Skip to main content

tv   The Five  FOX News  June 18, 2018 2:00pm-3:00pm PDT

2:00 pm
are in place for a reason. and it was wrong to deviate from them and it would be wrong to deviate now. >> is one of the most important takeaways. >> jesse: this is a fox news alert. hello, everybody. i am jesse watters. welcome to the "the five." we are awaiting a white house press briefing over the controversy of separating families at the border. kirstjen nielsen will be joining sarah sanders. in the meantime, we had back to the senate judiciary committee hearing underway right now on the justice department's ig report >> i'm grateful for your continued efforts to protect the integrity of the fbi, department of justice, and their important work. >> senator cruz. >> thank you, mr. chairman.
2:01 pm
gentlemen, thank you for being here today. these are difficulties in the department of justice and the federal bureau of investigation. both the bureau and the department have long, decades long in the department's long, centuries long traditions of fair and impartial administration of justice. there are thousands of good and honorable men and women who work at the bureau and the department of justice. and yet their integrity has been called into question. by misconduct and political bias at the highest levels. on may 3, 2017, then director comey testified before this committee that he "never," never were his words, then the anonymous source in the news investigation dealing with the trump campaign or the clinton campaign. then he testified he had not
2:02 pm
ever authorized someone else at the fbi to be an anonymous source in news reports about the trump investigation and the clinton administration. he said no. in contrast to that, former deputy director mccabe has stated that director comey was aware of is leaking to the press. moreover, his lawyer has said he has email records that demonstrate that director comey was aware of leaking to the press all during the time it was happening. both of their statements cannot be true. it is not possible logically for director comey to be telling the truth of her former deputy director mccabe to be telling the truth. director wray, tell us which one is telling the truth to the best of your knowledge. >> center, unfortunately i can't answer your question due to an ongoing matter.
2:03 pm
>> is the fbi in possession of the emails referred to by mr. mccabe of the deputy director being aware of and authorizing leaks to the press? >> same answer unfortunately. >> let me ask you, how seriously with the fbi treat the matter of the director of the fbi perjuring himself for the senate judiciary committee? >> is the current director of the fbi testifying i take the obligation to tell the truth extremely seriously and i would expect our organization to do so as well. >> i hope you would take us seriously the fidelity law of prior directors. one or the other is not telling the truth. i don't know which one is telling the truth in which one is lying, but if there are email indicia that either demonstrate deputy director mccabe was telling the truth or director comey was telling the truth, this committee and the american
2:04 pm
people need to know. simply saying an ongoing investigation means we will never know who lied to this committee. that's not acceptable. i believe either to this committee ordered to the american people. >> senator, one of the central takeaways from the inspector general's report that is at issue today is the importance of following long-established norms in the department which includes commenting on pending matters in front of congress or otherwise publicly. i don't believe it would be appropriate for me, no matter how tempted i might be to answer your question, to deviate from those norms and one of my first acts as director. >> director wray, let me understand which pending matter you are referring to. the clinton email matter is closed. is that correct? >> yes. >> there is no allegation that this is under the scope of the special counsel. this has nothing to do with russia collusion or anything
2:05 pm
else. this is a question of, did their director of the fbi perjuring himself to this committee. that is not within special counsel mueller's jurisdiction, is it? >> whether the director of the fbi. i don't know fully what is in the scope -- >> you are declining to answer and asked a question because you say there is not an ongoing investigation. what investigation arguably covers the emails demonstrating whether or not the director of the fbi committed perjury? >> i can't answer that question without describing an ongoing investigation. >> so what is your position you are not going to describe any investigation but you will decline to answer questions because there might be an investigation that might implicate it. >> what i am testifying to his the questions you're asking i know for a fact implicate matters that i can't describe without implicating an ongoing investigation. >> let's shift to mr. horwitz. that's coy little deeper into the issue we brought up with
2:06 pm
senator coons and the potential of bias in the investigation. your conclusion was that the agents involved in the conduct "brought discredit to them selves, so doubt into the fbi's handling of the investigation and impacted the reputation of the fbi." there were approximately 15 full-time agents and analysts on the investigation, is that correct? >> as i sit here, i'm not sure of the exact number. it could well have been that number. it's probably around that number. >> 50 assistant director peter strzok was was assigned to the investigation and placed in charge of supervising the day-to-day operations. >> in essence he was leading the investigation. >> the agent leading the investigation, is it true that during the period of the investigation in late 2015 and 2016 when mr. strzok was in charge, he used an fbi device to
2:07 pm
call president trump a "fing idiot, a loathsome human." did he also say donald trump "cannot be president." >> correct. >> and f back onto lisa page said to strzok "maybe you are meant to stay where you are because you are meant to protect the country from that menace," meaning president trump, that mr. strzok replied "i can protect our country on many levels. >> he did. >> in two days later when lisa page asked mr. strzok whether donald trump would become president, did strzok replied "no. no, he's not. we will stop it." >> correct. >> is it true there are many similar statements by mr. strzok? stated that is correct. seven days later, it was a
2:08 pm
concern to us, referencing an insurance policy. >> according to the report, beyond mr. strzok and lisa page, there were other employees involved in the hillary clinton email investigation that showed animus. for example, they called president trump a f-ing idiot and they called his supporters a slur for the mentally disabled which i will not use in this committee. >> that is correct. >> does -- >> it undercuts confidence precisely as we said. >> you referred to former congressman anthony weiner's seized laptop. it's correct the fbi discover the presence of thousands of emails related to the clinton investigation on september 27, 2016. how long did deputy director
2:09 pm
mccabe and director comey know about the emails that were potentially relevant to the clinton administration and do absolutely nothing about it? >> deputy director mccabe was aware on september 28, the next day. and was notified on multiple ways on multiple occasions, as well on september 29. there was follow-up about that by strzok and others. in between september 29 and october 24 or 25, there was no activity by the midyear team or fbi headquarters. it was only re-instigated on october 21 when the new york field office went to the southern district of new york and said no one is doing anything about this. >> nearly a month. thank you, mr. horowitz. >> to clarify, it's unclear exactly what and when director comey knew, because there is
2:10 pm
testimony from director mccabe, deputy director mccabe, that he briefed him on it somewhere in late september, early october. but he also referred to it as a flyby briefing. i think in an area like this, you need to be careful. i am guessing director wray could testify when you're managing 37,000 people it's unclear whether to hold someone accountable in that position if they only got a flyby briefing. >> i think you folks can be out of here in 5 minutes. i would like to introduce the chronology of events about the clinton investigation and background documents into the record to supplement the inspector general's report without objection. so ordered. i have one short question for mr. wray. mr. mccabe's attorney said he can't turn over certain emails, they same emails mentioned by
2:11 pm
senator cruz, because he doesn't have them and because of a nondisclosure agreement. we have a copy of that agreement, and it does not contain legally required language to notify the employee of exceptions that protect disclosures to congress and others. i also wrote you about this on june 5, and i don't have an answer either. and i think you will probably tell me i don't get an answer. i was going to ask you when the fbi's going to respond to my oversight request, but i know you'll work on that. i have great confidence you can help us get that information. so have you informed mr. mccabe that he is allowed to provide information to congress, and what steps the view taken to make sure your nondisclosure agreements comply with the law? >> senator, i am not sure -- mr. chairman, i am not sure i am aware of all the specifics of the various back-and-forth on
2:12 pm
the nondisclosure agreement involving deputy director mccabe. the last i had heard, there was one issue related to this nondisclosure agreement that i thought had been resolved, but i also understand there may be some follow-up. i'm going to need to look into that. i would expect that we would make sure that our agreement. >> jesse: fox news alert. let's listen into white house press secretary sarah sanders at the briefing room. >> secure the border. congress needs to fix our broken immigration system. to answer your question on this topic, i've invited secretary of homeland security kirstjen nielsen nus customs -- i will be backup to take questions on other news. >> good afternoon. it's my pleasure to be here. i would love to see if i can help explain some of what's going on and give you some of the facts. i know there been a lot but out
2:13 pm
there. hopefully we can clarify some things today. i wanted to start by thanking the sheriff of the united states. either privilege of speaking to them this morning. we are grateful for their partnership at dhs and all they do to protect our communities. i want to provide you an update on the illegal immigration crisis on the southern border and the effects, the efforts the administration is taken to solve the crisis. and stop the flood of illegal immigrants, drugs, contraband, and crime, cross the border. let's start with numbers and facts. in the last three month and we've seen illegal immigration on our southern border exceed 50,000 people each month. multiples over each month last year. since this time last year, there has been a 325% increase in unaccompanied alien children and a 435% increase in family units entering the country illegally.
2:14 pm
over the last ten years, there's been a 1700% increase in asylum claims. resulting in an asylum backlog of 600,000 cases. since 2013, the united states has admitted more than half a million illegal immigrants immh -- at the same time, large criminal organizations such as ms-13 have violated our borders and gained a deadly foothold within the united states. this entire crisis, to be clear, is not new. it's been occurring and extended over many decades. currently it's the exclusive product of loopholes in our federal immigration laws that prevent illegal immigrant minors and family members from being detained and removed to their home countries. in other words, these loopholes create a functionally open
2:15 pm
border. apprehension without detention and removal is not border security. we have repeatedly called on congress to close these loopholes. i myself have met with as many members that have been willing to meet with me. i testified seven times. i will continue to make myself available to ask that they work with us to solve this crisis. yet the voices most loudly criticizing the enforcement of our current laws are those whose policies created this crisis. and whose policies perpetrate it. in particular, we need to reform the three major loopholes. let me quickly walk you through them. first, we need to amend the 2008 trafficking victims prevention reauthorization act of a which is -- this law encourages families to put children in the hands of smugglers to bring them alone on this dangerous trek northward and make no mistake. we have talked about this befor before. this track is dangerous and deadly. second, we need to reform our asylum laws to end systemic
2:16 pm
abuse our asylum system and stop fraud. right now, our asylum system fails to assist asylum seekers who legitimately needed. we are a country of compassion. we are a country of heart. we must fix the system so that those who truly need asylum can, in fact, receive it. third, we need to amend the settlement agreement and recent expansions which currently allow, which would allow for family detention during the removal process. and we need congress to fully fund our ability to hold families together through the immigration process. so these loopholes are closed by congress, it's not possible in a matter of law to obtain and remove whole family units who arrive illegally in the united states. congress and the courts created this problem and congress alone can fix it. until then, we will enforce every law we have on the books to defend the sovereignty and security of the united states.
2:17 pm
those who criticize the enforcement of our laws have offered only one countermeasure. open borders. the quick release of all illegal alien families in the decision not to enforce our laws. this policy would be disastrous. its prime beneficiaries would be the smuggling organizations themselves and the prime victims would be the children who would be plunged into the smuggling machine. there is a lot of misinformation about what dhs is and is not doing as it relates to families of the border. i want to correct the record here. are the facts. this administration did not create a policy of separating families of the border. we have the statutory responsibility that we take seriously to protect alien children from human smuggling, trafficking, and other criminal actions while enforcing our immigration laws. we have a long existing policy, multiple administrations have followed that outline when we may take action to protect
2:18 pm
children. we will separate those who claim to be a parent and child if we cannot determine a familial or custodial relationship exists. if there is no documentation to confirm the claimed relationship between an adult and a child. we do so if the parent is a national security public or safety risk, including with their criminal charges that issue and it may not be appropriate to maintain the family in detention together. we also separate a parent and child if the adult is suspected of human trafficking. there been cases when minors have been used in traffic by unrelated adult in an effort to avoid detention. in the last five months, we have a 314% increase in adults and children arriving at the border fraudulently claiming to be a family unit. this is obviously of concern. separation can occur when the parent is charged with human smuggling.
2:19 pm
under those circumstances, we would detain the parent in an appropriate facility separate from the child. what has changed is that we know longer exempt entire classes of people who break the law. everyone is subject to prosecution. when dhs refers a case against a parent or legal guardian for criminal prosecution, the parent or legal guardian will be placed into the u.s. marshals service custody for pretrial determination pursuant to an order by a federal judge. any accompanied child will be transferred to the department of health and human services and will be reclassified as an unaccompanied alien child. that is in accordance with the tv pra, a law that was passed by congress. and a following court order, neither which are actions the trump administration has taken. if an american work to commit a crime anywhere in the united states, they would go to jail and they would be separated from their family. this is not a controversial
2:20 pm
idea. second, children in dhs and hhs custody are being well taken care of. the department of health and human services office of refugee resettlement provides meals, medical care, and educational services to these children. they are provided temporary shelter and hhs works hard to find a parent relative or foster home to care for these children. parents can still communicate with their children through phone calls and videoconferencing. a parent who is released from custody can be a sponsor and asked hhs to release the child back into their care. further, these minors can still apply for asylum and other protections under u.s. immigration law if eligible. we take allegations of mistreatment seriously. i want to stress this point. we investigate. we hold those accountable when and if it should occur. we have some of the highest standards in the country. claiming these children and their parents are treated inhumanely is not true.
2:21 pm
it completely disrespects the hardworking men and women at the office of refugee resettlement. third, parents who entered illegally are by definition criminals. illegal entry is a crime as determined by congress. by entering our country illegally, often in dangerous circumstances, illegal immigrants have put their children at risk. four, cvp and i.c.e. officers are properly trained to care for minors in their custody. dhs and hhs treats all individuals with dignity and respect and complies with all laws and policy. this reinforces and reiterates the need to consider the best interests of the child and mandates adherence to established protocol to protect at-risk populations. to include standards for that transfer and treatment of minors in dhs and hhs custody. all u.s. border patrol personnel on the southwest order are
2:22 pm
bilingual. every last one of them. they are directed to clearly explain the relevant process to apprehended individuals and provide detainees with written documentation in spanish and english that lays out the process and appropriate phone numbers to contact. finally, dhs is not separating families legitimately seeking asylum at ports of entry. if an adult enters at a port of entry and claims asylum, they will not face prosecution for illegal entry. they have not committed a crime by coming to the port of entry. as i mentioned, dhs does have responsibility to protect minors. in that case, we will only separate the family if we cannot determine there is a familial relationship. if the child may be at risk with a parent or legal guardian or if the parent or legal guardian is referred for prosecution. we have a duty to protect the american people and that's when
2:23 pm
i take very seriously. here is the bottom line. dhs is no longer ignoring the law. we are enforcing the laws as they exist on the books. as long as illegal entry remains a criminal offense, dhs will not look the other way. dhs will faithfully execute the laws enacted by congress as we are sworn to do. as i said earlier today, surely it's the beginning of the unraveling of democracy when the body who makes the laws, instead of changing them, tells the enforcement body not to enforce the law. i asked congress to ask this week so we can secure our borders and uphold our humanitarian ideas. these two missions should not be pitted against each other. if we close the loopholes, we can accomplish both. before i take questions, i just want to ask that in your reporting, please consider the men and women of dhs who are dedicated law enforcement officers and who often put their lives at risk.
2:24 pm
let's remember their sacrifice and commitment to this country. with that, i will take some questions. >> reporter: secretary nielsen nielsen, you said dhs is no longer ignoring a lot. you are calling on congress to change the laws. that's the big message. members of congress on the democratic side say you are using children as a lever to try to get them to take legislative action. what do you say? >> i say that is a cowardly response. it is clearly within their power to make the laws and change the laws. they should do so. >> reporter: have you seen the photos of children in cages? have you heard the audio clips of these children wailing? >> i have not seen something that came out today but i've been to detention centers. i would reference you to our standards. i would reference you to the care provided not just by the department of homeland security but by the department of health and human services.
2:25 pm
the image i want of this country is an immigration system that secures our borders and upholds our humanitarian ideals. congress needs to fix it. >> reporter: let me give you a chance to respond to laura bush in an op-ed. she said it's cruel. she supports an application of law, even the current first lady melania trump has said we should be a nation of laws. we should do so with heart. do you have anything you want to tell them? do you believe they are misunderstanding situation? do you believe there is any component in this policy which you have outlined that other administrations have done but you are using in a way that's more intense and creates the separation issue? >> my response would be his calling attention to this matter is important. this is a very serious issue that has resulted, after years and years of congress not taking action. i would thank them both for their comments and their
2:26 pm
concerns. i share their concerns. but congress is the one that needs to fix this. >> the policy is not, by your definition, in any way cruel? >> it is not a policy. our policy at dhs is to do what we are sworn to do, which is to enforce the law. >> reporter: former first lady lady bush compared it to japanese internment camps. do you believe the effect of this policy, the effect on separating children from families is immoral? >> i believe we should fix the problem. it's a problem. let's fix it. >> how is this not child abuse? >> be more specific. enforcing the law? >> the images and the sounds we have seen.
2:27 pm
how is this not specifically child abuse when these innocent children who are being separated from their parents. >> i want to be clear on a couple of the things. the vast, vast majority of children who are in the care of hhs right now, 10,000 of the 12,000, were sent here alone by their parents. that's when they were separated. so somehow we have conflated everything. there is two separate issues. 10,000 of those currently in custody were sent by their parents with strangers to undertake a completely dangerous and deadly travel alone. we now care for them. we have high standards. we give them meals. we give them education. we give them medical care. there is videos. there is tvs. i've been visited the detention centers myself. that would be my answer to that question. >> reporter: the hundreds not included. you said 10,000. for the hundreds we've seen, perhaps up to 2,000, are there
2:28 pm
any examples of child abuse you believe? how could this not be child abuse for the people taken from their parents? not the ones who were sent here with their parents blessing with a smuggler. people who were taken from their parents. >> i'm not in any position to deal with hearsay. if someone has a specific allegation, as i always do when i testify, i asked that they provide that information to the department of homeland security. we will look into it. we do not want a situation where a child is not completely adequately taken care of. >> reporter: why is the government [inaudible." >> i'm not familiar with those images. >> reporter: do you know where the girls are question rick we > we have children in dhs care. most are transferred to hhs.
2:29 pm
i don't know what pictures you're referencing. >> reporter: young toddlers. you are saying they are being well cared for. how can he make that claim if you don't know where they are? >> i am saying the vast majority of children are held by health and human services. we transfer them after 72 hours. i don't know which pictures you are speaking about? let's find out from hhs. i don't think there's anything other than -- >> reporter: released by your department and they have been aired all over national television. kids being held in cages. >> reporter: you continue to insist this is something congress can change. this is something that was enacted after the attorney general announced the zero tolerance policy. this never happened before he announced it. >> that's not true. the obama administration, the bush administration all
2:30 pm
separated families -- they absolutely did. they are rate was less than ours but they absolutely did do this. this is not new. >> reporter: kids at this rate from their parents is something new and specific to this administration. once the attorney general announced a zero-tolerance policy. why doesn't the president pick up the phone and change the policy? he said he hates it. >> the president is trying to find a long-term fix. why don't we have congress change the laws? congress can fix this tomorrow. i think you are next, right? >> reporter: president trump has had a lot to say the last few days about immigration but has offered no compassion to the families that are being separated at the border. do you know why that is? why won't he pause the enforcement of the policy until congress reaches the long-term fix?
2:31 pm
>> he has been attempting to work with congress since he's been in office. he's made it very clear that we will enforce the laws of the united states as long as this administration is here. as part of that, he is continually reached out to congress to fix it. i think what you have seen them doing the last few days as that. continue to tell congress, please work with us. the system is broken. the only people that benefit from the system right now are the smugglers, traffickers, those who are peddling drugs, and terrorists. let's fix the system. >> reporter: does he feel any compassion for the families being separated? he has talked about the parents being possible criminals. he has blamed it on democrats. he has offered no words of compassion. >> i think he has said intimates that he would like congress to act to end the underlying laws that require the separation. >> reporter: seems like a couple days ago the main posture
2:32 pm
or point was to say this is not the administration's policy but it seems like today the message is different, to say this is our policy but it's our policy, we don't have the resources to move families entirely. i want to get the reporting right. which is the most precise way to describe how the administration feels and given the blowback by a number of republicans as well as democrats. are you considering rethinking this based on feedback or is this the administration's position going forward? >> the laws prohibit us from detaining families while they go through prosecution for illegally entering the border. and while they go through prosecution for immigration proceedings. if we close the loop ultimately keep the families together. which is what they did in the last administration until a
2:33 pm
court ruled we can no longer do that. after 20 days, we have to release unaccompanied children and accompany children which means that we cannot detain families together. the only option is to not enforce the law at all. >> reporter: going back to other questions, you said you want congress to close loopholes. with that, you also said you want to make this -- are kids being used as pawns? democrats are saying this is your discretion and there is law that says that this white house should separate parents from children. >> the kids are used as pawns by smugglers and traffickers. 314% increase in adults showing up with kids that are not a family unit. those are traffickers. those are smugglers. they are criminals. they are abusers.
2:34 pm
all i am trying to say is closing the loop hole will enable us to detain families together throughout the proceeding, as they've done in previous administrations. >> reporter: can you definitively say are the children being used as pawns? >> they are not being used as pawns. we are trying to protect the children which is why i'm asking congress to act. >> reporter: the legal framework for the decision the administration has made. what we are saying, pictures, audio, stories, are they an intended consequence of the administration? or an unintended consequence? >> i think they reflect the focus of those who opposed such pictures and narratives. the narratives we don't see are the narratives of the crime, of the opioids, of the smugglers,
2:35 pm
of people killed by gang members. american children recruited and when they lose the drugs, they are tased and beaten. we don't have a balanced view of what's happening but what's happening at the border is the border is being overrun by those who have no right to cross it. as i've said, if you are seeking asylum, go to a port of entry. you do not need to break the law of the united states to seek asylum. we have limited resources. we have multiple missions at cvp and what we do is based on the high standards we have come if we do not have enough bed space, if we do not have enough medical personnel and staff, if we do not have enough caretakers on staff, then we will tell people to come to the border. they need to come back. we are not turning them away. we are saying we want to take
2:36 pm
care of you in the right way. right now we do not have the resources at this particular moment in time. come back. [all speaking] >> reporter: are you intending for this to play out as it's playing out? are you intending for parents to be separated from their children? are you intending to send a message? >> i find that offensive. no. why when i create a policy that purposely does that? >> reporter: perhaps as a deterrent. >> no. the way it works -- that's not the question you asked me. but the answer is its a law passed by the united states congress. rather than fixing the law, congress is asking those of us to enforce the law to turn our backs on the law and not enforce the law. it's not an answer. the answer is to fix the laws.
2:37 pm
>> reporter: will the administration refrained from its current policy of congress were to pass something close to what you want? or will it continue to require the separation of children from their parents until the present gets exactly what he wants? >> if congress closes the loopholes, many of which are closed and the two bills we hope are taken up this week by the house, then it closes the loop holes on the families will stay together throughout the proceedings. thank you. >> reporter: do you believe the policy is a deterrent? >> thank you, secretary nielsen. i will jump right in and go to other questions, news of the da day. >> reporter: the president said he would talk to the north korean leader kim. do you know if it happened? >> the president has spoken with a number of administration officials that are working on the details following the north korean summit.
2:38 pm
it will keep you posted on those details. i am not aware of a specific call between the two leaders. >> reporter: there is a report that the united states and south korea have agreed to suspend joint military drills in august. is that real? >> the last part of the question? >> reporter: suspending joint military drills in august. are you aware of this? >> those conversations are ongoing. at this point, as long as the north koreans continue to act in good faith, as we saw in singapore, then we expect those things to be on pause. >> i have -- has the president discussed the family separation policy with the first lady in light of her statement yesterday? does he have plans to address the american people, maybe take some questions western mark >> the president did take a number of questions, as i'm sure you are all aware, on friday.
2:39 pm
what he actually said closely mirrored what they first lady said. he said he hates seeing this. he called on congress for months he has called on democrats in congress to work with him. the president isn't trying to kick the can down the road. he is trying to work with congress to get real solutions and fix the problem. jeff. i will take your question since you and your network accuse me of not wanting to be here. >> reporter: why did you decide to have secretary nielsen answer questions instead of you? >> i am here answering questions as well but i thought it was important for the secretary as one of the primary experts on the process of the things going on, to come out here and have the chance to speak to you and for you to be able to ask questions directly of her and the leaders in this administration. but i am standing here in front of you. >> reporter: with the president signed a bill -- would
2:40 pm
the president signed a bill they did not include border funding if it closed this loophole? would he sign that specific bill or does he require an entire bill with the $25 billion? >> we have laid out what we would like to scan a number of different occasions. there are currently two bills in process in the house. the president supports both of those pieces of legislation that we have voiced support for. the president doesn't just want to see a band-aid put on it. he wants us to see a fix to the immigration administration -- he wants to secure the border. we have to fix the entire system and he is committed to doing that. we have laid out what we want to see in legislation. the president wants to fix the system and we are committed to doing that we hope congress will do their part.
2:41 pm
democrats have got to stop playing political games and come to the table and get real about solving the problem. >> reporter: on the ig report and the hearings in congress with mr. horowitz and director wray, the president tweeted several times today and yesterday that the mueller investigation continues to be a "witch hunt." he said on friday after reviewing the report, there is no evidence of collusion. his own fbi director today said that mueller is not on a witch hunt and that the report doesn't speak to the special counsel investigation. how is there the disconnect between what the president believes and other branches of the administration. >> the president has been clear. he was very involved in his campaign and he's laid out a number of times that there was no collusion. he strongly feels this is a witch hunt. the president has also said the ig report called into question the credibility of james comey and many other senior fbi investigators who've been involved in the russia
2:42 pm
investigation and that report validates the claims he's made repeatedly. >> reporter: the governor of massachusetts, a republican, reversed course and ordered the national guard not to send assets or personnel to the southwest border. he said the actions of the federal government are resulting in the inhumane treatment of children. would you comment on that and have you seen any impact on border operations? >> i haven't seen his comments specifically but i would tell him he should call every member of congress, those in his own state and asked to fix a loss. there is one body that gets to create legislation, and it's congress. our job is to enforce it and we would like to see congress fix it. that's why the president has repeatedly called on them to work with him to do just that. >> reporter: what was the president's reaction to laura bush's piece in "the washington post"? >> i didn't speak directly with
2:43 pm
him about that but i'm happy to address the concerns and echo what secretary nielsen said. we share the concerns. the president himself said that he doesn't like this process, but once again, it's congress' job to change the law. we are calling on them to do exactly that. frankly, this law was actually signed into effect in 2008 under her husband's leadership, not under this administration. we are not the ones responsible for creating this problem. we have inherited it. we are the first administration stepping up and trying to fix it. >> reporter: i have here in my hand figures from the german ministry of the interior which says that crime has gone down 5.1% in germany. in fact, it's the lowest rate in a quarter-century in germany. violent crime down 2.4%. burglary down 23%.
2:44 pm
theft down 11.8%. where did the president get the statement that crime was way up in germany under the angela merkel plan for admitting refugees? >> i'm not aware of the report you are referencing. i'm happy to check into it. i haven't seen it but i would be happy to check into it. >> reporter: i read the first lady's statement put out and she seems troubled by this zero tolerance policy. is there any daylight between the president and first lady on this? >> i think we have made it abundantly clear that the daylight exists between democrats in congress and their ability to change this law. the president himself said he doesn't -- he hates these images. he hates this process and that's why he's asked for it to be fixed. we keep ignoring the fact that
2:45 pm
the president isn't the one who creates the law, but it's congress' job to create the law and the president has already laid out and gladly stated a number of times publicly that he would sign legislation that fixes these loopholes and fixes our immigration system. i think people should be begging and banging down the doors of congress and asking them to join with the president instead of fighting him, instead of constantly criticizing. why are they offering solutions? you have people like nancy pelosi and chuck schumer who come out and complain an attack. they have no message. they have no solutions. we have laid out a solution and we would like to see them work with us to put it in place. >> reporter: criticism of this particular policy, number of republicans. and some very prominent members of some of the president's, evangelical christians.
2:46 pm
as the president heard from those member of his face, evangelicals in particular, about the policy. can you fill us in on discussions the president may have had? >> any evangelical or any charge for that matter they feel strongly, they should open up their doors and help facilitate some of these individuals. i think that is their calling. that's the mission of the church and they should certainly fulfill that. if they want to fix the immigration system, then they should call their members of congress and ask them to join with us to do that. >> there is some confusion about this space forced the president announced today. did he actually sign anything? does he believe this can be done without the approval of congress? the air force appears opposed. where is the support coming from besides the president? >> the president has asked the department of defense to start the process.
2:47 pm
we will work with the department of defense and other relevant parties to put it in place. >> reporter: if the administration is not using the children as pawns in this situation, then why not just have congress pass legislation that narrowly deals with the family separation issue and sign it. >> we want to fix the entire system. we don't want to just tinker with it. the president is tired of watching people kick it down the road and not take responsibility and not fix the problems that we have. >> reporter: that you would like to see these other things change about the immigration system for dealing with this particular situation right now. >> we are dealing with a number of situations. we have people flooding over the borders. the president wants people to come to this country but we want them to come legally and through the right process. that's what we are asking. we want to secure the border.
2:48 pm
there have been a number of individuals that are permanently separated from their families due to the illegal aliens that have come across the border and murdered and killed american citizens. where is the outrage over that separation? want to fix the whole thing. we want to just tinker with one part of it. it's a broken system we want to quit ignoring it. i'm going to take one last question. >> reporter: secretary pompeo came out today and said in exchange for an denuclearization on the korean peninsula that the united states is committed to updating the pharmacist agreement that's in place. can you confirm the president did make this commitment to kim jong un and what exactly does updating the armistice mean? does it put the future of u.s. forces on the korean peninsula in question watching mark any more information you can update us on. >> we are finalizing the detail details. i would confirm secretary
2:49 pm
pompeo's comments and refer you to the state department and department of defense. thanks, have a great day. >> jesse: that was white house press secretary sarah sanders who had some help from the department of homeland security secretary kirstjen nielsen fielding questions. very intense. the policies of separating families at the southern border. greg, i think the main point for both of them was that the people in congress complaining so much about the effects of the policies were the ones that created the policies that created the chaos on the southern border in the first place. >> greg: what is frustrating, if you look at the press conference, if you look on twitter over the weekend, there is a lot of opinion. there is so much opinion, no solution. an opinion is not a solution. i don't think you can find a single person who does not like this. no one likes it. your laura bush writing something. you have the first lady writing something. everybody says it's bad but you
2:50 pm
try to read and go down and you can't find the solution. i have solutions. a, you have a boss right there -- you have a bus right there. you wait for the next family, then you drive them back. honduras or el salvador. they never stop in mexico. you are in danger, wouldn't you stop at the first place you could stop? no. if i need to leave the united states, i go to canada. i don't go to new zealand. >> kimberly: they are cracking down. you can't get in. >> greg: donald trump has an opportunity for the solution. he should try to figure out the immediate solution. have a pathway to citizenship, the wall and the big door. he has to get in the oval office and talk to the people because the only reason we are having this problem is the result of a bigger problem. a bigger problem that's been going on and ignored for decade
2:51 pm
decades. >> jesse: so take the caravan coming north and send it south? >> greg: with plenty of refreshments and clean clothes. >> jesse: donna brazile, welcome to "the five." >> i don't know why you didn't know my number. >> jesse: sorry. i must have lost it. i know you've been wanting to talk about the ig report because you've been watching it for hours but we are going to talk about the immigration situation. secretary nielsen said there's laws on the books that encourage this. there's a 2008 child traffic involving abuse. there is the florez deal, clifton administration policy. you can't detain miners for more than 20 days. then you have the asylum laws abuse. don't past administrations bear some responsibility for this? >> donna: yes and no. yes in the sense that you have these laws on the books, 1997 and 2008 law. the differences this is a change
2:52 pm
in policy, a change in enforcement of the law. everyone who comes now is treated as a criminal. and they are subject to prosecution. while the '97 loss that you had 20 days to deal with these unaccompanied minors. this is a policy change that says we are going to separate these children from parents who are going to face criminal prosecution. so i think the trump administration needs to work with congress, perhaps they will do it with the immigration debate they will have. i don't know how you're going to put together a solution. for now there is no federal law that says you must separate children from their families. >> jesse: you don't want the children to be potentially abused and you don't know whether or not the children are actually related to the adult bringing him across the border
2:53 pm
because the secretary said there's been over a 300% increase of fraudulent families. crossing the southern border. >> kimberly: that's an alarming number when you hear that. you think about, that's fraught with problems in terms of risks to children and being in danger. very much a concern in terms of human trafficking. obviously everybody cares and people don't want families separated from the children but you do have an obligation to determine the true identity of the individuals coming over just because an adult is accompanied with a minor, you can't make the assumption that they are in fact related because quite the contrary. the evidence suggests otherwise. that would be irresponsible and reckless and a matter of public safety and endangerment to chil child. this is a very difficult issue. i think the legislature does need to act on it expeditiously. it's in everyone's best interest to do so and work cooperatively with the president because obviously the good news is the issue is getting a lot of
2:54 pm
attention and focus and light on it so that we can do something about it. this is a country of immigrants but nevertheless we've got to ensure the safety of people here and observe the laws on the books. >> jesse: how do you think the white house, dana, i wouldn't call it a crisis but it's reaching a boiling point. >> dana: i think it was smart to have the principal there today at the briefing. it took her a while to get back. i understand they had a meeting at 3:00 with the president. it's tense within the white house. they realize they have a problem. i was apprised. surprised they didn't recognize, even a week ago, that they needed to get in front of it. now you have these photographs, some released from dhs, hhs, reporters, congress. the photographs drive a lot of things. you remember when the little boy was killed, the migrant boy, he washed up on the coast of
2:55 pm
turkey. then all of a sudden, we can't have this. it's not that it wasn't happening to a lot of children. it's just that photographs make a big difference. kirstjen nielsen was asked, what about these photographs. she said i haven't seen them. i think her staff closer to her to make sure she sees them so she's aware of what everybody out there is seeing and why there's all this reaction. a lot of it is based on misreporting. i don't think it's fair to say children are being held in cages but if you look at the photographs, there are chain-link partitions. they are being covered with silver mylar blankets and then you hear the pro-public audio secretly recorded, may be inappropriate that the audio is going to pull at heartstrings heartstrings. i think tomorrow when the president goes to congress come he's going to say i'm going to support these immigration bills. i want you to pass them. i hope it is successful. i am skeptical, in a way, partly because i heard today that one of the people in leadership
2:56 pm
thinks it has a 10% chance of passing the house and that a bill very similar recently held in the senate only got 40 votes. so i think they are going to have to reverse a policy or figure out another way to deal with it while they try to do something with congress because now you have a situation where congress might not be able to pass anything. >> jesse: great comedy think the president is going to hang tough on this issue like he does in the face of outrage or do you think is going to come to the table? >> greg: i think he likes solving problems and i think he would solve this problem if he can. i don't think the other side wants to solve this problem because it's one hell of an issue. it's a hammer you can pound the white house with. if you take it off the table, there's nothing left for the democrats. i am so tired, though, people implying that our agents are child abusers. this is something we let fly by. people are doing their best. this, imagine somebody coming to
2:57 pm
your house and dropping off kids. you try to do your best. that's what america is doing. they are dealing with thousands of kids. you have general michael hayden comparing it to the holocaust, cancellation camps, and insult to victims, survivors, people taking care of these kids. that is idiotic. he is a fool. >> donna: the stress, the harm, the abuse that comes when you are not capable of holding your child. your pulled away, you're pulling my parents and their children. a man committed suicide because he did not want to let go of his kid. this is a crisis. >> greg: it's in emotional feeling. i get it. >> donna: when it comes to -- i'm not an emotional person. >> greg: [laughs] >> donna: when i know, the democrats, since you mention, this should not be a partisan issue. these are children.
2:58 pm
regardless of what mistakes their parents are making, their caretaker, these are children. we should have a special place in our heart for the children. 29 cosponsors of a bill. >> jesse: what is the democratic solution? you have a 40-year-old migrant from central america. he shows up and gets caught crossing the southern border with a 12-year-old girl. no documentation they are related. what is the border patrol supposed to do, according to a democratic solution? >> donna: the solution is we have to vet the people coming here, whether they are seeking asylum -- >> jesse: how do you do that? >> donna: that's what border agents are paid to do. >> jesse: this is part of the vetting process. you make sure they are related. >> donna: this is a change in policy, change and prosecuting -- >> jesse: you want to go back to catch and release? >> donna: i am saying it's a misdemeanor verses putting them
2:59 pm
through this other legal rigmarole. >> jesse: it's to say you've broken the law and crossed the border. you are going back home. not show up in a month to a judge in the 90% never show up. >> donna: we all agree the immigration system is broken. i'm not here to say it's not. it's broken. all i'm saying is we have a crisis right now. dana is absolutely right. we should have seen this coming. the department of homeland security should've seen it coming. jeff sessions should have seen it coming, and clearly donald trump should have seen it coming. >> jesse: the one thing that solves the problem is the wall. when there is a wall, they can't cross illegally and families get to stay together. >> greg: the wall unites people. >> kimberly: barrier defense. every country has a right to be able to protect its borders and make sure law and order is being observed. i think that's what we also have to factor in another interest here in addition to making sure children are cared for. >> dana: the other thing is
3:00 pm
that we have to figure out a way to go after the cartels and not each other. >> jesse: stay with fox news for continuing coverage of this issue. the senate's ig report hearing. "special report" up next. >> bret: this is a fox news alert. i am bret baier in washington. president trump blaming democrats tonight for the uproar over the separation of children and their who attempt to illegally enter the u.s. at the southern border. while the penetration maintains it something following the law, congressional democrats are flocking to the border to speak out about the issue. some republicans saying they are all trying to exploit and embarrass republicans. democrats saying they are trying to force action, that they insist the president could take on his own in time. this comes as the head of the fbi and justice department inspector general of pure before a republican-led senate judiciary committee wanting answers about bias in the hillary clinton email

152 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on