecedented obstruction by the dems. the president acknowledged he has done a lot, even though he's not quite comfortable with the artificial, arbitrary 100-day benchmark. >> we are moving awfully well. we are getting a lot of things done. i don't think there has ever been anything like this. it's a false standard, 100 days. we are very happy. lou: today the 99th day and my first guest says no one wants war, but all options tonight are on the table. joining us is the president's national security advisor, kt mcfarland.

kt previously served in the nixon and ford white houses. let me turn to the issue of this missile. it has been junked to be absolutely a failure. why the test today? why did they choose today to fire this missile and embarrass one would think himself again with another failure. >> kim jong-un has shown he likes these anniversaries and likes to make a big statement. it's the tenth time he has tried a missile test while president obama has been in office. last three of them have failed. lou: one would think with that record, he would expect it would fail, particularly since it's the older version of the scud-like missile. to what purpose? >> i think what he's trying to

do is rattle the cages and send a message he's developing nuclear weapons. he's already tested nuclear weapons. he has done 0 tests since he has been president of north korea and he's working his way down the to-do list. he wants ability to deliver nuclear weapons to the korean peninsula, our allies in japan and ultimately the united states. he does not have an intercontinental ballistic missile that would go from north korea to the united states, but that's his goal. that's unacceptable. we don't want a north korea that could threaten the united states with nuclear weapons. lou: the president's comments on kim jong-un. he's 27 years old. his father dies, took other regime. so say what you want, but that

is not easy, especially at that age. i'm not giving him credit or not giving him credit. i am just saying it's a very hard thing to do. this is a different tone toward this despot who is threatening the world with a nuclear weapon program not yet deliverable by icbms, but certainly deliverable. >> the point is, he's a young leader, he's making his whole objective to have a military power and nuclear weapons. he doesn't feed his people or have economic development for his people. only as a leader who wants to have nuclear weapons to threaten the world with. the problem is not only is he doing this, by's young and he's a risk taker. that gives us more reasons to get the world together to stop this. >> at this point the united

states is the world. the president obviously relying principally on president xi jinping to help with what is a client state, a puppet state we know because secretary of state tillerson said the president asked the chinese to be ready to provide sanctions against north korea. do you believe that north korea is going to take responsibility for what it has allowed to be created on the northern korean peninsula? >> we'll see. president trump met with the chinese president xi jinping in until three weeks ago. people thought they would talk 10 minute one-on-one. they talked for hours. they really got along. they talked honestly about what worried them.

and the chinese president said he would help. president trump is not naive. we'll have to see if they are willing or able to do it. lou: let's aseem they are not able to do it or choose not to do it. the united states, the president just said he's very concerned about the possible sect of a war with north korea. is it the judgment of the national security council, this president, our military, that there is a maneuver by the chinese to put the youth into conflict with north korea rather than help? or is there a judgment that there is some interest -- and i mean real interest on the part of the chinese that would be served by stopping any further

development of nuclear weapons by kim jong-un? >> we are hoping china understands north korea is not an asset to them, but a liability. not just to the south koreans, but to the entire region, then works with us. if the chinese aren't going to help or can't help. we are building defensive systems. we'll build more defensive systems in the united states. we put the carl vinson aircraft carrier into the korean peninsula region. we also have the ability either for the united nations or unilaterally to put on sanctions. and not just slap on the wrist sanctions. but significant sanctions that can start shutting down the north korean economy. lou: admiral harris making it clear that he and the pentagon believe this threat is grave,

it's serious and that we have understated the threat over two or three administrations. are we confident we have the ability to stop that program militarily? >> the risky thing is to do what you just point out. three administrations. clinton, bush, obama, they all tried and all failed to stop north korea's program. we are at the point where it's imminent. you can't kick this can down the road. north korea will have nuclear weapons capable of reaching the united states before the end of his form. one of the secrets of his success, he doesn't telegraph what he's going to do. lou: are we assured with military means we can stop that program?

>> we'll do what we have to do to stop the north koreans from having nuclear weapons that can hit the united states and i won't go into any details. you can take it inference from that. lou: i'll work on it over the following hour. i think i take your point. always great to see you. we are coming right back. there is a lot, lot more on this friday, the 99th day of the trump presidency, artificial the numbers may be. but the accomplishments very real and impressive. the white house hopes we'll have a new healthcare bill as soon as next week. >> we feel we are close to a healthcare bill and hopefully that gets done over th the weekd or next week. lou: we take you have the healthcare battle with freedom caucus member congressman ron desantis.

attorney general jeff sessions promises to crush the cartel. >> i believe we can dismantle these organizations. that will be one of our top priorities. >> we'll take that up and much more with tammy bruce and matt schlapp. stay with us. at angie's list, we believe there are certain things you can count on, like what goes down doesn't always come back up. [ toilet flushes ] so when you need a plumber, you can count on us to help you find the right person for the job. discover all the ways we can help at angie's list. the whole country booking on choice hotels.com. four words, badda book. badda boom...

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lou: secretary of state tillerson warned failure to stop north korea's nuclear program could lead to devastating consequences. >> we must increase north korea's financial isolation. we must levy new sanctions on entities and individuals supporting its missile program and tighten those already in place. lou: joining knee, congressman ron desantis, a member of the house foreign affairs committee and the freedom caucus. the secretary of state making it clear, catastrophic consequences failing to stop this program is truly not an option. this ballistic test today, another failure as kt

mcfarland pointed out. the facility in north korea. where do we go from here? >> it's a difficult situation. you have the leader of this country which is basically a prison, kim jong-un. he's a chubby brat essentially who is in that position by birth. he wants to hold on to power above all else. but the way he sees the world and the way he sees holding on to power is somewhat irrational. that's why i think it's so dangerous. north korea is not a match for us but they can do a lot of damage in the region if he miscalculates. lou: seoul and south korea in

great proximity to north korea. tokyo becomes a possible target that they could effectively hit over the years ahead. they will be within range of manila and taipei. it goes on. and we can't wait until they have a delivery system, icbm that will reach the united states. our allies will be at risk. >> i think that's right. we nova tee jim patience of the obama variety, they will end up getting the missile technology right at some point. i think what the president is doing is the right thing. and he's getting china to be constructsive. they have never done that before. i'm optimistic we'll see more pressure brought on them than

any other previous administration has been willing to bring. you mentioned in the previous segment about potential military action. i think that has to be on the table. kim is not going to listen unless he sees the power being projected in his direction. lou: i want to turn to the house, the freedom caucus chairman mark meadows saying you guys are still a few votes away on healthcare legislation. your thoughts around getting the votes necessary. >> i think we should get the vote. we promised to fully review it. that's what we should do.we havg that. this bill is a compromise bill that rolls back a lot of obamacare that allows states to opt out of the premium hiking regulations. that should be something everyone in the conference should be able to get behind who

ran on repealing obamacare. i think if we do that, hopefully the senate will make it better. and if some states opt out, you will start to see premiums go down. lou: you held a hearing thursday on the wall. the president in his speech before the nra affirmed the building of the wall. where do you think we stand with that. the dems continue to obstruct. where are you on the wall and what is a realistic expectation about its construction? >> the hearing showed if you build a wall you will save a lot of taxpayer money because of the cost of illegal immigration. we had an angel mom month lost her son to a previously deported illegal i am grants grants. we have a mandate to build the wall. if you have to have it in there.

lou: everybody who voted for the president of the united states, 63 million folks want it and expect it. speaker ryan who had 230,000 folks vote for him says he's not ready to funds it. is he going to get over himself? >> you can do it through things like the ted krufs bill to take -- the ted cruz bill to take the drug seizures and put that towards construction of the wall. lou: it's one of the most inventive pieces of legislation i have heard of in a long time. what will we call this appropriation in the ryan avoidance approach yaition? congressman -- >> make the democrats vote on that el chapo act. that will and great vote to from

for the american people. lou: be sure to vote in our poll tonight. do you believe that china is maneuvering the united states into a military confrontation with the north korean regime? cast your vote on twitter @loudobbs. follow me on season a gram and facebook. on wall street, stocks moved lower. s & p lost 5. volume on the big board, 3.7 billion shares. for the month the dow gained 1%. the nasdaq posting monthly gains of more than 2% and hitting new records. president trump's first 100 days bringing confidence to investors. the dow up 14% since he was elected. markets have posted 1.2 billion

in paper gains since the president was sworn in and 3 trillion since he was elected. consumer confidence near 15-year highs. listen to my reports three times a day coast to coast on the salem radio network. the president's many successes and victories on his first 100 days. and more progress today on another of the president's priorities. >> get theft hell out of here. get them out. we are going after the criminal gangs and cartels that prey on our innocent citizens. and we are really going after them. lou: a full report on the trump administration's efforts to eradicate the mexican drug cartels next. cialis for daily use treats ed and the urinary symptoms of bph. tell your doctor about your medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain,

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lou: the trump administration is

going after violent gangs and mexican drug cartels. attorney general jeff sessions was on long island where local law enforcement says ms-13 gang members have brutally murdered 13 people since september. >> i have a message for the gang that targets our young people. we are targeting you. we are coming after you. reporter: attorney general jeff sessions delivering a stark warning from the federal courthouse on long island following a recent spike from the gang ms-13. it started in the 1980s in los angeles. it has grown nationwide. more than 200 members are on long island. ' sessions says open borders and

years of lax enforcement allowed the gang to thrive. he's promising more resources to local police and more enforcement. >> we'll identify the networks, build cases against them. >> in september two teenaged best friends were beaten with baseball bats and hacked with machetes. >> it's all about work together. we have to figure out a solution. report suffolk county police says ms-13 targets unaccompanied minors and undocumented children. >> this scourge is preying on immigrant community in large part. we want assistance of the undocumented community. reporter: but immigrant and latino activists believe sessions is trying to paint

immigrants as violent criminals. >> he's using this to promote his agenda. reporter: sessions did not get into specifics on how much federal funding will be available to fight gangs. but the department of justice will increase the number of prosecutors in high-crime areas nationwide. lou: a few thoughts as president trump approaches the 100th dave his presidency. he's met with 170 business leaders, held meetings with 16 foreign leaders. he held 9 press conferences, 21 of his 22 cabinet members have been confirmed. but the dems have created obstacles for his nominees, and they have slowed the process

beyond any reasonable level of tolerance. the president's trade representative nominee has been moved out of committee now, but he's yet to be confirmed by the full senate. president trump's successes are unmatched in recent presidential history. the president's nominee for the supreme court took his place on the high court on day 81. the fir justice to take a seat on the high court in a president's first 100 days since 1881. 136 years ago. president trump signed 30 executive orders. the most since franklin delano roosevelt. as well as 28 presidential them a. president trump also signed 28 bills into law. 13 of which rolled back obama-era regulations. the president has been denied a significant legislative accomplishment on the big issues

because not because of the opposition of the dems. but because of the speaker of the house of the same republican (microphone feedback)

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lou: joining me, chairman of the american conservative union, matt schlapp. we'll take that up. we'll have an investigative report on that facial hair. welcome back. tammy bruce, great to have you with us. tammy: i'm glad we are not talking about facing hair involving -- facial hair involving me. lou: the president today, he talked about delivering for the nra. it was a lovefest and the president continues to do magnificently in those venues. tammy: not only does he enjoy the and it re-invigorate him and reminds him of why he decided to do this in the first place.

he's not just talking to the 10,000 people that were there. but to every american. this is what he has to do. because the media will never give an inch. he needs to do these kinds of events, the rally saturday. the direct appeal to people. but it's more than that it's a reminder that he's going to work on these issues. he knows who elected him and he's going to deliver. he's working on it and he's going to deliver. lou: facial hair, what does her save deals say by the? matt: there is only one person whose judgment i care about, and that's mercedes and i got the thumbs up. so i will wear it for a few more days. this idea of the president

dwangts one month brought him to the dance is something ronald rave began -- reagan did in the first year of his presidency. he's unashamed to hang out with the voters who put him in office. lou: we can talk about subjective terms going back out on the campaign trail and connecting with these rallies which i think is a wonderful thing for him to do as well as the voters. with the nra which continues to be an ardent supporter of his, and it's a reciprocal matter. this connection he has with twitter and facebook, this is a president uniquely equipped to maintain a lofty presence with his supporters that no other president that i can think of anything approaching it. >> the intensity with which

trump supporters respond to what the president does is not really ever related to these polls, including the fake polls, that are covered. the fact is this. donald trump's base is very supportive what he's been doing. if the election were to be retried. he was doing even better. so it's growing. tammy: we have americans doubled the country is on the right track. the american people understand what the objectives are. we now understand donald trump is in fact the change maker and that remains the problem and he will have to continue to confront it. lou: i think he's doing what most americans expected him to do when they voted for him.

a summation of his 100 days a year. >> just his presence has taken up the entire system. he made it clear even though he's work on different thin. they moved forward on thing where he delivered aa new dynamic is foreign policy and he won there as well. matt: if the economy is humming and the american people feel like their economic prospects are improving, donald trump will be in a good political position and he's keeping his eyes focused on that most important thing. lou: he's still the hardest working man in politics. he has what i call the mar-a-lago ease about him and command in every situation in which you see him in any part of the country. matt, welcome home and tammy thank you for not going anywhere and being with us throughout. some people you can count on

anyway. ciao. please roll the video. these stuntsmen, can you imagine this? not scared of heights. they are 1,300 feet above the water in tasmania. they carefully balancing the line as it swings back and forth above the rocks. water crashing, but not these daredevils. they have a way to hang on. it's amazing. and a spectacular view. but there have gotten to easier way to the get to that view, and i guess we just experienced that. north korea test firing a ballistic missile. it didn't go well. rex tillerson not pleased. >> we were told by the chinese they informed the regime if they

did conduct further nuclear tests china will be taking sanctions actions on their own. lou: gordon chang joins me next. it's our little differences, that can make a world of difference. expedia, everything in one place, so you can travel the world better. whatever it takes, wherever i have to go...i'm beating this. breast cancer treatment is continuing to evolve. ctca is definitely on the cusp of those changes.

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lou: president trump tweeted this moments ago about north korea. the president said north korea disrespected the wishes of china and its highly respected president when it launched unsuccessfully a missile today. bad! joining me now, gordon chang, an expert on north korea and china. great to have you here. interesting tweet from the president as they usually are. but in this case because he didn't refer to the united states, he referred to china and xi jinping being disappointed by the provocative acts of north korea. >> the north koreans by firing that missile disrespected secretary of state tillerson. lou: but he did not refer to

tillerson or the united states. he referred china which suggests a different mindset and acceptance of different at least to me a political realities in relationship with china and xi jinping himself. >> what he was trying to do was drive a evening between xi jinping and pyongyang. we go to china, plead for it cooperation. that creates bargaining chips. and we stop talking about things that are important to us like predatory trade practices. beijing has found this dynamic to be so favorable for the chinese. lou: but i don't see that in operation here. i don't see this president doing that, offering up bargaining chips. he's clearly putting it on china and xi jinping.

and it doesn't look like a quid pro quo is relevant here. only consequences. >> what trump has done in previous tweets and previous statements. china should do this, if it doesn't the united states will go it alone. and it means imposing costs on the north koreans and on the chinese. >> there is a peculiar aversion to look at this he metrically and putting everything in proper proportion. first is that china is in charge here, not north korea, not kim jong-un. three consecutive administrations have tried to pretend chain ace an observer in the neighborhood rather than having control. we know the chinese are involved in their ballistic missile program and the nuclear program. >> the chinese have been selling

semi processed uranium for north korea's nuclear weapons program as well as ballistic missile technology. lou: what's the next step? >> more sanctions on the north koreans. if china doesn't step up in a month or two, i think we'll see economic measures impose on china because trump set a timeline for them. lou: up next, the head of the people caucus optimistic the gop will soon have votes on healthcare. >> we would love to have had a vote in the first 100 days. i was on the phone until almost 11:00 last night. we are just a few short. i'll continue to work today and tomorrow. i fully anticipate we'll have a vote in the coming days. lou: the trump agenda and those

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lou: in our online poll we asked do you believe republicans have to be stronger to overcome obstructionism by the dimms?

95% of you said yes. betsy, no 100-day vote for healthcare, mark meadows, the head of the freedom caucus says they are a few vote short. your sense of it all. >> i spoke with the 50 or so undecideds today. the problem is not with the bill. they concede off the record that the bill will protect people with preexisting conditions and lower premiums. they say the problem is optics. it's a lack of courage. they are afraid if they vote for this bill people will say you said nobody with a preexisting condition should be charged

more. lou: tax reform, healthcare, both should have been done. paul ryan messed up time after time. he's now looking like an enemy of the state, not simply a beleaguered paul. >> tax reform is something he knows more about than you and i do and more than donald trump and steve mnuchin and he knows how to get it through. lou: can i just answer you a little. i just explained to us real quickly what empirical evidence you have for your statement. fred: if they are going to get tax reform. lou: i'm asking you for some demonstration of empirical, historical fact that suggests he knows more than the folks you just new rated. -- enumerated.

fred: i have known him a long time an has been working on tax reform. lou: i'm asking you for proof. fred: you are interrupting. lou: i'm not interrupting, i'm trying to get an answer. fred: let me give it to you. he has been chairman of the house ways and means committee. and worked on a tax reform bill. >> blah, blah, blah. lou: what did he do successfully. >> he attached to his tax bill a controversial matter, the border tax. if he had left it off. lou: do you support the border adjustment tax? >> absolutely not. it's a deal killer. fred: the problem is it splits republicans and splits the business community.

lou: he's your genius friend now you are telling us he's splitting support. fred: the real problem with healthcare as byron york reported, there are a lot of these republicans who don't want to repeal obamacare. >> they supported ryan's original bill because it didn't repeal obamacare. fred: it did as much as they could do through reconciliation. lou: you are sitting here talking about this weeks later. no one knew what ryan had done except the see athletes of commerce and energy and the ways and means committee. nobody else could touch it. not even they could put in an amendment. and this is a speaker talking about regular order. you tell me how smart he is. i'm telling you -- >> the job of the speaker is to

unite the party and push through legislation on which all of them can offer support. he failed on healthcare and he's about to put the kibosh on tax reform. he has a tax reform bill. lou: is there a better way or the right way. >> he should put it back in the drawer and go with the president. lou: i have been working on that for hours. fred: that was great. i should have guessed it was coming. you will have to use reconciliation to get tax reform through. the trump bill is a great bill. it has so many incentives it will have a dynamic effect on the economy, but you need to get it passed.

lou: we are out of time. we want to say thanks to everybody for watching. that's it for us tonight. have a great weekend. good night. >> announcer: from fox business headquarters in new york city, the new "wall street week." maria: welcome to "wall street week," the show that analyzes the week that was and helps position you for the week ahead. i'm maria bartiromo. our special guest, former microsoft ceo and the current owners of the los angeles clippers steve ballmer is with us. it was a busy week. a good week for stocks. wall street betting the moderate candidate will win and preserve the european union. the nasdaq compositero