heather: it is wednesday, july 4th, independence day. this is "fox and friends first" was happening at 4:00 on the east coast. >> the men and women serving overseas and thank god for blessing us with these unbelievable heroes. shannon: donald trump celebrate independence day with a salute to our servicemembers the protesters trying to drown out his message when calls for open borders occurred. live in washington with demonstrations planned across the country today and this american hero was portrayed on

the big screen for his heroic battlefield and is deployed in the fight against opioids here at home. ♪ ♪ ♪ rocking in the usa ♪ ♪ said goodbye to the family ♪ said goodbye to friends ♪ with little money in the hands ♪ heather: all around the great country live shot of american flags flying high in new york

city, beautiful shots from colorado and atlanta, georgia. people celebrating being an american. happy fourth of july to you. thank you for joining us on wednesday morning. on this independence day here is what makes me proud to be an american. i'm proud to be an american because of all the families across the country who are hard-working, trying to get food on their table, support their children and military members who fight for our freedom every day, our first responders who fight to keep us safe every day, thank you to all those men and women and we would like to know what makes you proud to be an american and so you can buy those goofy glasses across the country. hashtag proud american. we will show them throughout the morning and we are honored to have those so send them in. donald trump reminding all of us what it means to be an american this independence day by paying

tribute to our nation's heroes but those on the left are marking the day with resistance and protest. garrett 10 he lives in washington dc, another reason to be a proud american because you have the right to protest. >> reporter: one of the many things that makes our country wonderful. donald trump has a lot to say, a salute to serviceman in west virginia, he talked about the west virginia senate pick and democrats criticizing ice but on the eve of independence day he spent most of the time praising our country's heroes and freedoms, pluto and women who defend them and make it possible. >> we reminded how blessed we are to be american and to live in this land of our great heroes, you. >> reporter: on his way to the dinner he tweeted tomorrow

families across the nation will gather to celebrate 4 july. as we do we think of the men and women serving overseas far away protecting america and thank god for blessing us with the think heroes which most americans isolated with fireworks and barbecues, others are protesting the pres.'s policies including those on immigration at rallies being organized across the country. >> i'm calling it first amendment fourth. we are going to get out in every corner of the state and talk about families and what this means. >> the pres. will host a picnic for military families at the white house and across the country, celebrate with a capital fireworks show.

>> we appreciate it. the america first message, when it comes to the military, resonating overseas as he prepares to head to europe for the nato summit. it is the right encouragement for other world leaders to cough up for their own defense. >> he touted his defense investments, we each spend more on our military than any time in history of this country. imagine he is heading to the nato summit. imagine any european leader giving a speech like that, standing in front of their citizens saying i spend more on defense than anyone ever. it wouldn't happen. he will deliver a tough message at nato saying you guys got to do what we are doing, not as much but you got to cough up the money you promised you would spend on your own defense because you are free riders in

the nato alliance. >> the united states funds 22% of nato's budget by ourselves. save the date, peter stzrok headed for the hot seat again but this time publicly. the house judiciary committee subpoenaing him to testify tuesday over his role in the clinton email investigations, he is under investigation for his anti-trump text messages was the hearing is a trap. >> i don't know whether we will be testifying next tuesday. it is not a search for truth, it is a chance for republican members of the house to preen and posture before the most radical conspiracy minded constituents. heather: stzrok testified behind closed doors for 11 hours last month. he refused to answer many of those questions and expect that to be the case again. donald trump says his next supreme court pick will be a big

success hours after meeting with three more potential nominees. >> i think you will be very impressed, these are very talented people, brilliant people and you will really love it like neil gorsuch. we hit a homerun there and we will hit a homerun here. step-by-step we are making america great again. shannon: joan larson and thomas hardeman, he spoke on the phone with sen. mike lee, bringing the total number to at least 7 including that conversation with lee, the president will announce his pick on monday, july 9th. the race is on to rescue 12 children and their soccer coach trapped inside a cave in toyland. crews are fighting time and elements trying to get them out. here is a look. >> first responders and violence

elevating a dramatic find, 12 young soccer players and their coach found alive after being trapped 10 days ago. new video confirms the boys are in good shape and being brought food and medical supplies. >> all 13 people are well. among them is a doctor and medical science fair specialist. >> a long way to go before it is complete, they were trapped in the cave more than a mile under ground. >> it is almost 0 visibility, to battle onto it and a strenuous department. >> rescue teams working citing concerns over the mental states. >> they have been isolated. no food.

not only physiological considerations but psychological considerations. >> they are thinking of the national community for help in locating the players and dozens of relatives gathered near the entrance waiting for word of their loved ones. >> never lost hope, i had confidence in officials working on the operation. >> heavy rain is forecast for coming days which forced them to speed up. heather: the trump administration rolling back affirmative action policies, the guidelines encouraged colleges and universities to take race into account during the admissions process to promote diversity. the justice and education department said it went beyond the requirements of the constitution. in a statement education secretary betsy devos said equal opportunities for all students while abiding by the law.

the state department shutting down doubts from critics ahead of mike pompeo absurd visit to north korea saying the us is in, quote, a good spot to negotiate, donald trump tweeting many good conversations with north korea, going well in the meantime, no rocket launches or nuclear testing in eight months. all of asia is thrilled, only the opposition party which includes the fake news is complaining, if not for me we would now be at war with north korea. milania trump surprising the nation's heroes just in time for independence day meeting with wounded warriors and their families at walter reed medical center in maryland, with a wonderful visit and she thanked the staff who take care of our men and women in uniform is do we all every day.

the time is 10 minutes after the top of the hour. independence day is meant to commemorate the brave men and women who helped make the united states the greatest country in the world, why are democrats using it to call for open borders? our next guest shows the further left they go the quicker they will be left behind in the polls. this is how you celebrate the fourth, the small business owner who makes it his business to remind viewers that freedom isn't free. ♪ heather: he is promised of the country, sent a picture of pint sized patriot as well. ♪ venture cardholders 10 miles on every dollar they spend at thousands of hotels. all you have to do is pay with this... at hotels.com/venture.

10 miles per dollar? that is incredible. brrrrr. i have the chills. because you're so excited? because ice is cold. and because of all those miles. obviously. what's in your wallet? i'm not sure. what's in your wallet?

heather: democrats using independence day as a rallying cry for open borders calling for protest across the country but isn't it today to celebrate becoming a nation? here is a republican strategist, appreciate it, happy independence day to you. what do you think of this on this day protesting and calling for open borders? >> i'm grateful for the right to free-speech entry assembly which these people will be putting into action today but i'm also grateful for the idea of rule of law and free markets making free people, these people in the fines of common sense what makes us a sovereign nation, and the american people have a great tradition, the law is king and laws are enforceable and what they are doing today is saying we want open borders, to abolish

ice. all these things are outside the division the immediate they are outside the american mainstream and polls show that. if you look at recent polls with cbs, 2 thirds of the american people want arrest and deportation of the border, 50% of the american people want the border wall but the most telling thing in a midterm election year, 69% of independents want stricter enforcement of immigration laws so more power to these people to protest but they are in defiance of common sense. shannon: numbers we used suggest this is not what americans want, a bad move for democrats leading into the midterm elections. we have this from sen. ron wyden, this is 4 july weekend,

and talks about having it be for illegal families. >> the amazing part to me about a lot of these people is where were they when obama was prosecuting 92 illegal immigrants, and innumerable family separation so this is disingenuous, not surprising democrats are moving left and how quickly it is happening. they have gone very far left almost overnight. snap of finger, embracing open borders calling abolishment of ice. the democrat party is quickly becoming captured by far left donors and far left grassroots,

they are being compelled to go further left and i don't think they will stop soon. heather: must give asylum-seekers individual parole hearings, but flooding the border, where do they go in the meantime? >> being a bit sarcastic we should put them in hollywood or multiple homes of elizabeth warren and bernie sanders but they will probably build military installations. how broken the immigration system is, at the end of the day get to foots the bill, the american taxpayer. what donald trump is think we are no longer going to abuse the american taxpayer, no longer has to be the escape valve for terrible decisions made in central america, and the safety net for these countries anymore but that is the reason donald trump will be more successful moving forward.

demanding taxpayer realizes we have somebody in the white house that represents us in defending our interests. heather: all these people coming here because of how great america is. changed that with open borders and that is not the type of country they went to come into. happy forth. the time over the top of the hour, and the navy, serving the country for 12 years and leah gabriel below the deck, stay tuned for that. >> the what it takes to put a helicopter in the air, what it takes to operate an aircraft carrier, the uss abraham lincoln. >> don't miss a 1-of-a-kind look at the life of a navy sailor. patriotic pictures flooding in. before we go to break we are

sharing your american pride. thank you very much and mary says she and her little one are proud to be americans, so cute. ♪ one nation under god ♪ american love ♪

>> debbie wasserman schultz could avoid jail time after cutting a sweetheart deal, pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud after he was accused of stealing classified information from congressional servers. he was arrested trying to flee his home in pakistan last year. he was kept on wasserman shultz's payroll after the

investigation was announced. his wife was charged but her case was dismissed in the deal. universal healthcare, abolishing ice, democrats embracing the party's hard left turn in policy. tom perez labeling democratic socialist and congressional candidate alexandria cortez as the new standard. >> she represents the future of our party. she was a remarkable reminder of the depth we have in the democratic party. >> stunning joe crowley in a primary election last week of the political newcomer and bernie sanders supported running on a universal jobs guarantee and housing as a human right. ♪ heather: and f-18 fighter pilot

for the navy serving country for 12 years and leah gabriel getting inside look at what it takes to make planes like hers take flight. >> reporter: welcome to naval station norfork. i was an officer, the navy is giving us a look through the eyes of an listed sailor, these people and women are the backbone of the united states navy. all suited up, time to meet with sailors and get to work. >> we will make you an aviation mechanic. >> reporter: just arrived, a little noisy in here, the helicopter squadron, jumping one of these bad boys and go flying, not today. they will show me how to get them airborne. these things are heavy. i get to clean the windows and

they are still flying. >> reporter: i see what it takes to get a helicopter in the air. now i will see what it takes to operate an aircraft carrier at sea. the uss abraham lincoln. ♪ >> reporter: request permission to come aboard. ♪ >> reporter: we are heading off in what they -- we are going to unload. what does that mean? >> life preserver is. we where this. >> reporter: how does being in the navy make you proud to be an american? >> i can go home and tell people i drove it aircraft carrier, got us from point a to b i was driving during hurricane relief

were more. it is rewarding in its own way. jillian: what do we do next? >> we are going to learn one of our small tasks of preserving the ship. all that saltwater always coming on board causing rest. we have a fool thing of metal here we have to take care of. merit >> reporter: this is called the catapult and this is my ride off when i was like f-18s was they will have me clean it and put back together the piece of it that launches aircraft off. ready when you guys are. on my side, perfect. this is called elbow grease. elbow grease into it. you said we have to put together of a piece that launches the

aircraft. >> they kind of finished it already. that gives a sense of the level of work, dedication and patriotism of our sailors. right now in the navy there are 430,000 sailors, 80% are enlisted but from what i have seen 100% are proud to be americans. as we celebrate the fourth of july i hope we will do their service. >> we salute leah's as well. it is a team effort across the army, navy and air force. thank you to all of you on your service. 28 minutes after the top of the hour, the american hero who inspired the hollywood movie black hawk down. >> people ask me why do you do it?

understand the men next to you. heather: he is deploying on a new mission and joined us next with why he says the fight here at home is just as bad as one on the battlefield. ♪

heather: the search is on for the vandals who through bricks through a gop office and spray-painted abolish ice in lincoln, nebraska were the executive directors blaming hateful rhetoric particularly maxine waters's calls to push back against the trump administration. the vandalism caused $1200 in damage. security across the country just

days after a plot was stopped in cleveland, new york police are on notice, 6000 officers patrolling by ground, sky and water, no credible threats have been made ahead of tonight's fireworks display. 3 million people are expected to watch. independence day celebrations come without the traditional boom in some places, they are going to use drones to light up the sky across the west coast in place of the traditional fireworks. arizona, colorado and california opting for a safer substitution over wildfire concerns. a similar drone at the super bowl and the olympics, kind of cool, i thought it would be boring. two veterans walking with flags to honor military, tom sandler and susan darted at the grave of a decorated marine on friday. they will end her journey today

and kept their spirits high through a heat wave. >> sunrise, sunburn, that is our theme song for the next 6 days. >> they are raising money for 6 charities and is battlefield aerobics are portrayed on the big screen in the blockbuster film black hawk down. >> going back in. when i go home people ask me why do you do it? some kind of war junkie? >> amazing true life story, real life american patriot bringing the battle back home and joining

the fight against the opioid epidemic. joining me live with his remarkable story is norman hutton. thank you for joining us, appreciate it. >> happy independence day. >> an honor to have you with us on this independence day. talk to us about some of the lessons from the battlefield you brought home in terms of your battle against opioid deaths. >> the biggest lesson i learned is every battle is winnable if you take it one step at a time, one year at a time, one city block at a time and one soldier at a time, that is where look at the opioid academic, not something we will be able to attack with a magic bullet or mother of all bombs for this problem, something we have to look at as a problem we solve

one veteran at a time. >> we had some numbers in terms of opioid overdose deaths, 42,000, you lost a couple close friends who died of drug-related overdoses so it is personal for you. >> when you lose people in combat it is horrible and tragic but as a soldier you can make sense of that, although things over a 2-year. go of time, almost 20 years, come home and i have an overdose, it is a horrible problem we face today. patty: 1 did to go to med school

but then you went back. tell us about your transition. >> i spent 20 years in the army but then i wanted to go to pharmacy school. i went to pharmacy school in north carolina and started on august 2001. and then back to the army. my aspirations were on hold. heather: i ask that because of another lesson with your story, it is never too late. >> never too late when you feel passionate about something. if we can make a difference it is our responsibility to make a difference until our last dying breath. heather: you made a difference your entire life. on this independence day what is your message to people out there? >> i would like to say i know

many are coming back from this long horrific war and a lot may feel it is long but regardless what they are about the va the va is supposed to reach out and get started, and so i encourage them to reach out especially if they need help. it is there for the veterans. heather: are talking about the va. what about the changes donald trump is making in terms of the va, leading in a positive direction? >> it has been moving in a positive direction. i don't have a lot of visibility on a national level, i did not have any long-term plans working with the va but i was impressed with what i saw at the west palm

beach va and didn't realize the breadth, scope and depth of care of a surprise for veterans, it is more than a hospital. they are helping in ways, i don't have visibility at the national level but i do know what i saw at the west palm beach va was a pleasant surprise and the care they give veterans, was really the spark that encouraged me to enroll my care in the va. i think it is moving in a positive direction and has been for a wild. heather: wife encouraged you as well. we thank her, thank you for your service, we appreciate it. >> thank you very much. heather: it is 20 minutes until the top of the are, calls to

boycott the biggest retailer over the impeachment 5 t-shirts. carly shimkus is here with the outrage flooding social media. ♪

>> on the eve of independence day donald trump saluting the military and ice immigration agents. >> we want border security in our country. we respect ice. we are not abandoning ice and we are not abandoning our law enforcement. heather: carly shimkus is here with online reaction. >> donald trump defended ice, in

west virginia, amid calls to abolish the agency. he praised ice agents working to take down the violence gang and president supporters on social media loved this moment. no one should want america unsafe with open borders. we protect our borders at all times, ice is doing a wonderful job, keep at it. cindy says i will always be behind ice, they are part of law enforcement, law enforcement stands in front of me keeping me safe. twitter says we need ice to protect our country but garrett said on the other side there are valleys taking place across the country as people protest the pres.'s policies. heather: we talked about the amount of work that has to do with border security and it is a lot.

the controversial clothing on their website. >> they removed merchandise that included the phrase impeach 45, they decided to take it down after the hashtag boycott walmart went viral online. a lot of loyal customers said they were angry about this. barb on twitter said i didn't want to believe it so i searched for myself, this is despicable. denny china in saying the fact that a trusted buyer purchased these shirts tells us where walmart stands on this issue and the twitter user says i visit walmart rarely starting today not at marketplace policy.

a quick search of walmart.com shows they have been taken down. >> i didn't know about this open market thing. we want to one know why you are a proud american this independence day. >> there are so many reasons i'm proud to be an american but first a picture of me and my dad in longer valley, new jersey. a lot of cornfields, a beautiful safe place. we have to remember it is beautiful and safe because of the men and women who sacrificed so much to keep it that way. and also shout out to aaron in long valley. running around here. heather: we are honoring brave

men and women this independence day. our next guest with the nonprofit organization that introduced you across america, a great group, how we should be earning our heroes sacrifice, not just one day but every single day. ♪ this wi-fi is fast.

i know! i know! i know! i know! when did brian move back in? brian's back? he doesn't get my room. he's only going to be here for like a week. like a month, tops. oh boy. wi-fi fast enough for the whole family is simple, easy, awesome. in many cultures, young men would stay with their families until their 40's.

heather: welcome back to "fox and friends first," christmas in july, the nonprofit that lays reef on the grounds of fallen servicemembers reminded all of us this independence day, brave

heroes need support all year round. it is always good to have you with us. talk to us about why your organization wants to emphasize this in july. >> christmas in july retail program is a big hit. for us in december, this is a program and feeling that should last all year long which is why we kicked off -- >> how do people participate in that? >> we partnered up with 5 different nonprofit organizations that helps with military veteran organizations and military families, and those particular 5, for everything they sponsor we get five back. and working with other like-minded organizations that help support our mission to

remember, honor -- bill: $5 of it goes towards you. >> hundreds of military and veteran organizations that are part of this program and we have been doing this the last we 10 years and proud to say with our partnership with those organizations we got back $8 million, with local communities and veterans in their communities. heather: we were talking about significance of the families of servicemembers, those in active duty, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. what does it mean to those families when you meet them? >> they are not forgotten, and 4 july, very proud american and so excited to be here and talk

about what they are able to do but military families waking up across the country whose family member paid the ultimate sacrifice so won't be coming home, families holding their breath to find out the next appointment date. they are going to cookouts, family reunions, we want them to know we love them and support them and never forget them. heather: they are deployed all over the world, in iraq and afghanistan and high profile places are everywhere. >> even training trips, take people and servicemembers. >> a lot of folks are up at this

hour. how can people participate? >> if they are interested in finding out about the organization if you want to learn more about what we are targeting go to our website reachacrossamerica.org or our facebook page for more information. >> yet another reason people should be proud to be an american because of organizations like you. we live in the greatest country in the world. the time is 6 minutes until the top of the hour and the proud patriotic grandma not so american after all. her annual independence day shirt has gone viral for the wrong reasons. every yard in one community in red, white and blue. to thank our heroes, the good and the bad and the ugly, independence day, more of your american pictures. who has been in the airport

since 2010, congratulations and thank you and here are the shieldses, wheelbarrows. ♪

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bad and the ugly, proud american with thousands of star-spangled banner's in honor of independence day. continuing a tradition sponsored in wisconsin for the past 16 years. now the bad. these may seem like cute toys but they are flame spinning fireworks. police in north carolina warning parents about these explosives that look like my little pony and dragon toys, they shoot fire over mouths and horns. this texas grandmother has been wearing the same patriotic shirt each independence day for the last 25 years. it is not american at all. after watching the world cup they found out it is the flag of panama.

the 88-year-old shirley thought it was hilarious. many panamanians inviting her to visit so maybe she should. that wraps of the independence day celebration on this hour, "fox and friends first" continues, see you later. >> let us pledge to remove the bonds of love and loyalty that unite us together as americans. we are one people and one nation saluting one great american flag. >> wednesday, july 4th, painter be to our troops. saluting our service members and ice age ands as protests rage on with the left demanding a end to the 0-tolerance policy. rob: dozens of american flags lining a texas highway removed after one complaint. how that business