lighting the capitol christmas tree alongside speaker mike johnson. >> five, four, three, two, one. there you go. hey. >> brian: from alaska. we chopped it down. meanwhile this story 21 days until christmas counting down with "fox & friends" calendar. what are we up to, guys? december 4th? >> here we go. it is the creicricket. it can cut and writes and draws allowing you to create stickers, cards and more. designed to fit any space without needing a craft room. >> steve: i love that. >> bill: sounds like a new show in development. good morning. a landmark case on the docket

and we're watching it right now. for the first time the u.s. supreme court will hear arguments involving access to sex reassignment treatment for minors. at issue is whether or not a law out of tennessee that bans it can pass constitutional muster. hot button issue for both sides. crowds gathering outside the court and hear oral arguments an hour from now. more coming up inside of "america's newsroom." meanwhile you've got this. a blue city split on the border breaking wide open in the public. new york's democratic mayor, eric adams, says that he is open to deporting migrants who have been charged with crimes out of his city back to their home countries which puts him directly at odds with one of his counterparts in the city of chicago. good morning, everybody. a ton to get to midweek wednesday. busy already. i'm bill hemmer, welcome to what we're doing today. >> dana: i'm dana perino and this is "america's newsroom."

eric adams approval rating went up by 25 points overnight making that point in the city. it could mark not only a seismic shift in democratic policy but the opening shot in the party's debate getting underway following its wipe out in the election. the sound bites capture the stark differences. >> those who are here committing crimes and rapeing innocent people have been a harm to our country, those are the people i am talking about and i would love to sit down with the border czar and hear his thoughts. >> dark clouds that are gathering in our nation's capital. but we won't be intimidated. we won't power under pressure. >> bill: migrant violence is a fact of life in our nation's biggest cities keeping concerns about public safety still sky high for millions. >> dana: the sheer numbers spell out the magnitude of the crisis and why it remains a top issue on the national agenda.

many voters say they want the incoming president to address this disaster in his first 100 days in office. >> mass deportations. that's what i want to see. >> first day, of course, shutting the borders and making us safer. >> the biggest thing, i think, would be the immigration problem. >> the border number one has to be taken care of. >> bill: griff jenkins live at the border in eagle pass, texas. still a mess. some consider this to be ground 0. good morning to you today. >> good morning, bill. eagle pass is once again ground 0 leading the nation in the sheer number of encounters, the border numbers are down overall. eagle pass is surpassing places like tucson and san diego. let's take you up to fox's eyes in the sky. show you on the drone what they are seeing here, bill. groups of 100 to 200 near daily basis, among them dozens of

unaccompanied children, along with a significant number of special interest aliens. just a day ago apprehending 11 individuals from afghanistan. in an exclusive interview with the chief of the border patrol jason owens, first interview since the election talked about the staggering number of things they've seen in just the last fiscal year that ended in october. listen here. >> in addition to that, 520 known gang members, 27 of those are from the tren de aragua gang. ms-13, spices, you name it. 106 people that were on the terror screening dataset apprehended. going into a movie theater or a restaurant and every person in there was a member or on the terror screen dataset. >> owens says the shift of the cartels' tactics has made opportunities better here in the area where we are.

this fortified by the texas national guard, dps and border patrol. four years ago no one had seen a tren de aragua. the border patrol first identified them. >> it was our folks that actually identified them and started doing the interviews and what they were doing and where they were going and it's a very serious threat for us. one of our top priorities like fentanyl. tomorrow it may be something else. today it's tda and fentanyl that represent some of the biggest threats to our people in this country. >> he says the incoming trump administration is going to have to deal with the tda and fentanyl threats and applauded the appointment homan has border czar saying he is in the fight and stay in if he is needed. he is proud of his men and women in green who with erred a tough past fiscal year. the deaths of four border patrol

agents. >> bill: griff, thanks. good to have you back on the border in eagle pass, texas. >> dana: another round of meetings on capitol hill as president-elect trump's nominees sit down with senators. confirmation hearings are set for early january and bill melugin is live in west palm beach, florida, as this story continues and the transition rolls along. hi, bill. >> good morning to you. breaking news for you a few moments ago i got off the phone with a source familiar confirming a "wall street journal" report that came out last night that says that president-elect trump is considering ron desantis for -- replacing potentially pete hegseth. that reporting from "wall street journal" is accurate that trump and desantis met face-to-face yesterday here in palm beach at an event for law enforcement and talked about this and trump is, quote, seriously considering florida governor ron desantis in

that role for secretary of defense. let's pull up what the "wall street journal" was reporting. it came out last night. part of the article said trump allies increasingly think hegseth may not survive closer scrutiny. they consider the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate. now obviously governor desantis has a military background. pete hegseth has been in a little bit of turmoil recently. there have been articles coming out on him regarding his personal life years ago. his mom was on "fox & friends" just a short time ago defending him. but trump senior advisor jason miller yesterday voiced support for all of trump's nominees, including pete hegseth. here is what he told martha maccallum yesterday. >> feeling very good about the nominees and as they have the one-on-one meetings we're getting good feedback. such good feedback because

people realize these are highly qualified individuals. pete, for example. two bronze stars, combat in iraq and afghanistan. that's the kind of person you want running the d.o.d. >> and pete hegseth is on capitol hill again this morning. all week long he has been having meetings with republican senators. we're told a short time ago he wrapped up a meeting with senator roger wicker, the incoming chairman of the armed services committee. we're told the meeting only lasted about four minutes. other trump nominees on capitol hill pam bondi for attorney general. we're told scott bessent will be there later this week and doug collins. breaking news, confirming the "wall street journal" that trump is looking at desantis for secretary of defense and spoke about it here in palm beach face-to-face yesterday. send it back to you. >> dana: bill melugin, thank you. >> bill: let's bring in bret

baier to get more on this. good morning to you. this is mike rounds, the senator from south dakota with dana and me yesterday getting nominees confirmed. >> i think republicans want to see president trump get his team in place and very quickly so that he can hit the ground running. there will always be a couple folks that will ask difficult questions. as long as these folks have got the right answers, sit down and visit in advance have a good -- i think they have a good shot of getting them all through. >> bill: a couple things. not only bill's reporting a moment ago. "wall street journal" said desantis was on an earlier list of potential secretary of defense candidates. that was going around there in mar-a-lago. you have the hegseth matter out there. you have kash patel at f.b.i. what are you hearing from florida on all of this now, bret? >> bill and dana, good morning. first of all, the desantis thing is real. this is coming from the president-elect himself we're told. multiple sources saying he has

talked about it and he had that as bill mentioned direct conversation with governor desantis about the possibility if pete's nomination falters or he withdraws. that he would be another possibility and there is interest, we're told. here is what it comes down to. it comes down to numbers on capitol hill. you heard that hegseth met with senator roger wicker, a very quick meeting. he is the incoming chairman of the senate armed services committee. the most important meeting perhaps today for pete hegseth was senator joni ernst scheduled today. she expressed not committing to supporting hegseth. you have three senators that could vote against him and still get through. the number we're told is about six, maybe even seven. gop nos, that's an uphill climb. hegseth took to x today saying i'm doing it for the war

fighters, the left is afraid of disrupters and change agents and afraid of donald trump and me so they smear with b.s. stories. they don't want the truth. warriors never back down. neither will i. it is teetering. we'll see how the numbers line up as he continues these meetings. the stories about ron desantis are all true from multiple sources. >> dana: we have that. the video was pete hegseth on capitol hill as we speak trying to make connections with senators. in the meantime, the democrats are still trying to figure out how to get their footing. president trump is basically -- i almost feel like the bidens have ceded the ground to president trump. different than how they treated him in 2016. they were up in arms talking to anybody overseas. now having dinner with justin trudeau and talking about tariff policy, etc. while the democrats keep trying

to find what their footing will be, how they move forward, biden does this pardon, goes to africa. the pod save america have feelings about it. >> now everyone looks stupid. everyone looks like they'reful of [bleep]. that's what i'm frustrated with. joe biden looking like a typical lying politician and i think that leads to a cynical feeling that all politicians are bad and they are all the same and that this is just par for the course. >> i feel like a [bleep] fools that's what makes me mad about it. >> dana: is that sentiment widespread? >> in democratic circles this is not a great week. the pardon is something that they're not ashamed of, expected but how it was rolled out as far as how many times president biden himself and karine jean-pierre from the white house briefing room said categorically was not going to happen.

so they are where they are. i do think that there is a hunger to figure out the way forward for democrats and how they play some of these nominations, how they play the early days of congress will really be telling. because in the house, remember, that majority is so slim with the loss of a seat in california, by the way they just finished counting yesterday, hard to believe from november 5th to december 3rd. and that goes to the democrats. now it's 217 to 215 once you have the three members who leave for the administration. that's very tight. how that goes as far as democrats is going to be key for the gop majority. >> bill: come back to the biden thing real quick here. he issues the pardon, goes to angola. the united states government -- >> dana: you can't get farther away. >> bill: you are right about

that. nikki haley just let it rip. here is her tweet. this is infuriating, she writes. after pardoning his son and fleeing to africa, biden gives a billion of our tax dollars to rebuild homes in africa when we still have people homeless from the hurricane. completely tone deaf and insulting. we have steve harrigan reporting in western north carolina. that will be a very real story for the entirety of the winter season in north carolina. it would do well for the white house to explain this, i would think. >> i agree. and you are right. he is in the africa, he is not answering questions, not taking questions either about the pardon or this money. it will give a lot of ammo to the incoming trump administration to change things on that front. what that means for aid to foreign countries being affected, i think it will be significant change when it comes to the state department and senator rubio, secretary rubio

eventually if he gets his nomination through, and he should. but the optics of this week and this administration ending like this is really not good. those stories out of north carolina to your point. they are trying to stay warm. some people still don't have homes after hurricane helene. >> dana: the woman who said her 14-year-old daughter asks her every day when will we be back in our home. they are staying at a hotel. we won't forget them here. thank you for coming on our show this morning. >> bill: nice to see you, bret. breaking news in new york. we've been covering the crime in new york for several years now. this is a story that broke at 6:00 a.m. this morning. three blocks from our studio. we can watch it from our offices as numerous police car reported to the new york hilton motel where a shooting took place, we're told the victim is dead.

we have not confirmed the identity but it appears to be a significant businessman who was either working out of new york or working in new york and we'll try to verify that. however, the gunman is still on the run and the gunman is described as 6'1" wearing a ski mask who had a backpack, clear plan to wait for this man because the police say he was there for several hours with a backpack outside the hotel and ran down an alley around 53 and 54 street and vanished. whether or not they can tack him down on cameras or subway or whether or not he had a getaway car we don't know. significant story developing yet again mid town manhattan new york city where crime continues to be a big deal. more details on that coming in moments. verdict watch. the jury about to resume deliberations in the daniel penny trial. so we'll take you downtown for that and there is this.

>> our new leader john thune talked about a two tier type of reconciliation package to show victories right away, maybe on the border or some other issues that were big in the campaign. and i think we want to gain momentum early. >> dana: hitting the ground running. incoming senator majority leader thune mapping out an ambitious republican agenda. >> bill: high stakes case, u.s. supreme court on gender transition treatment for kids. is it safe? that's the question. many critics are asking that as we hear from a detransitioned woman about her life experience in a moment. >> my childhood was ruined along with thousands of children. this needs to stop. you alone can stop it. enough children have already been victimized by this barbaric pseudo science.

ah...family time. of course it's not the same if you can't enjoy your favorite foods. but getting your teeth fixed at a price you can afford? don't really see that one on the table. here's something to chew on. aspen dental has custom made solutions with flexible finance options to make implants and dentures more affordable for you. with 0 dollars down plus 0% interest, if paid in full in 18 months. helping people like rose keep family traditions going. it's one more way aspen dental is in your corner.

hi, i'm damian clark. i'm here to help you understand how to get the most from medicare. if you're eligible for medicare, it's a good idea to have original medicare. it gives you coverage for doctor office visits and hospital stays. but if you want even more benefits, you can choose a medicare advantage plan like the ones offered at humana. our plans combine original medicare with extra benefits in a single, convenient plan with $0 or low monthly plan premiums. these plans could even include prescription drug coverage with $0 copays on hundreds of prescriptions. and medicare advantage plans ensure that your covered medical costs will never go above a maximum out-of-pocket amount that you know beforehand. most humana medicare advantage plans include dental coverage with $0 copays for covered preventive dental services. vision coverage that includes vision exams and a yearly allowance towards eyewear.

even hearing benefits, including routine hearing exams and coverage towards hearing aids. there are $0 co-pays for in-network preventive services like annual wellness visits, mammograms, and prostate exams. and $0 co-pays for routine vaccines and telehealth visits. you get worldwide coverage for emergency and urgent care when you travel, so you can have peace of mind when you're away from home. and of course, you should be able to see the providers you like. that's why humana works with multiple large plan networks of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. so, get the most from medicare with a humana medicare advantage plan. you can have more coverage than with original medicare with $0, or low monthly plan premiums, and a yearly cap on your out-of-pocket costs. it's called medicare advantage for a reason. so, call a licensed humana sales agent today to learn more, and to request a free decision guide. remember, annual enrollment for medicare advantage plans ends december 7th. humana.

a more human way to health care. ♪ [music] i could open the garage ♪ ♪ for sam's band entourage ♪ ♪ protect them from the rain ♪ ♪ ♪ my garage i'd be closing ♪ ♪ while i'm hiking in wyoming ♪ ♪ if my home just had a brain ♪

(ominous music) (bubbles rising) (diver exhaling) (music intensifies) (diver yells) (shark roars) - whoa. (driver gasps) (car tires screech) (pedestrian gasps) (both panting) (gentle breeze) - [announcer] eyes forward.

don't drive distracted. >> dana: at the top of the hour a high stakes case regarding sex reassignment treatments will be heard before the u.s. supreme court. the suit is being brought by the biden administration and challenges a tennessee law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors. it's a pretty complicated and controversial case when you get into the details. just for some background, 23 states right now that have basically some restrictions on it in two states it's banned -- blocked, banned and set to take effect in new hampshire up there. so that's happening on the state level. this is a question about is it constitutional? how do people feel about it? strongly divided here in america. strongly favor this kind of law that bans at 33%. strongly oppose at 32%.

this is one of the reasons the supreme court takes up these issues because people are deeply divided. constitutional issue will get a question here. if you look at the adults in america who have identified as transgender over their years, look at the increase. for the baby boomers at 1%, 2%, goes up a little bit for gen x, up for millennials, 22.3% for generation z? what is happening here? we'll ask a detransitioner. good to see you. you are at the supreme court today. for people not familiar with your story, why would you be there today and the message you want to send. >> so i am a detransitionner and advocate for the rights of children and for parents to raise their children with the best options possible. i went through a medical gender transition myself when i was a

child between the ages of 12 to 16 and this medical ideology was something that consumed most of my adolescent formative years. i've lost parts of my body. i was on puberty blockers at 13, a double mastectomy to remove my breasts when i wasn't old enough to drive a vehicle. the fact that we are mutilating children in the name of their momentary feelings is horrific beyond words. >> dana: one of the things you wrote on april 22nd is medicine shuns gender detransitioners like me but we deserved to be heard and helped. the biden administration is saying that tennessee should not be allowed to ban this type of practice and this healthcare is what the parents are saying. tennessee is saying we do have that right and they have precedent for it. so when you talk to people not

necessarily about the precedent and the law and you talk about your personal story, do you have parents who might be concerned about the well-being of their children, the children questioning? how do you help them think through the possibility of waiting until somebody is more of an adult to take this on? >> absolutely. i have had a lot of parents reach out to me talking about concerns. many on different sides of the issue. for the parents on the fence about this i tell them that puberty is not negotiable for their children. the only choice that a child has is to grow up with their body fully intact. children can't consent to things like sex or buying alcohol or cigarettes. they continue vote or enter into legally binding contracts under the age of 18. so to allow them to make a decision that will affect not only the entire course of

development physically, psychologically and reproductively is completely ridiculous. it is okay to allow your child to experience this discomfort. it is normal to experience discomfort going through puberty. everybody goes through it. historically we used to allow these children uncomfortable or con dues fused about their sex, most grew out of it and learned how to acclimate with their identity as their god given sex. >> dana: in the last graphic i showed folks there, the number of people, young adults saying that they identify as transgender has just gone up pretty astronomically and quickly. what do you put that down to? >> i think in my generation there is a massive identity crisis stemming from multiple factors including social media and a lack of religious foundation in their lives.

and what so many people in generation z are looking for is a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, identity and community. and many people who are broken, who are traumatized or otherwise just different often might seem to find camaraderie within the transgender community. >> dana: chloe, you have a big heart and we are grateful that you came on our show today. you look great down there in front of the supreme court. thank you for being on the show and we'll see what happens as arguments get underway in 33 minutes. >> i'm excited. thank you for having me. >> bill: 27 minutes past the hour. also on hill a house committee on covid making major accusations against dr. anthony fauci and the biden administration. what to expect from their concluding session today. plus new york's democratic mayor eric adams pushing to deport migrants. migrants with criminal records out of his city. he will likely get a major hand from the income trump

administration and explain why in a moment. >> we need to fix the immigration problem in this city. the president-elect had the popular vote. he was clear we needed to secure our border and deal with the immigration issue. the american people heard it and they voted for it. new worlds, and to start screening for colon cancer. yep. with colon cancer rising in adults under 50, the american cancer society recommends starting to screen earlier, at age 45. i'm cologuard, a noninvasive way to screen at home, on your schedule. and i find 92% of colon cancers. i'm for people 45+ at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you.

for more than a decade farxiga has been trusted again and again, and again. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ask your doctor about farxiga. (♪) imagine checking your own heart with medical precision from anywhere. introducing kardiamobile 6l, the fda-cleared ekg that provides six-times more heart data than any smartwatch. and it detects three of the most common arrhythmias in just 30 seconds, including atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, and tachycardia. check your heart with the most advanced personal ekg outside the hospital. get one for just $109 this holiday season. don't wait! this offer won't last. i brought in ensure max protein

with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks! —uh. —here i'll take that. [cheering] ensure max protein, 30 grams protein, 1 gram sugar and a protein blend to feed muscles up to 7 hours. ♪ i'd like to take a moment to address my fellow veterans, because i know so many of you have served our country honorably. one of the benefits that we as a country give you as a veteran is the eligibility for a va loan, for up to 100 percent of your home's value. if you need cash for your family call newdayusa. with automatic authority from the va we can say yes when banks say no. give us a call. veteran homeowners need cash but worried you can't get a home loan because of your credit? here's great news. at newday we've been granted automatic authority by the va to make our own loan approval decisions. in fact, if you've had credit challenges and missed a payment along the way,

you're more than five times more likely to get approved for the newday 100 va cash out loan. no one knows veterans like newday usa. >> bill: 9:33 in new york. new york city's mayor eric adams says he wants migrants charged with crimes to be deported from his city. that's a major shift from his previous stance of waiting for convictions. this is what he said to reporters just yesterday here in new york. >> you think the city should cooperate with ice under certain circumstances? >> this is not a new position. because in the state -- in the era of cancel culture, no one is afraid to be honest about the truth. well, cancel me. if you come into this country and this city and think you are going to harm innocent new yorkers and innocent migrants and asylum seekers this is not

the mayor you want to be in the city under. >> bill: a lot of people may not have expected those answers. a new york city council minority leader. "new york post" cover. cancel me, i don't care. been a long time since we've heard that. we understand later this week in all likelihood tom homan will be in new york and the two men will talk. what comes of it? what's the fate of the future for the safety of people in new york? >> well, hopefully it's a better outcome than we're seeing now. this election was a wake-up call to the american people and most importantly to the democratic party. it seems like perhaps mayor adams is the only one answering the phone. he is the only person recognizing right now that the american public and new york public are not going to take the garbage that is going on right now where our laws hamper us from cooperating with ice. it is -- it really is as unsustainable situation to have people who are convicted in

other countries or accused by the nypd of committing crimes and us not to be able to put them on the deportation process. people think, by the way, this is some extra judicial process. people are simply going to go to the immigration court system and be adjudicated to be deported. that's all we're asking for. mayor adams, if he can get it done it will be a highlight of his first term in office. >> bill: the department of government efficiency has a couple of ideas. in 2023 alone illegal immigration cost taxpayers $150.7 billion. put this in context with other costs adjusted for inflation, world war i was $334 billion. apollo space program 257. manhattan project 13 billion. hoover dam 1 billion. it is what people voted on. what the election was about for

many people in many ways. >> it is. people are sick of it. to give more context, it is costing us five to 6 billion a year here in new york city. more than the entire budget of the fire department and department of sanitation combined. it should give a sense of scale to anyone listening how much of an impact it is having on new yorkers, not just those victims of crime but people and businesses who have to pay taxes and get property taxes increased every year. this is a real cost and a significant cost. not something that is a drop in the bucket by any stretch of the imagination. >> bill: they could withhold federal funds to major american cities if they don't cooperate. that would be a stinger. joe, keep watching it for us. thank you for coming back. appreciate your time. >> thank you. >> bill: thanks. [shouting]

>> dana: this is a wild day yesterday in south korea. turmoil after the south korean president declared and then lifted martial law. a heroic rescue. >> over this, come over this way. kids. >> break the fence down so we can get the kids out. liberty mutual customized my car insurance so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. oh! right in the temporal lobe! beat it, punks! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ - you give eye exams. - i give... fresh starts. better vision, healthy eyes... everybody wants that. - “hero doc saves vision!” - well, i- “hero owl saves money!” use your vision insurance for exams, glasses, and contacts - all at america's best. ♪ [music] i could unlock my front door ♪

♪ while i dine in baltimore ♪ ♪ no lock box to explain ♪ ♪ ♪ at 9:00 the doors would lock up ♪ ♪ save me from forgetful slip-ups ♪ ♪ if my home just had a brain ♪ ♪ ♪ i could make a custom pin ♪ ♪ watch the dog walker get in ♪ ♪ so ziggy won't complain ♪ ♪ ♪ when my in-law comes a-knockin' ♪ ♪ i can open, maybe lock it ♪ ♪ if my home just had a brain ♪

there's an old saying in the navy that the toughest job in the navy is a navy wife. and if you've made the deployments and you've been the wife at home, or you've been the spouse at home, you understand what i'm talking about. your spouse has earned the right to apply for a va home loan. the newday 100 loan allows you to borrow up to 100% of your home's value. so if you're in a situation where you need some help financially, give us a call.

- some labels... - keep you safe. - but other labels... - are hurtful. - when it comes to people... - let's ditch the labels. - and start with a simple... [all] "hello."

>> bill: breaking news in new york. we now have the identity confirmed. the ceo of united healthcare, 50 years old. brian thompson is his name and he apparently was in new york. either he lived here or was attending to business at the new york hilton. a major hotel in mid town manhattan. apparently he was on his way into the hotel 6:45 a.m. early riser to get there early for this conference and apparently this gunman, whoever he is, had been waiting there for hours with a backpack on described as 6'1", fired several shots. thompson did not make it. and the gunman apparently fled down 54th street and there is a famous theater there called the

ziegfeld. right next there is an alleyway you can shoot through to another street and he got away on a bicycle. all this right now is being put together on behalf of the nypd and detectives and we'll get our reporter up and tell you more about it as we learn it here. all right. dana. >> dana: senators are currently meeting with some of trump's key cabinet picks today including treasury secretary nominee scott bessent. joining us live from capitol hill john thune from south dakota. overall how do you think that these nominees are being received? >> i think the meetings are going well, dana. i've heard from read-outs from my colleagues and some of their meetings. we're all sitting down with a lot of these nominees and what's important is they are insured they will get a fair process. the president's nominees, the people he wants in key positions and it is our job under advice and consent to insure they have a fair process up here. get a chance to make their case and for senators to determine

whether or not they are qualified for the jobs that they are seeking. that's what we're involved with right now and i think the meetings are going well. everything i hear suggests that these nominees are very well prepared coming into these meetings. >> bill: a question that goes back a couple of weeks. when matt gaetz was nominated he was overcome with a swell of opposition. it has been suggested at least ten republican senators were a no vote on him and that word got back to mar-a-lago. can you say that's the same for any of the candidates, for any of the nominees that are before the senate now? >> you know, bill, i don't pre-judge any of these candidates. obviously there are questions they all have to answer. each of them has backgrounds and experience. that's all part of this process is examining that and determining qualifications for office. as that process gets underway these nominees have an opportunity to make their case in front of senators who ultimately will cast that vote. i don't think at this point -- i

think it is premature to make any conclusions whether or not any of the candidates have any issues or problems that could be consequential. we give them a fair process and give them the opportunity to make their case why they are fit and qualified to do these important jobs and obviously the president should have a lot of deference and lee way when it comes to making the appointments. these are the people he wants to implement his agenda. we insure they get a fair process here and that should be apply and be true for all the nominees he has put up. >> dana: earlier in the hour bret baier and bill melugin said mar-a-lago president-elect trump is considering the possibility of ron desantis, governor of florida, to be the secretary of defense nominee. that would mean that pete hegseth would no longer be. have you heard from any senators about that possible switch? >> well, i think, dana, the important thing is the president is still committed to the nominees that he has put forward. there is a lot, as you know,

swirl around this process. there always is. conversations, side conversations that go on. but at the end of the day these nominees need to have the opportunity to make their case. i'm meeting later today it has been reported with pete hegseth, as are many of my colleagues. i think the read-outs from these meetings, he is very smart and got great experience as a combat veteran. so we're going to give him the chance to make his argument and make his case. he will have to answer hard questions, which he is based on the reports i'm getting from the meetings he has attended so far. that's part of our process. under advice and consent in the constitution our responsibility as the senate is to give him that process and to determine based upon confirmation hearing and background search and things like that their qualifications for the office. >> bill: susie wiles put out a statement about the nominees now going before f.b.i. clearance. she said the agreement we've reached with the department of

justice will insure president trump and his team are ready on day one to begin enacting the america first agenda that a majority of our nation supported on election day. on that agenda it has been reported that you do a two-prong approach in 2025. the budget first, which would include the border, the fence, and energy. huge deals. huge issues for america. then the tax deal would come second. is that what is on the forecast for you and your agenda there? >> bill, those are conversations we've been having with our colleagues in the senate and also with the house and president and his team because in order for us to be successful here we have to be unified coming out of the gate. that is something that we have put before our conference, republican senators as a possibility for how we deal with getting the president's agenda done. the key is getting the things that he campaigned on, the border, energy dominance,

national security, rebuilding our military, extending the trump tax cuts, those are all things in the end that we have to accomplish. how we get there is what we're discussing. and that's part of again part of this process is to determine what's the best way to achieve and see that the president's agenda, the things he campaigned on and the things that our candidates across this country campaigned on get put into law. so we're having those conversations. we had some yesterday with republican senators, speaker of the house attended our meeting as well and shared some of his insights where he thinks the house is on that and clearly we've been communicating with the president and his team to make sure we're proceeding forward in a unified way. the only way we'll get the results we want to achieve is through teamwork and i think that in the end that's what you are going to see. >> dana: senator john thune. you have a lot of work cooking for yourself. >> we do indeed. >> dana: stay in touch. appreciate you coming on the show. >> bill: thank you, senator. >> dana: at the top of the hour the supreme court set to hear a

landmark case on sex reassignment treatment for kids and teens. plus deliberations resume in the daniel penny trial with the 26-year-old's life hanging in the balance.

veteran homeowners need cash but worried you can't get a home loan because of your credit? here's great news. at newday we've been granted automatic authority by the va to make our own loan approval decisions. in fact, if you've had credit challenges and missed a payment along the way, you're more than five times more likely to get approved for the newday 100 va cash out loan. no one knows veterans like newday usa. hey. hey! it can be so easy to get busy and distracted during the holidays. easy to lose focus.

easy to lose sight of what this season is really about. for god so loved the world that he gave us his only son. don't lose sight this advent. pray every day on hallow ♪ if you struggle. ♪ and struggle. ♪ and struggle with cpap. you should check out inspire. ♪ no mask. no hose. just sleep. inspire. sleep apnea innovation. learn more and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com humana medicare advantage plans. carry this card and you could have the power to unlock benefits beyond original medicare. these are convenient plans that offer all of the benefits of original medicare, plus extra coverage and benefits. with a humana

medicare advantage plan, you could get doctor, hospital and prescription drug coverage in one convenient plan. with zero-dollar copays on hundreds of prescriptions. most plans include dental coverage, including zero-dollar copays for covered preventive services. vision coverage, with eye exams and an allowance for eyewear. even hearing benefits, with routine hearing exams and coverage toward hearing aids. that's more than you get with original medicare. but it gets even better. because humana offers zero-dollar or low monthly plan premiums. you'll also get, zero-dollar copays for routine vaccines at in-network retail pharmacies. zero-dollar copays for telehealth visits. and zero-dollar copays for in-network preventive services. plus, worldwide coverage for emergency and urgent care when you travel. and, medicare advantage plans ensure your covered medical costs, including all doctor and emergency care, will never go above a maximum out-of-pocket amount that you know

beforehand. imagine benefits like these in one convenient plan! plus, you'll have access to humana's multiple large plan networks of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. so, if you want more from medicare, call now to see if there's a plan in your area that could give you extra coverage and benefits. including coverage for doctor, hospital, and prescription drugs. plus, a cap on your out-of-pocket medical costs. and most plans include coverage for dental, vision, even hearing. a knowledgeable, licensed humana sales agent will explain your coverage options. even help you enroll over the phone. call today and we'll also send this free guide. but now is the time. the annual enrollment period ends december 7th! humana. a more human way to healthcare. still congested? —nope! —uh oh. new mucinex 2-in-1 saline nasal spray. spray goodbye.

. >> dana: fox news alert. breaking news. a deadly shooting in mid town manhattan early this morning and unfortunately the ceo of united healthcare is now dead. alexis mcadams in on the scene near fox news studios. what do you know? >> this is all still developing. it only happened in the past couple hours. i got off the phone with a source who tells me this was not a random attack. i will show you where it all happened setting this up in midtown manhattan. one of the busiest times to be in new york city. the rockefeller tree lighting

later on tonight. massive crowds. this is happening blocks away. on the left hand side in mid town manhattan you can see the hilton. the united healthcare ceo was walking out at 6:45 heading to an important annual meeting for the healthcare company. somebody was waiting for him outside across the street and shot him once in the chest and leg. back here we can tell you it is still developing on the ground. nypd has a lot on their hands like they always do. right now during the christmas season trying to figure out exactly what played out here. they will hold a press conference in the next hour or hour and a half to calm fears. when people are watching at home in new york city, you live here or visiting and hear there was a shooting where a man was killed walking outside of a hotel they want to know is the suspect on the loose. we don't have the information on that suspect specifically. he had a mask and gloves and believe he was waiting for the

healthcare ceo. i'll step out of the way so you can zoom in. this is developing on your screen. the police tape and the crime scene there set up. dana you know from walking around not far from fox news studios, it is a busy time and a lot of foot traffic. for this man to come out. brian thompson, 50 years old to walk out and get shot in the chest a lot of people are nervous. >> dana: that is also the hilton residences, right? some questions i think you do not know the answer to but let me raise them here. was he going to a meeting there? did he have a room there? would there be a conference there? is that a place you could have a breakfast meeting as a business person to get your day started early? >> yeah, as of right now what we're hearing he was staying at this hotel. united healthcare is based out of minnesota. he was in town for an annual business conference and heading

on his way to that conference to try to have his latest meeting. united healthcare postponed what they said was a medical emergency in the beginning. to know he was possibly targeted and family and friends at this time haven't been notified i was told by some sources. they are trying to work this thing on the ground. >> bill: a stunning story and has all the markings of a hit job. there was one report from some others working the story in new york that he simply walked through an alleyway or ran through an alleyway and got on a bicycle and got away. is any of that verifiable now or is it too early? >> so i was told he was on foot. when we talk about this like you said looking at the crime scene and setting it up to talk about a hit job seems like what it was. this is where he was according to these police sources. you can see where the theater is, ceo walks out of the hilton there.

in terms of who they are looking for, we don't have a specific description except he was wearing a mask and gloves and standing there with a gun. was it a handgun, concealed, did he pull it out? how quick it all happened is still to be told here. the police are trying to figure that out. they might not have a lot to say at the press conference but -- about the investigation. they want to tell people they don't think it was a random attack. somebody coming to shoot somebody randoming leaving the lobby. >> dana: paul mauro is with us. you know this area well. what do you think is happening here? >> obviously it looks very much like a targeted attack and tracks to a lot of sorts of shootings we've had down through years. i'm thinking of even the infamous hit in front of the steakhouse in mid town execution for lack of a better term. there will be a tremendous

amount of media on this. high-profile figure. they are canvassing the entire area and pulling video and looking at subway records to see if there is any video or digital footprint in the subways. reportedly the guy fled on foot. other reporting he might have jumped onto a bicycle, which is difficult. a number of incidents like that in manhattan where the perp fled on a bike. you are independent of red lights and go anywhere. this will be a tough one. the other thing they'll do is look very deeply into the victim's history. >> bill: united healthcare is a huge company. i'm looking at some. consumer base is more than 50 million people, paul. you are a ceo of a company like this and you carry a lot of policy, you have a lot of history. we don't know what his specific history with united healthcare but a significant company.