it will be a great hour. >> stay within yourself. for all the continuing coverage sandra and hemmer are next. thanks for watching. see you tomorrow. >> bill: thank you, guys, good morning, everybody. breaking news overnight. three army special op commanders are dead and some wounded. they were ambushed in niger. there has been u.s. assistance to crack down on boko haram in that part of the continent. more on the story as we get it this morning. did the las vegas killer act alone? stephen paddock may have had help and may have had plans to survive and escape that hotel room. all this as his girlfriend, marilou danley, goes public for the first time in a statement with her attorney. good morning, everybody.

thursday. feels like a long week already. i'm bill hemmer live in "america's newsroom." >> sandra: investigators piecing together paddock's final moments. he was on an eight-hour gambling binge and he rented a room at another concert earlier. he had containers of explosive materials in his car. leading the sheriff to suggest he may have had help. >> we know stephen paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and living a secret life. much which will never be fully understood. >> he had to have some help at some point. >> he was working out all this on his own, but it would be hard for me to believe that. >> bill: his girlfriend, marilou danley, a person of interest, says she had no idea

what her boyfriend was planning. this is the statement as read by her lawyer. >> i am devastated by the deaths and injuries that occurred. i knew stephen paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man. he never said anything to me or took any action that i was aware of that i understood in any way to be a warning that something horrible like this was going to happen. >> bill: adam housley leads our coverage on the vegas strip this morning. we're hearing the shooter may have targeted fuel tanks in the area. what can we confirm or report on that? >> we asked people in law enforcement that questioned that report significantly. when we've had stories like this. a lot of theories come up, especially in this case because we don't have a lot of information about the man who opened fire and killed so many.

they say it's hard to believe he actually went after these tanks. people were hiding where we're standing. if you look at the pictures, the video of the tanks, it's about 1100 feet away. we do know people's cars were here. a lot of people took refuge in this area. people were running in this direction. he was spraying in a 180 degree plain. so they are very skeptical, law enforcement, several law enforcement that we spoke to were skeptical of that report and more likely he was spraying the area, not necessarily targeting the tanks. >> bill: what else are police revealing and where we are this morning, adam? >> i thought it was interesting. a couple of things. one, they haven't crossed anything off the list. they haven't eliminated any possibility. two, the sheriff last night insinuated that maybe he had some help and he probably had to have some help and three, marilou danley, who spent several hours with investigators both f.b.i. and

las vegas representatives in los angeles yesterday at the f.b.i. office, they said she was very open. she was helpful. they didn't get a ton of information from her. i think the number one important thing about her investigation and her part in this investigation, if they thought she had involvement, whether she should have known more or not telling everything they would detain her and bring her back to vegas. they haven't done that. it tells you where they're going with that part of the investigation. >> bill: adam housley leading the coverage in las vegas this morning. >> sandra: president trump traveling to las vegas yesterday visiting a hospital where many victims are still recovering including one man with a leg wound who found the strength to stand when the president entered his room. mr. trump also assured the people of las vegas that he stands with them during this time of tragedy. >> president trump: in the depths of horror we will always find hope in the men and women who risk their lives for ours. the mass murder that took place

on sunday night fills america's heart with grief. america is truly a nation in mourning. >> sandra: john roberts is live in las vegas. good morning, john. >> good morning, to you. we're at the welcome sign. a memorial underneath the sign and people have been coming by to light a candle or leave a flag or message in honor of the 58 people who died here and a sign thanking the officers from the las vegas police department to came in to save so many people. the president spent a few hours here yesterday taken with the people he met yesterday tweeting this morning, so wonderful to be in las vegas yesterday and meet with people from police to doctors to the victims themselves who i will never forget. the president spent a couple of hours at the university medical center meeting with victims of the gunman. one of them, thomas gunderson, posted some facebook video. he had a bad leg wound but

still, despite the pain and difficulty getting around he stood up when the president came into the room posting on facebook he will never lie down when the president comes to see him. another person that the president visited with yesterday was las vegas police department officer tyler peterson. it was his second day on the job. he rushed to the scene to help people get out of harm's way and shot in the chest and arm. seemed to be doing well in the photo with the president. at the police command center he met with heroes from law enforcement and some civilians. the president said that words cannot describe the bravery the world witnessed there on sunday night. listen here. >> president trump: when the word and the worst of humanity strikes and strike it did, the best of humanity responds. parents and spouses used their own bodies as shields to protect their loved ones. americans dashed into a hail of

bullets to rescue total strangers. >> the white house also leaving open the possibility to president could come back here to las vegas if there is a memorial service that is organized. some people have been talking about perhaps this weekend but the pace of the investigation as adam housley was reporting a minute ago still continuing at such a pace the president doesn't want to do anything that might get in the way of that. back at the white house the president still kind of preoccupied this morning with the story yesterday that his secretary of state rex tillerson described the president in a rather unflattering way and threatened to quit. the president tweeted this morning. tillerson never threatened to resign. no verification from me. also tweeting out, quote, why isn't the senate intel committee looking into the fake news networks in our country to see why so much of our news is just made up? fake. so clearly back in washington,

sandra and the inside the beltway chatter has got the president's attention this morning, back to you. >> sandra: meanwhile what a beautiful sight before the sun has even come up in las vegas. the sign behind you, vegas strong. >> you know, so many people again have been coming by this morning to either take a photo or pay their respects in some way. this is one las vegas strong sign that we've seen. another big billboard right across the street. las vegas boulevard from the mandalay bay that says vegas strong. it's a moniker that will stick in the hearts of a lot of people here in las vegas. >> bill: more on where we are now. want to get to daniel linskey former boston chief of police and incident commander during the boston marathon bombing. make sense of what we think we know, sir? >> we know this individual committed a horrific crime. the logistics and planning is

clear. the potential that he looked at another site and overlooked another concert shows he was thinking about this for a while. this sheriff is doing a great job of getting information out but at the same time protecting his investigation. they have access to video, his financial records, every transaction he has made. the fact they said it looked like he was trying to escape. we don't know they have video of that or information from the hotel. maybe he booked hotels or booked flights showing he had plans for the future to do this attack and get out of there. they'll get all that information and track it down and try and recreate this guy's life. the sheriff mentioned for a number of years he was leading a secret life. we found with serial killers we arrest we go back and realize for decades they've been doing things off the radar screen that others who looked at them said they have no possible idea. i think they've got some information and leads they're following up on and they'll go wherever it takes them. >> bill: he also said he had to have help. i don't know if you agree or

disagree with that. >> i think it was a broadcast that the sheriff put out his belief is he had help. there might be information they have that indicates that whether it's video of him meeting the same person in numerous casinos, videos of the days and time leading up to it. maybe they were sending out message. maybe you didn't know you were helping him. if that's the case let's talk about it. somewhere along the line, people might have, you know, done something to assist and not even realized it or in fact they did realize it. >> bill: can you help make sense of why there is no motive that has been determined? in your practice, would that be considered standard or would you have a pretty good idea right now? >> there is no particular set case, method, mode. you have to go with the information and the information. where that takes you. and sometimes it is a eureka moment and witness that comes

forward. we have so many theories on the marathon we were running down and all of a signed we got photographs that we could identify and video that showed us who the bad guys were. now we knew what they looked like and we were trying to find out who they were. the fact we don't know the motive yet is frustrating for a lot of people, but it's something that they are working on and hopefully we'll get that piece of information, that witness that comes forward and that information will fill out a puzzle that explains why. >> bill: thank you, sir. thanks for coming back today. appreciate your time there. the girlfriend has been interviewed. a lot of questions. why did they go to asia when she did? what about the money that was transferred? so far she has checked out. >> sandra: we are so frustrated that there is no clear motive yet. tough. >> bill: more to come. >> sandra: all right. we'll go in depth on the las vegas shooting investigation coming up next hour with two

nevada lawmakers traveling with the president yesterday. their thoughts on how that cit y is doing and the president's trip there, plus this. >> it's certainly something that should be looked at as to whether it should be banned. right now my first instinct would be to say yes. >> that from peter king a republican. democrats calling for a debate on gun control. some republicans say there are measures they could support as they zero in on the equipment that made the massacre more deadly. >> president trump: i'm honored by his comments. it was fake news, a totally phony story. total confidence in rex. i have total confidence. >> sandra: president trump standing by his secretary of state after wrecks tillerson shot down records he considered resigning over the summer. does it put this issue to rest? the former deputy campaign manager for president trump will weigh in. >> i serve at the appointment of the president and i'm here as long as the president feels

i can be useful to achieving his objectives.

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>> there has never been a consider nation my mind to leave. this is what i don't understand about washington i'm not from this place but the places i come from, we don't deal with that kind of petty nonsense. it is intended to do nothing but divide people and i'm just not going to be part of this effort to divide this administration. >> bill: that was a surprise

statement rex tillerson blaming washington culture for reports of tensions with the commander-in-chief. david bossie. president of citizens united and deputy campaign manager for donald trump for president and david, good morning to you. so the report came out yesterday that he called the president a moron over the summer. he was asked about that, did not directly deny that particular part of the question but just in a general sense how would you describe the relationship between these two men? >> look, the president of the united states has a great relationship with his entire cabinet and as secretary tillerson just said a moment ago on that clip you serve at the pleasure of the president. the moment you are no longer in favor, the president doesn't feel you are either doing the job correctly or the way he wants it to be done, you will be moving on. i don't think this president has any problem with that. i think what secretary tillerson's point is, this fake

news, the report about a name calling on the day the president of the united states was making a visit to las vegas, to try to create a story that is just -- it is a complete fiction. it is unfortunate that they would pick the day that he visits the tragedy in las vegas to do that. i have agree with secretary tillerson for the purpose of trying to divide people. it is not helpful. >> bill: the tweet from the president. this is fake news put out by nbc news. low news and reporting standards. for verification from me. the report says vice president pence talked him out of that. is that true or not? >> i don't know any conversations between the vice president and secretary tillerson. look, they all have a tremendous working relationship and all rogue in the same direction trying to accomplish -- the secretary of state has

inheristed, just as the president and vice president, inheristed a world gone awry by weakness of barack obama. these are tough jobs and there are tough decisions and tough policies that they are trying to put in place. so whether they all agree or disagree is unimportant. they all have to be doing what the president wants. >> bill: so many in washington are not holding back. you have a republican senator, bob corker from tennessee announcing his retirement soon at the end of his term who said the following about the relationship with the commander-in-chief and three of his top cabinet members. >> i think secretary of state tillerson, secretary mattis and chief of staff kelly are those people that help separate our country from chaos and i support them very much. >> bill: what do you make of that? that's a sober statement that went on to say there are people within the administration, i

hope they stay because they're valuable to the national security of our nation. where is that coming from? >> one could hear that and say that has nothing to do with president trump. that he is just praising those people and their service. look, i think that people are trying to create issues. and now bob corker has his own political issues, let's put those on the table. he has decided to retire as opposed to run for reelection because he was worried about a primary, a republican primary. he has not been full throated in his support of this president and of the policies that got this president elected. so that is out there politically but he is praising people for the -- we all know the world is in crisis. around the world the world is on an edge. >> bill: i grant you that. >> i don't know what bob corker. >> people that help separate our country from chaos. it appears as it is a direct

shot at the white house and i want to know where it's coming from. do you know? >> i'm not in bob corker's head. i can just say he needs to support this president and the people of tennessee expect him, who sent him here to support these policies whether it's tax reform in the next couple of months before the year's end, bob corker needs to be on board with the president's agenda. that's what the people of tennessee expect. >> bill: david bossie. thanks for coming back. let's talk real soon. 21 past the hour now. >> sandra: breaking details coming in on three green berets killed in an ambush. what the pentagon is now saying about that attack next. president trump now calling out the senate intelligence committee over its investigation into the russian meddling scandal. 100,000 pages of documents and over 100 witnesses and still no evidence of collusion. when will this issue be put to rest?

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>> bill: all five living former u.s. presidents will make an appearance at a benefit concert for tex ts called deep from the heart. texas a & m university part of their one america appeal program. all proceeds donated to hurricane victims after harvey hit houston and southeastern texas. all five presidents are

rallying people to help and the priorities to raise money. a cool moment and a cool scene like the bipartisanship, i like all of that. >> sandra: it is nice to see that and truly an american moment and i enjoyed them at the president's cup the other day, clinton, bush, obama. it was a fun moment. >> bill: the selfie with phil mickelson a little off center. cool moments. >> sandra: three u.s. army special ops commandos killed overa*es after an ambush in niger in the southwest area of the country. the two wounded green berets are both expected to pull through. lucas, how did this happen? >> officials are describing this as a routine patrol turned very deadly. moments ago we learned those two wounded green berets have been transported to a hospital in germany. the names of the american special forces wounded names are being withheld until notification of kin. local forces, they were

ambushed 125 miles north of the capital inside the nation, one of the poorest countries in the world. it took place near the border. the first combat death for the u.s. military since beginning a training mission over a decade ago to outfit local fighters. since 2013, the u.s. military has been flying drones from a base inside niger. the government doesn't permit the military to fly armed drones. >> sandra: what do we know about the group suspected of carrying out this attack? >> al qaeda and islamic, aqim was responsible for a large attack on a gas plant in algeria four years ago where they took hundreds of hostages including seven americans, three of which were later killed. months later the u.s. military signed an agreement to bring

the drone base to niger and gather intelligence on the group. in april the state department updated its travel warning for niger saying there is a high threat of kidnapping by terrorist groups including aqim which has kidnapped and threatened u.s. citizens in niger. there are 800 u.s. army soldiers currently serving there. >> sandra: lucas tomlinson live at the pentagon for us. >> bill: we need to find out what happened there. meantime back at home a place where republicans and democrats see eye-to-eye. the debate over a deadly device used by the vegas shooter. if you ban that, would that be enough? we'll debate that fair and balanced in a moment. >> sandra: steve scalise for the first time since that awful day back in june together with the men who helped save his life. their thoughts on where the second amendment stands in the wake of the las vegas massacre. >> what do you say to those people who claim that

republicans have a tin ear on this issue? >> we'll have discussions now about what was found in that hotel room. watch me. ♪ i've tried lots of things for my joint pain. now? watch me. ♪ think i'd give up showing these guys how it's done? please. real people with active psoriatic arthritis are changing the way they fight it... they're moving forward with cosentyx®. it's a different kind of targeted biologic. it's proven to help people find less joint pain and clearer skin. don't use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx you should be checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of an infection. or if you have received a vaccine, or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur.

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>> bill: fox news alert now following the latest on the investigation in las vegas. here is what we know at this hour. police suspect that the shooter, the killer stephen paddock, may have intended to escape the scene and that he may have had help in planning the attack. now his girlfriend marilou danley is talking with investigators denying knowing anything about that plan. we're told he had more than 1600 rounds of ammunition as well as containers full of explosives. police also praising a hotel security guard who approached the door where paddock was killing only to be met with machine gunfire through that door. >> well over 200 rounds straight into the hallway. his bravery was amazing.

he remained with our officers providing them the key pass to access the door and continued to help them clear rooms. >> bill: there is another report that police are investigating whether or not paddock may have tried to cause more damage. aviation fuel tanks were within rang, -- range. two bullets hit it. near the concert state. they're looking into the reports for fuller confirmation of that. >> sandra: the shooting reopening the debate on gun control in washington two democrat senators introducing a bill to ban the device that we're all talking about now known as the bump stock which allows semi automatic weapons to fire at nearly the rate of a machine gun. the shooter had several of those on his weapons and democrats think that their proposal is one that everyone can come together on. >> our bill is simple and straight forward. ban manufacturing or possession of accessories that accelerate

a semi automatic rifle's rate of fire to that of an automatic. >> there has been a lot of talk about what we can do, where we can come together, and i think this issue represents a very likely common ground, if there is one. >> sandra: joining me is doug schoen and molly hemingway, both fox news contributors. we're all required to become experts on these guns, molly. something you know a lot about. a few days ago, not many of us knew what a bump stock was. there is an important distinction to be made here. it does not, once used in converting those semi automatic weapons, it doesn't become into the category of an automatic weapon but it does fire at nearly the rate of a machine gun. there is not a ban on this device or this conversion kit or whatever you want to call it. should there be? >> it's an important semantic division. the entire reason why it is legal to use bump stocks is because it does not -- it is

not converting to automatic fire. it simulates -- it gets near the rate of automatic firing. it is also why people are open to or willing to consider a ban on these things even if they strongly believe in the constitution and the second amendment because we already regulate automatic weaponry. it is certainly something that could be done in conjunction with other gun legislation in the works. there is a bill right now a hearing protection act which, if you think that -- if you believe movies or if you're hillary clinton and it's called siel eners. it's a suppressor that suppresses a sound to the level of a jet engine or jack hammer. that's legislation that people are trying to get through. this might be the perfect compromise. people who want the compressors reclassified can work with the bump stocks. >> sandra: we're starting to hear with some republicans they would be okay with at least

some change on this front. listen to what newt gingrich told us on this program yesterday. >> something that makes it easy to convert a semi automatic into an automatic, maybe that does have to be looked at and put under the federal firearms act which makes it illegal to have a genuinely automatic weapon. i think this is as technology changes, sometimes we have to change the rules to catch up with those technologies. >> sandra: can democrats and republicans find common ground? >> i sure hope so. i take molly's comments to be encouraging. there is plenty of room for compromise. there is plenty of room for common sense gun safety restrictions that do not in any way impede people's second amendment rights and the bump stocks are a first and i dare say important step to begin

bipartisan cooperation. >> sandra: you're hearing from some of the most unlikely of republicans on this. i want to bring in john cornyn of texas. i own a lot of guns and as a hunter and sportsman i think that's our right as americans. but i don't understand the use of this bump stock. it seems like it's an obvious area we ought to explore and see if it's something congress needs to act on. kellyanne conway was asked about it this morning from the white house. she said we're open to a discussion and open to smart discussions. now is not the time. just a few days after this attack. >> sandra: -- >> we have a lot we need to learn about what was used here and what legislation could have an effect. so often after a shooting like this you have people whose real goal is to ban guns or repeal the second amendment. propose legislation that has nothing to do with the crime commissioned. in this case this man used these and you are seeing gun

owners being open to it. these aren't great tools. they turn a good gun into a toy. they don't improve accuracy and don't serve the function if you go back to the second amendment, the right of revolution, that kind of understanding of our right to keep and bear arms. they don't serve a function there. people don't just oppose all regulation on guns, they oppose them for reasons that have to do with our founding principles and our right to withstand a tyrannical government. this won't serve that purpose. >> sandra: based on the conversations being add now, do you expect to see any movement from congress? >> i very much hope so. i would urge congress to keep the legislation specific to what john cornyn spoke about and what senator feinstein talked about and the clip you played. lets get the bump stocks banned and move to common sense. he didn't need all the ammunition. i don't question a gun owner's right to own wp owns and

ammunition. we don't need bump stocks and all that ammunition. >> this is what people get concerns about. they're calling for repeal of the second amendment. it goes from something reasonable into where people can reasonably understand the actual goal is to take away the right to take away arms. >> sandra: doug and molly, thank you. >> bill: steve scalise and his colleagues sharing the story with martha maccallum. if you saw it last night or if you did not, reflecting on the shooting back in june. all four say the events of that shooting do not change where they stand on the second amendment. >> we need to cast the second amendment in its proper light. let's don't lose sight of where the second amendment is most important to us. it's hunting and collecting and times where automobiles are used improperly and guns are used improperly and drugs are used improperly. let's be careful what we do to

ourselves in an attempt to try to stop people who aren't sane. >> what do you say to those people who claim republicans have a tin ear on this issue? >> we'll have discussions now about what was found in that hotel room in terms of accessibility of -- the ability to turn a semi automatic into an automatic. in terms of mental health and the ability of those with mental health issues in terms of documentation and sharing of information between states and the federal government. there are areas of agreement that we can have and i think we can move ahead on. >> if you look at what happened in my case, you had people on site with guns to immediately counter the shooter and take him down. that happens every day in america where regular citizens that have their own guns, because of the second amendment protection, are able to defend themselves against criminals.

>> bill: this debate will continue and we'll see where it goes. this man in vegas was sick, he was a killer and if he had explosives in his car he was going to figure out a way to get a lot of attention and kill as many people as he could. so let's see where the debate goes and we'll see whether or not -- >> sandra: it is so nice to see steve scalise back to work in washington as the gun control debate takes center stage in washington where do some of the big agenda items like tax reform and obamacare repeal stand? we'll ask kathy mcmorris rogers next. >> bill: over 100,000 pages of documents, 100 witnesses later, still no evidence of russian collusion. so what is going on? those are the findings from the senate intel committee as of today. when will the probe be over? and what the president is now saying about all of that in a moment next. >> the committee continues to look into all evidence to see if there was any hint of

collusion. now, i'm not going to even discuss initial findings because we haven't any.

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>> the issue is still open that we continue to investigate both intelligence and witnesses and that we're not in a position where we will come to any type of temporary finding on that until we've completed the process. >> bill: that press conference from yesterday. richard b*ur, the republican on the russian matter. today there is no hard evidence of collusion. the president on twitter voicing frustration, why isn't the senate intel committee looking into the fake news networks in our country to see why so much of our news is made up fake? end tweet. chris stirewalt, fox news politics editor. how are you, pal? >> good morning, brother bill. >> bill: i don't know what it

will take. 100 witnesses, 100,000 documents, nine months later, are they going to find anything? >> you don't measure the efficacy of an investigation by the pound. doesn't matter how many witnesses or documents, this became a side show -- i don't mean side show in the sense it's a carnival midway. a side dish as soon as robert mueller special counsel investigation began. mueller walked in and said to the -- the house was out of control. there were all of those histrionics going on. the one democratic congressman holding a press conference every 30 seconds. a leak a minute. a republican who was then matching him in the press conference frequency and all the stories churning out of the house side. senate side they did a better job but it was still necessarily partisan because partisans populate our senate. robert mueller shows up, the most respected law enforcement official in washington today, he shows up and said all right,

boys, chill out. i'm going the take this. the senate ended up making a finding about what we already knew which is that russia tried to subvert our election. we knew that but they provided the documentation and evidence but didn't go to the collusion question. >> bill: we don't know where mueller will go on it and it is in secret. who knows in washington these days? here is what i believe we can say, right? the russian agents tried to get into our election system. 21 states. no votes were changed. so far that seems to be the evidence we've been shown. no votes affected but evidence of ad pushing to influence in some way. there were 3,000 ads, i don't know. show me an ad. why can't we be shown that evidence so that you and i of i would say fairly intelligent mind, i'll speak for you, not me. >> depends on the day. >> bill: show us the ads and we can have a fair assessment ourselves. what's wrong with that? >> facebook and twitter are the

unregulated media conduits that are desperately trying to avoid disaster here because they got used. they are saying we were not complicit or part of this. we didn't know about the fake russian accounts. we didn't know these ads were being pushed by the kremlin. we swear, we swear. so there is a side dish to the side dish. the side dish to the side dish is that these media companies know that they will get regulated. that's going to happen. their free lunch is coming to an end where they pretended to not be content providers. the senate will make them be regulated. >> bill: i want you to listen to this comment and very important for us to understand why mark warner and others are still out there with such intensity i'll say. here is the comment. >> the russian intelligence service is determined, clever, and i recommend that every

campaign and every election official take this very seriously as we move into this november's election and as we move into preparation for the 2018 election. >> bill: this is very important. i don't know if they'll take action before then. we'll wait and see. this is the bug for democrats. they don't think the administration is taking it seriously enough. and the president will come out and say you are just trying to undermine my victory. isn't that where the lines have been drawn on this? >> yeah. and if the president allows his concerns about that to prevent us from taking appropriate actions against a hostile foreign power that continues to try to subvert our process, that wants to hurt us, we see the reports about the kremlin-backed entities using racial strife in the united states, the football controversy about kneeling, or black lives matter, those issues. when we see them dividing americans one against the other, if we don't take this propaganda war and intelligence

war seriously they might succeed. >> bill: so me the ads, make up our own minds, right, in time perhaps. >> perhaps. >> bill: back to the buffet we roll. christ -- chris stirewalt. >> we get new details every day and every hour. did the vegas shooter have help and a plan to escape that hotel room? was he planning a dry run only weeks before firing out of that window. all of this while his girlfriend marilou danley agrees to cooperate with the f.b.i. this word from her attorney. >> i was worried at first the unexpected trip home and then the money was a way of breaking up with me. it never occurred to me in any way whatsoever that he was planning violence. e,

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>> bill: tropical depression in the caribbean has become tropical storm nate 10 miles off the coast of nicaragua. expected to move inland and then into the gulf of mexico and then move north gaining strength along the way. warm waters in the gulf. where could it be by the end of this week? don't know where it will hit but maybe look at that line. this is something to keep an eye on for everybody in alaska, alabama, panhandle of florida and beyond. we'll keep you posted as it goes. >> sandra: new success against isis inside iraq. retaking a town of just over 100,000 people which until now was one of the last islamic state strongholds in the country. we're live in our middle east newsroom with the latest.

>> sandra, this is an important victory. really not only in the fight against isis in iraq but also strategically for iraqi forces. this is why they retook this town. that victory declared today. the city was liberated from isis with the help of coalition forces and the offensive started to retake it september 21st. it has been a tough fight. it was one of isis's last strongholds in that region of iraq. hawija sits along highway 1. an important transportation corridor, the main one that isis used when it took control of the region in 2014 after declaring the caliphate. aside from that aspect capturing this town also puts iraqi forces into contact with kurdish peshmerga fighters who

control kirkuk. an oil-rich region claimed by both the kurdistan regional government and the iraqi government and remains a region of contention in the kurdish fight for independence. on that note iraqi prime minister said today we don't want any aggression or confrontations but the federal authority must be imposed in the disputed areas. really referring to that. there remains concern here, sandra, that both forces that have had a common enemy, that being isis, could be a flash point in that region for violence. >> sandra: we'll keep watching. >> bill: in moments the latest from las vegas. did the killer have help? was he planning to escape? what police are saying from the strip in a moment. plus rex tillerson saying his commitment to the president and his agenda has not waivered. bret baier takes that on live here next. >> the vice president has never had to persuade me to remain as secretary of state because i've

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>> sandra: the girlfriend of the las vegas gunman breaking her silence. they issued a statement after talking with the f.b.i. for six hours saying it never occurred to her that he was planning an act of violence. welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom," i'm sandra smith. >> bill: i'm bill hemmer, good morning, everyone. las vegas police also saying stephen paddock may have had help and wanted to escape. all this as we learn more about marilou danley and what she might have known about her boyfriend's plan saying she had no idea what was coming in this statement read by her lawyer yesterday. >> i knew stephen paddock as a kind, carrying, quiet man. he never said anything to me or took any action that i was aware of that i understood in any way to be a warning that

something horrible like this was going to happen. >> sandra: we're live in los angeles. seems like we're left with more questions than answers. are investigators any closer to finding a motive? >> they hope that marilou danley was the missing link, the one who would connect him. she spoke to investigators at f.b.i. headquarters in l.a. yesterday telling them she was as stunned as anyone that her boyfriend was a mass killer. she was in the philippines when the attack occurred. sent there, she claims, when paddock found a cheap ticket on the internet. as for the $100,000 that followed, she thought it was goodbye money. that paddock was ending their four-year relationship. >> while there, he wired me money, which he said was for me to buy a house for me and my family. i was grateful, but honestly, i

was worried at first the unexpected trip home and then the money was a way of breaking up with me. >> we believe danley is still here in california cooperating with law enforcement. >> sandra: did she provide any actual useful information to the f.b.i. or the las vegas police? >> probably yes. clearly her cooperation is going to be key in helping investigators reconstruct his life, travel, associates, mental health, what he bought and when he bought it. two gun store owners, however, claim danley seemed indifferent to paddock's purchase of firearms. >> she couldn't care less. she couldn't care less. she had no intentions of looking nor acknowledging there was a firearm in our store. >> so on its own that doesn't mean much. a lot of people buy a lot of guns and never commit a crime. investigators won't take her

statements at face value. the f.b.i. says they haven't had a problem accessing paddock's electronic files or confirming whether there was a suicide note. >> sandra: we hope to learn more in the coming days and hours. >> bill: apparently she gave investigators more information. he may have had help and an escape plan but they're still pursuing information on this killer. >> the information that the public provides us is going to helps us solve this. but we must focus on facts. we cannot give in to conjecture and we cannot respond to every little twitter feed that may indicate a theory. we need to be focused on the facts. you need us to be right. you expect us to be right. and we want to be right. >> bill: so many wounded seeking help now. will karr live at the university medical center in las vegas. what are investigators saying

about paddock and possibly having assistance? >> authorities are saying at this point they're not ruling anything out here on the ground in las vegas. it comes as we've learned that paddock, the week before the shooting, actually rented a separate hotel room in a different hotel that looked over a different concert festival as well. we've learned that he had explosive substances in his car and 1600 rounds of ammunition. whether he was planning another attack is unclear as there are still more than 170 victims in vegas hospitals this morning, including aaron cotter's father, doug, who was shot sunday night. aaron couldn't find his dad until the next afternoon. >> i'm 99% sure this is your dad. she took me to the security guard and he said let's go. identify this guy in the room. and as soon as she took me in there i was like yeah, this is my dad. i had tears of joy coming out of my eyes to see my dad was alive.

>> his dad is in icu. he could be at the hospital for several more weeks here. we're told his family started a go fund me page to help with their finances for the next couple of weeks. >> bill: what is your sense about the healing process in the city and the community? >> we were walking along the strip last night and it seemed to be business as usual. mixed in with that vigils and benefit concerts including one put on by taylor winston. he stole a truck and used it to transport up to 30 victims to the hospital. last night he weighed in on the gun debate in d.c. >> no bill that's passed, no law is going to stop what happened today. was it accessible for him to buy these things legally? maybe some of the components he added to his weapons to modify them. if you have the resources and the money you'll make it happen.

and i think he had a plan to hurt a lot of people and it was unfortunately a good plan. >> an ironic twist we've learned the insurance company to go after winston to pay for the blood that was in the truck for the one he stole. >> sandra: we're hearing a lot about these bump stocks, the device used by the las vegas shooter to make his guns fire bullets faster. john sheahan was a former police sergeant on the swat team. we want to take this opportunity because the bump stocks are at the center of a hotly debated issue in washington now to learn something. what exactly are these bump stocks? >> yes, good to be with you again. a bump stock is a stock that's installed on -- it replaces the stock that is on the semi automatic assault weapon. and it has got a spring-type system in it where as the

weapon recoils, the inertia of that recoil allows it to come back and cycle quicker where you leave your trigger finger in place at one time at one position. and it allows that weapon to cycle at a fast rate. it is just another way of taking a semi automatic rifle and turning it into a fully automatic machine gun. >> sandra: it doesn't actually do so, right? it doesn't become classified as a fully automatic weapon with this conversion kit. but it fires as one, right? is that the distinction to be made? >> that's a loophole. actually what it is, it's just a different device that allows a semi automatic assault rifle to turn into a fully automatic machine gun. in other words, i could buy a different type of device, the trigger group, and have to get a federal tax stamp, go through months and months of a background check but i'm paying and the federal government, the

atf is insured that i'm allowed to have that fully automatic weapon because i have purchased that trigger group. what this allows you to do is get a very similar, if not exact same type of action out of that weapon, but not have to go through the federal background check. so really what it's doing is it's still allowing you to make it into a machine gun. it is a loophole device. >> sandra: it sound like a complicated issue to many of us. is this something the average civilian who wants to make this conversion, is this something they can learn to do? is it easily learned? is it a complicated process? >> you could go on any youtube channel and there are dozens and dozens of videos that show people. there was one gal sitting on the floor in her living room and put it together and had it up and running inside of a couple of minutes. so it's not a difficult device to install. pretty much anybody that knows their way around their firearm

is going to be able to put this in. >> sandra: the "wall street journal" editorial board wrote this up this morning on possible gun legislation. they wrote congress could outlaw bump stocks. the practice of quickly bumping a trigger to engage in rapid fire long pre-dates bump stocks or other accessories. so based on your knowledge, should these be banned? if they were, if republicans and democrats banned them, would it make a difference in the shooting over the weekend? >> you are talking to somebody that is or was a police officer that is the tip of the spear. we just enforce those laws. so whether that happens or not is not my opinion doesn't matter. do i believe in the second amendment? yes? do i believe people should have the right if they want to to possess a fully automatic if they go through a federal background check and pay the money and get the tax stamp and

we are reasonably assured they are allowed to use those weapons? yes. should anybody in the public, mostly unstable people, psychologically unstable people as undoubtedly our shooter was, be able to get something like this as easily accessed which does exactly the same thing i think is what is in question today. >> sandra: john sheahan. we're all trying to wrap our mind around this. >> bill: 10 minutes past the hour. president trump traveling to vegas to comfort the victims and to thank the heroes yesterday. >> what i saw today is just an incredible tribute and the bravery, some were very, very badly wounded and they were badly wounded because they refused to leave. they wanted to help others because they saw people going down all over. and it's an incredible thing to see. >> bill: we'll hear from nevada senator dean heller live. what he is learning today about that investigation.

>> sandra: as lawmakers face an increasingly crowded agenda on capitol hill can republicans get tax reform across the finish line? we'll ask congresswoman kathy mcmorris rogers. >> bill: secretary of state rex tillerson calling out the media and d.c. swamp over the report about infighting with the commander-in-chief. bret baier takes that on next live. >> the secretary does not use that type of language. the secretary did not use that type of language to speak about the president of the united states. he does not use that language to speak about anyone. so i hope that clarifies it. he did not say it.

>> bill: breaking news, three special ops killed and two green berets injured. they were part of a team adviseings and assisting local forceers. it is not clear who is responsible for the ambush but al qaeda and isis affiliated groups, very active in that region and we have sent people there to take them out. so the latest on that when we get it. through the department of state. 15 minutes past the hour. >> i have learned that there are some who try to sew dissension to advance their own agenda by tearing others apart. in an effort to undermine

president trump's own agenda. i do not and i will not operate that way. >> sandra: secretary of state rex tillerson reaffirming his support for president trump yesterday after a bombshell report claims he was close to resigning over the summer and had vented to colleagues that the president was a, quote, moron. president trump standing by his top diplomat. >> president trump: i'm very honored by his comments. it was fake news and a totally phony story. it was made up by nbc. they just made it up. total confidence in rex. i have total confidence. >> sandra: let's bring in bret baier, anchor of special report. good to see you this morning. so you saw rex tillerson in that unplanned news conference saying he stands by this president. that this is just all silly news. the president tweeting out that this is essentially fake news. did they clear the air on this? does this go away? >> i don't think it goes away

but it does show you how outsiders from washington, people are not politicians, for example, donald trump and rex tillerson, you know, they operate in different ways. and this place and how it is covered can get kind of swampy in donald trump terminology. anonymous sources saying he said this and he did this. you then have to hear from the players themselves. so the secretary of state making clear he is not leaving. doesn't have plans to leave unless the president asks him to leave and also making clear there was a lot of coverage of what he didn't say in the answer to the question did he use that term. and so heather had to come out now and make it definitive. what is clear, sandra, there are splits in this administration when it comes to policy. the iran deal, how to deal with

qatar, north korea and that is not a bad thing to have debate about different policy issues. >> sandra: the president took to twitter on multiple occasions and using it as an opportunity to hit the media. he tweeted this, rex tillerson never threatened to resign. fake news put out by @ nbc news. low news and reporting standards. no verification if me. however, critics have responded and said there is mixed messages coming out of this white house when it comes to the state department and president trump's words on foreign policy as you suggested. are they reining that in? >> i don't know. is the north korea distance between rex tillerson and the president more of a good cop/bad cop situation where they are trying to play north korea to eventually get to some negotiated settlement?

we don't know behind the scenes of that. clearly rex tillerson and his state department is less powerful than we've seen in state departments of past and they are cutting back. and it is not a great scenario when the bureaucracy sees cuts and efforts to make it smaller. but that is part of his job. i don't know if it means that he is leaving any time soon. >> sandra: rich lowry, a national review editor had this to say about it in politico yesterday. he said the former exxonmobile chief might see himself indisposable as a minder of the president but trump is surrounded by generals who are responsible and influential. if tillerson left the government would operate as before except with some chance there would be a secretary of state better suited to the role. your response to that. >> that's kind of harsh. but it is his thought process. listen, the president chose rex

tillerson on the advice of condy rice and bob gates. he comes from exxonmobile. he essentially ran a company a size of a small country. he has ties around the world and brings a different perspective that perhaps generals who have spent their time in the military bring to advice and consent. so i think that it's the president's call and so far from yesterday's comments he is not doing anything. >> sandra: a busy day in washington bret gearing up for special report at 6:00 p.m. tonight. thanks for coming on. >> bill: we'll debate the debate over gun control in a moment. could it be a game changer for virginia's race for governor? >> sandra: a judge backs president trump and dismisses the case against america's toughest sheriff. reaction pouring in from both sides of the immigration fight. >> he has the same clean record that he had before this started

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>> sandra: a judge formally dismissing the criminal case against joe arpaio. the ruling comes a month after trump pardoned him. he was convicted of defying a court order against traffic stops that targeted undocumented immigrants. his attorney praised the decision. >> this is just another step in vindicating him. the vindication was when president trump pardoned him, gave him unconditional pardon because the president realized this was an unjust verdict. >> sandra: the judge is weighing a request to throw out a 14-page ruling on why he was

originally found guilty. >> bill: the issue of gun control now taking on new urgency in the wake of the las vegas attack. this debate at the forefront of a tight governor's race in the state of virginia. doug mcelway is live on that in washington, d.c. let's talk about the commonwealth. is the las vegas incident expected to have a big impact or how much of an impact on this race, doug? >> hard to see how it has any impact at all. no secret like much of america, much of virginia is divided over gun control. rather than reach a mutual understanding or some degree of compromise, both sides tend to retreat to their entrenched positions. that is the case with the democrat ralph north rum who wants -- and the republican who strongly opposes any form of gun control.

>> democrats are overwhelmingly for it. they were already voting for the democratic nominee. republicans are overwhelmingly against gun control. they were already voting for the republican nominee. essentially i don't think it makes all that much difference. it is just reaffirming the choices that were already there. >> gillespie has an a rating from the national rifle association, northiam as an f rating. the difference between the two couldn't be greater. they face off in the last of three debates on october 8th. interestingly, that debate will take place in remote county virginia, deep in the southwestern part of the state where second amendment rights and gun rights enjoy strong support. >> bill: very interesting. gillespie got close last time around. how is the race shaping up in the polls? >> it's described as neck and

neck through the summer. it could be changing. in a new poll out today the democrat seems to be gaining ground. 53% to 40% among likely voters. with a little over a month to go before election day that could change. one in four voters in that same poll say they could change their mind and their vote before november 7th. >> bill: doug is watching all that out of washington today. >> sandra: president trump comforting survivors and heroes in las vegas. dean heller joined the president on his trip and has been meeting with las vegas investigators. senator heller joins us live next. >> president trump: we ask god to ease their suffering and to speed their healing. we pray for the recovery of the injured and those injured officers who so bravely threw themselves into danger when duty called.

>> bill: there is a massive far

reaching investigation underway in las vegas stretching over several states. here is what we know. it appears the killer may have spent decades stockpiling guns, authorities believe he had help at some point and they believe he had an escape plan. the majority of the purchase of the weapons started october of last year. why was that? nevada senator dean heller flew to las vegas yesterday with president trump on board air force one. thank you for your time here. i want to first of all my condolences to the people you represent in the state of nevada. how is las vegas doing and the people there? >> well, you know, las vegas will always bounce back. this was a horrific event but i do want to thank you and thank the nation for their condolences and prayers. i even received a text message from a cab driver in new york city sharing his sentiments

from all the cab drivers in new york city. when you get those kind of text messages you know it has pulled on heart strings around the nation. >> bill: no question. tell me about the conversation with the president yesterday. where was his head and heart on this? >> well, you know, it's not very often you get a couple hours of face time with the president at 30,000 feet but i was fortunate yesterday to have that opportunity. i went to the governor, the mayor here in las vegas and also the sheriff. sheriff lombardo and said what questions do you want me to ask the president? this is our opportunity to get las vegas in front of the president. he was concerned. he has some ties to this community. he does own some property here. he has real sentiments for this community. the fact that we had a chance to talk about some of the heroic acts by ordinary people doing extraordinary things helping their fellow citizens is an amazing story and has literally getting those stories

out has helped the healing process and having the president here yesterday does also help the healing process as we move las vegas forward. >> bill: let me share some of that with our viewers. once you touched down he said the following when he was with those in las vegas. >> president trump: i'm actually going over to the police department. the fact that they were able to locate that zone and get in there, they say 11 minutes, whatever it was it kept them busy and he stopped firing because he knew they were coming into that door at some point. they did an incredible job. the professionalism has just men -- been amazing. >> bill: the hero was the security guard who worked for the mandalay bay who got to the door first. i want to go through a couple of things here. i don't know how much you can answer this. we're all looking for answers. it is thursday, day four and a half but still only day four and a half. about what a motive? what can you add, senator?

>> well, the conversations and the briefings that i've had with the sheriff, he does believe this shooter was trying to escape. and that's his hunch. sheriff lombardo is a smart guy and i'm with the sheriff on this one until he is proven wrong. they're trying to figure out what the motivation. what makes a mad man go up on the 32nd floor of the building behind me and spray bullets down on concert-goers. like you said, it has been just over 72 hours since this incident occurred. we'll learn a lot more in the days and weeks to come but everybody wants answers to how this happened. >> bill: my guess is they know a lot already. the electrons ickx found in the home are probably telling them a lot. a couple of pointed questions here. this was premeditated. he worked on this for some time. a sick individual. is there a suggestion of mental illness yet? >> i understand that he was an depressants, bill. we don't know the extent of that.

i haven't been briefed on what the extent of that is. but he was a mad man in the fact he could premeditate something like this is beyond what anybody can comprehend here in las vegas and across the nation. i want to thank -- >> bill: was he working with others, senator, or was he doing this on his own? what do we think right now? >> the sheriff right now is looking into that. he believes there may have been others involved in that. at this point it's not clear and i certainly haven't been briefed on that fact. i want to go back and thank again the president for his comments and that film, that piece you showed shows you he was engaged and i was pleased that he had as strong an understanding as he did of what happened here in las vegas. >> bill: i can appreciate that. and i'm certain you did as well. what about connection to outside groups? was he working with extremists, was he influenced by them? are they part of this

investigation now? >> well, it will always be part of this particular investigation but we certainly don't have real evidence that there were those kinds of influences or those kind of outside groups. we won't stop this investigation until we have an answer to that. again, we don't have the answer. it has only been 72 hours. i think in the days and weeks to come we'll have a clearer understanding. >> bill: all right. when you get back to washington you know the debate raging about gun control and the bump stocks. representative lewis, a democrat from georgia said the following about all this debate now. watch. >> don't tell me this is about protecting the second amendment when you won't stand up for the first amendment. don't tell me this is about anything other than greed, greed, money, and fear. >> bill: this debate continues on the bump stock that was apparently used on these long rifles. where does that go and would you support a ban on them? that seems to be the essential

question of the week. >> yeah, keep in mind this was an obama era regulation that was put into place back in 2010 and obviously we'll have this conversation. let me be clear. i'm not interested in watering down the second amendment. what i'm interested in is trying to figure out how man -- mad man can go in the building right behind me and spray bullets down on 22,000 concert-goers. you show me the law that would stop that. not only will i support it, i will be an advocate for that law. >> bill: you had mentioned a moment ago how much understanding the president had. what did you mean by that comment as it relates to what, senator? >> as i was talking to the president on my cell phone, i had a picture of a number of survivors walk through their stories and what they were able to do and some of the heroic events that occurred during that time. i even have a picture of a

woman who had a cell phone in her hand that has a bullet hole through it. a respiratory therapist at umc and she had some tissue wounds. she bandaged herself up and went to the hospital probably should have been in the hospital herself but was -- spent that time trying to help other patients and did so for 10 or 12 hours. those are the kind of stories that he knew, he understood. there was a sheriff's deputy at unc. he was on the second day, second day of the job when he got shot at this event. his dad was also a sheriff's deputy who happened to be a participant at the concert. those are the kind of stories and messages i wanted to share with the president and asked him if he would certainly take time to visit some of these survivors and listen to their stories and he did. that's what is important at this point is for him to engage, which he did. and help in this healing process, which he has helped.

>> bill: these stories just go on and on and on. give the people there our best, senator. thank you for coming on today. dean heller, senator from nevada, with us live from the strip. good luck. thanks. >> sandra: thank you. the issue of gun control dominating washington as republicans try to take on a jam-packed agenda. tax reform, obamacare repeal two of the biggest issues they promised americans they would take on. can the gop get this done? we'll ask congresswoman kathy mcmorris rodgers, first house majority whip steve scalise. >> we still have time to achieve more big things. if it starts with tax reform i think that's a big win in and of itself. it creates momentum to get other big things done. how can you make your hair even stronger?

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>> bill: a live picture. robotic arm a new hand.

nasa astronauts conducting repairs to the international space station. the next supply ship is due next month. they need to grab the next spacecraft. the arm has been in orbit for 16 years so the wear and tear and the camera is taking a bit of a toll. a neat camera shot. good luck to all. >> sandra: i lert for you. we're awaiting a press conference from nancy pelosi expected to talk about las vegas and the push for gun reform. many other agenda items hanging in the balance. joining me now kathy mcmorris rodgers share of the house republican conference. thank you for being here. there is a lot going on. this week has taken a drastic change and it has put a lot of the gop agenda on the back burner. the las vegas shooting has taken center stage. first your thoughts, congresswoman. >> boy, my heart breaks for

everyone who was impacted, the loss of life. it is really hard to get your head around the tragedy and i continue to hold them up. we just had a shooting in spokane, too, at freeman high school two weeks ago. again it is just really hard to get your head around it. i think it's very important that first of all we're reaching out, that we are providing comfort to everyone that is impacted. there is still a lot of unanswered questions. i think it's very important that we get the facts, that we understand what happened and the question as to this device that was attached to the gun and what action we might take there. >> sandra: the bump stocks is what you're referring to. i know you've spent some time speaking with atf agents about that device trying to determine whether or not that should be legal. have you come to any conclusions on that? >> we're asking those questions, bump stock device is a relatively new technology. i think it's important we understand exactly how it works

and what the law is related to that device. we are asking those questions now. >> sandra: while all this is going on, congresswoman, you look at the agenda whether it's tax reform, obamacare repeal. there is so much left to do by the end of the year. so many aggressive deadlines. here is paul ryan earlier in the week talking about tax reform and getting it done. listen. >> we get tax reform done, that gets us faster economic growth. we know we get tax reform done, that's bigger paychecks. we know we close loopholes it's a fairer tax system so people pay their fair share. we're trying to unrig the tax system by getting rid of all the special interest loopholes. it hasn't been done since 1986. >> sandra: the clock is ticking. will this get done? >> most of us we consider it must-pass legislation. this is about bigger paychecks, more jobs. many hard working men and women

in this country, people who feel like they are working hard, playing by the rules, doing all the right things but falling behind because the cost of living continues to increase and so for the republicans who have the majority in the house and the senate and the presidency, it is a time for action. our economy has been stagnant. wages have been stagnant. this is our time to really get people back to work, create jobs and create opportunities for everyone in this country. >> sandra: there is a chance, congresswoman, it doesn't get done by end of year and gets pushed into next year, how much leverage do republicans lose? >> my goal is to get it done this year. the house is moving as quickly as we can. last week i hosted the tax camp for the house republicans when we rolled out the framework and we had the vice president come and visit us there. there is a lot of momentum coming out of that session. members are asking questions,

better understanding it but they want to get to yes. so we're moving forward with the committee, will we pass a budget? we will pass the budget today and moving forward with ways and means committee taking the action in committee. our goal is to get it to the house floor within weeks so it can get over to the senate and on to the president's desk by the end of the year. >> sandra: the daca deadline. thousands of dreamers could lose their protection. where do things stand? >> the president has given us a deadline. sometimes congress functions better on a deadline. so i'm pleased that we have -- we know we need to take some action and we are in those conversations right now to reach an agreement for those kids that need some certainty over what their future is going to be. >> sandra: can you give us some sort of idea of the tone in washington now? it has been an unbelievable week for this country having had that mass shooting happen

on sunday night, america woke to that monday morning. it happened in the middle of so much already going on in this country whether it was natural disasters and such and hurricanes, puerto rico devastation. what is the tone in washington now? >> there is a lot going on in the world and your heart breaks as you hear some of these stories. we've also had steve scalise return to capitol hill which is -- he is a walking miracle. that has -- he has given us a lot of inspiration and being back here on capitol hill. i would say for me it just reinforces the importance of restoring civility and how we treat each other. the importance of the moral fabric of this country and making sure that we are practicing the golden rule, treating people the way we want to be treated as basic as that is, unfortunately, it is not -- it is being discarded too often. we put labels on people and cast them aside. i have talked to my colleagues on boekt -- both sides of the

aisle of returning to civility in this country. that needs to be our number one campaign. >> sandra: that sense of unity has been so important this week. kathy mcmorris rodgers, thank you for joining us. >> bill: strong message there. president trump meeting with doctors who fought tirelessly to save lives in las vegas. the message he delivered to them and to those families whose lives have been changed forever. >> president trump: we know that your sorrow feels endless. we stand together to help you carry your pain. you are not alone. we will never leave your side.

is >> sandra: we are learning more about the shooter in the las vegas massacre. what remains unclear is the motive. we have analysis of that. growing bipartisan calls for a ban on bump stocks like the vegas shooter used. and the house can vote on the budget as soon as today. what that could tell us about the giant tax overhaul. >> bill: president trump comforting survivors. good morning, congressman. we want to get a sense of the conversation you had with the president yesterday in light of what we're trying to absorb in las vegas. >> very engaged, very focused in terms of all the issues regarding that. obviously he talked with the first responders and the victim.

engaged on taking a look at what the administrative issues of the bump stock stuff. you'll see those folks engaged on that shortly. and just very, very touched i think he was by the warmth and appreciation that he was shown in las vegas. >> bill: what does it mean to that community to get a visit like that? >> you know, being from nevada we don't get a lot of things like that. i can tell you that it was pretty attention getting to see the people on the streets and the warmth from the mayor and the sheriff, obviously. i'm talking about sincere stuff. not political snapshots. things like that. they made a heck of an impression on him and he is with them. >> bill: on the investigation front, is there more that you're getting from local authorities that we haven't heard about yet that would lead us in a direction, sir?

>> not yet. you go down the first few avenues and you talk to his girlfriend, they are looking at stuff related to other targets in the area. but quite frankly at this point in time i think it is still accurate to say looks like it was just him, trying to figure out what made him go where he went. >> bill: you mentioned the bump stock there. did the president give you an opinion from him as to whether or not he would nudge congress or even push congress on it? >> the president didn't give me his opinion. i can tell you the president's staff was very deep into the issue confirming what the history of how this came about was. it was administratively. and so they are doing their homework and i suspect have taken and are continuing to take a very deep dive in the issue. i think they've been in discussions with other interest groups on both sides, which would include the nra. so, you know, while a lot of people have said we need to be a little bit considerate of

those folks who are victim in the timing sense, i think you'll see the timing on this administratively and congressionally be something unusual based on that. >> bill: if this came to a vote on this accessory would you vote to ban it or not? >> well, it's like everything else, bill. show me the bill and i'll tell you. i've looked at david's bill that is great in terms of saying we think this ought to be illegal and that ought to be illegal. then there are five lines right after this in the bill that go through a broad description could mean anything from grips and magazines or whatever. >> bill: you need to see the language. >> correct. >> bill: i'm out of time for now. come back. my best to you and all your constituents. >> thanks, bill. >> sandra: congressional republicans saying they may be open to additional limits on guns.

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>> seems like we're just moving forward a little bit at a time. >> what a week, wow. >> we have to run. see you in an hour on outnumbered. here is "happening now." >> jon: investigators in nevada are probing the secret life of the gunman in sunday night's las vegas massacre as they try to come up with a motive. welcome to "happening now." i'm jon scott. >> melissa: i'm melissa francis. the gunman may not have acted alone and officials say he rented an apartment overlooking another music festival one week earlier. investigators think he planned to escape after sunday's attack but turned the gun on himself as police closed in. president trump and the first lady traveling to las vegas