Sen. Scott on Steve King: Talk of racism inside GOP hurt party's message to Americans
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott argues the focus should be on Trump's lowering of the unemployment rate, border security and not Rep. King's controversial comments.
This is a rush transcript from "The Story," January 16, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARTHA MACCALLUM: Beautiful. Thank you, Bret. Good to see you tonight. All right, everybody. So, Nancy Pelosi says that it would be unsafe to hold the State of the Union address.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF., SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: That's a security decision which is completely out of my hands. This is a housekeeping matter in the Congress of the United States, so we can honor the responsibility of the invitation we extended to the president. He can make it from the Oval Office if he wants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: He can make it to the Oval Office, she suggests. But Homeland Security is calling her bluff on this. Essentially saying that, that is ridiculous. "DHS and the Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union." You would imagine that those are all essential jobs on that big night. And her critics are calling it a highly transparent piece of political gamesmanship.
Meanwhile, another 1,000 people are genuinely risking their lives. They're trying to make it to the border. And Congress so far is doing nothing to provide them with an orderly system to be processed. A fence system that encourages them to risk everything relying on coyotes to ram them across the border at poorest openings.
Karl Rove and Juan Williams on that issue at the heart of all of this. Remember, border security in a moment. But first, live on the scene in Honduras, correspondent Steve Harrigan. Good evening, Steve.
STEVE HARRIGAN, CORRESPONDENT: Martha, good evening. We just crossed over that border from Honduras into Guatemala. People were held up migrants at the Guatemalan border today for several hours while their identities were checked also, looking for criminals.
We've been watching them come across this mountain road here. It's mainly young men. But we are seeing also some families, parents with small children. And sometimes, it's not even the parents that are carrying those small children. Here is what we saw.
Martha, we're seeing mainly small groups of 5 to 10 people. Some of them meet along the way on the caravan. You can see the young man is carrying a 1-year-old boy. That's the mother behind him. He met her on the caravan. They've been walking since 8:00 this morning. And they have another 70 miles to go.
They said people have been feeding them along the route. He has absolutely no money on him, neither does she. They have a 1-year-old boy and a 13- year-old is up ahead. Inside those two knapsacks, clothing for himself, and for that 1-year-old boy.
You can see these roads are tough. Trucks whip around the mountain road. There's no real sidewalk. They've got 75 more miles to go. They were strangers a few days ago. Now, they're trying to get to Guatemala City.
Just physically, I think, it's so hard to understand how you can carry that 1-year-old for 13 hours, so far, was still three or four more hours to go. A real physical challenge for many of these people as they try and make their way forward. The numbers up to 2,000 more. Traveling in that convoy.
And even before this, this caravan reaches the United States. There are already two more new ones rowing being built, being organized in Honduras. So, more caravans ahead to come. Martha.
MACCALLUM: Steve, thank you very much. Steve Harrigan in Guatemala. Tonight, here now Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, and a Fox News contributor. And Juan Williams, co-hosted "THE FIVE" and Fox News political analyst.
You know, I mean, this is at the heart of what we're discussing here. We still have no process for these individuals. So, I think everybody sympathizes with. But the fact of the matter is that we're putting them in a very dangerous situation when they try to cross this border. And meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi want is talking about how it's too dangerous to do the State of the Union address.
JUAN WILLIAMS, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think that her critics are right to say that's political gamesmanship. But at the other hand -- on the other hand, Martha, which you got to realize is you're giving President Trump an opportunity to then demonize these people, these desperate sad people who are trying to make their way here because they believe in the American Dream.
So, you have a situation where the president gave an Oval Office address. She said he can give another Oval Office address. But when you have Democrats in control the House, he's asking to come into their House and to tell his lies and his distortions in a way that I think she finds -- you know, reprehensible.
MACCALLUM: Karl.
KARL ROVE, CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first of all, Juan is prejudging the President's speech. Maybe he helped write it that on (INAUDIBLE). But, but look, this --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Have you been writing the President's speeches, Juan?
WILLIAMS: Yes, you know, that's my -- that's one of the secrets, Karl, yes.
ROVE: This is -- this -- yes, this has never happened in American history. The House of Representatives, the Congress of the United States has never refused an opportunity for the president of the United States if they wanted to, to deliver the State of the Union address in person.
This is an extraordinary moment. And it shows exactly how partisan we become, how polarized we become. And in Nancy Pelosi's case, how absolutely irresponsible.
Juan's worried about the truth? That Nancy Pelosi did not tell the truth today when she claimed that this was all because of national security. She did this because she is angry with the president, she wants to humiliate the president, she wants the president to surrender, she's like -- you know, Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Fort Donelson.
She wants immediate and unconditional surrender, and this is her way to do it. Shame on her for doing this. America deserves better than this kind of politics.
MACCALLUM: You know, Representative Ro Khanna, who's a Democrat from California today, had a suggestion. He said, "Maybe we should bring in mediators because it works very well in the private sector and sort of all get in a room and encourage them to help us figure this out."
I couldn't have to think to myself that's what you're supposed to do. That's what Congress's support to do.
WILLIAMS: Well, that's a good point.
MACCALLUM: I mean, it's ridiculous to think that they can't get into a room, and why don't they? This is something that occurs to me every time I watch these things. Why do they just look at each other say, OK, we're going in. We're going into the room. We're not coming out until we have a solution.
WILLIAMS: Well, I think that would require a compromise. And actually, the polls indicate both sides don't want compromise. Both sides think they're right. But I will say this. These are not normal times in American politics. Karl says polarize, I couldn't agree more.
And they're so polarized at the moment, Martha that the government is not functional. That we hear today about the president sending -- ordering back nearly 50,000 IRS workers. Or making attempts to try to normalize things. But the fact is, he has taken an intransigent stance.
He said to Nancy Pelosi in an Oval Office meeting. If I give you the three weeks.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
WILLIAMS: And by the ways, you know some Republicans and Democrats have send him a letter asking for a three week period for negotiation.
MACCALLUM: That's right.
WILLIAMS: He said, "At the end of that three weeks, are you going to agree to a wall?" She said, "No." I mean, he wants prejudge what happens before you go in the room, and he is assisting --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: They already said that they would agree to building a border fence. They have said it for the past here.
WILLIAMS: No. You said -- but you said --
MACCALLUM: Oh, what difference does it make when it's called, Juan?
WILLIAMS: It does make a huge difference because you can't do border security. America, you and I would agree on border security before.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Juan, let me ask you question. Let me ask -- let me ask you a question. Should people be able to cross just at openings, go over the fences, should they've allowed to do that?
WILLIAMS: No.
MACCALLUM: So, what do you want to do with?
WILLIAMS: What I want to do with, I want border security. I want a legal asylum process. The legitimate asylum process where people are not forced to enter --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Yes. But you're hung up on whether or not the thing is called a wall or -- you're worried, you said that.
ROVE: Yes.
WILLIAMS: No, no, no. He wants a wall that is ineffective and --
ROVE: No, no, no, no, no. It's not. It is not Juan.
WILLIAM: It is. Every wall in the -- in the world.
ROVE: Look, Juan, no, no, Juan. Juan, when the wall was put in by George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton in San Diego, illegal border crossings dropped by 95 percent. Every country --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: In that area.
ROVE: Yes, that's right. But everywhere we put a wall in and a major urban area.
MACCALLUM: You sets where it is.
ROVE: Look, you want to -- you do not want to have a neighborhood in Mexico that abuts a neighborhood in the United States, where people can just move across that border --
WILLIAMS: Where there's a wall there.
ROVE: Put a wall there. So --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: There is a wall there.
ROVE: I know -- I know.
WILLIAMS: So that's what I'm saying, Democrats, voted for that. But if you talking about see the shining sea, this is ridiculous. This is a waste. This is a --
ROVE: No, no, no, he is not. No, he is not. No, he is not. Juan, what I hate to have to correct you.
WILLIAMS: Go ahead.
ROVE: But read the goddang bill.
WILLIAMS: I read them. This is -- I'll tell you what you should do.
ROVE: Read the proposal -- No, if you 254 additional miles of the border.
WILLIAMS: I tell you, you should go listen to Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Anne Coulter. Because they are running this government, and they force this president to (INAUDIBLE).
MACCALLUM: No, they're not. No, they're not.
ROVE: No. Look. No, look --
WILLIAMS: Yes, they are. They're the one to be --
ROVE: Nice maneuver. Nice maneuver.
MACCALLUM: Well, that's not what the president proposed is the point. That is not what the president proposed but you just got.
ROVE: Look, he can't defend the --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: No, because guess what? Last year there was a (INAUDIBLE) would have given him the DREAMers in exchange for the wall. And guess what? That, that point, the hard right said, unless you cut legal immigration. That was unacceptable to (INAUDIBLE).
ROVE: Right. All right. So, Juan won't defend his position. I understand why you won't defend his position. I do think something.
MACCALLUM: Last thought to Karl, and then I got to go.
ROVE: Tomorrow, I've gotten this in my column in The Wall Street Journal. I think the president ought to say explicitly, you know what? If you'll give me the wall, I will give you a legal path -- a legal status for the DREAMers. Put it on the table. He's -- we've been willing to do in the past. And then, we'll see whether or not the Democrats are going to simply be mindless obstructionist, or whether they're going to do the right thing for the country.
MACCALLUM: We will see. And that is where he was before, as you point out.
WILLIAMS: I think that's -- I think there's a fact.
MACCALLUM: And perhaps there -- and there's a lot of people who work in a White House who think that, that would be a good idea too. So, we'll see. Thanks you guys. Thank you, Juan and Karl.
WILLIAMS: You like the shouting?
MACCALLUM: Pardon me? Here now, exclusively, Democratic Senator Chris Coons from Delaware. Senator, thank you very much for being with us.
SEN. CHRIS COONS, D-DEL.: Thank you, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Let me start with you. Do you think that the members of that Caravan, just as I said, this is at the heart of this discussion really is border security? That's where the fight is living right now. Should these migrants when they get to the border, should they be let in?
COONS: Well, if there are individuals who have a legitimate asylum claim, yes. But if they don't, no. And the larger issue here is how do we secure our borders in a way that we don't have folks who are making a dangerous, difficult, expensive 1,500-mile long trek from their home communities in Honduras and Guatemala to our southern border.
There are lots of Democrats who want to invest in securing our border, myself included. And who see this as a real humanitarian crisis. The way that we are treating folks at the border, the things we are doing that attract them to our border, and the ways that children and parents have been treated in recent months at the border. All of this is a real concern to me. I do think we can secure the border in a bipartisan way.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: You -- you've offered $46 billion for border security in 2013 and $25 billion in 2018.
COONS: That's right. That's right.
MACCALLUM: Now, we're fighting over $5.6 billion, it seems miniscule. And it seems like something that you guys on both sides ought to be able to get together on.
COONS: That's right. Let me just remind you of the context, given those very big numbers. That 2013 bill was a broad bipartisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill that would have fixed the lots of aspects of our broken immigration system. It passed the Senate with a big vote, 68 votes. But was never taken up in the House.
The other reference there, the $25 billion that got 54 votes here in the Senate last spring.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
COONS: But was ultimately killed by opposition from the administration. I am hopeful --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: But the point is that Democrats and you supported that kind of expenditure.
COONS: Yes. That's right.
MACCALLUM: And now are blocking the process because you can't agree to $5.6 billion. I think to most Americans who can do basic math that seems a little odd.
COONS: It does. And that's why I think it's important that we reopen the government and promptly move towards a bipartisan resolution to this standoff. There are Democrats willing to invest in border security. Every Democrats in the Senate voted for $1.3 billion in addition of border security.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Is it -- yes, I got you -- I only have a couple of minutes. So, I want to intervene. You know, so, your understanding that the White House doesn't want to do the three-week deal to sort of hit the pause button and reopen the government, and then go back on this? I think they have a real mistrust factor that, that it will ever be picked up if that happens.
COONS: That's right. And what I'm trying to do is to get a balanced number of Republicans and Democrats on a letter to the president saying, reopen the government for three weeks and we will make our best-disciplined efforts on a bipartisan basis to invest in border security in a way that meets our country's needs and is a good and responsible use of money.
MACCALLUM: Well, you mean you may have a commitment to the best bipartisan efforts. But I'm not sure that some others in your party have that same commitment. It was very interesting watching you question Bill Barr who is going through the hearing process to be Attorney General.
It sounded to me when I watched your question-and-answer that you sound like you're leaning towards a yes on Barr, is that true?
COONS: I was really encouraged by the very clear way that Bill Barr spoke about Robert Mueller, about their 30-year working relationship, his respect for him as a federal law enforcement leader and his desire for his investigation to be left alone and to reach its conclusion.
I was concerned that he wouldn't give me a concise and clear commitment to seek and follow the guidance of DOJ. Ethics counsel to release the final Mueller report to Congress and the public. And to allow Mueller to make decisions about the resolution of this case without any interference.
MACCALLUM: Well, he said it would certainly take the advice of the ethics panel. But that he's the head of the department, which seems like a pretty logical way to look at it. And he also said that he would do what was in the law in terms of releasing that report, it sounded to me like he was on the side of releasing whatever he possibly could in that report.
You know, I just want to play this little bit from Bill Barr, which -- you know, just stood out to me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, NOMINEE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL: I can assure you that where judgments are to be made, I will make those judgments based solely on the law, and I will not let personal political or other improper interests influence my decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: You sat across from him when he said that. Did you believe that man when he said that yesterday?
COONS: Yes, I did.
MACCALLUM: So, why wouldn't you say tonight, of course, I'll be a, yes, there is no reason not to be yes here.
COONS: I laid out the three concerns I have. I was clear about those concerns with Bill Barr when we met. And I'm going to send him follow-up questions for the record, and give him a chance to help me understand what those contours are.
If you watched all my questioning, I went back to 1973 when Elliot Richardson was questioned in front of the same committee. He was asked very similar questions and he gave concise unequivocal answers. I'm looking for those same clear, concise, and unequivocal answers.
MACCALLUM: And Chuck Schumer, said, you know, I think the overwhelming majority of Democrats will oppose him. But I haven't done a whip count or anything like that.
COONS: Yes, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Are you under any pressure to not vote for Bill Barr, given what you have said here tonight in your own conscience on this matter?
COONS: No, I mean, I've had input from constituents both pro and con. I've had input from a variety of groups nationally, both pro and con. It's my job as a Senator to weigh all that input from my constituents.
But also part of the point of having like a live in-person hearing is to gauge someone's trustworthiness, their intentions in person. And you know, frankly, that's why we had a very long hearing yesterday, and a long hearing today. And I think in the end, I'm going to weigh all that input and reach a conclusion.
I am going to be sitting with my counsel tomorrow and going over the questions that I'll be sending to Mr. Barr for the record.
MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. Chris Coons, good to see you tonight, Senator.
COONS: Thank you, Martha.
MACCALLUM: ISIS kills four Americans and the White House and the Vice President are holding firm on getting out of Syria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT: The Caliphate has crumbled and ISIS has been defeated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Late today, President Trump huddled with Senators after four Americans including two U.S. servicemen were killed in an ISIS suicide attack. Here is the response from Senator Lindsey Graham.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: My concern by the statements made by President Trump is that you set in motion enthusiasm by the enemy were fighting. I hope the President will look long and hard about what we're doing in Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: The Senator Rand Paul said this. I have never been prouder of President Donald Trump. In today's meeting, he stood up for a strong America and steadfastly opposed Foreign Wars. Putting America first means declaring victory in Afghanistan and Syria. Keep in mind that this comes as al-Qaeda is growing in Africa and Al Shabaab is attacking in Kenya and days after New York Democrat Eliot Engel says the House Foreign Affairs Committee no longer needs their terrorism committee anymore. They're going to swap that out for one that focuses on investigating President Trump instead.
So here now Mouaz Moustafa, the Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency Task. Good to see you Mouaz. Thank you very much for being here tonight. Well, what's your reaction when you see that sound and that comment from Lindsey Graham and then from Rand Paul?
MOUAZ MOUSTAFA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SYRIAN EMERGENCY TASK: First of all, and most of the comments that have come out of Senator Rand Paul, I just shake my head because it doesn't make sense in terms of how we're countering our adversaries like ISIS in Iran and in the world. I want to say first and foremost to the families of the four American heroes, me and my family sent our sincere condolences. I work and I've had the honor to work with the American servicemen and women especially on stuff in Syria and I know the caliber and character of these individuals and the amazing success that they've given us over terrorism and over adversaries.
I think Senator Graham is absolutely right. I think that today. Under this administration we have had huge strides in the fight against ISIS. We're nearly there. We've almost defeated them. It's important that we lock down that win before we withdraw. And it's also really important to remember that if we do and we will have to come back later, if we don't finish the job, we're going to have to come back later and we're not going to have the same amazing allies that we've had before because they're not going to trust us after this.
MACCALLUM: So listen, what do you say to those Americans who are listening to that and they are sympathetic to what you are talking about but they say it's been too long and the effort has gone on too long and look what's happening. We're still losing people. We're still losing precious Americans to this cause and they don't have the stomach for it anymore.
MOUSTAFA: I know who these people are. I grew up in Arkansas and a lot of my friends from high schools others went into the service. I know these families and I know exactly where they're coming from. I also know what our operators on the ground and what the people working in Syria with our partner forces also think and want to do about this. I think it's important to remember that Syria is not Afghanistan. And I think that we - - our goal should be to pull out and bring our troops back home.
But let's remember, this is a very small footprint and a small bill. This small footprint has been able to give us huge returns in almost completely defeating ISIS and being a huge stone in the side of Iran and Russia in keeping this -- if I give you just one example. One base with a few hundred servicemen and women are able to protect the lives of 50,000 people that would be slaughtered if we pull out and would also block the superhighway between Baghdad and Damascus that Iran so desperately needs.
At the very least, we're costing them hundreds of millions of dollars to go around and not have that freedom. And so I think we must finish the job and we must bring our troops home. But remember the footprint and remember Syria is not some of these other conflicts that we do need to look at.
MACCALLUM: All right, Mr. Moustafa, thank you very much. Keep in touch and good to have you here night.
MOUSTAFA: Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.
MACCALLUM: You bet. So coming up, the second lady Karen Pence is heading back to work but some don't like her place of employment and say she should not be there. Senator Ben Sasse on that and the rest of the big picture coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Karen Pence is returning to work this week as an art teacher at a school that she used to work at before she became -- before her husband became vice president. But no sooner that news break that the attacks began piling on. Some critics are horrified that she is working at a private conservative Christian school that they say is anti-gay and we'll show you why in a minute.
The Human Rights Campaign saying that Pence has never seem to miss an opportunity to show their public service only extends to some. Blogger Palmer also chumming in with a similar sentiment. Mike Pence he says is an extremist bigot. Karen Pence is an extremist bigot. She's unfit to be around kids let alone teach them, he writes.
But Karen Pence's spokeswoman said it's observed that her decision to teach art to children at a Christian school and the school's religious belief are under attack. Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse is a Republican of course who just introduced a resolution on religious liberty in the Senate that just past moments ago. Senator Sasse, thank you very much. Good to have you here tonight.
SEN. BEN SASSE, R-NEB.: Good to be here.
MACCALLUM: Quickly, tell us what your resolution was that just passed?
SASSE: So there is a nominee, a good nominee that President Trump has picked to be a U.S. district judge for the district of Nebraska. And Brian Buescher is a Catholic and he is involved in the Knights of Columbus and bizarrely some Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have decided to attack him for being involved in Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic fraternal lay service organization in the world and they've asked if he would resign from the Knights of Columbus if he's confirmed to the federal bench so that he didn't give the appearance of bias. It is truly bizarre.
And happily, big win tonight. The Senate unanimously decided to rebuke those kinds of lines of anti-Catholic attacks and questioning coming out in the Senate Judiciary Democrats.
MACCALLUM: I mean, that is -- that's a significant win for religious liberty. You know, you look at the Amy Coney Barrett situation. She is a law professor at Notre Dame. Similar situation. This is what Dianne Feinstein said about her. Let's play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DIANE FEINSTEIN, D-CALIF.: I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different. I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that's of concern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Do you think she would have ever said that to someone of the Jewish faith or someone of the Muslim faith that she had looked into it and she's concerned that the dogma might live too loudly within them, senator?
SEN. BEN SASSE, R-NEB.: Boy, I sure hope not. What a bizarre statement that is, I mean, let's go back to it America is, America 101, the five freedoms of the First Amendment. Speech, press, religion, assembly, the rights of protest, this is what we believe about human dignity which is that people and our rights come from God and it's prior to government.
Government doesn't give you rights. Government is just our shared project to secure those rights. And we say in our Constitution, that everyone has the religious liberty and there is no religious task to serve for federal office. And yet, bizarrely, you have more and more Democrats going down this weird line of attack --
MACCALLUM: Yes.
SASSE: -- trying to pretend that you have to be denying religion to be involved in public life. It's really unfortunate.
MACCALLUM: You know, it started with the Karen Pence example. The school does ask teachers and parent to sign an agreement that basically says that they will not support or condone sexual immorality, homosexual activity, bisexual activity. What's your take on that whole controversy?
SASSE: I can't understand why these people don't have more to do. Karen Pence is a lovely woman and she is trying to help and serve kids and she is doing it at a Christian school. She doesn't need a job. She is doing this to love her neighbor. She's doing this to help kids learn about art.
And people have decided to attack her because it's a Christian school. This is a fundamentally un-American way to think. I think that, you know, everybody should be saying to Mrs. Pence, hey, thanks for trying to go and serve people and help kids learn about art. The fact that she chooses to do it at a Christian school is every bit her right.
MACCALLUM: And it's not like she and her husband have ever, you know, hidden their feelings about their faith. They are quite open about it and if people have a problem with it, they're allowed to do that. They are free to do that in America but she is also free to work where she wants to work.
SASSE: That's right.
MACCALLUM: Senator Sasse, thank you very much. Always good to see you, sir.
SASSE: Thanks for having me.
MACCALLUM: So, still ahead tonight, the new message from the parents of Jayme Closs' kidnapping suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Tonight, the parents of the suspected -- of the suspect charged with kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs are speaking out. They have a message to the victim and to her family. Trace Gallagher with this story for us from our west coast newsroom tonight. Hi, Trace.
TRACE GALLAGHER, CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Martha.
Jake Patterson is now facing intentional homicide charges along with kidnapping and armed burglary. His bail is $5 million. The suspects father, a very emotional patrick Patterson who showed up at the Baron County courthouse yesterday to pass along a note to the Closs family. Speaking to a CNN reporter, Patterson said, quoting, "all I care about right now is Jayme's family. I want to get them a note."
But he wouldn't say what was in the note. In fact, he wouldn't say anything except repeating over and over again that he is sorry and that he can't talk. Mr. Patterson was in the courtroom for his son's arraignment and initially sat on the prosecution side until a deputy asked them to sit on the defense side.
As the charges were read and Jake Patterson appeared by video camera the father sobbed and buried his head into the shoulder of a relative.
Remember, Jayme Closs says that during her three months of captivity in Jake Patterson's, his father came over on a regular basis and during those times Jake Patterson would make her hide under the bed telling her if she made noise, bad things would happen.
And now, we have the 911 call made shortly after Jayme Closs escaped that cabin and was found by a woman walking her dog. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who is going to come back?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His name is Jake Patterson. So, we're kind of scared because he might come.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, if the cops could get here soon.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've many deputies headed that way. I'm going to keep you on the line.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said he killed my parents. I want to go home. Help me.
(END VOICE CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Patterson was arrested shortly after that call and now his grandfather is speaking out, saying this about his grandson, quoting, "something went terribly wrong. Nobody had any clues. We are absolutely heartbroken. It's wrenching to deal with. He was shy and quiet, he backed off from crowds, but a nice boy, polite. Computer games were more of a priority than social interactions."
A neighbor of the Patterson family says the suspect's mother is also devastated. Martha?
MACCALLUM: You got to feel for these people as well. The computer games are, you know, always seem to surface in these situations. But I love the 911 operator, when she says we have many deputies headed that way. As you know, everybody was holding their breath with exhilaration, just so happy that at least part of that devastating situation was coming to a close.
Trace, thank you, thank you so much.
GALLAGHER: Yes.
MACCALLUM: Coming up tonight, Senator Tim Scott joins me on debunking the so-called racism, as he puts it that is put upon or reflected in the Republican Party. He wants to talk about, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Congressman Steve King of Iowa may be able to avoid being censured by the House but he still taking calls to resign. Last night on The Story Brit Hume pointed out that this country was built on equality for all and that the charge of racism therefore is a deeply serious one, while saying he is no fan of Congressman Steve King, he did urge the media to lay out the facts and to leave the rest to the American people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIT HUME, POLITICAL ANALYST: The best thing to do was to quote what he said accurately --
MACCALLUM: Yes.
HUME: -- and let the people of United States who have no -- who have no taste for racism make up their own minds as to whether it was racist or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Here now exclusive is South Carolina Senator Tim Scott who has called on his party to unify in the wake of this controversy. Senator, good to have you here as always. Thank you for coming back on the program tonight.
SEN. TIM SCOTT, R-S.C.: It's good to be with you. Thank you.
MACCALLUM: You know, what did you make of what you just heard from Congressman King? Sort of getting upset with the fact that Liz Cheney and others have come after him?
SCOTT: Yes. He is fighting for his political career, so there is no doubt that he is going to be on the offense as much as possible.
One of the things I've been consistently saying is that I'm not calling on anyone to resign because at the end of the day the voters have a chance to be heard and they are heard in the House every two years.
What I am trying to do is get us to focus on the facts that we, as a conservative party have an opportunity to be heard by every single American in every quarter of the country if we are able to overcome some of the overtones that come from members of our party.
And by doing so, instead of talking about Steve King or racism, we'll talk about the fact that this president, President Trump has led to the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded for African-Americans, the lowest ever recorded unemployment rate for Hispanics.
We have passed landmark legislation that will help 31 million Americans mired in poverty living in distress communities called opportunity zones. We have forced the debate on criminal justice reform to make sure that we are doing the right thing for America by keeping our communities safe.
And at the exact same time, providing more opportunities for those folks who are returning to communities to have the right programs to make sure that they don't recidivate, which means that crime rates will go down because of the Criminal Justice Reform Act that was signed into law by President Trump.
But instead of having those conversations, we are having a different conversation and much of that is avoidable.
MACCALLUM: You know, it's so interesting. Actually, I was at the White House when you signed that and when you made the announcement about these opportunity zones --
SCOTT: Yes.
MACCALLUM: -- and the opportunity that they present for minorities and all people who live in areas that are economically challenged around this country. And you talked about the president and what you saw as his enormous leadership on this issue.
SCOTT: Absolutely.
MACCALLUM: And it's very striking. Because what we end up doing and you know, the media is at fault on this too, is getting sucked into some of the stories that perhaps really do not represent the larger concerns of the American people.
SCOTT: Well, they don't. I mean, frankly, here we are sitting in the midst of a shutdown and one of the tactics of the left is to make the wall immoral or talk about racism that somehow conflated with protecting our country.
Common sense suggests that if you have 1,950 miles of border and you have about 700 miles that don't need a fence because you have a natural border there, what do you do? You find a way to strengthen border security which includes barriers, more bodies called and more patrol officers and at the same time using technology.
But instead of having that conversation, the left because of their focus on identity politics is trying to scare people into not supporting our president as it relates to providing the resources necessary to protect our nation, to be a nation we have to have strong security at our borders. This is what you called common sense.
MACCALLUM: So, do you think -- let me ask you. So, do you think that because of that because you don't want these things to be a distraction that Steve King who, you know, claims that he is misunderstood, but nonetheless has found himself in these controversies over and over and over again, would help your party by stepping aside?
SCOTT: Well, once again, there is no doubt that I'm not going to say, yes, that question I think Steve has to make his own decisions. I'm not in the position to know what it's in his heart. I've not been one of his constituents. And those really are the only two of himself, one person, and his constituents, the other body that will make that decision.
I don't think it's my responsibility, nor is it my opportunity to weigh in what he should do from his own perspective. What I can say is that when we are tripping over our own message because our messengers get in the way, that's not good for the party. But more importantly it's not good for America.
Because what we've done in the last two years under President Trump's leadership is to transform our nation economically to undergird the success of our nation from a regulatory perspective which only means that the greatest asset we have -- the average person in our nation is our greatest asset. They now have a chance to flourish like they haven't had in more than a decade. And that's good news. And unfortunately, that good news is not being heard, loud enough, strong enough or often enough.
MACCALLUM: Well, yours is an important voice in your party and we thank you for being here.
SCOTT: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: I know you are calling for civility, fairness, and opportunity --
SCOTT: Yes, ma'am.
MACCALLUM: -- as your agenda. Senator Tim Scott, we'll see you next time. Thank you very much, senator.
SCOTT: Thank you. Have a great night.
MACCALLUM: You, too.
So, have you seen this yet?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bullying.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Me Too movement against sexual harassment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Masculinity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this the best a man can get? Is it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Is masculinity toxic or are you hash tag, boycott Gillette?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: If you spent 30 seconds on the internet this week chances are you have heard about the dangers of toxic masculinity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bullying.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Me Too movement against sexual harassment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Masculinity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this the best a man can get? Is it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Making the same old excuses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boys will be boys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boys will be boys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boys will be boys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But something finally changed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Allegations regarding sexual assaults and sexual harassment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And there will be no going back. Because we, we believe in the best in men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Men need to hold other men accountable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smile, sweetie. Come on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To say the right thing. To act the right way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not cool. Not cool.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some already are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ways big and small.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am strong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am strong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But some is not enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So how we treat each other, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Joining me now Fox News contributors Lawrence Jones, Tyrus, and Bernard Whitman, president and CEO of Whitman Insight Strategies. Gentlemen, good to have you with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for having us.
MACCALLUM: You know, I think there are moments in that, that are inspiring that send a good message. But then there are other moments, and in particular the one that one of our producers point out this morning is all these guys, you know, lined up at the barbecue, which I just think, can you imagine if there was an ad like that with women lined up baking cakes what the reaction to that would be? Lawrence, what do you think?
LAWRENCE JONES, EDITOR IN CHIEF, CAMPUS REFORM.ORG: Yes. So, I think there is a general notion that all men are bad. And it was even more concerning when the APA released their study of men saying that the masculinity that men have is dangerous. It's troubling.
And this is really what we've been seeing from the college campuses where a lot of these philosophies, this progressive came up with this term. And I think if you were to judge women by the same standard that they are now trying to put men, I think there would be so much outrage. I think the real men are standing up in society because we have had some troubling situations. And it's because of real men stepped up and said that's not right and fired a lot of these bad guys.
MACCALLUM: Yes. You know, I mean, I asked my son about this today. I asked all the men in my life actually about this ad. And Tyrus, you know, it was like yes, makes me -- my 18-year-old, makes me like it's showing all men being bad guys.
JONES: Right.
TYRUS, CONTRIBUTOR: I mean, I'm all for a hey, let's do right, let's be right kind of commercial. But it just felt very isolated towards men. You know, anytime you take one group and blame them for a problem, there is an issue. Because there are a lot of things that go into -- they got bullying, cyberring, like they covered misogynistic stuff. There are bad dudes. There are also irresponsible women.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Absolutely.
TYRUS: You know what I'm saying.
MACCALLUM: That behavior knows no gender.
TYRUS: I mean, there's -- where is the commercial going after the Kardashians telling little girls they need to have filters and fake hair --
MACCALLUM: Yes.
TYRUS: -- and breast jobs and Brazilian butt lifts to be beautiful. No, I'm just saying like, where is that? Good men make good decisions. I'm a father. If my son jumped on a boy in a backyard, it would have been the worst mistake he made that day --
MACCALLUM: Yes.
TYRUS: -- and hen he would have to apologize. So, I think it's the normal people do right.
MACCALLUM: Yes. This is from a frequent viewer, who is also known as my husband who has raised two sons. And I asked everybody to weigh in. He said if we have to be taught by a razor company trying to sell razor blades how to be better, moral people then we are in huge trouble. Society has successfully taken down organizations like the Boy Scouts, and Christian and community groups and now corporations are replacing the role of teaching better citizenship. Is that a problem, Bernard?
BERNARD WHITMAN, CEO, WHITMAN INSIGHT STRATEGIES LLC: Martha, I don't understand why this is controversial at all. The ad basically says to treat others with respect. Gentlemen, mind your manners, and act in a way that your grandmother and your mother taught you and you be proud of it. It's time that we in this country stand up --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Why are we getting this from a razor company?
WHITMAN: It's time that we in this country stand up as a nation.
(CROSSTALK)
TYRUS: That is not what it said.
WHITMAN: Enough is enough. We got to put an end to sexual harassment and bullying. It's not just appropriate in 2019.
MACCALLUM: No disagreement there.
WHITMAN: It's not appropriate in 2019 to go around and grab women and making comments and --
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: And that's because --
MACCALLUM: Bernard, you're not as a man, you are not offended when you watch this? That you as a man are being painted with this broad brush --
WHITMAN: No.
MACCALLUM: -- like you don't know this so a razor company has to tell you.
WHITMAN: If Gillette saying calling us to our better angels, act responsibly, treat others like you'd want to be treated --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Why is Gillette doing this?
WHITMAN: There is nothing -- because Gillette ethos is be the best a man can get. And they're saying, particularly for the young generation of men and boys to grab --
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: And so there is a problem with men?
WHITMAN: Treat people with respect. You know what, there is a problem with men.
JONES: No, it's not.
WHITMAN: Excuse me.
MACCALLUM: What is the problem with men?
WHITMAN: Four in five women have reported being sexually harassed or sexually discriminated against. That is a problem. We need to teach this culture, teach this generations coming up to be more respectful. And if the brand can live that value and resonate with consumers --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: But that responsibility, Tyrus, made here --
(CROSSTALK)
TYRUS: Like I said, if that was the commercial, I would love that commercial.
MACCALLUM: -- is up to families and the parents and your community groups and your churches to be lectured to by a razor --
(CROSSTALK)
TYRUS: I wouldn't let my son watch that commercial, nor my daughter.
MACCALLUM: You wouldn't let them watch it?
TYRUS: I wouldn't let my kids watch that commercial.
MACCALLUM: Why?
TYRUS: One, because it paints a picture, one I barbecue for one. And I have never sat in front of an open flame while my child attacked somebody and said boys will be boys. As matter of fact, that's a sexist term in itself.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITMAN: But this happens (ph) in America today.
TYRUS: But it's the mom who says when their sons make mistakes boys will be boys but we punish them and we dealt with them. No parent would --
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: And then the fact that that show little boys in the ad, like playing around. Guess what, little boys have little fight.
TYRUS: Yes.
JONES: So, does as little girls as well.
TYRUS: Little boys get whooped by little girls.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITMAN: What is wrong --
JONES: Making mistakes is a problem. That's wrong.
WHITMAN: What is wrong with a father saying we don't treat other people like that?
TYRUS: Fathers already do that. That's the point.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITMAN: Well, clearly, not --
TYRUS: The norm is not that we sit around and sexually harass women all day. That's not the norm in this --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITMAN: We as a culture can agree that it is time that we treat other human beings with respect the way each other would want to be treated.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: You know, the one moment I like --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITMAN: What is the problem with that?
MACCALLUM: -- is when the guy is like, you know, going after this woman on the street and his friend goes hey, that's not cool. I mean, that's a good message. But my point is that we don't need this from a razor company.
WHITMAN: I think we need it from every corner of society. And if a brand can stand up to say be the best a man can get. Then I think that it furthers the conversation and helps to bring the country --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: All right. You are the best that we can get.
JONES: We need specific details --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: You're my guys. All right.
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