>> i can't think of a better cause. the fight continues. keep it up, america, so proud "fox & friends" can be part of it. >> i'm donating right now. >> $60,000 added during the time of this show. >> we'll talk about it on the radio, too, ainsley, you'll be joining me. >> bill: the u.s. unleashing the mother of all bombs against isis in afghanistan. the pentagon releasing the first video of the strike. the largest non-nuclear weapons used in u.s. combat. three dozen isis fighters were killed operating out of tunnels and caves in that part of the country. on this good friday we say good morning. welcome to america's newsroom. >> shannon: i'm shannon bream in for martha maccallum. the massive payload near the afghanistan border. president trump commending the military for a job well done.

>> we're so proud of our military. it was another successful event. >> did you authorize it? >> president trump: what i do is i authorize my military. we have a greatest military in the world and they've done a job as usual. we've given them total authorization. >> bill: jennifer griffin live at the pentagon. good morning there. start with the decision to drop this massive bomb. >> good morning, bill. officials here tell me this was a decision made in theater by the top u.s. commander on the ground. general john nicholson who took this decision on his own. the pentagon has released video showing this bomb being dropped in eastern afghanistan. you can see from the video why they call it the mother of all bombs. this weapon is designed for its psychological effect as much as anything. and designed to send a clear message. today afghan officials say 36 isis fighters were killed in yesterday's strike. this is an isolated part of

afghanistan, a mountainous region on the border with pakistan where isis fighters move back and forth freely across that border. speaking in kabul general nicholson it was the right bomb and the right time to use it. >> we had persistent surveillance over the area before, during and after the operation. and now we have afghan and u.s. forces on the site and see no evidence of civilian casualties for have there been reports of civilian casualties. >> military experts say a deep strike penetrator bomb, not the moab, is the preferred weapon against underground tunnels and why this bomb was chosen. it was a tactical decision with no real strategic input from washington >> bill: how large is the isis presence in eastern afghanistan? >> under 1,000 isis fighters in eastern afghanistan. general nicholson have said hundreds of air strikes have

cut the number of fighters down by 2/3. there were several killed in force combat that ash carter called heroic in the past. president trump announced this week after meeting with nato secretary general at the white house that national security advisor mcmaster is leaving for afghanistan soon where he will discuss general nicholson's request for more troops for afghanistan. the u.s. has more american forces on the ground in afghanistan than they do in iraq and syria combined. >> bill: thank you, jennifer. good to have you back there. >> shannon: president trump praising our armed forces for the attack saying he has given the military total authorization to act without interference from political leaders. kristin fisher is live near the president's mar-a-lago estate with more. what is this about sending the message to the broader world,

this particular bomb drop? >> he is sending the same message sent one week ago with the strikes in syria. he is willing to act fast and take aggressive military action in a way that his predecessor was not. the difference, though, this week is that that big bomb was dropped just two days before the biggest holiday in north korea. they like to carry out weapons tests. yesterday president trump was asked about all of this if perhaps in dropping that bomb in afghanistan he was trying to warn north korea. here is the exchange that took place inside the white house. listen. >> are you sending a message to north korea? >> president trump: i don't know if it sends a message. north korea is a problem, the

problem will be taken care of. >> president trump has said repeatedly the problem of north korea will be taken on either with or without china, shannon. >> shannon: any plans for president trump while he is in florida that easter weekend? >> nothing official on his calendar. that could change. also notable that president trump flew down here yesterday without any members of his senior staff. we're expecting this should be a fairly family-oriented weekend but not the same for the vice president. vice president mike pence heading out on a 12-day trip overseas on saturday. his first stop south korea, then japan heading into one of the hottest hot spots in the world to reassure our allies in person about the growing threat of north korea. >> shannon: kristin fisher live in florida on this good friday. >> bill: shannon with byron work, a fox news contributor.

in day to you there. candidate trump campaigned on this issue saying the military was not given a fair chance to fight. that has changed. >> he said it over and over and accused barack obama of tying the hands of the u.s. military so much that it couldn't really attack the enemy. case in point in the early fight against isis 75% of attack sorties left based and returned to base without firing a shot or launching a missile. donald trump pledged to change that. john mccain were unhappy with it, too. it appears it has changed. >> bill: how do you see the rules of engagement changing when you get an answer like we just played there from the commander-in-chief at the white house? >> he was pretty vague about what he had actually done. we don't know if any of the rules have actually been rewritten. but it is clear that he has

given a much fraoer hand to military commanders to make decisions. jennifer said it was a tactical decision made in afghanistan. he has given a much freer hand plus he has made presidential decisions like the decision to attack in syria much, much more quickly. so things are moving a lot faster than they did in the obama years. >> bill: as commander-in-chief you get credit for success and blamed for the mistakes. if something goes wrong it goes back to him. >> absolutely. a lot of it concerns the issue of civilian tash tease. barack obama's requirement was zero civilian casualties. a lot of people in the military felt it was too restrictive. there was a raid in yemen that donald trump approved. some problems with it. one american was killed. he has gotten blamed for that. there has been a bombing attack in iraq that apparently killed a number of civilians. he has received criticism for

that. he will have to balance the criticism he would receive over civilian casualties with giving a freer hand to the u.s. military. >> bill: geo politically speaking whether it's syria from last week, whether it's afghanistan from yesterday and who knows what happens this weekend in north korea, the geopolitical stories that have come to the front burner of this administration have come quickly. the reason they have, i would argue, is because this administration has chosen to engage. >> absolutely. the big message from donald trump is that he will engage and he will do it quickly and he is not shy about using american force. by the way, this is kind of stand-off force, these were cruise missiles in syria, bomb dropped in afghanistan where we already do have a lot of troops. so he hasn't added or committed new u.s. ground troops anywhere. but he has made it clear he is going to act very, very quickly. >> if there is significance of what kristin

fisher was reporting there. in previous weekends he had mcmaster at mar-a-lago, right? at other times you would have james mattis down there. interesting to see who traveled with him this weekend. final comment. >> it appears that he is not planning anything really big this weekend but remember the fact that he has tried to create and done it successfully is a factor of unpredictability. >> bill: this bomb one mile wide, 10 thousand feet of smoke plume in the air. you could take off part of a mountain. a lot of dirt, rock and sand. >> shannon: and a lot of bad guys and why we sent it there. who knows about this easter weekend what the president has planned? well, coming up, north korea preps for a sixth nuclear test.

who the -- >> bill: assad's regime joining russia and iran sending a warning to the trump team. >> shannon: they need to get a deal done before tax reform on the healthcare bill. why some republicans are saying not so fast. >> we'll have great healthcare and the saving goes into the tax. what makes this simple salad the best simple salad ever?

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get the recipes at walnuts.org. >> shannon: russia, syria and iran all condemning the u.s. air strike against one of bashar al-assad's air bases. russian foreign meeting in moscow. the diplomats warning the trump administration that further action in syria could have grave consequences for global security. the air strike came in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed more than 80 people. the u.s. says the assad regime was behind it. that is still being disputed. more ahead this hour. >> president trump: we're going to have a phenomenal tax reform but i have to do healthcare first. i want to do it first to really do it right. i don't want to put deadlines. healthcare is going to happen at some point. if it doesn't happen fast

enough i'll start the taxes but the tax reform and tax cuts are better if i can do healthcare first. >> bill: there it is again president trump said he wants to shift back to healthcare saying it should happen and will happen before tax reform. will healthcare rise again? republican desantis a member of the freedom caucus. good morning to you, sir, on this good friday. thank you for your time. some members of freedom caucus are saying you're close, a few weeks away. we've heard that before. what's the truth? >> i think there is a path, bill. if you remember this march 23rd date where it blew up was not any deadline. a self-imposed deadline. what happened was the bill wasn't ready for prime time. you hadn't developed a consensus. you set a date to vote on it without having a consensus. what has happened since then is members are talking to each other and really the administration has done a good

job. vp pence has been exercising leadership to how do we fulfill the promises we made to the american people and for me the core thing we have to do is deliver lower premiums and more choice on private insurance because that's the reason why people dislike obamacare because their premiums have gone up and detectibles have gone up. i think we can pass something relatively soon if we can get there. >> bill: you are arguing that you are getting closer, correct? >> i think so. >> bill: the reason i ask is because we were told this before and it didn't happen. the centrists in your party are saying it's not the case. what gives? >> we promised to repeal obamacare, the initial bill clearly left a lot of it in place. we're trying to repeal as much of it as we can so we can reinvigorate private markets and bring down premiums for people. i think that's pretty much been

party orthodoxy and paul ryan's better way and look at every conservative healthcare analyst that proposed reforms said we have to go in that direction. i'm not exactly sure what some of the drawbacks are from those quarters. i think every republican in the house right now is already on record and voted to repeal obamacare in its entirety. so i think we have to fulfill our promises to the voters. >> bill: i think from the outside people see it as negotiating. that that's what you are doing and what the centrists in the party are doing as well and what gives you the tug-of-war within the republican caucus. >> yes, but haven't been back in the district for the first time for an extended period republican voters are frustrated with the product that was initially produced and said it's not quite what you guys promised. why don't you do what you promised? i think we have to get the product so we can at least go back to the voters and say yes, there is a light at the end of

the tunnel here. you'll be free from some of these obamacare mandates and have access to more affordable coverage. >> bill: interesting answer. you are hearing from your constituents to follow through on your word. >> absolutely. >> bill: you've also written a letter to rex tillerson. you look at the syrian chemical weapons attack of not last week but 2013 where 1400 civilians were killed. what is it you want from the u.s. government now? >> we want to communications of obama administration officials because they had said after president obama failed to enforce the red line that they had gotten all the chemical weapons out of syria, assad agreed to give it up. we know it wasn't the case. the interesting thing is if you've had former obama officials have said well we knew all along he didn't give up all of them. really? that's not what you told the american people. susan rice was saying they got all of them three days before obama left office. the president himself was saying that in the waning days of his administration. what did they know about the

existing weapons, when did they know it and why didn't they inform the american people and congress that there may have been more chemical weapons still in syria? >> bill: it appears there might be one of three answers. could be the obama team did not see through it. it could be the russians didn't see through it or assad has made more since then. is it one, two or three? >> i think it could be a combination of the three. but we were given assurances that assad had moved on from the chemical weapons and it was in the clear. we have some combat advisors of our own in the region. i think it's important to know what potential threats they face. obviously i would never say that russia is not going to be duplicitous. that's clearly a possibility. when you have some former obama officials saying that we knew all along we didn't get all the chemical weapons. it raises questions about the veracity of administration policy and they viewed syria as a success where they had

removed these weapons. it seems that wasn't the case. >> bill: thank you for your time. hope you have a good easter weekend. these are big issues overseas and at home as well. thank you for that as well. >> shannon: brand-new saber rattling from north korea. they are nearly another nuclear test. now that rogue nation pointing a finger directly at president trump. we're live inside north korea. >> bill: the fallout from the mother of all bombs reverberating around the world dropped on isis in afghanistan. what message does that send there? what message does it send to north korea? fair and balanced debate on that just moments away. >> we have changed the geopolitical reality in the world in just a matter of weeks. when he says i'm going to wipe the islamic state off the face of the earth, it is not empty rhetoric. per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand.

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>> bill: news out of milwaukee, wisconsin. they've arrested the man, joseph jakubowski. he had been accused of stealing guns and writing an anti-government manifesto apparently made threats against the president in washington, d.c. picked up in janesville, wisconsin. that's the hometown of the house speaker paul ryan around 9:30 last night april 13. investigators were sent to a location along with tactical support to assist the local authorities and determine whether or not he was related to this ongoing manhunt. he has been apprehended and taken off the streets. that's somebody they've been looking for. word out of wisconsin. >> shannon: just in time after he burglarized the gun shop. threats against organized religion. this week of passover and

easter, good to have him off the streets. good work. >> bill: good for them. >> shannon: concern growing that north korea may be closer to launching another nuclear test than we thought. as pyongyang blames president trump's tweets in for the rising tension in that region. we're live in pyongyang today. >> war talk coming from north korea on the eve of maybe the most dangerous day of the year here. his leader, his deputy foreign minister speaking to associated press today and telling them what we have been hearing from north korean officials here for the past couple of days. that they will confront what they call reckless u.s. military maneuvers with a preemptive strike using a powerful nuclear deterrent. here is a bit more of what he had to say. >> we are taking into account the most aggressive and

dangerous option that the u.s. might come up with and we also have our options, our counter measures ready in our hands, which means we'll go to war if they choose. >> as the people of pyongyang get ready to mark the anniversary of the birthday of the founder, kim il-sung there have been reports they might detonate a nuclear device. that official said the government would do that at the time and the place of their choosing. finally, as we watch north korean military officers pay respects at the birthplace of the founder just outside of pyongyang we also heard that official talk about president trump saying he was the one making trouble these days. that his administration's vicious and aggressive provocations. listen to some words that we heard from a north korean colonel today. >> even the u.s. is trying to invade or attack our country they won't do it because we

have such a major strength if we do it we would smash their heads and blow them up. >> at one point president trump suggested he could share hamburger with kim jong-un to work things out. we heard from the official on this point. he said no way. it was lip service. fighting words. back to you. >> shannon: that would be very interesting. all right, greg, thank you very much. >> bill: he has a quiet weekend we all hope. syrian leader saying the u.s. is making up the accusation of a chemical strike. what to expect from the meeting going on now. >> shannon: tough talk on wikileaks from the director of the cia. why he says the organization is hostile to american interests and its leader, julian assange, is a narcissist. >> he is a narsist that created nothing of value. he relies on the dirty work of

others to make himself famous. in kansas we know something about wizards hiding behind screens. the valiant taste times of death, but once!! uh, excuse me, waiter. i ordered the soup... of course, ma'am. my apologies. c'mon, caesar. let's go. caesar on a caesar salad? surprising. excuse me, pardon me. what's not surprising? how much money matt saved by switching to geico. could i get my parking validated? fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

>> bill: 9:30 in new york. russia saying any investigation into the deadly chemical attack in northern syria should include experts from outside nations including iran. meanwhile syrian president assad pointing the finger of blame at the united states. >> the united states is hand in glove with the terrorists. we don't know whether those dead children were -- were they dead at all? >> bill: they have the latest on this fallout. at the moment in moscow russian, syrian and iranian diplomats are meeting. what is expected from that get together? >> this meeting was arranged

days before secretary tillerson went to moscow. they aren't changing their policy. the meeting is seen as a signal to the world that the three countries remain strong allies and no plan for them to change direction. the syrians even went as far as to blame the u.s. for the breakdown of any peace process. >> we have noticed since the beginning of a trump administration the role of the united states in the geneva processes has been minimized. this shows that they do not want the success of the peace process. >> it's not surprising that russia hasn't changed its policy. it invested a lot of time, military equipment in syria and strategic interest in the country. lack of change of direction is not a surprise. >> bill: in syria there has been an exchange of civilians. what do we need to know about that? >> for the last through years government towns and rebel towns under siege by the other side and this today is the

beginning of a two-month process that sees 30,000 civilians exchanged ending years of hardship for many. some of the towns residents have been forced to eat rodents and boil grass to survive. in some government-held towns residents are being given the choice of reconciling with the government or leaving. they've been ask to swear allegiance to assad in exchange for amnesty. any military defectors asked to rejoin the army. beaten into submission. if you look at a town of 40,000, 38,000 will stay and swear allegiance to assad. >> bill: reporting from london on the latest there. >> shannon: let's bring in a member of the white house security council under presidents bush and obama. good morning, gillian. because you have this experience over multiple administrations now, what do you make of the latest moves by president trump?

>> well, the latest moves by president trump on russia i think really show that the president has been -- his position is changing. i hesitate to say he is backtracking or entirely reversing his pot tour toward russia but it is changing and watching it change in realtime every single day. it's a really good thing. it's no secret the president has no foreign policy experience prior to serving in the white house. so he is really learning on the job when it comes to russia. his only experience with the putin regime until a couple of months ago was working with them or maybe sometimes speaking with them as potential business partners. working with the putin regime as a fellow foreign head of state is a different landscape to navigate and seen how treacherous it can be. i'm glad he is changing his position to accommodate reality. >> shannon: someone else in that position is rex tillerson, former ceo of exxon dealing with russia on a number of

business-related issues is familiar with putin and lavrov. had meetings with him this week that were very frosty. how would you rate his performance on the world stage and having to talk to those two this week? >> he emerged from the shadows this week. washington was littered with op-eds until a few days ago talking where he was nowhere to be seen. not in the press. what was he doing? formally they spend more team traveling around the world in washington where was he? he has come to the forefront this week again a really good thing. i think president trump is really leaning on him because he has such deep russia expertise, experience again working with the regime in a different capacity, mind you, in the private sector, but i think the administration is leaning on him now because he has that insight and because he has that practical know how and we're seeing the fruits of that

in president trump's adjusted attitude toward the country. >> shannon: onto the very interesting interview with bashar al-assad where he floats some insid year suggestions that the children we see in the video after the chemical attack were actors or it was staged in some way. do you think that he will alter any hearts and minds on these issues? is this a last ditch effort? what do you make of some of the allegations he made that it was fabricated and the u.s. is responsible? >> i'm shaking my head. one of the most infuriating interviews i've seen in my life. his m.o. is to deny, deny, deny. i would say to the assad regime you are welcome to say anything you would like and make any accusations you would like but without any accompanying evidence it is worthless. this is the same regime that has been charged at the united nations by the opcw twice in 2015, once in 2014. the evidence is in and it

doesn't look good for him. he can try and deflect on this latest chemical weapons attack. but this is something that his regime has a history of doing. there is absolutely no reason to believe any of the claims he made in the french press yesterday. that's my take on it. >> shannon: what do you make of russia's call for an independent investigation of what happened in the attack? outside bodies including brazil, india, iran they say they have experts. we've had testimony from autopsies in turkey, the group you mentioned that monitors the chemical weapons saying they've assessed it is sarin nerve gas. again there is a conversation and dispute by syria and russia over who was behind this. would it be helpful to have something like a u.n. investigation? what do you make of those calls? do you think it will convince people across the board to satisfy everyone? >> the idea of an independent

investigation with iran at the helm is one of the more preposterous propositions i've heard in the wake of these chemical attacks. the u.n. tried to get its act together after the chemical weapons took place a week and a half ago and failed. they couldn't agree on proposed resolution to launch an investigation. this is how much of a deadlock the united nations security council is in right now. it is completely lost credibility in my mind over the last week and a half. they immediately put forward a resolution to launch an independent u.n.-led investigation the day we heard of the chemical attacks. and i think subsequently the next day a new resolution was brought forward, the russians shot it down. they proposed another one. they have made no headway on this issue. the idea that somehow russia is going to coble together an

independent investigation and lead the way on this issue is without any credibility at this point. >> shannon: quick answer here, you're saying russia can call for these publicly but when it comes to rubber meeting the road they can block it at the u.n. and it's not going anywhere. >> bill: a fire at the bell acknowledge owe hotel. the flames in the roof. 70 firefighters put out the flames in 20 minutes. good, quick work. the bellagio had a smash and grab burglary. nobody injured but they've had action, not just talking about the table. >> shannon: we'll let them calm down a little bit. good no one was injured. u.s. sending a message to isis

by dropping the so-called mother of all bombs in afghanistan. what about the message to the rest of the world? fair and balanced debate. >> bill: also a long, long night for some rollercoaster riders who got a thrill they were not quite expecting. whoa. liberty mutual stood with me when this guy got a flat tire in the middle of the night, so he got home safe. yeah, my dad says our insurance doesn't have that. what?! you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance.

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>> shannon: visitors at six flags in maryland didn't spend time in line for this. a rollercoaster got stuck 100 feet up. 24 riders trapped. they were stalled upright and not upside down. they were trapped for almost four hours before rescue crews could get everyone down safely. that would be the longest four hours of your life, right? >> bill: are you a rollercoaster fan? >> shannon: i will do most rollercoasters. but then there are these minutes it's like no, not doing it again.

>> bill: absolutely. i like cheap thrills. 17 minutes now before the hour. let's get to this now. >> what we have seen is eight years of divisiveness of the obama white house. president trump has replaced it with decisiveness whether to do with the border or manufacturing or whether it's to do with nato or whether it's to do with our enemies in isis. >> bill: that's the deputy assistant to the president on the tone in the first few most of the trump add min traition and the strike in afghanistan shows the president follows through on campaign promises. we'll debate this. juan williams and author of we, the people. mercedes schlapp. big week for you, juan, you had a birthday. now you get this with mercy, mercy me. >> and you. >> bill: mercy, he says we have

changed the geopolitical reality in the world in just a matter of weeks. heavy statement. is he right on that? >> absolutely. we've seen a movement of the political decisions that were made under president obama in directing the military on what needs to be done to president trump granting authority to the cia, and to the military to target isis militants, to target al qaeda, and move forward quickly on defeating isis. i think that's a very strong message and i think globally when you look at the fact that you have the united states showing some military muscle and they are really showing the fact it might be unpredictable at times the fact they're out to take out the enemies and try to end this war on terrorism. >> bill: juan, can you argue against that? >> it is so hard. >> bill: you look at syria, russia, north korea and now afghanistan, go. >> it's so hard. i don't think it's this is a

matter of divisiveness replaced with decisiveness, i think that's red meat for the base that doesn't like obama and wants to orient everything toward president obama's thoughtful approach to foreign policy. in this very week what we've heard from mcconnell is president trump is learning on the job and everybody is talking about how he flip-flopped from one position to another on china, currency manipulation, to export/import and i could go on. >> bill: that's the evolvement in a president in the white house for almost three months. you say president obama was thoughtful. was he overerly cautious to the point of giving us sub par foreign policy in places like syria and iraq and afghanistan? we're trying to make up time. you could put north korea in the same barrel as well. >> i would put north korea at the top of the barrel on issues where president obama did not

take action to our advantage. i would also say all the previous administrations since we signed the treaty back in the 50s with north korea. nobody has been able to figure out how to deal with the regime. i know lots of times conservatives like to say obama leading tr behind. the american people were so excited to get out of war situations. >> bill: i'll get you in. i heard one quote. when trump draws a red line it's quite red. before you answer that, this is part of what he said yesterday after the news in afghanistan broke. >> president trump: that's why they've been so successful lately. if you look at what has happened over the last eight weeks and compare it to really who what's happened over the last eight years you will see there is a tremendous difference. >> bill: he is making the case that he has changed everything and will continue to do that. >> rightfully so. we have to understand the campaign promises that

president obama had wanted to end the war in iraq and wanted to end the war in afghanistan. he didn't want to be viewed as a war-time president. there was war fatigue in the united states. with that being said it made the united states more vulnerable and hot spots like syria and libya, iran, north korea, more unstable and dangerous and now why president trump when he has intelligence information and advice from his generals saying united states needs to change the course of the past foreign policy and be present. not put ground troops but saying take action. interestingly enough the north korea foreign minister came out and said that he views trump as more vicious and more aggressive than president obama. this at the point that north korea is trying to gain that capability of having long range missiles which could happen in the next four years. >> bill: juan, are you

comfortable with all this? >> the thing is we don't have a policy from president trump as to what he is trying to accomplish. very symbolic the use of the mother of all bombs and all the rest. he won't say he authorized it. he gave the military and the cia blanket approval to do what they need to do. to do it to what end? even conservatives are wore aoefd about the nation building aspect. are we going in for another long slog and be responsible in syria? what is he doing? >> i think it's very targeted strikes he is making thus far. we saw it in the syria response and in afghanistan in very much a focused on defeating isis and basically being that moral authority to say chemical weapons should not and cannot be used. with that being said. >> we said this before, mercedes. the question is what are you going to do now? assad continues to kill children. the president said he had to act because he saw children

dying. children were dying before and still. >> bill: thanks to both of you. i appreciate it from both of you. have a blessed easter weekend. thank you. happy birthday, juan. >> happy birthday, juan. >> shannon: lawmakers praising the show of force in afghanistan. how effective will it prove to be in the fight against isis? fox news sunday host chris wallace joins us next hour to break it down. >> bill: the most expensive fighter jet ever. even though its maker has lowered the cost is it worth the price? we will hear from people whose opinion may matter the most on this decision. >> the most expensive weapons system in military history. is it worth it? absolutely believe so. i do. i'm the guy on the ground level here. the capabilities in this aircraft above and beyond anything that's out there right now. ltiply.

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>> shannon: the f35 is an amazing piece of military aircraft but its high price tag has been a source of controversy. they cut the cost. some still wonder if it's worth it. rick leventhal is live from the marine corps air station in yuma, arizona, to tell us more. >> this is one of 13 f-35s parked with the fighter attack squadron. the jet cost an estimated $100 million. part of the most expensive weapons systems developed. it's approaching there are 1 trillion. is it worth it? some critics say no but the

pilots are big supporters. >> i've been lucky enough to fly f-18, f-16 on different tours. this jet is by far in a different league. >> as soon as you put the throttle forward you are getting a kick in the pants. >> it's fast? >> it's fast, good and smooth and very responsive. an awesome airplane to fly. >> the view from all these cameras in your helmet and when you look down with it on your helmet you see through the bottom of your airplane. >> wherever you point your head you get the view of the camera. as you look it brings in the other camera from where you're looking. this airplane, everything was developed on this airplane is after the turn of the century. we can be upgraded easily with in software. the combination of the sensors

in this airplane and the way the sensors are fused together and the way that the man/machine interface works is what truly sets it apart. >> much of the jet is classified. we can't show you inside the cockpit or the intake valves. we can't show you what the pilot sees inside his $400,000 helmet and can't tell you if it will be deployed in any hot spot any time soon. the squadron says it's ready to go. >> shannon: thanks. >> bill: in a moment the fallout from the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used. it sent a message to isis certainly. did it send a message to north korea as well on a critical weekend of tension? head of the cia teeing off on wikileaks. why it's more all compass and leader has no morals. sgliem owe confident that had assange been around in the 30s,

40s and 50s he would be on the wrong side of history. they make common cause with dictators today.

>> shannon: the blast heard round the world. the pentagon releasing video of the massive ordnance air blast bomb hitting an isis cave complex. sending a loud message to america's enemies far and wide. i'm shannon bream with the one and only bill hemmer. >> bill: the pentagon putting out the video earlier today. the mother of all bombs, 10 tons of explosives. maximizing the destruction of isis fighters and facilities. all the tunnels and caves that are so difficult to reach. while also trying to minimize to risk to u.s. and afghan forces and civilians as well. david lee miller live with more. why use it now against isis

there? >> bill, this is a unique weapon not just because of the fire power but because of the ability to intimidate enemies. this bomb was designed but not used during the iraqi war. one of the considerations was its psychological impact. the blast was thought to be so powerful that opposition forces would simply be too terrified to fight. this was the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever used by the u.s. military in actual combat. the 21,600 pound bomb is satellite guided contains the impact of 11 tons of tnt. the bomb is so large it has to be dropped from a cargo plane. detonates in the air and designed for soft targets such as the caves and tunnels being used by isis near the pakistan border. in less than a second all the oxygen is sucked out killing those below. the force of the blast can also kill as well as destroy

infrastructure. at least 36 isis fighters were killed. while the explosion is so powerful the mushroom cloud can be seen from at least 20 miles away it is nowhere near as powerful as a nuclear bomb and by way of comparison, bill, if you look at the bomb used in hiroshima, that bomb was still 1,000 -- more than 1,000 times more powerful. >> bill: still, with a bomb this strong what was the risk to civilians, david lee? >> u.s. officials are saying that there were no civilian casualties and one reason contributed to that is the fact that there are local reports that many civilians in the area simply fled when isis moved in according to the u.s. and nato commander in afghanistan general john nicholson. there was surveillance over the area, before, during and after this operation and he says every effort was made to make sure that non-combatants

weren't injured. >> this was the right weapon against the right target. i want to assure the people of afghanistan that our forces take every possible precaution to prevent civilian casualties. >> the former president of afghanistan, karzai is speaking out calling the use of the weapon in humane. that contradicts the feelings of some people. one resident said living in the shadow of isis would like to see bombs used that are 100 times more powerful.u, sir. >> shannon: some u.s. lawmakers applauding the decision to unleash the powerful weapon. lindsey graham tweeting that pleased they dropped moab, must be more aggressive against isil everywhere including afghanistan. i hope america's adversaries are watching and understand there is a new sheriff in town.

chris wallace is here with us. you've seen a few sheriffs move into town in washington what do you make of the new guy and his abrupt change in course from the last eight years? >> i think the biggest change is this president has given much more authority, autonomy to the pentagon and to the commanders in the field. i remember interviewing general dempsey the chairman of the joint chiefs under barack obama and he openly complained about micromanaging by non-military people at the national security council. we have civilian control of the military but feeling they were making battlefield decision when they weren't equipped to make them. this president as he indicated yesterday has given total authorization to the pentagon and to the commanders in the field to decide which weapons they'll use at which time and we're told by all accounts that it was general nicholson, the commander of u.s. forces in

afghanistan who decided to use this particular weapon at this particular time in this particular place. >> shannon: how do you think it plays on the world stage? the tomahawk strikes in syria and this? decisive. these aren't some would say nuance measures. they're targeted. >> yeah, look, there are some people you heard karzai, the former president of afghanistan, who we always had problems with, attacking this and saying that the u.s. is using afghanistan as a test range to fire missiles or weapons, rather, bombs, you know in effect to test them out on the people in afghanistan. generally speaking, though, there has been some concern. we had that terrible case of friendly fire where there was a u.s. strike in syria that ended up killing we thought it would be isis people and ended up killing 18 rebels who were fighting as all aisles -- as

allies of us. people in washington think it sends a message clearly to north korea and syria and iran and isis, that as lindsey graham said there is a new sheriff in town and he is much more comfortable about unleashing -- you can argue whether it's always good and always done in an appropriate fashion -- but much more comfortable unleashing u.s. force against our enemies around the world. >> shannon: we have differences with russia over a number of things primarily syria now. now that we have this activity in afghanistan, what do you make about that as another possible point of tension? russia has had a strong presence for decades there. they're holding a meeting in moscow to talk about resolving the issues in afghanistan. the u.s. was finally invited, the third one. we decided we weren't going to show up for this one. >> look, there are differences. russia has an involvement in afghanistan, invaded in 1980 and didn't turn out very well for the russians.

they left after being driven out by the rebels in afghanistan. look, this is -- our involvement in afghanistan was a direct result obviously of 9/11 and the attack there. this is our longest war, 17 years we've been fighting in afghanistan. we're told by u.s. military forces that the fight against the taliban is to some degree at a stand still and there are some u.s. commanders talking about introducing more u.s. ground forces into afghanistan to try to break that stand-off there. and then now also we've got isis there and that's another 600 to 800 isis fighters and clearly this president is going to defend u.s. troops in all of the efforts, the gains that we have made in afghanistan to try to rid that country of extremists at the expense of so much blood and treasure. >> shannon: you have 10 pounds of potatoes to put in a five

pound sack this weekend. a busy one. >> the mother of all sunday shows. the big story this weekend is north korea and the fact that this weekend marks the anniversary, the 105th birthday of the founder of north korea. we'll have a live report in north korea. there is talk as north korea often does the regime there perhaps the sixth test of a nuclear weapon. president trump warning them not to do that. we'll see how it plays out in north korea and what the u.s. response is if north korea goes ahead. we'll have a report on that and a lot of top officials in washington discussing the stand off and the shift to foreign policy after focusing on domestic policy during the campaign. >> shannon: we'll see you on fox news sunday, chris. thank you. >> bill: the cia director mike

pompeo's teeing off on wikileaks delivering a blistering speech putting it on the same levels as american's enemies and calling asang nothing more than a fraud. >> time to call out wikileaks for what it really is, a non-state hostile intelligence service embedded by state actors like russia. it walks and talks like a hostile intelligence service. it has encouraged its followers to find jobs at the cia in order to obtain intelligence. >> bill: catherine herridge was there yesterday, live in d.c. today. good morning. this is the first big address as director. you were there. why the focus on wikileaks? why did he make that decision? >> the cai director chose to highlight wikileaks because it's part of an emerging patterns where small groups partner with enemy states to amp mri file damage to u.s.

security. >> we've spent a hard time and have a new threat sitting out there which behaves in a slightly different way but has as its motives the destruction of america in the same way those countries do. >> he singled out julian assange more than four years ago. he faces sex crime allegations in sweden. the director reinforced the conclusion that the russian president's intelligence service provided wikileaks with emails from the dnc and former clinton campaign manager to interfere in the u.s. election saying that russia's primary outlet has collaborated with wikileaks. >> bill: what about this other claim about the cia being able to spy on people through a samsung television? >> in march wikileaks posted what it described as the most significant leak of cia files

with programs of exploiting smartphones and that turned smart appliances into surveillance and recording devices. speaking to a full crowd the center for strategic and international studies he didn't comment on the authenticity of the files you see posted by wikileaks but made no a poll goelz for leading edge technology saying it's not used against american citizens and he finger assange. >> he is a narcissist created nothing of value. he relies on the dirty work of others to make himself famous. he is a fraud, coward hiding behind a screen. in kansas we know something about wizards hiding behind screens. >> one of the few laughs he got at that policy statement yesterday but on a more serious note, there has been no direct response from assange but there have been tweets from wikileaks where they stand by their work and say they're determined to

expose autocratic regimes and but the u.s. in that category. >> bill: a blistering speech and makes you sit up in your chair. thank you, catherine. >> shannon: a deadly stabbing in jerusalem. brand-new details coming in. we'll bring them to you after the break. >> bill: north korea fanning the flames today. what the rogue regime is saying ahead of a possible nuclear test. >> shannon: is another showdown looming? fair and balanced debate on that next. >> the bill wasn't ready for prime time. you hadn't developed a consensus. you set a date to vote without a consensus. members are talking to each other and really the administration has done a good job. excuse me a minute...

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subsidies to the states as a way of forcing democrats to the negotiating table. here is ron desantis of florida last hour on "america's newsroom." >> really the administration has done a good job. vice president pence has been exercising a lot of leadership to figure out how do we actually fulfill the promises we made to the american people. for me the core thing we have to do is deliver lower premiums and more choice on private insurance. >> shannon: we have a fox news contributor. marjorie clifton a former consultant and from clifton consulting. rachel, i'll start with you. the idea of cutting the subsidies. mccaskill says if they blow the access there is they'll own it if insurance markets collapse. >> it's a negotiation tactic or blustering on the part of trump.

he knows he has to extend the subsidies. a lot of people where trump was very successful in rural america will suffer. they need to come up with a bill. i'm very encouraged. my husband is a congressman and i have a little inside track on this. the leaders of all the factions are coming together from the freedom caucus to the moderates to everybody in between and what's really encouraging to me this is not happening on the front pages or in cable news. it is happening behind closed doors where real progress can happen. i think trump realized from the last debacle of healthcare last month he has to lead this. he only has the republicans to work with because the democrats are obstructing. one last thing, the dirty little secret with democrats. they'll say please keep obamacare going. behind closed doors they're on their knees begging republicans

to pass a bill because obamacare was a bad law. it decimated their party nationally and locally and they want nothing to do with it. it is about to implode. >> shannon: marjorie, what do you say to that? there are those who say left to its own devices what we were hearing from the president, seemed frustrated with the process. we'll let it go and the democrats will beg us for help. >> not a good political strategy. there is large divide in the republican party how to address healthcare. there are market forces, the practicalities of the bill and the emotional side of it. we know you have to have subsidies and taxes. right now it's on insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies that keeps the current bill net neutral. the minute that you take away those which a lot of the freedom caucus want, it will collapse the system. republicans know this and so he doesn't have republicans. so at this point his only place

play is to move democrats and threaten them. with polling, public opinion around the affordable care act went up. stories came out how much it meant to families. the second is that people want to keep it in place and removing a lot of these other different changes is really going to disrupt the system. they also know that republicans will own this. if trump does what he is saying where he tries to collapse the system, he will own it and it won't fare well. >> shannon: desantis said when he got home his constituents said they didn't think the measure went far enough. they wanted complete repeal. do you think there will be enough republicans to get on board with that tougher hard line? marjorie seems skeptical about that.

>> the system is imploding. trump is not collapsing the system. the system itself the way it was set up -- what needs to happen as we move from this government heavy, big government version of healthcare to a more free market version, we have this transition part -- period and marjorie is absolutely right. we have to keep the subsidies going so people aren't hurt in the transition from a government-centered to a free market version. i think the republicans are coming on board to understand that's a short-term period. i think there is progress and i think you'll see a bill passed. >> shannon: we'll stand by. not much time to get it done if they get it done ahead of tax reform. good friday to you both. >> bill: growing concern about resurgence of afghanistan. 16 years later can the u.s. bring that country to peace? some in the media think president trump is flipping and

flopping or is he just being nimble? bernie goldberg is next to analyze. what powers the digital world. communication. that's why a cutting edge university counts on centurylink to keep their global campus connected. and why a pro football team chose us to deliver fiber-enabled broadband to more than 65,000 fans. and why a leading car brand counts on us to keep their dealer network streamlined and nimble. businesses count on communication, and communication counts on centurylink.

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whoo! boom baby! rated pg-13. [ screams ] >> bill: as you know the u.s. dropped the mother of all bombs in eastern afghanistan. the growing concerns over russia's influence in that country as that continues to build. u.s. officials accuse russian president putin of propping up the taliban and trying to push the u.s. out of key diplomatic talks in the region. what's going on this with tug-of-war? rich edson to run down that story now. first of all, what is russia doing there as we understand it? >> today especially, bill, if you look at what russia is trying to do they're hosting what they are calling multi-national consultations with a number of different countries, iran, china, pakistan. not the united states at this latest summit. according to the u.s. state

department they aren't going to get involved in that because they question, they say, russia's motives. >> we do generally support regional efforts that work with the afghan government to build support for a peaceful outcome in afghanistan. we just felt these talks was unclear to us what the purpose was. it seemed to be a unilateral russian attempt to assert influence in the region that we felt wasn't constructive at this time. >> there are concerns that russia and iran are looking to curb u.s. influences there in afghanistan and attempted to do in other places around the world. particular the middle east, europe and asia. >> bill: the u.s. military active. russia is becoming more active in afghanistan. is that militarily speaking or what? >> that according to u.s. military officials, this is general john nicholson the commander of the u.s. forces in afghanistan testified russia has become more assertive in

the past year in afghanistan overtly lending legit massly to the taliban claiming they're fighting isis there. he also says the military there, iran is supporting the taliban in that country. this is after the u.s. in 2001 ousted the taliban, the u.s.-backed government has had issues getting rid of the taliban throughout the whole country and the taliban has become more aggressive taking back portions from the western-backed government there. >> bill: back in the headlines. thank you, rich at the state department. thanks. >> shannon: mainstream media accusing president trump of flip-flopping. or is it a matter of being flexible? bernie goldberg joins us on that next. >> president trump: i'm a very flexible purpose. i don't have to have one specific way. and if the world changes, i go the same way. i don't change. well, i do change and i am flexible and i'm proud of that

flexibility.

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liberty mutual insurance. >> shannon: this is a fox news alert on the nuclear showdown with north korea. pyongyang stepping up its rhetoric against the u.s. blaming president trump for the rising tensions and warning pyongyang is ready to launch a preemptive strike in the face of any u.s. aggression. one north korean official. >> it is not the dprk but the u.s. and trump that make problems. i say this because trump tweeted the dprk, north korea, is looking for trouble and it's none other than the u.s. posing threats toward the dprk. >> shannon: analysts keeping an eye out for any missile tests as north korea celebrates the founder's birthday. >> bill: taking fresh aim at president trump zeroing in on some policy positions that appear to be changing by the

media. >> from president trump a flurry of flip-flops. >> here is the problem with nato. >> i said it was obsolete. >> that rhetorical reversal on nato one of several in the past 24 hours. from president trump a different tone about the country he previously called an enemy. >> president trump: president xi wants to do the right thing. >> what a change from candidate trump who used china as a punching bag. >> president trump: we can't continue to allow china to rape our country. that's what they're doing. right now we're not getting along with russia at all. we may be at an all-time low in terms of relationship with russia. >> that was not what candidate trump thought was meant to be. >> we'll have a great relationship with putin and russia.

>> bernie goldberg is well tanned and rested after a vacation. welcome back, bernie. headlines, cnn, trump flip-flop or flexibility? what is it, a, b or c? >> i think if you like him it's flexibility. if you don't like him it's flip-flop. you say tomato, i say tomato. they amount to the same thing. whether he is being flexible or flip-flopping not necessarily a bad thing. it could be a good thing. in trump's case it's an easy thing. when he was running for president, he never had deeply held, well thought out policy positions. so we know where he stands today on friday on these big issues. we don't know where he is going to stand next week. and i think a big reason for that i don't think donald trump knows where he is going to stand next week and that's not necessarily a bad thing. >> bill: do you remember when we had 17 candidates in august

of 2015. that was his line from the very beginning, bernie. that he could change and he would see what comes his way and adjust and adapt. very interesting point. "wall street journal" headlines i want to put on the screen. donald trump's recent policy reversals reflect business influence. i get the sense, bernie, i likes the company of three people. he likes family and he likes generals and he likes ceos. how does that fit into this analysis then? >> right. well, if he is being influenced by people to change his positions the way he has been, i don't know that this is a terrible thing. i made the case just a few seconds ago it could be a very good thing. look, you know who should be the happiest over all of this? his critics. the romance with putin is over. russia is no longer our pal. china is no longer our enemy.

nato is no longer obsolete. his critics should be the happiest of everybody. now, he ran as an outsider. he doesn't sound like an outsider today. maybe his supporters should be a little concerned but not his critics. they can call it flip-flopping, as i say, flip-flopping, flexible, they mean the same thing. they should be very happy. >> bill: do you think his hard core base who were with him in the beginning, are they happy the way he is developing or are they disappointed do you believe? >> that's a very good question. when you say hard core base, i'm going to define that as the 22% in the cbs poll this year that said they would support him no matter what. this doesn't matter to them. he could decide tomorrow that he is not going to build the wall on the southern border and they would stick with him. so the hard core supporters are

still with him. the other supporters may look at this and say i thought we were voting for an outsider. now we have a regular republican. but i don't think it is going to hurt him with them. as i say -- this is important -- the critics, they can call it whatever they want. they should be very happy about it. >> bill: one last point sean spicer was asked about that this week about the shifting in positions with regard to nato or china or north korea or whatever the case may be. he said the following from the podium. >> there will be areas where i think it depends on the outcome. in the case of nato in particular, the most illustrative. you look at the president's position, where he wanted to see nato in particular evolve to and it is moving exactly in the direction he said it was in terms of its goals of increasing the amount of participation from other member countries and having a greater focus on terrorism. >> bill: i think this is what trump excels at. he takes the argument, he sells

it, and then he convinces you he got other people to change their minds. there is evidence, bernie, that's happening. >> that's right. look, during the campaign citizen trump shot from the lip. he riled up crowds and he won the election. president trump is realizing that shooting from the lip is no substitute for a well thought out foreign policy. rileing up crowds is no substitute for govern. donald trump, for lack of a better word, is becoming presidential. what's wrong with that? >> bill: "good morning -- good to have you back. bernie goldberg live in miami, florida. >> shannon: an explosion sending students on one campus into a frenzy. the cause behind that blast next. >> bill: also after the strike in afghanistan, president trump saying the military has, quote, total authorization from him.

we'll explore that strategy with colonel oliver north live next. >> president trump: we have a greatest military in the world and they've done their job as usual. we've given them total authorization and that's what they're doing. ♪ hey, i'm the internet! i know a bunch of people who would love that. the internet loves what you're doing... ...so build a better website in under an hour with... ...gocentral from godaddy. the internet is waiting. start for free today at godaddy. time's up, insufficient we're on prenatal care.es. and administrative paperwork... your days of drowning people are numbered. same goes for you, budget overruns.

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>> bill: there is a science experiment gone wrong at the university of idaho. four students injured after an experimental rocket exploded. one employee said the students were testing a homemade rocket fuel. their condition is not clear but all four are alert and communicating. that's from idaho. >> president trump: we have the greatest military in the world and they've done their job as usual. we have given them total authorization and that's what they're doing. frankly that's why they've been so successful lately. if you look at what has happened over the last eight weeks and compare it to really to what's happened over the last eight years you'll see

there is a tremendous difference. >> shannon: those remarks from president trump after the u.s. dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever on isis targets in afghanistan. 36 militants were killed. retired u.s. marine colonel oliver north and colonel, always good to see you. this president said on the campaign trail he was going to stop the micromanagement of the military. sounds like he is delivering on that promise. what difference does it make to our men and women in uniform? >> it's significant because it shows the president trusts the judgment of not just secretary of defense mattis and joint chiefs chairman dunn ford but his combat leaders in the field. he is not micromanaging like the previous administration did. he let them set the rules of engagement. it is a smart way of doing it and what ronald reagan did when he was president. that's the kind of thing one, it increases morale at a time

it could be hard to recruit. it lets everybody knows to include our adversaries the quick reactions of those in the field is picked up considerably because you don't have to run things by the white house before you decide what you'll have for lunch. >> shannon: i know personally some really good folks who left the military over the last couple of years because they felt like it was a morale issue that they were being micromanaged. any decision or choice they tried to make was triple second guessed and they left and went into the private sector. do you think we can make up a lot of what's happened to our military in the last eight years? >> yes, the best part of the military are the soldiers that serve. it is hard to replace combat experience and the idea of keeping good ncos and good junior officers in the service is not just a good idea from a recruiting perspective, it makes you more combat effective.

all of those things improve dramatically when you have a president that trusts you to the fire team level and who gives people the latitude to do what needs to be done to have victory. he has defined the enemy and defined victory and letting people know it is your job to make sure you get it in broad strokes but he isn't telling people how to caulk the seams in the house. >> shannon: pompeo says he briefs the president in the morning. he is getting human-to-human contact and questions. he says the president and his team are consumers of intelligence asking hard questions and he says they actually have a good relationship. the intelligence community and the white house. what do you make of that. critics say this guy doesn't know what he is doing and he has no military or foreign policy experience. sounds like he is dialed in >> i think he is. the fact he sent his son-in-law with general dunford to meet the troops in the field is a positive step. i wouldn't be at all surprised

if you wouldn't see in the next few weeks and months the commander-in-chief himself going out on a quiet mission, no announcement beforehand, and he will be doing the same kind of thing. this is a man who understand our military unlike people at least over the course of the last eight years and he is surrounded by people who admire the military. i count that to be very, very positive. >> shannon: what do you say about his critics who say he has chosen too many military leaders to take up positions in the past held by civilian leaders, that they think he has too much of a worship concept of generals. >> the folks saying it are not the ones who wear uniforms. the folks saying that kind of things are the same ones have been saying it since the 1960s. the college professors that led the riots. the kind of media that is so hostile to those who wear a uniform. they were in heaven when barack obama was president. they are suddenly shocked to

have a president like ronald reagan who admires those who serve in uniform. >> shannon: a lot of talk over the last 24 hours about the moab dropped in afghanistan. a lot of people say it was a message to syria and russia, iran and north korea. you said it was a very pointed mission with one objective. >> the single objective was to kill as many of the enemy as you could without harming civilians. it was the right weapon for the right place and for the right enemy. you couldn't use this weapon in north korea or to go after an air base where there is surrounded by civilians in syria. that weapon was exactly the right weapon to use for that particular mission. and i think that's the kind of thing that people ought to look at. that's a message to hostile powers. they know you couldn't get a transport aircraft through their fighters and anti-aircraft. it is not a threat to north korea or damascus or anybody

else. it was the right weapon to use in the right place. the most important part of all of that is they now know it is a president who means what he says when he says we are going to strike back. if i was in pyongyang right now i'd be looking for a bombshell tear. >> shannon: we'll get you a glass of water and lozenges. happy easter, colonel, thank you. be sure to tune in to the fox business network this weekend for war stories with oliver north. check it out saturday at 8:00 p.m. eastern. don't want to miss it. >> bill: we were on out numbered when the news broke yesterday. you can imagine there was a level of like wow. where did that happen and why and why so big and on and on and on? this part of afghanistan has been a battle there for 16 years. this is right near tora bora and bin laden made his escape. the tunnels and caves, it's difficult unless you go

hand-to-hand combat to engage the enemy and think you can have success there. very difficult. >> shannon: it offers shelter, movement of equipment and all kinds of things when we can't see what's going on there. sometimes the tunnels have to go. >> bill: we'll see what comes next. nixon bombed the daylights out of the north vietnamese and they just built bigger tunnels. we'll see if that's the case. >> bill: this holy season the persecution of christians is on the rise. why isn't more now being done to stop it? we'll take you there in a moment. also on easter weekend is anybody else out there? oh, why scientists say they have new reason to believe. >> shannon: e.t. phone home.

>> eight minutes away on "happening now." new reaction. preliminary reports suggest the dropping of the moab bomb was successful. new threats from both sides in north korea as tensions escalate there. amazing survivor story. a young man shot while coming to the aid of a woman who was being attacked. he is lucky to be alive. his story and what he is doing now to help others. >> bill: top of the hour here. worldwide celebrations underway on this good friday before easter sunday. festivities come as the global persecution of christians is on the rise. just last sunday attacks on two christians churches in egypt killing at least 44 people. father jonathan moore fox news contributor. this is his weekend and your

day in so many ways. >> what sadness to hear about the christians who were killed. >> bill: we've known a lot about mosul and other parts of iraq where this has been happening now for years. recent memory serves just last week about what happened in northern egypt. why does it continue? who is doing anything to stop it? >> first of all, what amazing courage that these christians, who know they're putting their lives at risk by being christian, for standing up for what they believe, actually going to church. sometimes traveling miles and miles to get there knowing they might be blown up. what amazing courage. the question is why isn't more being done? a lot is being done now in iraq, certainly in the support of those who are trying to flee from isis. not enough. it's way too late. thank god it looks like many of the christians are able to get back to some of the places that they had been stripped of their land where their place of

worship had been completely decimated. >> bill: think about in our own country if you go to church on a sunday that you'll take the chance of being met by a suicide bomber. in egypt specifically you have 10% of the population is coptic christian. having the courage to walk inside that church is very well taken given these conditions. it is not just egypt and iraq. >> look what's going on in nigeria, boko haram has been killing christians. major danger for christians there. the bishops have spoken up. unfortunately some people who are willing to completely and totally destroy their country in the sake in this case radical islamist theology saying if you are not with us, meaning radical islamist, we'll kill you and justify it in the name of god. on this good friday, god weeps. imagine in the name of god i'm going to destroy the innocent. i'm going to kill young kids.

i'm going to do it in the name of god. how disgusting. this good friday jesus said came down on earth according to christian theology i'm willing to die for you, who used your free will. the gift you made for love and here you are destroying each other. even when i hear the war stories going on right now dropping bombs in afghanistan, you know, sometimes violence is necessary in order to stop an unjust aggressor but god weeps. if we think that dropping bombs -- i'm not saying sometimes it is not necessary. if we think that's a solution, i mean -- >> bill: understood. when you appear before your congregation today and this weekend what is the message that you deliver, or is that the message as you reflect on the events of the world? >> god weeps and he weeps with you and for all of us who are suffering. suffering in families, suffering in relationships, suffering with poverty. but god weeps and he says i'm

giving you another opportunity. it is called an eternal life. it is called faith. that's why we call this good friday. in the midst of suffering. we'll do actually the live crucifixion on the streets of the bronx at my parish and it will be sad but it is dp because there is a resurrection. that's what we believe as christians three days from now. >> bill: thank you, father, good friday and happy easter to you. father jonathan moore in the studio. what's next? >> shannon: new details on the mother of all bombs. the massive strike killing dozens of isis fighters. does the attack serve notice to the rest of the world? live from the pentagon next. tee. ...your only worry... ...will be that one... rogue... cloud. get help with hotels, free twenty-four-hour flight changes, and our price match guarantee. travelocity. wander wisely.

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a hubble telescope has revealed moons which could point to underground oceans and i could contain life. a lot of if's, but we are there's a chance. >> have a happy easter. see you everybody. "happening now" starts right no now. ♪ >> is where learning more about the damage and death toll in the remote corner of afghanistan is the u.s. jobs the largest nonnuclear bomb ever in combat. i'm jenna lee. >> jon: and i'm jon scott. it was 24 hours ago. the pentagon releasing brand-new images of the attack on caves and tunnels used by isis fighters on the border. the weapon known as the mother of all bombs. jennifer griffin has the latest from the pentagon.