long time, share that with everyone. thank you so much, here is lou dobbs, keep it on fox business . lou: good ove evening, a major setback in republican effort to repeal and replace obamacare, senate leaders admitting they don't have the votes to pass the health care bill, and announcing they are delaying the vote until after 4th of july recess. mcconnell said they are still working toward getting at least 50 people in a comfortable place. a defacto acknowledgment that mcconnell and speaker ryan simply have not been capable of meeting the challenges of their leadership roles.

president trump seems less frustrated than might be expected. the president expressing confidence that senate republicans will deliver on one of his tough priorities -- top priorities. >> i think we either have 52 out of 52 or 50 out of 52, either one is pretty good. as a percentage. we'll talk, we'll see what we can do, we're getting close. but for the country, we have to have healthcare. and it can't be obamacare, which is melting down. lou: senate however will not reconvene july -- until july 10, then they have 14 working days before a scheduled month long august recess. mike emmanuel on capitol hill with the latest for us. us. >> this will be great if we get it done. if we dean get it done, it will be something that we're

not going to like and that is okay, i understand that very well. but i think we have a chance to to something very, very important for the public. reporter: all 52 senators were invited to the white house to huddle with the president. after shelving one of his campaign promises. >> a very complicated subject, i remember how challenging it was for democrats when they were enacting this, we're optimistic we're get there. >> i believe we'll get to yes, it will take more discussions, most critical question is how to we lower premiums that has been my focus from the beginning. reporter: chuck schumer was not ready to unfurl the victory banner just yet. >> we know that the fight is not over. we're not resting on any laurel. reporter: number of majority leader did not add up, started with 4 of mcconnell g.o.p. senators who said they would not support the procedural

motion, as day wore on the numbers grew. and more republican nos came out. the g.o.p. leadership was stuck. >> i'm not willing to accept that we not going to be successful, i think that consequences are bad. reporter: democrats is a that mccancel abou mcconnell is about to start cutting deals and contribut criticize the process. >> to given put, a lot offin cigars and steak and whiskey is garbage. reporter: republicans hope to find a solution, one conservative critic told fox today, he just didn't want to rush it. >> we need to fix the collapsing markets that are obamacare. i want first of all the time to consider this to allow my constituents in wisconsin a

chance to review it provide their valuable input and feedback. i'm not asking months but a couple weeks. reporter: leaving will white house late in day, mcconnell said he had a good chance of getting there, but it would take a little more time. concern, with republicans sometimes a little more time can embolden the resistance. lou: as we're looking at prospect of july 4 recess. and no vote, coming back 14 days remaining. only freedom caucus called for to stay in town rather than go on that august recess. how dire is this situation for the republican leadership in sena thesenate. reporter: we know mcconnell of the pushing for this. they need to get a budget done

if they want tax reform in the fall. there are other items on the agenda that will take time. with democrats dragging their feet, mcconnell is trying too get it done before july 4, it was a man-made deadline but now it waiting a little bit longer, lou. lou: thank you. >> joining us, to discuss whether the republican party of both houses is capable of delivering on their long, held promise to repeal obamacare, congressman jim jordan is joining us, a member of freedom caucus. great to have you with us. what are the implications of the inability of leader mcconnell is bring up that vote before independents day. >> the irony is, how close the process in senate mirrored what happened in the house. with a delay in the vote, went home for recess, members got

together we were able to come back and pass it, i hope that plays out now with u.s. senate. we need to get this done. let's hope it plays like it did in the house. lou: lowering premiums, moving the program heed, thi ahead, this sounds familiar, the discussion for 6 years has been that and republican party in both houses seems incapable of coming up with a prescription that meet those basic simple goals. >> yeah, i wish, you know i still think we'll get it done. i hope we do. that is what we told american people. in hindsight, i wish we would have done it different this sounds like an i told you so, like the free freedom caucus wanted in two bills, a clean replacement bill -- a clean repeal, then a separate replacement bill.

now here we are, let's understand what we sent out was best we'll get. lou: then there is matter of tax reform. >> right. lou: everyone's is hoisting away. it looks like leadership is at best, half committed to getting this done. i don't see why in the world you all in the house are putting up with speaker -- the leadership team, i'll put it that way kindly. and i don't understand why the senate is putting up with that leadership team if they cannot deliver. >> well, we're going to deliver tax reform has to get done, to get to 3% growth rate you cannot have this ridiculous tax that we have, we need to do it right, we have talked in a way not revenue neutral, that is a

fancy way of saying that burden stays the same we just shift who pays what. we know what happens with that. lou: have you a leadership, you have your the chairman of the house and ways committee, kevin brady, committed to 20% import tax, a commitment from the speaker. i mean, what in the world is it going to take to bring, i mean, if these people are not blocking intentionally any progress on the president's agenda i don't know what it would look like. >> you are right. ththe con-- it the drive up prices. did republicans -- did voters send republicans to congress to put a new tax on the american economy and increase spending? i don't think so. let's just get away from some things that are talked about in budget process, there will be a new tax put on american people, this is say no, that is not going to happen then

got on with right kind of tax reform, letting family keep more of their money. and lowering corporate rates, that is conducive to producing jobs and economic growth. lou: what are those odds. >> it is. we're going to continue to push and talk about it we've been talking about it for 5 weeks, a budget with right reconciliation, and control spending get fact bill moving. -- tax bill moving, i think we'll get there at some point, but that is what we have to focus on. lou: and look over our shoulder across the way to the senate. it doesn't look like they are neur th near the shape that congress is in terms of coming to a level of support for healthcare repeal and replacement. senate version, where to we go from there? then have you recess, you come back. >> ja. back.

>> yeah. lou: yell 10, then 14 days -- then 14 days before august recess. >> we have called to be mere in august. freedom caucus said we're not making the progress that people elected us to do. let's stay here and get it done. we've been clear about that and been talking about it american people support it, they elected to us do certain things. our job is simple, do what we said. lou: will you? >> i am willing. lou: i know you are, and i know freedom caucus is. >> you have to talk to speaker and majority leader. lou: my favorite thing, thank you congressman jim jordan. >> thank you. lou: much more ahead stay with us. >> white house warrens syria it -- warns syria it will pay a heavy price if it decides to carry out a chemical attack on

its own people. >> my hope is that president's warning the get russia and iran to take a second look. lou: we'll discuss possible repercussions with general jack keane. >> a new report suggests that fbi investigation of former national security advisory or michael flynn was an acts of littl political looking sharp len. who's the lucky lady? i'm going to the bank, to discuss a mortgage. ugh, see, you need a loan, you put on a suit, you go crawling to the bank. this is how i dress to get a mortgage. i just go to lendingtree. i calculate how much home i can afford. i get multiple offers to compare side by side. and the best part is... the banks come crawling to me. everything you need to get a better mortgage. clothing optional. lendingtree, when banks compete, you win. okay! ...awkward.

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one that keeps you connected to what matters most. lou: the white house warning syrian president his regime will pay a heavy price if it carries out another chemical attack against its people this year. joining me now to discuss president's stern warning to syrian dictator and much more, fox news military analyst, retires fou four-star general jack keane. great to have you with us. >> great to be here. lou: this warning boldest yet. >> you know he means it.

i think -- i am stunned that assad would consider using gas again, i think what president would do this time, not just take it from -- down the airfield from which it came, they have 6 operational airfields where all their airplanes are at and helicopters, we could take it out in one night using cruise missiles. lou: that would include, russian aircraft and servicemembers as well? >> the russians after the last attack, they did reposition some of their planes on the airfield as deterrents against destroying those airfields because their aircraft is there. but we can dress cripple -- discriminate, we know which is russia. we it take out fuel, ammunition, supplies, and that around that airfield, each one of those six. lou: at-this-point, syria is

still an utter mess without any lug resolution in sight, it is difficult to see where we end. the president has been clear about saving lives. less clear what the strategy is for resolution in syria. >> you are right. we have a problem, putin and the iranians have been successful in propping up th the assad regime, only thing left, if you divide syria with euphrates river valley that cuts down through about a third to east, after isis is deposed that remains contested. it is possible, that is why iranians and russians and syrians are coming after the forces that we're supporting, they don't want u.s.-led coalition forces to own the eastern end of syria which is likely to happen.

that is what is left. lou: and as we watch what is happening with syria, we have to watch what is happening with russia itself. it is still in crimea, still in parts of eastern ukraine. we are watching a stale mate here, which way is this going to break? which threats concern you most? >> if obama had confronted putin over crimea and ukraine and provided them with assistance they wanted, putin is never in syria. he came to syria, he knew that nobody but nobody was going to stand in his way of achieving that end, that is where he is, a huge strategic asset in that airbase, he is leveraging airspace in middle east, a new president in went to middle

east, said i got your back, spoke to the allies in one room, said strategic threat are iranians and we'll stand against the that, i see as we move down the road as trump and putin move down the road, some kind of confrontation, necessarily a conflict but a confrontation. lou: do you believe this is say positive sign for the trump administration and policies here is pursuing that the iranians have been quiet and far less provocative than previously? >> yes, but the iranians run the war in syria, their generals are on the ground. not assad. they direct the use of air power, but since iranian tested their ballistic missile in first month of trump administration, they have been quiet. that is because he sanctioned them, he said, any further activity like this, we'll come after you. this administration means it, this administration is coming to confront in a way that

previous was not, our adversaries know it. lou: general jack keane great to see you. >> good talking to you. lou: be sure to vote in our poll, do you believe majority leader mcconnell and speaker ryan are capable of delivering a health care victory for president trump? cast your vote on twitter. like he on facebook, follow me. >> another massive cyberattack, crippling corporate computer systems worldwide, the ransom ware holds data hostage until they pay up. expert is a that at th tettia exploits same window bug used last month, many companies have not updated their software, it would have been

that simple. all they had to do was apply the patch. they did not. on wall street, stocks move lower but holding near yoar record highs. volume on the big board three .5 billion shares, technology worst performing sector down almost 2 percent, shares of googlgoing to parental parent -- alphabet plunging. listen to my report three times a day coast-to-coast on the salem radio network. up next, not so dynamic duo, my commentary on why these -- well, leaders, on capitol hill can't seem to deliver on legislation in a timely

fashion, despite the fact that america elected them to pass the fro president's agenda. the pitiful pair, has let it be known one man will determine the outcome, his name, is donald trump. name, is donald trump. if you had to have one, he is

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lou: a few thoughts on the inability of congress to deliver on the president's agenda. with six republicans opposed to the plan publicly. >> i hoped that we could have got to the floor this week, but we are not quite there. but i think we have a good chance of getting there, it will just take us a little bit longer. we need to couple with a

solution. the american people elected us to do that. lou: it makes you wonder, what have they been doing all this time. the senate plans to leave for its july 4 recess without passing a healthcare bill. bill. house republicans were forced to do the same thing after speaker ryan failed to deliver enough votes. all of these missteps are simply a failure of leadership on the part of both ryan and mcconnell. once again president trump is stepping into negotiate a better deal after mcconnell and ryan failed to get it done first time around. summoning the senate republicans to meet with him in the white

house, the president doing his best to move things on. ryan and mcconnell barely holding on to their jobs, and it's become clear, the only real leader is in the white house. sometimes by losing the battle you find a new which to win the war. twhament we are watching, a war and another setback. now we look for the victory. we are coming right back. stay with us. senate majority leader mcconnell delays a vote on the healthcare bill until after the 4th of july recess. lou: we'll discuss the senate's failing effort to repeal and replace obamacare. newt gingrich joins us here next. and a jaw in dropping surprise for fishermen in new jersey.

for fishermen in new jersey. we'll have that fish tail for

sfx: loud poorly played electric guitar that sounds awful seriously, awful but a lot better than last week ♪rock guitar music ♪we weren't born to follow

[suspensful music] lou: the senate leaders seeped to fiddle while obamacare was burning. he couldn't get his members

through a so-called safe space. he pawned off that responsibility to president trump. i'm still working towards getting 50 people in a comfortable place. we are going down to the white house at 4 *. the white house is involved in these discussions. >> i this the way to run a legislative body tonight? former speaker of the house 2012 presidential candidate newt gingrich author of the number one new york best seller understanding trump. i don't know if you have chapters in your best seller about mcconnell and ryan. but this might be the time to illuminate for all of us. what do you make of where we are. again a first-level failure

right after ryan did it. what is going on? >> i think you are not going to be particularly happy with this. this is called the legislative process. it's always a mess. they decided to take on the hardest single thing they could do. one fifth of the economy, life and death, and a system totally screwed up. we are trying to find a path to get to a reform that will work. mitch is a very shrewd manager of the senate. i'm pretty sure i know what happened. he came in oath weekend thinking if i set a deadline for saturday i can squeeze hip and set him. early today he talked to a number of these members saying we are not going to move that fast. unless you take it past the

recess there is no way i can vote yes. he did the on thing he could have. i think he also learned from how heard it was for speaker ryan who lost the first round. mitch could have driven hard this week and lost the first round. but the challenge they have got is they are going to have to have the president's help but this is what trump is all about. he wants big change. you don't often get big change in a legislative body unless you have a president personally engaged and personally making it happen. lou: i think that mitch without question will be grateful for your elaborate if i may say entirely coherent and acceptable rationalization of failure. but the reality is neither mrveg connell nor ryan were prepared

for what they should have known and understood was their responsibility irrespective of what was to occur. yet here they are flat food, unprepared. and one could suspect them of aiding and abetting in the even graabetting thedisresult of one. >> i am certain that neither speaker ryan nor the majority leader mcconnell is trying to aggrandize trump. they would love to get this solved. this is as hard a thing as they will try to do in their entire career. if there was a mistake made it was putting this through first and trying to ram it through quickly. i know a fair amount about

healthcare. i helped reform immediate care in 1996. helped defeat hillary care in the 190s. >> why did you on this show, not knowing who you were? >> i'm saying that's what the audience will understand. this is -- i believe healthcare is 10 times more complicated than national defense. and i think it's very hard to do right. here is my prediction based on understanding trump. trump never gives up. trump will find a way in the end to get to a signable bill. it may take an extra few week. it may take a few meetings at the white house. lou: a little money. >> my point to my friends who are impatient and you are certainly in that group, i don't mind you being impatient.

but this is the legislative process. it's cumbersome, painful, frustrating. and it was designed that way by the founding fathers. lou: i accept all of that. these two men are inadequately prepared for the legislation. whether you call it a fifth or 20% of this economy. it is fundamental to the economy and to our society. frankly, i would feel much better if they brought your gravitas to the matter rather than your own. let's quickly turn to fake news. it looks to me as if the president has turned a very important corner. it is now a clear certifiable fact that fake news has been

precisely what the president said from the very beginning. fake news with people practicing a craft that doesn't resemble anything like that to which they were trained. that is journalism. the nation knows cnn has lied, constructed stories, in pure ether, that "the washington post" has become a blog for jeff bezos. the "new york times" a blog for carlos slim, and the list goes on. don't you think that's remarkable that we reached this inflection point in what looked like a dire time for the president? >> i do think it's remarkable that you have seen great institutions with great traditions generate into attack machines and propaganda machines. that's why i argued for months that they should completely

change the white house communication. this is a very tough reality. when you see some of this inside stuff and realize how deliberately buy asds and whose -- biased and hostile, they are not news organizations, they are attack organizations. we should understand that's what's going on. lou: the american people now understand it. i don't think that would have occurred if the president had given up even one of his tweets to all of the folks to who support him. thanks so much for being with us. please roll the video. two fishermen with a surprise visitor. here is a visitor. the giant humpback whale

breaching near their small boat. that's in the harbor between new york and new jersey. they are lucky to live and tell the tale. they are weighing on average 40 tons. how do we know that's the average. a shocking new report but who and what is motivating the f.b.i.'s investigation into michael flynn. sarah carter of circumstanca news

lou: a bombshell report that the investigation much michael flynn may have been nothing more than a political hit job. deb director andrew mccabe had a personal grudge against flynn. an monthsity sparked by flynn's personal support of an agent who accused mccabe and other officials of sexual discrimination. sarah, good to have you with us.

andrew mccabe, his name drawn into what looks to be a sordid mess at the f.b.i. >> it's a reflection of the bureaucracy in washington, d.c. and how these types of issues play out publicly. sometimes what we don't see behind the scenes, lou, once it's revealed answers a lot of questions. i spoke to numerous f.b.i. agents as well as other people in the intelligence community. lou: let me interrupt you just a moment. the f.b.i. is accused in general of reverse targeting in order to have identified general flynn as one of those who was unmasked, and then ran afoul of the administration. is that not correct? >> we certainly know that the

f.b.i. intercepted the phone calls who leaked flynn's name when he was unmasked. we don't know that yet. lou: he week infer from the facts, there is no reason to suspend our sensory advantages here. >> there is no reason to do that. there were very few people under 10, i don't want to give an exact number, that knew about this conversation and actually read those san francisco transcripts. we definitely know the number of people who knew what was taking place between flynn and kislyak was within the scope of the f.b.i. and the d.o.j. and sally yates. it would have been simple if they wanted to, to find out who did that. lou: the second in command at that point is andrew mccabe whose wife is a democrat, who is

a beneficiary of the largess of virginia governor mcauliffe. and who received hundreds of thousands of dollars for her campaign in virginia. >> $700,000. she received almost $500,000 from a political action committee associated with mcal --with mcauliffe and anothr $200,000 from another democratic committee. lou: the relationship between general flynn and the assistant director of the f.b.i. mccabe, how did that come to be? >> that was a contentious relationship. starting two years ago general nuke flynn came to the aid of special agent robin. i can tell you i have gone through so many letters in support of her. probably one of the most

premiere counter terrorism agents in if the united states. she was also in charge of the robert levinson hostage crisis in iran. she was the top dog. excellent reports from the beginning of her tenure before she came under mccabe. that's when everything changed. she filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit against mccabe. when she'd filed that, she reported earlier to her supervisor that she would be filing this eeoc complaint, and it was after she told her supervisor that mccabe filed a case against her as not being a satisfactory agent. so that's evidence in itself. he actually admits that. we obtained his testimony where he admits he knew beforehand before he actually filed the case against her. he himself provided that retribution. flynn actually was supporting her. he wrote a letter on letterhead.

and so he wanted to testify on her behalf. and the f.b.i. blocked that. they blocked that from him and fought him on that. there was a contentious relationship there. mccabe should have recused himself from any investigation regarding russia because of this relationship with flynn. lou: that's certainly logical. it's also long cal that director james comey should have excused him from the investigation because of his political conflicts of interest in the investigation of hillary clinton, her emails as well as the foundation. >> think about this, lou. here you have the acting f.b.i. director now, andrew mccabe, he took over after comey was pushed out and fired. he's being investigated by the inspector general's office at

the d.o.j. for the money his wife got from her campaign contribution. and he's being investigated by the office of special counsel. >> those are investigations of f.b.i. director james comey's judgment and failure to act. it seems to have been reasonably appropriate. we appreciate you being here. sarah carter, "circa news." pastor robert jeffress joins me next to discuss the high court's affirmation of the first amendment rights of all americans. imagine that. ststststst i got a mortgage offer from the bank today. whuuuuuat? you never just get one offer. go to lendingtree.com and shop multiple loan offers for free! free? yeah. could save thousands. you should probably buy me dinner.

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lou: in our online poll we asked you should president trump allow obamacare to crash and burn if the senate fails to pass the healthcare bill. 89% said yes. the supreme court handed down a ruling on religious freedom. the pastor at first baptist church in dallas, pastor robert jeffress. let's start with the trinity decision. we have been talking about that

for it seems forever. your reaction, your judgment and its import. >> i think it trinity decision may mark the beginning of the end of the judiciary's 70-year war on religion. it has been based on a perversion of the first amendment. we all snow the first amendment says congress cannot establish a state church and force people to worship in it. it has nothing to say about prehib iting school prayer or tenth commandment displays or barring churches from participating in government grants to improve its playground area. in this case the justices decided they were going to interpret the law according to what the constitution actually says instead what liberals wished the constitution says. i hope this marks a beginning of a turn for our supreme court.

lou: the johnson amendment which the president vowed to get rid of. this wouldn't have helped you without justice gore such stepping forward along with all the other justices. it's an amazing and immediate impact from the elect of donald j. trump as president. >> no doubt about it. he has many more court appointments to make whether it's the people or federal courts. i was privileged to be in the rose garden when president trump signed that religious liberty executive order. during that speech he said no american should be forced to choose between following his faith and obeying the law. i have never known of a president to do more for religious liberty than president donald trump. that's why we are so grateful for his leadership. lou: and his eloquent communication of the fundamental

issue facing so many americans. i want to turn to your judgment about where he is as leader of the country. he has gone through great travail and turmoil. he seems to be winning everything now. he's going to speak this saturday night at our patriotic extravaganza honoring veterans at the kennedy center. people of faith are just as excited about donald trump today as they were november 8 because of all of the things he's doing. he's reviving the economy and rebuilding the military and respecting veterans and restoring our greatest freedom of all, the freedom of religion. i don't think he could be doing any better than he's doing right now. lou: he's also defending ou our national security every day as we would expect any president to do. pastor robert jeffress.

always great to have you with us. congratulations in order. we have a great new book to recommend to you tonight, and the fact it was written by my buddy jim warren and myself doesn't influence my recommendation for you to read it. it's about a despotic russian leader who seeks to take advantage of an international financial system thrown into turmoil as he tries to resurrect a soviet socialist republic in his own name. the name putin was available so we used that. it's been called a captivating tale that's thrilling and chilling. so read it for yourself. it's available online on am done and bookstores he where, and

it's a brilliant title. and it goes a long way toward explaining donald trump's version of the principle 8 powers in the 21st century. breaking news this morning. a flaw in microsoft software went second to blame. senate republican leaders had seen about had seen about him replacing obama cares majority leader mitch mcconnell delayed that bill. not just health care from the trump tax agenda could also be affected. >> worries has health care taken aback the trump agenda hammering stock yesterday. they settled up 100 points each. stop trying to recover this morning's features relatively flat. train to a question for all of you this morning. europeans unfairly targeting