this will give us an idea of what the political climate is really like. reporter: i wanted to thank maria bartiromo for letting me sit in her chair. media buzz starts now. howie: a media furor over a congressman meeting with the trump team on what trump is calling a witch hunt. >> i think nunes will be lucky to keep his chairmanship. he should voluntarily step down from this investigation. >> he's in the middle of the most publicly inept cover-up we have ever seen and he's not in it alone. >> i think's an honorable guy but he kind of stepped tonight how he handled this. >> remember how sean spicer, the

president's press secretary said if congressman nun else got intel from the white house it wouldn't pass the smell test. howie: are journalists losing the focus on whether there is collusion between the trump administration and russia. >> you think i'm bad for america? >> i do. in the long-haul -- >> you know what -- howie: sean hannity takes on ted koppel. and we debate his comment that the meade jails out to destroy donald trump. this is "mediabuzz."

>> media firestorm after devin nunes disclosed he was secretly on white house grounds and expressed information that surveillance picked up to trump aides. this is his meeting with the press. >> did you meet with the president or of any his aides while you were there that night? >> no. i'm sure the people in the west wing had no yifd was there. howie: the "new york times" revealed the sources were two white house officials. buy benson, the political editor at "town hall.com" and juan williams. this report of devin nunes going

away, coming back, talking to reporters about alleged surveillance. how big a story is that? >> we heard the president say the press is getting bogged down in process. that's how stories get told. we need to see if 9 media is using devin nun else as a distraction the way donald trump uses his twitter feed as a distraction. >> i think it's hard to follow the expript and the plot in -- i think it's hard to follow the script in this saga. there doesn't seem to be hard evidence on either side of this. one of the beefs i have with the media in our coverage of this

controversy is they are focusing so much on the house acrimony, very little attention is spent on the senate side. if we are trying to figure out what's happening with russia visa advice our arecollections, iaof -- advice vis a visour ele. >> we are focusing on that process it's a distraction whereas the senate intelligence committee's investigation might be doing parole work. howie: that assumes they are doing all the work. he can said the hearings and they are fueling the narrative in the press that the investigation is paralyzed. >> what you hear from his

counterpart adam schiff the top democrat on the house intel committee, he feels nunes sacrificed his credibility, canceled his meetings. you had the white house behind the suggestion the house intel committee would have testimony from paul manafort, carter page and others. howie: how do you know that? >> the question is whether the white house has been using nunes to stop the course of that investigation, or to give a stage to people who would testify there was nothing going on. howie: do you believe this is murky or do you believe all the head lines are justified. >> i know the way we work as reporters. we are intent on the question whether the senate and house can properly investigate this case or as we heard from people like

senator mccain and others. maybe it's time for an independent or special prosecutor. >> there has been something of a pile-on for nun else. pile-on -- for nunes. but mr. schiff came out and said there is circumstantial evidence of collusion. where did that go? howie: a sleepyized chuck todd started talking about the surveillance scandal. the other one is the fake news story there is no victory for trump is pushing the phoney russia story. >> i think we are getting away from the point. >> when you watch cable, every missouri they have to reset the

story. reason we are holding these investigations, we have to get to the point to see if russia meddled in these elections. the president is trying make it unmasking of names the biggest story but it's not. the biggest story is whether russia mid -- meddled in the election. howie: he went after a "washington post" story that said the white house sought to block the testimony of former acting attorney general sally yates. the justice department sent a letter to her lawyer saying her

testimony. >> the implication that was shoveled to the audience at home, not just the post, but everyone covering it. this was if he their was, and the white house was using a heavy hand to squelch with a heavy hand. one of the things we learned a fact in the last few weeks came from the senate side where it turned out the russians were meddling on behalf of donald trump and hillary clinton. but they have been coming after paul ryan and marco rubio who revealed he was the target of this. howie: the white house included the denial in the original story. another media uproar inside the beltway has to do with the house freedom caucus which essentially

stopped a compromise from coming law on the healthcare bill. the president tweeting again. the freedom caucus will hurt the entire republican agenda if they don't get on the team and fast. we must fight them and the dems in 2018. it's hard for the press to hold back when the press uses that language. >> the president's tweet tally. he tweeted he thought it was direct for mike flynn to ask for immunity. this fuels the story. the whole thing is this morning the tweets that you read over the weekend as well as the tweets during the week. the president is playing a major media role. he just has a more direct connection. according to polls most people think he should stop. howie: going after the freedom caucus the press is full of

republican civil war. is the president too quick to call this a republican civil war or is this too bloody? >> you just put the tweet up there. his social media director came after a specific member from michigan saying let's primary him. another guy from idaho came to his defense tweeting back at the white house. i think the media loves to stoke the embers of internal uproar in the republican party, but in this case i think it's justified. >> i can't tell you how much republicans love to get on the phone with reporters and bash other republicans. how * aren't reporters encouraging that? >> that's our job to get information. howie: this particular tweet was

head-snapping. but it depend on whether you view it as a serious threat to the presidential elections. >> it's worthy of coverage and he's the one doing it. >> republicans this week saying we are being bullied. they pushed back. you say the media may be seeking to undermine republicans. republicans are feeling there is a divide between our president and the freedom caucus. howie: all i'm saying is the president is enjoying this story. when we come back. sean spicer getting pushback. and sean hannity on ted koppel telling him he's bad for america. i put it on my back. i feel this electrical pulse grabbing at my muscles. it was more powerful than i was expecting it to be. it worked. i believe aleve.

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howie: sean spicer routinely mixes it up with white house correspondents. but one has sparked sharp criticism. >> how does this administration try to revamp' its image two months in. you have got russia and wiretapping. >> no, we don't have that. i get it. i said it from the day that it got here until whatever -- there is no connection. you have got russia. if the president puts russian salad dressing on his salad tonight somehow that's a russian connection. i appreciate your agenda here. but the reality is. hold on. at some point report the facts. every single person who has been briefed object this subject has come away with the same

conclusion. republicans and democrats. i'm sorry that disgusts you, you are shake your head. >> i have been here for 20 years. since 1997. we have never seen anything like this before. my question was simple. how do you change the perception problem basically. essentially i was road killed today. howie: sean spicer took a lot of heat including from hillary clinton talking about women of color. >> i don't put much into what hillary clinton says. sean spicer has a tough challenge every day. i hate second guessing these guys too much. probably a lighter touch was in order.

if you are a reporter, not a commentator, but if you are a straight news reporter and you are sitting there shake your head in disgust, i can see why spicer might get his dander up. i don't think she is a victim. she is a reporter doing her job and she doesn't need hillary clinton and others playing the race card. >> april is a tough reporter that knows how to throw it out and take it back. to somehow -- it's demeaning for some folks to say that she can't take it. howie: basically he's saying he giving everybody a hard time in the briefing room. >> lots of people perceived it as somehow treating her as a child, in a childish manner. telling her to stop shaking her head. to me this is the back and forth.

april ryan is quite capable and you can see she continued to talk to sean spicer. howie: when sean says i know you have an agenda -- >> that's the real heart of it. a lot of people have gone away from that because they want to focus on she is a woman and she is black. sean spicer is saying she had an agenda. >> they make this accusation against the whole media generally. howie: erin, was thering wrong with april ryan's question? >> no. howie: does this help her. >> i think a lot of people in the front of the briefing room perform their questions, and those who sit in the back ask

questions that that get dismissed. this happened, it's not unique to april ryan. howie: i did like the russian dressing line. and the next day he called on april ryan first, how are you doing. up next the white house respond on the latest coverage of the president. sarah huckabee sanders is here. sean hannity says the mainstream media are trying to destroy president trump. my wife got me to be a devoted vegetarian... except for every ladies' night. only glad has forceflex to prevent rips, leaks, and punctures. so whatever you throw in the bag... stays in the bag. be happy, it's glad.

howie: joining us to respond to a difficult week of coverage for the president. is sarah huckabee sanders. there has been a lot of coverage

much devin nunes briefing the press on the surveillance. your colleague sean spicer. this is receiving criticism even from conservatives. >> everybody wants to talk about substance with it comes to the president and constant attacks on that. now we have somebody with very deep knowledge of what's going on, has the ability to look at classified information and say there is something there. i think that's worth a lot more time than we are giving it. that part of it instead of the process and the back and forth. howie: why would the white house go through this cloak and dagger routine? that fuels questions as well.

>> i don't think that was the white house's play or position. it's equal access that information is open for both of those individual to see what they have done. i know adam schiff spent a significant amount of time at the white house. he was there for several hours. howie: you are saying there is no reluctance to share this information with the ranking democrat on the house intel committee? >> because there is something there we would love for him to come and see it. it turns out there is something of substance there for him to know about, we want him to see it. if there wasn't something of substance he would have walked out and said this was a waste of time and a dog and pony show. he hasn't done that, so i think it's telling on what he saw friday. howie: why is the president

calling these investigations a witch hunt? and why did he tweet chuck todd should stop with the fake russia stories? didn't the president ask for the investigations? >> i think the media is so focused on the trump-russia component and not the fake news. they have been trying to make something out of it for the last nine months. even senior officials in the obama administration said there is no collusion between the trump campaign and russia. if they had something they would have found it in the last few months. let's move on to the surveillance story. if they don't want to talk about that. let's talk about what the president has been focused on. howie: i would agree there is no

hard evidence on either one of these arguments. i don't know that it's realistic to say just focus on one-half of the story. >> i think they have spent so much time focusing already and have come up with nothing so it's time to move on. howie: when the president tweeted the house freedom caucus could hurt the republicans. the "new york times" called it avengeful tirade against members of his own party. >> he wants the members of his party to get on board. these are the guys who campaigned on repealing and replacing obamacare. we have an opportunity to do that, so let's do that. let's fulfill the promises we

made to the american people. howie: lead story in "the washington post," "trump's agenda getting upstaged." is it a source of frustration that what the president is trying to accomplish is not getting as much attention? >> absolutely. the media wants to talk about something that doesn't exist instead of something that does. we spent the last couple months doing major policy initiatives and rollouts in the form of executive orders. creating an environment where businesses are confident in hiring again. we heard from ceo after ceo. they are excited about this president and the economy. the media refuses to cover that but they are happy to talk about a story that's fake. howie: the "new york times" did

a front page on the latest trade order. a lot of media chatter about ivanka trump taking an official white house job. she is an official assistant to the president. that led to the financial disclosure forms the white house put out and the "new york times" piece on ivanka and her husband jared kushner. walking and precarious ethical and legal grounds. >> i think it many a great thing to have people who have been successful come in and put their success into the public sector. we should be celebrating the fact that they are there. democrats love to talk about the war on women. the only war on women i see is the one that's waged against every woman and every female that's close to this president. they have somebody that's the

biggest advocate sitting next to the president that he listens to. they should be championing that. howie: ivanka

they ignored let's see on radio show, so let me -- >> the end -- >> on this question of editing you know how it is with news manager shoes interview they

edit down 10, 12 minute piece. >> let's not waist. >> hold on you say fake, edited news why fake. >> it is fake, because he didn't include my answer, i mean, listen i will be very honest this was a really good substantive give-and-take exchange i think people would benefit from seeing. now on one hand ted thinks he is object just a secondive i'm he had to coppel this is "nightline," that is fine, but ted koppel -- i actually had an answer for him, and i respectfully deferred let him make comments, right to supplies if you are going to interview and make yourself look good as possible a cheap shot, and i don't care he thinks i am bad for america i know otherwise we report stories look, first of all, i give the american people a lot more credit than he does. and that is i think people know that watch fox news channel that there are news

programs and there are opinion programs. i don't think many people in america that watch my show don't pick up pretty quickly that i am a conservative. or people on msnbc liberal. >> on that point on that point about your audience, coppel said you are pretty good at what you do but you have transacting people determined ideology more important than fact doesn't appear he thinks much -- >> is saying basically my audience by me i am a good liar i interpret those remarks couldn't be further from truth i have been saying for years, journalism in america is dead. that we have an information crisis in america. the old guard like coppel,they can't they can't fathom that day has come in many ways gone we have o evolved way beyond where they have been, they have monopoly all this time, and once people had he alternative sources of information, they sought them out i just want to make one point i don't care if vetting of obama, i doubt cbs every

give a horrific record of obama after 8 years would i give on a regular basis during election campaign, i used for example i don't think they went in-depth about the benghazi lies in-depth about hillary clinton's foundation iranian one deal, all i give more facts and information, they are neck doesntwork doesn'h it an audience we are giving news information that is obviously people want need and desire, and are not getting anywhere else, i will be honest i am proud of the work we do here we work hard at what we do here. >> you talk a lot on your show obviously about liberal media bias. >> you are up front about your commentator don't claim to be a journalist very strong o supporter of president trump back to campaign. >> right. >> even thougha why should not people discount some of what you say. >> why should they example one thing i ever said on this show not true. >> i wasn't saying wasn't true people shouldn't believe you i am saying why not discount it

as being the -- uh -- >> well efforts of a guy who is in the opinion business is in a well he should. and others i think are pretty well aware that i have a political point of view, and frankly i don't care what other people's points of view are i think in america the first amendment is sacrosanct weout ought to have free open exaggerate of ideas ideals principles i consider myself a radio television talk show host a journalist in the sense advocacy journalist i am editorial page of paper we do straight reporting on my show on a regular basis. and i think a lot of the reporting we have do is a lot a better than you will find in main stream media i am not saying this are a gantry we go out of way to find news information that is valuable that i think is given short of shrift ignored. >> last week health care bill

defeated you blames republicans on hill you said this is not president trump's failure, now, just about i should say many, many people in media including conservatives says yes president worked very hard on legislation but it is partially his failure, are you going to -- >> i will tell you why i think you are wrong, because, republicans have been talking about repealing and replacing obamacare season of or eight years now give us house in 2010 got house, then, give us the house in senate no 2014 they got senate, then 2016, many of these people and in fairness even speakeran not a big supporter of donald trump, wouldn't appear with november 1 he is president-elect, donald trump represents the executive branch of government, paul ryan is a speaker of the house of representatives, legislative branch of government they had 8 years to build a consensus, now about before they rolled out the bill, we know there -- that the republican democratic parties are coalition parties

should 4 gotten moderates tuesday group study committee wednesday friday saturdays group freedom caucus, hang on -- >> that was a consensus bill, that would have passed. they ended up letting trump do the heavy lifting and that is frankly should not be his job, they -- my opinion republican house members were not prepared for this moment to lead and they let the president down, now, the president -- >> i have no problem with -- >> is there anything so far in trump presidency that disappointed you -- >> you know, listen, to i wish at times maybe -- wouldn't get in some of the battles that he gets in, yeah, built you know what it is not that it is not that meaningful to me. >> more of my interview in a moment later why are so many liberalize knocking the vice president over his marriage? ugh! heartburn! no one burns on my watch!

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...as a combination of see products.. and customers. every on-time arrival is backed by thousands of od employees, ...who make sure the millions of products we ship arrive without damages. because od employees treat customer service... ...like our most important delivery. od. helping the world keep promises. howie: more of my sit-down with sean hannity. you said on "cbs sunday morning" -- you said this before. the press in this country is out to destroy this president. every member of the press, a bit of an overstatement? sean: no, i don't think so. i have never seen anything like it. you follow the press and have for many years. can you give me one shred of

evidence that x have seen for 8 long nos. russia conspiracy. do you see evidence donald trump and his campaign in think way collude with russia? in terms of impact this election? is there any evidence of that that you know of? howie: as of now there is no evidence. but it's a story that needs to be covered. you say out to destroy. sean: every time you read a story that donald trump was involved in this collusion, it's a false narrative, it's a lie without evidence to corroborate it. howie: on the koppel thing, you love these fights, they put you in the spotlight. sean: i never back down from a fight. but if you ever look at the people if i fought with on twitter or the people i fight with on my shows, i try not to devote too much time to fighting

because i have more information that's valuable to my audience. i serve my audience. they start the fights with me, i just don't back down. if they want to start a fight, i'm game, i'm in the arena. howie: success see more it on our facebook page or home page. bill o'reilly was criticizing maxine watters when he took a personal swipe saying it looks like she wears a james brown wig. bill: talking points believes maxine waters is sincere in her belief system and should not marginalized by political opponents. i made that mistake on "fox and friends." i said the congressman's hair distracted me.

that was stupid. it had no place in the conversation. howie: that drew plenty of criticism. i give him credit for apologizing at the top of his show. the "new york times" reported on five cases where women have alleged sexual harassment by bill o'reilly. '. they paid $13 million in settlements. o'reilly said this. just like other prominent and controversial individuals, i'm vulnerable to people who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity. but most importantly, i'm a father who cares deeply for my children and would avoid doing anything to hurt them in any way. i would put to rest any controversies to spare my

children. 20th century fox says they take these if mat percent very seriously. we looked over these matters and discussed them with in o'reilly. while he denies the merits of those claims, he has resolved those he regarded as his personal responsibility. after the break, mollie hemingway on how a quote from mike pence has knowledge in the media ridiculing his marriage.

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howie: there was an explosion over a froa profile of vice president pence's wife karen. he says he never eats dinner alone with any woman but his wife. fan won't drink alcohol unless his wife is present. i spoke with mollie hemingway from new york. you had a great couple on this. talk about the tone and intensity of this recycled comment from mike pence. >> you had the national post saying mike pence's evangel ask cal refusal to eat with ladies is the trip culture.

others thought it was an example of sharia. vox was wondering fit was illegal to not dine with anyone who was not your wife. howie: what does it say about the media mindset. about the vice president who with his wife is a christian conservative being taunt and ridiculed for how he refuses to conduct his marriage. >> the original story was respectful. but there is something of a disconnect with a lot of people not understanding how from digital religious believers live their life. this isn't that bizarre behavior for christians, muslims, jews. people who believe they need self-discipline to guard themselves against infidelity isn't something they would do. this is news room culture that's out of except with that mindset.

you need diverse views in the newsroom so when you encounter things like this you don't teeth it like gorillas in the mist. howie: why don't you let mike pence do what he wants rather than suggest he has this rule because he can't control himself around women. >> it gets to the nature of man and whether they should easily overcome all temptations. it's a battle between a progressive and traditional mindset, and you are seeing it on great display. howie: you say in your piece what mike pence is doing is common sense and he's trying to guard against temptation and you talk about your own marriage and say temptation is a fact of life. >> we have so many news stories

that come out because of scandal it's not news that a lot of marriages end in divorce and infidelity is a big motivator for that. he. it is kind of weird for a politician to hold his marriage up in such high regard. but the idea that this is something to mock is not healthy given a how much damage is done by marital infidelity. we should have a conversation about healthy marriages. howie: mollie, when you are back in dc, do you want to have dinner? no drinking. mike pence said he was sorry his wife karen couldn't be there but she had dinner plans. umbrellas!! you need one of these. you wouldn't put up with an umbrella that covers you part way,

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howie: the biggest story in london was moving ahead with a divorce from the european union. but the daily mail says never mind brexit. , lexit. they compared the legs of theresa may and nicholas sturgeon. the paper responded to a way of of criticism changing a subhead saying this is a light-hearted take. she says the critics should get a sense of humor. but it's a strikingly sexist way to sell papers in 2017. i'm howard kurtz. thanks for joining us. we hope you like our facebook

page. i try to respond to some of the comments. look forward to your feedback. see you next week with the latest buzz. [♪] eric: healthcare not dead yet. president trump vowing yet again to repeal and replace obamacare. while also trying to shore up support for a new republican backed plan. hello and welcome to a new hour of america's news hea "america's headquarters." arthel: mr. trump tweeted today that anybody, especially fake news media who think repeal and replace of obamacare is dead does not know the love and