ProPublica uncovers Border Patrol Facebook group filled with derogatory posts
Border Patrol under fire for Facebook group; reaction from Border Patrol chief Brian Hastings on 'The Story.'
This is a rush transcript from "The Story," July 1, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, ANCHOR: Good evening to you. All right. So, who is telling the truth? We know that Customs and Border Patrol is dealing with a crisis. For three months in a row, a surge of a hundred thousand border crossers have been taken into custody.
They're being held in facilities that were never designed to house them. But today, CBP is on defense after the discovery that some of their people are posting heinous statements on a secret Facebook page called I'm 1015, about the people that are in their custody and about lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In the post, they reportedly share sexual jokes about members of Congress and laugh about the deaths of migrants. The president was asked about this a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't know what they're saying about members of Congress. I know that the Border Patrol is not happy with the Democrats in Congress. I will say, the Republicans do want border security. The Border Patrol, they're patriots, they're great people. They love our country. They know what's coming in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: All right. So, in moments, to tell his side of the story as pressure builds on them is chief of law enforcement operations for U.S. Border Patrol Brian Hastings. But we begin with correspondent David Spunt, who has the backstory on this big story tonight from Washington. David.
DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Martha. This story is troubling, to say the least. And we're learning this group isn't new, it's 3 years old this August. The group has just under 10,000 members. It's a secret Facebook group in ProPublica, the independent investigative journalism organization alerted the public to some of the downright disgusting posts.
Now, the group is made up of current and former members of the U.S. Border Patrol. The banter in the group is derogatory. Members are caught making fun of migrant deaths, including the father and daughter found dead in the Rio Grande last week. Members in the group say that the father and daughter are "too clean", and suggests that members of the Democratic Party faked and edited that upsetting photograph.
Martha, several of the images on the site are of a sexual nature, not only are immigrants depicted this way. Several members of Congress are as well, including Democratic Congresswoman's Veronica Escobar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Now, one member encouraged others to throw burritos at the congresswoman but didn't call them congresswoman, used another word. Ocasio-Cortez tweeting today "9,500 CBP officers sharing memes about dead migrants and discussing violence and sexual misconduct towards members of Congress. How on earth can CBP's culture be trusted to care for refugees humanely? P.S., I have no plans to change my itinerary and will visit the CBP station today.
Now, Ocasio-Cortez lived up to that promise, she spent the day in Clint, Texas near the El Paso. CBP facility, now she toured that border facility that grabbed headlines last week for some of those inhumane conditions.
She was asked about the disturbing face group -- the group today in Texas. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, D-N.Y.: It's just indicative of the violent culture that (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SPUNT: Martha, the inspector general for the office of homeland security investigating this group. Border officials hope to find every member of the group that posted this outrageous things and hold them accountable. Very disturbing story, Martha.
MACCALLUM: David, thank you. So, earlier, I spoke exclusively with chief of law enforcement operations for U.S. Border Patrol Brian Hastings.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MACCALLUM: Sir, thank you very much for being here today. I would imagine that this is a difficult day for you and the folks in leadership there when you look at these really heinous allegations.
BRIAN HASTINGS, CHIEF, LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES BORDER PATROL: It is. These actions are not representative of the professionalisms and the standards of conducts that we, as border patrol agents, hold ourselves accountable to.
MACCALLUM: All right. So, you know, I mean, when you go through these. There are jokes about a 16-year-old migrant from Guatemala who died in custody. And just to give people a sense of what these are like, it says one member posted a GIF of Elmo with the quote, "Oh, well."
Another responded with an image of the words, "If he dies, he dies. I mean, this is -- you know, I mean, it's one thing to say this is -- these are just isolated incident, sir. But what happens to these individuals who are posting things like this who obviously don't belong in your -- in your -- in your leadership group.
HASTINGS: So, each of these incidents have already been turned over to the Office of the Inspector General, and to our own Office of Professional Responsibility within CBP. All of these will be thoroughly investigated, and the appropriate actions will be taken.
MACCALLUM: And what is -- what is the appropriate action?
HASTINGS: We'll have to let the investigation take place in order to know what actions to take. So, there will be a full investigation, as I said. The investigation has already started, and as soon as we were notified of these posts.
MACCALLUM: So, well, I'm just curious, personally. You know, this is an A.P. report about a 12-year-old migrant girl. She says, she and her 6- year-old sister were held, they slept on the floor, some of the children were locked away when they cried for their parents, she said. And that the children had been held in squalid unsanitary conditions not allowed to play or to bathe.
What's your response to that which goes more directly to the other issue which is the conditions in these facilities?
HASTINGS: So, what I would say is we have been transparent for months in the current capacity issues that we have.
Our facilities were not built for long-term detention. They were built for short-term detention. We find ourselves today doing the best we can. And I can tell you that, that is providing the essential meals, essential hygiene products, essential bathing schedules for these folks that we have that are coming into our custody.
Having said that, as I said before, we are not long-term, not meant to house long term or short term detention facilities. And so, we need the help of our partners in order to get these individuals out of our custody and get them into the proper areas where they can be cared for in more of a long-term manner.
MACCALLUM: We know, I guess, I want to get to the heart of your reaction and the response. I mean, is there are no tolerance policy for this sort of behavior because it certainly doesn't help your cause in getting word out that you're doing the very best you can and that you have so many professionals as part of your ranks which we have seen and interviewed as well.
HASTINGS: So, as I said before, there will be a thorough investigation. The proper actions will be taken. And I would also point to a case in point, is we've had over 3,400 rescues so far this fiscal year.
A lot of those rescues have been agents actually jumping in the water, saving migrants and actually reviving migrants. Last weekend, we had a young child that an agent jumped in the water, saved, performed CPR, and brought the child back to life.
So, we hear those stories every day. The men and women of the Border Patrol are out there doing these things. Saving ages are saving aliens on a daily basis. But unfortunately, those aren't the stories that we're hearing about.
MACCALLUM: Yes. Well, we're glad -- I'm glad that you're mentioning those stories. Because obviously, there are a lot of very hard-working individuals who are part of your force, who are doing the very best they can within the circumstances that exist out there. And I want to make it very clear that we understand that this is not a reflection of the vast majority of the people who are out there -- at least, that's our understanding.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to mention her again because she's been visiting these facilities today. She says that women were drinking out of a toilet, let's listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OCASIO-CORTEZ: They put them in a room with no running water. And these women were being told by CBP officers to drink out of the toilet. They were drinking water out of the toilet. And that was them knowing a congressional visit was coming. That was -- this is CBP on their best behavior, telling people to drink out of the toilet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: What's your response to that, sir?
HASTINGS: As I said earlier, we don't treat people that way. We provide fresh water, we provide food, we provide sanitary and sanitary items, as well as items for bathing and personal hygiene. And that's --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Are you saying that she is lying?
HASTINGS: I'm telling you what we do. And we've been open and honest, we've had these tours quite frequently. And those are the things that we provide. We have fresh water available at all times in our facilities.
MACCALLUM: Before I let you go, sir, can you give me one law or one change that would make this situation better in your mind?
HASTINGS: Flores. We need -- we need amendment to the Flores regulation. We have to apply some consequence to stop this flow.
MACCALLUM: And how -- you know, how would that change it?
HASTINGS: So, we have to be able to hold longer than 20 days, quite frankly, too. In order to work them through the proper system. We need additional judges and additional CIS individuals helping work through the cycle as well. But if you don't apply a consequence the flow will never stop.
MACCALLUM: So, you have no choice at this point but to separate these parents and children?
HASTINGS: We're not -- we're not separating. No, I'm just saying we need a fix to the current Flores legislation.
MACCALLUM: You are not currently separating any parents or children because there's a reports of -- you know, little girls being led in one direction and a line and to -- into a tent. Those families are together?
HASTINGS: If they are not true family members, in other words, a mother, father, or a legal guardian -- legal guardian, rather. Or if the parent is convicted of a criminal has a want or warrant out in those cases, we are separating.
MACCALLUM: Understood. Thank you very much, Chief Hastings, for joining us and for answering the tough questions today. Obviously, it's a difficult thing for you to hear this about members of your own group. And we appreciate you speaking with me. Good to have you here tonight, sir.
HASTINGS: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: You bet.
HASTINGS: Thanks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACCALLUM: OK, let's get some response now from roaming correspondent-at- large Geraldo Rivera. Geraldo, you listen to that. What do you -- what do you think of it?
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE: Well, I sympathize with Chief Hastings, Martha. I think, to a large extent, the Border Patrol is the scapegoat for this incredible demand. All of these people wanting to come here. Congress, you know, it has not really done a good job. The Liberal Democrats have not passed the aid package, they resisted it.
But my goodness, where was his outrage? You know, this is not a handful if indeed there are more than 9,000 members of this Facebook family. Out of only 19,000 odd Border Patrol agents. That represents 40 percent of the entire force (INAUDIBLE) of this mocking Facebook.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Yes, but Geraldo, we don't know that (INAUDIBLE) I mean, that's the size -- that's the size of the Facebook group. That doesn't mean that, that number of people -- you know, you could have a handful of people among those who are actually writing things like this and posting these heinous awful posts. We don't know that it's 9,500 people all doing it.
RIVERA: We don't know the exact number, but you reported earlier that we've known about this Facebook site for several years now.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: This existed for three years.
RIVERA: This is really beyond the pale what you really have to pause and say what happened here. Here you have Border Patrol agents among others mocking members of Congress, women specifically. Hispanic women even more specifically. Calling them wh--es, calling them b----es. Portraying Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez engaged in oral sex with President Trump. Come on, at some point, we really have to say that I get it.
That urban cops, for example, get exhausted by the sheer magnitude sometimes 19 murders in a weekend and so forth. They just wear out and they see the worst of people and it brings out the worst in them. It's unfortunate but it is an indication, this ProPublica expose is an indication of that kind of moral exhaustion within the Border Patrol now that cannot be tolerated.
Members of Congress must be treated with respect. You cannot insult the dead body of a migrant father trying to -- dying trying to get his young child across the Rio Grande. I sympathize with the Border Patrol. I think that our southern border needs to be strengthened. But for goodness sake, where is our decency? Where is our sense of American values? We have to be outraged.
All right, you say it's not 9,000 say it's 900. 900 agents who are saying this have seen thing --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: You know, if -- Geraldo, I agree with you 100 percent. If three people are doing this, those people need to be singled out, they need to be fired. They are not -- they should not be allowed to be in these posts because obviously, they are not suited for this work. There is no -- there's no choice about it. We're going to follow THE STORY, we're going to find out what the discipline is for these individuals, and we will report it as we see it.
We got to -- I got to leave it there, but thank you very much.
RIVERA: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Great points tonight. Good to see you. Still ahead this evening, a Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis, explains why he is refusing to take down an enormous American flag even if it means that he will have to go to jail.
Also tonight, President Trump's Nixon in China moment. Jack Keane on what happens next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: First time that something like that's happened. But I asked him, I said, "Would you like me to come across the line?" He said, "I would be honored to do that. I would be honored." And I didn't know really what he was going to say. But it was my honor to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Picture this. A U.S. president enters a dark continent, a communist totalitarian country with whom we have no ties, the goal to take the first steps towards normalization and drive a wedge ultimately between Russia and in this case not North Korea but China after this announcement from Nixon that he was going to China shocked the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD NIXON, FORMER PRESIDENT: I have taken this action because of my profound conviction that all nations will gain from a reduction of tensions and a better relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Hugely controversial moment, and Richard Nixon's stunning 1972 visit to China was the brainchild of President Nixon and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. In the end, they called it the week that changed the world. Since the beginning of Nixon's presidency, he had hinted wanting to establish a new relationship with China.
Kissinger went on several trips to test the waters. The immediate result of the stunning visuals of seeing these two world leaders together was a thaw in relations and ultimately a shift in the Cold War balance that eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. It also opened the door to China becoming an economic powerhouse, a huge new market for the United States, but also a trade relationship that is now fraught with spying and mistrust.
Now nearly 50 years later are we witnessing a similar seismic moment. Over the weekend, President Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step foot in North Korea. Here now to analyze this, General Jack Keane, Chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and a Fox News Senior Strategic Analyst. General Keane, always good to see you, sir.
GEN. JACK KEANE (RET.), FOX NEWS SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST: Good to see you, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Is this a similar moment? Will we look back at this and say you know, that was -- that was the moment.
KEANE: Well, it's not an iconic moment, certainly, when Nixon and Mao Zedong never had been a meeting like that before. In this case close communist society that we have that in common North Korea and in China in those days but there's been two meetings between these leaders prior to this and I think that's makes it very different.
And also it's -- I think it's largely symbolic taking a step in in North Korea but clearly the president has something in mind here and that the talks have been stalemated ever since the Hanoi summit sort of blew up and Kim Jong-un went home empty-handed and not getting the sanction relief, that was clearly his major objective in those negotiations.
And as a result of that, we've been trying to get the talks restarted that working-level and have not succeeded even our personal envoy Stephen Bingham personally involved in that endeavor and secretary Pompeo trying as well. So I think what the President said is OK, I'm going to get this done myself and he has done that.
So the working groups are now going to meet and let's see if we can get some progress here. To be frank about it, Martha, we have less leverage and we had 18 months ago. And the reason is that Russia has never complied with the sanctions. They're transferring oil out on the high seas, they're backdooring us on economic assistance.
China after the first Singapore summit opened the aperture and began to increase economic assistance to North Korea. We know this for a fact and I think we should have hammered them for it. We have not, possibly because of the trade negotiations that have been going on, the toughness surrounding all of that.
But here we are. Can we make some progress or not? And will there be some possible compromise? I think the administration is likely in a different place, Martha, in a sense that if Kim Jong-un comes in with something substantive much more so than what he had put on a table the last time, and it is a step in the right direction done at the working level, it's likely that we would make some accommodations to him on sanctions and not have him go home again without that.
Secondly, I don't think we'll see a summit between the two leaders unless there is something on the table that both working groups can agree to and define that as progress in terms of their mutual interest.
MACCALLUM: You know, I mean he holds close his nuclear weapons plan. You know, it's a security blanket for him within his own country. It appears that President Trump is trying to convince him that he has the potential like China did back then to become you know, an economy that could be you know, more worldly, more global. It would change the nature of their country.
But he's got a gamble whether or not that means you know, that he would be completely cut off and you know, who knows what would happen to him if he opened up that way.
KEANE: Yes, I think that's true. And I think Kim Jong-un and President Trump has these instincts about him because he's talking to him more than anybody else is from the United States certainly that Kim Jong-un wants something more than what his grandfather and his father want.
Remember, they were interested in preservation of the regime. That's why the nuclear weapons and that's why the huge conventional military that they have. Kim Jong-un has seen more of the world, understands what the potential is. I think he wants something much more for his country along the lines that you're suggesting.
And I think that is why the personal diplomacy that people are so critical about possibly has a role to play here because it helps to earn his trust. At the end of the day, he's going to want economic prosperity to some degree for his country but he wants a guarantor of security because that is what those nuclear weapons are all about and we're going to have to put that on a table gradually for him.
This is a long process in front of us with tough negotiations, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Yes. General Jack Keane, thank you very much. Great insight. Always good to see you, sir. Thank you.
KEANE: Talk -- good talking to you, Martha.
MACCALLUM: You too. Coming up next, Democratic candidates launch new attacks against frontrunner Joe Biden on the issue of race. Brand-new poll numbers tonight suggest that it may have just taken a huge bite out of Joe Biden's lead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CORY BOOKER, D-N.J., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have one destiny in this nation and right now the Vice President to me is not doing a good job at bringing folks together. In fact, he's cause -- and I've heard this from people all around the country, he's causing a lot of frustration and even pain with his words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: All right, welcome back, everybody. We are juggling a few things right now. What are going to go to right now, guys? We are working on -- we're going to have Marcus Lemonis for you in just a moment. He's the host of the hit TV show The Profit which has him experiencing the American dream firsthand.
He was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He was adopted at a young age by an American couple who owned a family business. And by the age of 12, he was already tapping into his entrepreneurial spirit with a lawn mowing business.
And now as a self-made millionaire, Lemonis proudly showcases his American pride by flying larger-than-life U.S. flags outside many of his businesses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCUS LEMONIS, HOST, THE PROFIT, CNBC: I had a 130-foot flagpole built. One of the largest in South Carolina.
Don't let it touch the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is amazing. Look at that.
LEMONIS: I want everybody to know what this business stands for, hard work, good food, in this great country. It's the best advertising.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You always amaze us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: But earlier this year, one of those flags outside the Gander R.V. in Statesville, North Carolina became the subject of controversy when the local city council passed a new ordinance limiting the size of flags ordering Marcus to downsize or face a daily fine. He says no way. He would rather go to jail. And he is exclusively in moments.
But first, to Trace Gallagher, our West Coast -- in our West Coast who has the fascinating back story.
TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Martha, Marcus Lemonis is the CEO and chairman of Camping World which owns Gander R.V. in Statesville, North Carolina. The recreational vehicle retailer has a permit to fly a 1,000 square foot flag which is about 25 by 40. The company is currently a 3,200 square foot flag or 40 by 80.
Statesville has repeatedly demanded the flag be replaced. Marcus Lemonis and Camping World have repeatedly refused posting on the company Facebook page, quote, "This is about more than just the flag. This is about our veterans, military, and the men and women that have sacrificed for this great country. They are the reason we fly the flag and they are the reason we will not take it down."
So, the city sued Camping World seeking a $50 a day fine, if it wins is already above $12,000. But Lemonis and his company have gotten support from more than 150,000 people who signed a petition back in May entitled "Let Camping World and Gander outdoors fly the American flag."
Here is a supporter of the flag at that time followed by the mayor of Statesville." Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very beautiful to me, I thought. And I feel that they should leave it alone. Leave it just like it is. It's not hurting anything.
STEVE JOHNSON, MAYOR PRO-TEMPORE, STATESVILLE: They are out of compliance with the ordinance. And the flag must come down. Originally, they made a good faith effort to accommodate the larger flag with the understanding that was going to be the size of the flag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: But following harsh criticism against the city, both locally and nationally, the mayor requested amending the flag ordinance. But last week after a public hearing where nobody spoke the city council voted five to three to maintain the current ordinance and to order the giant flag be taken down.
For now, Marcus Lemonis continues to defy and the flag continues to fly. Martha?
MACCALLUM: Trace, thank you very much. Here now exclusively is Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC's The Profit and CEO of Camping World. Marcus, great to you have here. Thank you very much.
MARCUS LEMONIS, CEO, CAMPING WORLD: How are you?
MACCALLUM: I'm doing great. I guess the mayor is not the most popular person in his town and in your book?
LEMONIS: It's funny that's the first time I've ever seen him there.
MACCALLUM: Really?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMONIS: I've tried to meet him. I showed up in my business.
MACCALLUM: He's like I'm sorry, but it is not in accordance to the ordinance.
LEMONIS: The ordinance doesn't matter to me. I got to be really honest with you. And that's the first time I've actually seen the mayor. I tried to meet him in person. He didn't want to meet.
MACCALLUM: You did.
LEMONIS: Flags are not coming down.
MACCALLUM: What do they have against large flags?
LEMONIS: Look, there is no question that I definitely violated the ordinance. I know what the sizes --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: By how much? How much bigger is your flag that it's allowed to be?
LEMONIS: It's probably double the size that it's supposed to be.
MACCALLUM: OK.
LEMONIS: But if you look at the North Carolina statute it says as long as it's not impairing somebody's wellness or health or wellbeing, it's not a big deal. Now that flag has been there for a long time. They're all over the country. And for my perspective I said to myself, this is not hurting anybody. They actually tried to make the claim that it could cause an accident on the freeway because it was too distracting.
MACCALLUM: Because people are looking at the beautiful --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMONIS: Because it was too beautiful.
MACCALLUM: -- American flag.
LEMONIS: It was too beautiful.
MACCALLUM: And then they're all going to crash into each other.
LEMONIS: They are going to crash into each other.
MACCALLUM: So why is this so important to you? Because you have an interesting history with your own relationship with this country. Tell everybody about that.
LEMONIS: You know, I'm an immigrant in this country. I'm a legal immigrant so I came here the right way. I was adopted from Lebanon. I'm given a chance to come to this country, earn a living and I'm grateful for it. And I think about all the men and women that have served and the police officers that serve us today that have protected me and given me the chance to come here.
It's my small, small way of paying it back. I had a flag in my business life since I was a kid. My family flew them in their car dealership in Miami. I own a barbecue restaurant in South Carolina the same flag flies. And people have made the claim that we do it for marketing reasons. And if you look at all of our advertising never once is there a flag in it. It's just something that I want to do.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Yes. But you do make the argument that it is a positive for their business as well. Right?
LEMONIS: I don't know that it's necessarily a positive. But what I do know is that when veterans show up at the stores for the flag raisings when they come on Saturdays on their motorcycles when they are doing their veteran rides and they weep at the bottom of the flag pole, that's the conviction that I need to say it's just not going to t come down. I would rather go to jail.
MACCALLUM: Is there any possibility that they are going to put you in jail for this?
LEMONIS: There is actually. So, they filed the lawsuit, the city state has filed a lawsuit about two months ago. And they've asked for a motion to, you know, ask the court to have me take it down. If I don't take it down, I'll be in violation of the court order. Right? And ultimately their reaction is from the city that I'll go to jail, in their town, apparently.
MACCALLUM: Have you hired a lawyer for this or just kind of riding it out at this point?
LEMONIS: No, I mean, look, we have a corporate lawyer that's handling it as best they can. We filed our response.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
LEMONIS: And at the end of the day we'll see what happens. I really did believe, Martha, I really did believe that last week when the city put it up for a vote again, that with all the backlash they've gotten they would have realized that it was not only bad for this country but it was bad for their town. And I do feel bad for all the businesses in that area that have gotten a bit of a black eye because of it.
MACCALLUM: So, you built your career with the show on, you know, helping people who have businesses. You say, you know, gyms, for example, 95 percent of gyms fail.
LEMONIS: That's right.
MACCALLUM: And you tell people you think they are going to be in the 5 percent but you know what, you probably not going to be in the 5 percent. You know, when you look at what's going on in this country right now with all this discussion of socialism and, you know, larger government large ass in terms of helping people out, what goes through your mind as an immigrant?
LEMONIS: So, it's funny. People think they know my political affiliation. And they've tried to speculate based on comments that I've made or approaches that I've had. At the end of the day I am a fiscally very conservative person. I think about money and I respect it and I think about how hard it is to make it.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
LEMONIS: Do I want to do good for other people? Sure. But as a private business owner I can do that in the privacy of my own with my own checkbook. I don't want to see businesses getting involved in politics. And I've been criticized for having comments about it.
I'm not sure I understand how we're going to regulate CEO pay, I'm not sure how I understand how we're going to wipe out student debt. I'm not sure how I understand any of that. At the end of the day I like an unregulated business. I'm a capitalist at heart. But I do want to make sure that even if I'm successful in business that if I choose to do good, I'd do it on my own and not ask you to do it out of your pocket. I'd do it on my own.
MACCALLUM: Yes. There is a lot of talk about evil corporations.
LEMONIS: Well, I mean, maybe there are some evil corporations but not every corporation is evil. Because the company makes a lot of money does that make them bad? What about all the good they do for the employees that they hire and the healthcare that they provide and what they do good in their neighborhood? I'm not so sure that I think that companies are evil. Not all companies.
MACCALLUM: What about the 1 percent?
LEMONIS: What about them? In fact, they got wealthy.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Income and inequality. Income and inequality.
LEMONIS: Look, I don't know where I land in that bracket. But I've been very successful financially. And what I do with my money to help other people is my own business. But I don't like these percentages. So, we want to penalize people for being successful? Is that we're asking people to do? Be punished? Be taxed at even a greater rate. Is that what we're asking people to do? I don't think --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Barely some people are.
LEMONIS: Yes. And I don't think that's going to fly. And so, I believe in social justice.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
LEMONIS: I don't believe in social welfare. I do want to help people out. I do that on the show every single week. I give my money and I try to help people but they have to help themselves.
MACCALLUM: That's why they call you the profit. Thank you, Marcus.
LEMONIS: Absolutely.
MACCALLUM: Very nice to meet you. Thanks for coming in.
LEMONIS: Thanks for having me.
MACCALLUM: Good luck with your flag. Keep us posted.
LEMONIS: It's not coming down.
MACCALLUM: Happy 4th of July.
LEMONIS: You got it.
MACCALLUM: Al right. Dan Bongino coming up next. Thank you very much.
LEMONIS: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Nice to meet you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to recognize that kid wearing a hoodie may very well be the next poet Laureate and not a gang banger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Twenty-twenty candidate Joe Biden facing a mountain of criticism over those comments from his rival Democrats including Cory Booker who tweeted, "This isn't about a hoodie. It's about a culture. This is a problem with a kid wearing a hoodie in the first place. Our nominee needs to have the language to talk about race in a far more constructive ways," says Cory Booker.
And the frontrunner seems to be taking a bit of a hit after the debates. Look at the new CNN poll showing Biden's lead slipping now to just 5 percent. To single digits -- depending on which one you look at here -- just days after Kamala Harris confronted him on race relations during that debate. He is down 10 points since last month. She is now closing in on him.
Joining me now, Dan Bongino, author of the upcoming book "Exonerated: The Failed Take Down of President Trump by the Swamp," and Robert Wolf, a CEO of 32 Advisors. Both are Fox News contributors. Gentlemen, thank you for being here. Robert, let me start with you. How do you think Joe Biden is feeling about this whole thing right now?
ROBERT WOLF, CEO, 32 ADVISORS: Well, it's definitely been a humbling 48 hours to say the least since the debates. The polls have obviously been incredibly tough on him. The social media has been tough on him. But social media does not win and lose campaigns. Voters do. He is still the number one in the polls today. And it's not surprising that Cory Booker and Kamala Harris went after him because he is leading in South Carolina and that's probably the most important state for them in the early primaries.
MACCALLUM: Well, I mean, it's also a state that Kamala Harris would love to win and probably --
WOLF: Yes.
MACCALLUM: -- has a pretty good shot at, I would imagine. Here's what she had to say about this. She's continuing to press this point. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It may make people uncomfortable to speak the truth about the history of our country but we must speak the truth. We should recommit ourselves to also agreeing that these things should never happen again. And that was the purpose of bringing that up on that stage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, a lot of in fighting among Democrats over that issue of race. And then, Dan, you have this re-tweet from Donald Trump, Jr. And it was -- the original treat was from Ali Alexander saying "Kamala Harris is not an American black. She is half Indian and half Jamaican." And he retweeted "Is this true? Wow." And he got some heat for that. Do you think that was well placed?
DAN BONGINO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, a couple of things. What Robert said first, he's right. It's still early. You know, can Biden recover from this? Probably so. You know, black voters are going to be decisive in a lot of early primary states. There's no doubt about that.
Here's the problem, Martha. Biden is a gaffe fest. We've known that from the start. But he is handling this all wrong. He could actually take a lesson from Donald Trump on this when it comes to this identity politics attacks.
The reason Democrats use them, Martha, is because they're effective. You're seeing it -- you're seeing it in the polls. Accusing people or insinuating that they're racist. When in fact, listen, I'm not a Joe Biden fan, Martha, at all. I think he's a horrible candidate candidly.
Joe Biden is not a racist. And people who would be lobbying these charges at him know this, but these charges work. And until he takes a stand like Trump did, and listen, I'm not going to listen to this and fights back, it's just going to keep on happening. But yes, he can recover.
MACCALLUM: Yes. But you didn't answer my question about Donald Trump, Jr. on whether that was an appropriate re-tweet?
BONGINO: From Ali Alexander? No, I'm not a big fan of Ali Alexander. No. I think he puts some stuff out there on Twitter. That's just misplaced. So, no. I think -- I frankly, I blocked him on Twitter a long time ago.
MACCALLUM: Well.
BONGINO: Sorry, I wasn't avoiding your question. I just wanted to get on Robert --
MACCALLUM: That's fine. You know, another big story that came out today with this piece on Hunter Biden, Robert. And I wanted to just get your reaction to that. I mean, obviously -- I would imagine -- I shouldn't say obviously because I don't know personally.
But I would imagine that this is, you know, a campaign consensus that it would be a good idea for him to come out and talk about his struggles with addiction, which I think most families in America have someone who has struggled with. But you know, do you think this is, was this a good move on his part in terms of trying to put some of this off the table?
WOLF: Listen, I think Hunter is trying to make sure that he is coming out before the media attacks the Biden family. I think Hunter is trying to make sure everyone knows that his father was an amazing father during the highs and lows that the family struggled with, whether it was the death of his wife or the children or what Hunter went through or what Beau obviously went through with his cancer.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
WOLF: And I think Hunter is putting it out there and just making sure he has a great father that he is proud of.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
WOLF: And he wants to not be an obstacle for that presidency.
MACCALLUM: I need a real quick answer, Dan, but you know, your thoughts on whether or not this is something that should be used against him by Republicans or by Democrats?
DONGINO: Well, listen, you can't claim for two years that foreign collusion is a big deal and then ignore the fact that Hunter Biden has some very significant foreign entanglements and his father was involved in a lot of this. I mean, he's on tape talking about some of them. You can't ignore that. I'm sorry.
MACCALLUM: Yes. That's inside the equation and the piece goes into that as well.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Dan, honestly, that's all speculation. Come on.
BONGINO: No, that's not -- no, no, no, that is not speculation. That's documented --
WOLF: All right.
BONGINO: -- on tape. You can watch those videos.
MACCALLUM: That's going to continue to be litigated throughout this process and that was the other side of this New Yorker piece as well. So, gentlemen, thank you. Great to see you both tonight. Thanks for being here.
WOLF: Thank you.
BONGINO: Thank you.
WOLF: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Coming up, is the resistance to President Trump becoming dangerous? We're going to talk about what happened this weekend and a lot more with Victor Davis Hanson coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY NGO, JOURNALIST: I just got being beaten by the crowd. No police at all in the middle of the street and they stole my GoPro and they punched me several times in my face and my head. I'm bleeding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Tonight, police are investigating that assault on Saturday on journalist Andy Ngo, including reports that anti-fa protestors poured a cocktail including quick drying cement and chemicals. They call that a milkshake and it burned his skin. This just several examples detailed today by Byron York of political intolerance often from those who are preaching no hate.
There is also an op-ed from the owner of the Virginia restaurant that refused to serve Sarah Huckabee Sanders, remember that, suggesting that Trump allies should, quote, "consider dining at home after a Chicago waitress spit on Eric Trump last week." Another op-ed from a human rights professor suggesting that border patrols agents be publicly identified and shamed for the border crisis.
Joining me now to make sense to all of this, Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow at the Hoover Institute who has a new column on the anti-Trump circus. Victor, always good to see you. Thank you very much for being here tonight. You know, when --
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, AUTHOR, THE CASE FOR TRUMP: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Thank you. When you look at, you know, those examples and you look at who they are coming from. Largely from groups that, you know, or have no hate signs on their front lawns of these establishments as well, it's a bit rich in irony, isn't it?
HANSON: It is. And it's mainstreaming, Martha. Because you have op-eds in the New York Times at the Washington Post or you have the Democrats candidates they're not disowning them. And I think people are looking at this and they see this a asymmetry because they know that if some conservatives put on black costumes and mask in the middle of the day and attacked somebody from Rolling Stone or NPR there would be outrage and there should be outrage.
Or when people wanted or were forced to bake a cake for a gay couple and then yet, Sarah Sanders cannot get service. Or we have 500 sanctuary cities and that's supposedly OK to nullify federal law. But nobody on the conservative says you know what, I don't want the Endangered Species Act or I don't want federal handgun registration. And so, I have a sanctuary. It doesn't work that way. It's all one sided.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
HANSON: And then when we look at what's happening on the street it's filtering into the mainstream Democratic primary candidates. I can't figure them out because usually the old rule was that you went left in the primary but you didn't go so left that you got an albatross around your neck that you couldn't shake in the general election.
But they are so extreme they got a whole menagerie. I mean, the New Green Deal and reparations and abortion to the point of infanticide and then the wealth tax of 70 to 90 percent income tax the abolition of everything. Abolition of ICE, the abolition of the electoral college, student debt and Medicare for everybody. They're tagged with that.
And they're not doing what Barack Obama did in 2008 where he didn't get tagged like that so in the main election he couldn't be ridiculed or attack by General McCain as being for Reverend Wright or for gay marriage or for deficit spending.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
HANSON: And then whatever he did in president -- as president was a different thing. But I don't know why they are doing that. It's either because they're an echo chamber and they just decided that nobody is going to be the left of anyone and they are not listening to the larger country because these issues don't -- they don't poll 51 percent.
Or maybe they think they can educate us, you and I, the American people to have enough time and money to join them. Or maybe they want to lose. I mean, Barry Goldwater in 1964 and George McGovern in 1972 pretty much had an extreme position and wanted to lose nobly rather than to win as a centrist or pragmatist.
MACCALLUM: I doubt they want to lose. But, you know, we'll see if enough of the American people line up with the way they feel to elect them.
I just want to put this one quote up from the restaurant owner so people just get to this. New rules applies, she wrote, If you're directly complicit in spreading hate or perpetuating suffering maybe you should consider dining at home.
We got to leave it there. Victor, thank you very much. More of "The Story" coming up next.
HANSON: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: A stunning victory in the opening round of Wimbledon, 15-year- old American Coco Gauff defeated one of her longtime idols, Venus Williams in a razor tight match. Congratulations to her. Goodnight, everybody.
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