Kellyanne Conway on the spending bill, funding for the wall
Trump signed spending bill despite having his own criticisms about the legislation; senior counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway shares insight on 'Watters World.'
This is a rush transcript from "Watters World," March 24, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
JESSE WATTERS, HOST: Welcome to "Watters World." I'm Jesse Waters. Legal advice for President Trump, that is the subject of tonight's Watter's Words. I am not a lawyer and I don't even play one on TV, but I do know this, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is a dangerous man.
He is a former Vietnam vet; former FBI Director and he takes no prisoners. Mueller is a patriot and he's a man on a mission. He stacked his team with courtroom killers and including Democrat partisans, former Clinton lawyers and Obama donors.
Recall, the whole thing began with Hillary. A Hillary donor was the tipster who led the FBI to open the investigation into the Trump campaign and Hillary herself paid for a fake dossier from the Russians that started the surveillance on the Trump campaign.
Trump-hating FBI agents and James Comey dishonestly ushered it all through the FISA courts. So, Comey gets fired for being a bad actor and boom, his mentor, Bob Mueller becomes Special Counsel and is out for blood.
So, here's some advice. One, don't fire Mueller. It makes you look guilty even though we have seen no evidence you're guilty of anything. And number two, do not do this.
(VIDEOCLIP STARTS)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, would you like to testify in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe?
TRUMP: Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
(VIDEOCLIP ENDS)
WATTERS: Listen, it's a perjury trap A, and B, it sets a terrible President for the executive branch, and C, you have a big mouth that is going to get you into trouble.
Now, you're shaking up your legal team bringing in some brawlers. That's a good thing. I hope they tell you not to sit down and speak with Mueller, but if you do sit down with investigators, why don't you do it the way Hillary did. Remember the way Hillary was interviewed during her criminal investigation?
She wasn't under oath. The interview was not recorded. The lead investigator didn't show up. Have the lead investigator exonerate you before the interview. Delete, destroy and bleach evidence before the interview, and just say it was all personal.
Claim you didn't intentionally break the law, and have your spouse secretly meet with the investigator's boss on a tarmac just weeks before hand.
So, let me repeat, Mr. President. Do not speak with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but if you do, do it crooked Hillary style.
And now for out top story tonight, California out of control.
The Governor Jerry Brown has declared the entire state a sanctuary state meaning the local police will not cooperate with ICE and will release criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets.
But the mayor of Los Alamitos, California, Troy Edgar is saying "No, mas." The mayor says, "If the governor won't protect the citizens, I will."
He joins me now along with the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, Luke Bronin, Hartford is a sanctuary city and Luke is exploring running for Governor of Connecticut which is basically a sanctuary state.
All right, I am going to start with Luke. I like Hartford, I went to school there, but you cannot believe it's safer to not cooperate with federal immigration officials.
LUKE BRONIN, MAYOR, HARTFORD CONNECTICUT: Look, first of all, let's start with the fact that Donald Trump lies about what sanctuary cities are and what's happening in them.
And he lies because -- playing with people's fears and prejudices.
WATTERS: How did he lie?
BRONIN: Dividing us against -- along race lines. That's how he got elected.
WATTERS: Well, how did he lie?
BRONIN: He lies because he creates this perception that there is some crime wave that is driven by undocumented immigrants and it's just not true.
WATTERS: Well, sanctuary cities are a little more dangerous than non- sanctuary cities.
BRONIN: Actually that's not.
WATTERS: According to a study in California.
BRONIN: That's just not the case, if you look at.
WATTERS: I mean, I have the study right here.
BRONIN: Sanctuary cities across the country.
WATTERS: I have the study right here.
BRONIN: I have seen crimes decline.
WATTERS: University of Irvine.
BRONIN: Year-after-year, we are sitting in the largest sanctuary city in the country which is at historic lows right now when it comes to crime.
WATTERS: Well, I mean, your city, Hartford, I mean, crime is going up there under your tutelage by the way.
BRONIN: Violent crime as a whole has been going down.
WATTERS: Murder and rape are up.
BRONIN: We have murders that are consistent with trends for a long time, but I would love to have a conversation with you and the with President if he's watching, about what would actually make cities and communities like mine safer, but if he's not.
WATTERS: I think that's a different discussion.
(CROSSTALK)
BRONIN: . fear that the decision by sanctuary cities.
WATTERS: That's a different discussion and let me just interrupt, there is fear because of the crime. Now, let me get to you out there in California. You have taken a big stand out there against your governor. Have you noticed any pushback from the state which is very, very liberal?
TROY EDGAR, MAYOR LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA: No, you know, what at this point, our city is absolutely behind us. The whole process that we have been able to go through, you know, I feel like sometimes in my little city, we sit back and we are just looking up at Sacramento and just cannot understand what the heck they are thinking.
WATTERS: So, you guys have said we are going to cooperate with ICE and if someone is arrested, we're going to maybe run their ID and if they have a warrant out, we're going to communicate with ICE, and if ICE wants to pick them up and they have an outstanding felony or misdemeanor, you're going to cooperate.
I don't understand what's wrong with that? Can you explain to the mayor of Hartford?
EDGAR: Well, I think there are two parts of it. I don't know what's wrong with it, and I also -- you know, the mayor of Hartford, it's an honor to meet you, but you know, you and I are both US Navy veterans and we both swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States.
We took that same oath when we came to be the mayor and city council member, and you know, the sanctuary lock directly conflicts, at least within California directly conflicts with our obligation and you know, from being on the council, I don't see how you can compel yourself to actually follow law?
WATTERS: Go ahead.
BRONIN: Look, I think you are misreading the Constitution. The Constitution does not allow the federal government to commandeer local law enforcement to do their job. There's only one mayor between us that is consciously violating a law, and that's your ordinance violating California state law.
But look, the bigger is this, you said yourself, Mayor that you are not responding to any real problem. There is no crime problem driven by undocumented immigrants in your community. That's what you have said.
Your police didn't call for this and police chief chiefs all across the country have said that the approach that we take is actually the right one to create stronger sense of community.
WATTERS: Can I get in there for a second? Mayor, according to the National Sheriff's Association, they are against sanctuary cities. They want sanctuary cities defunded, so to say that police are behind you is just not true.
BRONIN: Police Chiefs Association nationally and all of the major police chiefs in the cities around the country almost all of which are sanctuary cities, take a different view, which is that making sure that.
WATTERS: That's because the sheriffs which are in charge of the county and deal with federal officials and in charge of public safety and outrank police chiefs, they are saying something completely different.
BRONIN: That's a completely different state by state, so that's not an accurate thing to say, but there is a strong -- there's a lot of law enforcement communities.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Do you nominate your own this chief?
BRONIN: I do.
WATTERS: Okay, so he probably agrees with you, right?
BRONIN: He does agree with me, but I respect his views.
WATTERS: Okay, I mean, that's why then.
BRONIN: But I respect his view and he had that view long before I became mayor.
Look, what police chiefs around the country have said is that it undermines our police if they have to become the tip of the spear for ICE immigration. It makes residents.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: How does this undermine them?
BRONIN: Because it makes residents less willing to let them know if they have been a victim of a crime. You've seen it in places like LA. Since Donald Trump became President, reporting of crimes has gone down.
WATTERS: I am going to interrupt there, because that's not true. We have sat with a sheriff on from Suffolk County out in my neck of woods in Long Island who that said that statement that you just said on the air about people not coming forward is false. Let's hear we had to say.
(VIDEOCLIP STARTS)
WATTERS: If you are an illegal alien and you call the police to snitch on an MS-13 gang member, do they deport you for snitching?
VINCENT DEMARCO, THEN-SUFFOLK COUNTY SHERIFF: No, that's a false narrative that's been going on here in the United States for years. Law enforcement, especially here in Suffolk County does not do that to victims of crime.
And we get a lot of cooperation from the immigrant community. They report crimes all the time against themselves and neighbors, and we are not a sanctuary city. We have ICE officers that work in our correctional today facilities and we communicate and share intelligence with ICE, which is something we should be doing.
(VIDEOCLIP ENDS)
WATTERS: So, Mayor, are you saying that this sheriff is not telling the truth.
BRONIN: I am telling you that here is why he is wrong. The fact that they don't deport somebody for sharing information doesn't mean people aren't less willing to share information.
WATTERS: Well, he says they are willing and he's out there in the frontlines every day.
BRONIN: But what we are seeing and what many communities around the country since Donald Trump has taken office are seeing is that immigrant communities are less willing to share information, to build relationships, and it hurts our police department's efforts to do their job.
WATTERS: Okay, Troy, let's get you in here. How would you respond to that? Do you feel the same way out there in Los Alamitos?
EDGAR: No, absolutely not. I think we should 100 percent be coordinating and contributing to help out federal agents. You know, I am sure that this mayor definitely has different types of issues, you know, there are small cities and big cities, so you know, I want to be rational and reasonable, but you know, the reality is, it goes back to the Constitution.
Who do you think should enforce all of the immigration laws and who should we be working with in the state of California? I think we need to remember who voted for us, who put us in office.
In my city, I overwhelmingly hear people that is very frustrated, the residents -- the voting residents of the city and legal immigrants. I'm getting an outpouring from legal immigrants, that just again, a lot of them that waited their turn, came in here unbelievable production within our community and they don't understand why we want to safe harbor anybody like this.
WATTERS: A lot of the victims of crimes by criminal illegal aliens happen to be Hispanic Americans or other law-abiding legal immigrants.
BRONIN: Which is why you don't want to make them more afraid to report crimes. Look, here is the basic lie that is underlying what President Trump says and what you say often on your show, there is no way that crime.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I am glad you watch, but I haven't lied at all.
BRONIN: By undocumented immigrants. It's just -- if we actually really talk about public safety, let's talk about opioid treatment. Let's talk about investing in workforce.
WATTERS: ICE did a raid.
BRONIN: And God forbid, let's talk about common sense gun laws with the President.
WATTERS: Sure, let's stay on the topic, okay.
BRONIN: Before he got frightened by the NRA and gun law.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: There was an ICE raid, a big sweep over a four-year span and I think in New England, picked up almost 400 illegal aliens. And they reoffended at a 30 percent rate. So, to say that there is not an illegal alien crime problem is just not accurate there.
BRONIN: No, what ICE is doing in the state of Connecticut and in my community right now is targeting families that have no criminal history, that are hardworking, tax paying, contributing members of our community. They are generally (inaudible).
WATTERS: Is that really what they are doing?
BRONIN: That is what they are doing.
WATTERS: They are not arresting criminal illegal aliens. They are literally going into homes and breaking up mothers and daughters? Is that really what you are saying?
BRONIN: That is exactly what I am saying and I'd be happy to spend a lot of time with you and go through case by case, because week after week, we have cases in which ICE is targeting for deportation individuals with no criminal record and individuals who have been contributing members of our community.
WATTERS: Listen, I.
BRONIN: Many times by the way, the parents of American citizens.
WATTERS: I want the bad hombres out. I am not saying it's time to break up families, but if you've got to commit the crime, you've got to do the time.
Mayor out there in Los Alamitos, I will give you the last word. Are you considered a brave guy in your neck of the woods or is this a suicide mission in California?
EDGAR: Well, I will tell you what, I'm getting kind of an outpouring, I think I am increasing my property value I think and I am bringing sanity to Southern California, hopefully across the state, and I would just ask that all the mayors and city council members across California stand up for the people voted for you and you know, back to the mayor, you know, when you said that you are hearing all this stuff with ICE, how are you hearing this if you are not cooperating with them?
BRONIN: Because they are actively deporting residents of our community. And let me be very clear, every sanctuary city that I know of including my own, cooperates when we are working to take violent criminals off the street, but we are not going to let our police force be commandeered by the federal government to target families that aren't posing any threat to anyone, and that's what's happening right now.
And that's something that President Trump has encouraged.
WATTERS: Well, they are posing a threat because I have a list of crimes committed by illegal aliens in Connecticut -- rape, child rape, assault, narcotics trafficking, so to ignore that fact, mayor I think is irresponsible, but you know what, we disagree. I think you are misguided, but you are a Patriot because I love Hartford and I love Connecticut.
Thank you very much and Mayor Edgar, nice job out there and keep fighting a good fight.
Up next, the White House will join us. Stay tuned.
(VIDEOCLIP STARTS)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to build the wall and who is going to pay for the wall?
GROUP: Mexico.
TRUMP: You better believe it.
(VIDEOCLIP ENDS)
WATTERS: But guess what, it looks like Mexico is not going to be paying for the wall and neither are we. President Trump wanted around $20 billion in border wall funding but only got $1.6 billion in the budget for just border security and when read closely, only 92 miles are of wall are allowed to be built.
And by the way, the border is 3,000 miles long and the wall can't even be made by the concrete prototypes that the President just surveyed.
Joining us now is counsel to the President, Kellyanne Conway. Kellyanne, what happened to the wall funding?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: The wall funding has begun. It's not everything the President wanted. He made very clear today.
WATTERS: Not even close.
CONWAY: Well, but Jesse, this is a town that not so long ago was mocking the very idea of a wall, and now they are giving billions of dollars' worth of funding towards it. That's a step in the right direction.
WATTERS: Yes.
CONWAY: Yes, I am sorry, it is.
WATTERS: A very small step.
CONWAY: Well, this president made it very clear that he will not sign another bill like this again. He said, "Don't bother sending me one." Nobody has to read the 2,000 pages. It's filled with stuff that the President clearly said is a waste and things that he doesn't like and doesn't want in there.
But he's not going to leave our military, our troops unfunded and underfunded the way they have been for so long.
WATTERS: And that's fantastic. He got everything he wanted on military spending, but he didn't get that much on the border. It's disappointing.
CONWAY: It's historic funding for the military. It's a historic funding for the military.
WATTERS: It's great.
CONWAY: The disappointment is shared, but everybody wants to put the perfect before the good. You have got to start somewhere, and the president made it very clear, there is a lot of these that he doesn't like. There's a great deal that he does like.
That military funding is certainly the first pay raise for our troops in a long time and they deserve it.
WATTERS: Absolutely.
CONWAY: At the same time, it's also for new equipment. The president listed out many of those. There is also $6 billion for opioid school safety project.
WATTERS: That's for the immediate resources.
CONWAY: And that was so.
WATTERS: How is the president, though, Kellyanne.
CONWAY: Can you give me some focus on the negative side of the ledger, or the positive, but he said, don't do this again, guys on this process.
WATTERS: How is he going to change the dynamic, so something like this doesn't happen again?
CONWAY: He is going to tell the next time, don't even send it or I'll veto it.
WATTERS: Are Democrats ever going to vote for border wall?
CONWAY: Well, they should. They should. Remember, they pretended that everything we cared about with respect to immigration was DACA, or the Dreamers. Where are they now?
The President came to the table. He said, I won't even just take care of the 600,000, I'll do all 1.8 million.
WATTERS: Yes, he offered them everything.
CONWAY: And the Democrats disappeared. They disappeared, they scattered like cockroaches when you throw a light on and I mean, really? Where they are they? Where are they to help these people that they pretend they are trying to help? The President has said it in the past and I agree with him that maybe, they just want this to be a political bludgeon.
They are really not trying to help him.
WATTERS: Yes, they are politicizing it. They don't want anything done on the Dreamers. We know that.
CONWAY: But the president has remained consistent. He has always said the centerpiece of his immigration policy is the wall. Why? Because we have to prevent people from coming into our country illegally and staying here and we also have to keep the poison out.
We've got so much poison coming over the Southern border and into our communities.
WATTERS: Yes, I mean, the narcotics are flowing in. How about this idea? Maybe he gets Wilbur Ross and maybe Betsy and maybe himself, they can all pony up some of their own cash to start some of the wall.
CONWAY: Oh, come on. I'd expect to hear that in a different station. I mean, that's just silly. When you talk about (inaudible).
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I know, but Kellyanne, you have to understand the disappointment after running on building the wall and then failing to get adequate funding. It's just disappointing. I am not necessarily blaming the president. I mean Congress is equally to blame. I just don't think either party really wants it that badly.
CONWAY: Well, why is it equal blame when the president executes the laws and the Congress passes that. The people in the Congress did not by and large run on building the wall and funding it. They actually all -- many of them ran against it.
So, let me repeat myself. We are going to.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I agree. I am just -- we are disappointed because we had higher expectations. That's all.
CONWAY: And now, they are trying to find it. Well, so is the president, and he made very clear today that he expects that to continue. But he said made clear something that none of you are covering respectfully, he said the construction actually starts this Monday. They will start taking even more concrete steps towards the wall this coming Monday.
WATTERS: Yes, they reinforcing some of the wall.
CONWAY: Oh, that matters.
WATTERS: They are adding some backup wall. I understand. I am going to say, I get it. I get it. I want to move on though.
CONWAY: I just want to repeat what Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in today's press announcement. Also, that was important because she said she wishes that the Congress have listened to the men and women on the front lines who are trying to secure our homeland and that they made specifically a request that had not been done. She is absolutely right, we have to listen to the people, the brave men and women who are telling us we need more reinforcements and more resources.
WATTERS: All right let's move on to John Bolton who the President has now nominated for National Security Adviser. That did not go over well with some of the doves on the left in the mainstream media. Here is a sampling of their reaction.
(VIDEOCLIP STARTS)
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: This may be the worst thing he has done. He said to them, no more stupid wars. Now, he brings in the godfather of stupid wars, John Bolton.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that the risks of a war -- of a shooting war with Iran and North Korea are substantially greater than they were this morning. I think it dramatically it increases the risks that a lot of Americans and Koreans, perhaps Japanese end up dead.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: John Bolton, he is the hammer and everything is a nail.
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: He's throwing all the toys that Iran made. I am getting rid of everything.
(VIDEOCLIP ENDS)
WATTERS: I mean, Matthews sounds like the child. I mean, come on, Kellyanne, John Bolton is a great diplomat who has had decades of experience in international relations.
CONWAY: Ambassador Bolton has a very considerable and very impressive list of accomplishments and resume to boot. As with Larry Kudlow who is also coming in. These men who have storied careers and who don't need another chapter in public service in Washington, DC at this time with these intense workhours we have, but wants to serve this President -- and want to serve this country.
And I have to point out two things from the hyperbolic, hyperventilation that you showed that's really a rich irony. I won't laugh o that one Jesse, number one, what did the media do last August when the President said the fire and fury, the likes no one has ever seen when it came to North Korea?
WATTERS: I know, panic attack.
CONWAY: The media went crazy and had a panic attack. And now he's saying, I'm bringing them to the table under conditions of my making and they are attacking him for that. So, it just shows you.
WATTERS: Isnt that unbelievable, it's no matter what he does, they are going to react the opposite way. I mean, he could denuclearize the North Korean peninsula and they would say, "Oh, my gosh, now we are going to war against China." He never gets a break.
CONWAY: And it's funny you mentioned, nuclearization because my next point was going to be about Iran. That person I can't see who it is because I am looking it my camera, mercifully for him, the person who is saying, "Oh, you know, it increases the number of the Iranians and North Koreans and Americans who will die."
Does that person support what President Trump and Ambassador Bolton do not? Which is this Iranian deal that President Obama and his team put together that's Americans find very offensive? That you and others have covered quite truthfully.
WATTERS: I mean, they are giving -- Obama is giving them billions of dollars of cash and they are not scared about that. I think it doesn't add up.
CONWAY: And we don't want a nuclear capable Iran who of course is pointing that right at Israel and its sites. So, you just -- do you see the hypocrisy and I don't believe the President is making his personal decisions based on what the reaction is going to be from his detractors and the mainstream media, yet, I repeat myself, he's making it based on folks who are going to support his agenda.
And I do want to say that General H.R. McMaster is retiring after 34 years in the Army and that deserves a great deal of respect. He was here when the President came up with his Afghani policy, when the America First national security strategy went forward and as the President pointed out yesterday, General McMaster has been here at the White House as the NSA director when a lot of big things happened around the world including getting North Korea to the table, trying to stabilize parts in the Middle East and putting ISIS in retreat, if not on full on defeat with their...
WATTERS: I mean, he said, go ahead and run, at that spot over the NSA and you know, we owe our great gratitude and thanks for his service.
CONWAY: NSA excuse me.
WATTER: I want to ask you about James Comey. Because Mr. Comey is now going on a publicity tour for the book and this is just some tweet that he ripped off the other day, he said, "All should appreciate the FBI speaking up. I wish more our leaders would, but take heart. American history shows that in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy."
So, he's going to be taking this message to MSNBC, and Stephen Colbert, and "The View". I'm sure Joy Behar is really going to be ask him the tough questions about fixing the Clinton investigation and the FISA abuse.
CONWAY: I am sure now, and never under oath. Remember people on TV and doing their book tours are never under oath, but we see what has happened in past when certain people have been under oath and they have had a very difficult time getting the story straight and sometimes telling the truth, but you know, that tweet that you read in full, is another reason why we shouldn't have 280 characters.
I have no -- a lot about nothing, but he'll have his say, but so will the president. The president and others will respond. And let me make very clear.
WATTERS: Really quickly.
CONWAY: That there are 25,000 men and women who work at the FBI in the rank and file. We respect them and their service enormously.
WATTERS: Yes, we do.
CONWAY: When the president talks about FBI and talk about a couple of bad apples who should not have been in charge of an investigation or should not have continued to be in charge of an investigation, if they had some of these true conflicts, and so.
WATTERS: You've got a lot of difference between the brass and the boots.
CONWAY: And so, I don't know if that will be addressing the book, but a sanctimony I know is never in short supply in Washington, DC. We will see how it goes, but you are right, there will be a love affair and lovefest by those who buy into a certain philosophy, but anyway, we'll see what happens.
WATTERS: All right, thank you so much. Kellyanne.
CONWAY: Take care.
WATTERS: Always nice having you on.
CONWAY: My pleasure.
WATTERS: Coming up, the pot pastor from the International Church of Cannabis.
RICK LEVENTHAL, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Live from "America's News Headquarters, " I'm Rick Leventhal. Hundreds of thousands of people gathering across the nation today demanding stricter gun control laws. The march For Our Lives organized by survivors of the Parkland School shooting massacre had some half a million people rallying in the nation's capital as sister marches filled streets coast to coast.
One of the goals of the student-led protest is to put pro-gun politicians on notice and push young people to vote them out in the upcoming fall midterm elections.
Kevin Esterly is back in Pennsylvania to face charges. The 45-year-old man was caught in Mexico after running away with Amy Yu, a 16-year-old high school student.
Federal agents and Mexican federal police found the two near Cancun after nearly two weeks on the run. The married father of four faces a felony charge of interference with the custody of a child.
I am Rick Leventhal, now back to "Watters World."
(VIDEOCLIP STARTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hijo de la chinga.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that a joint in that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like I said, it's like a quarter pounder, man.
(VIDEOCLIP ENDS)
WATTERS: As you know, marijuana is legal in Denver, Colorado. You may remember, we had on a man who founded a cannabis church in the mile-high city.
The police raided his church. The pot pastor is claiming religious persecution now and a Denver judge just declared a mistrial.
Joining me now to clear things up, pot pastor himself from the International Church of Cannabis, Steve Berke. All right, Steve, you look like a deity with the church in the background.
STEVE BERKE, FOUNDER, INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF CANNABIS: This is our church. I am sitting in the chapel.
WATTERS: Are you high right now?
BERKE: I am not right now, but I plan to later.
WATTERS: I don't even believe that. So, fill me in on the legal battle? You have a pot church. You believe in cannabis as a god and the Denver police are cracking down?
BERKE: So, first thing I need to correct you on is we don't believe cannabis is god. We believe that cannabis is a sacrament that helps one elevate themselves to a better version of the self. That's why we call it elevationism and we don't claim that we created this new religion. People have been using cannabis as a spiritual sacrament dating back to ancient China several thousand years ago.
So, cannabis for spiritual and religious purposes is actually older than the United States of America.
WATTERS: So, are you a Rastafarian? Is that accurate?
BERKE: I'm an elevationist. And the reason why we are sitting here talking today is because the city of Denver had two undercover cops infiltrate a private spiritual celebration on 4/20 of last year. We had about 300 invited guests and two out of 11 attempting undercover cops, two were able to sneak or lie or manipulate their way in and the city of Denver is now claiming that because these two cops out of 300 invited guests were able to get into a private ceremony, (inaudible) to the public and anybody could just walk in.
WATTERS: You guys were so baked you didn't even see the cops slip in there.
BERKE: No, we were having our celebration. We had security at the front. A couple of -- these are trained operatives and they enabled their way in. I asked you the question, Jesse, if you have a private wedding and you have 300 guests and two people sneak in to your wedding. Does that make your wedding open to the public? Does that make those two people wedding crashers?
WATTERS: Ys, I know, they are cannabis crashers. So, they declared this a mistrial and now, you are in legal limbo. Are you still having elevationist ceremonies at the church?
BERKE: Yes, we have nothing to hide here. We celebrate every single Friday evening, we have our church services just like any other church. We have a different guest speaker and a different band to play.
WATTERS: Can I just interrupt for a second. What does a cannabis church service look like?
BERKE: So, at our church, we have a different speaker and a different musical guest every week. We have had anywhere from tech CEOs to scientists, researchers, music professors.
WATTERS: Who is the musical guest, Snoop?
BERKE: Well, Snoop is more than welcome to come here if he would like to be a musical guest at our church and we would welcome him first. But you know, this is no laughing matter, Jesse.
The city of Denver is prosecuting us and not any of their own properties where they allow people to smoke openly and publicly, like Red Rocks Amphitheater, like Capitol Hill on 4/20 every year. It seems that they have a problem with our religion and that's a problem for the city of Denver because we may end up going after them in a civil lawsuit.
WATTERS: All right, well, we're going to be following the story and good luck with everything out there in your legal battle and enjoy the rest of the weekend, Steve. Thank you very much.
BERKE: Thanks for having me, Jesse.
WATTERS: Up next, Roseanne Barr is back.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deploy just by lifting up, but they stay in place. They are locked into place and there's a little button on the side, you just push, bring it down.
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WATTERS: You won't be able to see that anymore on YouTube. The social media site is banning firearm instructional videos. This on the heels of famous conservatives being banned on Twitter and Facebook allegedly varying conservative news feeds.
Former Pussycat Doll singer, Kaya Jones is a supporter of guns rights and a Native American Ambassador with the National Diversity Coalition for Trump. She joins me now.
So, Kaya, hello. Welcome to "Watters World."
KAYA JONES, NATIVE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Thank you, it's your world.
WATTERS: It is. You've been watching. So, it's my opinion that these social media platforms are slowly but surely targeting conservatives in a stealth mode, do you fear that? And I feel like it could get worse.
JONES: Oh, it's going to get worse. I mean, it's not getting better. They keep enforcing more and more and more censorship. And so, that's our First Amendment -- it is freedom of speech. The second protects all of the amendments.
So, if you are attacking our Second Amendment, I mean, divide and conquer. You take away anyone's right to fight back, and so the moment that we can't fight back, it's over.
WATTERS: Right, so the mainstream media pushes out conservative voices on television and on the papers, and then you see the entertainment industry pushing conservatives out and if it happens on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, just least the Instagram alone. You know, don't touch the Instagram. It is funny though that you can still see bomb-making videos on YouTube, but no more gun making video.
JONES: Yes, or terrorists or training of children into the terrorist regime.
WATTERS: ISIS videos are okay on YouTube.
JONES: Right, that's okay.
WATTERS: But law-abiding Second Amendment supporters can't show you have a lock and load.
JONES: Well, because at the end of the day, that's what they want. They want to take this country over and force its hand into the world order. That's what it's all about.
WATTERS: All right, you think it's that dire?
JONES: I do. I do think it's that dire, and so I am going to keep talking about it because as long as I keep talking about it, we keep pushing the narrative of the truth, we need to seek the truth. We need to fight for our amendments and our rights as American citizens, then that's it. I mean, I'm never going to stop.
WATTERS: All right, so on the topic of the Second Amendment, there is a guy named David Hogg who as many of you guys have seen, is probably the leading face and voice of the Parkland shooting student revolt.
This is what he said the other day. Let's hear what he had to say.
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DAVID MILES HOGG, AMERICAN WHO SURVIVED THE MASSACRE OF THE STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING: You are pathetic (inaudible) that want to keep killing our children. It just makes me think what's (inaudible) out there that want to continue to sell more guns, murder more children and so just get reelected. What type of person are you when you wants to see more (inaudible) than children's lives? What type of (inaudible) person does that?
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WATTERS: So, this student has gone from a really balanced articulate young man when we heard him speaking right after the shooting, and now he's just dropping bombs. What kind of changed in your opinion with him?
JONES: I think he's pushing a very hard narrative. It's all politically driven. I mean, his parents, we know what his parents are involved in. They have exposed that, so I mean.
WATTERS: What are his parents involved in?
JONES: I believe his mother is involved with stuff with CNN and his dad used to work for the FBI, if I am correct, so as far as I am concerned, this is a very hard narrative by this child.
I was at the shooting at Route '91 and I wanted to gun up and not gun down. So, as far as I am concerned, as someone who went through this horrible tragedy, which he has gone through, to push this narrative of taking away guns. Less guns do not equate less madmen, okay.
So, at the end of the day, if someone wants to kill you with a gun, they are going to kill you with a gun. Now, do you want to fight back or do you want to sit and run into a corner and go, "Okay, well, I don't know what to do." They are going to kill you, they are going to kill you. Are you going to fight back? Or are you just going to turn into -- I don't know.
WATTERS: You can say it. Maybe you can get away with that because you used to work for the Pussycat Dolls.
JONES: Well, yes, you know, pink-haired pussycat. Don't need a pussy hat.
WATTERS: All right, you have a lot to apologize for. Let's go to Roseanne Barr. She has got a new show out and she did an interview with Jimmy Kimmel and this was just delicious. Watch this.
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JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": How about Captain Whacko we've got running the country here. I mean, the foreign policy. I am struck there because I know you are a very liberal, socially liberal person in general. I mean.
ROSEANNE BARR, AMERICAN ACTRESS: I am still the same. You all move. You all went so far (inaudible) out, you lost everyone.
I mean, seriously.
KIMMEL: You're probably right by the way.
BARR: A lot of your audience and including me, I just want to say this, Jimmy, a lot of us, you know, no matter who we voted for, we don't want to see our president fail.
KIMMEL: Right.
BARR: You know?
KIMMEL: Right. I know, and yet we have seen it (inaudible) over and over again.
BARR: Because you want Pence for the freaking president.
KIMMEL: Oh no, no, I won't do him either.
BARR: Well, then sip that (inaudible).
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WATTERS: Okay, what has happened in this country where Roseanne is the voice of reason?
JONES: It's a scary thing, but she made some really, really good points. I mean, it's true. She is focused on don't you want to support our president? I mean, what's the alternative? He's our president. You have to support him and get behind his initiative.
He is trying and doing his best. And I mean, the constant forcing down our throats the narrative of things that are not true, that the other side is actually guilty for. It's very textbook psych 101, which is you know, if you are guilty, you are going to say, "Oh no, you are, you are." You are guilty, right?" So, that's what they are doing is -- oh, he's guilty with this, and he's guilty with that, and these are all things that are proven on their side, so.
WATTERS: All right.
JONES: Yes.
WATTERS: Kaya Jones, everybody.
JONES: Thanks, Jesse.
WATTERS: Thank you very much.
Up next, Diamond and Silk on crazy Joe Biden threatening to knock Trump out. Stay tuned.
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JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When a guy who ended up becoming our national leader said, "I can grab a woman anywhere and she likes it," and then said, "I didn't make a mistake but, but they asked me would I like to debate this gentleman?" And I said, "No." I said, "If we were in high school, I'd take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him."
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WATTERS: Joe Biden itching to get back in the ring literally and figuratively. President Trump hitting back on Twitter, "Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak both mentally and physically, and yet, he threatens me for the second time with physical assault. He doesn't know me, but he would go down fast and hard. crying all the way. Don't threaten people, Joe."
Here to react, video bloggers Diamond and Silk. Ladies, Joe Biden think he is Joe Frazier. Do you think he has a shot?
DIAMOND, VIDEO BLOGGER: Oh, absolutely not.
SILK, VIDEO BLOGGER: No.
DIAMOND: Absolutely not. The president was right. You know, it's time for the American people to start looking at Joe Biden. You know, he's acting like a deranged schoolyard bully. You know, bullying the President, communicating threats towards a sitting president. And we heard that he doing this here because he is thinking about running for president.
Perhaps, you need to run for that border if you don't know how to respect a sitting President.
SILK: That's right.
DIAMOND: And see, the people, that balding Democrat, you need to look at this person that represents the Democratic Party. We are tired of them trying to manipulate, intimidate in order to dominate. Its's time for people to walk off the Democratic Party because these people are people -- are the people that bully. They like to bully people.
SILK: That's right.
DIAMOND: And call people out of their names and talk about threatening people and fighting people for no reason at all.
SILK: And I think Joe is a little upset because he didn't have the guts to run against President Trump.
WATTERS: Oh.
DIAMOND: He would not beat that.
SILK: Oh most definitely.
WATTERS: I think if Joe did run for the border, he could probably get right back in because the border is so not secure. Let's show a picture of Joe the last time he got a little fresh. Remember, he sat on some biker chick's lap. Did you ever see the side eye that the man gave?
Let's see if we can show that on the screen.
DIAMOND: Wow, interesting.
WATTERS: All right, so let's go to the late-night hosts. A lot of hate coming out of their mouths against the President and his family. Let's take a listen.
Vis1
KIMMEL: Melania Trump holding a summit to stop cyberbullying is like Camille Cosby calling a meeting with Benadryl. It's making people woozy.
SAMANTHA BEE, HOST, "FULL FRONTAL": Thanks to your force field of blanched pretty whiteness, you will probably escape this nightmare presidency unscathed. You will disappear into the nice wealthy anonymity in a nice town somewhere and someday, you will go to the gates of the nice white protestant heaven where Saint Peter will laugh in your face and say, "You think you're getting in here? You helped burn down democracy (inaudible) downstairs."
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WATTERS: Now, the late-night comedians, and I will put that in quotes, they can go after Trump. I don't have a problem with that, but they don't go after anybody on the left. I mean, have you seen Bernie Sanders? That is a huge target.
DIAMOND: No, they don't go after anybody on the left. Listen, I look at these people, they represent Hollywood. And who they need to talk about is Hollywood. Talk about all of the inequality that goes on in Hollywood, the abuse that goes on in Hollywood. Don't talk about this White House when their house is not in order. That's what they should be talking about. Their own selves. Not this president, not people in his Cabinet or that was in his Cabinet. They shouldn't be talking about that at all.
SILK: And not to mention, they are not even funny.
WATTERS: That's a good point, Silk. Let's listen to another Hollywood type, Jim Carrey. I want to show you a painting that he painted, I guess it's a portrait of Sarah Huckabee Sanders. He says, "This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked, monstrous." I mean, what happened to dumb and dumber, ladies?
DIAMOND: Well, you know what? Jim Carrey is probably trying to revamp his career, but where is the #metoo movement and the #timeisup movement to call him out about how he is abusing and just -- you know, just being really derogatory against another woman.
But you don't hear them talking about that. Or maybe Jim Carrey, what he should do is get him some crayons and paint himself and revamp his career as an artist or something like that. because he's not doing good as an actor.
SILK: That's right, he's going down in flames.
WATTERS: Maybe Joe Biden should step in and knock him out for mistreating women like that. If you guys want to see the Diamond and Silk chit-chat tour, then go to diamondandsilk.com -- is that correct to get your tickets?
DIAMOND: Absolutely. We are going to be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Go to diamondandsilk.com to get your chit-chat tour tickets.
WATTERS: All right, ladies. I'll see you next week.
DIAMOND: Thank you. Thank you for having us.
SILK: All right, thank you for having us.
WATTERS: Up next, Last Call.
Time now for Last Call. President Trump speaking at an event on Thursday geared toward millennials had some rather surprising wisdom for his younger self.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What advice would you give to the 25-year-old Donald Trump knowing what you know today?
TRUMP: Don't run for President.
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WATTERS: Now, if I gave myself advice at 25, I would be here for hours. That's all for us tonight. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. "Justice with Judge Jeanine" is up next. And remember I'm Watters and this is my world.
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