distance but we should embrace where woe we are. we should draw strength from the adversity we face invariably makes us stronger. with that, merry christmas to you and yours. thanks for watching tonight. "the evening edit" starts right now. ♪. >> president joe biden sounding alarm bells when he said yesterday his decision running for re-election in 2024 depends on his health. democrats might be eyeing different candidates, not even one year into the president biden's term. the president's poll numbers continue to plunge. we'll take a look why some democrats are beginning to worry biden's blunders will lead to a gop takeover in 2022. joining us tonight, congressman lloyd smucker, dr. greg murphy, former labor secretary nominee

andy puzder. energy ex-spirit phil flynn. former georgia police officer phillip holloway and ron vitiello and burt fleckinger. we have a deep look at covid. the biden administration says has ad min vision has not been a failure but try to find a at home covid test. the impact on gas prices as well as what we can expect at the pump in 2022. violent crime and murders soaring in democratic led cities. two democratic lawmakers were carjacked 24 hours apart. we'll break down the policies behind the surge. this story hitting your wallet. consumer spending up .6 of a percent in november as retailers were hit by the supply chain crisis, inflation, the omicron variant. we'll look to expect next year. the cdc is reporting fentanyl is leading killer of americans 18 to 45. we'll investigate how the open

border under president biden fueling the drug crisis across the nation. i'm edward lawrence in for elizabeth macdonald. "the evening edit" starts right now. edward: 2022 political money race. beefing up each party ahead of midterm elections. connell mcshane investigating the money for us, joining us live this christmas eve eve. connell? reporter: good to see you, edward. political experts when you talk to them about this kind of thing they will tell you the midterms next year will not be decided solely based on who has the most money. both parties have a lot of it, but the party that wins the fund-raising battle may very well be the one that controls congress, if you think about it, that is where the enthusiasm is. that is where the momentum is. that party seems to be the

republicans. look at numbers. $10.7 million raised versus 9.12 million for the democrats last month. >> will use this money to win and we'll win in 2022 and win in 2024. we used this money to have a ground game. when you look at the candidates come out become our republican nominees, they need a ground game, gotv, get get-out-the-vote effort. reporter: democrats have plenty of ground game they can afford to. 11 months both parties bringing in over $140 million. when we break down the map in the key senate races we'll travel in person to as many states in the new year as possible, strategists say the overall environment in the country, that is what will likely determine the winners. >> if we're still in this environment where we're you know, we're zooming around, we're scared for our kids not being able to go to school i

think that is something that is not good for any party in power but it also takes a good candidate. reporter: a good candidate. picking candidates in the primaries are something we'll keep a close eye early in the year, edward. only five house seats for the republicans to take control. that is largely expected to happen. it would be a surprise if it didn't happen. the senate is more questionable, maybe more up for grabs. the republicans especially looking at money situation now, they like their position, they like where they stand going into 2022. edward: arizona and wisconsin on the list. the man with best hair on tv other than me, connell mcshane. i appreciate it. joining us is lloyd smucker, congressman lloyd smucker from the house ways and means committee along with former labor secretary nominee an did i puzder. president biden's poll numbers continue to plunge.

americans are looking ahead to 2024. congressman with the americans struggling with inflation, historic crime levels, do you expect the republicans to take the house and the senate? >> well, edward, thanks for having me and i think things are looking very good. the democrats just absolutely are not listening to the american people. it is unbelievable. the reaction they had to the youngkin win in virginia. you know it is as if they're dressing themselves up as santa claus and think that giving handouts to the american people are going to when their vote but i can tell you this isn't what the american people want. in fact it feels a whole lot like lumps of coal in their stocking with when they look at crisis after crisis under this administration. look at inflation, real wages have gone down eight in 10 months for this administration. feels like a long 11 months, doesn't it? which have a crisis at the

border. we have a leadership crisis with americans being left behind in afghanistan people are upset. edward: no, congressman, i want you to listen something too on the points you're making, president biden was asked about his plans to run again in 2024 during an abc interview. i want you to both lissen to the exchange and respond. >> you said you would absolutely serve eight years as elected. do you plan to run for re-election? >> yes. but look, i'm a great respectter of fate. fate has intervened in my life many, many times. if i'm in the health i'm in now, if i'm in good health then in fact i would run again. >> if that means a rematch against donald trump? >> you're trying to tempt me now. [laughter]. sure. why would i not run against donald trump? that would increase the prospect of running. edward: so an did i, get your take, that he hedged that with a way out if he doesn't run with his health, right?

>> i will tell you, any american who wants to see inflation come down, wants to see the economy soar, wants to see our border secure, wants to see us respected in world once again, wants us to get ahead of this covid crisis should vote for joe biden's health. i can't think of anything for the country if joe biden ran again. particularly if he runs against donald trump. i don't there is any chance that the situation with the situation he put this country in people wouldn't make the same mistake twice. we're in a very terrible situation. on generic ballot we're up 2 1/2 percentage points. we're raising more money. the american people are done for this president. unfortunately we have to wait 11 months for an election but i think it is over. edward: congressman, we have a pce inflation number the highest year-over-year since july of 1982. is the inflation big midterm election deciding factor?

talking about immigration crisis or the way we withdrew from afghanistan or crime? >> people are wore referred about all of these crises particularly about inflation when they go to the gas pump, it is 60% higher than 11 months ago. people want this president to defeat covid. one of the things we did well with "operation warp speed" we brought a, not, only a vaccine that went through all of the approval process but we were manufacturing it while that was going on so it was ready to go as soon as it was approved. i went to my local drugstore today. i couldn't find a rapid test. we've had approval for them for 12 months? just now the president says, oh, i should have thought about it three months ago. we need a lot of rapid tests and ordered it. pfizer just did the antiviral. this will be a game-changer for covid. they tell us yesterday it will take nine months to manufacture it. this is an unbelievable lack of leadership in defeating covid, in monetary policies, that drive

this inflation and i think andy said it exactly right, the american people are ready. they are done with this president. edward: so interesting. so an did andy i asked the white house press secretary about the plunging poll numbers on the economy. how the administration is reacting to it. 22% of registered voters say the president's policies are putting inflation, are getting inflation under control only 22%. half is saying it is hurting inflation. at what point do you look at poll numbers and change course on economic policies. >> i think our economic policies are driven by economists and not by polls. what our economists, policy experts think will continue ton the record of job creation, the record of economic growth, the greatest in 50 years for any president that we've seen over the last year. we also though are human beings here. we're empathetic. we know, to the challenges to people are going through, that we're still battling through a

pandemic. life doesn't look like what it looked like a few years ago. edward: yeah, so andy, if this is a case listen to my words not actually what we see at the grocery store at the pumps and in our wallets? >> they are so tone deaf in washington, d.c. this administration is so tone deaf. it is like they live in this bubble, this leftist bubble where whatever they say is true. they believe has to be true. and it seems like during the pandemic that bubble is hermetically sealed and they have even lost common sense. they're completely out of touch with what the american people are experiencing in the grocery store, at the gas pump, what they're buying, where they're going, empty shelves, high prices, what they can do for their kids this christmas. you have to get in touch -- joe biden set the standard whether he is a failure or success as president. he has a plan to shut covid down. has he shut it down? like the congressman said, you can't even get a test. edward: quickly i want to get

this in, 2022 midterms, administration plans president biden is saying he is not giving up on build back better. listen to this. >> let me turn, mr. president, build back better. many say i s snn in in pepe parttsese o o joechan univlersal,ax tax t itcrcr hiscrto hc to figig ee h>>aven'ten given g up o this.t edon, ygrou y souee seeeeee t possibpoilssy of resurrecturinrs ll inbi the last 3as0t 30 secdsa we elell, god bless b mancr himan. isat i perha ppsest an p icpl peoe havee recereedce. i hop t sys s s dead. i learned nothing stays deays dd forever. thisths ngrescription forca at a a time. american peoe knowt. edwardoll pol p nre showing it too. congressman lloyd smucker from pennsylvania, appreciate it. andy puzder thank you for your time on this. still to come runaway crime

directly impacting democratic lawmakers. we'll see if their tone changes about police and prosecuting criminals. also the omicron variant catching president joe biden and his administration by surprise? the stunning admission as well as digging deeper into whether you will be able to get a covid test if you want one. the house gop doctors caucus member, dr. greg murphy weighs in next. at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner with access to financial advice, tools and a personalized plan that helps you build a future for those you love. vanguard. become an owner. vanguard. in a recent clinical study, patients using salonpas patch reported reductions in pain severity, using less or a lot less oral pain medicines. and improved quality of life. that's why we recommend salonpas. it's good medicine.

♪. edward: so just two days from christmas millions of americans getting set to meet with friends and family for the holidays. white house covid adviser anthony fauci recommend as covid test before getting together however they're hard to find in a lot of areas. president biden continuing to face mounting criticism for a slow response to handling of the virus less than six months he declared independence from it. joining me is dr. greg murphy from the house gop doctors caucus from the great state of north carolina. thank you for being here, doctor. i want to start asking you first, in an interview with abc news, listen to this, president joe biden said his administration never saw the variant coming. listen to this. >> the vice president said in recent days that you didn't see delta coming, you didn't see

omicron coming. how did you get it wrong? >> [laughter]. how did we get it wrong? nobody saw it coming. nobody in the whole world. who saw it coming? edward: two years into a pandemic where we had a delta variant, is that really an explanation he can use? >> no, edward, it's not because, then he must not be listening to dr. fauci or the other scientists for that matter. we know viruses mutate. this is how they change. this is totally expected behavior. actually we hope it mutates into a form that is less virulent. maybe that would be a godsend. but for biden to say that, especially for kamala harris to say that, shows ignorance what is going on trying to push blame on something that is really nonsensical. yes it was coming. there will be another mutation and another mutation. we finally again mutate to a form not virulent for the country or the world for that matter. edward: that is what we're all

hoping. the president in the interview and said his response to the virus and latest variant has not been a failure. look at lines for testing an trying to order home tessing on line. listen what the president said to abc news. >> when we go to the pharmacy, you look at empty shelves, no test kits. is that a failure? >> i don't think it's a failure, you could argue we should known, a year ago, six months ago, two months ago. >> you're a year into the pandemic, year into the presidency, empty shelves, no test kits three days before christmas when it is so important, is that good enough. >> no, nothing has been good enough. edward: so doctor, again two years into a pandemic, not enough testing kits there are not enough testing kits to go around and why is the president behind the curve? he said he wouldn't lock down

the economy or lock down covid he hasn't really done that? >> that is one of the most dangerous statements you could make, that he would personally lock down the virus. that were close to his exact words. that was such a dangerous statement. we know this, i said this many times, we've been building a plane while flying it. the fact they have been able to say or they want to say they are in control, no, this virus is in control. our reaction to it very much in control but the fact that they have had so many shortcomings while all of this, promising it to the world, is something wong. that is another lie this administration continues to do to the american people. get vaccinated. you have to keep living. we can't stop living in fear of dieing. >> you talked about response there. so as a doctor i'm interested to see we're starting to see studies out of south africa, that the omicron causes 80% less hospitalizations than and deaths, hospitalizations actually than the delta variant. are we seeing an overreaction here with events being canceled,

sporting matches postponed? is this part of living with this? >> edward, it is living with this. what i don't believe, i believe its an overreaction in some regards and not. i'm in the hospital. i'm seeing my colleagues. after two years, our doctors, nurses, staff are tired. they have literally had the hell beaten out of them. more people are showing up in the emergency department. the good things there are less hospitalizations there is less death. as i said earlier, you know we hope this thing mutates into a form where maybe it is very rapid that everybody would get infected but a lot less disease. that may be hopefully where we're going. that will be the end of this, neil. in poor countries of the world only 7% of the people are vaccinated. there has to be a thing where this thing finally goes away. perhaps this is the avenue to start doing this. edward: the scream court will hold a hearing january 7th for legal challenges for the president biden's vaccine mandates. he says he knows they are

unpopular even with vaccinated people. where do you stand as a representative and a doctor? >> i would treat this as any medicine i prescribe or surgery i would prescribe. this is a medicine, treatment option. this should be between a doctor and patient, not between a citizen and the government. for someone saying there is not side-effects, is 100% wrong. i believe in vaccination, i believe people should do that, but if you bully them, shame them, what administration has done, people get their back up. look at japan, they not mandated things they have a 78% vaccination rate. supreme court says no, these are not constitutional. even biden said that to begin with. then all our college campuses closing down because of fear of democrat teachers an everything. that is none sense. it will be something here for a while. we have to be smart about it. edward: congressman greg murphy, great state of north carolina.

i lived in charlotte for a while. >> thank you. god bless. merry christmas. edward: the border crisis fueling a drug crisis, fenn at that till leading cause of death for americans 18 to 45. many blame biden border policies for influnk of drugs into the u.s. energy expert phil flynn. a fire at a exxonmobil refinery in texas. we investigate the impact on energy prices and prices at the pump going into 2022. next on "the evening edit". not my uncle, though. he's taking trulicity for his type 2 diabetes and now, he's really on his game. once-weekly trulicity lowers your a1c by helping your body release the insulin it's already making. most people reached an a1c under 7%. plus, trulicity can lower your risk of cardiovascular events. it can also help you lose up to ten pounds. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes.

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edward: gas prices nearing record highs this holiday season just in time for the americans to spend the holidays with family and friends. madison alworth is in tampa, florida, to lead the forecast and the wrap on high gasoline prices. madison. reporter: edward, americans are fueling up and hitting the road this holiday season. it is not just the presents under the tree that will cost them a pretty penny. today the average price of gas sits at $3.29. according to gas buddy the national average could get down to 3.25 by christmas. $3.25 on the 25th. while those numbers fit really well together it is not sitting well in the american budget. the people i spoke to today say these high prices are not only impacting how they're traveling this holiday season, it is also impacting how they spend. >> it has gone up everywhere

throughout the whole state, south georgia, wherever i travel. even my own personal vehicle, it's doubled, sometimes tripled the price what it was not too terribly long ago. reporter: this could be most or near the most americans have spent on gas on christmas. according to gas buddy the record high price of gasoline on christmas was 2013 when americans paid $3.26 per gallon. just one penny more than what we're expecting to pay. a lot of americans will pay those prices. over 100 million americans will be driving this holiday. that number could change with the resurgence of covid cases from omicron. more americans may choose to drive instead of fly or scrap plans all together. we're watching the aftermath of the exxonmobil plant near houston this morning where four employees were injured. this part of the plant was involved in gasoline production. the white house told fox business they're keeping an eye on situation.

the disruption in the refinery could impact further gas prices. edward: madison, i get what you did, you got the company to pay for your trip down to tampa. as madison mentioned, a chemical fire at a exonoree finery left four people injured. they suggest an explore es shun was the cause. the refinery produces 500,000 barrels of gasoline a day. fox news contributor, price futures group, phil flynn, the only guy to talk about oil. the refinery stopped refining right now. what impact if any on gases immediately? >> they will start going up. wholesale prices are going up a couple penny as gallon. that could go up more coming weeks if it appears the refinery is down for some time. keep this in mind, edward, this is the fourth largest in the country. the fire was in a unit very

important for making premium gasoline. so if you're burning premium, like you do, in that big car of yours, you are going to get hurt than the person driving regular unleaded. make no mistake about it. everybody will pay more because of this. we hope the people that were injured get well soon and hope they bring it on quickly. if not, it will continue to creep up. we could break the all-time record if that happens. edward: phil, you overestimate my car budget. president joe biden tout ad tencent reduction in gas prices. listen to this. >> i worked with international partners to coordinate the release of oil reserves and theirs. now gas prices are coming down, more than 10 sent as gallon nationally. that is good news for americans hitting the road this week. edward: no mention of the fact that the announcement of the omicron varian dropped the oil

prices because the market feared lockdowns. is that why the oil prices went down and gas prices dropped? >> it is more than anything. you know the president, if he wants to take credit for lower gasoline prices you have to take credit for the virus, right? during your last segment he didn't know it was coming so you can't take credit for it. listen, at the end of the day it is kind of crazy. i know politicians, anything that looks halfway good they spin it to look good for them but really some of the steps that they have taken, releasing oil from the strategic petroleum reserve did nothing to lower gasoline prices. in fact that oil that was released didn't even end up in the united states in most cases. it ended up in places like europe and china and india. so it didn't bring down our gasoline prices and, at the end of the day, the virus is what did that you know the thing is, if the virus isn't that bad, then that drop in prices is going to go away very quickly.

he will have to take credit for the gasoline prices when they go back up. edward: we saw there oil prices have inched up a percent 1/2 or so today. so the prices in gas have exploded in 2021. americans across the country are feeling the pain at the pump. as many americans are gearing up for the travel season to see friends and family out there, you know what does this mean for energy prices going into 2022 now? >> i hate to be the grin much that ruins -- grinch that ruins christmas but it will be pretty bleak. we could see record prices for gasoline and oil prices that could hit $100 a barrel. i keep warning people it doesn't have to happen. the biden administration can stop this and they're doing the wrong things. what they need to do is embrace the u.s. energy industry. we're hearing finally for the first time since they have been in office they finally talked to big oil what they can to work with them but so far all they

have done is work against them. that is one of the reasons why u.s. oil production hasn't bounced back and it is a reason why we've been paying these ridiculously high prices. edward: in the last 30 seconds or so we have the oil prices, energy prices, it seeps into everything, inflation, right? >> it really is. if you wanted to invent inflation, go after your oil industry, right? because when you raise those prices it raises everything else. edward: right. thank you, phil flynn. appreciate it. merry christmas eve eve to you. >> you as well and your family. edward: still to come the holiday shopping season nearing an end. a look at the impact of inflation, covid and the supply chain crisis as the changing road ahead for retailers and consumers in 2022. now next up, former police officer, former prosecutor phillip holloway on crime rates continuing to rise in democratic-run cities. we investigate where the surge is coming from next on

"the evening edit".

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♪. edward: joining us now former georgia police officer and criminal defense attorney phillip holloway. murder and crime rates continue to spike in democratic-run cities where lawmakers on the left change their tone in places like los angeles, chicago, philadelphia, looking to bolster police now. according to a recent "fox business poll" americans continue to question president biden's handling of crime. that poll saying 5% of voters disapprove, rising from 51% in august. phillip, has the spike in crime finally put the defund police rhetoric to rest? >> i certainly hope so. good evening, edward. look, the crime problem in the united states is at least as bad as the covid-19 pandemic if not worse. it is something that portends to be here much, much longer, if

our leaders don't get their hands wrapped around the problem and do something. in chicago alone, the homicides this year in 2021 are knocking on the door of 800 criminal homicides, and does not include things self-defense or non-criminal, not related to crime. we have got the defund the police movement that sparked this whole thing, okay? and now it has moved on to bail reform. what they are talking about when they want to eliminate cash bail, they really want to throw out the existing system which has been working just fine. the existing system allows for most people in most instances to be granted reasonable bail. it allows judges to take a case-by-case approach to protect society and to make sure people are afforded their presumption of innocence. so what has happened with all of these policies, all coming together at once, where you have the defund the police movement, three out the bail system, that

movement, smash and grabs all of it literally tearing our fabric of society apart around our leaders must get ahold of it. edward: two democratic lawmakers no first-hand how criminals feel embone he had in this. two congresswoman, mary jane scanlon of pennsylvania unharmed when she was hijacked at gunpoint in philadelphia. in detroit, kimberly lightfoot was robbed by gunmen in chicago. what do you make of that? >> nobody is safe, literally nobody. they are high-profile instances. think about all the people of victims of the crimes, that are not politicians, that are not celebrities, that don't have a podium and a microphone so to speak where they can be a public voice. the day in, day out individual on the street, who is victimized

and terrorized by individuals who are lawless. that is the only way to put it. they have no voice. it is up to these politicians to recognize that they are the ones that created this problem. they have fanned these flames and it is up to them to get their, to get a grip on this, to do something about it before it's too late before it can't be undone. edward: now it hits home, they have actually seen it first-hand, do you think that changes the tone? >> i hope so. i have really do. i think it is too early to tell. it remains to be seen if these politicians and legislators will actually do anything. by and large, look, this is a local issue in most places. crime is not generally a big federal thing. it is for mayors. it is for district attorneys. it is for governors and local officials to deal with on a local level. hopefully this will raise the awareness. this will be a wakeup call so that we can finally put a stop

to this rampant violent crime crisis that exists in the united states today. edward: phillip, you mentioned this was not a overnight phenomenon. district attorneys soft on crime that were elected. you have a six months, a year of soft crime policies. now here is the result. how long will it take to fix it in the last 30 seconds? >> elections have consequences. let this be a lesson to everybody out there whose district attorney is letting them down. let this be a lesson to everybody who has the ability to go and vote to say look, we'll take back our community. if our elected d.a.s are not going to protect the community from violent criminals, we're going to vote you out. that has got to be the answer. edward: thank you, phillip holloway. this is a story we'll be definitely following, appreciate it. merry christmas. >> merry christmas. edward: the border crisis fueling a death crisis. fentanyl the leading cause of death for people 18 to 45.

many blaming the biden's lax border policies for letting drugs into the u.s. burt fleckinger looking at holiday prices and supply chain crisis and covid crisis and challenging road ahead for consumers. keep it right here on "the evening edit". ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

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♪. edward: a big shopping season nearing an end. we herd that consumer spending rose .66 of a rising 1.4% in october. we learn why that number keeps dropping. we have resource group burt fleckinger. good to see you again. is the slowing pace of spending a factor to buy christmas gifts early so it was pulled forward? >> it is buy gifts early as your maria bartiromo on your great

fox business news team advised consumers early as back to school in august and labor day, into veterans day. and it is inflation. as you phil flynn and andy puzder reported so well earlier tonight, it is gas, groceries, electricity for homes and, i lived through this when jimmy hoffa was president of the teamsters and carter era inflation. the difference, edward, is after the inflation of the vietnam era prices went down. instead, they're going to keep going up because the federal trade commission is asleep at the switch and senator elizabeth warren instead of accusing the grocery store chains that are not price gouging, she should investigate the food and beverage brands instead of 1385 hancock street, headquarters of stop and shop in quincy, mass in

her own district. she should look at the headquarters of general mills in indianapolis. edward: i want to ask you, burt, about the omicron variant. how is that impacting this final stretch of holiday shopping do you think? >> the omicron is key, edward. like stevie ray vaughan, late great guitarist singer, caught in a crossfire. we're caught in a crossfire between crime and omicron. my former employer pricewaterhousecoopers, we're caught at retail stores because of omicron and the other 25% are afraid to shop pause crime pervasive because of your great interview before the commercial break. edward: i will ask you pull out the crystal ball, americans are feeling inflation with rising prices. you mentioned that. will consumers pull back in the first part of 2022? will this continue? >> edward, consumers are already

pulling back. they're leaving restaurants. i just did an interview with the "l.a. times." we will have record high grocery sales in food retailers across america this week, christmas week, and again next week during new years and people can't afford to even go through the drive-through window in mcdonald's and there will be a pervasive switch to private label. 50% of the sales in canada and the uk, other english speaking country, england and ireland, scotland, are private label because the cost of equivalent pound of general mills or kellog orer cereal costs more than some cuts of steak. that is absurd. disneyland, disney world, it is price prejudice against poor people. edward: what you just said in the last 30 seconds, if we see the pullback, consumer spending is 70% of the u.s. economy, could we be talking recession in the retail space next year?

>> we're talking recession, we're talking strikes of unprecedent the proportions and inflations of unprecedented proportions and a supply chain that will not be fixed until 2023. as the wise paul bower said with institutional government, common sense is very uncommon these days. edward: burt fleckinger, thank you very much. always a pleasure talking with you. we'll strap in for 2022. thank you, mary christmas. >> merry christmas, happy new year, many more. edward: up next former top i.c.e. official ron vitiello on the border crisis fueling a drug crisis. fentanyl the leading cause of death for americans 18 to 45. where the drugs are coming from. keep it right here on "the evening edit". ♪. s. ♪♪ it inspires us to go further.

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fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death for americans 18 to 45. many are blaming biden's weak border policies for the rise in drug overdoses. joining us, former acting as director, according to customs and border protection, 173,620 micro encounters among the south west border with mexico in

november,% increase from october indocin hundred 25% crossed illegally in the past year so the volume x resources out so illegal drugs can cross in another section? >> it does. when the borders chaotic, the people who benefit the most of the drug cartel criminal organizations exploiting the border, uncontrolled crush of humanity people coming with their children, families and children coming, border patrol must care for them in specific ways so if you have more than 40% of the workforce doing the care and comfort mission which is their responsibility, it's 40% less hours of patrolling the border, less arrests they be making against cartel fuels and people smuggling drugs across the border so the cartel are enriching themselves everyday because since january 20, we set out a signal that now is the time to come across the border

and you can see the numbers in november supposed to be trending down this time of year but we see the rush continues. >> were supposed to be trending over the summer because of the heat but that didn't happen either. what you make of this tweet by henry who says the new year is new beginnings and welcomes the opportunity to work with president and the vice president on border issues whenever they are free? he adds his door is always open and sounds like years of his party have turned their backs on him in 2021, what you think? >> he certainly knows the border, that's where i started the border patrol, he knows the problem was preventable. could have been managed by this administration apartment it's better than it did, a new the outcome of the policy changes

would be, they knew it would be a crisis and a disaster impurities but failed to act after it began in here we are, approaching 2 million apprehensions last fiscal year with no and insight order to reinstate the protocols but they are doing it sparingly rolling it out so slowly giving mexico too much control over those enrolled in the program so this will continue until congress acts or somebody forces the administration to go back to the policies that were working. >> does it frustrate you we had it under control under the last administration and now here we are talking about it like it was eight years ago? >> it's crazy it's only been a year, very frustrating. morale is in the tank because they know this was preventable, they were given the tools the last administration to enter the surge and the ones before that and this administration knew what would happen and they did it anyway so terribly

demoralizing for anyone who knows the problems of the border in your hearing that from the congressman as well. >> constructing border wall of its own, is this what border states need to now do to combat the crisis? >> god bless texas, the government is installing a wall and arresting people across the border and not releasing them so thank god they are there because they are helping my former colleague, that border is in better shape because of those investments and they shouldn't have to. it's a federal responsibility but this administration chooses to have open border versus a border effects controlled. >> the department of homeland security announced monday it will close the gaps in the border wall left open from the prior construction activity, do you think the biden administration is finally realizing they've lost complete control and might do something about it?

>> the governor of texas goes out and announces he's doing the wall in the department says they are going to and they tried to keep it quiet like it's a secret. they realize they can't keep the gaps in the wall and walls work. everywhere they are used along the border it helps control the border better so good for them closing the gaps because border patrol needs that support. >> there are growing concerns of covid coming across the border the rise in cases, as a vaccine testing mandate for international flights coming in, the president says he does not see a need for one for domestic flights, could that be with the domestic mandate the federal government couldn't fight illegal immigrant across the u.s. two different cities coming into the country's illegally? >> they are terribly inconsistent on how they look at the border. we're talking all the steps people have to take, vaccination

mandate and etc. the federal workforce has to be vaccinated but they let anybody come across the border without testing and no proof of vaccination. >> appreciate it, have a great christmas. i'm in for elizabeth mcdonald, you're watching the evening edit on foxbusiness. thanks for watching, have a good christmas eve eve and a very merry christmas. ♪♪ kennedy: welcome to a special kennedy christmas week extravaganza. we pulled out all the stops, he will laugh until you cry marvel at my favorite interviews of the year. marble is a strong word, hopefully you will watch. mike tyson, country music star john rich, that's just to name a few. my team gathered your favorite games featuring our best panelists who hate to lose so gather the family, screwed up close.