DNC announces lineup for first Democratic debate
Twenty Democratic presidential candidates are set to take the stage with the debate split between two nights; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'
This is a rush transcript from "The Five," June 14, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
JESSE WATTERS, HOST: Hello, everybody. I'm Jesse Watters along with Kennedy, Juan, Dana, and Tom. It's 5 o'clock in New York City. And this is “The Five.”
President Trump raging against Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she accused his administration of engaging in a, quote, "criminal cover-up."
Pelosi's attack coming in response to Trump saying he would be open to hearing dirt on his 2020 opponent from a foreign government. The president clarifying those comments earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: If I was -- and of course, you have to look at it because if you don't look at it, you're not going to know if it's bad. Of course, you give it to the FBI or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that.
But, of course, you do that. You couldn't have that happen with our country. If I thought anything was incorrect or badly stated, I would report it to the attorney general, the FBI. I would report it to law enforcement, absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Trump coming out swinging against Pelosi's absurd accusation and pointing the finger back at the speaker and her own party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is probably the worst or certainly one of the worst political scandals in the history of our country. They spied on the opposing party's campaign using the intelligence apparatus of the United States. It's a fascist statement. It's a disgraceful statement. I call her nervous Nancy. She is a nervous wreck.
If you look at what happened, Hillary Clinton, with the money that ultimately went to Russia for the fake dossier, that total fake pile of stuff, the amount of money that was paid and paid by Hillary Clinton and the DNC and it went to Russia, that's the criminal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: He also blasted the ongoing congressional investigations into the Mueller report calling them unfair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Isn't it amazing that constantly every day somebody gets a letter, come into Congress, come into Congress. Because you know, it's like death through 1,000 wounds. And I will tell you, it's so unfair what they are doing. And I really think that people are wise to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Seems like we always come back, Dana, to Trump and nervous Nancy Pelosi.
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: They are going to, it's a show down right to the finish.
WATTERS: A showdown again on a Friday. A criminal cover-up now, I guess, is the latest threat.
PERINO: You heard it say of the Democrats. You know, you are going to have to put up some proof soon if you are going to keep doing this because they've already done the Mueller report. I don't see how -- I don't see how they come up with something else that is going to change people's minds. I just, I don't.
I'd be willing to look at it, like foreign intelligence. I'll look at it.
WATTERS: Right.
PERINO: Maybe I will have to report it to the FBI. But honestly, when you have people who will whisper in your ear like, there really is something and then there is never something.
Again, it does get very tiring. It's like, I understand why he is frustrated about it. The difficult thing is he feels like he has to continue to be on offense because he doesn't want to be on defense about it. But that means that is to the exclusion of everything else.
WATTERS: Right.
PERINO: You can't talk about the economy. You can't run on the economy if the Democrats have figured out, they can make him talk about this every single day and make this the story, maybe they think that helps them. But it doesn't help me.
WATTERS: Yes. Because he had an excellent --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: It doesn't help me.
WATTERS: -- event the other day with Kim Kardashian and Sarah Sanders.
PERINO: Why are you laughing? It's a great cause.
WATTERS: I mean, Juan, if she was there --
JUAN WILLIAMS, CO-HOST: He kept running a reality show.
WATTERS: If she was there at the Obama White House, we would be reading story --
(CROSSTALK)
KENNEDY MONTGOMERY, FOX BUSINESS HOST: Are you out of your mind?
WATTERS: -- after story about how an amazing event this was.
WILLIAMS: No, I would --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: It was buried today.
WILLIAMS: You know what I would do? I you would tune in on the weekend to Watters World.
WATTERS: Yes.
WILLIAMS: And he would mock Obama for having another reality show being so superficial. Am I doing it, Jesse?
WATTERS: It's not that bad, Juan.
WILLIAMS: OK. Thank you, brother. Thank you, thank you.
WATTERS: All right. So, you know, we are back to where we were yesterday.
WILLIAMS: No, we are not.
WATTERS: A hypothetical scandal.
WILLIAMS: No, we're not. No, we're not.
WATTERS: What's new?
WILLIAMS: Yesterday, I said to you --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: What's that?
WILLIAMS: -- this guy just did something that was basically sounding to the American people, you know what, it doesn't matter if I cheat to get reelected, I'm going to do something illegal. You said, no, that's not true.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: That's not what he said.
WILLIAMS: That's not true.
WATTERS: That's not what he said.
WILLIAMS: And then today, he backpedaled. Now I'm thinking to myself, if he acknowledged that he said something that was wrong and he says to the American people, you know, of course, I would tell the FBI, of course, I wouldn't take dirt on my opponent from. I'm thinking, Jesse must think, yes, I guess Juan was right.
WILLIAMS: I never think that. Because that's never happened. I think he said the other day; I'd listen and maybe I'd give it to the FBI.
WILLIAMS: Look, what you said --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: But you still have not been able to answer the fact that Hillary paid for the foreign dossier.
WILLIAMS: Here we go.
WATTERS: Trump never paid for anything, never got anything.
WILLIAMS: This is so ridiculous.
WATTERS: Hillary got it and paid for it.
WILLIAMS: You know why I like sitting next to you.
WATTERS: Why?
WILLIAMS: Because what aboutism is so obvious to the audience.
WATTERS: It's called context, Juan.
WILLIAMS: You don't want to talk about --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: It's called context.
WILLIAMS: You don't want to talk about what's going on here.
WATTERS: I have to do that because you don't acknowledge the other side. Kennedy.
MONTGOMERY: I will acknowledge both sides.
WATTERS: Please.
MONTGOMERY: I think it was a really foolish thing that the president said.
WATTERS: yes.
MONTGOMERY: And I don't think anyone to go out of their way to try and justify his remarks to George Stephanopoulos. I think he did enough damage to himself in this realm. And he needs to absolutely drop it.
And what he said today, he should have said in that interview. But also, it's not what aboutism. You know, your issue is with the means and not the end. And it should be with the end.
So, if the ultimate problem that we have is Russian operatives are trying to infiltrate campaigns in order to affect the outcome of elections, we should have a problem with that.
But now, people like Andy McCabe, he is just worried about the means. Because he doesn't have a problem with intelligence laundering, which I think is incredibly problematic, because it went through a law firm and the DNC --
(CROSSTALK)
TOM SHILLUE, HOST: Yes, amazing. Amazing quote.
MONTGOMERY: And then a British operative. Like, that's OK, even though they paid millions of dollars to the same compromised people who were doing the exact same thing. You know, the only difference is, they got enriched in the process.
PERINO: Right.
MONTGOMERY: Those are the same people that Robert Mueller had an issue with. And the other thing about Nancy Pelosi --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Let me respond to that.
MONTGOMERY: Well, no, I want to get to Nancy Pelosi.
WILLIAMS: Go ahead, go ahead.
MONTGOMERY: So, you got to keep a little lift.
WILLIAMS: All right.
MONTGOMERY: The other thing about Nancy Pelosi is with Robert Mueller, she is basically saying that he did a horrible job. And if this is a criminal cover-up and what the president said rises to level of impeachment, that's basically saying that Robert Mueller isn't competent.
WILLIAMS: No. Both sides in fact. Didn't Bill Barr say he expected that Robert Mueller would come to a conclusion especially in obstruction and he is disappointed that he didn't. He is saying the same thing that Pelosi said.
MONTGOMERY: No. He could have used much more forceful language.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: All right. One of the funniest things about the interview, nervous Nancy, she is a nervous wreck. He is going to stick with this name and he is going to beat that drum for the rest of the term.
SHILLUE: Yes. He likes nervous Nancy. Although, I mean, she is not running against him. The important nicknames are the ones he is going to be running against, I think. But I agree that quote by McCabe is amazing.
And this is why it's good that Trump is doing his own fighting. He gets out in these talk shows and he keeps saying this is the biggest criminal conspiracy ever against my presidency. And it was this, what a crazy person. It's conspiracy theories.
Andrew McCabe, what he said was something a right-wing talk show host would say. He said, for a campaign to hire a law firm, an American law firm it turns out it hires another American research company who contracts out with a foreign individual, this is Andy McCabe, and he says that's not illegal. That's fine. That's just swamp at work.
It's unbelievable. They're all admitting to what happened. But they are saying, no, no, that's the way we do it in Washington.
WATTERS: I can't believe the media can talk about this pseudo scandal with the hypothetical thing that Trump said or he did say or he would say or he wouldn't do. And you literally had Hillary Clinton moving nine million to the DNC, to the law firm, to the foreign national from the U.K., who gets all of the dirt from --
WILLIAMS: OK. Let me --
WATTERS: -- Russian political operatives --
WILLIAMS: This is so --
WATTERS: Russian intelligence officials and Russian government officials.
WILLIAMS: Excuse me, can I --
WATTERS: So that is literally paying for foreign dirt.
WILLIAMS: It's not right.
WATTERS: And the media is not even talking about that.
WILLIAMS: I wonder why, maybe --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Why, Juan?
WILLIAMS: -- your fevered dream has --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Why do you think they're not?
WILLIAMS: Because you're having a fevered dream. And let me just tell you guys --
WATTERS: Well, wake me up. What's that, what's the key point?
WILLIAMS: Even with the Steele dossier that you guys are fixating on, guess what he did? He reported it to the FBI.
WATTERS: Who did?
WILLIAMS: Steele.
WATTERS: No, no. He did this, Juan. He took it and he gave it to Bruce Ohr --
WILLIAMS: No. My God.
WATTERS: -- at the State Department.
WILLIAMS: What is the --
WATTERS: And what did he do with it? What did he do with it?
WILLIAMS: Yes.
WATTERS: Because Bruce Ohr's wife worked for Fusion GPS.
WILLIAMS: OK. So, in other words --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: So, what they did they (Inaudible) through the administration.
WILLIAMS: He gave it to the government, Jesse.
WATTERS: Was he giving it to the government for what reason, Juan?
WILLIAMS: All right. Yes. Because he said --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Because he wanted to wiretap the president.
WILLIAMS: No. Because he said it's alarming that elections --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: It's alarming.
WILLIAMS: -- maybe able --
WATTERS: He paid Russians to tell him lies about Trump.
WILLIAMS: No, no, no.
WATTERS: And then he gave it to the government and said, hey, guys, Trump did some nasty stuff in a hotel. You might want to look into that? And even the government said this doesn't seem right.
WILLIAMS: Let's keep your sex life out of this.
(CROSSTALK)
MONTHGOMERY: But Juan, why don't we --
WILLIAMS: I am saying to you --
PERINO: Boy, we're safe.
WILLIAMS: -- that what we got here is the president of the United States saying he would take dirt from a foreign power. You guys are saying, Hillary did the same thing. Of course not. We've got opposition research in American history.
(CROSSTALK)
MONTGOMERY: Well, I mean, --
WATTERS: Not only did she take it, she paid for it.
MONTGOMERY: Yes. And doesn't it make the president so --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Yes, so did a conservative newspaper that first page Fusion GPS.
MONTGOMERY: I mean, doesn't it goes to show that the president is a little bit more frugal? And Hillary Clinton has to wait from --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: That's right. A dirt is expensive, especially the foreign stuff.
MONTGOMERY: Yes.
WATTERS: All right. Are we good?
MONTGOMERY: We need a chalk board.
WATTERS: All right. The first 2020 Democrat debate stage is officially set. So, who does Trump want to face off against? Hear from him next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: The race is on. The first presidential debate stage has officially been set. So, 20 Democratic candidates are not set to take the stage with the debates split between two nights, June 26th and June 27th.
The dual nights are needed to accommodate this large field. And the president not holding back on what he thinks of his potential competitors slamming Joe Biden and other 2020 hopefuls. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Everybody knows that Joe Biden does not have what it takes. OK. He doesn't have what it takes. He ran two or three times. I used to call him 1 percent Joe, because he never got more than 1 percent.
Then Obama came along and surprisingly took him off of, I say, the trash heap. And ran. But everybody knows Joe is -- doesn't have it. Now I see that Pocahontas is doing better. I would love to run against her, frankly.
I see that Bernie Sanders is not doing well at all. I would have frankly liked to have run against -- I think it's probably those three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
TRUMP: Mayor Pete, I don't see at all. I think that's a joke. Mayor Pete.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: Anyway, I've heard it before. But now the Daily Beast is looking ahead to a possible defeat for the president and asking the question, what if Trump won't leave the White House? Si that, are they throwing in the towel, Kennedy, already?
MONTGOMERY: He might never leave. And squatter's rights. That's the problem. The law is on his side. What if he doesn't leave? What if he is reelected? Then what?
PERINO: Then what, boy.
MONTGOMERY: You got a double impeachment if he has a second term. I don't understand this. You know, you talk about what aboutism. And my issue is what if-isms. Because you know, what if -- and sometimes these things never materialize. And you waste so much time and energy and emotional and mental resources --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Never answer a hypothetical.
MONTGOMERY: -- on this garbage.
WATTERS: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: And maybe the president should have learned that from his --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: It is always good advice. What do you think about these two debate nights that are coming up for the Democrats? They were chosen at random. Elizabeth Warren, basically, kind of has this first night and a bunch of others. And then you have the second night with Kamala Harris and Biden and Bernie all on the same stage.
WATTERS: Well, it looks like they stacked it. And I'm happy with it because that's the top tier --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: I don't think they stack. They say they didn't stack. They said it was random and campaign representatives were there.
WATTERS: OK. I still believe it was stacked. But I think listen, Liz Warren, it could go either way. She could either feel like she is left out and everyone is going to be punching up and attacking her constantly or she could shine and she could really come out in the media all says, Liz Warren, you know, obviously, cleaned up --
PERINO: Yes.
WATTERS: -- in that first debate. She is a top-tier candidate. But that other debate, that's a hot debate. I don't know how they are going to put them next to each other.
But I mean, it's going to get ugly. There's not a lot of lower tier candidates for them to attack. Do you all go after Biden or do you go after Bernie, since Bernie is kind of that liberal socialist who has the inside track?
PERINO: This is the other thing. They have one minute to answer and 30 seconds to follow up. That's not --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Politicians can't do that.
PERINO: That's not enough time.
SHILLUE: No, no. And it's a -- you don't learn anything from this except who, you know, landed a punch or whatever it happens to be. I feel bad for the four. There's only four that didn't make it, right.
PERINO: Yes.
SHILLUE: Those are the really sad ones. Give the -- what they should do --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: But they have a chance to make it to the second one.
SHILLUE: Well, first of all, they should do like a booze cruise or something that night.
PERINO: Yes, absolutely.
SHILLUE: And you know, something with --
(CROSSTALK)
MONTGOMERY: Or MST3000.
PERINO: Or have a rally in Wisconsin.
SHILLUE: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: You could have them all watching it have a live look at the four --
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: Absolutely. They've got to do something. The four of them team up.
MONTGOMERY: That's great.
SHILLUE: And they could be, you know, like it come back with it.
PERINO: Juan --
SHILLUE: Because they were unfairly knocked out because everyone and his brother is doing the debate.
PERINO: Well, they would say it's not unfair that they have known what the rules were since last January. I think the DNC said these are -- these are the metrics that you are going to have to hit in order to make these debates.
WILLIAMS: Just to be clear, it's 1 percent in three polls or 65,000 unique donors.
SHILLUE: After one, though. Like, let them have one debate and maybe they would.
WILLIAMS: Yes. You guys --
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: And maybe some of these other big shots you get knocked down.
WILLIAMS: You can still run. It's just that you didn't make the debate stage because they set a clear criteria as Dana was saying.
And let me get back to the president and his comments on Fox & Friends. clearly, Joe Biden is living rent-free in his head.
MONTGOMERY: Squatter's right.
WILLIAMS: Because all he wants to do is talk about Joe Biden.
(CROSSTALK)
MONTGOMERY: He can't kick him out.
WILLIAMS: To talk about Joe Biden to know. And I just think, you know, he knows like a poker player who can't hide his tail. He knows from his own pollster that Biden is beating him all over the place. So, he keeps talking about Biden.
But I will say this. In terms of the debate, I can imagine Elizabeth Warren, I think Elizabeth Warren will have like Amy Klobuchar on one side and I don't know who else on the other. She is going to be the star of the first debate.
WATTERS: Yes.
WILLIAMS: In the second debate, you got four, I think four of THE FIVE Democrats who are polling more than 7 percent. It is going to be a real showdown.
PERINO: But is it a risk for Elizabeth Warren, one, not to be in that other debate because, she's -- well, I guess they could say, she will do really well. And then in a way, I guess it pushes you to watch the July debate, which is about a month later, because, presumably, in that mix-up, she will be on the stage with a Biden or a Bernie.
WILLIAMS: Well, I think what you get, Dana, is a situation where everybody is focused on Elizabeth Warren. Remember she is going to be in the middle of the stage, the person with the highest percentage they get the middle of the stage. So, Biden is on the second night, the middle stage first night is Elizabeth Warren.
MONTGOMERY: I think yes. To your point, I think they go after Biden. You know, and you --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Everyone is going to go after him.
MONTGOMERY: Everyone is going to go Biden. They are not going to go after Bernie yet because they don't want to tear down socialists because they all want to run on that.
WATTERS: Right.
MONTGOMERY: So, they are waiting for Bernie to make his own missteps so they can swoop in and take the progressive mojo. But I don't think anyone losses by attacking Biden and I think he is in for it.
WATTERS: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: And I don't know --
SHILLUE: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: And I don't know that Warren gets attacked. But it is nice you will get to see some of the more random candidates, whether or not they are good debaters.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Well, you only get four --
MONTGOMERY: Because you may have some standouts that you didn't even consider.
WILLIAMS: I think the rule is that you get five minutes. Each gets a maximum five minutes for the entire show. Right?
PERINO: It is unbelievable.
WILLIAMS: And so, the catnip is what do you do to get on Fox & Friends the next morning?
WATTERS: Right.
WILLIAMS: What can you do? Now you are going to think --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Steal the president's phone.
WILLIAMS: You are going to think that it's -- by the way, who is going to be the number one viewer of this? Donald Trump. He is going to be tweeting right in the middle.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: And we are going to be following him live tweeting. And I agree. I think Biden will get hit. But Biden I don't think is articulate and sharp enough to jujitsu with his minute allotted and come across as sharp. Because we've seen him at these rallies. I watched the whole thing the other day, Juan, the whole 35 minutes of Biden in Iowa. Only 175 people showed up.
He was not sharp. He was not smooth. He bored everybody to death. He was wonky. He didn't have it.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: You seem to think that --
WATTERS: And the TV cameras are on. You are going to have to be quick. And I don't think he has that.
WILLIAMS: Hey. hold on. Allow Dana.
PERINO: I just want to say that because Biden is doing well in these polls, I agree that the rally is like something like, it's not really a rally. It's just an event. But I think the Democrats seem to like that.
WILLIAMS: I was going to say the same thing. Stability, rationality, why is that so appealing these days?
PERINO: OK. But let me ask you tis --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I think enthusiasm, Juan. It's the critical factor when you're running for president. Enthusiasm.
MONTGOMERY: Who does Biden go after? Let's say Biden goes on offense, let's say everyone is attacking him, you can't play defense the whole night. He can't just apologize for the crime bill which he doesn't really done.
PERINO: Right.
MONTGOMERY: So, does he just attack the president? It does not look weird.
SHILLUE: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: If everyone is hey, Joe, tell us about your record. Well, Donald Trump is not American and an existential threat, am I right?
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: That might be his only move though.
SHILLUE: Yes, that's what he is going to do.
WATTERS: That's the front runner move.
PERINO: I wonder if they are going to prevent crowd participation. You know, like, applaud and things.
SHILLUE: Yes.
WATTERS: I hate that.
PERINO: What do you think?
SHILLUE: Well, that's what --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: You can't stop it.
SHILLUE: You can't stop it, especially if the partisans are there, if the crowd is there. If the Bernie bros are there --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: And there's going to be screaming.
WATTERS: Yes, because the Bernie bros or the far-left guys and they are going to be the loudest. Biden might not get the crowd reaction that, you know, Bernie would get.
WILLIAMS: You know what I hear from Fox people who do these things, that the most difficult element to handle is the audience.
WATTERS: Really?
WILLIAMS: Yes. Because you know what they are going to do.
WATTERS: Right. And you want to play to them a little bit.
WILLIAMS: Right. But I must say there is no plan to have the audience involved here. This is all about the moderators --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: I know but --
WILLIAMS: -- and the candidates.
PERINO: But you can't prevent them from gasping or applauding or yelling.
WILLIAMS: Yes, that's fine.
WATTERS: Rachel Maddow is going to have to shoos. A lot of shooshing (Ph).
PERINO: OK.
SHILLUE: Centrism is not going to get the crowd going though. They are going to have to go left.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: No. Not a lot of passion in centrism.
MONTGOMERY: In the California event, they were all booing.
SHILLUE: Yes. Yes, are going to boo.
MONTGOMERY: They were all booing. Hickenlooper and the lady in the room they were like --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Sorry. You (Inaudible) primary and caucus in the wrong way.
MONTGOMERY: And the problem is not --
PERINO: All right. Next, investigators say they think they know what's behind the death of several Americans in the Dominican Republic. We'll tell you what it is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: The mystery surrounding the deaths of several American tourists in the Dominican Republic is now getting a closer look. Investigators are reportedly testing hotel liquor that may have been altered or contained dangerous chemicals as well as investigating who supplied that alcohol.
This is yet another family comes forward demanding answers after their 53- year-old mom, Leyla Cox, died while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Cox apparently suffered a heart attack which is also what reportedly caused many of the other victim's death. So, Tom, are you going away this weekend?
SHILLUE: No. I'm not going away. I mean, I'm home. But I don't think Dominican Republic has been dealing with this well at all. I think it's a total disaster and they better get out in front of this whatever the reason.
Because as of now, I will never go to that country. Now you could change my mind. But you have to put a put of effort into this, whatever it happens to be.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: If someone paid for it, you would go.
SHILLUE: Well, no. No, I would not.
WATTERS: Really?
SHILLUE: I would not. I will never go to the Dominican Republic.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: You would go on boycott.
SHILLUE: And I bet a lot of Americans would say the same thing. And I'm imagining that a lot, a huge percentage of the income of the Dominican Republic is tourism. So, they better get on this.
WATTERS: I have a theory. Here's my theory. This is Caribbean sabotage. There is competition amongst these islands for tourism dollars. The D.R. is really hot. They've been hot for about 10 years. They are getting a lot of vacationers going down there spending a lot of money.
PERINO: Great cigars.
WATTERS: I'm not saying it's Puerto Rico, I'm not saying it's Aruba but maybe there is a network of saboteurs from a competing island that goes in --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Wow. That --
WATTERS: -- let me just finish. It's speculation. Goes in and they mess with the bottles in the minibar. Maybe they put a little here, they put a little there. All of a sudden, you have a huge, massive tourism catastrophe.
PERINO: And nobody wants to go.
WATTERS: No one wants to go. Maybe they will go to the Virgin Islands, maybe they'll go to the Caymans. You'll never know who's involved. I'm just saying.
PERINO: This would be a good novel.
WATTERS: Possibility.
PERINO: It would be a good novel
WATTERS: This is my first novel.
PERINO: Maybe.
MONTGOMERY: I mean, but it's tragic though. Because the D.R. is not handling this well with families to your point.
SHILLUE: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: And they want answers. And Leyla Cox's family has been told that the machines that test fluids for toxic substances are broken. They can't do toxicology tests apparently.
WATTERS: God.
MONTGOMERY: So now, the FBI is working with law enforcement there. But talk about not getting behind the story. And you know, to your point about Aruba, I have a hard time thinking about going to Aruba, because I was so traumatized by the Natalee Holloway story --
SHILLUE: That's right.
MONTGOMERY: -- watching that coverage, you know, year after year with no answers and the pain in her family.
WATTERS: Go to Puerto Rico. That island needs a lot of dollars. You could use it after the hurricanes.
MONTGOMERY: And you can use American dollars.
WATTERS: And you can use American dollars there.
MONTGOMERY: And no passport.
WILLIAMS: All right. So, Dana, back to reality. What they have discovered so far is that at the minibar in the rooms, and I know what you told me earlier about you don't drink from minibars, because they are so expensive.
MONTGOMERY: Is that true?
WILLIAMS: Oh, no, you should --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: No, because Peter got mad one time - well, he got mad, but he did - anyway I drain from the minibar. I didn't know how expensive it was. I was 25. Sorry.
WILLIAMS: OK. But there's another reason, Dana, the police in the Dominican Republic, along with Peter--
WATTERS: $15 - Dana--
PERINO: I think all the--
WATTERS: In the nuts.
WILLIAMS: Oh, My God. What is--
PERINO: That's the worse.
WATTERS: It's actually $12.
WILLIAMS: Yes. All right, anyway, Dana, that they have discovered that in fact in some of the alcohol bottles that were in the minibar, it didn't contain alcohol, but methanol, which is poisonous and so that could it be the resin that these people are then suffering heart attacks and seizures and dying.
PERINO: OK. So to Tom's point, how do they - how would you get ahead of this if you were the DR and tourism is your #1 industry and it employs a lot of people and it brings in a lot of dollars for you to be able to run your country.
I think that they would say stop looking, listen we're doing a full investigation all the minibars out. Pour it all out. Start over, have a new regulation, so that they - remember that Johnson & Johnson crisis when the cyanide was in the tylenol bottles. What did they do? They didn't say, well, we're just fine and then like we're not really sure. Well really maybe - they just said, all of it off the shelves right now. And that's the only way to deal with--
MONTGOMERY: And that's why you have child safety caps on all medications. It is because of the cyanide deaths.
And you're absolutely right. I mean, they can find the perpetrators who tried to kill Big Papi. But they're stonewalling when it comes to this investigation and I don't know if it's a group of saboteurs, or if you have like a psychopath who is--
PERINO: Right, a serial killer--
WATTERS: He is gaining access to all the hotels, so I mean, he has to have some sort of money. He's going into these hotels, he's emptying out the liquor and pouring in the poison. I don't know. I think to your point, if they empty it all out, then you need a celebrity to come visit. You need the biggest celebrity to--
PERINO: Jesse Watters - then you could go back and end the boycott.
WATTERS: That's how I end the boycott. I go down there, I announce everything's fine. Everyone sees, Oh, Watters is going back.
PERINO: And you know what they put in the minibar--
WATTERS: What?
PERINO: Redneck Riviera from John Rich.
WATTERS: I love it when a plan comes together.
WILLIAMS: By the way, you mentioned what happened to David Ortiz, the baseball player, known as Big Papi, as Kennedy said. So they think they know that people were paid like $7,000 to do a hit job on him, but they don't know why. What do you think?
MONTGOMERY: Well, there has been some rumors - speculation. I don't know if I'm allowed--
WILLIAMS: You go right out there--
PERINO: Well, heck, we've already given it a good go here.
WILLIAMS: Go ahead Kennedy.
MONTGOMERY: No, I have heard that he was fond, perhaps, of a man's wife and that man may in fact not be selling pharmaceuticals, but other substances that people take when their ailing.
WILLIAMS: Oh My God. Oh My God. I have to worry about Peter and Dana. Now somebody out and he might kill me. We debated here for days if Belen should be allowed to vote? But what about serving on juries, Oh My Gosh, stay with us, that's next on “The Five.”
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MONTGOMERY: I don't know where my head is. It's right here. First it was voting rights of felons, but apparently that wasn't enough. Now Democrats want them to be able to serve on juries.
The most recent push, coming out of California, in Senate Bill 310, authored by state Senator Nancy Skinner. She said "SB 310 will help ensure that California juries represent a fair cross-section of our communities. People with felony records have the right to vote in California. There is no legitimate reason why they should be barred from serving on a jury".
And in New York ex-felons could also be eligible for jury duty under a bill that has already cleared the Senate and is now awaiting a House vote.
I don't - I actually don't have a problem with this, Juan. I think if you have served your time. If you have been rehabilitated and I don't know exactly of the mechanism in place, but the worry is always that people who have been through the system are going to be prejudiced against prosecutors and law enforcement. What do you have to say to that?
WILLIAMS: Well, then they can be struck from the jury, if they - if that's the case, if that's what they think. I mean, to me the Constitution is not set up for one striking you out. If you've served your time, if you've done your penance then you have a right to have your rights restored. And I think it would be tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment to say, "Oh, you don't - you can't have your rights restored".
Now, I will say that, if you're someone who's been convicted of a violent crime, maybe people would say, if you're on a jury for a violent crime, "We don't know about this and we don't feel comfortable". In which case I think the prosecution can strike you.
MONTGOMERY: Do you think it just goes to show how difficult it is to see juries, because everyone ignores jury summons?
WATTERS: No one wants to do jury duty.
MONTGOMERY: I like jury duty.
WATTERS: Why are we giving felons jury duty, they don't even want it. I can see them wanting the right to vote or if you're the Boston bomber, maybe you want to vote for Bernie behind bars, I can see that.
WILLIAMS: Here we go.
WATTERS: But, I mean, no one wants to serve in a jury. So the only people that want this are defense attorneys. Defense attorneys are going to love having ex-cons on juries. It's automatic not guilty.
Well anytime a police officer goes to testify on the stand, "I don't think so". Anytime anybody offers any sort of physical evidence, "Oh that was planted". They're not they're biased against law enforcement, they're biased against prosecutors.
Prosecutors are the ones that put them behind bars and then they're going to supposed to listen to the prosecutor and be fair?
MONTGOMERY: If you have a reformed criminal looking at a dirt bag who's done crime - they're going to be more judgmental--
WATTERS: --dirt bags - stiffened dirt bags--
MONTGOMERY: --not always. And if you've made some bad decisions and you have been reformed.
WATTERS: Also, if you're a gang member, OK, and you're on a jury and then you know people outside, you don't think money's going to exchange hands?
WILLIAMS: Oh My Gosh.
WATTERS: Come on, Juan, it happens all the time. He acts so innocent.
WILLIAMS: Well, I just think--
MONTGOMERY: Jail (ph) members do have permanent address.
SHILLUE: I think that I would be against it until I'm convicted of a crime. And then I want all felons, all the felons - not only that--
WATTERS: The whole pool.
SHILLUE: I want everyone on the jury to have been convicted of the crime that I am up for. Get specific.
WATTERS: That's right.
MONTGOMERY: But there is a process called Voir dire where prosecutors and defense attorneys get to question potential jurors and they will excuse you if they think that you have too much a conflict of interest.
PERINO: But here's a thing. So there's a redemption piece, but also let's say you have served your time, you've paid your debt to society. Now you're back out and you're trying to get your life in order--
WATTERS: Oh, good point.
PERINO: --and you are going for a job and you're trying to find somebody who will accept you or at least for - to get an apartment, maybe need to figure out a way to get a car, because you got to drive to work.
This is what Kim Kardashian was talking like yesterday starting a ride sharing program, so that former felons can have a second chance and make it to their job interview, it's a huge problem. But if they end up getting a job and they're paying taxes, yes, you bet they better go to jury.
WATTERS: Wait, I was thinking about, if you're getting a job and your ex- felon you're kind of on thin ice to begin with. And all of a sudden you have to tell your new boss, I'm sorry can I have three weeks off for jury duty.
MONTGOMERY: They can't fire you, it's jury duty.
WATTERS: I know, but still it doesn't look good.
PERINO: The other thing is. I think this is - this as overall is a really good discussion for America to be having. The one thing that didn't get enough attention it happened sort of quietly in Florida. There was the vote in the state in 2018 to restore voting rights to felons who have served their time except for violent criminals.
However, what the state legislature passed and the Governor signed is, "Well, you're not going to be able to do that until you've paid off all of your fines" - and remember if you have a fine, it triples or whatever, as it goes up. So basically it's like another poll tax.
So they feel like they - maybe they owe the money, but at this point there's very few of them going to be able to - if you can't get a job you can't pay the (CROSSTALK)
MONTGOMERY: Yes--
PERINO: --yes, exactly.
SHILLUE: You got to jump through some hoops though. I like the idea--
PERINO: He went to jail.
SHILLUE: Well, I think when you get out of jail I don't mind having to petition to get your rights back. But because I think the people vote--
PERINO: Well, you're on probation, yes--
SHILLUE: --responsible people, though, they want - well, you got to do something.
MONTGOMERY: Well, do we believe in redemption in this country or we not?
PERINO: Yes.
SHILLUE: I think we do. It is--
MONTGOMERY: I think so too.
SHILLUE: And it should definitely--
MONTGOMERY: And not all felonies are the same.
SHILLUE: Right.
MONTGOMERY: I was just interviewing a guy who was teaching people how to commit a felony a day, if you flip off a horse, that's a felony.
WATTERS: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: That's true.
SHILLUE: I do that all the time.
WATTERS: --become a--
MONTGOMERY: You're the felon.
SHILLUE: Excuse me, not just horses. Did you ever go to the zoo? I flip them all off.
WILLIAMS: Why were you interviewing this man?
WATTERS: He's got a book out.
MONTGOMERY: Because he is some of us like flipping off horses. He used sign language.
WILLIAMS: No, no, I mean he were interviewing him to work for you?
MONTGOMERY: No. He wrote a book.
WATTERS: She has a TV show and he interviews people.
WILLIAMS: Oh, I didn't realize she was--
MONTGOMERY: Juan, you've been on my TV show.
WILLIAMS: I know. I just thought we were doing a job interview. I didn't know.
SHILLUE: I don't flip off horses, I was just kidding it. I do not flip off horses.
MONTGOMERY: But Jesse on the other hand he's from Philly, so he punches them. "Fan Mail Friday" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHILLUE: It's "Fan Mail Friday". Let's get to your questions. OK. "What is the last - most recent song you listened to from your own playlist?" Kennedy?
MONTGOMERY: Oh that's a great question. Listening to last night Beastie Boys, "Looking down the barrel of a gun".
SHILLUE: Oh, "Looking down the barrel of a gun". Juan your playlist?
WILLIAMS: Well, I can't remember the name of the song, but it was something like boys - I love the boys or something--
MONTGOMERY: What?
SHILLUE: I love the boys. That's from your boys playlist. Jesse?
MONTGOMERY: "Let's hear for the boys".
WILLIAMS: Yes that's it. That's the song.
MONTGOMERY: Deniece Williams.
WILLIAMS: There you go.
PERINO: I love that song.
MONTGOMERY: From the Footlosse soundtrack.
SHILLUE: Jesse what's in your playlist? I'm looking mine up right now.
WATTERS: I don't have a playlist. I have Spotify and it's on a shuffle and it's just Top 40, so I don't know what it is.
PERINO: Oh, My God, Top 40?
WATTERS: Best of 2018.
SHILLUE: That is amazing. You just put on the Top 40 and let it go--
WATTERS: I put on the top hits of the year and it just shuffles it. I don't know these people.
SHILLUE: Casey Kasem over here.
PERINO: I have a song and I keep playing it over and over--
SHILLUE: Its Top 40 for a reason, people love it.
PERINO: That's true. I have a song I've been playing it over and over again it's called, It ain't my fault" by Brothers Osborne. It's a great song. I just recommend it, because--
SHILLUE: Yes, "Ain't my fault". Every night--
PERINO: And then I listen to "Shut up about politics".
WATTERS: Oh, yes.
SHILLUE: OK. "Ten words or less, how would you describe yourself as a neighbor?"
MONTGOMERY: Oh, that's a good one.
SHILLUE: Yes.
MONTGOMERY: Nosy.
SHILLUE: Nosy.
MONTGOMERY: Yes, I'm definitely knows neighbor. I love to cook with my neighbors, my next-door neighbors. Every Friday night we cooked--
SHILLUE: Over ten words.
MONTGOMERY: And usually open a bottle of wine.
WILLIAMS: Really?
MONTGOMERY: Yes.
SHILLUE: Juan, can you keep it under ten words?
WILLIAMS: Yes, I'm a polite neighbor, but not too involved. I just think good neighbors keep good fences in business.
WATTERS: Oh, really, you don't have that opinion about the wall, Juan.
WILLIAMS: The Wall?
PERINO: Border.
SHILLUE: Defenses.
WILLIAMS: You know, in fact, that's a great idea, Jesse. You mean I should get Donald Trump to come over and build a wall?
WATTERS: Juan, you just walked right into the--
SHILLUE: Jesse are you a good neighbor?
WATTERS: I'm the celebrity neighbor, so I can get away with a lot more than a normal neighbor.
SHILLUE: He's the kind of neighbor that gets away with a lot, Dana?
PERINO: I would say I'm quiet.
SHILLUE: Quiet.
PERINO: No cooking smells because I don't cook, so that's a plus. I have a guard dog guard dog and cheerful.
SHILLUE: Cheerful, a word, that's a--
PERINO: Cheerful is a one word.
MONTGOMERY: It's one word.
SHILLUE: I did.
WATTERS: He just fact checks.
SHILLUE: Full of cheer. OK. I would say - well, I model myself after Mr. Rogers. So I would - I'm kind of the, "hi" neighbor type.
WATTERS: You let the little cardigans--
PERINO: And you yell at the kids?
SHILLUE: I do. I yell at the kids--
PERINO: You have 60 confirmed kills from Vietnam.
WATTERS: Is that true?
SHILLUE: Here's the twist.
MONTGOMERY: lasting Urban Legend, it's great.
SHILLUE: Last Urban Legend. Here is a little twist, "What question would you ask your fans?" What would you ask the fans, Kennedy?
MONTGOMERY: Do you think I'm pretty? Maybe like no.
PERINO: Of course, they would say yes.
SHILLUE: Dana, what would you say to the fan?
PERINO: I am always - I love market research, but I don't ever see any except you get your daily ratings. But I'm on a YT (ph) watch. What do you look for, what do you like to see, what do you like about THE FIVE, what would you like to see more of? I really like to do a focus group with our fans.
SHILLUE: Oh, yes, we could do that with a hashtag or something. What do you think Jesse?
WATTERS: OK. I would say, "What do you like best about me?"
SHILLUE: Yes.
WATTERS: Yes, I want positive feedback.
SHILLUE: Yes. We're going to just accept that they like you, but--
WATTERS: There are the fans obviously. "What is the best thing about me?"
SHILLUE: Juan. If you can reach out to the fans?
WILLIAMS: Well, I had an experience today that was kind of interesting. So I went to breakfast and a woman comes up to me starts crying, and then a other woman, her daughter and I guess - I'm not sure what - maybe was her sister, said, "Oh, you know why? She's a teacher and she talks about University (ph)". I was like this is unbelievable. So I was like--
PERINO: Does she met you?
WILLIAMS: Yes, so I was thinking to myself though, "Wow", because most people want to tell me what I should say. I mean, why are you saying--
SHILLUE: I'd love to--
WILLIAMS: --how stupid are you. How crazy are you. And that's just Jesse.
SHILLUE: I would ask the fans what do you think of this shirt tie combination, huh. What do you think of it? Bold, on the edge?
WATTERS: You've got it.
PERINO: I feel like - it looked to me like it was a mistake.
WATTERS: Dana.
PERINO: Well, like one of those things where you are like, "Oh, Shoot, I have to go down and do THE FIVE. Maybe just grab the first tie--
WATTERS: Dana, it's harsh - slaved over it.
SHILLUE: I slaved over it.
PERINO: I've been (ph) really bad at picking out ties and shirts.
MONTGOMERY: But you're good with your dresses.
SHILLUE: Last question, "As a kid what did you tell people - oh right I got to do the cheese - as the kid what would you tell people going to - we got to do cheese. OK. "One More Thing" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WATTERS: It's time now for "One More Thing". Dana, take it away.
PERINO: All right. So I promised you this yesterday, it's time for this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
"Dana's Crony Jokes"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: Corny jokes, corny jokes. Now the best thing about today is that these corny jokes are brought to you by Jesse's lovely daughters, Ellie and Sophie. These are their favorite corny jokes. So here we go. Are you ready?
#1, what do you get if you have two running faucets? You have two running faucets, what do you get? A Race.
WATTERS: Get it.
PERINO: OK. Why couldn't the pony sing?
MONTGOMERY: Because she was a little hoarse.
PERINO: Yes.
WATTERS: Good one Kennedy.
PERINO: #3, which animal should you never play games with?
WILLIAMS: A cheater.
WATTERS: Good one.
PERINO: Ellie and Sophie, they can really pick them. OK. Why was the sheep sent to its room?
SHILLUE: Because he was back (ph).
WATTERS: Good one.
PERINO: And why couldn't the frog drive to work?
MONTGOMERY: Why couldn't the car--
PERINO: Why couldn't the frog drive to work?
MONTGOMERY: Because his car was towed.
WATTERS: Good one.
PERINO: Ellie and Sophie, you can come back any time to give me some corny jokes.
WATTERS: All right. Good jokes, girls. All right. You guys love Oreos, right?
PERINO: Yes.
WATTERS: They are constantly innovating. It is amazing these people are great.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: This is the "The feeding frenzy". I'm also also constantly innovating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Although that looks like it is from the '80s. All right. So they have new flavors for the Oreos, they have mint chocolate chip. They are with Baskin Robbins for that. They have a latte cream and they have Marshmallow Moon to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo lunar landing. Very god, we are going to try them.
Also Watters World, at 8:00 p.m. Saturday night. We have a nude bicyclist who participated in the world naked bike ride to fight climate change.
WILLIAMS: Hey, Jesse, check that out Tom.
WATTERS: You really pulled that off. Looking good Tom. Juan?
WILLIAMS: All right. How long would you wait for a roller-coaster ride? Well, some Harry Potter fans wish they could cast a spell to make it shorter. Take a look at this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Yes. Thousands of Potterheads lined up for Hagrid's magical creatures motor bike adventures. The new Harry Potter Ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, 30 minutes after the park opened yesterday, wait time for the ride was already 10 hours. Even after it rained, it was 5 hours.
It's the longest in Florida. 17-foot drop. By the way, the ride is only three minutes long. But if you are a Harry Potter fan, I guess you are already under the spell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHILLUE: All right. Three minutes that "One More Thing" was longer than the ride. OK. You have a need for speed? Are you a dad? Do you ever get on the lawnmower and you pretend you are a race car driver? Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHILLUE: This lawnmower goes 0 to 100 miles an hour in six seconds.
PERINO: Wow.
WATTERS: It's a pretty fast clip.
SHILLUE: Fantastic right.
WILLIAMS: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Kennedy?
MONTGOMERY: Yes, it is National Bourbon Day, that's right. Party people the most American drink has its own day, so let's make a Kentucky Mule. Not a Moscow Mule, because they are not our friends.
All right. So what I do, I muddle lime and mint and then muddle, muddle, muddle, muddle. I add ice. I am using Michter's. So we'll put some Michter's in here.
SHILLUE: Beauty.
MONTGOMERY: A little bit with love. And how do you finish off a Kentucky Mule, friends, you are all asking? With some ginger beer.
SHILLUE: All right.
MONTGOMERY: So look at that. It is refreshing. It is summery and it is all Americans.
PERINO: It is best--
WATTERS: That's what I will hear. All right. Cheers, America. That's it for us tonight. We'll see you back here on Monday. Have a great weekend!
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