President Trump's media war and ESPN's political correctness
This is a rush transcript from "The Five," August 23, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Hi, I am Greg Gutfeld, with Kimberly Guilfoyle, Juan Williams, Brian Kilmeade and she plays hide and seek in the dollhouse, Dana Perino -- "The Five."
We learned one thing last night: The media is the disease and Donald Trump is the cure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I mean, truly dishonest people in the media and the fake media. They make up stories.
I'm really doing this to show you how damn dishonest these people are.
Well, I mean, CNN is really bad. But ABC this morning -- I don't want it much but I am watching in the morning. And to have little George Stephanopoulos talking to Nikki Haley, right? Little George.
It's time to expose the crooked media deceptions and to challenge the media for their role in fomenting division.
And yes, by the way, they are trying to take away our history and our heritage.
These are sick people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: "Little George." It got better. Trump taped an infomercial for FNC, knowing that it is airing on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I must tell you, Fox has treated me fairly. Fox has treated me fairly.
Someday they might not treat me fairly and I will tell you about it. Okay? But they've treated me fairly. And I don't mean all good, I got plenty of bad on Fox too. But at least it's within reason. And "Hannity," how good is "Hannity"?
And he's a great guy. And he is an honest guy. And "Fox & Friends" in the morning is the best show. And it's the absolute most honest show. And it's a show I watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: "Fox & Friends." A poor man's "Five."
(LAUGHTER)
BRIAN KILMEADE, GUEST CO-HOST: We were here first. We were the Neil Armstrong of television.
GUTFELD: No. No. Your days are numbered, your days are numbered.
KILMEADE: You were in high school when we started.
GUTFELD: I know.
Anyway, you got to admit that is awesome trolling: Plugging FNC on CNN. That is like ordering a Coke at the Pepsi factory.
Now, by now we know Trump's spiel: The media makes a big deal out of nothing. It craps a redwood from an acorn. But just before his rally, ESPN proved him right. They fooled a reporter from the UVA game because his name was Robert Lee. Yes. It sounded too close to Sara Lee and their pound cake goes straight your hips. Actually, they were worried his name might cause teasing because of the fuss over statues. How sad: Protecting a grown man from jokes. Is ESPN still a sports network? What is the sport, patty cake? Talk about hysteria. And it supports Trump's media analysis: When you react preemptively over a cowardly fear of something that doesn't exist, you are broken.
And the media thinks Trump is unstable? ESPN is trapped in a mirage were all things are viewed irrationally because the poor saps are held hostage to fear. Note: They are not literally held hostage, just a figure of speech.
So, what's next, ESPN? Ban words like monumental or statuesque? What about players name Jefferson or Davis? But really, the story is a healthy sign: Once exposed, everyone did laugh at it. But it leads me to one question: Does ESPN still cover sports or just their asses?
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Oh my gosh!
GUTFELD: Kilmeade. Donald Trump gushing about "Fox & Friends." When you heard him do that, did you high five yourself in the mirror of your lonely sad hotel room?
KILMEADE: It's bit of a surreal experience. The President of the United States in front of the capacity crowd in Phoenix -- I expect that it was -- I fully expect my mom to do that.
GUTFELD: Yes.
KILMEADE: Because she does like "Fox & Friends" and she has got a lot of choices. She controls the channel. I don't know why because she even has movie channels. But I do say this.
(LAUGHTER)
KILMEADE: But that's what Donald Trump is. He is absolutely transparent in that he watched George Stephanopoulos give an interview after an Afghanistan policy about a war we are fighting and trying to win. He got one question out and it was back to eight days later. George Stephanopoulos. How do I hurt his feelings? Attack his height. So, what else do I have in my mind, I start the day with "Fox & Friends" and I like those guys.
GUTFELD: Yes.
KILMEADE: So, I just know Donald Trump as being somebody who speaks the truth, who agrees with my mom.
GUTFELD: I could never be president. I could never say how I start my day.
(LAUGHTER)
GUILFOYLE: So, gross.
GUTFELD: You don't know what that means!
GUILFOYLE: Oh, I do.
GUTFELD: So, Juan, should the NFL continue using Dixie cups on the sidelines?
JUAN WILLIAMS, CO-HOST: Dixie cups. Yes, that's a good question. That is about the equivalent in your mind.
GUTFELD: Yes.
WILLIAMS: That is how serious you think this is.
GUILFOYLE: Yes. Hard-hitting news here.
GUTFELD: What do you make of my connection between ESPN and Trump? That ESPN somehow proved them right but they're kind of like a radical thinking. Yes.
WILLIAMS: No. I don't think they proved him right but I think it was, you know, right before this speech and I think the conservative echo chamber exploded. I mean, you brought it up here.
GUTFELD: I'm part of the echo chamber, America.
KILMEADE: You thought ESPN was out of control --
WILLIAMS: No, no. I think it's an absurd and crazy decision. On the face of it, now there's a statement out from ESPN, which they said, it had nothing to do with anybody being offended by Robert Lee announcing the Virginia game. That in fact, it was about whether or not there would be means and hectoring and --
GUTFELD: They're worried about teasing.
WILLIAMS: Yes. Teasing Robert Lee and that Robert Lee was going to be --
GUILFOYLE: And heckling, yes.
KILMEADE: By the way -- ESPN, I might have to work there.
GUTFELD: Yes. Great move.
GUILFOYLE: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: Who knows?
GUILFOYLE: The way the fortune-teller is talking over here. Oh my goodness!
GUTFELD: Yes. I've got my eyes on your seat. Kimberly, you buy -- Juan buys the excuse that they were protecting him from being teased.
GUILFOYLE: Uh-hm.
GUTFELD: It's kind of odd. I mean, would anybody protect you as an announcer?
GUILFOYLE: Has anyone ever protected me? No! Are you kidding me? I'm like the dark board, I'm like the local, you know, deadliest catch bar. Anyway, no. What I think though is, they were protecting themselves. They are not protecting Robert Lee. They want to act like they are altruistic, and we're just looking out for this guy and trying to protect their employee. I don't think that's the case.
I think they're worried that if they were going to face criticism, and it was going to be another sad round of publicity for them. But opps, that actually happened anyway because of the way they had it. And then all day long, you saw everyone was putting up a picture of Robert Lee, such a nice guy. Poor thing. And, you know, it is on and on. And now people are making fun of ESPN and saying, they have kind of no compass. Their compass is whether or not it might be bad press for them. Not about what the right thing to do is.
KILMEADE: Right. But what about the most famous sportscaster who's been there since day one, his name is Bob Lee, why did he escape? Why would they try to protect him from a meme?
GUILFOYLE: I will go by the short nickname like not the full --
GUTFELD: I just hate it when cable network gets bad controversy. Hey, Dana, doesn't this story reveal the difference between the perception of possible outrage and real outrage?
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: Yes.
GUTFELD: And I think we operate the media by possible outrage, we are constantly worried about what we are going to say.
PERINO: I self-edit.
GUTFELD: Yes. You have a filthy mind. You know?
PERINO: I actually do think that -- I think that they were over thinking it.
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: And I think they made a terrible decision and I was the first to say this was the most ridiculous story.
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: But, I think that they probably were, when they got around the -- they probably have consultants who called in, like charging them a lot of money to sit around and say, we should really try to protect him.
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: Because he is going to be the subject of all of these insults on Twitter. I can actually buy that. I don't think they were necessarily happened here. I think that they went way overboard. Because every action causes this overreaction in a situation. But Megan McArdle at Bloomberg, she wrote a piece today saying that we are all afraid of the online mob.
GUTFELD: Uh-hm.
PERINO: So that you're making decisions and editing yourself before you can even get anything out because you are afraid of the social media backlash. Actually, if you turn it off, it doesn't exist.
GUTFELD: No, it's like a cloudy day if you just look away. You don't see the clouds.
KILMEADE: Do you want to know how I do it? You have a pan handy? Do you want to try this?
GUTFELD: Yes.
KILMEADE: Okay. What I do is I forget my password. So, I don't log on. I have no idea what --
PERINO: Your password is not "password?"
GUTFELD: It's true. I know what it is, it's "I heart Lucy."
(LAUGHTER)
KILMEADE: We are not really sure. It would be more likely to be Ainsley. So, put it that way. I can't give away my password. But actually, I am not bothered by things I don't know.
GUTFELD: Yes.
KILMEADE: So, I love the line --
PERINO: This is actually the next step.
KILMEADE: I have no idea what's going on.
PERINO: I think people are going to start walking away. At least from the twitter side of this.
GUILFOYLE: Yes.
PERINO: Because there is not enough room for context. I re-tweeted something that Mike Rowe wrote today on Facebook and response to somebody who called a white nationalist.
GUTFELD: Uh-hm.
PERINO: And his response is so thoughtful. But it takes a lot longer for him to explain it so he does it on Facebook. I thought Tucker Carlson tonight, he said that he basically took Twitter off of all of his devices. And this is actually the next step in all of this which is, just walk away. Walk away from it.
WILLIAMS: Backlash. Backlash.
GUTFELD: Two sets of people. And I would include Juan in this, are happier people. You don't read your ad mentions on Twitter. I don't see you ever looking at anything.
PERINO: He doesn't know how.
WILLIAMS: No, no. I know how. But I'm just saying something, I mean, it gets pretty nasty. Right?
GUILFOYLE: Ignore it.
WILLIAMS: You can't. But I will say that you do feel at times like you know what? People find out things. There's gossip. Mostly, trash a gossip or someone -- putting someone down --
GUTFELD: Yes.
WILLIAMS: But a lot of that is going on and I just say --
GUTFELD: It is a bathroom wall that never ends.
PERINO: I do like it for the -- like monitoring breaking news -- I wrote a piece last week in the reformed Jewish journal, I believe that Bethany Mundell had tweeted. And I never would have seen that before but it was about this security guard in Charlottesville that was guarding the synagogue. And now a retired naval officer came over and helped him to be able to protect it. That's something I never would have seen with the course of my --
GUTFELD: It's true.
PERINO: -- news consumption but I don't like to look at the comments.
GUILFOYLE: No, and I think that the best part of it. I love Twitter for that because you can't get an access, it's like the really great way to aggregate and get all the different, you know, articles. But, you know, the cheap shots are just, you know.
WILLIAMS: Hey, wait a second, I thought I was the one -- you said to Kimberly that I was making excuses when I said, they were reacting to this and worrying about him. But in fact, all of you were saying, well, the social media thing drives people and they are too quick to react.
GUTFELD: Right. If you are trying to expose our hypocrisy, how dare you.
(LAUGHTER)
KILMEADE: It's not going to work.
WILLIAMS: It's not going to work.
GUTFELD: Let's transition onto something else.
(LAUGHTER)
GUILFOYLE: Let's do it. We're "five and friends."
WILLIAMS: We turned on each other.
GUTFELD: Any thoughts on over, we're going to talk about the media response and the people are getting thoughts on the rally?
KILMEADE: The really, yesterday, a lot different than today's speech in Nevada. A lot different from Mondays. I think that the President was pleased with the rally and that's probably most important. I'm really curious to see where this whole thing goes because he has not provided the screaming headlines for his enemies like he has in past weeks. We are going to have to work for the controversy this week.
GUTFELD: Dana?
PERINO: I'd say his base is with him no matter what. So, again, I go back to -- you have this opportunity. You could drive one thing. The most important thing on his legislative agenda for the fall is tax reform. Unless it's the wall. I mean, it could be. Maybe he thinks that the wall is the most important thing. But the House is already put it in the budget and funded it. So, I don't think --
(CROSSTALK)
So, it's tax reform. So, it's tax reform. And you have capacity crowds in Arizona, and they are screaming fans and you say, here is what I want, I want tax reform, I wanted on my desk by November 1st and here's what I want in it and here's why it's going to help all of you, now help me get there. I think that would be a better use of his time. I think that the bashing of the media in some ways -- I get it but there's no way to drive the headline. And then again, like the action and overreaction, it is the nitpicking on both sides.
GUTFELD: I know that it's probably not healthy or positive but I kind of enjoy it, Juan. Does that make me a weak person?
WILLIAMS: No, but it's like pro-wrestling.
GUTFELD: Yes.
WILLIAMS: It's just like entertaining.
KILMEADE: Little George.
GUTFELD: Yes. I mean, he does. He labels people.
PERINO: I mean, imagine if Obama did that to you. I mean, he came after Fox --
(CROSSTALK)
GUTFELD: Yes. We're going immediate.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, "Saturday Night Live" was not --
GUTFELD: They had an overweight man play, you want "Saturday Night Live." Remember that?
KILMEADE: And I had them removed --
GUILFOYLE: And you do that exercise program.
WILLIAMS: Let me just quickly jump in and say that I thought that he was reacting throughout much of the speech last night to what had happened with the Charlottesville stuff.
GUTFELD: Yes.
WILLIAMS: And so, he's going after the press. He is pulling out the speech and saying I said this. He doesn't mention he said "both sides." And then he has this guy behind him. And I found this guy tremendously entertaining -- he was a black eye holding up a sign that says "Blacks support Trump." And then you find out, this guy has twice been accused of murder. He's member of a cult. He's saying Obama is the beast and Hillary is some other --
GUTFELD: Who hasn't done that?
WILLIAMS: But I mean, so this is the guy behind the President of the United States.
GUTFELD: He is literally behind him.
GUILFOYLE: They should not make sure that their people --
WILLIAMS: Oh, I thought that you're going to do it Greg and tell me it was --
GUTFELD: But don't you remember there was somebody --
GUILFOYLE: America's most wanted.
GUTFELD: A parent of somebody that was -- wasn't Omar Mateen's dad --
GUILFOYLE: Yes. And if the Hillary Clinton --
GUTFELD: Yes. I don't want to mix my facts up. Because I've done enough of that tonight.
GUILFOYLE: You were correct.
GUTFELD: Okay. Omar Mateen's dad.
All right. Coming up, you will hear some of the media's hysterical reaction to President Trump's rally in Phoenix last night. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUILFOYLE: President Trump pounded the media at his rally in Phoenix last night and many in the mainstream media, well, they weren't amused.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: What we have witnessed was a total eclipse of the facts, someone who came out on stage and lied directly to the American people. He's unhinged. It's embarrassing. And I don't mean for us, the media because he went after us but for the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This with incitement plain and simple. I turned my cell phone camera on the crowd just so you could see the reaction there as we were on stage. That's what it looks like when the President turns the crowd on you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was Donald Trump at his worst. He sounded like an autocrat trying to dehumanize his allies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Okay. So, strong reaction from the mainstream media. And you saw that across the board. And I guess it's from all the people, Greg that were not -- there wasn't "Fox & Friends" or "HANNITY" or FNC.
GUTFELD: This is for the fans. It wasn't for them. For example, it's like going into a concert of the band that you don't like but the fans are screaming, they're crying, you just don't get it. Well, that's not their fault. That's your fault. Under President Obama, I ran into people every day who thought America was heading to ruin under President Obama. Donald Trump was one of them.
Now, Trump's in charge, there's another group that believes the world is going to end. The difference here is, they are in the media. They are looking for something that doesn't exist. They expect Donald Trump to stand up there and sue them. That's like expecting a qualifier to, you know, recite Shakespeare. It ain't going to happen. He's not your guy. You have to find soothing somewhere else. And the people that are complaining about, he's disruptive are the same people that are on Twitter seeking conflict.
GUILFOYLE: Okay. So that's who they are.
GUTFELD: I don't think people want to be soothed.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Dana, so was the reaction won expected by the media to the speech and do you think it's fair?
PERINO: Well, yes, to be expected just because it's a pattern. It's like the same thing over and over again. Which is why it's a little bit tiresome. But like for somebody like Cecilia Vega who was actually there on the ground. Like here we are in the comfort of our own studio and we are not there in the crowd and observing it. And that's what they are there to do. And she is absolutely free to express her opinion as is everybody else. But there could be a reaction to that, right?
So, people think that they have gone way too far. I think that -- I just don't know if there is actually anything new. I did see something to Greg's point -- Katie Couric tweeted that she had watched the speech and then she said she reread the transcript this morning. She was more afraid for our country than ever. And I do think that that kind of over embellishment of the worries of the country are too much.
But I also think that the attacks were, they went too far and I would have used the time much more effectively. Because that base is going to love him no matter what he says. They will roar and cheer for things like tax reform or the wall and whatever he wants to talk about.
KILMEADE: Where has everyone been? They act like that was a unique event.
PERINO: Right.
KILMEADE: Now all of a sudden you have Carl Bernstein wondering about the mental health of the President. You have James Clapper, who is always sound asleep.
GUTFELD: Uh-hm.
KILMEADE: He comes out and says that the President want out -- he doesn't feel -- he is worried about his hand on the nuclear codes. The guy who actually makes the most sense. David Axelrod said, this is very the talked of him being removed from office, of being mentally imbalance, it's a very dangerous road. That he's got over a third of the country backing him. What are you trying to do, take him out of office after he won an election fair and square?
GUILFOYLE: All right. So, you made reference to that. We've got that clip. I'll get Juan's reaction.
KILMEADE: Juan?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I don't know when I've listen and watched something like this from a President that I found more disturbing. I found this downright scary and disturbing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you questioning his fitness?
CLAPPER: Yes, I do. I really question his ability to -- his fitness to be in this office. And I also am beginning to wonder about his motivation for. Maybe he is looking for a way out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Very interesting. Juan.
KILMEADE: A way out.
GUILFOYLE: He did that rally.
PERINO: But he said that before he was inaugurated.
GUILFOYLE: So, he did that rally and, you know, worked up the crowd and did everything so that he could leave the presidency. I mean, that just doesn't make sense to me.
WILLIAMS: I think the guy who wrote the art of the deal with him also says that he thinks Trump is looking for a way out. But I don't know.
KILMEADE: I spoke to him in 1988.
WILLIAMS: I don't know. There is any significance, that is just people saying this stuff. I take those significance. People like Frank Luntz who used to do, I guess, he still does pulling who said, you know, Trump was more critical of the media in terms of stirring up that crowd than he was neo-Nazis or even radical Islamic terrorists. So, Trump is playing to a base. He's pandering. I don't think he's catering to an appetite of people who say, oh, you know, what, the government is too big. He's just stirring them up. I mean, he's just firing them up.
KILMEADE: But do you think he's sincere?
WILLIAMS: -- bad behavior and anger.
KILMEADE: Do you think he's sincere though? Do you think he's sincerely feels that way? He feels he was misinterpreted. He's watching some of his surrogates and his cabinet --
GUILFOYLE: That's what he does things.
KILMEADE: -- on these channels, and seeing no questions about the issues like Afghanistan. And all about personal attacks. I don't think he's pandering. That's Donald Trump. If we went out to dinner with him, he'd be saying the same thing.
WILLIAMS: Yes, but he would be lying. And that's the problem. Because he doesn't say to you -- he doesn't say to you, he says the media is so dishonest. These people are despicable and he doesn't say, oh, yes, but you know what? I did say that both sides are responsible. He doesn't say, oh, you know, I said some things and maybe they were misinterpreted and I sincerely apologize. But here's who I really am. He doesn't say that. He goes after the press.
GUTFELD: But here's the difference. Everything you said is true. Everything you said is true. However, it's funny to half of America. When we are watching it, we are actually entertained. We are not taking it that seriously. We are just going oh, it is Uncle Donald. This is great. This is what he does. We see it as fun. The other side is horrified. Like they're watching this horrible destruction of the country.
PERINO: I have a question then. So, what do you think of it was the reverse? So, if President Obama was highly critical in this way and the rest of the country with laughing? I don't know how we would have reacted.
GUTFELD: You know, I would say that there are people that had an idea that Obama was destroying the country, that he was a secret communist. That everything he did was destroying -- it wasn't that, he was reckless and crazy and unstable, he was more sinister and subversive. But it is a mirror. You see the mirror. The right side of him is subversive and sinister.
KILMEADE: And so, he saw people who are critical of him, he just said it in a more dignified and eloquent way. He resented every day at Fox and you know like in interviews, he would always say, I have a network dedicated just to provide division and destruction. Every day, that was one network. Can you imagine you had 9,000 like Donald Trump? It gets you a little angry.
PERINO: But I did think that Fox handled it well in saying, like, he didn't overreact, I don't think. But you just like okay, let's continue to ask for interviews. Cover the stories, whatever. I do think when you get to every commentator in the panel last night on CNN having to explain --
GUTFELD: Oh my God!
PERINO: That it got a little bit again. But again, I am not in their shoes.
GUTFELD: It was like, they watched the day after, nuclear apocalypse. Their faces were melting. It was like, you guys --
PERINO: It was little over the top.
KILMEADE: And what it does is, it goes back to why half of the population thinks it's funny. There's something wrong.
WILLIAMS: But I keep saying to you is, when he says things like poor Jeffrey Lord, thrown off at CNN.
GUTFELD: Yes.
WILLIAMS: And then he doesn't -- what?
KILMEADE: What's wrong with that?
WILLIAMS: He didn't mention. This is why I am telling you about deception and lies by omission. Oh, yes, Jeffrey Lord tweeted out Steve Hyle --
GUTFELD: I guess it's a part of the continuation --
WILLIAMS: But I was telling you, he doesn't say these things. And then you get into horrible situations where his people go outside and say, you know, John McCain should die and then Meghan McCain, our colleagues says, you know, that's cruelty. What are you doing?
GUTFELD: Yes. Trump supporter also got like, coldcocked by a protester.
GUILFOYLE: Right.
WILLIAMS: Right.
GUILFOYLE: That's a wrap. Smile, Greg. New audio just released from Hillary Clinton's upcoming book on her election disaster. The moment that made her skin crawl during the campaign. We will play it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: Remember the second Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? That was the one were the two are allowed to roam around the stage. That debate was just two days after the release of the infamous access Hollywood tapes. And Hillary Clinton is speaking out about her experience that night. In her new upcoming book, about the election it is called, "What happened?" Secretary Clinton narrated the audio version of the book herself, take a listen to the excerpt?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: This is not ok, I thought. It was the second Presidential debate and Donald Trump was looming behind me. It was incredibly uncomfortable. He was literally breathing down my neck. My skin crawled. Stay calm, keep smiling and carry on as if he weren't repeatedly invading your space. Or do you turn, look him in the eye, and say loudly and clearly, back up, you creep. Get away from me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: All right Greg you are often accused of being physically intimidating around people. How would you have dealt with that?
GUTFELD: You have to say that. Calling Trump a creep? She should know, she is the expert. She is the Marlin Perkins of creep kingdom. She is up close with a creep in its natural habitat. A frat house filing a noise complaint. She was with the ultimate creep. By the way an audiobook. A book, may be. Audio? No. No. People should want to hear your voice but that is like fingernails on a chalkboard doing an audiobook.
PERINO: I think you would have to listen to that at one point, five speed.
GUILFOYLE: It's a whole lot of something. Just listening to it, I've been hearing it on Fox all day. It's just brutal. Brutal, brutal, brutal.
KILMEADEReal Geminis book on tape, no one gets --
PERINO: You have to admire their P.R. tech.
KILMEADE: It is great, we are currently trying to understand why she lost. Now she is just making money off of it. They get there to back her perspective. I thought the book is shattered to the great job of dispassionately running down what happened. I don't need to hear that. Especially that children's voice delivery.
PERINO: Surely no one at this table is going to begrudge anybody making money off of writing a book and telling their story.
GUILFOYLE: Hired jasper to read the book, Juan.
PERINO: Some Democrats have been trying to get their footing and they want to move on. Because they have to. Right? This book will be very popular. It will look at a lot of play, for the next four weeks, the lead up to the lodge. She will be doing interviews. Probably a gift to President Trump, because he can get out there and talk about her a lot. Does this actually help the Democrats at this moment to have the book come out? Or just trying to get their footing?
WILLIAMS: I don't think so because of just what you said. It's the big trees, taking the sunlight away from the saplings that might be coming up in the Democrats. They are having some intense discussions trying to find their way. I don't know if this hurts them. I think Trump, of course lock her up and all the rest will come back. What strikes me here the most is when you listen to the little bits we are getting out of the book, she goes back pretty strongly and says she thought she got absolutely damaged by the email story. The emails story is way out of proportion. I can't argue with her on that point. I think there are lots of people especially conservatives who want to beat her up. I think they would delight in her saying not being accountable for the fact that she lost an election by all accounts she should have won.
PERINO: All right. Is there a controversy viewing over President Trump's proposed boarding walls? We will have the story after this very quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIAMS: Is there a September showdown brewing between the congress and Trump the White House? The government is going to shut down at the end of September, now complicating matters, President Trump said last night that he is willing to have the government shutdown, if congress doesn't fund the border wall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are building the wall on the southern border which is absolutely necessary. The obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it but believe me, we have to close down our government, and we are building that wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: But the president may have problems getting exactly what he wants from congress. The New York Times following up on my column in the hill is reporting that the president's relationship with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has "disintegrated." as with the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL RYAN, HOUSE SPEAKER: I don't think the government shutdown is necessary I don't think most people want to see a government shutdown, ourselves included.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: The White House downplayed any disunity tonight, they put out a statement saying the president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quote, remained united on many shared priorities. Dana, when you look at this, and the Times says, McConnell and Trump haven't spoken in weeks? I'm like wow.
PERINO: I don't think it's that big of deal actually, because I think that --it happened like three weeks ago. It was reported at the time. The New York Times got a little bit more details so they put more out there, I don't think that is new, but I also think the reaction from both McConnell and Trump basically, maybe they had words. And as gentlemen do, they walked away from it and know they have to work together. They have a business relationship. That is probably a good thing.
I took the President's comments last night about shutting down the government like he when he said fire and fury when he talked about North Korea. This is something - this is what he is saying. Look at the border yesterday. I think it's going to inch towards -- which he satisfied with the funding that Speaker Ryan has already put in. The house has already voted on twice. It now goes over to the senate. They will get some sort of a mix on physical electronic barriers and the President will be satisfied that the walls going to be built.
WILLIAMS: So he'll get a win, but the problem is - I mean the reason I take it seriously is when you talk to people on Capitol Hill, they are saying this guy is going after Jeff Flake, John McCain, we see people -- Bob Corker of Tennessee saying he is not stable. And McConnell himself said the President had --
PERINO: I will say one thing on that. Something like the Jeff Flake would probably vote with the President 98 percent of the time. Mike Pence voted against President George W. Bush on two very key votes. Medicare part b and something else. That happened it its ok. You don't have to go after them all the time.
KILMEADE: Right and I will tell you this, with Jeff Flake, he is going to be on Fox & Friends tomorrow. That is exclusive. I read Jeff Flake's book. He basically agrees on almost everything except for the border wall, because he wants a see-through wall. The President also mention last night, and some places, you have to be able to see through the wall. That is showing he is giving a little bit. That is something Jeff Flake goes along with. One more thing, $1.6 billion going to the program is going nowhere? The senate doesn't even want to look at it, because they don't want to put a lot of these Republicans in the Border States don't want to vote for it. Obviously no Democrat will. It's going to die an ugly death. Imagine it if the President says yes, let me build a border wall and let those DACA guys stay, let those DACA kids stay.
WILLIAMS: It may work out that way, but Kimberly, you have a situation where, at least to my mind, you have a number of Republican Senators who feel like Trump is attacking the congress and you see this right wing radio, and they blame congress. They blame Mitch McConnell. They point out his approval rating in Kentucky like 18 percent. And then they say it's not Trump's fault. If that going to work for the President?
GUILFOYLE: It is not Trump's fault that McConnell's rating is so low?
WILLIAMS: No, no. It is not Trump's fault that the legislative agenda in terms of the accomplishments is zero.
GUILFOYLE: If that is what the White House thinks, the people that work for this administration -- look, we are frustrated because he feels that he was instrumental in delivering not only the oval to the Republican Party but the house and the senate. He is frustrated that he hasn't been able to put through this legislative agenda. He is upset. Is he going to talk with them? Yes. There will be a series of meetings and everyone can put on their big boy pants or shorts of everyone I do. They will have to work it out and get it together if they want to look good and do something good for the American people.
WILLIAMS: That is exactly the point I was going to make to Greg. What happens now?
GUTFELD: I think this is overblown. I think that President Trump and Mitch McConnell are an old couple on a cruise. You know they get there, they got to work together.
GUILFOYLE: Not one of those honeymoons where someone kills the other person --
GUTFELD: I was going to get there. One does end up mysteriously gone. Mitch is that person you complain about but you missed him when he is not there. Kind of like Jesse. I miss Jesse. Before I would like to see him.
KILMEADE: let us say this, we are stuck with each other, Mitch McConnell gave a statement today saying, I'm going to work on the President's agenda, they get along. Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson got along -- they would actually fight each other in Boston in Fenway Park. Do you know how the season ended? They won a world series.
WILLIAMS: You have people like Susan Collins saying he may not be the nominee in 2020. She is a Republican and both are probably most of the time. There is a lot of bad feelings -- hurt feelings. I thought The New York Times was right about something today. They have the quote of the day from Elaine Chao, Mitch McConnell's wife. She said she stands by her man. Both of them.
A boxing legend is blasting former quarterback Colin Kaepernick for not standing during the national anthem. That report directly ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KILMEADE: All right today in New York City, activism held a protest at NFL headquarters due to the fact that no team has signed Colin Kaepernick. Meanwhile Mr. Kaepernick made headlines last year over his refusal to stand for the national anthem. Due to his belief that there is widespread police brutality in the country. One person who had no sympathy for Colin Kaepernick surprisingly is a man who grew up in '60s -- during a lot of social and civil arrest and became a heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, George Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE FOREMAN, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: A lot of us died in war so they could have that privilege. I love the United States and I love the flag. There are a lot of people who have not found that reason. They haven't been brought up with people who are patriotic to even point them in the right direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILMEADE: Anyone on that was the stance that not many people are taking these days. Juan, who is right? George Foreman or Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee or those protesters for backing up Kaepernick for not getting a job because he took a knee?
WILLIAMS: I don't think that is the issue. The issue is George Foreman is a big Trump supporter, because Trump helped him when he was going bankrupt. Help him to get fights and help him to get back on his feet, he feels very loyal to Donald Trump. I do think that. Let me tell you something --
KILMEADE: Have you ever -- at 39 years old --
WILLIAMS: He put together some of the deals that help George Foreman gives him credit, I don't know why you're going on, I think he is being loyal. He sees this as part of the culture war Greg was talking about earlier. In fact that people like Muhammad Ali, recently deceased, they saw themselves as fully American but they were willing to stand up against the war in Vietnam and Colin Kaepernick thinks he is too much police brutality aimed at poor blacks in the country, why can't he do it? I disagree with all disrespect of the flag issue personally. But that is my position. But I don't understand why he can't get a job in the NFL.
KILMEADE: It's up to the teams to do it. It's a free market, Greg. Where do you stand on this, Greg? Juan flat out rejected my question. Which has never been done on live television before.
(LAUGHTER)
So I want to ask you the question, you can reject this as well and Dana will take the same question. Who do you side with?
GUTFELD: I think that people come to watch football, not political posturing. I think he can have the right to do it. The football teams have the right not to hire him because it's like -- you don't want to alienate the people. But also for Foreman, it's a generational thing. He is looking at these young pups going they don't know how lucky they have it and how hard -- Colin Kaepernick, adopted by two loving parents who gave him every opportunity to succeed. They were white parents. He got the best of everything. I think George Foreman is going "I wish I had that."
GUILFOYLE: Right. I don't think we should diminish the comments of George Foreman in anyway. I think this is what he really thinks and believes. I don't think he is pandering to the President. His thoughts about someone who is a professional athlete. He is looking at Colin Kaepernick. I stand by the NFL owners and teams that say they don't want him, they don't want him. No offense, I don't want him there before he took a knee.
KILMEADE: All right Dana?
PERINO: I imagine if he was really good, he would have been picked up by now. He would be willing to take the P.R. hit. We started the show talking about Robert Lee, who is being protected by his boss. More bosses. They were going to protect them from the mob and now you have all these people out there trying to protect Colin Kaepernick and try to get him to have a job. Basically, whatever happened to personal responsibility? Is Robert Lee as a sportscaster, is he going to take some hits on social media and let it go? He wanted to do the job.
KILMEADE: Exactly, by the way he turned down $900,000, because as we agree. How can he live on that? He did not want to be a backup quarterback. One more thing, I will expand on the owner that got this situation right -- that is my one more thing. Back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUTFELD: And the doctor says it's a rash.
(LAUGHTER)
GUTFELD: Time for "one more thing." Let's start with Kimberly.
GUILFOYLE: It doesn't look like it. Anything can happen on live television. One British broadcaster had some guest on earlier today who were so excited to be on TV that they could not remain in their seats. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New guidelines are being issued to stop doctors missing cow's milk allergy in infants. I have two of them with me. And you are feeling pretty fit and you are looking pretty fit. What's she like is now on the desk. You just carry-on there. All right girl I think we are going to have a peaceful time at 6:30, but from all of us, a very god afternoon to you. Good-bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my god. What a professional. That was 2-year-old Iris along with her brother George and mom Lucy during an interview on Britain's iTV news about milk allergies. I don't know, they've got a lot of energy. Maybe they are not feeling allergic.
GUTFELD: Children are the greatest, aren't they?
GUILFOYLE: I think you should have some.
GUTFELD: Dana?
PERINO: That is how they handle Fox & friends segments like that. I've got something for Greg. Just for you. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: wow.
PERINO: It's a slow Loris.
(LAUGHTER)
PERINO: It's so funny. And by the way, so good.
GUILFOYLE: little tacky fingerprints.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: I don't like the way they are being objectified. Don't objectify slow Loris is. I'm going to plug my podcast, foxnewspodcast.com or something like that? How to hard stop targets like churches and schools against terrorism. It's a great podcast.
PERINO: Are you reading her book?
GUTFELD: I've read it twice, actually. Where are we going? Juan.
WILLIAMS: Big announcement for New Yorkers today. The Village Voice, the best known alternative newspaper in the country, will no longer have a print edition. The newspaper was created in 1955 and if you have a city paper in your town, there's likely a version of the Village Voice. One of the founders, the news comes as all the country is seeing a steady decline. The paper will be available online. That is a reality for most newspapers.
KILMEADE: I'm sure something will come out.
GUTFELD: Meanwhile, Jerry Jones has got it right. If you want to solve an NFL problem, listen to on the radio. Right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY JONES, COWBOYS OWNER: The act of recognizing the flag is a salute to our country and everyone should save that moment for the recognition of the flag in a positive way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILMEADE: The Dallas Cowboys you are doing it right. They are not taking a knee, they are standing.
GUTFELD: All right, we've got to go. "Hannity" is up next.
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