Kellyanne Conway on health care reform: Trump's patience on display

close

Video

Conway on health care reform: Trump's patience on display

Counselor to the president salutes Trump's deal-making ability

This is a rush transcript from "The Fox News Specialists," May 5, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

EBONI K. WILLIAMS, CO-HOST: Hey, everybody. I'm Eboni K. Williams, along with Kat Timpf, and Eric Bolling, 5:00 will never be the same. We are "The Fox News Specialists."

So let's meet today's specialists. She became polling extraordinaire after launching the polling company, she's author of the book, What Women Really Want. She's also the first woman to run a successful presidential campaign, and she specializes in being counselor to President Trump, Kellyanne Conway is here.

And he's definitely not counselor to President Trump, but he was recruited by wrestling promotor Tommy Dreamer to become a pro wrestler after a bar fight. He voiced himself in the movie "Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery," and he also work as bodyguard for rapper Snoop Dogg, and specializes in fish tank husbandry. Apparently that's a person who breeds fish. Tyrus is here, that's right, he's anonymous just like Cher or Sting.

(CROSSTALK)

TYRUS, PRO WRESTLER: If I understand this right.

WILLIAMS: OK.

TYRUS: That's an amazing resume if it's mine.

WILLIAMS: Well, she's Kellyanne Conway.

(CROSSTALK)

ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: Listen, husbandry to fish.

TYRUS: I made that up. I really did.

WILLIAMS: I think I was more impressed by bodyguard for Snoop, right.

TYRUS: Yeah, that was fun, watching guys...

WILLIAMS: All right. So we'll get to the top story on our specialist, President Trump and the Republicans charging ahead with their health care overhaul push after yesterday's big victory in the house. There come back from an initial failure back in March is being celebrated by fellow Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Here's what I really like. They hit a ball, they backed up, they tried a second time, and they knew they're going to hit the wall so they didn't take the vote. They kept working, they kept talking. Trump kept talking to people as late as yesterday, individually, developing amendments, thinking things through. The art of the deal come to Washington, D.C. The president would never back off. He would never give up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: And House Republican leaders have not been shy with their praise of President Trump and his role, particularly in helping get the bill over the finish line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, R-CALIF.: Mr. President, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for your leadership. I want to think the vice president. You know, I've only been through a few presidents, but I've never seen someone so hands-on. Walked into my office yesterday morning, they say the president is calling again.

I know my members well. The president gives me a list of who he thinks I would be best to talk to on the list. And he was right. Mr. President, they all voted for the bill.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: Kellyanne Conway, no doubt, the deal was done. And so much on the campaign trail, many of us heard about this amazing business acumen of Donald Trump, then-candidate Trump. And are we seeing what that really looks like in a political way?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes, we are. I think health care is just the most recent example of that. You've seen the incredible job numbers just out today. People like the Trump economy, they like the prospect of meaningful tax reform. He promise at the end of his Rose Garden ceremony yesterday, Eboni, that we would have the largest tax cut in U.S. history, which is also tax relief, middle-class tax relief. Also, small business owners will have a 15 percent tax bracket which is just huge.

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: And all of the deductions will be gone except for a charitable deduction and home mortgage interest because many of those deductions usually benefit the special interests. But on health care, you really saw the president and the vice president's leadership. They were working the phones. They were hosting meetings. I was there on Wednesday when he welcomed in Congressman Billy Long from Missouri, Congressman Fred Upton from Michigan, both of whom had come out the day before publicly and said they could not vote yes even though they had previously been maybe sure yes. And he had been to the White House and very politely, very courteously asked they're concerns, what might get them to yes, negotiated.

There's something else we saw on full display that I don't think people know enough about President Trump. He's very patient. And a good deal maker is a patient person who waits for the best possible outcome to benefit people. He didn't come out yesterday and claim victory for the Republican Party. He claimed victory for the American people. And if you can trust that to the Democrats immediately went to the political repercussions of everything. That's not the way were thinking. This is not a campaign. This is a president and vice president who were working to improve the lives of people, 40 percent increase in premiums overall. For some people, 100 percent premium increase in states like Iowa just this week. You see Aetna and Medico insurers pulling out in the exchange to say we simply cannot afford it. ObamaCare was unaffordable and non-sustainable long term for people. And help is on the way.

WILLIAMS: All right, we'll see. We know that this is -- got so long way to go, but it has successfully cleared one chamber. What, if anything, would you like to see worked on if it evolves, if it gets to the senate?

TYRUS: One of the reasons why I voted for Mr. Trump was because I was looking at the line in the tape where it was going to be, the GOP was in the house, it was in the senate, ready to get things done, and I haven't seen a lot of that. And the fact that he had to go back, and he was making deals, but it would have been special for me if they're making deals with Democrats crossing over.

BOLLING: Wait, you have seen a lot -- hold on, did you just say you haven't...

UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

TYRUS: This is the Atlanta, Falcon. This is the halftime celebration.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLLING: The 28 bills that this president has signed in 107 days, 106 days or so. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 10 years, you can credit Obama if you want. Hourly wages are up. The stock market made record highs today, again, today. Here's what matters to America. When wages go up -- wages went up 2.5 percent versus a year ago, 2-day week that was announce. You know why that matters because 57 percent of Americans don't have enough money in their bank account to pay for an emergency $500 tire replacement, let alone not living from month-to-month or for check to check. This president is getting a lot done and it's tripling down. But we don't hear that on mainstream media. On the street you hear, oh, yeah, he's tweeting, or did you hear what he said last time?

TYRUS: I'm just saying it's not a law yet. ObamaCare is still here. So until the senate gets it done...

BOLLING: It took 17 months to put ObamaCare in.

TYRUS: That's why it's not a good time right now to be high fiving. That would be like, we've got step one down, we'll roll up our sleeves and get some more work done. That's what I wanted to hear.

CONWAY: We love to have Democrats, they're respectfully -- the president even said it yesterday. Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader came out and said when President Trump first contacted me, Kevin McCarthy, about health care, he said, don't do something that's good for the Republican Party. Do something that's good for the American people. And he did not claim victory for the Republican Party yesterday. We would love to have Democrats to support us. Where are they? I've two questions for the Democrats, who's exactly the leader of your party? I'm totally confused. Is it Hillary Clinton?

KAT TIMPF, CO- HOST: We have no idea. Is it Barack Obama, is it Bernie Sanders?

CONWAY: And second question, what is the Democrats message? Did they think ObamaCare worked? Can they really look people in the eye?

Ebobi: I think that we know that they don't, Kellyanne, from what Bill Clinton said on the campaign. You know the premiums are already -- I think we do know that. But I think you make a good point, you raise a good point about the cooperation because ObamaCare, one of the big criticisms, rightfully so, was that it was ram down in a single partisan way. And I think a lot of people are hoping that we, as America, have learned a lesson from what that feels and looked like. And they're hoping that we see something different from this administration.

TIMPF: I agree with Tyrus, though. We don't know enough about it yet. I'm hoping to see better things happen in the senate. I'm hoping to see may be a little less involvement. But, right now, in terms of -- you could call it him being patient, I think it's not very patient to push something through before we have a CBO take a look at it, before we know how something is going to impact the American people. I obviously hope that...

(CROSSTALK)

BOLLING: You can hang that on Paul Ryan, though.

TIMPF: Sure, sure. I absolutely do.

BOLLING: Now the way legislation works is that the house puts the deal together, the legislation together, and they say, hey, Mr. President, we have this and the American people like it and we'll get votes for it. Unfortunately, Paul Ryan dropped the ball the first round, and Donald Trump had to get out there and knock on doors, shake hands and say, listen, we're going to make this right for Americans, and he got them to jump on board on this. And you're right, Kat, it's going to go to the senate.

WILLIAMS: Speaking of the senate, it's actually a perfect segue, E. Last night, President Trump acknowledge that potential changes need to come for this Republican heath care plan in the senate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It could change a little bit, could -- maybe even better. It's a very good bill right now. The premiums are going to come down very substantially, the deductibles are going to come down. It's going to be a fantastic health care. Right now, ObamaCare is failing. So when you compare something to ObamaCare, ObamaCare is no longer living. And we have something that's going to be, I think, one of the best anywhere in the world, and we look forward to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: So, Kat, you keep correctly acknowledging that we don't really know what's in it. We know what President Trump wants the outcome to be. We know want we want it to be. We know how we want it improve upon what we currently have. But realistically, what can we really expect?

TIMPF: We don't know what to expect. And of course, it's a complicated thing. And this could be, and I hope it will be something that's very different after it comes to the senate. But it's so early to be celebrating. Because, I mean, Republicans have been talking about health care for a very long time, and it took so long and it was so complicated, seems once they got the chance, it looks like they didn't know what to do. And then they had one chance at it and it didn't pass, and they passed through the house, who knows what will happen in the senate.

CONWAY: I know. I know what's in it. I read it. And everybody else could read it. It's publicly posted. It's not the 2700 page monstrosity that Nancy Pelosi apparently did not read before they passed it. She said you've got to pass it to read it. We're also we're told you can keep your plan. You can keep your doctor. That was a big fat lie. So, I don't think anybody, Kat, is nostalgic.

TIMPF: I'm certainly not.

CONWAY: That's right. For what ObamaCare has wrought. The 20 million people just last year who opted out of ObamaCare altogether, 6.5 million of whom opted to pay the penalty.

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: Two criticism, Kellyanne, to be fair is that for seven years, Republicans had talked about their issues with health care and ObamaCare.

TIMPF: And they won a lot of seats because of it.

WILLIAMS: That's right, fine. Absolutely, and they've lost a lot of seat. But here's the question, seven years later, full control, basically.

CONWAY: That's how they passed it yesterday.

WILLIAMS: Well, yes.

CONWAY: And it will pass in the senate.

WILLIAMS: But, we're still talking about, are we going to have a cross state line coverage? They're certain things that I think some of us that really do want premiums to go down require. And, E, you talk about this often. I think some us really like that fully to go.

BOLLING: This is very important that the senate does get their hands on it. Across state line is supposed to be phase two and hopefully it will be. I think a lot of fiscal conservatives want to see that so it could introduce competition into the health care and health insurance system to bring prices down. But don't forget -- I'll let them talk for a bit, but what this did, the savings from this new health care system is going to be applied to the tax reform plan which will be massive for every single -- everyone.

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: Feel better about it?

TYRUS: This is not Donald Trump's fault. I agree with Eric on this point. Republicans had seven years. When Donald Trump came in office, he said want do you guys want to do first? They said we want to get rid of ObamaCare. He said, cool, what do you got? And they came to the table with nothing. And he got to get together to put a plan. So this is my issue with the senate and the house is that they talk a good game and they're not getting into bickering and they're not getting they're stuff that they supposed to do. Donald Trump should have come in -- where's the plan, boys? Here it is, boss. Sounds good.

BOLLING: They'll be the first to tell you that, right? I mean, they had seven years to get this thing together and they presented, Paul Ryan and leadership presented something...

CONWAY: I like to share this one, yesterday, and moving forward because this is a great success. They did come together and get something that made sense. The health savings accounts are in there. You can almost double your contribution. We're going to have this associated pools where folks like hairdressers who don't get employer-sponsored coverage like most of us do, and aren't on government-run coverage like veteran benefits or Medicaid, Medicare, they'll be able to pull together. And the extra $8 billion that help these folks who freezes in tradition, who happen to live in a state where governor decides to wait out.

WILLIAMS: people are nervous about that.

CONWAY: a lot of the -- Eboni, because they weren't concerned about that. And the president met those concerns. Make no mistake, this is a collaborative effort. Health care legislation cannot come from the oval office alone, and the house can't pass something without the president and the vice president really being on that and working the phones and working the meetings. They feel very good. I think something else they learned yesterday is that this government can function, the house, senate, and White House together. Watch, and I think Democrats are going to be left out because they refused to come on board. You know, George W. Bush, in June 2001, just five short months into his first term, he passed meaningful tax reform with 10 or 12 Democratic senators for it. We've gotten no indication there'll be a single senator who's interested in our tax reform plan, and that's too bad.

WILLIAMS: Well, certainly your health reform has a long way to go. We'll get to it. But the Democrats in mainstream media hysteria after house Republican did pass their health care bill yesterday, their incredible reaction over the past 24 hours up next. And make sure you follow us on social media, @specialistsfnc on both Twitter and Facebook.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLLING: That screechy, preachy sound you've been hearing is isn't your TV. It's the Democrats whining about the latest Trump campaign promise on its way of being fulfilled. Health care pass the house yesterday, and Democrats have been apoplectic ever since.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT.: If the bill passed today in the House became law thousands of Americans would die because they would no longer have access to health care.

SEN. CORY BOOKER, D-N.J.: This will cost American lives if it ever becomes law. This will mean death, pain, and suffering to people's families.

REP. STENY HOYER, D-MD. : They're going down to celebrate something that comes way, way, way short of what the president -- look the American public in the eye and said he was going to deliver.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF.: It was really a stupid bill. It's a bill of deconstruction of government.

From the beginning, TrumpCare was a moral monstrosity that will devastate your children and hard-working Americans.

REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CALIF.: This crushing age tax will fall on some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BOLLING: All right, Kellyanne. Wow. We're going to need pampers for the Democrats, they seem to be little sore losers, to say the least.

CONWAY: Thanks for showing the clips. Because I think the more you shine a light on the political left these days, the better off President Trump and his policies will be. I mean, these were not serious comments. And, you know, shame on all the hosts who don't correct their guests either or say, excuse me, what is your evidence of that? Why are you trying to scare people? Isn't it the job of the news media at the very basic level to inform you as to what's in the bill? You can disagree with it may be, I think as a reporter, we can question that.

BOLLING: Corey Booker was saying people are going to die.

WILLIAMS: You know what, I have to -- respectfully, I think he does believe that. I think the criticism...

CONWAY: Based on what?

WILLIAMS: Based of what their view as a party to what health care should look like, and they believe wholeheartedly. Now we can disagree that ObamaCare...

TIMPF: Donald Trump got elected in part.

WILLIAMS: A hundred percent. But as a party, they stand by it, certainly, and we know that. I'm not going to question the sincerity of what they're saying there. And also, yes, this meltdown component is one part. But we all there's another conversation being had politically, Eric, and that is that they as a party, the Democrats, are seeing this as a little light at the end of the tunnel. This is a little glimmer of opportunity politically if this bill doesn't work and it doesn't make Americans happy that they get some seat back in 2018.

TIMPF: They still won't have a message. They're wrong.

CONWAY: But what about the dozens or so Democrats who voted against the bill yesterday in districts that Trump won.

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

CONWAY: I mean, they've got to think about -- you've got Maxine Waters in a different comment this week, she said she's going to stick her political career on going after Donald Trump. She represent a Democrat plus 29 district...

(CROSSTALK)

TYRUS: We live in -- oh, that's cool, I love -- we live in an era of obstruction, and it's really a disservice to the American people. I believe that aliens took me on a camping trip when I was four. Can't prove it, but I believe it happen, right? I don't have the right to go out and push that and try to scare people that aliens are going to take you on a ship. And saying people are going to die and all these horrible things are going to happen when the health insurance -- before ObamaCare people had issues. People are still going to have issues. It's a huge country. Somebody is always going to be on the wrong foot. But that 1 percent of 1 percent is not what you try to tell everyone it's going to happen. It's shameful to say -- I like Booker, I respect him a lot, but for him to come out and say you're going to die when this bill happens, I think it's terrible.

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: He's actually my senator in New Jersey. I'm curious, what do you think Cory Booker best accomplishment in the senate or even as mayor of Newark has been.

TYRUS: Basically complaining about the other side.

(CROSSTALK)

TYRUS: I don't agree with Eric, so therefore I like him, he's bad. I can prove it, how? I just know.

TIMPF: You understand though that there's a difference between health insurance and health care. I mean, you talk about all these people are going to die if they don't have health insurance, this and that. In having insurance, the strong involvement of so many insurance companies, it's actually one of the things that raises prices. Areas of medicine that don't take health insurance, they've been dropping areas that do, about more than 450 percent in the past 30 years. Just because everyone has insurance doesn't mean everything is going to be cheaper. It doesn't mean things are going to be more affordable. We're still not looking at anything from a patient-centered perspective. And health care is a very emotional thing, which is why people do go on TV and say, everyone is going to die, everyone is going to die, and I understand that works on people, but emotions don't have anything to do with it.

CONWAY: To your point, Kat, what happen under ObamaCare, many people have the card and they literally can't use it.

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: They can't afford the deductibles.

BOLLING: The first ten grand comes right out of their pocket.

(CROSSTALK)

TIMPF: More power to subsidize insurance companies. And big insurance companies, believe it or not, absolutely do not do anything to lower prices of medical care as to which is different from insurance.

BOLLING: Hang in there. I really want to get to this one. Mainstream media reaction to the passage of the GOP health care bill, more melodramatic lunacy on their part. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

DAVID MUIR, "WORLD NEWS TONIGHT"/ABC: There was chanting on the floor of the house. Democrats taunting Republicans today, waving goodbye to them, predicting this vote will cost them with American voters come the midterms.

CHANTING ON HOUSE FLOOR: "Heh, heh, hey, goodbye."

SCOTT PELLY, "EVENING NEWS"/CBS: Last month, when this came up, the Congressional Budget Office said it would cost 24 million Americans their insurance. This time, the Republicans didn't wait for the CBO report.

JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: They didn't wait because the report was likely to be nearly as bad or perhaps even worse. But regardless, the number was not going to be a good one.

UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: You break it, you own it, and anyone that loses their health care is a result of this will blame Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLLING: This is hours after they signed this bill. There's so much more that's going in to this thing on the senate side. What's that all about?

TYRUS: It goes all back -- the singing on the floor. I mean, it's just sad. And here's the wonderful world about politics, this is early, so by the time election stuff comes around for the ones that are singing, you just lost your spot, there'll be other stuff on the table.

(CROSSTALK)

TYRUS: They're just hoping that the same mistakes that they made with ObamaCare, that the Republicans are going to do the exact same thing and don't get their seat back. But they didn't lose their seats because of that, they lost their seats because they shoved something down, they just wanted to get something passed. They didn't bother to think what the repercussions were going to be. I'll put an earmark here. We'll cut it loose. You gave them this giant pie and you kept taking pieces out for anybody, and they you handed them some crumbs, and you wonder why they don't vote for you. I'm sorry, food, football, those what I use...

BOLLING: And pies.

WILLIAMS: And pie. I just going to say, I think some people have those same concerns, but we don't know yet, Kelly, in fairness. And I'm not going to prematurely judge this health care package because we just don't know enough yet. But if, in the end, it doesn't bring down premiums, as Kat pointing out, if, in the end, quality of care is not improved, Kellyanne, can you at least acknowledge that the Republicans will have to live or die by the consequences of this ultimately?

CONWAY: No. You're throwing out all of these hypotheticals. I find some of them to be presumptively negative. What we do know is negative is ObamaCare.

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: We're talking about politically, though. Remember, this is the one issue in 2010, 2014, and 2016, that allowed the Republicans to win the house, the senate, 938 seats in the state legislature.

WILLIAMS: With those wins (INAUDIBLE)

CONWAY: Correct. And that's why they delivered yesterday without any Democratic...

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: But most of us don't really know what they delivered though, Kellyanne.

CONWAY: We should read it.

(CROSSTALK)

TIMPF: Not know what the impact is going to be.

CONWAY: OK. Here is what it's not. It's not ObamaCare, OK. There's going to be flexibility to the state. There's going to be a sustainability and affordability. There's health savings accounts, which let people control their health care spending more. There will be pools. If the senate get their hands on it there could be health care across state lines the way that you buy your insurance.

WILLIAMS: But we're not there yet.

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: Did somebody say it's not done?

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: Politically, the only time the Republicans were unsuccessful running on health care or against ObamaCare was in 2012, when they nominated somebody who had RomneyCare, who could not get a full throttle opposition to ObamaCare.

BOLLING: I can be more than 50 percent certain that before this bill is finished making its way through the halls of congress, it will be a situation where competition is introduced...

CONWAY: Correct.

BOLLING: ... prices go down, and American people will have more access and more affordability in their health care or...

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: I hope you're right.

TYRUS: I'm willing to sit back and wait.

TIMPF: Patient man.

TYRUS: I'll just wait. I'm going to focus on my day-to-day operations. And when it comes down...

BOLLING: If the bill stands.

TYRUS: I like that, but I'm going to wait.

BOLLING: All right. Some alarming news out of the Middle East, this morning, Iran apparently cozying up even further with North Korea, a nuclear state and an anti-American state sponsor of terror, what could possibly go wrong? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TIMPF: Developing news amid the rising tensions with North Korea. The Pentagon is raising alarms about military ties between Iran and the nuclear nation, U.S. officials telling FOX that earlier this week, Iran attempted to launch a new type of cruise missile from a submarine. They suspect the missile is based on a North Korean design.

I don't know. I don't really like the sound of that, Kellyanne.

WILLIAMS: It is a little scary.

CONWAY: The collusion between two rogue regimes, bent on military build- up. And it's precisely why President Trump and candidate Trump are so against the Iran nuclear deal.

WILLIAMS: Of course.

CONWAY: As drafted by -- well, I mean, it was -- it's incredible. Because speaking of Democrats and their support, a handful of Democrats were against President Obama when he came in. Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez. But the fact that we can name them doesn't have any means that they were so few in number. And this is why the JCPOA is being evaluated by the Trump administration to see, you know, is there anything meritorious about it.

And he has been very clear that a nuclear-capable Iran and the deal that was, certainly, I think, brokered by President Obama is a disaster.

TIMPF: And I do like that Trump has shown that he's open to diplomacy and those sort of things. We've got -- you know, Kim Jong-un is cuckoo bananas. This is a crazy person. He's accusing the U.S. and South Korea, the assassination attempt. I mean, what do you do. Maybe he believes it. What do you do when someone is that nuts? It does get a little more complicated.

BOLLING: I think that there's a silver lining here. Yes, this is alarming. Eight million people in Iran, 25 million people in North Korea. North Korea has a nuclear weapon. Iran wants a nuclear weapon.

But the good news is -- and listen, there are a lot of people who didn't like the relationship between Israel and President Obama was going,

President Trump has a different relationship with Israel. The fact that Israel is at risk. If Iran gets a nuclear weapon through North Korea, we'll make sure that that region is going to be safe. There's not going to be a nuclearized -- at least weaponized Iran any time soon. And I think we would step in and make sure that didn't happen.

WILLIAMS: I was in Israel in the fall, E., as you know, and this gravely concerns me me for our friends in Israel literally, obviously. It's really very much of a problem.

As for the relationship with the Trump administration in Israel, I am very optimistic. I know Netanyahu and Trump have a good rapport. But President Trump -- and maybe this is a question for you, Kellyanne -- he's also condemned the settlements. So can you give any insight as to his positioning on that and, overall, how that will affect that relationship?

CONWAY: Well, lost in an incredibly Trump-like news day yesterday with religious liberty executive orders, repealing the ObamaCare, meeting with the head of Australia, being at the 75th anniversary of the Intrepid, the usual Trump day, as you know, constant activity, high-energy, high impact.

He also announced his upcoming, his first foreign trip, and it will include Israel. It will also include Saudi Arabia. And he also will sit down again with Mr. Abbas, who is at the White House this week and the head of the Palestinian Authority. And then he will go to the Vatican to meet the pope, and of course, onto the G-7 and NATO in Brussels, as previously planned.

But it tells you that this president and the Trump Doctrine is one that reaches out and is open to conversation, and certainly -- and brokering peace. But I think that's a very important message, but also very important substance for the world to see, particularly in the Middle East, that this president is willing to do that. And you've seen, Eboni and others, how many of the world's leaders have come to Washington to meet with this president in his first--

TIMPF: I think that there have been several different Trump doctrines, particularly when we talk about things like Syria. But when it comes to North Korea, Tyrus, are you -- are you worried about this? Will you--

TYRUS: I could not be more ecstatic that Iran is getting their missile stuff from North Korea.

TIMPF: Right, exactly.

TYRUS: Both having the same issues. Did that happen when you guys did it? No. So their -- their technology in Korea is not quite there or are subs out there with the buttons are pretty good.

So you two want to lump together -- this is basically two kids are in a corner, getting sanctioned out of their mind, and their only friend is another sanctioned guy. So it just makes it a lot easier for the Pentagon if you want to tie those two together.

And the fact that our relationship with Israel is even stronger, it's just -- being together, whether they're apart, it's easy -- I think it's an easy thing for you not to worry, but the American people don't get confused when they're like, "Why are we going to North Korea? Why are we going to Iran? Oh, hey, they're Facebook friends? Cool, let's go together."

BOLLING: Think how scary this is. Iran has now a ton of money that we handed back over to them. North Korea with sanctions is going to need money. Iran wants nuclear weapons. This is scary.

TYRUS: And they're buying back technology from North Korea.

TIMPF: Absolutely. Absolutely. Scary stuff. All right.

Why won't she just leave us alone? Hillary Clinton is launching a political action committee to take on President Trump's agenda. Hmm, I wonder if Kellyanne has any news on that. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLLING: Welcome back to "The Fox News Specialists." Our specialists today are Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, and Tyrus, a man who does not need nor want a last name.

TYRUS: How is that--

(CROSSTALK)

BOLLING: -- conversation. But the unwanted guest who decides to sleep -- not Tyrus -- sleep overnight, Hillary Clinton, isn't just going away. Instead, she's reportedly about to launch a new political action committee. Its goal: to fund so-called resistance groups working to fight President Trump and his agenda.

Got to go to Kellyanne right away on this one. Do the Democrats, are they for anything or just against President Trump?

CONWAY: Can anyone tell me what her message was in the campaign?

TIMPF: "I'm a girl."

BOLLING: "It's my turn."

CONWAY: And none of that worked.

Well, she's proven that she's very good at resistance. She resisted going to Wisconsin at all. She resisted spending more time in Wisconsin and Michigan. She was going to turn Arizona and Georgia blue. That didn't work out. Donald Trump won all four of those states.

She's resistant to respecting people enough to not call them deplorable and irredeemable. And she spent over $2 billion in her campaign, it's reported. A woman who knows how to spend money, that's new.

And this PAC, this political action committee, I -- I would note for you that many elected Democrats this week and many of her comrades in the mainstream media were critical and skeptical of her return this week. She's free to do what she wants, but the Democrats who gave money to her campaign and to the outside groups that supported her, they wanted her to win the White House. They don't want her to oppose President Trump.

BOLLING: Right, right. Eboni, what about -- what is the Democrat message? I don't even know what it is any more.

WILLIAMS: Well, I've had several suggestions on air, E., from my Democrat friends, and they're not really listening. Certainly, you've got to have an economic message that connects and makes people feel that life will be better with your leadership. And they have not articulated that, to Kellyanne's point.

Our think our colleague, Richard Fowler, FOX News contributor, said pretty nicely on Twitter: "Girl, Hillary, please just go have a seat." Akin to, like, "Girl, bye." It's time to go sit down somewhere. You had a failed campaign, which is not, in and of itself, something to be ashamed of, but you cannot come back and just have a purely resistant message. You have to give some people something to vote for, Eric, not just against.

BOLLING: And Kat, do you give Hillary Clinton money? Kellyanne points out, you gave her $2 billion. She blew it. Do you give her more money?

TIMPF: Right. And she's still trying to fight Trump. She's still trying to fight Trump which is ridiculous. It's like so "John Tucker must die" that it is ridiculous, right?

CONWAY: This from the woman who said what? It was, quote, "frightening" that he wouldn't accept the election results. She still hasn't.

TIMPF: Right, exactly.

CONWAY: Six months this Monday. Who's counting?

TIMPF: It gets to the point -- it gets to the point where you have to say- -

CONWAY: What are we doing to celebrate?

TIMPF: It gets to the point where you have to say, "I'm sorry, Hillary, that Donald Trump broke your heart, but he has moved on, and any good therapist would recommend that you do the same."

WILLIAMS: And it wasn't the first. Just go to Barack Obama.

TIMPF: If you want -- if you want to get involved in politics, if you wanted to be, like you said, pro-something, if you want to support Democratic causes or -- this is anti-Trump personally. It's clearly a personal vendetta.

BOLLING: Trump Derangement Syndrome.

TYRUS: Absolutely nothing to do with Donald Trump. It has nothing to do with the Republican Party. It has nothing to do with Democrats. It's about to make some money.

And here's the deal: she's going to come back. She's going to make some speeches. And the obstruction groups and the angry protesting groups are going to pay her a ton of money to promise them new sunshine. And then she's going to take that profit, and she's going to go away again.

I mean, the best ever -- when Romney lost to Obama, he didn't start a Romney opposition fund. He went away, and he went on with his life, and when it was all over, he became respected and then appreciated for his efforts. Right? Most of us. But she's literally coming back to make some damn money.

CONWAY: You know what, Tyrus? Not how she's not going into public service. She's always said she's been for women and girls. Then go do something to help women and girls. Because the poverty rates for women, including extreme poverty, went up the last eight years. The uninsured number for women went up the last eight years. She can actually say, no money.

BOLLING: No money.

CONWAY: No money. But if she really wanted to help people, she'd be welcome to help people. That's not what she said. It's just going to be another, you know, pro-abortion thing. We've already got -- you know, we've already litigated all of that.

BOLLING: We've -- there's plenty of that, plenty of that money floating around.

CONWAY: Plenty of that.

TYRUS: No money.

BOLLING: Leave it right there. Immigrant activists preparing for battle over Texas' new sanctuary city ban when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIAMS: Immigration activists in an uproar and vowing a fight after the Texas -- Texas legislature passes one of the harshest anti-sanctuary city bills in America. It would impose heavy fines and even possibly jail time to any Texas official who fails to follow federal immigration law.

Now, Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill soon, and the controversy around the legislation is baffling many of its supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BRIAN BABIN, R-TEXAS: It is amazing to me that elected officials would put their own citizens at risk for political -- political correctness and diversity, et cetera, et cetera. And, you know, our first duty as elected officials is to uphold the safety and national security of our own constituents and our own country and constituencies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: So Kellyanne, I don't disagree with any of that. I know the governor, Governor Abbott, is going to be on "Tucker Carlson" tonight at 8 p.m. He'll certainly be addressing this very directly.

I have -- the lawyer in me has come up with a creative solution. And I'd love to know your take on it. Because I believe in a sovereign nation, as well. At the same time, I do think that we should have a working immigration system, and we don't.

So this is my idea. We spend money on a lot of things in this country. What if the Trump administration spent money on federal enforcement of this, right, so that we're not so dependent? If states want to opt out of cooperating with federal law, which I do not agree with, then forget them. Let's bypass that and have federal enforcement at this so we don't have other situations like a Kate Steinle, where people are refusing to communicate with one another, and people are getting killed in the process.

CONWAY: Thanks for mentioning her name, because--

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CONWAY: -- people need a real example of what happens when you allow, in that case, a five-time deported criminal--

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CONWAY: -- illegal alien to come back to the San Francisco area and kill an innocent woman in her father's arm. So Kate Steinle, S-T-E-I-N-L-E, don't ever forget it.

On this, though, you may have a point about -- it's your point, of course, about immigration law. But just yesterday in the funding -- again, something that didn't get a lot of coverage because it was such a busy news day -- there -- there was funding for border security, for immigration, that we haven't really unpacked yet in the news that is very important and big steps towards what President Trump has said: his first duty is to keep the people of this country safe and secure.

Sanctuary cities is different, though. Basically, you're told, "Enforce the law. You have to enforce the law, and your failure to enforce the law -- if you break the law tonight, you will be punished."

TIMPF: Actually, the Tenth Amendment prohibits the federal government from enforcing states -- or excuse me, from forcing states--

CONWAY: This is a state law.

TIMPF: -- to -- from forcing states to enforce their regulatory programs. So what Trump was trying to do, in terms of telling the states that they have to -- have to do certain things with immigration is a federal issue, that's illegal. And also, he can't withhold funds in a coercive manner. That's unconstitutional, too.

CONWAY: Well, this is -- and I'm not suggesting that he would.

WILLIAMS: This is something at a state level.

CONWAY: Right, this is at a state level.

TIMPF: When you talk about the federal government having to force states to comply with a federal program, they actually can't do that, because the federalist--

CONWAY: I don't think you're saying that. But on sanctuary cities, we all know what this is.

WILLIAMS: I'm talking about the opposite of that, Kat. I'm talking about federal agents do what they do federally, and states do what they do state- wise.

CONWAY: And this is the state of Texas. They've got two sanctuary counties, as I understand it. They have 1.8 million illegal immigrants, as I read the statistics in -- in documents.

But it's also basically saying to people, whether you're a state, or in the case of President Trump and Attorney General Sessions has been saying, with respect to federal immigration law, you have to enforce the law, and if you don't, you'll be punished.

This also applies to cities and colleges, as I read this.

So it's fascinating to me that people would be resistant and be willing to pay a penalty and say, "Well, all I did was break the law." That's what you do when you break the law.

BOLLING: My take is, I think, this is -- this is the system. This is the process, and this was what the Founding Fathers wanted, where a state like Texas can go hard line and say, you know, "Our police officers, if they pull someone over, they can ask them for a green card. If they don't have it, they can -- they can bring them in."

Whereas in another state like California can go the exact opposite way and say, "You know what? We're a state of sanctuary cities, and we're going to do the exact opposite." But that's what makes America great. If you don't like it, then move to the state you prefer.

WILLIAMS: You good with that state-by-state thing?

TYRUS: Yes, I mean, I think it almost has to be. I mean, what's confusing for me is, growing up, I wasn't allowed to pick and choose the laws that me and my friends might have gotten in trouble for. Because I would've picked a few different ones. So, you know -- and for someone, like, if being an illegal immigrant is against the law and you are caught, and I was a police officer, I would turn you over, because you broke the law.

CONWAY: That's where the term "illegal" comes from, by the way.

TYRUS: Yes, it's illegal.

BOLLING: But I do think that the feds can, and there is a way that the feds can hold back some funds. Certainly the funding--

TIMPF: Not a coercive amount of funding.

BOLLING: But the funding that -- that they're normally reimbursed for holding illegals, you pull that back. I mean, no state is going to want to lose the funding.

TIMPF: Depends if the courts decide if it's coercive or not.

WILLIAMS: I think -- if it's judge Eboni, we just bypass all that and let the states do what they do and the feds do what they do.

But don't go away, because we're going to circle right back with our specialists after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TIMPF: Time for our daily segment "Circle Back." This is where we return to an insightful point made by one of our specialists earlier in the show, or Eric, Eboni, and I get the answers to any burning questions we may have for them.

Kellyanne, I'm going to go to you. Monday, we've got Sally Yates. What can we expect from that?

CONWAY: Well, she'll be under oath., telling us what she knew and when she knew it, and she -- we'll wait to hear what she has to say. But for me tonight, I'm just going to go spend the rest of my night with the four little people in my life.

BOLLING: Wait a minute. That was my question for you, Kellyanne. Don't you have to do something else before that?

CONWAY: I do. I have to join you -- are we allowed to say that?

BOLLING: Yes, absolutely.

CONWAY: I have to join you on "Hannity."

BOLLING: On "Hannity" at 10 p.m.

CONWAY: Right.

BOLLING: And I was going to say, what are you doing later on tonight? But I didn't want -- your husband's sitting right over there, George. I didn't want him to think anything funny. My wife's watching right now. Ten o'clock.

WILLIAMS: That's hysterical.

TIMPF: And then, Tyrus, we will see you later. We have "The Gutfeld" Show" together.

TYRUS: Yes.

TIMPF: I don't know if you know, me and this guy know each other.

TYRUS: This is great. Riveting questions. Thanks for the question. That was phenomenal.

WILLIAMS: I have a question for you, too.

TYRUS: She gets asked about world issues. I get asked where I'm going to be in ten minutes.

WILLIAMS: You might not like my question. But as a fellow former Nola gal, I need to know your favorite restaurant in New Orleans, because the food is so good.

TYRUS: Oh, you like to do this to me. Oh, man. Five-five-seven or Five- two-seven is a steak restaurant in New Orleans. It's phenomenal.

WILLIAMS: OK.

BOLLING: Nola?

WILLIAMS: Nola.

TYRUS: Not, Mandeville.

WILLIAMS: Oh, he's in Mandeville.

TYRUS: Across the bridge.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

BOLLING: No, I mean the restaurant. Nola?

WILLIAMS: Yes. That's a great one too. Yes. I mean, my favorite, goodness. There's Galatoire's is fantastic.

TYRUS: But again, Ms. Conway gets asked about Yates, and I get asked about food.

TIMPF: Would you like to weigh in on Yates, Tyrus?

TYRUS: Whatever. I'm just waiting to see what happens.

CONWAY: When did you ditch your last name?

BOLLING: Did you hear--

TYRUS: Where did I get my last name?

CONWAY: When did you ditch it?

WILLIAMS: When did you ditch it?

TYRUS: Where have I gotten arrested?

BOLLING: There was some breaking -- there was some breaking news that happened today. We didn't touch on it, but I think there was some news that the Obama administration was actually surveilling some other GOP candidates during -- during the 2016 election. That's pretty big news.

CONWAY: I saw that one of those candidates has asked for answers to those questions, actually.

BOLLING: That's Rand Paul.

CONWAY: Rand Paul would like to know.

BOLLING: Rand Paul wants to know what -- who was listening in and why. Americans. You would want to know.

TIMPF: Exactly. That's why Rand Paul and Libertarians are talking about surveillance all the time. They're watching, and they're listening. And they've got to stop it.

All right, thank you to our "Fox News Specialists" today, Kellyanne Conway and Tyrus.

And we thank you all for watching. And make sure to follow us on social media, @SpecialistsFNC, Twitter and Facebook. Remember, 5 p.m. will never be the same. "Special Report" is next.

Content and Programming Copyright 2017 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2017 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.