New questions about Obama's interest in Clinton probe
Barack Obama wanted to 'know everything' the FBI was 'doing' according to newly released text messages between FBI lovers Peter Strzok and Lisa Page; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'
This is a rush transcript from "The Five," February 7, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Kimberly Guilfoyle along with Juan Williams, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino and Tom Shillue. It's 5 o'clock in New York City and this is "The Five."
Fox News has obtained more text messages from those anti-Trump lovers at the FBI, agents who were investigating his campaigns possible ties to Russia. On Election Day, Lisa Page writes, oh, my God. This is terrifying. Peter Strzok replies, oh, my God. I am so depressed. Later that month, Page wrote, I've got all the president's men. Figure I need to brush up on Watergate. The texts are raising even more questions about what the FBI and former President Obama knew about the Clinton investigation and when. And when newly obtain message, Page writes about preparing talking points for FBI director James Comey, saying, POTUS wants to know everything we're doing. Didn't Mr. Obama once insist he never got involved in FBI investigations?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THEN-PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I do not talk to the attorney general about pending investigations. I do not talk to FBI directors about pending investigations. We have a strict line and always have maintained it as president.
CHRIS WALLACE, 'FOX NEWS SUNDAY' ANCHOR: Just to buttoned this up.
OBAMA: I guarantee it. I guarantee that there is no political influence in any investigation conducted by the justice department or the FBI. Not just in this case but any case. Full stop, period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Full stop, Dana, period.
(CROSSTALK)
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: Again, it could look terrible or it could be that he has seeking a briefing about the Russian involvement and meddling in the election. From these text messages, we don't know that. You could also be briefed and not try to weigh in if you're concerned about Russian involvement because remember the DNC was saying we were hacked. The Russians did this. And I'm sure that he wanted to say something. One of the criticisms of President Obama from Democrats is that he did not do enough talking about Russian meddling in the election. And if this were really about the Mueller probe, well, that would be one thing to know. We don't know that. And if it's about Hillary's email scandal and if President Obama wanted to squash it, he wasn't very effective because ten days before the election is when James Comey sends a letter back up to congress that says, by the way, I'm reopening the Hillary email investigation case. If you remember, Hillary Clinton in her book, and not just in her book but in all of her interviews, blames James Comey for her loss to President Trump. So I'm not exactly sure what's going on here.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Jesse, do you have any clarity in your mind?
JESSE WATTERS, CO-HOST: I wish I did. I'd like to know more. They should be testifying up on Capitol Hill. This maybe the first clue though we have of President Obama possibly being involved in the FBI shenanigans. If he wants to know what the FBI is up to. Is it about the Hillary investigation? That was closed at the time this text was sent. Is it about the Trump-Russia investigation?
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Not at that point. That was the 28th, this was the 2nd of September. It wasn't about the Trump-Russia investigation? We don't know that either. If it was about the DNC hack, he wants to know about that, they never even got the DNC server from the Democrats. They never handed it over. So that's suspicious.
PERINO: Never answered the calls.
WATTERS: Never even answered the calls. Obama says, you know, he doesn't comment on pending investigations. He commented on the Hillary investigation on camera. He said that it never jeopardized national security. Actually, Comey then contradicted himself and said it did jeopardize national security. He waited on the IRS probe when that was pending. So just a few hooligans in the Cincinnati office. You know what, it was more than that because Lois Lerner took the fifth. You had also text messages saying we have to focus on the task at hand. What are these anti-Trump FBI agents talking about? What's the task at hand? If they're so terrified about the election of President Trump, does it have anything to do with the insurance policy that they hatched in the department of justice's office? I like to know about that. That's why they should testify.
They're also talking about a phone they have where they're talking about Hillary Clinton's investigation and we can't talk on this phone. Where that phone go? I'd like to see that phone. Maybe they smashed it with a hammer, like Hillary. They're Trump haters and they're snobs because they referred to Republican voters in Virginia as ignorant hillbillies. And they're also Comey's loyalists and they love him to death. We've seen those texts. And they hate congressional oversight. They were besmirching the Republican congress. There's also a wide gap too which was very interesting.
So, on the 28th of September, 2016, they discovered these Huma and Hillary emails on Weiner's laptop. A whole month passed before Comey comes out and he says he was just briefed on the new emails they discovered. What happened in that month? I'd like to know that. People suspect McCabe who was ushered out by Christopher Wray, may have had something to do with delaying that. We're going to find out sooner or later. But the bottom line is that it's clear now that these Trump-hating FBI agents were on an anti-Trump mission and President Obama may be involved.
JUAN WILLIAMS, CO-HOST: That's really funny.
WATTERS: The joke is on you, Juan.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: I mean, I think at some point, Jesse, it's like, you know, they talk about fog of war. This is fog of foolishness.
WATTERS: OK, tell me why.
WILLIAMS: Because it's obvious the president, and Dana picked up on this, Democrats are upset that President Obama did not do enough in terms of the Russian interference, that he and the intelligence agencies had confirmed was taking place during the 2016 election.
WATTERS: OK.
WILLIAMS: The idea that the FBI should be briefing the president on Russian interference is not far-fetched. That makes sense.
WATTERS: How do you know that's what President Obama wanted to be briefed on?
WILLIAMS: Because the circumstances, the timing is exactly right. Not only that, the Wall Street Journal has an article out today and it says text from the 2016 preparations to brief Barack Obama about Russian interference in that year's election. So Jesse.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Jesse, I don't interrupt you. I let you rave and rave on this show. I let you have the floor. But Jesse, at some point, don't you think it would be good, instead of always throwing up conspiracy theories to try to defend the indefensible, Donald Trump, you might come with some facts?
WATTERS: You've been calling this whole thing a conspiracy for the last year. Yet, every time facts comes out it proves you wrong.
WILLIAMS: Give me some facts.
WATTERS: Everything I said about Hillary's probe was rinse.
WILLIAMS: Oh, my gosh. Please, Jesse.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: . on this topic don't bring Obama into it.
WATTERS: I didn't bring him into it.
WILLIAMS: You always.
WATTERS: It's in the text.
GUILFOYLE: Juan, we have text messages part of the element for tonight's show.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: I'm saying everybody knows what this is about, except Jesse, who wants to make it.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: This could have been about Clinton, the Russia probe or the Trump surveillance.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Even today, Eric Holder at a breakfast meeting said President Obama never contacted him about any FBI investigations.
WATTERS: I don't trust Eric Holder as far as I can throw him.
(CROSSTALK)
TOM SHILLUE, GUEST CO-HOST: Didn't we just play a clip of President Obama saying he doesn't get involved in FBI investigations? Whether it's about Donald Trump or the Russian investigation, he's involved, right?
WILLIAMS: No.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: He's asking -- tell me what's going on with the Russians trying to influence an American election.
WATTERS: You're putting words in the text.
WILLIAMS: Oh, I see. OK. The Wall Street Journal is too, I guess.
SHILLUE: The thing is with every bombshell -- it's like we're getting shell-shocked because no one is a bombshell. Every time new information comes out, more texts came out, we forget about the last one. I always think that the best references in these Strzok-Page texts have to do with Hillary. You know on September 28th, you were talking about, you know, the Andy's office meeting. He said, you know, new emails came out to Huma and Weiner's emails came out. And he says -- Strzok says, will this never end? Strzok. Will this never end? He's dying to wrap up this Hillary thing. And you go back five months before when he says -- when Trump was going to be the nominee, remember when Cruz dropped out and Trump was going to be the nominee, they were going crazy on the text. I can't believe it. Oh, my gosh. Trump is going to be the nominee. And now the pressure starts to finish the MYE. We know what that is, the Hillary investigation. He was trying to wrap up that Hillary investigation. And Juan, that's your evidence. It's all over the place. Bring in the jury. I will stand and I'm ready to lecture to the jury. There's so many incriminating texts in this Strzok thing.
PERINO: You know he was right about one thing?
SHILLUE: What's that?
PERINO: It will never end. We're still talking about it at 2018. One thing it does go back to over and over again is the decision by Hillary Clinton and her team that allowed her to do it, including the White House that allowed her to have a private server, a separate set of circumstances, emails that got destroyed, wiped from the server. These guys end up talking about -- having their affair and talking about this is an investigation on their government phones.
SHILLUE: Did they talk about anything?
PERINO: I don't know? A lot of it was redacted, right? I don't know. Did you read the whole thing?
GUILFOYLE: We didn't get the good stuff.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: At one point he says is it OK for me to send you some pictures. That's what he said.
GUILFOYLE: Coming up on "The Five."
(LAUGHTER)
PERINO: We don't have pictures.
WILLIAMS: We like pictures.
(LAUGHTER)
PERINO: No, we don't. Pretty sure we don't.
WILLIAMS: But Tom, just because we have two lovers who are sending -- I mean it's unbelievable how many emails they sent, right? Fifty thousand. It doesn't mean that you can't have personal opinions.
SHILLUE: It does. Juan, it's more than that. People keep saying that. It's just people with a bias. They can put it aside. They can't put it aside. He's going to be president. I'm losing my mind, exclamation point. It's unbelievable. We've got to do something. I mean, it's very incriminating.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Election Day 2016, there're people in this building screaming, really?
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: To the point, like, if they were trying to stop something, they were very ineffective because, again, Comey's letter ten days before the election is what so many Democrats point to as the point where they saw a lot of independent women support drop in all of the key states.
SHILLUE: It should have drop more.
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: But our guy, Strzok, right? Strzok changed the words. He changed it -- what's the word, Jesse? From extremely negligent to.
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: So it would have dropped even more if he didn't watered it down.
WILLIAMS: You're talking about when Comey was speaking in July, not in September, early October.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I want to tell you guys about this other memo that drop last night, this Grassley memo. Now, this is really interesting, Juan. I'd like to hear your defense on this. So, Hillary's crony, Sid Blumenthal, he was feeding anti-Trump smears through the Obama state department and it end up in Chris Steele's dossier. Now, Christopher Steele dossier was based on what we know on two things, Russian government sources and Sid Blumenthal's lies. The FBI also knew that Christopher Steele had been lying and have been leaking to the press about this. Yet they still used the dossier, and they still used Steele's credibility to the FISA court to present that as justification for spying on the Trump associates. Why would the FBI do that? Why would they hide the funding from the judge? Why did they deceive the judge?
GUILFOYLE: We've got Trey Gowdy on this and I will ask you to give your reaction, Juan.
WILLIAMS: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TREY GOWDY, R-S.C.: When you hear who the source -- one of the sources of that information is you're going to think, oh, my gosh. I've heard that name somewhere before. Where could it possibly have been?
MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS: The foreign source?
GOWDY The domestic source. And I'm trying to think how Secretary Clinton defined him? I think she said he was an old friend who emailed her from time to time.
MACCALLUM: Sidney Blumenthal?
GOWDY: That would be really warm, really warm. Yeah.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: That be hot.
(LAUGHTER)
GUILFOYLE: Juan, we'll get your respond to that.
WILLIAMS: So, I don't get it.
WATTERS: We know, Juan. You don't get it.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: I don't get why you think that this is somehow an indictment of the Steele dossier or the investigation. I would hope that you would have every source available if you are trying to get information about how the Russians are trying to influence our election and potentially colluding with candidate Donald Trump.
WATTERS: The source of the dossier was a Hillary crony and Russian liars in the Russian government. Do you think that's enough to present to a judge to spy on Americans? It's not.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: You're not allowed to do that.
WILLIAMS: Yes, you are.
WATTERS: You cannot present unverified information to a FISA judge.
WILLIAMS: Jesse, slow down, man. Let me talk for a second. You might learn something, OK. But clearly, the judge was told that the source of the dossier was a political partisan. The judge understood this. Political.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: No bearing whether or not the opponent of the person they're running for president against.
WILLIAMS: It's true.
WATTERS: It wasn't true.
WILLIAMS: Of course it was true.
WATTERS: What was true about the dossier?
WILLIAMS: I'm not getting into that here, but.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: All that we know about today -- this day with this business about the FBI lovers and their texts, you guys are so desperate to somehow undermine Robert Mueller. You'll do anything. Republicans will put on blinders.
(CROSSTALK)
GUILFOYLE: Nevertheless, you're not been able to proffer one fact forward that was accurate or true in the dossier to support that.
WILLIAMS: Are you kidding?
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: How about the Russians interfered in our presidential election.
PERINO: Well, that's one thing that Trey Gowdy also said to Martha last night. In the interview he said regardless of the dossier, there would have been an investigation about Russian meddling in the election. But the other thing I want to say about the Grassley memo that you mentioned that kind of irritates me about the Nunes memo. But apparently -- remember, I made this whole big thing about how you shouldn't take a Yahoo News article in to convince the judge that there's corroboration. Well, in the Grassley memo, it says it wasn't used for corroboration that Yahoo News article. So I feel like -- you know, I get cautious about commenting on all of this because it's cherry picked information. It's not complete.
WATTERS: I don't get what you mean.
PERINO: The Grassley memo says that the Yahoo News article was used to (INAUDIBLE). But that is not why the articles was referenced. The Grassley memo appears to confirm that it was not presented for the purpose of corroboration.
GUILFOYLE: Well, there's a contradiction.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I didn't read that in the memo. I didn't see that. I know they did present it alongside the dossier.
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: I'll be calm, Juan. I'll be calm. I'll be friendly. It's dirty.
WILLIAMS: It's dirty.
SHILLUE: It's dirty.
WILLIAMS: You know what I think, Peter Strzok is going to start sending texts to Jesse, little love notes.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
GUILFOYLE: Please don't.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: I'll bleach him.
GUILFOYLE: OK, we've got to go. You guys can continue this witty repartee during the break or not. We have the greatest military in the world and our commander-in-chief wants to show it off. But President Trump is getting pushback on his idea to hold a parade for our troops. That's next on The Five. Won't you stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WATTERS: We have the most powerful military the world and President Trump wants to honor our service members with a parade. He got the idea from watching Bastille Day celebrations on a trip to France in the summer. The Pentagon is looking at options.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEFENSE SECRETARY MATTIS: I think we're all aware in this country of the president's affection and respect for the military. We've been putting together some options. We'll send them up to the White House for a decision. The president respect his fondness for the military, I think it's reflected in him asking for these options.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Of course, the parade of critics are crowing about the idea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNINDENTIFIED MALE: This is beneath us as a nation. We are the most powerful military on earth. We're very proud of that, rightly so. We don't need to be parading our military hardware down Pennsylvania Avenue to show that to anybody.
UNINDENTIFIED MALE: It's a fantastic waste of money to amuse the president.
UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a Napoleon in the making here. I think everyone should be offended by his need to always be showy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: So, I was reading twitter last night, and Ari Fleischer, one of your guys, press secretary, said when he was, I think, 30, they had the '91 Desert Storm parade in America and it was a spectacle that he really enjoyed.
PERINO: Yeah, and he said he wouldn't mind doing it again. It was after that big military victory, it cost $12 million at the time. Apparently, this would cost upwards of $22 million. Jennifer Griffin was on the show today, the 2 PM show, and I asked her what's the reaction at the Pentagon? And she said it was a collective eye roll.
WATTERS: Oh, gosh.
PERINO: I do think that the Democrats though were very predictable in their response. And I don't think it was politically smart to do so. I think that what you should have said if you're a Democrat is to say we honor the troops all the time. We love the military. In fact, what we should do, Mr. President, the money that you want to spend on the parade, let's put that it into increasing wages for the men and women in uniform. I think that would be a better way to do it, Mr. President. And then, they wouldn't look like they are just being petty and thinking that he's trying to turn us into a dictatorship.
But the other thing is, as soon as I heard about this news, I knew it would be another one of these draw line in the culture wars sand, and if you are not for this then you hate the military. You don't like the president. And if you are for it, then you are turning the country into a dictatorship. I think that we do a lot of honoring of the troops. If they decide to have a parade, and we decide as a country that it's worth the money to do it, great. But we shouldn't be blind to the fact that there's a ton of politics here.
WATTERS: There are a ton of politics. And Dana makes the point that Democrats could get boxed in on the issue, Juan, just like they did with the national anthem and the NFL and the kneeling where President Trump comes out strong with the side of the Patriots.
WILLIAMS: Is that right?
WATTERS: And the patriotic people.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: And 30 percent of the Democrats and the far left look like they're anti-flag. Do you worry about that happening again?
WILLIAMS: I think it's inevitable to some degree because we have such a polarized group of Americans these days. So the president -- people who are Trump supporters will say, well, he wants a big parade. He's honoring the military. It's all about patriotism. You stop and say, well, how many patriotic presidents have we had and nobody does this. Where do we see this kind of thing? We see it in Red square. We see it from the North Korean.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: He saw it in France.
WATTERS: I know. I thought you guys love French people.
WILLIAMS: Let me tell you, the French have a tradition. Bastille Day goes back of waves because of the French revolution.
WATTERS: That is true.
WILLIAMS: And when George H.W. Bush did this, we had just won something. There was something to celebrate. On the contrary, we're still stuck in Afghanistan at the moment.
WATTERS: Well, I think may be one idea, Kimberly, is to do it on the 100 year anniversary of America's victory in World War I, which would be November, and that way it might be less political. And I would like to nominate you to be the grand marshal.
GUILFOYLE: I would love this. Indeed, I would. I love a good parade. I do. I mean, a nice lawful parade where people are respectful and they clean up the streets after.
WATTERS: That's right.
GUILFOYLE: I think it would be fantastic to have something like this. I would really enjoy it. I think the president is genuine and sincere in his appreciation, his love for the military. They do so much. So we want to begrudge them a parade, why? Why not? Why wouldn't any patriotic American say let's have a nice parade. I get it about expenses and this and that. But we seem to spend a lot of money recklessly and foolishly on things that don't matter. And I think our liberty and our personal freedom and freedom of expression, the people gleefully enjoying this country that been hard- fought and won by the brave men and women in our military. So, I'm all for honoring them in any way.
WILLIAMS: Would you wear a helmet? Would you wear a helmet if you're in a tank and you're rolling down Constitutional Avenue?
WATTERS: She's not Dukakis.
WILLIAMS: I wanted to be Mike Dukakis.
WATTERS: Are you pro-parade or anti-parade?
SHILLUE: I could use that as a voting brochure. If you're pro-parade, I'm going to vote for you. Parades are fantastic. And it's amazing how quickly we jump from parade to North Korea. I mean, it's quite amazing.
GUILFOYLE: You saw that? I was waiting for it like, one, two.
PERINO: Like what you would have said if President Obama came up.
WILLIAMS: Oh, my God.
PERINO: I'm curious.
WATTERS: Tremendous waste of money.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: The parade should definitely just have a bunch of guys with their laptops because our best weapon right now is cyber. Cyber warfare is the most important weapon that we have.
WATTERS: A cyber parade.
GUILFOYLE: No, they can have their own float.
WATTERS: All right. Joe Biden out and about letting it rips again on President Trump. Your afternoon cup with Joe, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: Former vice president, Joe Biden, hasn't kept his feelings about the president close to the vest, and he's not about to start now. Joe was fired up about Mr. Trump's attacks on the FBI, Democrats and more in a brand-new interview. Here are some highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is the first president to make a full-throated, unvarnished attack on the entirety of the FBI, sowing doubt about whether or not our justice system is fair, sowing doubt about whether or not there is anything that's remotely consistent with our Constitution. It's just -- it's just -- it's a disaster.
I just marvel at some of the things he says and does, like what, two days ago. Anybody who didn't stand up and clap for him was un-American and then maybe even treasonous.
Well, let me tell you, he's a joke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Wow. Kimberly, how would you respond? Because I know you like Joe Biden.
GUILFOYLE: Well, yes, that he really took it down a few notches for me there.
WILLIAMS: OK.
GUILFOYLE: I don't like it. I mean, look, I liked him in terms of his personality, whatever. I don't like his rhetoric and his comments about the president there.
I think that -- I don't know. It just seemed kind of, like, not in keeping with the Joe Biden we kind of know. I thought it was a little harsh, aggressive, and also inaccurate. I don't know that he served well for his future political aspirations by saying something like that, per se. Maybe, maybe. But there's people, I think if you're Joe Biden, that you think you can get that are crossovers or independents. And I don't know. By saying something like that about the president, I don't know that it was a smart strategic political move. That's what I was thinking about.
WILLIAMS: So Dana, when you watch it, I know you always look at things from a messaging point of view. One of the things that the former vice president had to say was that President Trump's always trying to undo everything that President Obama did. And he says, on trying to undo the legacy so far, he's failed. Does that message...
PERINO: Well, I think -- one, I think the proof does not bear that out. I think the dereg piece of the Trump administration has been quite impressive, and that has been because, remember, President Obama got so frustrated, didn't want to compromise. So he decided he'd use his pen and a phone. And then that means that the next president can use a pen and a phone, as well, to undue that part of your legacy. And also on the judges front for President Trump, that's significant.
I think that Biden, he personifies the Democrats' problem right now. On the one hand, he can really appeal to some Democrats, in -- like in the northeast, maybe, and the west. But there might not even be room for him in the Democratic Party if it continues to move so far left.
And the other thing is he will be 80 years old or so around the time that, if he were going to be running, or in his upper 70s. And maybe the upper 70s might be the new 50. But if you have all of these younger people in a very crowded Democratic primary, I think that will be really difficult.
And I'm going to disagree with Kimberly on one thing. I think that Joe Biden has been a very effective attack dog for the Democrats for a long time. And President Obama could rise above and let him go out, and he's not afraid to mix it up.
GUILFOYLE: No, I agree with that.
PERINO: I think that he thinks that -- I think that Biden thinks he's counterpunching. And the Democrats are going to want somebody who is that aggressive.
WILLIAMS: Jess?
WATTERS: Well, listen, if Trump is the joke, then Biden is the punch line. The name "Biden" is synonymous with gaffes, whether it's telling somebody in a wheelchair to stand up, dropping the f-bomb on a hot mic, or getting handsy with young ladies in a photo line. He hasn't distinguished himself as V.P.
If Dick Cheney had called Biden a joke or Obama a joke, I mean, there would have been hell to pay. So I didn't think it was in keeping with presidential or vice presidential protocol.
GUILFOYLE: That's what I thought.
WATTERS: And the elder statesmen of the Democratic Party have really been in the gutter recently. President Obama kind of hinted that Donald Trump was like Hitler. John Kerry was interfering in Trump's Middle East peace process. Hillary has accused President Trump of being a Russian traitor. And then V.P. Biden comes out and calls him a joke.
I think they're a little desperate, Juan. He might be testing the waters. But they might need a heavy hitter to come out and throw some punches after the bad news the Democrats have endured the last couple weeks.
But if you really want to get into a schoolyard contest with President Trump, I don't think Biden is going to win that battle.
PERINO: He'll have a nickname before long.
WILLIAMS: I think he said he wanted to take Trump out in the schoolyard at one point.
WATTERS: That's true.
WILLIAMS: So Tom, here's the most surprising thing from the interview. He says that if it was one of Trump's lawyers, he'd advise the president not to meet and be interviewed by Robert Mueller.
SHILLUE: That was the least surprising thing in the interview, Juan.
WILLIAMS: Really? OK.
SHILLUE: Yes. Of course. I think everybody would give him that advice.
I think the most surprising thing was this: "A full-throated, unvarnished attack on the entirety of the FBI." What is he talking about? What is he talking about? It is not a full-throated attack on the entire FBI.
Everybody, the right-wingest among us is forced now to, when we're talking about this thing, to say this isn't about the rank and file of the FBI. It's about the five or six people that are mentioned in this memo and all these texts and everything else. We think they're the rotten ones. And that's what the president says, as well. What is this thing about the full-throated attack? That's ridiculous, Juan.
WILLIAMS: You think that's ridiculous? Really?
SHILLUE: I think it's ridiculous.
WILLIAMS: Because people might confuse it? I see.
SHILLUE: Because no one has a full-throated attack on the FBI. Not even Sean "Right-Wing" Hannity. Every night, he can't finish a sentence without saying this isn't about the rank and file.
WILLIAMS: Yes, well...
SHILLUE: We all agree on that, Juan. Including the president.
WILLIAMS: Well, you know what, Tom? You've been vindicated, to quote President Trump. Yes, that memo has vindicated you. And Hannity...
SHILLUE: A hundred percent.
GUILFOYLE: Hannity.
WILLIAMS: ... will vindicate you tonight. Vindicate? Yes, vindicate. Validate.
A surprise Olympic decision by Kim Jong-un coming up next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: The 2018 Winter Olympics begin in South Korea on Friday. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un won't be there, but he's sending his younger sister to attend as part of a government delegation.
History will be made. Kim Yo-jong will be the first immediate member of her ruling family to ever set foot in the south. The news was just announced before Vice President Pence delivered a new warning to her big brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm announcing today that the United States of America will soon unveil the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever. And we will continue to isolate North Korea until it abandons its nuclear and ballistic missile program once and for all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: So Kimberly, I like this diplomatic approach, because when North Korean said, "Well, maybe" -- told the South Koreans, "We'll come. I don't know if we can do something joint." And we were all, like, "OK, good. Maybe this is good, a nice opening." And then we follow up with a little bit of "But don't forget we're watching you, and we're going to continue to make sure you denuclearize." I like it.
GUILFOYLE: I think it is. It was measured. It was reasonable. It seems that it's, you know -- it's been effective and so far. They should maintain this course.
And I think it's interesting that he's sending a woman, sending his sister there. So he's trying to make some smart moves on, you know, his behalf to improve their international image and sending a female. All of the above, especially since they have had horrific press, deservedly so...
PERINO: Yes.
GUILFOYLE: ... in light of Otto Warmbier and what they did to him and the other human rights atrocities that they commit on a regular basis under this regime. So but I think the words of our vice president were very measured and good and forceful in the right tone.
PERINO: So Jesse, do you think all of this attempt by North Korea to look so normal is maybe going a little too far. That the South Koreans might have gone overboard.
WATTERS: Well, the South Korean prime minister's approval rating is starting to nosedive as these attempts at reunification are going along.
What do we call the sister? Little Rocket Woman? I think Trump needs a new nickname for her. I'd like to see a picture of her. Do we -- Is that her right there?
PERINO: I think so.
GUILFOYLE: Ask and you shall receive.
WATTERS: Yes, I mean, I think it's a smart overture on Little Rocket Man's behalf to send the younger sister. It's all converging at the same time these sanctions are really starting to bite, and the president deserves credit for the tough sanctions along with the war games going on and some of the rhetoric coming out of the United States and our generals.
So you know, hopefully this goes in the right direction, because I know they'd better behave themselves during the Olympics or there's going to be hell to pay.
PERINO: Juan, it is pretty remarkable that he would send his sister, and she is the first person in their family to ever step foot in South Korea since the split.
WILLIAMS: So, you know, from a historic point of view, you've got to stop and think, "Wow, those people are so divided." I mean, they're neighbors.
What strikes me about this is that, in terms of the sanction, her presence there is a violation of the sanctions. She is not supposed to be allowed to travel. So in a way, I think that Kim Jong-un might think he's being smart. He's thumbing his nose at a lot of people by sending her, because people are going to say, well, yes, she should be allowed in as part of the delegation.
Vice President Pence saying, "Well, we'll see." I think that was the most important part of his quote.
It's also, I think, being very smart to say if they want to talk, if there's a possibility, he's open to it.
PERINO: Right.
WILLIAMS: I think that's the message we want to spend not only in terms of the North Koreans but in terms of the world, in terms of saying it's not ideal for us to have the South Korean joining forces with the North Koreans and this delegation. Because we, as Americans, want to send a clear message that North Korea's behavior is unacceptable.
PERINO: Yes. Now Tom, I've got 38 seconds for you, and you know radio. So tell us, what do you think about this?
SHILLUE: Well, is it supposed to make us feel safer that he's sending a family member? Didn't he kill his uncle?
WILLIAMS: Yes, he did.
SHILLUE: I mean, is that supposed to...
PERINO: You only needed eight seconds.
SHILLUE: Exactly. He's, like, poisoning people in airports, and the fact that he sends his sister, I don't know if that's...
PERINO: Maybe she should be worried.
SHILLUE: Yes, exactly. So I don't know what the plans are.
PERINO: Right? I mean, you don't need to worry. Maybe she should be.
WATTERS: Maybe the sister deserts and stays in South Korea. You never know.
PERINO: Actually, I had that thought while you were talking, like, I wonder if there's any way that she could be -- like, blink twice if you want us to come and rescue you.
WATTERS: Right.
PERINO: All right. Top Democrat Adam Schiff pranked by Russians promising dirt on President Trump ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHILLUE: The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee caught on tape talking to the Russians. Adam Schiff fooled by two Russian radio hosts promising compromising photos of President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She got compromising material on Trump after their short relations.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), RANKING MEMBER, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: OK. And what's the nature of the Kompromat?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there were pictures of naked Trump.
SCHIFF: OK. And so Putin was made aware of the availability of the compromising material?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course.
SCHIFF: OK. Well, thank you very much. We will be back in touch with you through our staff to make arrangements to obtain these materials for our committee and for the FBI. And I appreciate your reaching out to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHILLUE: Punk'd. Juan, I say guilty. He even talks like a Russian. "Kompromat"? What's he talking about?
WILLIAMS: Oh, the idea is the compromising material.
SHILLUE: Oh, yes. It sounds like, you know...
PERINO: Get it? "Kompro-mat."
SHILLUE: OK. The -- sounds like collusion, right?
WILLIAMS: Oh, it does? Sounds to me like this is...
SHILLUE: Chatting with the Russians.
WILLIAMS: How old is this story, Tom?
SHILLUE: It's -- this is fresh. It's fresh. It's fresh.
WILLIAMS: You're like the guy from the bakery. "Yes, well, it was here yesterday."
SHILLUE: Freshened it up.
GUILFOYLE: Fresh.
WILLIAMS: The story has been here for years, but it's out now because Republicans want to bury that Schiff memo that the president has to decide on.
SHILLUE: You couldn't...
WILLIAMS: They're attacking Schiff all of a sudden, like, "Oh, this is new."
SHILLUE: Why are you promoting the memo? Aren't the Republicans saying release all the memo? Release the memo? They voted to release it. They want all the memos out, right.
WILLIAMS: Yes, so Trump hasn't approved the release of the memo. So right now, he's on a hot spot. Everybody is waiting to see what he does. And I think that's why Trump's allies now decide, "You know what? We've got to go after Adam Schiff."
GUILFOYLE: So you're saying these are Trump's allies, and they set him up with -- come on.
WILLIAMS: Not set him up with the phone call. The phone call was a prankster call, Kimberly.
GUILFOYLE: Well, right, but you want to blame the president for that?
WILLIAMS: It's an old story that they brought out now because of the memo.
GUILFOYLE: I hear what you're saying, but nevertheless, he took the call. He did say...
PERINO: Didn't they do this with Sarah Palin? They -- when she was on the campaign trail and these radio pranksters called.
SCHIFF: Yes, they tricked a lot of this.
PERINO: And they said president of whatever, and she took the call. And it's just like you should have protocols, but sometimes on a campaign, you don't.
SHILLUE: He said that he thought all along that it was -- that it was a prank. So why did he get on the line? If he thought it was a prank, don't you think he would've given it to some of his flunkies?
PERINO: Well, did he think it was a prank from the very beginning? Or when he starts talking to them? Because you can sort of hear it in his voice. Is like, OK, and then what?
SHILLUE: He was just taking notes.
WATTERS: Here's when he should've known it was a prank. The Russian woman's name was Olga Pusalot. Pusalot.
PERINO: I get it.
WATTERS: I mean, Schiff is a sucker. Come on.
And why...
GUILFOYLE: He would have caught that right away. He's used that line.
WATTERS: Pusalot, please.
Why do the Democrats keep wanting to see Trump naked? What is it with you guys? First the dossier. Then you're taking -- oh, nude Trump. OH, let's call our FBI contacts. What is it with you guys? You guys are running on revenge porn.
WILLIAMS: Revenge porn.
WATTERS: That's all you guys have, revenge porn.
WILLIAMS: OH, I think Stormy Daniels might have revenge porn.
WATTERS: You mean the daughter of the Kardashians, that Stormy?
WILLIAMS: No, no. Stormy Daniels. Look it up. I don't think your mom will let you see it.
WATTERS: Never heard of her.
GUILFOYLE: Really intellectual conversation.
SHILLUE: Hey, guys, we have to go. Is that what they are telling me? You guys putting all the -- can you put the split screen before we leave of Schiff? I don't look like Adam Schiff. All right?
WATTERS: Oh, my God. You do.
GUILFOYLE: Put it up.
SHILLUE: This is what everyone on Twitter does. They put my face next to Adam.
WATTERS: Oh, you do. You do.
PERINO: You kind of do. But you know what? He's very handsome.
SHILLUE: He is very handsome.
GUILFOYLE: What?
PERINO: I'm just complimenting Tom.
SHILLUE: Kimberly, you look...
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: "One More Thing" is up next.
GUILFOYLE: Well, you're better looking than he is.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUILFOYLE: Hi. It's time now for "One More Thing." And another amazing episode of the highly-acclaimed, yes, "Kimberly's Food Court." There we go. Not sponsored by onions or beets. Remember that.
OK. So here's some amazing news that my friend Jesse Watters, who never wants me to pass up a good food court, let me know about today. McDonald's is launching a limited-edition version of the Big Mac for a limited time. That's redundant. The junior and supersized version will celebrate 50 years since it launched. Jesse's going to dig in right there.
So we have the Mack Junior, which I shall have here. Sans onions.
WATTERS: Oh, my God.
GUILFOYLE: And he has a Grand Big Mac.
WATTERS: They're good.
GUILFOYLE: And they're available from February 7 to March 20.
Jesse, you think yours is good?
WATTERS: It's so good. It's all over my face.
GUILFOYLE: That's a different -- that's Carl's Jr.
WATTERS: It's so good.
GUILFOYLE: When you get it all over your face.
WATTERS: That's all over the place. Amazing.
PERINO: It smells great.
GUILFOYLE: This is actually quite delicious and the perfect size. Jesse.
WATTERS: Yes. OK. So elementary school in Texas, there was a gentleman serving overseas in Qatar and was just welcomed back for a little surprise. Let's see it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUSIC: Proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy! This is my daddy!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATTERS: Aww. So Staff Sergeant Garrett Marin surprised his son Connor Marin, Pecan Grove Elementary School. And I just love those moments. They're great to watch. And just, you know...
PERINO: Fantastic.
WATTERS: ... beautiful.
GUILFOYLE: Love them. Oh, very nice. Juan.
WILLIAMS: OK. So, you know, I'm a baby hugger. You all know that from my love for my grandkids.
So I was thrilled today that Gerber baby food company gave a big unconventional hug when it selected its 2018 Baby of the Year. They chose Lucas Warren, a 1-year-old with Down Syndrome. He's the first child with Down syndrome to be picked for the role of Gerber spokesbaby since the contest started in 2010. He was chosen from a pool of more than 140,000 entries.
And a Gerber spokeswoman explained, "Gerber has a long-standing heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby. And this year, Lucas is a perfect fit."
Congratulations, Lucas.
PERINO: So cute.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God. Adorable.
PERINO: Cute. Want me to go, K.G.?
GUILFOYLE: Yes.
PERINO: All right. Today David Beckham, you know him, K.G.?
GUILFOYLE: Yes, yes.
PERINO: So he launched a global malaria campaign. Malaria must die so millions can live. Calling upon leaders to prioritize the fight against malaria and build a strong mandate for bold political action.
This is a disease that we could actually eliminate in our lifetime. The campaign launched with a film featuring Beckham in a glass box under attack by a swarm of mosquitoes, which is, like, one of my worst nightmares. But it does represent the overwhelming threat malaria poses.
And you can find out more at malariamustdie.com. It can be done, you guys.
GUILFOYLE: I totally support this. It's very deadly. It really affects children, too.
PERINO: We've made great progress.
GUILFOYLE: He's a good guy.
SHILLUE: All right. Tom is next. What have I doing? Besides the radio show, I've been doing theater. Back to my roots. Riverdale Children's Theater, the best children's theater in America. Look at Captain Hook, that's me as Captain Hook.
WILLIAMS: Is that you?
SHILLUE: A production of "Peter Pan," and I was in it with my kids. It's a great theater. We did almost 70 kids and me as Captain Hook. There's my daughters, Agnes and Louise. They were in the cast.
PERINO: So cute.
SHILLUE: And there's -- I think we have a group photo of the whole cast.
WILLIAMS: Look at that.
PERINO: Tom, that's kind of a big deal.
GUILFOYLE: No, it is a big deal.
SHILLUE: Huge theater.
GUILFOYLE: He is very talented. He's very recession proof, because he can, you know, hang with us.
PERINO: How many nights?
SHILLUE: We did it -- we did six performances, and it's a great theater if anyone is in New York. It's the Riverdale Children's Theater.
PERINO: Impressive, I have to say.
WILLIAMS: Wait, but you were the only adult in the show?
SHILLUE: We did have another adult playing, you know, Mrs. Darling. You play Captain Hook and Mr. Darling. The Darling family. So -- but it was a great huge, wonderful cast.
PERINO: Did you ever forget a line?
GUILFOYLE: Found an onion.
SHILLUE: You know, I was a little bit loose with the lines sometimes.
PERINO: You improvise a little bit? Radio has done that for you.
SHILLUE: Exactly.
WILLIAMS: Did you scratch your nose with the hook?
GUILFOYLE: I've got to go. Set your DVRs. Never miss an episode of "The Five." "Special Report" is up next with Shannon Bream tonight.
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