Mayra Flores on Jill Biden's' tacos' comments about Latinos: 'Doesn't surprise me'
Newly-elected congresswoman Mayra Flores, R-Texas, reacts to Jill Biden's comments, stressing that 'we really have had enough of the Democrat party's far-left policies.'
This is a rush transcript from "Sunday Morning Futures" July 17, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning, everyone. Welcome to "Sunday Morning Futures." Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Maria Bartiromo.
Today: weakness on the world stage. President Biden coming home from the Middle East with no commitments from the Saudis after an embarrassing fist bump with the man he promised was a pariah to the world. And, instead, Biden receives another lecture, this time from the Saudis, who say the U.S. has made human rights mistakes. And oil was not even part of the summit, so no promises on producing more of it to push down gas prices in America.
Coming up, Congressman Ronny Jackson on how Biden's mental capacity is affecting global relations and national security.
Then: Tell us how you really feel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY: Well, we will help build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community, as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio...
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JILL BIDEN: ... is your strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: The out-of-touch comments from first lady Jill Biden on the Hispanic community, as the surge of illegal migrants at the border intensifies this weekend and the Latino community moves in droves toward the GOP.
Coming up, newly elected Texas Congresswoman Mayra Flores on the Democrats' opinion of Hispanics, as viewed through Nancy Pelosi's shove of a child and Jill Biden's taco talk.
Plus: It is one of the most important races in the Senate this November. Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters on the wide-open border, President Trump's endorsement, and big tech surveillance of America.
Then: Iran, Afghanistan, China and beyond, the foreign policy mistakes piling up, as the world watches weak U.S. leadership. The impact on American families. Coming up, Florida Congressman and Green Beret combat veteran Michael Waltz on the state of the U.S. military today.
All of that right here, right now on "Sunday Morning Futures."
And first this morning: empty-handed and questioned.
President Biden returning from his Middle East trip with no promises from Saudi Arabia to boost oil production, to send gasoline prices lower in America. Instead, the president has more gaffes and awkward moments on the world stage, including discussing the Holocaust and American troops, the ongoing cringeworthy moments that have sparked even supporters to question Biden's leadership.
The New York Times, which endorsed Joe back in 2020, published a report last week on the president's age becoming -- quote -- "an uncomfortable issue" for Democrats, writing that he often shuffles when he walks and aides worry he will trip on a wire. He stumbles over words during public events. And they hold their breath to see if he makes it to the end without a gaffe.
But as it -- is it more than just age? And, if so, has Biden's capacity become a national security issue over the last year?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The best way to get something done if you -- if you hold near and dear to you that you like to be able to -- anyway.
We're going to seize their yachts, their luxury homes and other ill- begotten gains of Putin's kleptocr -- yes, kleptocracy.
And you said, the people are waiting for relief. I got them $1.9 trillion of relief so far. They're going to be getting checks in the mail that are consequential this week for child care.
"It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who registered to vote and cast a ballot is consistently higher than the percentage of the men who do so" -- end of quote. Repeat the line.
We will always honor the bravery and selflessness -- selflessness of the sacrifices of the Americans who served, including my son, Major Beau Biden, who was stationed in Iraq for a year.
Later today, I will once more return to the hallowed ground of Yad Vashem to keep alive the truth or honor of the Holocaust -- horror of the Holocaust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: Well, my next guest first called on President Biden to take a cognitive test back in February of 2020, and is uniquely qualified to do so.
Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson served as the White House physician for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. His new book, "Holding the Line," explores the time treating all three presidents in the West Wing.
Congressman, thanks very much for joining us. Congratulations on the book.
And let me just say that there is no joy in discussing the commander in chief in this weakened position.
Congressman, your thoughts in terms of President Biden's mental capacity today?
REP. RONNY JACKSON (R-TX): Well, I think it's on full display for the entire country and for the world, unfortunately.
And I have been saying this since he was candidate Joe Biden, Maria. This man should not have been put in a position to be our commander in chief, our head of state and our president. And when I -- when I initially said that back before he was elected, there was a lot of pushback. And I said at the time, give us -- give it about another two years or so,and it won't be Ronny Jackson talking about it anymore.
It's going to be his own party. That's what we see happening right now, because this is becoming a real issue for us. You can see what -- domestically, what he's done to our country. We have got our Southern border.We have our economy, the price of gas. People's lives are not in a good spot right now.
And then overseas, he's a national embarrassment to us right now. And it's a big national security issue for us when we have somebody going over. And his job as our commander in chief and as our head of state is to inspire confidence and to project strength.
And he does just the opposite. So I'm seriously worried about it. I think everybody in the country is starting to get extremely worried about him. And he's not -- he's not a -- he's not in a position to do the job he's currently -- currently being asked to do.
BARTIROMO: Yes, and that's why I started the conversation by saying, look, there's no joy here. Let's put politics aside. This is a serious issue. This is our commander in chief.
And we're watching this from America, but also watching this are our adversaries, the Chinese Communist Party, Iran, and North Korea, et cetera.
Look, Congressman, you treated President Obama in the White House while Joe Biden was vice president. Can you compare what you saw then with Vice President Joe Biden to what you see now? And without asking you to diagnose or prescribe, tell me, roughly speaking, what you think is going on?
He did the other day discuss his brain aneurysm, which really was a shock to me that he discussed it publicly, but he did mention it.
JACKSON: Right.
Well, I did. I saw him periodically throughout the years I was there, making the comment that I wasn't his physician at the time. I oversaw the guy that did take care of him, but I wasn't his physician at the time.
But I have seen the same thing everybody else saw. I have saw Joe Biden that was always prone to gaffes. But these aren't gaffes anymore. Something's changed toward -- during the time that President Trump was our president, something happened, and Joe Biden started having another issue, a cognitive issue that's related to his age.
And like I have said before, I'm not his physician. I haven't examined him, so I'm not going to make a diagnosis. But there's a lot of diseases out there that have a big cognitive component, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multi- infarct dementia. I don't know what he's got going on. But he has something that's causing him to have cognitive decline.
And it's progressive, related to his age. And we -- there's a lot of stuff you can do, Maria. There's a lot of jobs you can have out there that you can still be successful if you're not at the top of your game. President of the United States is not one of them.
So I see a different Joe Biden now than the one that I saw when he was vice president at the White House. And I think there's lots of tape and lots of video for 40 years of this man's career. And anybody can go back and compare some of those earlier years and some of the gaffes to what's happening now.
And this is something very different. This is something very concerning. This man is not in control. And he's not leading this country. Something else is going on behind the scenes. And there are other people pulling the strings. And that is very concerning for us.
And, like you said, every -- all of our adversaries see this as a window of opportunity right now. Everyone is going to try to get away with everything they can before he's done. I'm talking about China and Russia and Iran and everybody. This is putting our country at great risk right now.
BARTIROMO: And you came at this from a medical position, giving -- given the fact that you did treat those three presidents.
Back in February of 2020, you put out a tweet saying: "Remember the cognitive test I gave Donald Trump, the one he aced? Sounds like somebody else might need some testing done. Scary."
But after that tweet came out, you received a note from President Barack Obama. Tell me what Obama said to you. You write about this in your new book, "Holding the line."
He said: "I have to express my disappointment on the cheap shot you took at Joe Biden via Twitter. It was unprofessional and beneath the office that you once held. It was also disrespectful to me," writes Obama, "and the many friends you had in our administration."
Tell me about this e-mail that you received from Obama.
JACKSON: Well, yes, as you read there, I got scolded pretty well by him.
And I was headed to a campaign event. And I saw this tweet that Ronna McDaniel had put out with a video clip of Joe Biden, didn't know exactly what state he was in. He was confused, stated that he was running for the Senate. So, he didn't know what office he was running for.
And it was just -- I mean, it was a cognitive mess. And then I just got a little frustrated with the double standard and the hypocrisy, because, if you remember, when I was President Trump's physician, the far left, the elites in academic medicine, the mainstream media, they were relentless in their pursuit of me.
They were constantly coming after me about testing and President Trump's mental and his physical capabilities. And then here we have a present that's clearly got something going on, and it's crickets. Nobody's saying a single thing.
So I retweeted that -- that video she said and made the comments that you read there. I thought it was fairly benign. And then, within 20 or 30 minutes, ding, my phone rings, and I get -- I look down, I got an e-mail from President Obama, directly from President Obama, just scolding me about this.
And so I don't know. It was a little bit I had mixed emotions about it. It was kind of a combination between being a little pissed off about and a little angry about it, and having my feelings hurt just a little bit. I had a pretty close personal relationship with all three of the presidents that I served. And he came at me pretty hard.
And so I didn't know exactly what I was going to do. I thought about it for a little bit. I called somebody who I knew would understand the situation I was in. I called my friend Dan Bongino. Dan talked me through it a little bit.
And Dan said: "Look, Ronny, you don't owe this guy anything. Don't even respond to this. This is a load of crap."
And so I kind of followed Dan's lead. And I didn't -- I didn't reply to the e-mail. I had thought about calling him, but I didn't.
BARTIROMO: Well, I mean, Congressman, there were signs that Joe Biden was declining during the 2020 campaign. I mean, let's face it. He stayed in the basement the whole time during the campaign.
So who knew what when? Are they hiding this and feeding him drugs to allow him to function? I know he goes home to Delaware a lot, more than any other president. So I guess my question is, what did Obama know? What did Jill Biden know? And who's running the White House right now? And are they covering up for these mental issues?
JACKSON: Well, that's the big question everybody's asking. Who's really pulling the strings? Who's running the country right now?
We don't really know the answer to that. We don't know if it's Susan Rice or Ron Klain, or if it's Joe Biden, or who it is. But somebody else is doing this. They're doing exactly what you said. They're rolling him out at specific times during the day. He's got good days and bad days, good -- and whether or not they have him on drugs, I don't know.
There are drugs out there that can increase your alertness and your memory and things of that nature and cover stuff like this up temporarily. So I'm sure some of that's going on as well. But we don't know, because his physician hasn't stood up and took the questions that I took when I was Trump's position and answered those questions.
With regards to the Obama administration and who should have done something about it, they saw him every day, and they stayed in close contact with him, I'm sure, after the administration -- after the Obama/Biden administration was over.
Somebody should have done something. But, Maria, I think that they were so blinded by the fact that, if Joe Biden came into office, they were going to be able to populate the entire West Wing with Obama folks. And that actually happened. Initially, there were a ton of Obama folks in the West Wing.
And we have Susan Rice running domestic policy right now. So I think that they thought that the risk was worth it to get their people back into the West Wing. And they just ignored the fact that this man had some serious cognitive issues. And now they're going to have to answer why, because it's getting worse.
BARTIROMO: Wow.
JACKSON: And it's unsustainable at this particular point.
BARTIROMO: In fact, there's a famous interview which we ran a couple of weeks ago. We will run it again in the coming weeks. It's of President Obama talking to Stephen Colbert.
And he's saying, what I would love the most is, if I'm in my basement with my sweats on and I'm just directing whoever is there, and they can carry out my orders. Basically, that's exactly what he did. That's what he set up.
JACKSON: Yes.
BARTIROMO: Now, you put out a tweet, and you say that he will not -- Biden will not finish his term.
And you say that he should resign. Tell me about this.
JACKSON: Right.
BARTIROMO: Should and will are two different things. How do you see this playing out?
JACKSON: Well, I think he will.
And I say that because I just don't see this getting any better. This is -- all of these issues we talked about with cognitive decline related to age, they get worse, not better with time. And this is going to continue to get worse, and they're going to have to do something about it.
Now, I don't know if they will go so far as to enact the 25th Amendment or to talk him into resigning based on this cognitive issue and admit that they were wrong about that. But there are other ways that they could get rid of him.
And I see them looking the other way while some of this -- some of this Hunter Biden stuff blows up, and maybe just letting him fall on his sword like that. His party is already slowly starting to abandon him and run away from him because of his polling and because of his cognitive issues and the embarrassment that he's become for the party.
And I think that they will look for opportunity to throw him under the bus in the next few years and try to -- or in the next few months and try to get rid of him, because I know that -- I think that they also know he cannot make it to the end of this term in 2024.
BARTIROMO: Yes, I mean, even his biggest supporters at The New York Times.
Maggie Haberman wrote a scathing piece about him. She's the one who was spreading the Russia collusion lie over and over again for years.
JACKSON: Right.
BARTIROMO: And even she is turning on him at this point.
Congressman, it's great to get your -- your instincts on this and your insights. We so appreciate you. Thank you, sir.
JACKSON: Thank you, Maria. I appreciate it.
BARTIROMO: Congressman Ronny Jackson sits on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees and would know national security risks, as well as the medical background of presidents.
We will take a break.
When we come back, one of the GOP's rising stars, Texas Congresswoman Mayra Flores, is here. She is reacting to Joe Biden calling Latinos tacos earlier this week.
And then why this is just one of the many reasons Hispanic voters are flocking to the Republican Party now ahead of November's midterm elections.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
Well, on their official Web site, the Democrat National Committee calls itself the party of inclusion.
So, why are so many Hispanic voters flocking to the GOP? A new New York Times/Siena College survey published Wednesday finds that 63 percent of Hispanics disapprove of Joe Biden's performance. First lady Jill Biden's tone-deaf speech at a conference in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday might explain why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JILL BIDEN: Raul helped build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community, as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio...
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JILL BIDEN: ... is your strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the first to Hispanic American to serve as a U.S. senator from Texas, fired back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): The Biden White House has time to write speeches at something called a Latinx conference -- I don't know what that is -- where they very kindly called Latinos tacos.
Well, Marco and I both appreciate being called tacos. The thing to remember about that speech, that wasn't a gaffe. That wasn't Joe Biden going off- script. Some White House operative sat down and typed into the teleprompter, this is a good idea to call Hispanics a bunch of tacos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: Joining me right now is Congresswoman Mayra Flores, who last month became the first Mexican-born congresswoman to serve in the House after her special election victory in Texas's 34th District, which had been Democrat-run for more than 100 years.
Congresswoman, it's great to see you this morning. Thanks so much for being here.
REP. MAYRA FLORES (R-TX): No, thank you so much for having me.
BARTIROMO: So, what did you think about Jill Biden talking about tacos referring to the Hispanic community? And, by the way, obviously, she meant bodegas, not Bogota.
(LAUGHTER)
FLORES: Well, it doesn't surprise me.
Jill Biden and the far left don't see us as Americans. They see us as tackles. And they think that, by giving us tacos, playing Latin music, that's all it's going to take for us to vote for them. And it's not. They're going to have to get to work. We really have had enough of the Democrat Party's far left policies that are hurting us tremendously here in South Texas and in the entire country.
BARTIROMO: Yes, we have the latest numbers in terms of the Hispanic community.
I want to take a break, Mayra, and get back to you to talk about what is important to the Hispanic community and why they are leaving the Democrat Party and going to the GOP.
A short break right now, and then a closer look at the border crisis erupting in your backyard, with some sheriffs in your state declaring an invasion. Why is the Biden administration ignoring the millions of illegal migrants swarming the United States and the thousands of pounds of illegal narcotics smuggled in?
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONICA DE LA CRUZ (R), TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: The American families are worried about how they're going to put food on the table, gas.
They're worried about the economy, their children. You layer all these things on top of each other, and I would say that all of South Texas and the Americans across this nation are just going to say no more in November. And we're going to see a massive walk-away movement from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party because of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: And that was Hispanic Texas congressional candidate Monica De La Cruz on this program last month discussing the political shift taking place across America, as President Biden's approval rating hits a record low this morning of 36 percent, as you see.
We are back with Texas Congresswoman Mayra Flores.
And, Congresswoman, I want to talk a bit about what's most important to the Hispanic community. We are all feeling the same issues. And that is the sting of inflation. And yet the Democrats have been trying to make inroads into the Hispanic community since 2020. How are they doing?
FLORES: They're doing horrible. They have abandoned the Hispanic community.
The Hispanic community is about God, family, and hard work. And, right now, our biggest concern is the economy. It's costing the average American $460 a month. Can you imagine what it's like to be a senior citizen that lives on a fixed income?
I worked with the elderly community for many years. And I can't imagine what their current situation is. And I really do believe that the reason why we were successful in the special election is because we were focused on God, family values, and the economy, and, of course, the border crisis that is hurting us tremendously here in South Texas and throughout the country.
BARTIROMO: Yes, I want to ask you more about that border crisis.
But we're looking now at the cost of essentials in America. This is just food, fuel and rent, soaring in the last year, largely because of all of the spending in the Democrat agenda. The president keeps blaming Vladimir Putin. But we know, obviously, that inflation really started stroking after the president signed into law his COVID relief package back in March of 2021.
I want to get your thoughts on what the Democrats' strategy has been. They seem to be pitting you against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who calls you -- what did she call you, an extreme right-winger?
FLORES: Yes, I guess me standing for God and family values, that's what they call far right.
I am not far right, do not hold their values. I am a conservative. And I will always represent the Hispanic community's values. I grew up with those values. They have been instilled in me since I was born. And I'm not willing to put my values aside for no political party.
And the Democrat Party wants us to forget how we were raised. They want us to forget about our family values. They want us to be obedient to their party. And the moment that we're not -- no longer obedient, they go against us.
I'm an immigrant. They claim to be in support of immigrants. And I only get but hate from the Democrat Party. They want to send me back to Mexico.
(LAUGHTER)
BARTIROMO: Well, it's interesting, because you were a Democrat, so to come up with these attack lines on you, not even understanding your own history.
And then that shove by Nancy Pelosi on your daughter when you were first sworn in, we have a picture of that. That must have really hurt. I mean, your daughter handled it beautifully. But this was pretty outrageous to see.
FLORES: It really was and very disappointing.
But it doesn't surprise me. These people say they support immigrants, but they don't want us near them. They want to keep us poor. They don't want us to rise. They want to continue controlling our vote. That's why they want so many people to come to this country, but they want to have them in control.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
FLORES: And that's not going to happen. Immigrants love God, love family values. And they're up for a big surprise coming this November. Might.
BARTIROMO: Mayra, the other thing is the border. Your husband is a border agent. And he has been defending this great country now on the front lines.
You see it in your backyard. We have new pictures from Bill Melugin, who's doing an incredible job there at the border. We have brought this program to the border four times already. And I will be going again. We see what's happening there. And the Democrat Party seems to just be ignoring what feels like an invasion.
Is this an invasion? And give us your sense of what's going on now. What needs to be done?
FLORES: Our Border Patrol agents are truly our heroes. They don't have the resources and the manpower to handle this crisis. It is really a humanitarian crisis.
And the Biden administration doesn't care about children being abused and going through rape just to get here to United States illegally, and then sold into child sex trafficking. The Biden administration is at fault. They continue to encourage people to come here illegally, knowing that they're going to have to go through such dangerous journey to come here to United States.
If -- why not focus on legal immigration and improve the legal process, so good people that want to come here to work hard for the American dream can do it, but not have to go through that dangerous journey?
But it blows my mind. Why would they continue to push illegal immigration, knowing it's funding criminal organizations that have taken over the entire Southern border? I'm from Tamaulipas. I have family in the state of Tamaulipas. I cannot visit as often because I'm afraid.
And a lot of people here in South Texas have families in Tamaulipas and throughout Mexico, and they cannot visit their loved ones because of the criminal organization. So we understand that we don't want what we're scared of to come here.
I never want no American to ever feel afraid to visit their families. I don't wish that on anyone. And it's heartbreaking to see. And it's difficult for me, because I have family in Mexico still.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
And there's also the drugs, right, fentanyl coming in, swarming the U.S. border, making it to big cities in 24 hours. And it's being made in China. We don't see any pushback on the fentanyl either. So, that's, as well, a problem.
Congresswoman, it's great to see you. We are going to be watching, obviously, your race come November. And we so appreciate your time and your leadership.
Thank you so much, Mayra Flores.
FLORES: Thank you so much. God bless you.
BARTIROMO: And to you. We will see you soon.
Quick break, and then coming up: the China threat. The Democrats are tiptoeing around the Chinese Communist Party, canceling U.S. policy that does not serve the CCP, as the communists make deadly fentanyl, which is being pushed into America, acquiring land near U.S. Air Force bases in America, continuing to steal intellectual property, and aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Will Joe Biden ever get tough on China?
Florida Congressman and former Green Beret Michael Waltz is here next.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
Well, this upcoming week, Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran to meet with the leaders of Iran and Turkey just days after President Biden ended his tour of the Middle East, coming home empty-handed on promises from the Saudis, as Biden continues to push the U.S. to get back into a nuclear deal with Iran.
The lines are certainly being drawn across the world, as China has been supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Joining me right now to assess the global threats is Florida Congressman and former Green Beret combat veteran Michael Waltz.
Congressman, it's great to see you. Thanks very much for being here.
REP. MICHAEL WALTZ (R-FL): Yes, thanks, Maria.
BARTIROMO: I want to talk about the chessboard globally in terms of these lines being drawn.
But, first, give us your assessment of President Biden's trip to the Middle East.
WALTZ: You know, I'd give it mixed, Maria
I'm glad he went to stand with our greatest ally in Israel that the Squad and other progressives call an apartheid state. So, at least he took a stand to progressives there.
But I was disappointed. He reverts right back to this giveaway of billions of dollars to the Iranian regime, in the hopes that they won't pursue a nuclear weapon.
Look, Maria, no one wants any type of military action against Iran. But we have to make it clear to the Iranians it's on the table. The Israelis made that clear during the trip. But Biden fell back to the billion-dollar giveaway here. And only if Iran believes that that program could get taken out do I think at this point, as they race towards a nuke, which will set off an arms race in the Middle East, a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, will Iran back down.
And the biggest way that we could do that is say it, make it clear on the international stage from the commander in chief, and give the Israelis the technical military equipment that they have been asking for and this administration's been holding back on.
BARTIROMO: Well, I don't know whose idea the fist bump was, but it's getting panned across the country.
The president found it amusing when asked about it. Listen to this on Friday. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Mr. President?
JOE BIDEN: Yes.
QUESTION: You're coming under a lot of fire for your fist bump with the crown prince. Why...
(LAUGHTER)
QUESTION: I just wanted to give you a chance to respond to that.
And -- but also, how can you be sure that another incident, another murder like Jamal Khashoggi's won't happen again?
JOE BIDEN: Well, God love you. What a silly question. How could I possibly be sure of any of that?
I just made it clear, if anything occurs like that again, they'll get that response and much more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: What do you think, Congressman?
WALTZ: You know, look, this is an 80-year relationship with the Saudis. It's not perfect. They're not perfect, by any means. But we have to maintain that relationship.
As you said in your lead-in, the Russians and Chinese are absolutely happy to fill the void. What I thought was kind of pathetic was that the president left with no announcement on oil. They basically said, well, thank you very much for your visit, and we will think about it and we will talk to OPEC about it.
I mean, the president would have done a lot better to visit Texas, visit Oklahoma. Let's talk about domestic production. And if he has to go abroad -- he refuses to stand up the progressives and do that here -- how about you go places like our friends the Kurds that are absolutely wanting to produce more oil in line with U.S. interests?
But, again, very mixed, very mixed review on all of it.
BARTIROMO: Well, I get your thoughts on China, because it feels like this administration continues this soft on policy for China.
I mean, look at the China policy that we have, listed all of the things that we have seen in this first year-and-a-half. We know that there are many reports that the family has taken tens of millions of dollars from Chinese officials who are tied to the Communist Party.
I mean, and this is -- and this is China's way of doing things, give gifts, lend money, and then overall take over. He has failed to demand any real investigation into the origins of COVID. He's spoken to Xi Jinping at least five times. And he -- and, as far as I know, he's not brought up the subject. Although he said he brought it up, we don't have any evidence of that.
He has failed to confront China on fentanyl. The fentanyl is made in China, and it's pushed through Mexico. He is sending China oil from America's strategic reserves.
WALTZ: Yes.
BARTIROMO: And now he's considering lifting the tariffs on Chinese imports.
If we can show that graphic again, Christopher (ph), please, put that up, because it is a long list of soft-on-China policy that we continue to see.
Your thoughts on what's going on here?
WALTZ: Yes.
And, at the same time, Maria, the Chinese are buying up America. They are buying up huge tracts of land, which, oh, by the way, happened to be key farming tracts, but also near our military bases. They're buying up our food supply, chicken, pork, other producers. And they're buying up our technology. If they can't steal it, then they come in, and they -- and they buy it.
And what are they doing with all of it? They're creating dependencies on them. And they're handing the technology over to their military, as they have the most rapid military buildup in modern history. And, look, at the end of the day, the Democrats want to talk about defund police. I have been saying let's defund dictatorships. Let's defund the Chinese Communist Party.
But we have Wall Street, our politicians, academia, the sports industry, Hollywood, you name it, that are -- that are absolutely drunk on Chinese dollars. The Chinese communists know it. Xi knows it. And they are looking to win the economic war way before there's any type of military conflict.
And we have got to wake up as a country. And this administration is totally asleep at the switch.
BARTIROMO: Right.
Well, the leadership begins at the top. And the administration apparently is OK with unwitting investors investing in Chinese companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party that may very well end up turning around and fighting America.
Tom Cotton has a problem with this ESG agenda. And he says that he wants to investigate ESG practices from groups like BlackRock, which he says have created a climate cartel to suppress investment in the fossil fuel industry in America. And that's contributing to $5-a-gallon gasoline.
Your thoughts on the investments of American families and this federal thrift fund having a wide-open window.
WALTZ: Yes.
BARTIROMO: This is the 401(k) for government employees past and present, and they're able to invest in Chinese companies that may very well get hostile on America.
We are funding their expansion.
WALTZ: We absolutely are.
But how sad and ironic to have our military members' retirement plan start to be invested into Beijing that lists all of their defense companies. That money is going right to the future Chinese stealth fighters, tanks and planes that will be shooting our men and -- shooting at our men and women.
And we had an amendment to stop that, to ban it. And the Democrats came back and said, well, we will support you in banning funds going into Chinese firms if you agree to allow these ESG and environmental bans as well.
The irony there, Maria, is that that's going to also flow to China, because they have cornered the market on solar panels. So it's shutting down American energy independence, flowing through this green obsession over into China. And I could show you satellite images that are available in the market of Chinese solar plants being powered by coal-fired plants right next door.
This isn't about the environment for China. It's about creating dependencies and making America dependent. And the left is playing right into their hands.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
And, by the way, you said it at the top of the interview, China's influence campaign in the U.S. A Chinese company recently purchased farmland in North Dakota just 12 miles from a U.S. Air Force base with sophisticated military drone technology.
Congressman, we're watching all of this. We so appreciate your insight. Thank you, sir.
WALTZ: Thank you, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Congressman Michael Waltz.
Quick break, and then 2022 U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters on his high- stakes race to unseat incumbent Democrat Senator Mark Kelly in Arizona, following another month with more than 200,000 apprehensions at the Southern border.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): We went from a secure border to chaos.
We went from energy independence to the president begging Iran, OPEC and Venezuela to increase production. We went from safe streets to record levels of crime in every major urban area.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
JORDAN: And we went from stable prices to a 41-year high inflation rate. And I haven't even gotten into foreign policy or the attacks on our First Amendment and, of course, last week, the attacks on our Second Amendment rights.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
JORDAN: So, there's a reason, Maria, more than seven out of 10 of our fellow citizens think the country is on the wrong track.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
JORDAN: It's -- they think that because it's true. They understand this great country is in a terrible situation because of Joe Biden and their policies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: And that was Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan on this program last month on why he expects a red wave come November, with 85 percent of Americans now saying that the country is on the wrong track, with multiple crises erupting across the globe as a result of Joe Biden and the Democrats' policies.
My next guest is competing in what is being called one of the most important competitions of 2022, with the hope of setting America back on the right track.
Blake Masters is the former chief operating officer of Thiel Capital and is running for the U.S. Senate seat to unseat incumbent Democrat Senator Mark Kelly in Arizona. He joins me now.
Blake, great to see you this morning. Thanks very much for being here.
BLAKE MASTERS (R), ARIZONA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Always a pleasure, Maria.
BARTIROMO: So, your primary race is coming up. We have the numbers.
You are in the lead with the Arizona Senate Republican primary. Tell us about your priorities, and how are you feeling about the race?
MASTERS: Feeling good about the race, Maria.
I'm, I think, the boldest candidate in the race. I'm running on this fantastic America first agenda. I was honored last month to receive President Trump's endorsement, which has been like rocket fuel for the campaign. So we're not complacent. I'm certainly acting like the underdog, although I like where things are at.
And priority number one -- and I know we will talk about this -- is to seal the border.
BARTIROMO: Well, that...
MASTERS: But there's a lot of priorities, because the Democrats, everything they touch is just on fire right now. It's really frustrating.
BARTIROMO: Yes. It's a great point, because Mark Kelly has tried to distance himself from Joe Biden and his policies even on the border and the economy. He helped sink one of Biden's labor nominees, pushed the president to open new drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and hammered the administration over Title 42.
Yet this all happened just recently. We hadn't heard a peep back at the border from him for the year prior.
MASTERS: Well, that's right.
This is an election year. And so Mark Kelly, he knows the Democrats have failed. He himself has failed. He's got nothing to run on. And so, of course, he's going to make some noises about being independent and, oh, we need to hold Biden accountable.
No, that's an act. He hides behind this facade of pretending to be a moderate and he used to be an astronaut. Actually, he votes in lockstep with Chuck Schumer and for the Joe Biden open borders, inflation agenda. And so to flip this seat, what I have to do this fall is just tell the truth about Mark Kelly.
We're going to expose his left-wing voting record, and we're not going to let him get away with pretending to be a moderate, because that's just a lie.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
And now the Department of Justice is suing Arizona over their voting rules. I want to get your take on what you expect from the election, particularly as it relates to voting. We will get there after the break.
You were also the CEO -- the COO at Thiel Capital, your thoughts on technology surveillance across America and Elon Musk backing out of the Twitter deal.
We will be right back with Blake Masters.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Well, welcome back.
And I am back with Blake Masters, the former COO of Thiel Capital, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Arizona.
Blake, I want to get your take on the Department of Justice suing Arizona. The DOJ says that Arizona should not have a law that requires citizens to show proof of I.D. to vote, and that's why they're suing them. First question, are you concerned about your election being fair? You were vocal about the Arizona voting back in 2020. What has changed? And do you think there will be issues come November?
MASTERS: Well, we have made some progress. The state legislature has passed some good laws.
But, yes, I'm concerned about it. And the good news is,a lot of other people are concerned about it too. And if we take this concern and we mobilize it, right? We need poll workers. We need poll observers. We need eyes and ears and boots on the ground.
And, if we mobilize, we make it much harder for the left to cheat. And I'm not complacent. We can't get complacent. But, man, I think we can make this red wave happen, Maria. I talk to registered independents every day, some of whom did vote for Biden. And they apologize. They say, Blake, please get Trump back. Bring back the mean tweets, if it means $2 gasoline and border security.
BARTIROMO: Wow.
MASTERS: So, if we work hard, I think we have a red wave and we take back the Senate.
BARTIROMO: Yes, and I want to ask you about big tech.
You know this space so well, having been the CEO of Thiel Capital. People are worried that there is unlawful surveillance under way of ordinary American citizens by big tech and certainly by the Communist Party. What can you tell us?
MASTERS: Unfortunately, there is. That's just true. The concern is well- founded.
One thing I want to do in the Senate is run a digital bill of rights that makes sure that you own your data, right, not Facebook, not Google. We need to hold these companies accountable.
I'm just as worried, Maria, about what these companies are actively pushing. They're actively censoring conservatives. They're actively pushing left-wing political narratives. So much of the mass media and big tech has become propaganda. These companies are ideological.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
MASTERS: They're the self-professed arbiters of truth.
And I think it's dangerous to this republic.
BARTIROMO: All right.
MASTERS: And so we got to put a stop to it.
BARTIROMO: Great agenda, Blake. We will be watching.
Blake Masters joining us.
That will do it for us on "Sunday Morning Futures." Have a great rest of your Sunday. I will see you next week on FOX Business' "Mornings With Maria." And you can catch this program again today at 3:00 p.m. right here on FOX News.
Have a good day, everybody.
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