>> trace adkins. >> this is a song called "watered down." >> shannon: the leaks just keep on coming. the latest special counsel robert mueller picking a grand jury. news comes as president trump fires up a big crowd in coal country and dismisses the investigation as a waste of time. good morning. ifm owe shannon bream live in "america's newsroom" from washington, d.c. hello to you, leland. >> i'm sure they miss you. i'm leland vit ar. new leaks releasing robert mueller will subpoena documents as he investigates russia's

involvement in the election. president trump blasted the investigation calling it a fake excuse from democrats. >> most people know there were no russians in our campaign. there never were. we didn't win because of russia, we won because of you. that i can tell you. [cheering and applause] we won because we totally out worked the other side. we won because millions of patriotic americans voted to take back their country. >> we're awaiting a big announcement from attorney general jeff sessions who will hold a news conference two hours from now about a crackdown on leaks within the trump administration. john roberts on the north lawn of the white house with more. hi, john. >> at that event last night in huntington, west virginia the president didn't mention anything about the fact the

special counsel robert mueller has emotion paneled a brand jury or according to some reports subpoenas have been issued to appear before the grand jury or provide documents to the grand jury in connection to the meeting the president's son had with the russian attorney veselnitskaya in 2016. ty cobb did weigh in yesterday in a statement to fox news saying grand jury matters are typically secret. the white house favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of robert mueller's work fairly and willfuly cooperate with mr. mueller. the president took a shot at the overall investigation repeating for the thousands of people. thousands last night in huntington, west virginia the mantra that the whole thing is a witch hunt. >> president trump: the russia story is a total fabrication. it is just an excuse for the

greatest loss in the history of american politics. that's all it is. i just hope the final determination is a truly honest one, which is what the millions of people who gave us our big win in november deserve and what all americans who want a better future want and deserve. >> we don't know at this point if anyone who was involved in the june 2016 trump tower meeting has received a subpoena. we contacted representatives for paul manafort they wouldn't say letting they'll let robert mueller make an announcement. kushner has already appeared to give an interview to the senate intelligence committee. manafort has been providing documents to the senate judiciary committee to avoid a

subpoena. he and donald trump junior are supposed to appear sometime in september before the judiciary, there appears at least on the surface, very little concern about the fact that robert mueller is working with a grand jury. >> we have the new report about a new grand jury. earlier we had heard there was a grand jury to investigate former national security advisor michael flynn. why two issues that are pretty connected? >> the grand jury looking into flynn was already in place and looking into that before robert mueller was appointed special counsel. that grand jury also is in alexandria. today traffic was good, they know getting from downtown d.c. to alexandria and back on a regular basis can be a arduous task. robert mueller is using a grand jury already sitting so he

didn't get a special grand jury but an indication that this investigation is in its early stages and likely will go on for some time. >> all right. john roberts on the north lawn of the white house. john, thank you. shannon. >> shannon: turning now to capitol hill where senators are leaving. a lot left for their august recess. a lot of unfinished business left behind. before heading home senators unveiled two different bipartisan bills aimed at protecting special counsel robert mueller in the event the president wants to get rid of him. joining me to talk about this and more politics editor chris stirewalt live and in person. happy friday. >> i feel like we were just in new york together just yesterday. >> shannon: yes, we've now migrated south. temporarily for the summer. let's talk about who else has migrated out of here. there are tumble weeds at the capitol behind me. >> there is a lot of stuff waiting for them. people get frustrated because

they say i work -- how come you are taking the month off, you guys, you jerks, why are you leaving town and out of here? they're going to go sip -- life for a united states senator in 2017 is heinous. the public hates them. they hate their colleagues. and the amount of emotion any tee and strife and hard choices. be generous of spirit with these people. the choices they're facing when they come back and how bad it s it will be -- >> shannon: some of them will travel and spend time with families like we like to do. when they're home they get an earful from their constituents and people picketing their offices. >> they're already running for 2018. they have to raise money, hold events. do those things. >> shannon: the money raising never stops. the new poll that's out do you approve of the way congress is

handling its job? 10% approve, 84% disapprove. you and i know you ask people about their specific member they like them but hate congress. >> i hate those guys. my guy is okay. we have a 95% retention rate. people like to complain about lawmakers and congress but then they say oh, but senator bream is great. she is lovely. i met her at a barbecue. >> shannon: i like barbecues. there are many different kinds. let's talk about the fact the president had folks fired up in west virginia last night. it was a rip-roaring good time for the folks who were there. if you watch the people behind him they were very entertaining. they were super excited and to that point here is what charles krauthammer says about the democrats trying to take them out to take over the house and impeach him how tough it would be on the country and he still has plenty of people out there who are big fans.

>> you don't remove him from office and that's where i'm afraid we're headed given the forces that are surrounding the president. i just hope that cooler heads prevail. there will be another election, people can make their choices. i think this appearance that he did in west virginia tonight is a way of saying my numbers may be down, but i command a formidable army. >> shannon: how about getting him out of d.c. versus him taking the mainstream media out there with him to see it. >> i don't think there is any danger of the establishment press learning the right lessons about appalachian and west virginia. as one publication took a bus tour across the united states like we were turtles to look at us, look at these hillbillies.

they're out there living their lives. i don't think there is danger of teaching them lessons. it is helpful for trump because his numbers are down. he is in enormous trouble. he has a special counsel with a grand jury, evidence is stacking up that there will be serious consequences for some people around him and this is a tough spot to be in. legislative agenda is stalled. good news for the country. you saw the jobs numbers this morning. very good. gdp going back up. there is good news for him. his situation is dire in a lot of ways. you take him out there and he feels better. trust me when i say victory in west virginia in 2020 is assured. he does not need to worry about. as a guy behind him in the red hat. >> shannon: the black t-shirt was so animated last night. >> like he is at a concert and his victory in west virginia is assured. he is leaving for a long

vacation. >> shannon: working vacation. always working. >> just as my point, partisans should never complain about the other guy's president taking a vacation because we want the president rested and ready, not freaked out, panicking all the time. go play golf and enjoy yourself and have fun. >> shannon: you and i barbecue later. thanks, chris. we'll have a lot more on robert mueller, the russia investigation and that coming up. south carolina senator has to know about barbecue. he will join us live and explain the new bill. >> a fox news alert. two u.s. service members have been wounded in an attack on nato forces in afghanistan. troops in the country of georgia were also targeted in the bombing. one was killed, three others wounded. georgia is not a nato member yet but wants to be. two civilians were killed and seven others wounded in the

blast. an afghan interpreter was injured. afghan officials say the taliban is to blame coming one day after two u.s. soldiers were killed in afghanistan. they have now been identified as sergeant jonathan hunter of indiana and specialist christopher harris of north carolina. a vehicle packed with explosives struck their convoy. they were paratroopers on their first deployment. more on strategy in afghanistan a little later. >> shannon: coming up more than 40 floors up in flames in one of the world's tallest residential towers. the efforts underway to put this massive fire out for good. >> critics call it the scandal no one is talking about. the arrest of a dnc staffer with ties to congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz, a new op-ed claims some in the media are burying the story. our panel with that next. >> shannon: president trump

promised a major announcement in his west virginia rally. the state's democratic governor saying he is switching parties himself. sean duffy weighs in next. >> he has a backbone. he has real ideas. he has made us as common, everyday americans feel good and be proud of who we are. s. build attendance for an event. help people find their way. fastsigns designed new directional signage. and got them back on track. get started at fastsigns.com. and got them back on track. at the lexus golden opportunity tesales event before it ends. choose from the is turbo, es 350 or nx turbo for $299 a month for 36 months if you lease now. experience amazing at your lexus dealer. hundreds of dollars on youmy car insurance. saved me

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>> today i will tell you with lots of prayers and lots of thinking, today i'll tell you as west virginiaians, i can't help you anymore being a democrat governor so tomorrow i'll be changing my registration to republican. >> it was promised by the president and there it was, a major announcement from the governor of west virginia at the trump rally last night. governor jim justice said he feels the democratic party has walked away from him and it is time to make a change. he also praised the president for making everyday americans feel proud. joining us now another proud american congressman sean duffy from the great state of wisconsin. a state that turned red on election day. good to see you, sir. >> good morning, leland. >> you listen to president trump in that speech and you

listen to the governor, president trump has really inherited franklin roosevelt's new deal coalition. is he also changing what it means to be a capital r republican? >> donald trump, absolutely. he has gone back to the idea i'm fighting for the average, everyday american. you now see the democrat party rotting through the middle part of america because you have these latte sipping liberals on each coast promoting policies that crush middle income americans in middle america. the keystone pipeline, coal, regulations based on climate change that gut our jobs. we now have a president who will support industries and ideas that support our families. and that's why i think you saw the governor in west virginia, governor justice going listen, i can't be part of the democratic party anymore. they left me, i didn't leave them. i have to go to a party that will support the people i represent which is donald trump. you watch the rally last night

and it was amazing. it wasn't just about coal that excited the base. it was all the other issues that donald trump is fighting on. look at healthcare. the democrats gave us obamacare and they sit on the sidelines as premiums are skyrocketing and they don't lift a finger to fix it. as middle americans are getting crushed i think most people sit back at home and go what is going on here that democrats left me with horrible healthcare and they don't help fix it? >> the latte sipping liberals who don't like donald trump and a lot of very conservative republicans who don't really view him as conservative enough. there seems to be now this big middle that president trump is talking to as you point out pulling a lot of democrats from the heartland and appalachian but conservative republicans feel abandoned by their party. >> we have a few latte sipping republicans as well, leland.

here is what i think is interesting. they might not the republicans who don't like trump might not like his tweets or the language he uses and he might make political mistakes in the things he says. as a conservative whether you look at pushing back on healthcare, reducing government regulations, taxes, securing the border, crushing isis, building our military, a pro-life president. all those things that me as a conservative have been fighting for in congress donald trump is fighting with me. this is the first time probably since ronald reagan i've had a conservative president who embodies my ideas as a conservatives. if you can take the tweets and some mistakes and look at the policies, this guy is great for conservatism and great for middle america and great for american jobs. so i think people will start to -- if he has more successes with the congress. congress has to start to move. if that happens. >> i'm getting to that point. the only person in washington

with a lower approval rating than president trump is congress itself. right now you guys are at 10%. paul ryan in wisconsin talking yesterday about promising to do tax reform in september. why is it with a republican house, republican senate and a republican white house you guys can't seem to get these things done? >> listen, i have to tell you, it's frustrating. what has to happen, this is more of a senate problem and a filibuster problem in the senate. we should be doing wholesale healthcare reform. >> i understand blaming the senate but the house had a horrifically difficult job getting healthcare pushed through, big questions as to whether that would even taken up with the senate. >> we got it done. healthcare is complicated. it took democrats a year to do it. we did it in four months. come on, we have a great bill done and able to work together. growing pains in the house but we accomplished the end goal.

the senate has to get their work done. as a congressman and american i'm frustrated that the senate can't act and democrats aren't participating in helping fix healthcare. if you can get rid of the filibuster rule you can do wholesale reform. a good thing. americans are frustrated to your point, i've given you everything and you guys made promises and now you aren't keeping them. what has to happen, leland, is republicans have to grow a backbone and be as tough as donald trump and know the left wing media will attack them. if you pass good bills he will be reelected. good politics is good politics. >> we'll see if that helps the 10% number. appreciate it congressman, thank you. >> shannon: americans are bracing for more sticker shock under obamacare. one state getting hit with rate highs at 43%. good news to the trump administration with the job report. we'll break down the numbers as the president looks to keep the

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comcast business is different. ♪ ♪ we deliver super-fast internet with speeds of 250 megabits per second across our entire network, to more companies, in more locations, than centurylink. we do business where you do business. ♪ ♪ >> president trump: we all know there are millions of people out there we love. forgotten men and women and they're looking for jobs and they'll have them because i have factories coming back into this country. you've seen that. they're coming back. >> president trump touting the economy last night and new job numbers are backing him up this morning. the labor department reporting that the u.s. added 209,000 jobs last month, the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.3%.

wall street futures are up on this. the so-called real unemployment rate including the underemotion employed is double that. 8.6%. excellent job numbers released and i've only just begun. many job stifling regulations continue to fall. movement back to usa. the unemployment rate matching a 16-year low that was first hit as you might remember back -- >> shannon: americans bracing for major rate hikes under obamacare. customers in illinois could end up paying up to 43% more next year for their plans and that, of course, is on top of big increases last year. we have more on the story from chicago. good morning, matt. >> good morning, shannon. we spoke to a small business owner in chicagoland who owns a coffee company and he says another whopping rate increase is something no small business can bear. and then individual obamacare users who pay for themselves or

their families say they keep paying more while getting less. >> if we had more cost we better have the choice. it's the worst of both worlds. less choice and more costs. >> it's not a question of whether to provide it, it's a question of how to pay for it. 30 to 40 percent increases is massive. >> the new proposed rates for obamacare were released for the center for medicare and medicaid services, the agency that operates healthcare.gov. it projects rate increases up to 43% in illinois next year and this state is not alone. consumers in 39 healthcare.gov states have seen individual market insurance premium increases by more than 100% since the obamacare roll-out in 2013. insurance providers here in illinois say the rates are going up for a few reasons. there is a high usage rates. lots of people are using it filing big claims. uncertainty from washington

no repeal or replace and the president ending the federal subsidies and rise in healthcare and prescription costs. the department of insurance in illinois there is no question major flaws in the affordable care act have caused insurance rates to go higher. however, they say there is some good news. that is that next year's increase might not be as much as last year's and people in illinois have a few different insurance providers to choose from, shannon. >> shannon: a lot of places that's not the case. so it's a bit of good news. thank you so much. >> a towering inferno lighting up the night sky. fire en guflg one of the world's tallest apartment buildings. how people got out. plus talking about it for a while as is the president. leaks, leaks and more leaks. about 90 minutes from now attorney general jeff sessions with a news conference addressing the constant leaking

in the trump administration. all this as president trump pushes back against the russian narrative. >> president trump: are there any russians here tonight? any russians? they can't beat us at the voting booths, so they are trying to cheat you out of the future and the future that you want. vered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. the name to remember.

>> firefighters in dubai fire that torched 40 floors of an 86 story apartment building is finally now under control. it took a while, john is following the latest from our mideast bureau. hi, john. >> it took about two hours to battle this fire. there have been no reports of any injuries which is amazing when you look at this fire and the extent and scope of it. again, dramatic video basically the whole side of it engulfed in flames. dubai fire officials say the

torched tower in the dubai marina a point of interest and iconic place because of the history and size of the tower. one of the tallest in the world. it fire around 1:00 this morning and 40 floors on one side of the building were engulfed in flames. as i said taking two hours to battle. everyone inside was able to escape safely within according to some about 10 minutes thanks to the so-called smoke-free, fire-freest cape exits the massive skyscrapers in dubai have. the second time in two years the torch tower has caught fire. another one back in february of 2015 caused extensive damage that parts of the building were still undergoing restoration work because of that fire when this one again broke out this morning. clearly there are questions about not only how the building caught fire yet again. that's under investigation but why it spread so quickly as

well. back in 2015, fire officials blame the building's flammable clading. that seems to be a recurrent problem in dubai. the address downtown dubai hotel in new year's 2016 that erupted because of an electrical failure. the whole side of that building went up, again because of the exterior clading. that's something that officials will look at. no one was injured, the streets have reopened despite this dramatic footage that we saw this morning. >> good news indeed compared to the catastrophe in london a couple of months ago. john is in jerusalem. thanks. >> shannon: attorney general jeff sessions set to crack down on government leaks. this morning's announcement is at 11:00 a.m. eastern after a flurry of leaks that rocked washington including a report that special counsel robert

mueller impaneled a grand jury probe. president trump saying the entire investigation is built on a lie. >> president trump: they're trying to cheat you out of the leadership you want with a fake story that is demeaning to all of us. i just hope the final determination is a truly honest one, which is what the millions of people who gave us our big win in november deserve and what all americans who want a better future want and deserve. >> shannon: let's bring in zac petkanas, a dnc advisor and rachel campos duffy. the attorney general says it's time to step up the prosecution and crack down. >> it is unseemly what is happening at the white house

right now to have people there that are leaking information, that are talking to each of you to try to have their public policy implemented because they are getting you to argue on their behalf. we know it's happening. these people should be fired, they should be out of government. they're disloyal to our government and i hope that's what's going to happen. >> shannon: we're talking about within the intelligence community, too. that's what really concerns people across the ideological spectrum. >> certainly the issue of leaks is an issue but let's be clear. the white house is not distinguishing between national security leaks and leaks that are inconvenient to them politically. i'm certainly concerned about the leaks but i'm more concerned about the content of the leaks that is coming out. we have learned most of what we know about the potential collusion with the russian government because of these leaks. that is the reason we know that the investigation is so far

along and so serious. and it turns out these leaks are inconvenient for the white house but also being proven true again and again and again especially when it comes to the russia collusion scandal. >> shannon: what we're hearing that democrats and republicans say they've seen no hard evidence of collusion. plenty of leaks and some dealing with nationally sensitive security information. and it sounds like today what jeff sessions will be talking about is potentially criminal liability. >> yeah, this is why people were so excited about general kelly coming in. they want somebody that finally puts an end to these leaks. they're damaging. i think they're bordering on -- americans are also looking at mueller and going in all of america we can't find one person who isn't a good friend of the star witness comey?

i think that people are really concerned. they're looking at the people on the grand jury, too, and saying eight have given to democrat donors, the other eight haven't. maybe if you had eight that gave to democratic donors, eight who gave to republican donors you could say okay. it just seems like this is rigged. this is why donald trump won the election. he has very effective on the stump in sort of putting some questions into the legitimacy. >> shannon: one of the things he brought up last night is why prosecutors aren't looking at hillary clinton's 33,000 deleted emails and a great applause line for him. it was last night. >> the reason they're not looking at it now the f.b.i. did look at it and decided nothing wrong happened. to your point about the white house strategy about going after robert mueller, let's remember it's trumps own lawyer who said that he is doing a good job and believes he can conduct a fair investigation.

not some sort of willy-nilly attack. this is his own lawyer saying he is conducting a good investigation. >> the average person in america first of all doesn't think russia -- i live in the midwest and i talk to a lot of people. they don't think russia is a big deal. common sense would tell you it's the judge or prosecutor is best friends with one of the star witnesses it looks shady. it doesn't matter what the president's lawyer says or how many insiders and deep staters in washington think that mueller is a great guy. it doesn't look right. >> shannon: i want to get to the other story and have you weigh in as well. debbie wasserman schultz who headed up the dnc very prominent democratic congresswoman and i.t. staffer that was stopped leaving the country after what authorities have said was a fraudulent bank loan and wiring money back to pakistan. he and family members for years have been on the payroll for a number of congressmen and women and eventually were accused of all kinds of things. accessing information, they were blocked from being able to

perform i.t. and still getting paid on the hill. so now there are new questions about this. in a piece in the "wall street journal" the scandal everyone is ignoring. based on what we know the aman story at the very least a tale of massive government incompetence, allowed a family of swindlers to bilk taxpayers out of millions. house democrats would be forced to step down in a more accountable world. this is a gop member of congress and russian nationals, if that was the case these would be getting more headlines. >> if it was russian nationals it would be a question of a larger conspiracy. this is serious and make sure we look into it and it leads to a larger point. our knowledge about cybersecurity and the fact that

we don't take cybersecurity very seriously is a very big problem and need a top to bottom review to make sure all of our information and security is secured not only in congress but in the white house and across the administration. >> shannon: after these allegations surfaced in february this guy stayed on her payroll. >> he wasn't just given an i.t. salary. he was getting paid $160,000. almost as much as a congressman. the highest ranked chief of staff. i think this is a case of the liberal media protecting liberal politicians. it's a story not just about i.t. and all that stuff. it is also about corruption and i think had this been reince priebus, the chairman of the republican party and not debbie wasserman schultz, the chairman of the democrat party, this would become a big conspiracy web not just about corruption but they would somehow find a

way to tie it to something else. this looks really, really bad and it makes the media look bad because they aren't giving it the attention it deserves. >> shannon: we have plenty to talk about. washington is keeping us busy these days. thank you for weighing in. >> more wild weather rocking parts of the west coast. first it was record heat, now torrential rain causing dangerous flash flooding. and what will president trump decide to do in afghanistan? a look at the options on the table as he decides on a new strategy after 16 years of war and a string of deadly attacks in that nation. but first, south carolina senator lindsey graham. >> if you don't listen to the generals and you try to make this up as you go as obama and biden did, you will wind up losing afghanistan like we did iraq and the consequences to america are worse.

>> shannon: the navy has called off a search for a missing

sailor in the south china sea. the lieutenant was reported overboard tuesday on the uss stegt am. it was west of its base in the philippines. crews scoured the ocean or three days covering 10,000 nautical miles. the navy is conducting an investigation into the sailor's disappearance. >> isis is claiming responsibility for more attacks inside afghanistan including one earlier this week that killed two u.s. service members. it all comes as president trump is weighing his options for a way forward that could include sending more troops or pulling the remaining american forces out. the wall street journal editorial board is arguing against pulling out saying it's the wrong move. writing quote, walking away from afghanistan or overruling his generals to satisfy the isolationism of his political base would show that he is more like barack obama than he, meaning the president, would like to admit.

joining us now michael waltz. former green beret and fox news contributor. it's interesting. it seemed as though secretary mattis was so close to getting an extra 5,000 or so troops. do you understand where the pullback idea from the president is now coming? >> look, i think the "wall street journal" article was right in that it's playing to this isolationist strand not only with the president but within the republican party. it's easy to say hey, we've been there way too long, it has cost us way too much let's get out and pull the troops home. but i cannot understate how much of a mistake that would be. just pulling everybody out. >> is that the same lesson we learned in iraq. pulling them out and fulfilling that campaign promise from president obama was a mistake. >> absolutely. if we pull out, leland, al

qaeda will reconstitute. isis will reconstitute and do it in the wake of taliban gains and faced with an islamic state in afghanistan that not only can threat en the united states again but importantly it will destabilize pakistan next door with ten times the population of iraq and with nuclear weapons. i think president trump risks being to afghanistan what obama was to iraq in terms of completely giving away our gains and giving rise to an islamic state. it would be far, far, far worse of a mistake. we need to stay engaged with the afghan government who are our allies. it will be a low level of support over a long period of time much like we did with the columbian government. >> you talk about a low level of support, islamic government. the taliban is what everyone knew was an islamic government

before 9/11. 16 years now that america has been at war. we've lost american soldiers in yemen, in afghanistan, in syria, in iraq and somalia. the two who were just killed in afghanistan. do americans need to get used to this idea that we're going to send our boys overseas to countries far, far away and lose them on a continual basis? >> look, i think the american people need to hear from our leadership and from our commander-in-chief that we're engaged in an global war against islamic extremism and these new battlefields, whether it's iraq, afghanistan, or yemen much like germany and columbia were against communism. we're fighting an ideas. ideas are difficult to kill. it is not like bombing a tank

like we did in desert storm against iraq. >> appreciate your time. thanks as always. >> shannon: check this out. incredible video coming in showing a car tangled and hanging from power lines. how the mother behind the wheel and her children ended up sticking up in the air like that as you see on your screen. severe weather in the west. floodwaters nearly washing out train tracks. we'll take a look at the damage coming up. >> my legs are shaking at that point. we can't go nowhere. so i'm like what is it to do? i started to ask the people that was outside the policemen and everybody. what are we going to do? in 24 h. my insurance company definitely doesn't have that... you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you™ liberty mutual insurance.

>> a connecticut mother and her two children rescued after a bizarre accident. she says she was driving when a

sudden storm hit the area and this is the result. a telephone pole snapped near the road and before she knew it, the car was tangled in the pole's support wires which lifted the car's nose off the ground. the family was stuck there balancing on the rear bumper for 45 minutes. firefighters finally came and helped get them down. thankfully out of all that nobody hurt. >> shannon: wow. that's unbelievable. glad they're safe. a powerful thunderstorm strikes california sparking flash flooding in a los angeles suburb. check it out. cameras rolling as drivers were rescued from their swamped vehicles. even a train was brought to a complete halt and evacuated when the raging waters threatened to wash out a part of the tracks. jonathan hunt is live in los angeles. what happened with that train? >> some frightening moments for the passengers on board that metrolink train northeast of

downtown l.a. in a town called acton. the rainwaters which came down so suddenly washed away ground around the tracks. the train itself wasn't stuck in water it couldn't move forward because they were worried about the stability of those tracks. for those on board, it was pretty disturbing. listen here. >> it was tilting. and it was scary. >> my legs are shaking now at that point because we can't go nowhere. so i'm like what is it to do? i started to ask people that was outside the policemen what's going on? >> and then there was this dude stuck on top of his pickup truck in the middle of raging waters. the one thing he was most concerned about, his skateboard. his helicopter rescuer gave him short shrift on that. threw it back into the truck and they carried that guy to

safety. we later saw him once the waters had receded a bit wading back to get his skateboard. nice to know he has priorities. fortunately it all ended well for him. >> shannon: jonathan, i understand this is not just california. it's more widespread all over the west. >> yeah, it really is. the pacific northwest which isn't used to wild heat is really getting hit right now. up in oregon it's been triple digit temperatures. they are very worried there and there is advice from paramedics. listen here. >> stay out of the sun. stay hydrated. try to be somewhere where there is a.c. or some kind of cooling mechanism. >> similar heat up in seattle it's pretty terrible there and oakland, california firefighters took time out of their day to spray water over some elephants. we have pictures of that but we

don't have time for them but it's cute. >> shannon: sounds like the sweetest thing we'll see today other than your face. thank you very much. >> just one hour away from attorney general jeff sessions and his much-anticipated news conference on leaking. recommend. it's the only leading brand clinically proven to soothe, moisturize, and freshen breath. try biotène®.

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>> shannon: the trump administration launching a major crackdown on leaks. attorney general jeff sessions will hold a news conference one hour from now to discuss the illegal release of classified material they say is threatening national security. welcome to a busy brand-new hour of "america's newsroom." i am in washington here on friday. i'm shannon bream. hi, leland. >> leland: hope everyone is having a great weekend. one more hour until the weekend. i'm in for bill hemmer. the white house taking aim at a flood of leaks, the latest one revealing new details of the russia investigation. president trump telling a huge crowd last night in west virginia it was american

voters, not russians, who sent him to the white house. >> president trump: we won because we totally outworked the other side. we won because millions of patriotic americans voted to take back their country. [cheering and applause] have you seen any russians in west virginia or ohio or pennsylvania? >> leland: doug mcelway live at the justice department. what can we expect from the attorney general and his men today? >> well, leland, in all likelihood we expect to see the department of of justice say it will crack down with stiffer penalties on those who leak potentially sensitive information like this. the potential cost of these kinds of leaks yesterday when the "washington post" published the transcripts of two presidential conversations that mr. trump had in the first week of his presidency, one with the president of mexico and the other one was the prime minister of australia the

following day. on the surface there appeared to be nothing of national security value in those calls beyond the embarrassment it caused the president. but kellyanne conway begs to differ. >> leaking the phone calls between our president and other heads of state is nothing short of a national disgrace. democratic senator from virginia mark warner agrees with that. he said so yesterday. >> what foreign head of state will want to speak openly and confidently with the president of the united states if he or she knows the transcript of those private conversations will be leaked to the press? legitimate point there, leland. >> leland: you've been in washington a long time. every administration, ever president and campaign has been plagued with leaks. does the stiffer penalty seem to be the right case? >> they test out various policy

proposals and things. nobody has ever stopped leaks in washington and why session cess may be opting for penalties on the back end. stiffer sentences for people who leak information with national security implications. here is what sessions told tucker carlson in el salvador. >> we're stepping up those cases. it can't continue. some people need to go to jail. if we can make cases they are going to jail. that will be our advocacy, which we have been working on before. and the president has every right to ask the department of justice to be more aggressive in that and we intend to. >> since the announcement of today's press conference there has been another leak, some call it a leak. the special prosecutor robert mueller has impaneled a grand jury to further investigate russian collusion. i got off the phone with a former u.s. attorney and asked him is that a leak? he said most courts have held

the release of information of the existence of a grand jury is not a leak. however, the release of information regarding the proceedings whether it be testimony or witness list would be highly illegal and as of yet i don't believe we've seen any of that. >> leland: doug mcelway outside the justice department. it's at 11:00 a.m. eastern with the attorney general. doug will be there and we'll bring it to you live right here. >> shannon: congressional republicans are heading out of town for their summer recess leaving the fate of obamacare up in the air along with a lot of other legislative loose ends. chris wallace, the host of fox news sunday joins us live. he knows every one of them. >> i know their names. >> shannon: you know the debt ceiling, tax reform, healthcare. >> repeal and replace. i was just talking to a top republican senator who said it will be very interesting to see

what happens to these republican senators when they go home and hold town meetings meeting with constituents because he said -- this is his quote -- they'll get their heads handed to them by their voters, their supporters who had heard for seven years if you give us a republican house and republican senate and republican president we'll repeal and replace obamacare and they go home now in august six months into this new presidency, this new congress having accomplished nothing in that regard. >> shannon: a lot of smaller things have gotten done things dealing with veterans affairs that are doing well with the economy. the big legislative win they're still waiting on. there are plenty of people in washington who don't want the president to succeed. not all on the same side of the aisle. a little bit of what dr. krauthammer had to say about that. >> you've got a political establishment, mostly democratic, but there are some republicans, who would like to see him taken out of office.

i think that would be a catastrophic mistake. when we people, the ones who have been abandoned, elect somebody relike and our guy gets taken out. i think he is unfit but it's not the grounds for removal. >> shannon: trump also talked about the democrats pushing hard. they want to retake the house for many reasons even though the minority leader told you it was important. one of the main reasons they would love to start impeachment proceedings. where do we go from here? >> i think impeachment is getting ahead of ourselves. you can be sure that if the democrats were to take back the house and nancy pelosi. she was saying was unimportant was not whether or not she takes back the house but whether she is the speaker. she would be the speaker, and there would be democratic chairs. house intel instead of nunez it would be adam schiff. you can be sure he would take his powers as chairman to

investigate donald trump and his administration and it would be true of every judiciary, house oversight and all the committees. the trump white house got hit hard with a republican congress they can't imagine it would be like with a democratic congress. >> shannon: let's talk about the fact we have a report there is another grand jury impaneled by robert mueller. here is what jay sekulow, one of the president's attorneys has to say where we stand now. >> in is not a surprise. the impaneling of a grand jury in situations like this in an investigation is typically how they move forward. it is really very much a standard operating procedure when you have a situation like this. but with respect to the impaneling of the grand jury, we have no reason to believe the president is under investigation here. >> shannon: it is a serious next step. >> i think that jay is putting very much the best face on this. the fact that they would first of all -- they already had a grand jury in alexandria,

virginia investigating mike flynn. they're impaneling a new grand jury brought up to speed on all these issues. it doesn't mean anybody will get indicted but means this investigation, when it comes to russian collusion, obstruction of justice, all those allegations, is just beginning and will go on for months if not years. it has subpoena powers, it is a strong tool that you can bring people in they have to testify under oath. there is the possibility of perjury. people that they squeeze can be flipped and turn on higher ups. it is a big deal and i would point out and have had this conversation on and off the air with jay sekulow many times. they say they have no reason to believe that the president is under investigation. they have no reason not to believe he is under investigation. there is no obligation for the special counsel to notify them and they haven't notified them either way. >> shannon: as they deal with that there is a new general in town over at the white house, general john kelly now chief of staff. i want to read a little bit

what they're saying about him. in the marines mr. kelly could punish the insubordinates, will he be able to do to aides especially those such as mr. kushner and ms. trump who are family. he will not be able to get mr. trump to seize control of his twitter account when the messenger himself is undisciplined. >> i thought yesterday was a first test case the president making a speech in west virginia. you have to know he was very unhappy with all of the leaks of the conversations with the leaders, with the leak. it is a leak. anything that's not announced and is secretly disclosed is a leak whether it's illegal or not. the leak of the fact of this grand jury. he didn't blow. he talked about it but he didn't say anything that would get him in any trouble. i think he used it as a good talking point. you have to think that perhaps the fine hand and the firm hand of the new chief of staff general kelly was involved there. it will be a long process and

we've seen this president sometimes his own worst enemy when it comes to this russia investigation. he is infuriated by it feels it is an attempt to take him down and he may well be right. certainly trying to weaken him. interesting to see whether kelly is able to keep him under control or within bounds and not making a bad situation even worse. >> shannon: what will you talk about on sunday? we'll tune in and find out. we'll see you on fox news sunday. thanks, chris. leland. >> leland: the pentagon now confirming a senior al-shabaab leader is dead. the attack was carried out under new authority from the trump administration to take action against them. it's the most deadly terror group in all of africa. >> shannon: another big story this week. president trump signing off on a new sanctions bill targeting iran, north korea and russia.

does the bill actually hurt u.s. relationships overseas? lieutenant colonel oliver north weighs in. >> leland: as we wait for attorney general sessions on leaks two bills meant to protect the special counselor, robert mueller, from being fired. senator lindsey graham is behind one of them. he joins us next. >> the special counsel has to do their job. we understand that and respect that. but again i don't expect this to be going on for years as it relates to the president, i just don't see it. ...or snack a day with glucerna... ...made with carbsteady... ...to help minimize blood sugar spikes... ...you can really feel it. now with 30% less carbs and sugars. glucerna.

>> leland: the ntsb a looking into the gas leak explosion that caused a school's rule to collapse in minnesota. it killed two people and injured nine others. contractors were working on the gas lines at the time. they will try to figure out if this work contributed to the leak and the explosion. >> shannon: new face in the russia investigation. special counsel robert mueller reportedly convening a federal grand jury dedicated to his growing investigation as lawmakers introduce a pair of bills to protect his job. south carolina senator lindsey graham is behind one of those bills and jouns us live. what would your bill do? >> it says if mueller is fired, three judges would look at the circumstances of the firing and

see if the facts applied to the doj regulation meet. and if it's a legitimate firing off he goes. if the judges think it's not legitimate, then we'll have a time-out and get to deal with the issue. a lot of people in the country want to make sure he can do his job without threat or fear. i want to make sure he can do his job without threat or fear but i find no evidence of a crime by president trump or his team. i find no reason to fire mueller. if he can show me a reason to fire him, bring it on. if you have a crime that trump or his team has committed, bring it on. at the end of the day i want to protect the process but i see nothing yet that the trump people have done wrong. >> shannon: you're an experienced lawyer. >> used to be. >> shannon: you and i both recovering lawyers. this idea of a grand jury going public. we have this report it's happened. we haven't gotten into the content if it does exist. how in the world with the leak situation we've had this far in washington do you think we get

through this investigation without more leaks every time there is a development or a subpoena or witness? >> i'll hold mueller accountable for th. he is running the grand jury process. i'll respect it. do your work behind closed doors professionally. work with the trump team when you need to. but if we get constant leaks coming out of the grand jury he needs to be held accountable for that. that's not fair to the president. it's not fair to the president to have these conversations with foreign leaders in the "washington post" front page. you can't run the white house this way. and no american, including president trump or his team, should have the contents of a grand jury leaked out into the press selectively. if that happens then mueller and his team will be held to account. >> shannon: we'll hear at 11:00 just almost 40 minutes from now from your former colleague jeff sessions now the attorney general about these leaks. what do you think it is going the take for them to stop? >> somebody to go to jail.

i've never seen anything like this but never transcripts of presidential phone calls. how would you like to be a world leader talking to president trump? this undermines his ability to be an effective president. it has to stop. >> shannon: is that the point? do you think the leaks, is that the point by these people who maybe feel like the ends justify the means? >> definitely. let me say this about the president. we're a country of process, not outcomes. we're going to follow legal process. nobody is above the law in america. you don't have the right if you work in the white house or you are a holdover from the obama administration or professional bureaucrat to take the law in your own hands. that's not the way we work. somebody needs to go to jail. i applaud jeff sessions for trying to find out who is doing this. they are hurting the ability of the country to function and hurting the presidency itself. as to president trump, you can say all you want to say about mueller but i find no reason to fire him. ken starr was accused of being a republican. the people working for him were

republicans. that's not a reason to disqualify somebody from doing an investigation unless they actually have a conflict of interest. i'm going the play this very straight. mueller will be held accountable for running a professional operation here. if it becomes a series of leaks on his side we'll hold him accountable and make sure he can do his job without political interference. the country needs and deserves that. >> shannon: i'm kind of surprised you are here. all your friends are gone. a lot of folks decided they're doing the recess. you are still working on healthcare. >> i stayed here yesterday. when you hear a republican say we have to move on, no. we haven't taken our best shot at replacing obamacare. i've got an idea that came from republican governors, why don't you take the money that we would spend on obamacare in washington and block grant it back to the 50 states? under obamacare four states get 40% of the money, new york, california, massachusetts,

maryland. my block grant approach takes the money we would spend here in washington, sends it back to the states in a more equitable fashion. by 2026 under this approach if you're a patient in south carolina or california the federal government helps you about the same. more money to the 46 states, more flexibility to all the states. we haven't even tried that. i met with scott walker and doug doocy, one from wisconsin and arizona. one expanded medicaid, the other didn't. we're close to bringing the republican governors together to get behind the block grant approach so you will have a say about your healthcare that the governor, the state house will administer healthcare not a bureaucrat in washington we haven't tried this. we have until september 30th. ifm owe excited. i think we can do that and i want my republican leadership team to know and open minded to a new approach. we should have our heads handed to us. we haven't replaced obamacare. we have not done all we could to replace obamacare.

i'm insistent we take every shot we can. the best shot hasn't comet. >> shannon: i don't have the poll at the 10% approval of congress. thanks for coming in. >> leland: well, speaking about leaks, as we've been mentioning we're just minutes away from attorney general jeff sessions. he is set to hold a highly-anticipated news conference on what he is going to do about leaks. we'll take you there live plus president trump says the new sanctions bill he felt pressured to sign will make the relationship with russia worse. is he right? lieutenant colonel oliver north standing by to talk about it. >> the relationship that we have with russia is solely because of putin. the activities, the things that he has taken against western democracy, what he has done is an affront to the american people.

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where you do business. ♪ ♪ >> leland: the president showing his frustration after signing into law new sanctions on russia, iran and north korea. the president claiming that the russian sanctions are a mistake given the current poor relations with moscow. congress passed the bill with overwhelming support in the senate, 98-2. now the president is casting blame on them for, quote, the flawed bill and terrible relations with moscow. fox news military analyst retired lieutenant colonel oliver north joining us. good to see you as always, sir. >> thanks, leland. >> leland: you are an old cold warrior. who is right on this 98-2 or the president? >> no doubt when it comes 98-2

he had no choice but to sign the bill and like many other presidents, he issued a statement along with it. leland, congress has a long history of trying to usurp authority. in the 1800s congress forbaid the executive branch if paying tribute to the pirates. jefferson did it anyway. fdr starts lend/lease. ronald reagan cuts off all aid to the republic of vietnam. ronald reagan 1984 cut all aid to the nicaraguaian resistance. ronald reagan found ways around it. all presidents chafe at these actions so my take on the new sanctions law it doesn't go far enough. i read all 65 pages of this

thing. it doesn't sanction at least by my reading foreign companies from providing technologies, missile parts, centrifuges, etc. in other words, it needs another sentence in it. north korea, iran and russia. >> leland: it brings a bigger issue. this president seems to think continually that there is a way to get a better relationship with moscow and congress for a number of reasons and bipartisan reasons are saying no, we need to tighten the thumb screws on vladimir putin. that's a true distinction between congress and the white house. who in your opinion is correct? >> look, there is only a couple of ways of convincing people to change their behavior and there is no doubt that vladimir putin's behavior is terrible. i don't know what's going on inside putin's head or the president's head but the bottom line of it is carrots and sticks still work.

in this case this is a big stick and it could be more effective than they made it because somebody doesn't know how to write a sanctions bill. the bottom line it sanctions first iran, then russia and north korea. if we actually do these kinds of things and do them effectively it might actually result in less proliferation of nuclear weapons and reduction if you will the aggressive behavior of both china and russia even though china is not mentioned here. >> leland: north korea is where we're getting when it comes to proliferation of nuclear weapons. the war drums have started to beat. the cover of this week's economist. a mushroom cloud with kim jung un and president trump. they write it is worth recalling america has been here before when stalin and mau were building their first atom bomb.

cooler heads prevailed. north korea has gotten its nuclear bomb and working on miniaturization. is it worth keeping the military card on the table or better to pull it back a little bit and go what you were talking about earlier of tougher sanctions route? >> look, there is absolutely nothing that we ought to do that would take the military option off the table. but the president is right about one thing. china can influence the outcome of this. it was different in the aftermath of world war ii where the soviets and china getting the weapons. they wanted to survive the experience. if they want to survive the experience. the president's options are notify the world that any company doing any business whatsoever with the dprk and iran cannot do business in the united states. number two, tell japanese prime

minister that the united states will support a change in the japanese constitution to acquire nuclear weapons. number three. tell the chinese quietly it's time for regime change and the pressure on them is you won't have tens of millions of refugees and you can stop this thing. president moon responded to pressure, allowed the deployment of the thaad system to protect. next thing announce the u.s. is making plans to return the tactical nukes we pulled out of korea, but them back in. the pressure has to be on beijing. they won't act until they hurt. >> leland: we've seen the president put pressure on beijing on twitter. we'll see colonel north on nbn war stories, 8:00 to 11:00 tomorrow night looking at three facets of world war two. you don't want to miss it.

>> shannon: less than 30 minutes from now attorney general jeff sessions expected to announce a crackdown on the leaks in washington we'll take you live when he steps to the podium. china is stepping up military readiness after a series of missile launches by north korea, why the pentagon is taking very close note. >> china controls 80 percent of the imports into north korea. a massive point of leverage. they wanted a buffer state since 1950. at some point a buffer state that destabilizes the region isn't good for beijing, either.

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administration. juan williams and mercedes schlapp are here. nice to see you both as always. happy friday. all right. juan, you and i are both old street reporters. there is nothing we love more than a good leak. this is the question. is it time for the administration to start making the distinction between leaks that damage national security, things like these transcripts of a presidential phone call and the political leaks about the infighting and the problems in the west wing intrigue and yet the president seems to conflate the two together? >> it's essential you separate the two. without a doubt if you have leaks coming out of the intelligence agencies and specific that are political or intended to damage this president, that's not only unfair it's illegal and a threat to our national security, leland. i think what's truly distinctive about the leak we've seen of the transcripts of these two conversations, one

with the president of mexico and one with the head of australia, is that it doesn't seem to be about someone who had a grudge or someone who was trying to be self-promoting so much as it seems like somebody inside the trump white house has some concern about how the president conducted business and what he later said to the american people about those conversations. you know, i think especially the business about the wall, just don't say you aren't going to pay for the wall, that kind of thing. >> leland: it brings up an interesting situation for somebody who worked on the other side from juan and i inside of a white house. there are two ways to stop leaks. one is to threat en like we're seeing from attorney general sessions today saying we'll find and punish you. the other way is engender enough loyalty with your staff that they wouldn't think of leaking. is there an issue here of how the president is going about this? >> i think that when you look what's happening inside the white house there is very few people who have access, for example, to a type of transcript like in the case of

the call with the foreign leaders. the reason why those are conversations you want to have that are confidential, that's one way to ensure -- an opportunity for the united states to gather intelligence from other countries. and so you are basically impeding that process. and basically you'll find there is bipartisan support to basically cracking down on these leaks. it was senator mark warner who came out yesterday saying this is absolutely troubling. >> leland: we have the bipartisan support from you and juan on cracking down on this. how to stop the other leaks. how do you stop the white house palace intrigue? >> the white house leaks -- i worked in a white house under president bush where there weren't very many leaks. it was a very disciplined communications shop. basically you recognize that you are there to serve the president and any time there is a leak about the soap opera that's happening within the white house, palace intrigue it is damaging to the president. you kind of close in your circle as to who has access to

this type of information. that's why you have a general john kelly who understands that there needs to be a chain of command. who understands access needs to be limited to the president so there is some control in terms of what message is coming out from the white house as opposed to talking about the infighting, personality fights between white house staff. >> leland: there have been leaks about how general kelly is doing that. closing one of the doors to the oval office. juan, last word on this. is every administration trying to stop the palace intrigue leaks? has every administration tried to crack down and reporters to find their way around it. >> leaks are part of washington life. we as americans value any time we learn of corruption or lack of transparency but again if it's something that involves our national security and impedes the ability of the president to speak to foreign leaders, that's not in our best interest. what we're seeing right now is,

i think, the president -- president trump having to deal with contents of factions within his own white house and why general kelly was brought in. >> the doj is focusing very clearly on what we call unauthorized disclosure of classified information. that's what they are looking at and what attorney general sessions is talking about. we aren't talking about -- it's a separate issue when it comes to the palace intrigue leaks which don't have to deal with classified information. get rid the obama holdovers would be my advice. >> the president is mad at all the leaks. >> he is. >> leland: we'll get cut off. we'll have to continue the conversation later. happy friday. >> shannon: a day after north korea's record setting missile test the chinese did testing of their own firing their own set of missiles, a test say is a message to the united states. we're standing by at the pentagon with lucas.

>> this week secretary rex tillerson said the united states and china are at a pivot point in history. >> we test this relationship through things like the situation in north korea and where we have differences in the south china sea and trading differences that need to be addressed. can we work through those differences in a way without leading to open conflict? >> just one day after north korea's record-setting missile test china conducted a series of missile tests of its own firing 20 missiles at mock-ups of u.s. thaad missile launchers and f-22 fighter jets in what officials officials say is -- the test coincided with their army day. the president presided over a massive parade in the desert the tanks, jets and missiles on

display. china has the largest army in the world and has as many submarines and destroyers as the u.s. navy. they buzzed a u.s. navy spy plane drawing ire in capitol hill. >> we had aggressive activity from the chinese, now the russians and iranians. people are testing us around the world. >> two chinese warships shadowing a u.s. destroyer assisted in the search that ended today. >> shannon: lucas is live at the pentagon. thank you. >> leland: senators introducing a bill to protect robert mueller from being fired. up next details on how that could work as we await the attorney general on how he plans to put leakers on lockdown.

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>> shannon: major announcement just minutes away. attorney general jeff sessions will walk us through his latest efforts to plug intelligence leaks and to talk about prosecuting leakers. tom despres junior is a former assistant attorney general and kind enough to join us with legal expertise today. good to see you. the attorney general 11 bells if he is on time as we expect will tell us about what they're doing. stepping up prosecution. what can the doj do? >> they can start investigating and potentially prosecuting leaks but the thing is it's very hard to do. typically leakers don't leave fingerprints on the material they leak. difficult to get information from journalists who like to protect their sources. the attorney general can talk tough and do investigating but at the end of the day there is only so much he can do to find out who is doing the leaking. >> shannon: national security is different than leaks out of the white house that may be

harmful and embarrassing to the president >> people leak stuff all the time in washington what we're seeing lately are different kinds of leaks. leaks of national security information. president's conversation with foreign leaders and that jeopardizes our national security. >> shannon: we had lindsey graham and he said he wants people to go to jail. >> there would be grounds for sending people to jail. depends on the nature of the information whether it's classified and mode and someone in the white house authorized the disclosure of the information. bust there is no question when you start leaking classified national security information you're flirting with a felony. >> shannon: we know there is a grand jury investigation now. may go somewhere or nowhere. having a grand jury doesn't mean you get to indictments but it gives a prosecutor extra tools in getting to the information. >> that's right. the reason why mueller is going to the grand jury is give stronger powers to compel

testimony from witnesses and obtain documents. it doesn't mean he has a target or there will be indictments or found any evidence of criminal wrongdoing. it's just another step in the investigation. it means the investigation is not going away any time soon. >> shannon: there was a grand jury in virginia looking into michael flynn, his personal dealings with business, foreign national interests, those kinds of things. if there are new subpoenas coming out of a grand jury in d.c. it could have been an existing one. they're always in place. >> these grand juries are always sitting. mueller could walk a couple blocks and go before an existing grand jury. it doesn't appear he has convened a special one for this case. he is going to washington as opposed to virginia. it suggests the investigation has broadened beyond michael flynn. if he was focusing just on flynn he could have stayed in virginia. he is going to washington

>> shannon: i feel like-in-law school the one thing we learned grand juries are secrets. >> leland: prosecutors won't disclose anything. if you get called as a witness you are free to talk about what you were asked and what you said. we'll get bits and pieces. a gray area. we'll get some information what's going on before the grand jury but not the full story until mueller decides to reveal what he has found. >> shannon: i believe it was one of the president's attorney part of his legal team who said anything that gets us to resolution is a good thing. >> i think it's in the best interests of the white house and american people for mueller to wrap this up quickly. if he gives the administration and president a clean bill of health all the better. you don't want to see the investigation dragging on for years or for decades. >> shannon: tom, you've given us a lot to think about this friday. thank you for your time. >> leland: more to come on "america's newsroom" before the

press conference. up next dr. marc siegel joins us to explain how a healthcare safety net could be in jeopardy thanks to obamacare and awaiting a news conference of the attorney general for the leaks out of the intelligence committee and what he wants to do about it. live at the doj as it happens. shawn evans: it's 6 am. 40 million americans are waking up to a gillette shave. and at our factory in boston, 1,200 workers are starting their day building on over a hundred years of heritage, craftsmanship and innovation.

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>> leland: as lawmakers reach across the aisle in washington to fix obamacare. we shine a spotlight on a health safety net that's already in place. dr. marc siegel a member of the fox news a team and professor of medicine at nyu. nice to see you. this is fascinating. >> it's something nobody knows about. part of the debate replacing obamacare is centered on how many americans will lose

coverage. my question is whether a democratic talking point is accurate. what you may not know there is already a program that provides subsidized healthcare nationwide for those with no other way to get it. hooked on drugs. >> cocaine, crack, whatever. >> in and out of prison. this man hasn't held a steady job since 1987 yet he has had quality care available to him since 1989 thanks to a little-known creation by congressional democrats signed into law by president george w. bush called a federally qualified health center. rivera credits one of those so-called centers near buffalo, new york for saving his life. there are 1300 nationwide serving 24 million people.

fqhc's except all patients regardless of ability to pay but they worry about the safety of the safety net thanks to signals from d.c. >> nobody knows what is going to happen. >> if this legislation were to pass, many thousands of our fellow americans will die. >> is that true? or will the decades-old safety net survive gop-led health reform if it ever happens? >> there is less dollars in the future, what does that mean for us? >> he went looking for answers from his district's congressman, republican tom reaves. >> we'll stand with you. it's a win/win better quality, lower cost. >> obamacare brought the clinic more money but it is not sustainable. >> we have a problem with access issues and with lack of specialists. >> obamacare made worse the nationwide doctor shortage. >> we have a system not able to last long term. >> what happens in the end on

capitol hill patients like jorge will never lose their safety net. this from a conservative republican who is committed to preserving it. that is a story, leland, in the debate that you have not likely heard until now. >> leland: unquestionably true on that point. thank you, sir. all right. shannon. >> shannon: we're just moments away from attorney general jeff sessions and other top doj officials discussing how they plan to confront the ongoing leak problem. r visitor experience. improve our workflow. attract new customers. that's when fastsigns recommended fleet graphics. yeah! now business is rolling in. get started at fastsigns.com.

>> shannon: taking you live or president trump as touring. the president will drop over there, let's listen into his remarks they are moments ago. >> thank you very much, i just want to congratulate.

this is a person who's done an amazing job. we are very strong on homeland security. they've done a fantastic job of rebuilding that stretch of highway. we've already taken care of many things in these situations that

really, really needed emergency funds. we have an incredible team of people and representatives. they've done a fantastic job, thank you very much. >> shannon: comments there from the president over at fema today. that's going to be it for us, layla and. >> leland: "happening now" starts right now. >> rick: would begin with a fox news alert on the trump administration's new effort to plug the leaks it says is undermining the federal government. hello everybody, welcome to speak to anyone, i'm rick leventhal and for jon scot jon scott. >> molly: i molly line. attorney general jeff sessions will announce his efforts to crack down on those leaks. he's a scheduled give that briefing just moments from now. his boss, meanwhile, receiving a hero's welcome and cold country last night.

[cheers and applause] speaking in west virginia, president trump having return of mining jobs telling the crowd that coal experts are up and a big announcement he had promised, west virginia governor announcing plans to switch parties to become a republican. the president also brushing off the russia probe telling the crowd is much ado about nothing. >> the russia story is a total fabrication. it's just an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of american politics, that's all it is. >> molly: so much ground to cover, chief white house correspondent john roberts' life from the white house. >> good morning to you, the president's legal team is playing down this news that robert mueller, the special counsel is now working with a grand jury and has issued at least some subpoenas under the authority of the grand jury to seek information and testimony.