tv Americas Newsroom FOX News August 24, 2017 6:00am-8:00am PDT
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>> tomorrow live from new york it's the all america concert series, joe nichols will perform. >> i can't wait. i'll pick out an outfit. see you on radio. >> shannon: president donald trump and senate majority leader mitch mcconnell set to meet face-to-face. both are signaling they hope to work together with each other. with a long to do list and tight schedule ahead. can they put their differences aside and get an agenda past? i'm shannon bream. good to see you this morning, leland. >> happy friday eve as you would say. i'm in for bill hemmer. news of a white house meeting comes as president trump again calls out republican leaders in congress on twitter. this time over the debt ceiling. amid signs of a deepening rift
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between the senate majority leader. the senator dismissing the notion they cannot work together saying we have a lot of work ahead of us and we're committed to advancing our shared agenda together and anyone who suggests otherwise is clearly not part of the conversation. >> shannon: that conversation continues in washington and beyond. john roberts joins us now live. good morning, john. >> the meeting that's being set up between the president and senate majority leader mitch mcconnell will be the first time the two leaders have spoken since a heated phone conversation on august 9th. one described as a profane shouting match. this meeting by the way is being set up for the first couple of days after congress gets back in. it will be one of a series of meetings that the president will have with the congressional leadership. it won't be a hatchet-burying exercise. mitch mcconnell spoke at the
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kentucky farm bureaus country's ham breakfast and didn't mention anything about the feud with president trump, didn't mention anything about obamacare either and its failure. he did allude to the difficulty of governing with a 52-48 majority. it is clear from the president's tweets this morning the president is still upset at mcconnell and paul ryan not just on obamacare. he tweeted i requested that mitch mcconnell and ryan tie the debt sealing with the va bill. could have been so easy. now a mess. that meeting by the way between the president and mitch mcconnell being set to discuss the legislative agenda to the fall. among the things the president will tell mcconnell, he wants the majority leader the take another swing at repealing obamacare. white house sources say the president wants to get that done before they launch on tax
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reform for couple of reasons. he would like that near trillion in money from obamacare savings that he can put together toward the tax reform package and the other idea is that the president simply believes a lot of americans are hurting under obamacare. one administration source told me there is a chance that obamacare repeal could get done i'm told they think it's only a slim chance. >> shannon: with we understand on another hot topic the white house is giving formal guidance on how to implement what the president tweeted out about the transgender ban in the military. >> they haven't passed a formal guidance to the pentagon. that's expected to happen the week congress gets back but they have drafted at least an initial memo which would give the pentagon and secretary of defense jim mattis guidance on what to do. among the things the president is proposing on transgender individuals and the military to instruct the pentagon to stop
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admitting transgender individuals into the military. deployment of current trans genders in the military and whether or not they should remain in the armed forces. stop paying for surgery of those already in the military and give the secretary six months to implement the ban. the policy is sure to be meant with opposition especially the deployability. support groups on the outside believe they're just as deployable as any other member of the military so you are sure to see pushback on that. remember what the president said back in july when he was announcing that fact that transgender individuals would likely not be allowed into the military. our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.
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it won't happen for a period of six months and not see the full memo transmitted to the pentagon until the beginning of september. we're told by the pentagon they'll release the details when they get it. >> fox news politics editor chris stirewalt back from vacation with new insights. good to see you. we'll start with mcconnell/trump rift. you have this personality clash and the tweets and the back and forth. but at the same time you have this threat from the president a couple of days ago. you don't fund my border wall, i'm willing to shut down the government. something that paul ryan and mitch mcconnell don't want. how legitimate do you think they view that threat as? >> well, it's a weird thing because the house is already funding the border wall. the president is complaining about something that he is already getting. i think probably it has a lot to do with fundraising. his reelection campaign, which
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began the day he took office, is sending out trying to whip up small dollar donors. they are using the border wall for that effect. but the house has already -- paul ryan already said there is money for the border wall. the question is at 1.5 or 1.6. the president's choice whether he wants to take a win on this. he can claim a victory. i think he is looking for fundraising and political leverage with his base. >> if we expand this out, how much of the mcconnell/trump rift is jockeying for position and for cookies that both sides will want coming into the debt ceiling fight, the shutdown fight, tax reform fight and how much of it is real? >> i think it's very real. and i would point you back to when you had the -- when the president was very, very angry with his attorney general, jeff sessions, over sessions' recusal into the investigation
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is into the 2016 campaign. he was so angry and they couldn't talk and it was please, please don't do this. i think this is that again. i think trump is very angry at mcconnell and he wants mcconnell to know that. he wants to humiliate him and go through the stuff. in the end it doesn't matter. how you feel doesn't have anything to do with what you get. what the president has to get are 51 votes among republicans in the united states senate to avoid a government shut down, now the debt ceiling will be harder because they are going to have to do something before they get to that 51 vote at the end of september. they'll have to do something before that. really, it's about keeping 51 republicans together so they can get this stuff over the finish line by the end of september and the clock is running. >> a lot of questions about whether the president's rhetoric is helping him get to 51 or not. lesson over the past couple of days in the off prompter, on prompter president. take a listen. >> it is time to heal the
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wounds that divide us and to seek a new unity based on the common values that unite us. it's time to expose the crooked media deceptions and to challenge the media for their role in formeanting our divisions. >> the president tweeted his responses to that saying the fake news is now complaining about my different ways of back-to-back speeches. well, there was afghanistan somber, the big rally enthusiastic, dynamic and fun, and the american legion va respectful and strong. too bad the dems have no one who can change tones. hum. thoughts. >> the president taunted his advisors when he was in phoenix
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having the rally, he taunted the advisors but not naming the senators in their home state. it would be unseemly. trump will occasionally exceed to the demands when people say please act presidential and do the right thing. be a kind person. and he will exceed to their wishes and after he does it i think he needs to demonstrate to them and probably to himself that he still has agency here. that he still is the prime actor and he can go on the attack and show he is still a free man. >> too bad you don't have anything to write about in the halftime report. >> we'll look for the email this afternoon. thank you, sir. good to see you. >> shannon: there is a hurricane warning now in effect for parts of texas as tropical storm harvey gathers strength and barrels toward the state. people stong up on supplies
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like bottled water. others filling sandbags trying to protect property. the national hurricane center says the storm could turn into a hurricane by the time it makes landfall. >> all of our creeks would be a problem. >> the wind can carry the barricades away. >> we are always prepared. water, batteries, gas in the vehicles. we're always ready. >> shannon: the governor of texas already declaring a disaster for 30 counties to speed up deployment of state resources. >> a fox news alert as there is now a new terror threat. this time allegedly targeting a concert for an american rock band overseas. where and when this threat is taking place. >> shannon: plus senior white house advisor jared kushner meeting with benjamin netanyahu today as a push for middle east peace. we'll take you live to
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jerusalem. plus there's this. >> nobody wants me to talk about your other senator who is weak on borders, weak on crime. >> president trump slamming arizona senator jeff flake during his rally in phoenix. the lawmaker hasn't been afraid to take on the president. gop leaders are warning president trump to stay out of the senator's reelection fight. reaction from former arkansas governor mike huckabee as senator flake says it's time for lawmakers to come together. >> i think we'll need to achieve conservative ends like getting ahold of our debt and deficit. we have to work with our colleagues across the aisle and tone means a lot. you always pay
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switch and you could save $782 on home and auto insurance. call for a free quote today. liberty stands with you™ liberty mutual insurance. >> shannon: new terror concerns in europe. dutch police arresting a 22-year-old man after a concert by an american rock band was canceled over a terror threat. the van carrying a number of gas canisters was stopped near the concert venue last night. spanish authorities have tipped off dutch police. the van they do not believe is connected to last week's deadly attacks in barcelona. >> i will vote and work with the president when i believe he is right and i'll challenge him when i believe that he is wrong. that's what i've done with every president republican or democrat.
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>> leland: jeff flake dismissing criticism from president trump but some republicans are now urging the president against clashing with both arizona senators flake and john mccain arguing they're all on the same team. joining us now former arkansas governor mike huckabee. we're glad to have him on our team. good to see you, sir, as always. >> thank you very much, leland, great to be with you. >> leland: important to note how this all started with this book from senator flake that he wrote, conservative with a conscience is a title. it could have just been called trolling president trump. so if we're going to go back to reagan's 11th commandment who is at fault here? >> i think jeff flake writing a book trying to poke at donald trump. he should have known that when you poke at donald trump, he is going to come back at you. my gosh, did somebody miss the
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entire 2016 presidential race and not see the primary as well as the general election? more importantly here is something i wish the senator would understand. if he has a difference with the president, take it to him. do it in private. what it seemed that jeff flake was interested in doing was selling a lot of books and by taking on donald trump every liberal show was just gushing over him for having done that. the democrats stick together, leland. you let one of the democrats say something ridiculous and they circle the wagons behind that person. they never call them out. a republican can't wait to get in front of a camera and bash the president. >> leland: do we give senator flake and other republicans who have criticized the president, are they opportunists in your mind or is this what the senator's book title is, his conscious speaking saying i have real problems. a lot of republican senators will say the president won't
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listen, this is our only forum to try and sort of dedicate to the country our sincerely held beliefs? >> i think that argument on the part of some of the senators is nonsense. what they need to remember is that they live in this bubble called washington they need to get out of it every now and then and honestly go out in america and meet some of the 50 plus million people who voted for donald trump to be president and a lot of those folks are really ticked off at the republicans in congress. they haven't repealed and replaced obamacare for 7 1/2 years they promised they would. they haven't done tax reform. they said they would. they challenge the president at every turn. people are sick of that. get behind your president. if you can't agree with him on something and you aren't required to agree with him on everything, i get that, but do it privately. go to him and offer a better solution. but these are obstructionists. we talk about the democrats
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being obstructionists. we have a lot of republicans who voted against the very repeal and replace they had voted for when democrats were in charge. that makes no sense. >> leland: there is a lot of voters who are upset about that and at least some candidates saying they're willing to do something about it even on the republican side. flake facing a primary challenge from kelly ward, a former state senator in arizona. president trump has not endorsed her but she has certainly made a lot of waves saying she will be talking about the things that you talked about that republican voters care about rather than what republicans in washington care about. in a very sort of microsense, though, arizona's one race, if this begins to happen republican senators around the country that they are being pry married. is that dangerous for the primary or is it necessary? >> the party and people elected for them to sit on their hands and not get anything done, that's dangerous. if some of these folks go to
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washington and more interested in being loved by msnbc and cnn than they are about getting the things done that they promised. again, that they promised they would do, then they need to go home. they need to go home in a hurry. i'm at a point for me it's good big or go home. it's time we quit fooling around with these guys and -- >> leland: since your time in arkansas you have always gone big, sir. good to see you as always. enjoy the florida sun. >> you bet. good to talk to you. >> shannon: president trump taking any steps to help our veterans signing a bill that will speed up the process for their disability claims and appeals. a va secretary joins us live to explain what it means for those who have risked their lives for our country. >> leland: plus the history making powerball jackpot that shannon bream present jekted
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>> leland: fox news alert. the navy announcing they are are suspending their search for the nine sailors still missing after a collision between the uss mccain and a cargo ship. that said navy and marine corps divers will continue to search inside flooded compartments in the ship for the missing sailors. they recovered the remains of one of those sailors, electronics technician third class kevin aaron smith from new jersey. >> shannon: president trump signing a bill that aims to
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make it easier for our nation's veterans to appeal decisions on disability claims. let's bring in the secretary of veterans affairs david shulkin. thank you for joining us this morning. all right. my understanding is that right now it is a five year wait for any veteran who wants to appeal the disability rating they've been given and there are 407,000 cases awaiting some determination. how in the world will this new bill cut back on some of those numbers? >> it's not acceptable and we worked hard to get this bill. the bill hasn't been updated in terms of the law since the 1930s. now we finally have legislation to allow us to make these decisions much faster for our veterans. >> shannon: the president signed it yesterday as he spoke to the american legion as well and talked tough about reforming the va and how tough it has been to get legislation passed to make it easier for to you do your job. >> president trump: somebody
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that works at the va, is bad to the people of the va, disrespectful, not treating our fellow patriots well, we look at them and we say you're fired. >> shannon: you know there has been bipartisan outrage what we saw through the va the last couple of years and the president promised to make it easier for you to get rid of bad people. are you able to take out some of the bad apples? >> the law is new. no doubt it's making a difference. i was able to let congress know and had the president's support to be able to fix the va i have to have the authority to make sure we have the right people working in the va. the vast majority of the people who work in the system are top notch professionals. in the cases where there are individuals who lost their way and shouldn't be working in the va i have to make sure we can move them out. >> shannon: how daunting has this been taking this on?
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>> this is really a system that has had decades of neglect and fallen behind. what we're doing now is getting a lot of things done to get this system back on path to modernize the system, the make it a system we all want for our veterans. we are getting this done. this is our fifth major piece of legislation we signed yesterday getting done in bipartisan support. i full good about where we're headed >> shannon: there has been a lot of progress on this front. the president tweeting out quite a bit this morning saying i requested that mitch m and paul r tie the debt ceiling legislation into the popular va bill which just passed. they didn't do it. now we have a big deal with dems holding them up on debt ceiling approval. could have been so easy. now a mess. your response. >> i do think we're seeing when it comes to veteran issues, this is something that everybody agrees upon. both democrats and republicans
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are stepping up and working together to get this done. and i think the president sees many other important issues that also require bipartisan support and for congress to get this done. so i think that this is a reflection of the frustration of not being able to get more done. when it comes to veteran issues, this is an area i think all americans can feel good about. >> shannon: they are are pulling for you in your work, mr. secretary, as we all do for anything that will benefit our veterans. thank you, sir. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> leland: we'll hear a lot about this over the next month or so. president trump and mitch mcconnell portraying themselves on being on the same page even as the president hits republican leaders over the debt ceiling. can they get their past differences behind them and push forward with their agenda? >> shannon: the search is on for survivors after a mud and rock slide hit a small town.
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>> shannon: president trump and mitch mcconnell set to sit down together soon at the white house as they plot a course forward for the republican agendas both sides dismiss claims of a growing rift. the white house releasing this president. president donald trump and senator mitch mcconnell remain in agreement on many items. katie pavlich from town hall.com and stephen sigmund with us today. senate majority leader went on to issue a similar statement saying anybody who suggests otherwise is not part of the conversation. katie. >> look, the rift between these
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two leaders may have stopped growing but to ignore the fact there is one would be unrealistic and against the facts. let's not forget this started after obamacare failed in the senate. mitch mcconnell then went home and in front of a town hall meeting said that the president had unrealistic expectations about how fast things should be getting done in washington specifically when it comes to healthcare and that then prompted a response from the president to say republicans had seven years to get this done, why is it that we haven't gotten it done? moving forward after the august recess it is true that both of them need each other. they have to work together to get wins on the board and they have a lot of things in common in terms of what they want to do. tax reform, border wall, they have to be able to get something done for the american people going into the 2018 elections right around the corner. >> shannon: millions of people voted for the president because they were sick of the establishment in washington and they wanted him to clean out
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the swamp. there has to be some appeal for him to go out and say he is fighting with some of these leaders to say i'm the guy you voted for and fighting against these guys in washington and they won't let me get anything done. that's just the way it works on the hill. they have to have some kind of relationship at least privately if not publicly. >> the problem you have here, you have a president who his entire agenda seems to be driven who is being nice to him or not, right? his definition of nice is if they're giving him glowing reviews. that's true whether it's the press or whether it's foreign leaders or whether it's republicans in congress or whether it's members of his own cabinet in some cases. the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. republicans say things will change and the president will work with his party. there is zero evidence of that even after that supposed unity statement from yesterday trump is right back to tweeting this morning about how awful
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mcconnell and paul ryan are. >> shannon: to that point the tweets this morning he gave them advice he didn't take. he said i requested they tie the debt ceiling legislation to the popular va bill which got passed for easy approval. they didn't do it. now we have a big deal with dems holding them up on debt ceiling approval. now a mess. nobody likes a public i told you so. >> nobody does but here is the thing. when it comes to public opinion president trump is winning that battle among people who voted for him. if you look at the numbers in kentucky alone. mitch mcconnell's approval rating is 18%. trump's approval rating is 60%. he has leverage here. he has been offering the senate and republicans on capitol hill a signing of any kind of legislation that can get to his desk and putting the pressure on them to deliver on the promises that they've been making for years.
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i think that's probably a good thing if you look at the response of the american people they won't blame president trump for a failed republican agenda. they'll blame republicans in congress whether the house or senate if nothing gets done. >> so far they're naming both. >> approval ratings for congress are dismal. you mentioned what mitch mcconnell is facing in kentucky. people are frustrated with washington how does this move forward and mend fences and get something done? >> i have no idea. that's up to the republicans. i've been a democratic strategist and campaign worker much of my life. let me just respond. our party is unified. well, witness the obamacare fight. let me just respond to katie's point ab approval ratings. the president has a 35% approval rating record low in his first year which is quite amazing. the only people who support him
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are the people at those rallies eating up the red meat of him whining about the media. approval rating of 60% in kentucky is not impressive. republicans in congress have a bad approval rating >> shannon: and democrats. >> republicans were put in charge and they wanted to be put in charge. so far what they've done is essentially had obama's third term. >> i don't think it's fair to say they haven't been able to get anything done. va reform is a huge part of draining the swamp so to speak and a huge part of common decency in treating our veterans with respect. the president and congress have worked to pass multiple pieces of legislation to try to reform that system which is a good thing for our veterans who died by the thousands under the obama administration that sat by and watched and didn't do anything to reform the va. they haven't done anything to say that is unfair.
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>> what he's done is things like renaming a street for fred thompson. >> and reforming the va. >> he keeps talking about reforming it. >> shannon: to the point of harkening back to other administrations i believe the president we had last with regard to president bush 43 numerous times up until -- it's what administrations do. katie and steven, good to see you both. >> leland: it is a solemn day if barcelona as the city marks one week since terrorists used a van to mow down innocent people. 13 people killed and more than 100 other injured and ben hall live from london. you are on the ground in barcelona. what are your sources saying on the latest on the investigation. >> well, police still piecing together how exactly these people planned the attacks and what brought them all together. but three of the suspects were in court yesterday and again one of them saying they hoped
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to kill many more people at least 100 if not hundreds. one of their main targets before those gas canisters ex -exploded would be the main cathedral. police have showed video with raids where the plot was planned. they raided multiple apartments there including that of the imam of the local mosque who is said to have radicalized the other and the men who carried about the second attack hours before they ran their cars into police and pedestrians they were seen filling up at a gas station before they were shot. half an hour there will be large memorials in barcelona commemorating those who died. all this as ice is continues to praise the attack saying how great it was and calling for spain to be taken back into the caliphate. from the near 1700 to 1500 they
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were part of the caliphate. isis ramping up pushing for more attacks in this country. >> leland: benjamin, thank you. >> shannon: congress returning to capitol hill with a full plate. can gop lawmakers get anything done with party members at odds with the president? sean duffy and peter roskam give us their take. >> leland: could this be the new face of terror? isis using a child to spread its message of hate as the u.s. makes strides. >> we're stripping terrorists of their territory at a great clip.
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searching for eight people in switzerland after a rock slide hit a small village near the italian border. incredible images there. it happened 80 miles north of milan. the debris blocking roads and damaging buildings. there was an alarm system there and people got out in time. the weather in the region has been good in recent days. not sure of the cause. >> leland: isis releasing a new video reportedly using a 10-year-old american boy. face is blured here who claims to be the son of a u.s. soldier deployed to iraq to deliver a dire warning to president trump. my message to trump, the puppet of the -- this battle won't end
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in raqqa or mosul but in your lands. get ready for the fighting has just begun. former navy seal who served in iraq and afghanistan, we have blured this kid's face. it is not blurred in the video. we won't play the audio but he speaks in perfect american english which lends credence to isis's claims he is a 10-year-old american boy. we've seen isis use kids in videos before as executioners. is this a desperate isis trying to stoke fears in america? >> i don't think it's desperate but trying to stoke fears. whether he is native american or not they will use whatever tools are at their disposal to strike fear into the hearts of americans as well. >> leland: what does it say they are still able to produce
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these kinds of videos? we keep hearing isis is on the run, their capital in raqqa is about to fall. a huge defeat in mosul. still they are able to put this out. >> right. it says they have a very resilient infrastrauk tour. what we're doing against them in the territories of syria and iraq is a conventional and urban fight, very difficult fight but we know how to conduct those type of fights. they'll disperse and still continue to grow and show their resilience and that's what they're showing with this. >> leland: president trump yesterday saying we're stripping terrorists of their territory at a record clip, their funding and their networks. important point that ben hall brought up from london that isis is now capitalizing on the barcelona attacks saying they want their followers across the world to strike now. does the fact that the president is sort of noting these defeats, is that sort of
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shifting the battle from isis from the caliphate and then out to a virtual caliphate of the world? >> certainly. they'll take any opportunity that they can to shift out. if we force them. if they can have their battle in syria, in libya, in iraq, they'll do it there. but they do want to shift out. they've said that. and as we pressure that balloon it will blow out into other places certainly. >> leland: okay. that's the problem. pressure the balloon. you can't let them have a terror state. we saw what happened with bin laden in the 90s. you pressure the balloon. you have to. what's the solution on the other side when it pops out? >> you certainly have to be aware then that it will pop out and you have to say i know this is coming. we prepped for it. instead of ignoring it like some places have done and not calling it out saying we have to look at these muslim communities. where are they likely to be radicalized more or returned to. be prepared to receive them as they come.
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>> leland: prepped to receive them as they come. back to u.s. foreign policy. the president is taking credit for the fight against isis and the victories against isis. is that because of new rules of engagement? is that because of a different level of intensity that the u.s. military is bringing? or is this simply shall we say the product of a couple of years of the fight and it is finally now coming to a head? >> all of the above, leland. it is a very complex problem. you can't just put one causal piece on what is getting the success in syria. all of the above have contributed to it. you've had it over the years. we've pressured them and pushed them. he has lifted rules of engagement. he has definitely accelerated the fight and successes we've had there without a doubt but it is a contribution of everything coming together. >> leland: in vietnam there was often so much spin that was coming out of the administration in terms of sort of successes on the battlefield
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that didn't really translate real world. is it clear to you that the successes on the battlefield that are being touted by the administration actually mean something? is isis truly losing things that matter to them? have they been weakened, or is this just propaganda from our side? >> they've certainly been weakened in their ability to hold territory, to gain money, which will weaken them. that doesn't make them any less dangerous. even a weakened isis individuals as we've seen can be very dangerous. it doesn't take a lot of money. they're weakened and the successes are real. >> leland: as we see from this video even the youngest of individuals being radicalized. appreciate your insights as always. all the best. shannon. >> shannon: a high stakes meeting overseas, president trump's son-in-law and white house advisor jared kushner sitting down to benjamin netanyahu. are they any closer to a middle
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east peace deal? >> leland: a winner of the big powerball drawing. somebody won it for a single winning ticket, but not without a little confusion. what could that be? maybe that's why shannon is at work. >> shannon: that's why we're here. david. what's going on? oh hey! ♪ that's it? yeah. ♪ everybody two seconds! ♪ "dear sebastian, after careful consideration of your application, it is with great pleasure that we offer our congratulations on your acceptance..." through the tuition assistance program, every day mcdonald's helps more people go to college. it's part of our commitment to being america's best first job. ♪ the whole country booking on choice hotels.com. four words, badda book. badda boom...
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store in chick pee. that ticket was first reported it was sold in watertown. the largest grand prize awarded by a lotto ticket in our country's history. six others won $2 million a piece. 34 others are worth $1 million and we have pictures of somebody buying at least one of those tickets. >> shannon: you have to try. >> leland: these are the winning tickets. i'm impressed that you're here. >> shannon: you never know. maybe there is a $2 million or $1 million in there. listen, you invest a couple of bucks and have all day of daydreaming and discussing what you would do with it. i would give it all away to good causes. >> leland: better luck next time. >> shannon: thank you. president trump's son-in-law and senior white house advisor jared kushner sitting down with
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israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu talking about a peace deal. >> he wrapped up a meting with benjamin netanyahu. he told the israeli prime minister that president trump remains very committed to a middle east peace agreement and that agreement would bring prosperity to the region. he arrived in israel today after meeting with arab leaders in saudi arabia, jordan and in egypt. despite the latest trip by kushner it remains hard to see progress being made toward a peace agreement. palestinians continue to seek a definitive statement supporting an independent palestinian state. the president hasn't done it yet. netanyahu is under pressure not to give up territory in the west bank to limit jewish settlements. kushner will meet with abbas later today in a few hours. abbas complained publicly he has met with u.s. officials some 20 times or so in recent months and there isn't much of a plan on the table yet.
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that really has frustrated the palestinians who are waiting to see some type of plan or blueprint from the white house but simply that has not emerged yet, shannon. >> shannon: it has been centuries in the works here. thank you so much. good to see you, connor. >> leland: parts of the texas gulf coast now under a hurricane warning for this weekend as tropical storm harvey is building strength in the gulf. the latest on harvey's path and the rain coming with it. >> shannon: and president trump digging in on his demands for more money to pay for the border wall. how real is the threat of a government shutdown? who benefits and loses with that? bret baier will join us to talk about the looming showdown in congress. >> the president ran and won on building the wall and has remained steadfastly committed to doing it. anybody who is surprised by that hasn't been paying attention for over two years. up. what good is having insurance
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>> shannon: president trump raising the stakes in his battle for a border wall. complicating republican efforts to avoid a government shutdown. they aren't too happy about that. most of them speaking out. i'm shannon bream. good morning. >> leland: good morning to you at home. president trump digging in as he demands funding for the wall. but he is meeting resistance as shannon said on capitol hill where republican leaders face a deadline next month to keep the government running. house speaker paul ryan saying no one wants a shutdown. >> i don't think a government shutdown is necessary and i don't think most people want to see a government shutdown, ourselves included. and congress and the house has already done its work on this issue. there are very legitimate problems and concerns on the border that need to be addressed. the house already has passed funding for border security, including building physical barriers like a wall in the places that are necessary.
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>> shannon: bret baier, anchor of special report is joining us now. okay. when the president said this the other night and laid down the marker and will shut down the government over this i wonder how paul ryan feels about that? we have seen the polling every time this happens it doesn't matter who is responsible for it the gop takes the hit and they know it. >> that statement, that one sentence raised some eyebrows here in capitol hill area. there is a pit in the stomach of republicans every time you go to a debt ceiling or government shutdown because you're right. the pr battle for some reason falls on republicans especially now since they control the house, the senate and the white house. this is a bit of a game of legislative chicken, though. the president is playing it saying he is pushing for his priority on the campaign trail, the border wall. what that looks like, what the funding looks like.
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i think it's really in question at this moment but something is going to come to a head, a loggerhead come mid september. >> shannon: kellyanne conway said the message of the president to congress is i'll get the wall done and i expect you to fund it. this is what she had to say. >> we really want the support of the senators and members of congress. many of them like to go on tv rather than help behind the scenes. i'll leave that to them where their highest use is. we prefer to have help behind the scenes, too, on again policy issues that these senators have run successfully on for years if not decades, that the president ran successfully on a year ago. >> shannon: we like to hear what they have to say. she is talking about the behind the scenes work as well. can they do both and move something forward? >> yes. they'll meet at the white house after they come back from the august recess. that's a usual thing. it is not unusual to have the
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leadership at the white house to kind of plan the way forward. it is unusual to have this kind of animosity in the open between the senate majority leader, the president, and really some individual senators including senator jeff flake who was on "fox & friends" this morning from arizona. i think you are going to see some math here that they'll look at every vote and to see if they can get over the hurdle on some of these things, which also makes today's story that senator menendez, the democrat from new jersey is in a trial, potential conviction if the trial goes and he is convicted but more importantly the judge in that case has said that he needs to stay there for the trial. so it's possible that he, the democrat menendez, could miss key votes in the fall, a number of them. when it comes down to one vote, that's a huge deal. you are talking about
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healthcare. remember john mccain with that one vote at the end. you are talking about tax reform, you are talking about debt ceiling. this is a big thing even let's just put the conviction off the table. just the judge saying you have to be there means that he could miss some big votes and that will factor into the senate math. >> shannon: my understanding is that trial is set to kick off when they are supposed to come back from recess. it would block him right away the beginning of september if he has to be there for the trial from being absent from the big votes. you've talked about the animosity between the president and the senate majority leader. the president has sent out a lot of tweets. the only problem i have with mitch mcconnell. after hearing repeal and replace for seven years he failed. that never should have happened. this comes after the day we get statements from both sides saying we're working together, everything is fine. anybody who says differently isn't part of the conversation
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and this isn't the only critical tweet of mitch mcconnell this morning from the president. >> he also said he should have put the debt ceiling in the va bill. all kinds of things that sound like they aren't singing from the same sheet of music. the onus on healthcare is on the leadership of the house and senate. the senate for not getting it across the finish line but you have to put some blame on the white house and president for not using the bully pulpit to really move people and to pressure people. i think that when you look back at that, it will be interesting to see how that goes if the leadership brings up healthcare again to try with the president's push to do repeal and replace one more time. >> shannon: what's at stake in 2018? who gets the blame if after millions of americans went to the polls and gave republicans the house, the senate and the white house, some of these big things or anything major legislatively doesn't get done,
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what's the 2018 impact? >> i think there will be anger if nothing gets done. that's why lawmakers on the republican side, the leadership, they need ws, just like the president needs wins, these lawmakers need to go back to their home states and have some victories. the repeal and replace thing is a promise that was seven years in the making. the question is what is the democrats' alternative and where is their leadership on these issues? that wasn't surfaced either. how it plays out in 2018 is a race by race issue. >> shannon: thanks for dropping in. see you at 6:00. >> leland: the trump administration seeking new restrictions on international travel. the white house working to level visa sanctions against four countries for refusing to take back nationals deported from the united states. mike emanuel live in washington so mike, this is a little bit
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different than the president's travel ban from back in january. what more do we know about this program? >> the trump administration is looking to stop travel coming from countries that refuse to comply with the department of homeland security. these countries are refusing to accept or dragging their feet on taking back their nationals deported from the u.s. homeland security has sent notification to the state department. state department official telling fox when we receive such notification the department of state works to implement a visa suspension as expeditiously as possible in the manner the secretary determines most appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the desired goal. that state department spokesperson adding the secretary of state is having conversations with those countries. we want to bring those countries into compliance and be able to take back their citizens. fox news has confirmed it is four countries. the washington times has reported it is cambodia, guinea
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and sierra leone. the idea is forcing compliance. >> leland: to what extent is the administration willing to go to force that? president trump says he is willing to fight about immigration. what does the fight look like? >> the broader fight over immigration is threatening a government shutdown if he doesn't get money for the border wall and making it clear this week in arizona he plans to be tough on these issues. >> my administration will never back down in demanding immigration control. the american people voted for immigration control. that's one of the reasons i'm here. and that is what the american people deserve and they are going to get it. >> the president also warned that democrats opposing the wall and more border security are putting all of america's safety at risk. >> leland: all right. mike emanuel, the fight will be on capitol hill this fall. thank you, sir. >> thank you.
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>> shannon: there is a hurricane warning up for parts of texas as tropical storm harvey takes aim at the gulf coast. preparations already underway ahead of what could be a major storm. >> given what the models are showing with the widespread nature of the rainfall and some of the totals we're looking at. pretty much all of our bodies and creeks would be potentially a problem with this type of rainfall. >> shannon: this news changes minute by minute. let's check in with janice dean in the extreme weather center. sounds like it could be really tough. >> i'm really concerned. texas hasn't had a hurricane since 2008. this will be a hurricane when it makes landfall and we're seeing rapid intensification. i'm concerned we'll see a hurricane within the next advisory maybe at 2:00 or 5:00 and the legacy from the storm regardless of its category will be storm surge and flooding because the models are now predicting the storm is going the stall out perhaps move over
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the gulf of mexico again once it makes its first landfall and then perhaps go toward louisiana next week. this will be a big deal. the forecast rainfall upwards of two feet of rain not out of the question. this will be catastrophic for folks along the texas coastline. if you have an evacuation warning and people are telling you to get out you need to do it now. you don't have a lot of time. water is warm in the gulf of mexico. the fuel the storms need. very warm. nothing in the storm's way from intense filing and i think we'll have a period of rapid intensification. the forecast models are very concise making landfall across the coast of texas and then the models showing a stall and perhaps even going back into the gulf of mexico. here is the steering that we have, shannon. high pressure across the rockies, high pressure across florida, and it is just -- there is nothing to steer this
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out of the way and that's why i am so concerned that this is going to be a catastrophic flood event. millions of people live along the gulf coast. it will stall for the weekend and perhaps well into next week. a big deal, a big concern. people need to heed the warnings. >> shannon: listen to the local and state affiliates who are there and know and trying to help you get out before it's too late. thank you very much. >> leland: defense secretary james mattis traveling overseas and he has a stern warning for russia. what his message to moscow is next. >> shannon: plus will president trump's fight with mitch mcconnell weigh down the gop's agenda? >> this new administration in washington and this congress is interested in getting america growing again. put another way, taking our foot off the brake and putting it on the accelerator.
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>> leland: defense secretary james mattis visiting ukraine and sending a strong message to moscow. the pentagon chief speaking in the ukrainian capital as it marks 26 years of independence telling reporters that russia aggression will not be tolerated. >> we will not accept russia's seizure of the crimea and despite russia's denial we know they are seeking to redraw borders by force undermining
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the free nations of europe. >> leland: he also suggested he is in favor of arming ukrainian forces with defensive weapons, something the obama administration saw as a potential provocation to russia. >> shannon: president trump feuding publicly with top republicans. it includes reauthorizing critical flood programs, raising the debt ceiling. funding the government and revamping the tax code. maybe another run at healthcare. how much of that can be thrown into jeopardy as the president continues to butt heads with members of his own party? let's bring in congressman sean duffy. that sounds like a bit of an obstacle course? there is a lot to get done. >> i got my kids off to school this morning so i feel rested and ready to go. you make a good point. a lot on our agenda. what you've seen play out is the relationship between mitch mcconnell and donald trump. the nerve endings of that relationship are frayed and you
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see that playing out all too publicly. if we'll be successful in getting this agenda accomplish, funding the government, dealing with the debt limit, getting to tax reform, coming back to healthcare, we have to work together. we have to have a big republican huddle. we have to love and hug each other. we are going into football season. you don't see football teams run on the field and run on the field and punch each other. they have to work and fight together if they win together. donald trump and mitch mcconnell and paul ryan have to figure out their differences behind closed doors and come out with a unified approach. we have challenges. we have very conservative members of congress, moderate members of congress and folks in between. if we are successful we need a broad conversation to bring everyone under the tent to accomplish the agenda and tweeting at people i don't think really accomplishes that goal. what i think the president should be doing is laying out the reasons why we have to
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accomplish these necessary objectives, which is really for the american people to grow the economy, put people back to work with better wages. help with healthcare, secure a southern border. trump voters care about that and they know you get it accomplished when you work together, not fight each other. >> shannon: a democratic strategist said they stick together and there were people within the democratic party who wanted other things than obamacare. they wanted different options. but they all listened to their leadership and voted in lock step. that doesn't happen always with the gop. that's because people, a lot of the gop folks will say we don't take orders from leadership but from people at home and you have a broad spectrum of people in the republican voting caucus. how do you get to more agreement? >> shannon: that's a good point. i think you have a little more of a collectiveist socialist
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mind set of the democratic party. we're different. we're independent thinkers and think we have the best idea. when you bring in all those ideas and hash it out, metal on metal sharpens. that's a good thing. you look at the primary in 2016, donald trump was better because there were 16 people in the primary. democrats are worse off because they tried to anoint one person. we're better off if we go through the tension but we have to do it with love and understanding that we're all getting to the same end goal which is accomplishing big reform for the american people. meeting the promises that we made to the american people. that tension can bring a better product but you can't let it blow up and go nuclear. if that happens you lose the whole agenda and the american people are hurt. which frankly that takes leaders on both sides to be big boys. my kids went to school today. you can't have school yard antics. we have to be strong american leaders. we have to put our egos aside and sit down at the table and go let's figure this stuff out.
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we want to get to the same end goal. we want tax reform. we have to fund the government and deal with the debt limit. we have $20 trillion in debt. i'm working on flood insurance. the program expires at the end of september and as you mentioned we have floods coming to texas. those are all important issues. but you can't do it if you are punching each other on the game field. you have to work together and fight together. >> shannon: inner party is one thing. there is some bipartisan being done on tax reform. that encourages a lot of people. there is great benefit to the american people in getting something done on that front. other times the president has now suggested about reaching out to democrats to get some other things that he wants to get done. one of your colleagues there charlie dent, a republican from pennsylvania, i don't know what makes him think they will be more cooperative. how do democrats figure in to get things done? >> healthcare the difficult.
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they want a free enterprise system. that will be tough. most democrats on tax reform, corporate tax reform, they understand that we have an ineffective code that's costing us american jobs and companies. in their hearts they want to help us on tax reform. however, the never trump movement, the impeach trump movement of their base will pressure them not to give donald trump or republicans any wins. it is not a republican win. this is a win for the american country and people. hopefully they can see their way to navigate their base and come to a common sense tax reform that will benefit the country. but i have to say besides these big issues there is a lot of work that happens in a bipartisan happens. we bring both sides in. we work together and try to navigate differences behind closed doors. you saw on the va yesterday, va was bipartisanship as well. we have some people working together, which is good. >> shannon: that's a good note to leave it on.
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congressman duffy, thank you. >> leland: speaking of tax reform, what exactly are the prospects for the gop-backed tax reform? a congressman who knows a lot about that with us next. this is boris calvo. boris grows mind-blowing coffee. and because we pay him a fair price, he improves his farm and invest in his community to make even better coffee. all for a smoother tasting cup. green mountain coffee. you don't let anything lkeep you sidelined. come on! 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.
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>> shannon: the mystery deepens surrounding the health of several american and canadian diplomats working in cuba. new reports suggest they suffered brain injuries and possible damage to their central nervous systems from exposure to an acoustic attack. officials believe they were injured by audio devices left in their offices and homes. the state department says the incidents began affecting diplomats late last year. cuba is denying any involvement. >> leland: democrats already have their eyes set to 2018 and hoping to gain congressional
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seats in the mid-term elections. to do that they're targeting areas of the country where the president has strong support. one example iowa's first congressional district. peter doocy live in cedar rapids, iowa. it is not even 2018 yet. how much buzz is there about the mid-terms? >> a lot. this is the rowdy town halls about health cares over the last couple of months. rod blum, the house freedom caucus back in d.c. says when you see a youtube clip of people shouting him down you aren't getting a whole picture. >> i still believe in iowa nice. iowa is nice. my district is nice. some of the people that disrupted the town halls that were screaming and yelling couldn't hear my answers over these people screaming and yelling. i think it is a subset of a subset of a subset.
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for the most part it was very org iced by leftist groups. >> he says the big issue here right now ahead of the mid-terms is healthcare. >> leland: all right. on that note. does blum have any serious challengers for his seat right now? >> he does. he has already got three on the democratic side and like the other places that we visited across the country so far this week they're all first time congressional candidates well aware of the independent streak going from obama to trump. we talked to one of the challengers, a local engineer who has an idea about how to try to capture those voters. >> really what it was, they just felt that one candidate was addressing the issues and in 2012 they felt it was obama that was giving them hope and letting them know he cared about the issues in their life.
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in 2016 they felt it was trump. >> the democratic party chairman told us that after at the election more people have been showing up at their meetings than before the election. that's a sign of the enthusiasm ahead of 2018. they have to see if they can keep that enthusiasm going for more than a year. >> leland: great reporting this week, safe travels. >> shannon: a refugee riot. police with water cannons clashing with virus. >> leland: president trump promising tax reform. will capitol hill be able to deliver? >> donald trump has delivered on his end of the bargain every time. the u.s. senate hasn't been able to produce things. they have to do a budget, fund the government. get through a debt ceiling. they have to do -- they say they do tax reform. they haven't done healthcare yet and there is only 12
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>> leland: congress comes back early september and the push for tax reform is shifting into high gear. republicans seeking a win after failing to repeal obamacare before the august recess. and president trump urging action. >> president trump: we need the help of congress, please, okay? we need the help of congress. and we really could use some democrat help. we're giving you the biggest tax cut in the history of our country. the democrats are going to find a way to obstruct. if they do, remember, they are stopping you from getting a massive tax cut. >> leland: illinois congressman peter roskam is a republican on the ways and men's committee of
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the house. we've heard this republican talking point after the failure on healthcare that somehow, some way tax reform is going to be, quote, easier. i've heard the talking point, please explain to me why if you agree with it. >> well, it would be preferable to have healthcare done and momentum begets momentum. that's an easier and better pathway. the silver lining is since it didn't happen to look at it from a half full point of view, it becomes a lot of pressure on a lot of republican members of congress to get to yes on something like tax reform in order to go back and say we got this done. so it's not the preferable path. i'm not here pumping sunshine saying it's the route that you want to go but the route we're in right now. rather than moaning and groaning about it, let's deal with it and move forward. i think there is a pathway for us to get tax reform on the president's desk. >> leland: will it be tax reform or tax cuts?
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>> my preference is to recognize we're at a once in a generation opportunity to do fundamental tax reform. the last time tax reform happened was 30 years ago. you think about all the things that have changed in our economy. the entire internet has developed as a commercial enterprise since then. the shared economy, airbnb, uber, lift, the global nature of supply chains are related. we have a tax code that is a throwback and no body is defending it or likes it or fond of the irs. you are at an inflection point and an opportunity to do something that is really transformational. let's take advantage of that. >> leland: the irs may have a lower approval rating than congress. not sure. we'll check on that. if you put up the chart of what has happened to the dow and the markets in general since president trump's election, it has gone up substantially.
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things have leveled out as congress hasn't been able to get things done. the market built in tax reform not tax cuts. realistically is that a goal that you all can meet after having come up so short on healthcare? >> yeah, absolutely. because nobody is defending the status quo of our current tax system. there is a general recognition, the -- >> leland: nobody was defending the status quo of obamacare. everybody said it needed to be fixed and still nothing happened. why is tax reform different? >> i think tax reform is different because you've got this failure or this stalling of healthcare right now. so it creates a different environment where people become a little more forward leaning on trying to get to yes. i take your point that it's a difficult -- this is a difficult proposition all the way around. but there were people who were defending the status quo of the
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affordable care act. not to become quibble, the point is you have an opportunity. the question is, do we seize the opportunity and move forward? i say yes. let's do that. i think there is a broad consensus across the political spectrum that says let's do that very thing. >> leland: very quickly one of the criticisms that even president trump now had about the failure on obamacare was that obamacare repeal was look, you guys had seven years, meaning republicans had seven years to come up with a repeal and replace option to essentially pull off the shelf come january of this year. is there a tax reform plan to pull off the shelf? are you guys still working on it to try to present that come september? >> that's a fair criticism on the healthcare observation. there is not just a pull off the shelf concept that is just fait accompli obviously. if healthcare has an impact on
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1/6 of the economy. which it does. tax reform has an impact of 100% of the economy. if you impact 100% of the american economy you are impacting the entire globe. the notion of pulling something off the shelf and quick and simple is a pipe dream. that said, it's a challenge that's really worth pursuing and we've got the capacity to do this and to get it done. >> leland: all right. good luck when you come back. a couple days so seize before the debt ceiling comes. >> shannon: a boiling point in rome. police clashing with refugees in a public square. families had been sleeping there despite orders they had to leave. amy kellogg is reporting live on the situation from milan. good morning, amy. >> this just really shows how
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italy is bursting at the seams. these refugees, have the same rights as italian citizens but there are more than a few italian citizens on the wait list for public housing. this was the zone in rome. 500 of 800 managed to find a place to stay with friends or relatives or in another vacant building. 100 deemed vulnerable. disable people and children. 200 other people slept in the park. today when police went to clear the square there were violent clashes. some of the refugees were injured. they said we're refugees, not terrorists but some hurled things at police. someone throwing a gas canister out of a window of the building. according to the u.n. these are
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people from eretria. many speak italian and it shows how little they've integrated. the house solutions offered to the people weren't adequate and didn't cover anyone. this issue is integration is what the u.n. is hitting on this morning saying there are 3,000 refugees living in vacant buildings in rome and untold other ones here in milan and turin. people do warn about the dangers of a lack of integration down the road. then you have the people who just keep coming across from libya. 90,000 in italy this year. they won't all be refugees but the odds of those who aren't given refugee status actually getting sent back home are very slim. italy is crying out for help from the rest of the e.u. and not from yesterday. >> shannon: all across europe we're seeing similar scenes as this reaches a breaking point.
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amy kellogg, thank you very much. >> leland: i hope my father is watching right now as he is one of the many parents who is frustrated by their children, namely my sister, who doesn't answer her phone. well, dad, now there is an app for that. stick around. >> shannon: an appeals court rules that a high school football coach cannot pray on the field by himself after the game. so is this fight headed to the u.s. supreme court? >> as a parent and observer i thought there was no harm in it. i don't think he did anything terribly wrong. it would be nice to see him back.
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on silent. the message appears on the screen over any other application they are running. it's already available for android phones and expected to be ready for iphone in the coming weeks. i was reading about this. you can't do anything else on your phone until you respond. >> shannon: wow, parents will love this. i might use it on my mom, too. i can't find her half the time. she is playing bridge and making casseroles and going everywhere. i'll use it on her, too. that's a good invention. one high school football coach in washington state has lost his bid to pray in front of students and parents on the football field. he was suspended from his job after kneeling and praying after football games. the ninth circuit said he was an employee when he prayed and the school had a right to discipline him. he and his attorney said he is exercising his right to free speech and wants to get back to work. >> when the court has said
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banning all coaches praying individually in public because they can be seen is wrong. coach kennedy would love to coach his players again. he loves to grow young men into better men. >> shannon: partner and ceo of wpa intelligence and jessica tarlov. fox news contributor. good to see you both. i'll read the bottom line we got from the ninth circuit. kennedy spoke at a school event on school property while on duty as a supervisor in the most prominent position on the field where he knew it was inevitable where students, fans and media would observe his behavior. they say no can do, chris. >> it is more ridiculous than the anti-christian left coming from the ninth circus. for somehow assume because he is wearing a logo or because he is at a football game at a
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stadium that he is going to influence these kids i think completely ignores the independent stubbornness that exists in most teenage boys. i have two of them and i'll download that app when i leave the studio. what it means for christians is another assault on belief system that is fundamental to who we are as americans and christians and the challenge here as you see these decisions being handed down by the left it creates -- creates a feeling that government doesn't represent us and that it is trampling on our rights and being taken to its illogical extremes to a point that's unfortunate. it will create a backlash in the other direction. >> shannon: i will read more from the opinion. there was no dissent here. they said kennedy's contract required, the coaching contract that above all else kennedy would endeavor to create good athletes and good humans x. he said he was doing that. the school district statement acknowledged there was no
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evidence that students were not -- he complied with directives to intentionally involve students in his religious activities. >> i don't have teenage boys but i grew up with a bunch of them and an athlete in high school and college and i know what kind of influences coaches have over their athletes. they are supposed to be there as the statement said to make these young men and women into better human beings and be a role model. we all know that peer pressure exists here. if it made one student uncomfortable or made one student do what they didn't want to do i don't see where it should go on. over 50 years since no prayer in school. it is a public field and public employee. i'm completely happy for prayer. this is not about the left attacking christians. if that was a jewish coach or muslim coach he wouldn't be standing out there with a quran
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or torah. the right is using it against us that we're irreligious beasts. it will probably go to the supreme court and hand down the same decision they did over 50 years ago. we don't have prayer in school. that is in school. >> shannon: i would argue i'm not sure what the court would do. i think this would be one of those 5-4 decisions and a lot of folks would like to see it go there. a sporting event, afterward. everyone is off the field and prays by himself. >> a big difference between a coach leading his students in prayer. to imply because a coach is leading the students in prayer is a bad role model is unfortunate and the extremism that i'm discussing. the anti-religion. it is anti-all religion. trying to push religion completely out. the logical extension of is to begin stripping the word god
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out of our constitution and currency. >> shannon: there are -- >> leland: it is absurd. >> shannon: there are pending lawsuits in god we trust and thus far the stripping of that has not begun. but jessica and chris we'd love to stay on this. if it goes to the supreme court we'll debate it with you again. >> leland: coming up top of the hour "happening now" with jon scott and jon, there is a lot happening now. >> that's for sure. president trump is tweeting up a storm responding to his critics on one of his favorite platforms and slamming fellow republicans coming as the president stares down september, one of the most pivotal periods of his presidency and the barcelona terror attack and the pentagon going ahead with the president's transgender military ban. >> leland: thanks, jon. one city bracing for potential
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>> shannon: a self-described white nationalist who pepper sprayed a demonstrator at the university of virginia has turned himself into police. he was taken into custody. he appeared earlier by videoconference before a judge and denied bail being assumed he would be a flight risk. he said he pepper sprayed a counter demonstrator in self-defense during a protest a day before a deadly demonstration in charlottesville. >> leland: the city of lexington, kentucky dealing with controversy after the democratic mayor there said he wants to remove two civil war
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era monuments from downtown. we understand are some of these same white nationalist groups in charlottesville thinking of coming to lexington? what's the fear there? >> we were in charlottesville covering the deadly riots. some of the white nationalist protestors told us they were headed to lexington to protest the removal of the two confederate statues behind me. one of the leaders of the white extremist group says they'll hold an unannounced flash rally in lexington. adding to the tension here. the chief of police tells us any violent protestors will be met by law enforcement and officers will make arrests if necessary. people in general have mixed opinions about moving these statues. >> i just think that we have lived with them where they are for so long and i just don't think we can erase our history. i don't want to move them.
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>> put yourselves in my shoes. let's pretend you are the victim of an abuser and basically that's what they represent to us. would you like for the abuser to be honored? >> if it will calm things and restore some calmness to the area, then i would say if we could move them. i wouldn't be in favor of destroying them. >> county council voted in favor to relocate the statues behind mess. give them 30 days to decide where the statues would go and we're a week into that 30-day period. >> leland: the county council is unanimous in this. are they moving or can things still change? >> they are definitely going to move. the democratic mayor spearheaded this movement. he is totally in favor of relocating these statues. he says it is just the right thing to development however, kentucky's republican governor
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says removing the statues is sanitizing history and there is historic society who has control of these statues so now the county council has to petition the historic society to move the statues. the statues will be relocated but when and where will be determined. >> leland: a lot of moving parts and we'll see if there are any protests there. matt, thank you. >> shannon: president trump calling for national unity amid a growing divide within his own party as the white house urges republicans to get busy passing his agenda. 60% of women are wearing the wrong size pad and...
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>> shannon: louisiana police hunting for burglars who used a stolen pickup as a battering ram to steal an atm from a convenience store. surveillance video, you can see that truck backing into the storefront, several men jumping out of the vehicle trying to pull the atm off the ground, no success come as the driver rammed it again trying to loosen it up. they didn't carry it out. we are told two men have been
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arrested, the others remain at large. >> leland: they should have just played powerball. >> shannon: it didn't work for us, but i'm not ramming any trucks. see you tomorrow. now, it's "happening now" ." >> jon: as lawmakers prepared her return to washington a week and a half an hour after the long labor day weekend, president trump is already feeling the heat. the republican party divided. hello, i'm jon scott. >> heather: and i'm heather childress. also looming, a possible government shutdown. the president making that threat this week as he tries to get congress to fund his border wall, but mr. trump who also called for national unity at a speech in reno yesterday, some people saying spending a whole different message than he did the day before in arizona. >> we
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