you for watching. i'm david asman, catch me on weekdays on "after the bell" on the fox business network. paul is back next week to the bring some order to this crowd. [laughter] we hope to see you then. ♪ ♪ elizabeth: good afternoon. president trump taking his predecessor to task over the cyber attack aimed at disrupting the election, tweeting out that former president obama knew about moscow's meddling well in advance of the november election and did nothing about it. be hello and welcome to a brand new hour of "america's news headquarters," i'm gillian turner. kelly: good to have you with us, and i'm kelly wright. president trump responding to a report from "the washington post" which claims president obama, former president obama knew about russia's sinister activities for months before the 2016 election but failed to take

aggressive action. gillian: our own kristin fisher has more on this. >> reporter: in this washington post report, a former senior obama administration official said that i feel like we sort of choked in our response to russia. and president trump clearly seems to agree. listen to what he said in an interview with our pete leg earth. >> the cia gave him information on russia a long time before they even, you know, before the election. and i hardly see it. it's an amazing thing. to me, you know -- in other words the question is, if he had the information, why didn't he do something about it? he should have done something about it. but you don't read that. it's quite sad. >> reporter: according to the post, back in august -- so three months before the election -- president obama received a highly classified cia report with evidence of russian president vladimir putin's direct involvement in these cyber attacks. over the next five months, the

obama administration reportedly went back and forth about what to do, how to respond. in the end, they settled on sanctions and a covert cyber attack which the next administration would be ultimately responsible for carrying out. but president trump says it was all too little, too late, and former obama administration officials are arguing that it's unfair to judge their actions in 2016 based on what we now know in 2017. others place the blame back on president trump for calling the election rigged and reports of russian meddling a hoax. but with this tweet right there posted just last night, it appears that president trump -- for the very first time -- is publicly acknowledging that it was not a hoax and that russia did, indeed, try to interfere or in the u.s. election. well, tonight president trump will be attending the wedding of his treasury secretary, steve mnuchin, after spending most of the day at his golf club in virginia. on the way out there, a little bit of a hiccup. one of or cars in the

motorcade -- not the president's car, not "the beast," -- but another car got a flat tire, proving the secret service finish they're just like us. [laughter] gillian: that's a great moral to the story. thanks, kristin. kelly: well, for more on this we go now to lieutenant colonel michael watts, a retired former green beret commander and former counterterrorism adviser to vice president cheney. sir, good of you to join us today. >> thank you. kelly: so, colonel, what happened here? what really happened here in did the obama administration truly drop the ball on russia's interference in our election, and if so, why do you think that happened? >> well, i think, you know, at the end of the day, president obama, his national security team, susan rice just had a fundamentally flawed approach to putin, to russia and, frankly, in their foreign policy. they just did not understand that people in that part of the world and people like putin

especially when you take a passive, weak approach they're going to push. and we saw that over the last six years. we saw it in crimea, we saw it in ukraine, we saw it in syria and across the middle east. so it doesn't surprise me that putin thought that he could not only attack the presidential election, but attack the very heart of our democracy and get away with it. and it turns out that when tough options were put on president obama's desk including cyber counterattack in the russian infrastructure, embarrassing information for president -- you know, that we could have released about putin. he took kind of a modest, passive approach, and putin did get away with it, and we are where we are today. kelly: a former senior obama administration official told "the washington post," quote: it's the hardest thing about my entire time in government to defend. it feels like we sort of choked. you know, that's quite a sobering assessment when it pertains to our election which is also pertaining to our

national security. we can look back 20/20 hindsight's always better that way, but at the heat of the moment, what do you think the obama administration was actually doing with this information particularly as we heard in cresten fisher's report -- kristin fisher's report, they obsessed back and forth for five months about what to do. inaction, it would appear. >> again, that's par for the course for a number of things. the obama administration and national security team was known for kind of obsessing over decisions, meetings after meetings after meetings whether it was the afghan policy review, whether it was how we deal with the hostages being held overseas, they just did not take an a aggressive, forceful approach, and that led our enemies to be to emboldened and our allies to not feel support. i think the entire thing is par for the course and fundamentally fraud. you know, that said, i do want to say i think president trump was legitimately elected by the people who voted for him. but, you know, we need to move

on beyond this entire russia issue, and we need to get to a lot of the security threats that are facing this nation that, you know, this thing is proving to be a massive distraction. putin doesn't care about republicans or democrats. he cares about putting the united states on its back foot. and as long as we are so in chaos internally and feeding into that, you know, we're playing his hand for him. kelly: on that note, what do you anticipate for the coming elections? russia will, obviously, try to do this again -- >> yeah. kelly: -- and again and again. >> right. >> so what has to take place from this administration, the trump administration, to stop that and quash it? >> don't get me wrong, we have to take this very'sly. you can imagine -- very seriously. you can imagine whether they're senators, congressmen, you name it or who are taking a tough stand on russia. you know, the house and the senate just voted on a tough sanctions package that now start getting trolled, start getting hacked, start seeing their e-mails released, start seeing opponents who are advocating for

a softer approach to russia be emboldened. we have to take a very firm stand on this now. the russians need to understand that there will be repercussions. and then we need to take a harder look at our own cyber defenses. you know, we are really at a crux between how the government works with the private sector and how they work together to strengthen our defenses across the board. >> you know, colonel, again, that's very sobering because that's a national security issue that goes to the core of our democracy, having free and fair elections, and no one's questioning what's happened. as you stated, the president was legitimately elected into office, but the rest of the country has to get behind this congress and president about doing something about russia's interference in the future. >> absolutely right. and let's not forget, you know, president putin was a colonel in the kgb. this is par for the course for soviet doctrine. they call it active measures. they've been doing it, you know, for the last 70 years, and now they just tried to do it in

france against macron. we helped the french detect it and stop it, but this is, you know, they are doing more -- the russians are doing more right now through these asymmetrical attacks whether it's weaponizing refugees flowing out of syria or whether it's trying to get at the heart of our political system, than they ever did with divisions of tanks, you know, in the warsaw pact. we have to take a very firm stand against this very quickly. can key cel everything you saying, it resonates so well with so many people because many people have said that the enemy will try to defeat us from within. >> that's right. can. kelly: and try to penetrate us from within our own m of government. and almost so from the standpoint of being able to have bragging rights and basically have argument the united states are not so big and bad, they're not so free and democratic after all. which is what putin wanted to do. he wanted to have bragging rights, it would appear. so this president, now that he's revealed it is not a hoax, that

it is real, what do you think president trump will have to say to vladimir putin on the phone? >> well, i think both -- there's two things. domestically, i would love to see president trump, you know, look at the congress, look at the american people and say there was nothing there in terms of these accusations of collusion. let these investigations play out and, of course, i -- he believes he will be absolved. kelly: yeah. >> let's get to the bottom of how they did this, and let's get some smart policies in place to to stop it. and when i think he talks to putin, you know, he puts a finger in his chest and says knock it off or else. and i think with this president putin and the rest of the world will understand that he means it. kelly: very good assessment, sir. thank you for joining us lieutenant colonel -- >> thank you, kelly. thanks so much, bye-bye. gillian: now the battle lines are being drawn as the republican effort to repeal and replace obamacare looks like it's on even shakier ground.

dean heller of nevada now becomes the fifth republican senator to pose the health care bill. mitch mcconnell is trying to force a compromise between moderates and conservatives as he tries to bring his health bill up for a vote. gater tenny is tracking the -- garrett tenney is live from washington d.c. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon to you. there is a lot of wheeling and dealing going on this weekend here in d.c. both senate leadership and the white house are talking to lawmakers to see what changes they can make to the gop's health care bill to get republicans onboard. they hold 52 seats, so they can only afford to lose two of their own, and right now five have said they cannot support the bill as it's currently written. yesterday nevada's dean heller became the latest republican to say no, and he had some heavy criticisms of the bill. >> i'm telling you right now, i cannot support a piece of legislation that takes insurance away from tens of millions of americans and hundreds of thousands of nevada mans. and lastly, the goal of health

care reform should be to -- [inaudible] here in nevada, and i'm not confident, not confident that it will achieve that goal. >> reporter: the four other senators or who are also currently a no vote are ted cruz, mike lee, ron johnson and rand paul. all five have said they are open to changing their minds if changes are made. the senate is somewhat limited in what changes it can make though, because they're using the special process known as budget reconciliation. it allows them to pass it with a simple majority rather than 60 votes, but it also prevents them from including provisions that don't directly affect the budget. but still senate leadership is hopeful that eventually they'll be able to get the 50 votes they need for it to pass. >> this is a discussion draft. we're seeking input, and we're having ongoing negotiations with senators. we would invite our democratic colleagues to join us. so far they have refused to participate in the process, but if they continue to refuse, we have no choice other than to do

our best to try to rescue the american people from the failures of obamacare. >> reporter: after eight years of campaign promises from republicans, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell now appears to be determined to hold a vote this week whether or not he has the required 50 votes and essentially dare gop lawmakers to vote to against replacing obamacare. a lot of republicans a are also waiting to hear the congressional budget office's analysis of the bill including how it will impact insurance coverage and premiums. there is still a lot that could happen over these next few days. gillian: thanks, garrett. despite concerns, president insists they're going to get their obamacare bill repealed and the new bill passed, but it will take only to compromise. listen. >> i want to see, i want to see -- and i speak from the heart. that's what i want to see. i want to see a bill with heart. health care's a very complicated subject from the standpoint that you move it this way, and this group doesn't like it.

you move it a little bit over here, you have a very narrow path. honestly, nobody can be totally happy even without the votes. forget about votes. this has nothing to do with votes. this has to do with picking a plan that everybody's going to like. i'd like to say love, but like. gillian: let's bring in republican senator luther strange of alabama. good afternoon, senator. thanks for being with us. >> good afternoon. thanks for having me. gillian: i want to give you the chance to lay out your perspective for our viewers on the bill. you heard the president's own words, he wants this to be a bill with heart. do you think it has that? and what do you think, from your perspective, what are this bill's sort of highlights? its best points? >> i strongly support president trump and his commitment to repealing and replacing obamacare. and i am cautiously optimistic that we're going to get there. we have a once in a long time opportunity to reduce taxes by billions of dollars on the american people, eliminate mandates on the individuals and

companies to provide something that people may not want. we have a chance to reform a major entitlement program for the first time in years and years. there are a lot of good things in this bill. i'm studying it very hard this weekend with my staff to see how it affects the citizens of my state. but i'm very optimistic that we're going to get this. we have to get there. the current status quo will not be sustainable. gillian: now, with the bill as it currently stands, senator, do you see any be room for improvement? >> well, i think there's always room for improvement. this is the legislative process, as you know, and i'm glad to see our colleagues -- i would count myself with my conservative friends as concerned about getting conservative solutions to these problems. those are the ones that tend to work. i wish our democratic colleagues who caused this mess would come to help us. i don't think we can count on that, so we're going to get it done. i feel very confident that we will. gillian: now, the senate majority leader, as you know, wants this to go to vote next week which, as of today, is only

a couple of days from now. and then to get it to the conference committee as soon as possible. what do you think the sort of outlook is for the timeline here? is this realistic? is this the timing you would set for legislation if it were up to you? >> well, i think we're at a point now where we have to have a vote. we've talked about this for eight years. as attorney general, i was involved in litigation to try and challenge the obamacare law, because i thought it was unconstitutional. this issue has been with us for quite only time. we know the devastating effects of it, the premiums and deductibles are unbelievable, they're not sustainable. so i think it's time to come to the table. we've talked about this enough. now it's time for conservative, common sense solutions. gillian: and if worst case scenario this bill doesn't get out of the senate next week, what do you think are the implications for the timeline of the legislation, but more broadly for president trump's entire domestic agenda? you know, sometimes legislation has these sort of domino or

ripple effects. what do you make of that? >> well, i don't know what to make of that, honestly. as a political prognosis, i just know the people of my state, i personally want to see the president succeed. i think everybody on the other side of the aisle is trying to do everything they can to prevent him from succeeding. i think this will be a testing moment. but we're going to continue to do what has to be done, which is fix a failing obamacare system. gillian: now, i want to just pivot from health care for a moment, because i know about an initiative you've undertaken working with the nra to try and set up for your fellow lawmakers on the hill active shooter training. as a sort of response to beef up security in the wake of last week's horrible events in arlington, virginia, at the baseball practice. now, this sounds like a great idea. why wasn't this happening earlier? >> yeah, that's a very good question. you know, having been attorney

general, i'm very aware of the dangerous threat that all public officials are subjected to. seems like common sense to me to work with my friends at the national rifle association to provide training to anybody be on the hill who'd like to have that training on how to safely handle a firearm and how to react in a situation where there may be an active shooter. it's an unfortunate reality of the world we live in now, but by making this available as something that's an option, it would be a great benefit. one of my staffers, one of my close young staffers was at the ball game, at the practice. he was pitching warmup, and was almost shot himself. this hits close to home for me, and i think this is a common sense way to address that issue. gillian: i'm sorry to hear that, and all of our best to him. thank you so much for your time this afternoon, thank you for your service, and we hope to speak with you again soon. >> thank you very much. gillian: you can hear more from president trump on this topic and lots more tomorrow morning on "fox & friends." president trump is sitting down

for an exclusive interview. you can catch it right here on the fox news channel starting at six a.m. eastern time. kelly: a tragic scene developing in southwestern china. at least 15 people reported dead following a massive landslide burying an entire town. the desperate search for survivors, next. plus, president trump calling out robert mueller, potential counsel to the russia investigation, now questioning whether mueller can remain impartial given some of his professional relationships. does the president have a legit bone to pick? our panel will weigh in next. ♪ >> i can say that the people that have been hired are all hillary clinton supporters. some of them worked for hillary clinton. i mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. ♪ ♪ that's why you drink ensure. with 9 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. for the strength and energy to get back to doing... ...what you love. ensure. always be you.

(i wanted him to eat healthy., so i feed jake purina cat chow naturals indoor, a nutritious formula with no artificial flavors. made specifically for indoor cats. purina cat chow. nutrition to build better lives. a cockroach can survive submergede guy. underwater for 30 minutes. wow. yeah, wow.

not getting in today. not on my watch. pests never stop trying to get in. we never stop working to keep them out. terminix. defenders of home. we're not professional athletes. but that doesn't mean we're giving up. i'm in this for me. for me. along with diet and exercise, farxiga helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. lowering a1c by up to 1.2 points. do not take if allergic to farxiga. if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking and seek medical help right away. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. tell your doctor right away if you have blood or red color in your urine or pain while you urinate. farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration, genital yeast infections in women and men, serious urinary tract infections, low blood sugar, and kidney problems. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away

if you have signs of ketoacidosis, which is serious and may lead to death. i'm in this for my family. i'm in this for me. ask your doctor about farxiga and learn how you can get it for free. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

♪ ♪ gillian: welcome back. at least 15 people are dead and more than 100 remain missing after a massive landslide in china buried some 60 homes in a small village. chinese authorities athe disaster was caused by heavy rain in the region, and now forecasters say more wet weather is on the way which could hinder the search. will carr is live in our west coast newsroom with the latest on this story. what can you tell us? >> reporter: this all happened

around six a.m. on saturday morning, and pretty much everyone in the village was asleep when an avalanche of rocks and mud came crashing down on the entire area. the massive landslide in a mountainous and remote part of china. rocks smothered dozens of homes and one hotel. authorities estimate there was enough debris to fill 3,000 olympic-sized swimming pools. at least five people are dead, but that number could continue to spike as the search continues. more than a thousand rescuers have raced to the area as there are reports of villagers who are awake and alert under the rocks, some are tapping on stones so that the emergency emergency crews can hear them. this is ap area that's prone to disasters. a devastating 7.9 earthquake in 2008 killed around 90,000. a land slied in 20 and buried around 40 and another in 2014 killed at least 11 people. now, as the search for survivors

continue, rain is in the forecast for the next three days, and that is the worst thing that could happen for those rescue crews out there. gillian? gillian: thanks for that. kelly: some students in upstate new york were planning to facetime with a u.s. soldier they sent care packages to, but the kids ended up with a lot more than they thought. a soldier's surprise, next. gillian: plus, officials in london forcing hundreds of people out of their apartments as great britain struggles to address a fire safety crisis nationwide. stick with us. >> things have gone horribly, horribly wrong in the case of glenn fell and what we've seen -- grenfell and what we've seen in camden as well, and i think it is absolutely correct to think long term about what this means for safety checks, safety regulations. ♪ ♪ mmmm.

mmmm. mmmm... ugh. nothing spoils a moment like heartburn. try new alka-seltzer ultra strength heartburn relief chews. it's fast, powerful relief with no chalky taste. [ sings high note ] ultra strength, new from alka-seltzer. enjoy the relief.

it's ok that everybody ignoit's fine.n i drive. because i get a safe driving bonus check every six months i'm accident free. because i don't use my cellphone when i'm driving. even though my family does, and leaves me all alone. here's something else... i don't share it with mom. i don't. right, mom? i have a brand new putter you don't even know about! it's awesome. safe driving bonus checks, only from allstate. sometimes i leave the seat up on purpose. switching to allstate is worth it. ♪ ♪ pleasure. kelly: we're back now with some headlines we're following this hour. some 200 people are left

homeless after a fire devastated an apartment complex in washington d.c. at least ten people suffered minor injuries including five firefighters. president trump declaring a state of major disaster in tennessee to help areas hit by severe winds and flooding in lake may. and a u.s. army sergeant surprising a group of fifth graders. check this out. he's been facetiming with them from afghanistan. well, yesterday was supposed to be their last pacetime session. guess what? instead he walked into their classroom in upstate new york. the kids, quote, did a lot for me and my guys over there, so it was the least i could do. that's great. gillian: great story. officials in london are evacuating four public housing towers as concerns grow over the fire safety of those buildings, this after at least 79 people died in a fast-spreading fire at grenfell earlier this month. our own kitty logan is live in

london with more. what can you tell us? >> reporter: well, it's more misery for londoners living in these kind of buildings. late last night hundreds of people were advised to leave their homes after local authorities decided that these buildings were not safe. now, authorities say this was just a precaution, but residents were told they may not be able to return home for up to four weeks while fire safety standards are improved. residents form around 600 apartments were affected. they were seen leaving late last night with the few possessions they were able to pack up in a hurry. these are people on lower incomes who depend on state housing, so many don't have a lot of options. they were only offered a mattress on the floor at a nearby gym. some then opted to stay in their homes, but local officials insist these buildings are not safe to sleep in. now, why? well, fire safety inspectors say the main concern is that the

external cladding on these buildings isn't fire resistant. now, they also found problems inside with fire doors and gas pipes. and local officials, local government officials have urgently been checking similar apartment blocks in the area and across the country. the prime minister saying that authorities are acting fast now to try to avoid another tragedy like grenfell. now, of course, you remember it was ten days ago that at least 79 people died in this fire in this high-rise building in west london. now, that fire spread with horrifying speed. you remember those pictures, people trapped as they'd been sleeping in their apartments on the higher floors. now, since then it's now suspected that the material which covered this building was not fireproof, and that did contribute to the intensity of that fire. and so much so that the police now saying they are considering

a manslaughter investigation and possible criminal charges if this proves to be a banned material which was knowingly used. now, it's also interesting, gillian, that the government today says that 34 buildings have now been inspected in recent days and been proved not to be up to the usual fire safety standards. so, certainly, these are nervous times for people living in similar high-rise buildings around the country. gillian: thanks for that reporting, kitty. kelly: president trump is questioning the ability of special counsel robert mueller to be fair and impartial in his investigation to possible ties between moscow and members of the trump campaign. now, the president is bringing up the fact that mueller is close friends with former fbi director james comey who was fired by mr.-- president trump last month the fact that mueller's term includes several

democrats. -- team includes several democrats. listen. >> he's very, very good friends with comey which is very bothersome. i can say that the people that have been hired are all hillary clinton supporters. some of them worked for hillary clinton. i mean, the whole thing is ridiculous, if you want to know the truth, from that instant poind. but robert mueller's an honorable man and hopefully he'll come up with an honorable solution. kelly: so does the president have a point? joining me now is eric beach, co-chair of the pro-trump pac great american alliance, also joe trippi, former campaign manager for howard dean and a fox news contributor. bear with me one minute as we unpack all of this. we know that special counsel mueller's investigation focuses on possible collusion between the trump campaign and russia. also it is reports that mueller will focus on whether the president obstructed justice based on former fbi director james comey testifying that

president trump told him he hoped the fbi would end its probe of michael flynn, then national trump's first national security adviser. in the interview you just saw, the president said there's been no obstruction, the entire matter is bothersome, that comey and mueller are former friends. are they just that cozy that he should be concerned, joe? >> well, they're both former fbi directors, so they've obviously worked together in the past on law enforcement situations. but there's no one i think who believes they're exceptionally close. and the other thing is that you people need to remember that it was the president's appointed deputy attorney general, rosenstein, who appointed mueller. i mean, this was the administration's guy picked mueller, and donald trump was interviewing mueller and considering him for fbi director to replace comey. so at this point i think it'd be

better for the president to let this investigation go on, let the facts land where her, support the investigation and move on to being president of the united states; jobs, health care, the other things he wants to fight for and let this go. kelly: all right, joe. so, eric, the president has been stepping up his attacks, as you know, on mueller. and mueller is esteemed. he's highly regarded as being fair, as being a man of integrity. is there enough here that he should be concerned about mueller? >> well, i think there is -- i think he should. i mean, let's set the table, you know? james comey's own testimony before congress, you know, he had talked about leaking to "the new york times" really to set up this special prosecution. but independent counsels are supposed to be just that, independent. two things have occurred since mid may. you mentioned it was reported -- well, it was leaked to the washington post that administration officials and cia

officials were being interviewed by this team. and this team consists of not just, you know, democrats, but democrat people that have given and worked for hillary clinton. so, you know, we just want to make sure that this process is, you know, fair. we want to make sure that it's supposed to be impartial. this investigation has been going on since last june, and it's time really for us to move forward and really start talking about the agenda that the president ran on. kelly: well, eric, you're going to the point joe was making, and that is it's time for the president to move on, start governing, start being concerned about jobs. but, joe, a lot of people would say the president has tried to do that, but he's caught up by these distractions from what he would call the swamp. the swamp can be murky waters, as we've seen, it can mire and bog down any president if he's facing these kinds of distractions. >> that's true, but it's also true that the president tends to exacerbate that problem with some of his tweets and some of

the things he did including this tweet, i think. it's better for him to be talking about the things he's trying to get done for the people of the country and not look defensive in continuing to try to look like -- i mean, he tends to look like he's trying to stop or stall the investigation. it's not going to -- i mean, firing comey just put more gasoline on the fire. if he fires mueller, i would just expect more of the same. the smartest thing he said in that tweet -- or that he said in the interview, excuse me, was that mueller was a man of honor, honorable man, and he would hope he did the right thing. that's where -- that's the smartest thing he said in that interview, i think. kelly: eric, your response to that. >> i agree with joe. look, i don't think he's talking about firing mr. mueller, but doesn't mean he can't question the process. when you're doing an investigation, it needs to be independent, and you cannot have the notion that it can be really a witch hunt. i mean, we're coming out with an

ad next week talking about this may be a witch hunt. it's important to note that the justice department and the firm of which mr. mueller worked for combined had 95% plus contributions for democrat. this has been going on long enough, and the president is right to try to set the table, turn the table and really start talking about the agenda that he ran on. and this trump coalition wants those things to get done. kelly: i hear you loud can and clear. joe trippi, eric beach, thank you both for weighing in. >> thank you. kelly: i think i hear the common ground x it's time to move on. thank you, yes men. >> that's it. swril jill a man convicted in the notorious manson murders is up for parole. did california decide to free this man? we'll tell you coming up next. plus, nancy pelosi says she's not going anywhere despite some democrats calling for her to step down in the wake of recent election losses. can the democrats still win with her at the helm? we'll let you know.

>> i respect any opinion that my members have, but my decision about how long i stay is not up to them. i think i'm worth the trouble, frankly. ♪ ♪ way to say this. it's over. i've found a permanent escape from monotony. together, we are perfectly balanced. our senses awake. our hearts racing as one. i know this is sudden, but they say...if you love something set it free. see you around, giulia to f...nerve pain shoots and burns its way into your day... ...i hear you. when that pain makes simple errands simply unbearable... ...i hear you. i hear you because my dad struggled with this pain. make sure your doctor hears you too. so folks, don't wait. step on up. and talk to your doctor. because you have places to go...

...and people who can't wait for you to get there. if you have diabetes and burning, shooting pain in your feet or hands... step on up and talk to your doctor today.

whuuuuuat?rtgage offer from the bank today. you never just get one offer. go to lendingtree.com and shop multiple loan offers for free! free? yeah. could save thousands. you should probably buy me dinner. no. go to lendingtree.com for a new home loan or refinance. receive up to five free offers

and choose the loan that's right for you. our average customer could lower their monthly bills by over three hundred dollars. go to lendingtree.com right now.

♪ ♪ kelly: and welcome back. california governor jerry brown blocking parole for convicted killer and charles manson follower bruce davis. it's the fifth time davis has been recommended for parole only to have it blocked by the governor. davis is serving a life sentence for the 1969 slayings of musician gary hinman and stuntman donald shay. gillian: house minority leader nancy pelosi is used to taking heat from republicans, but now she's feeling it from some fellow democrats too. they're blaming her for a string of special election losses, most recently in georgia. these dems say new leadership is needed, but pelosi says she plans to stay put.

>> have your fun. i love the arena. i thrive on competition. i feel very confident in the support that i have in my caucus. i respect any opinion that my members have, but my decision about how long i stay is not up to them. i think i'm worth the trouble, quite frankly. gillian: that sentiment not shared by her create ins in the party who say pelosi needs to do some, quote, soul searching. >> what i really think is that leader pelosi, looking forward to the 2018 election, has to ask herself this question: do i help democrats win swing districts, which we need to win in 2018, or do i not? and have an honest dialogue with herself. and i just, i think the answer's obvious. melissa: and the answer, obviously, is she should go? >> oh, i think that if we we are going to win, if we're going to regain the majority in 2018, we have to have new leadership.

gillian: i'm joined by the white house correspondent for the hill. good afternoon, jordan. >> thanks for having me. gillian: do you think that it's time for nancy pelosi to step down? is 14 years at the helm of the democrats in the house enough, or -- as some others will say -- is now, is now the time when her leadership is needed more than ever in the wake of the general election loss? when president trump won? >> well, the attacks against nancy pelosi, especially in that georgia special election we saw on tuesday were very effective against the candidate down there on the democratic side, jon ossoff. the republican nominee, karen handel, tied him close to pelosi, and those attacks seemed to be resonant. that being said, it's going to be difficult for house republicans -- excuse me, house democrats to replace her. this has been tried before. tim ryan, the ohio congressman,

tried to run against her is and didn't really succeed. she's got a very powerful grip on the house democratic i caucus, and there's going to have to be another leader, some up and comer that people rally around to challenge her. if that doesn't happen, she's going to hold onto power. gillian: i think part of reason he has this incredibly strong grip on the caucus, as you mentioned, is because she's known for being quite a powerhouse fundraiser. this has been something that's been through from 2003 through today. her critics will say it's not enough to get democrats through the 2018 or 2020 elections. what do you think about that? >> well, i think, you know, the leadership, you know, gap in the democratic party is evident. there hasn't been a lot of movement at the top of the house democratic caucus. you have had pelosi and steny hoyer and james clyburn there for quite a long time, and there's been young members who have actually left the chamber -- can i'm thinking

about chris van hollen of maryland and javier becerra of california -- who were thought to be up and comers, and they actually left the house because they didn't have that chance to move up the ladder. that being said, the democratic party needs to address a message, how to put up competitive candidates in some of these swing districts. it's not just pelosi. if they get rid of pelosi, that's not the silver bullet. they'll need to do more to be competitive in 2018. gillian: that's a criticism i think we've been hearing ad nauseam since the general election; that the platform is stale, the messaging has not been what it should be in the presidential election and now in these special elections that we're seeing. do you think the recent defeat of jonathan ossoff in georgia is more a reflection of increasing support for president trump or more of a reflection of nancy pelosi and the democratic party writ large? >> i want to put the loss into perspective, this was a solid

republican district that ossoff only lost by four points. the problems are valid, but there's concerns for republicans that a democratic candidate -- albeit one that was heavily backed by a lot of money -- was able to compete that closely in that sort of district. and in south carolina we saw the same thing with candidate who wasn't, didn't have the full support of the national democratic machine. so there's things for republicans to worry about. on the other hand, look, what it comes down to is having a message and picking good candidates for democrats. pelosi's part of the problem, but there's oh -- other things as well. gillian: do you think it's fair to say that one of the takeaways from the special election in georgia and maybe a reflection of nancy pelosi too that right now in the 21st century money is not everything as we all believed it was? meaning you can raise $23 million for a house seat, but it doesn't mean that you're going to be able to buy the seat. do you think that's a fair thing to say, and should we sort of be

end couraged by that? meaning i'd like to see a race to the bottom and see people raise less money for these campaigns, quite frankly. >> yeah. i think it shows that money isn't everything. you know, ossoff was criticized for not living in the district proper. so there were some problems with him as a candidate that were exposed by karen handel and the republicans. so what it shows, again, is that candidates matter. picking good candidates who are solid and are going to be impervious to those kind of attacks to win in these swing districts matter for democrats. again, this goes back to recruitment, this goes back to messaging. so money is part of it, but it's clearly not the whole ball game. july jill i want to let you take a listen to what president trump had to say about nancy pelosi and what he thinks about her position as leader of the house democratic caucus right now. >> i hope she doesn't step down. i think that it would be a very, very sad day for republicans if she steps down.

i'd like to keep her right where she is, because our record is extraordinary against her. but with we'll see what happens. gillian: what do you make of that? >> well, clearly some bravado from the president there. but let's not forget that, you know, in 2006 nancy pelosi presided over a democratic party that, you know, had a huge gains in the house and swept republicans out of power. and she's been able to really martial votes effectively, although that doesn't -- it's not as relevant at this point because they don't have the majority, but she's been an expert vote counter. she's won house majorities before. so although this was a tough week for nancy pelosi, i wouldn't count her out by any means. gillian: jordan, thanks so much for sharing your perspective with us. kelly: a former steel town many western pennsylvania now hoping a new industry, a formerly illegal industry, will provide the town with an economic boost. the natural remedy they're turning to, next. ♪

♪ anything keep you sidelined. that's why you drink ensure. with 9 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. for the strength and energy to get back to doing... ...what you love. ensure. always be you.

when a fire destroyedwith us everything in our living room. we replaced it all without touching our savings. yeah, our insurance won't do that. no. you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance.

♪ ♪ kelly: got to check this story out. a once-booming steel town is now looking toward the future, hoping a more modern industry -- medical marijuana -- will help

revitalize the city's economy. bryan llenas is live in new york city with details about this interesting story. >> reporter: rust belt communities in the state like braddock are hoping to win a coveted permit allowing them to open up medical marijuana facilities. >> braddock had really kind of hit the bottom in terms of 90% of its populations were gone. none of the playgrounds were open, and it was considered a violent place that you avoided. >> reporter: once a booming steel town, it's been a bankrupt or act 47 municipality since 1988. mayor john fetterman believes opening a medical marijuana facility would bring back jobs and help revive the troubled town. >> medical marijuana could provide enough financial assistance to pull us out of act 47. it could create a magnet kind of business that would bring in other support businesses. it would put us on the map. >> reporter: now, pennsylvania awarded its first dozen permits this week.

unfortunately, braddock was not chosen. they hope to be next. as for proof that medical marijuana could actually work in helping these communities, look no further than smith's falls, canada, which turned its abandoned hershey's chocolate factory boo a medical marijuana facility. >> we recognized we had to be open to new ideas if we're going to try and transform the future of this community. >> reporter: the town of 9,000 lost 600 jobs when her. >> hi's chocolate moved to mexico. >> reporter: all right, kelly, back to you. kelly: thank you, sir. that will do it for us. the news continues with james rosen and arthel neville. good of you to be with us. gillian: thanks for being with us. kelly: and i'll see you at seven for the fox report.

if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture... i can tell you prolia® is proven to help protect bones from fracture. but the real proof? my doctor said prolia® helped my bones get stronger. are your bones getting stronger? do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions, like low blood pressure; trouble breathing; throat tightness; face, lip, or tongue swelling; rash; itching or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen, or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. speak to your doctor before stopping prolia®, as spine and other bone fractures have occurred. prolia® can cause serious side effects, like low blood calcium; serious infections, which could need hospitalization skin problems; and severe bone, joint or muscle pain.

only prolia® helps strengthen and protect bones with 2 shots a year. i have proof prolia® works for me. ask your doctor about prolia® today. swhen it comes to molding young minds, nobody does it better. she also builds her own fighting robots. destroy. but when it comes to mortgages, she's less confident. fortunately for sarah, there's rocket mortgage by quicken loans. it's simple, so she can understand the details and be sure she's getting the right mortgage. apply simply. understand fully. mortgage confidently.

elusive. shrewd. cancer. is. smart. it pushes us. we push back. we even push each other. to challenge conventional thinking. find smarter solutions. that's what makes us one of the leaders in precision cancer treatment. forging ahead with technology that wasn't available to cancer patients just a short time ago. like advanced genomic testing. a diagnostic tool that lets us see cancer at the molecular level. then helps us find different ways to target it. and immunotherapy, a treatment that actually makes your immune system smarter. trains it to attack the cancer in your body. this is what we live for. giving our patients compassionate care by offering them more precise and less invasive treatment options than before.

that's what makes us cancer treatment centers of america. we're not just fighting cancer anymore. we're outsmarting it. the evolution of cancer care is here. ♪ ♪ arthel: hello, everyone. president trump issuing a strong charge against his predecessor, tweeting that former president obama knew, quote, far in advance about russia's election meddling and yet did nothing about it. hello, everyone, welcome the a brand -- to a brand new hour, i'm arthel neville. jamie: i'm james rosen, great to be with you, arthel. the president responding to a washington post or report that mr. obama was aware of moscow's interference for months but failed to take swift action. kristin fisher is live now at the white house. good evening, kristin. >> reporter: today president