lou: good evening, everybody. president trump standing strong, securing the u.s./mexican worder remains his top priority. the president saying once again he may declare a national emergency, if necessary, to secure our border with mexico. >> i have the right if i want. we can all play games, but a wall is a necessity. all of the other things, the sensors and the drones, it's all wonderful to have, and it works well but only if you have the wall. if you don't have the wall, it doesn't matter.

a drone isn't stopping a thousand people from running through. lou: and the president is demanding that that wall be funded and built, and today he walked out of a white house meeting after nancy pelosi refused to fund the border wall. rather than securing the border and keeping america safe, the radical dems are insisting on resisting anything that the president proposes to score what they see as political points. pelosi and schumer's pathetic performance after last night's presidential address being reduced to nothing but internet memes, and you're looking at one of my very favorite memes. president trump also visiting capitol hill, meeting with senate democrats -- excuse me, republicans. the president saying his party supports him all the way, something that cannot be said about the dems. >> the republican party, i can say -- and i just left an hour meeting, we had a great time, actually. there was no discussion about

anything other than solidarity. we want national security and border security for our country. i just want to tell you that the republicans are totally unified. now, if you were to ask the same question to the democrats? you let me know in some of those districts where i won or that are a little bit more toward sanity. you want them to run, say we don't want to have border security? you've got plenty of democrats that do not want to be in this battle. lou: tonight we take up the president's ongoing battle to build his border wall and to end the national crisis along our southern border. congressman matt gaetz and mark green among our guests tonight. and new reports deputy attorney general rod rosenstein may leave the justice department within weeks after the mueller report is finalized according to some of the reporting. in addition to overseeing the witch hunt, rosenstein has suggested secretly recording the

president. he says he was being sarcastic, invoking the 25th amendment to remove the president from office. he says he was kidding. and if he signed the extension of the fisa warrant to spy on former trump campaign aide carter page. and reeling from rosenstein's pending departure, chuck schumer made a desperate plea asking the president to withdraw william barr's nomination as attorney general. >> mr. rosenstein's potential departure only heightens the stakes for mr. barr's nomination. from all accounts, mr. rosenstein has been an impartial actor at the head of the special counsel's investigation. now president trump is trying to replace folks like mr. rosenstein with conflicted loyalists like matthew whitaker and william barr. i still believe after the revelations about mr. barr's unsolicited memo, president trump ought to withdraw this nomination. lou: i'm sure he's going to do that straight away, aren't you?

tone clee that the -- attorney clee that mitchell joins us. we begin tonight with president trump ripping into house speaker nancy pelosi and senator chuck schumer for their refusal to come up with any proposal to fund the wall to fix the crisis along our southern border. president trump leaving a white house meeting shortly after it began, calling it a total waste of time after they refused to fund the wall. we turn to chief white house correspondent john roberts. >> reporter: lou, good evening. it's pretty safe to say that the takeaway from today's events here at the white house is that it's not likely that the shutdown is going to end anytime soon. >> it's cold out here, and the temperature wasn't much warmer in the situation room. >> reporter: after a second meeting in the situation room today, both sides in the border battle emerged no closer to a deal to end the shutdown than they were going in. >> unfortunately, the president just got up and walked out.

he asked speaker pelosi, will you agree to my wall? she said, no. and he just got up and said, then we have nothing to discuss, and he just walked out. >> reporter: democrats described the president as demanding and obstinate, but hold on, said the vice president. it was the democrats who refused to budge. >> he left the room today because speaker nancy pelosi said even if he gave her what she wanted, she would never agree to the border security priorities we have on the table. >> reporter: in a tweet, president trump called the meeting a total waste of time. i asked what is going to happen in 30 days if i quickly open things up, are you going to approve border security, which includes a wall or a steel barrier? nancy said, no. i said, bye-bye. earlier in the day he upped the ante. >> human trafficking cannot be stopped if we don't have a steel barrier or a concrete wall, something very powerful. >> reporter: signing a bill to

combat the scourge of human trafficking today, president trump said without a wall criminals can simply drive their victims across the border. he acknowledged the idea is primitive but insists it works. >> they say it's a medieval solution, that's true. it's medieval because it worked then, and it works even better now. >> reporter: as federal workers face their first missed paycheck on friday, some republican senators are growing concerned about the political impact. so president trump went up to capitol hill today telling senate republicans he is dug in and needs them to stand with him. >> i would say that we have a very, very unified party. they want national security, they want to have a steel barrier or a wall of concrete, they don't care. i'll use any term they want. >> reporter: in the event the impasse continues, the white house is taking steps to mitigate the potential effects. the department of agriculture is sharing recipients they will still get their food stamps. the office of management and budget saying tax refunds will still go out even if the

shutdown extends into tax season. lou? lou: john, thank you very much. john roberts at the white house. joining us tonight, congressman matt gaetz, great to have you with us. and the president saying after nancy pelosi refused to put forward a proposition or to accede to his insistence that a wall be funded and built, that it's a waste of time and, bye-bye, as he put it. what's your thought? >> lou, if the democrats' heads were spinning any faster in washington, we'd probably have to call the exorcist. these are the same democrats who are today calling a wall racist, immoral and unacceptable who previously have voted for billions of dollars in fencing and border security. this makes absolutely no sense to me. there are a lot of wealthy democrats in congress who live behind physical barriers. they don't have those barriers because they hate the people on the outside, they have them because they love the people on

the inside. donald trump loves this country, and he is fighting for the forgotten men and women who want higher wages, safe streets, rule of law and a preservation of this country's borders, language and culture. i don't think that's too much to ask, and it's pretty ridiculous that democrats won't even come to the table with some of the very same proposals they have supported in the past. lou: do you know what is becoming, it seems to me, becoming clear as it could possibly be to all involved, democrats, republicans, the american people? and that is, why negotiate over national security? this is the president of the united states. he says a wall should be built, that it's a national emergency. at that point the nation should rally behind him. democrats as well as republicans. but without question, there shouldn't be any further negotiation with these people who have been repeatedly arrogant and ignorant in their responses and refusing, absolutely abdicating their

responsibilities as legislators representing states and districts whose people deserve to be safe, as the president said, to have their borders secure. and the nation sovereign. and without question, secure. >> yeah. i wonder if nancy pelosi and chuck schumer willing to make the phone calls to the family members who are grieving after people come across our borders illegally and then commit violence against the people who are here legally? you are right, lou, that the presidency carries with it a unique set of obligations and also a unique perspective. donald trump has made those calls. he's met with those families. he understands what a porous border does to the american life. and i think that's why he's fighting so hard. here's where we've got to be careful, lou. if anytime any president says i deem something to be an emergency and so i'm just going to do it, can you imagine what barack obama might have done to

this country? lou: i know what he did. >> yeah! lou: with a pen and a phone. i mean, you could go right through the list, $150 billion to iran, a packaging of billions of dollars in currencies and delivering it. the list is immense, it is shameful, it is -- >> well, and president trump undid a lot of that stuff. the good news is we actually elected a president with the guts to go in and call out that inappropriate behavior for what it was. barack obama exceeding his authority. so president trump actually is a dealmaker. he wants to make a deal. the difference between government and real estate is that in real estate typically both sides want the deal because they both have something to gain from it. nancy pelosi and chuck schumer don't want to gain from a safer country, they want to continue to exploit the immigration issue to try to enflame the most radical fringes of the left. lou: congressman, we knew all of that, we have known it for years. we have known it when george

bush was blathering about jobs that americans won't do and trying to set conditions and rationalize illegal immigration and the wanton exploitation of illegal immigrants in this country by the business lobby. and i include in that the business round table, the chamber of commerce, the koch brothers. and we are now at the situation where this president is not talking about illegal immigration, he is talking about a threat to this country in the form of opiates, drugs that are the deadliest in the history of the world. 70,000 ,000 ods in this countryn the last year. the list goes on. it is a national emergency, it is a crisis, and there could be no rational dispute, disputation of that, could there? >> lou, you usually ask the questions, but let me is ask you one. will donald trump be reelected in 2020 if he is not standing in front of a border security wall?

lou: i think the answer to the question, if i may, i would put it this way: there are some fights that are worth having. this is a fight that is worth having because the future of the country depends on it. i would say this, if this president is not reelected as a result of his insis especially the on a secure nation, a sovereign nation and providing for the safety of the american people, then we've lost a nation. and it will be a shameful, shameful outcome were were he not to be reelected. is that a fair answer? >> it is. i don't usually share the specifics of my conversations with the president, but what you just said reminded me of one of our last discussions where he said, matt, i'm going to fight with everything i have for the forgotten americans who want a secure border, and if i don't get it, i'm going to die with my boots on. that's the kind of resolve i want from the energetic executive we have at 1600 pennsylvania avenue, someone who is willing to do everything he can to make sure that the american people see promises

fulfilled. a lot of politicians want to make promises in elections and abandon them once they're able to achieve high office. this president actually intends on keeping his promises. lou: you know, one of the strange things about this presidency are the number of those in the opposition, the resistance as they style themselves, who question his talent, his integrity, his steadfastness. when really the only question is, frankly, based on the past two years is whether the republican conference will stand with this president, because it is their guts, their principles that has been, obviously, lacking throughout. >> that's clearly why the president was on the hill today, lou. as you have pointed out, there is a well-funded, open borders wing of the republican party, and president trump doesn't want to see them do violence to the efforts that all of us are undertaking to try to deliver for the american people. and i think he was very effective today when he got with a lot of those republican senators, they understood how high the stakes are not just for

elections or legacies, but for the type of country we're going -- lou: for the national security of the united states. >> that's right. you've nailed it. and i think they get that now. lou: all right. congressman matt gaetz, you've gotten it for a very long time and have been one of those principled leaders, and we appreciate it. thanks so much. >> thank you. lou: up next, president trump continues to weigh a national emergency declaration. obstructionist democrats fail to provide funding for a wall, to even consider it. we take the it up with congressman mark green right after these quick messagings. stay with us. i switched to liberty mutual because they let me customize my insurance, and as a fitness junkie, i customize everything. like my bike and my calves. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need.

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lou: president trump today citing israel's massive barrier as proof that walls work and will work along our southern border with mexico. >> israel put up a wall, 99.9% successful according to bibi netanyahu. and we have to do the same thing. lou: another example of such a barrier and its success, an american taxpayer-funded project called the jordan border security program. since 2008 it's grown to include a nearly 300-mile long fence system along jordan's borders with syria and iraq. the project costing a half billion dollars works to stop

arms smugglers, refugees, isis fighters from entering jordan. senator lindsey graham praising the president's address last night and adding now is the best chance for republicans to fund the border wall. >> to my republican colleagues, this is the best chance we'll ever have to help president trump get border wall funding. the only way we lose is to give in. if we'll stand firm, put deals on the table that make sense, we will win this on behalf of the american people. but if we undercut the president, that's the end of his presidency and the end of our party, and we deserve to be punished if we give in now. lou: senator lindsey graham standing up as, frankly, no one else in the u.s. senate has. joining us tonight, congressman mark green of tennessee. of he's president of the incoming republican freshman class. he's a doctor, former businessman, an iraq and afghanistan war veteran. good to have you with us, congressman. >> thanks, lou.

lou: or do you prefer doctor? >> congressman's fine, or mark will do nicely. rah. [laughter] lou: i'll stick with congressman, thank you very much. >> okay. lou: let's turn to the party's standing, as senator graham said, firm with the president. frankly, i've seen some wobbling, but i haven't seen anyone defect from the president. your perspective. >> my perspective is we're standing together with the president. i mean, it really is a crisis at the southern border. when "the washington post" says it's a crisis, it's a crisis. so the republicans are standing firm with the president. lou: and when we look at just one statistic, 72,000 overdoses, fatalities in this country in 2017 -- we don't yet have the numbers for 2018 -- to hear democrats say there is no crisis at our southern border, as if they don't understand that the majority of methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine all coming across that border with mexico.

>> yeah. i'm a physician, so i get it. i'm actually an emergency medicine physician, and i have treated heroin overdose. i have seen people who are addicted to heroin. when 90% of the heroin comes across the southern border, there's a cry is sis. lou: yeah. >> and i know the democrats want to say, well, it's coming through ports of entry, but that's what we've caught. i mean, what about the tons of it that are going by at the barriers, going by the ports of entry that we don't have any record of? it's just disingenuous on their part. lou: disingenuous, and -- >> and dangerous. lou: and dangerous, fatal. and it's as if the congress, the democrats are saying that that collateral damage is acceptable, this is no crisis. to how in the world are their constituents reacting to such callousness? >> i don't understand it myself. i mean, you think of the women that are making the trek through

central america, new statistics show that almost one in three is being sexually assaulted as they make that trek. this is a humanitarian crisis. and to put the politics of personality ahead of the policy of protecting americans is just ludicrous. it maybe makes no sense what -- it makes no sense whatsoever. lou: and the president faced with the property -- prospect of having to make a unilateral decision on declaring a national emergency at that southern border. do you support him if that is his choice? >> i support whatever means it takes to get it done. i mean, we have of a crisis at the southern border, and it's time to act. it's pretty clear democrats don't want to participate in the solution. they've had in an opportunity to negotiate, and they're just walking away from the table. it's time for the president to do whatever it takes. lou: congressman, we thank you for being with us. >> thanks. lou: congratulations on your new, your new title. congressman, we appreciate it.

congressman mark green. up next, deputy attorney general rod rosenstein, three outcomes reported today by three different news organizations, will he or will he not, well, be gone? we'll find out. attorney cleta mitchell is with us next. and we'll take up the mueller witch hunt as well, of course. but before we go to break, taking a look at the u.s. national debt coming ever closer to $22 trillion. suspense. but we know how it ends, don't we? we'll be right back, stay with us. guys, it's that time... and nothin's happenin'. well now there's score!, from force factor, to rev your libido and maximize physical response. it's no wonder walmart offers score! in more locations than any other performance enhancer.

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there's no reason to think the timing of rosenstein's departure is in any way connected to the mueller probe. joining us now, attorney and former member of the oklahoma house of representatives, cleta mitchell. and, cleta, we need you desperately to make some sense of what rosenstein is allegedly doing. [laughter] three different accounts of his plans, and i'm not entirely sure of the sources. your thoughts. >> well, my understanding is that he has said that he is going to step aside once mueller's report is delivered to the department. and i think that's probably a good thing for william barr's confirmation hearings, because rosenstein would be an issue in the barr confirmation hearing. that is, i guess, scheduled for next week. the democrats would all be trying to get barr to pledge that he was going to not interfere with rod rosenstein and not fire him, etc.

so it's probably to bill barr's benefit that rosenstein is stepping aside. lou: yeah. >> and i think that he, rosenstein, steven, whatever his name is, he accomplished what he wanted to do which is that he was able to get jeff sessions to step aside and to recuse. and he stepped in -- lou: and they've run out the clock. >> and then he appointed mueller, and he's allowed mueller to do whatever he wants, and that's his buddy -- lou: why is everybody so, it seems to me there is almost an bobsty nate refusal -- obstinate refusal by the national media to focus on the fact that the republicans got rolled, and the democrats did a terrific job of it. and culpable are mitch mcconnell, culpable are -- >> paul ryan, uh-huh. lou: -- the dear, departed paul ryan. this has been an unseemly,

sordid, corrupt mess in that we have witnessed in the leadership to have republican capitol hill, both houses. this is -- don't you think it's, there should be a little more accountability than what we see in prospect? >> oh, gosh, where to begin with that question. [laughter] you remember that congressman devin nuñes, who was the chairman of house intelligence, you know, he went to paul ryan and told paul ryan in the spring of 2017, we have just discovered that, indeed, the obama administration was, had put the trump campaign under surveillance. and i would like to go, i want to give you the heads up, i'm going to advise the white house -- which he did. remember, the president said that the obama administration had his campaign under surveillance -- lou: had wiretapped him. >> remember that the national media laughed, scoffed, said he has no evidence.

and do you remember what paul ryan then did? he made devin nuñes step aside for a period of nearly a year -- lou: yep. >> -- for an ethics investigation. for something that had been cleared with him before he did it. now, you know, that, to me, says everything you need to know. a congressional subpoena, you know, they finally issue a subpoena to rosenstein -- lou: it's part of what we need to know, cleta, but the rest that we need to know, when you look at ryan -- and the republican leadership is culpable of and for, and then you look at what has happened in our justice department, not a single person has been held to account. departed, fired, resigned, retired, reassigned. congressman jim jordan is fond of saying he's never seen anything like that in any agency or department in his career. and yet there is not one of them

in prospect of punishment for their deeds and their corruption. >> well, we did see some heads roll at doj, but we didn't see them prosecuted. i mean -- lou: well, you saw some heads move. you didn't see any of them prosecuted. >> although mccabe, he may be denied his retirement -- lou: i'm saying, to this point, there's been zero. nothing. >> they haven't been prosecuted, no. and what makes me upset, is -- and i think it makes a lot of people upset -- is that this whole special counsel situation is a complete farce. this was, quote, counterintelligence operation from the beginning. lou: well, you said it -- enter and it's terrible. it's a farce. lou: president obama has immense responsibility here. and to this point, the national left-wing media has given him an absolute free pass. cleta, i'm going to have to end it -- you get the quick last word. >> i'm just going to say, you know, he's their god, and they

think obama's infallible. lou: well, he's certainly demonstrated otherwise, hasn't he? >> to those of us who have a real god. [laughter] lou: cleta, thank you so much. up next, a u.s. navy destroyer or sails through the south china sea, a direct challenge to chinese interference with open seas navigation. we take it up right after this break. general jack keane joins me. stay with us, we'll be right stay with us, we'll be right back. i joined the army after 911,

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lou: a south korean newspaper reporting u.s. and north korean officials meeting recently to talk about a second summit to be held between president bush and north korean dictator kim jong un. president trump said an announcement will be made in the, quote, not too distant future. the president says sanctions against north korea will continue to be enforced until more progress is made in those talks. joining us tonight retired four-star general, fox business chief strategic analyst, general jack keane. jack, great to have you with us, and let's start with north korea. do you see signs for optimism here? >> no, i don't, lou. the reality is while there has been some progress, you know, there's no missiles flying over japan towards guam, and there's no nuclear testing and, clearly, there's been some warming of the relations between north and south reconnecting families, reconnecting rail lines, return of hostages to the united states

and return of some remains. but on the core issue, lou, of disarming and destroying nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, we -- none of that has taken place. they haven't even provided us an inventory of what they have, which was one of the first requests we made. so we're at a stalemate. lou: a stalemate that one hopes the president can break. he's already moved the dial considerably. let's turn to, though, china and the u.s. missile destroyer going through the disputed south china sea islands. and china calling it a provocation. do today not understand that the united states will preserve free navigation of the seas? >> yeah. well, of course, the chinese are clearly bullying our allies in the region, south china sea, east china sea, routinely

intimidation/coercion campaigns. and, certainly, they're claiming these waterways which are, obviously, international waterways of their own. we are doing absolutely the right thing here. the president is right on the mark in confronting china comprehensively not just the fact that they're economic predators, which they are, and we're doing that, but also with this military aggression that they have in the east and south china seas. and, certainly, naval passage through that, through the straits of taiwan and the south china sea are an absolute must. and we've got to work with our allies in the region to shore up their weak niece at times because -- knees at times because china muscles them so much, lou. lou: japan, certainly, is puttal -- i would think -- pivotal, i would think, to preserving, if you will, a presence that is a counterweight to china. the japanese, do you see them as being at all wobbly, or do you

see them as being consistent and strong in their alliance with the united states? >> yeah, the japanese have been consistent. i think this is the leader that the president may talk to more than any other leader in the world, i'm talking about abe of japan. and he, and they clearly are on the same page when it comes to dealing with china. abe is certainly increasing his defense capability quite a bit as we all know post-world war ii. they've been very passive for all the obvious reasons, but now they've got a major aggressor on their doorstep, and they're willing to step up. and they're going to buy f-35s from us in some significant numbers. so, yeah, they're moving in the right direction, for sure. lou: and as we wrap up here, general, your view on iran making announcements that they will be putting their navy into the atlantic, the russians are also moving into the hemisphere

whether it be with cuba, whether it be with venezuela, and we're not entirely sure of what their intentions are. and china, throughout the southern hemisphere, the southern -- south america in this hemisphere, your thoughts about how serious or the threat is and the appropriateness of our response to this point. >> yeah, the threat is very serious, and i don't think there's been a president post-world war ii that has had to deal with so many countries maligned and aggressive behavior. the obvious russia and china, big power competition. regional ambitions as well as global threats. iran clearly wants hegemony in the middle east and sponsors terrorism around the world. and clearly, our friend in north korea, troublesome, to say the least. these are major, major issues that a president in my lifetime has not had to deal with. and they have a comprehensive national security strategy to deal with this.

it's about execution and implementation. lou: and do you think that execution and implementation is moving apace? >> it's move anything the right direction. i mean, nothing's perfect out there, to be sure. but pushing back on china is center to that, pushing back on russia's a maligned and aggressive behavior, using nato to do that as well, stepping up against the iranians particularly in the middle east -- i'd like to see them stitch together kind of an arab a nato in terms of political/military alliance so our allies are doing most of the heavy lifting and not the united states. but the united states has got to be there as the indifference pence bl leader. lou: general jack keane, thank you very much. >> good talking to you, lou. lou: the left-wing national media criticizing the president and his address to the nation. surprise. >> that address probably should have come with a surgeon general's warning, it was hazardous to the truth. >> what was the point of that exercise? it felt, and this entire process, by the way, feels like it's a colossal waste of time.

>> the president repeating some of the dubious claims he's made in the past -- >> no one's mind was changed. donald trump realize a stephen miller litany of -- >> in a nicer voice. >> the president made his pitch directly to the american people in a address that was riddled with things that were not factual. >> intriguing to me is how much it lacked any new information. >> you consider that speech, what a powerful argument it makes against the theory of evolution. [laughter] lou: well, no argument is quite as strong as the radical dems who were making those specious remarks. we'll take that up and much more right after the break. stay with us, we'll guys, it's that time... and nothin's happenin'.

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lou: three groups backed by charles koch are saying they will support any border security deal giving permanent status to illegal immigrants. thank you, koch brothers, thank you so much. that is such a generous negotiation that you're carlying out. the look -- carrying out. the libra initiative along with freedom partners and americans for prosperity, they claim a border for dreamers deal is the best way toned the shutdown. and -- to end the shutdown. and chamber of commerce executive vice president neil

bradley demanding the shut down's end with a deal to protect the dreamers. the democratic response to the president's oval office address last night leading to dozens of twitter memes. let's take a look at just a few of, well, my favorites, and here we are. we begin with chuck and nancy, the subjects of "american gothic." i mean, if you saw that, you had to be appalled -- [laughter] you had, just -- it was absolutely hysterical. and they rehearsed that. they rehearsed it! here they are as upset parents after finding out that their child did something to flout their authority. ask one twitter user thought they looked like attorneys. oh, heaven forbid. he wrote, quote: have you been in an accident with someone who didn't have insurance? our law firm can help, call today. president trump threatening to withhold money today to help, well, the governor of california wants to fight wildfires.

the president saying that poor forest management is to blame for the deadly blazes that scorch large portions of california last year. the president says he's ordered fema to stop giving that money to the state of california until they get their act together. and up next, the radical left goes ballistic over the possibility of the commander in chief declaring a national emergency to protect you and me and our fellow americans and, oh, yes, our borders. >> this president doesn't have the power to declare an emergency and build a multibillion wall on the border, so that's a nonstarter. >> that's not the way it works. he needs to learn how government functions. >> we would certainly oppose any attempt by the president to make himself a king and a tyrant by saying that he can appropriate money without congress. >> i don't think it's an idle threat, i think it's a dangerous threat. >> he'll face a challenge, i'm sure. if he oversteps what the law requires when it comes to his

respondents as commander in chief. lou: every one of those radical dems think they should have the right to negotiate national security. we take that up and more right after the break. ed rollins are, michael goodwin join us. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ great news, liberty mutual customizes- uh uh - i deliver the news around here. ♪ sources say liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. over to you, logo. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

lou: the number of murders in all of mexico will surpass 33,000 for the entire year 2018.

those pronexts would be a more than double-digit increase from 2017, more than 29,000 people killedded that year. however, a recent study suggests the number could be much, much higher. as one report shows, 93% of crimes in mexico are never reported, and only 3% of crimes reported are actually solved and result in a verdict. joining us tonight former reagan white house political director, fox business political analyst ed rollins. also with us, fox business contributor, did i mention blitzer prize-winning business contributor, michael good wynn? -- goodwin. good to have you here. >> thank you. lou: let's start with the president's call, first of all, for this country to focus on a national emergency and for him to do something about it going before the american people tomorrow night, 9 p.m. eastern, right here. your thoughts. >> i think it's a smart use of the bully pulpit.

i mean, this is an important fight both politically and in terms of the substance of the issue, and i think the president chose to make this fight, and i think it's taken him a while, but i think he's now fully in gear on it. and so the national address, going to the border, i think there are a lot of things to be said and to be shown to the public, lou, in terms of -- he mentioned last friday, for example, sex traffickers. he mentioned the opioid crisis. lou: human smugglers of all kinds. >> yes. lou: and 50 to $60 billion in the deadliest drugs known to mankind coming across that border. >> and to have a wall is not just to stop people once they get there, it's also to deter them from even making the trek from central america and mexico. lou: and mexico, so violent, they should be begging this president to build that wall, because that controlled border will mean less drug traffic, sex traffic, human smuggling and

deadly, deadly drugs -- >> you take those last two years that you put up there on the board, that's more depths than american soldiers killed in vietnam. that's a staggering number. and i think the vast majority of americans have no idea that -- lou: and mexico's more dangerous, more people are being killed in mexico than in afghanistan, for god sake. and the radical dems refuse to take responsibility for what is a national emergency, as the president says, a national crisis. >> well, look, when -- lou: how long can they, how long can they take such a ridiculous, passive stance against the reality, which is americans are dying? >> well -- lou: and mexican citizens. >> yes. and i think that the president now bringing all of the tools in the presidential toolbox to this fight is the thing, the only way he's going to be able to change their minds. to get the public, to show the

public, to educate the public that isn't sure about this to say, look, this is not just a political fight. look at the reality of what's happened -- lou: well, the democrats want to make it about politics, because that's what they're doing, is playing politics. >> sure. lou: this president is leading the nation on a national emergency that only he can solve and has the political will. the american people, all they need is a strong leader. he's it. >> well, he has to sustain this message. and starting with the speech tomorrow night, going to the border and continuing after that, he has to keep telling people over and over again why we need this security at this border. and -- lou: let me just ask you, where in the world are the republicans in congress, in the senate, and why aren't they out doing the same thing as the president, carrying his message to their districts, to their states, to the american public? this is a, this is a war that we're engaged in. >> it is and, obviously, the democrats will carry the opposite message.

so they need to get engaged, and the president has to lead them. my sense is they're not going to do it by themselves, but he keeps kicking them in the tail on this thing, i think they might get a little more engaged. lou: the politics of this, it seems to me, are up sustainable for the dems because they are avoiding responsibility, they are absolutely flouting the president's authority here suggesting it's about politics rather than about the nation's interest. >> well, they have different constituencies, and i think at the end of the day -- lou: well, what country do the democrats represent? >> i don't know. i've never quite figured that out. certainly a more diversion group than it's ever been before, but the key thing is the president has to drive this agenda and sustain it. >> look, and i think that is the democrats' strength here, which is that their constituents hate donald trump. he's for it, they're against it. and that -- lou they're -- >> i think that is still a powerful tool on the left. lou: do you really? >> oh, yes.

lou: it might be powerful on, say, social media, but within the country itself can you imagine that there are more people who would want to see that border remain corrupt, to see sex trafficking and human smuggling and drug smuggling, 70,000 opiate overdoses a year in this country? you think they would, the democrats will tolerate that? >> not if you make that the argument. the argument now is about human beings trying to get to a better lifestyle, and the reality is it's the points that you make. it's about the security -- lou: what the hell about americans wanting a better life, wanting to make choices about their own country, having the right to decide -- >> i'm not arguing the democrat point of view, i'm just trying to tell you this is what they have done very effectively, and we now, basically, have to make our case very e fete i. lou: well, and the president can do that. >> absolutely. lou: he's the only one doing it for a number of years now, ever

since about june 2015, as i recall, and doing so effectively. as he will, i'm sure, tomorrow night. good to see you, ed, thank you. >> thank you. lou: we thank you for being with us, good night from new you how you expect this to end when you tell the president of the united states you can't get -- you get one dollar for a wall when in the past democrats have appropriated billions for the wall. what is he supposed to do, just give in? he's not going to give in. cheryl: who will give in. we're in day 24 of a government shutdown, the longest in history as president trump demands democrats to get off the beach and come back to work on the border issue. china's trade surplus with the u.s. hits a record and not the news the white house wants to hear. what this means for the trade at thitit-for-tat. cheryl: a lot of pressure on the chinese data we got out overnight, that's affecting futures this morning, the