Why won't liberals aggressively condemn violent protests?
Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson and radio host Richard Fowler react on 'The Kelly File'
This is a rush transcript from "The Kelly File," June 3, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
TRISH REGAN, FOX NEWS HOST: Breaking tonight, with just four days to go before the final major contests of the 2016 primary season, we are witnessing some of the worst that America has to offer. A Donald Trump supporters find themselves being attacked by violent mobs. And some on the left try to excuse these attacks by blaming the candidate himself.
Welcome, everyone to "The Kelly File." I'm Trish Regan in for Megyn Kelly tonight. There's new reaction tonight to the ugly display we witness last night in San Jose California where anti-Trump protesters took out their fury on his supporters. This is just a little of what transpired. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BLEEP)
(INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands on my neck!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey!
(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)
(BLEEP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is egging them on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he is an idiot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's egging them on. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
(BLEEP)
(BLEEP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: Afterwards, the two Democratic presidential campaigns largely remained silent on this matter. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders only addressing it when directly questioned. As for some political commentators, they appeared to suggest this is just no big deal. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Let's just not get carried away. You know, this -- in the United States, this kind of protest has gone on for hundreds of years. It's not that big a deal. A bunch of people -- like the guy got his hat knocked off. One person getting hurt is unacceptable. But it's one person. I just don't think anybody should, you know, think that this is a bigger deal than it is. As for the Donald himself, today he said this.
DONALD TRUMP, R-PRESUMPTIVE GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm proud. It was absolutely incredible. And it was a love fest inside. We had just an amazing time. And that was it. And we wrapped up. Everybody was cheering like crazy forever. And then they walk out and get accosted by a bunch of thugs burning the American flag -- burning the American flag. And you know
what they are. They are thugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: In just a moment, we'll discuss this with Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson and radio show host Richard Fowler.
But first, we begin with Trace Gallagher reporting from our West Coast Newsroom. Trace.
TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: And Trish, even if you take eyewitness testimony out of what happened during the Trump rally in San Jose and just stick with what was documented on videotape, there were numerous violent attacks against Trump supporters by Trump protesters.
Some supporters were pelt with eggs. At least one man was sucker punched as he tried to walk away. And another man was blindsided and bashed with the head with a heavy bag. The man who took the video of the bag attack says old people were also getting knocked to the ground and having their Trump hats stomped on. He thinks San Jose police backed off for too long.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM POOL, JOURNALIST: When this man in the yellow shirt was coming out, there were several officers who did not intervene when the crowds are rushing at him, spitting on him and pushing him. And, you know, I don't know what the reason for that is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Today the police came out and said the reason they didn't intervene sooner is because they feared it would insight more violent behavior. But the mayor of San Jose Sam Liccardo, a Democrat who supports Hillary Clinton said his Police Department did an extraordinary job. He blames Trump for coming to cities and igniting problems that police have to deal with, telling the Associated Press, quoting, at some point, Donald Trump has to take responsibility for the irresponsible behavior of his campaign. In a follow-up statement today the mayor again blamed Trump for stirring the pot but finally denounced the violence against Trump supporters. And Hillary Clinton echoed that by condemning both the violence and Trump. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This has to end. He set a very bad example. He created an environment in which it seemed to be acceptable for someone running for president to be inciting violence, to be encouraging his supporters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Bernie Sanders also weighed in, calling Trump reprehensible but saying we can't defeat him by throwing eggs. And finally, there is the media influence. Emmett Rensin, a deputy editor at Vox, which is a left- leaning news website, has urged people to riot if Donald Trump comes to town. Rensin has now been suspended -- Trish.
REGAN: Thanks so much, Trace. Joining us right now with reaction to the events, Katrina Pierson, national spokesperson for the Trump campaign. And Richard Fowler a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and senior fellow at the New Leaders Council.
Richard, I'll start with you. Why don't we see liberals act more aggressively when it comes to condemning violence like this?
RICHARD FOWLER, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Well, what we saw in San Jose, what we saw a couple of nights ago in Berkeley it's wrong. Right? Violence should never be tolerated. But what should be allowed is peaceful protests, people saying and speaking their mind. That's our First Amendment right. And that's what those folks are doing. When they go to violence, it's wrong. And they should be arrested. They're thugs. It's awful. We've seen Hillary Clinton say that, we've seen Bernie Sanders say that, we've seen Democratic senators saying that.
REGAN: It took them a while, Richard. It took them a while.
FOWLER: Also we've seen senators say that.
REGAN: Bernie Sanders just moments ago said something in response when he was asked about it. Hillary Clinton needed to be asked about it.
Katrina Pierson, why aren't the two leading candidates and the Democratic Party coming out, taking a stand and saying, enough with the violence?
KATRINA PIERSON, TRUMP CAMPAIGN NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON: Well, you know, Trish, it's simple. The media is not asking them to. This started with the Chicago rally. We know for a fact there were left organizations participating. Bill Ayers himself was there. I'm reporting on the ground. Move on.org was involved. Black Lives Matter was involved. There were tons of left organizations since that rally. And these protests have done nothing but escalated. And you played a clip earlier that was absolutely right. These types of intimidation tactics have gone on in this country for years. And it's always by the left. And somehow --
FOWLER: Katrina.
PIERSON: They want to put the blame on Donald Trump.
FOWLER: Stop!
PIERSON: We are not going to let that happen.
REGAN: Let me jump in and just ask you, Katrina, if it had been, supporters for Donald Trump that were out at a Hillary Clinton campaign rally, and if they had acted like that, if they had thrown eggs at someone, if they were burning flags, if they were insulting police, how would things be different right now?
PIERSON: Well, first of all, there would be a petition to have Donald Trump withdraw from the race and everybody else fired. A Trump supporter could have just a sign that the left doesn't like and all of a sudden they will be labeled all these things and even attacked for that matter. There is a double standard in this country. And look, we have known for a very long time in this presidential race right now it was going to be one that was going to pit race against race and gender against gender. That's exactly what is happening.
FOWLER: Trish, I have got to interrupt. The only person and the only person inciting violence and inciting hatred here is Donald J. Trump. First he made fun of a disabled journalist. Then he kicked a journalist out of the press pool.
PIERSON: That's violent? Violent?
FOWLER: Well, let me finish. Let me finish. Then he told one of his supporters to punch him in the face and I will pay the legal bills. That is what I call not only an assault on our constitution and an assault of
what we stand for in America.
(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)
PIERSON: In America you are responsible for your own actions.
REGAN: Hang on, Katrina.
FOWLER: Katrina should know this and everybody else should know this.
REGAN: Let me jump in.
(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)
FOWLER: Candidates should never say we should punch somebody in the face.
REGAN: Why do we not see Trump supporters acting like that at a Hillary Clinton rallies or at Bernie Sanders rallies. It's only the Bernie and Hillary supporters that are acting like that at his rallies.
FOWLER: And here's why -- here is absolutely why because what Trump is inciting is hatred against minority groups, he's inciting hatred against African-Americans, hatred against you Muslims.
PIERSON: Hatred?
FOWLER: Yes, hatred.
PIERSON: What is hatred?
FOWLER: When you say you don't want Muslims to come to this country, when you say you want a judge off of a case because his parent happens to be Mexican, that is the definition of hatred, Katrina. Maybe you don't read Webster's but it's the division.
PIERSON: Hey, Richard. Hey, Richard.
FOWLER: Yes.
PIERSON: Are you saying that ethnicity has no place in the justice system? Are you ready to denounce Black Lives Matter tonight?
FOWLER: I'm saying that ethnicity should -- the justice is supposed to be a blind thing. That's the scales of justice. Lady justice is supposed to be blind.
PIERSON: But you supported Black Lives Matter. You supported Ferguson.
FOWLER: I do, I absolutely do. I absolutely do. I absolutely do.
PIERSON: Now you are saying they have no place --
REGAN: Richard, we should start with exactly what you said in the beginning which is that you don't condone violence and I'll tell you, the entire --
FOWLER: I don't, but Donald Trump does.
REGAN: -- Democratic Party shouldn't condone it either.
FOWLER: Donald Trump does, Trish.
REGAN: We're going to leave it there. Thank you so much.
FOWLER: Donald Trump does. Yes, it does.
REGAN: Speaker Paul Ryan had strong words for Donald Trump just one day after finally endorsing the presumptive GOP nominee. His comments coming in reaction to Mr. Trump's treatment of the judge in the Trump University case over his family's Mexican descent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL RYAN, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Look, the comment about the judge the other day just was out of left field for my mind. It's reasoning I don't relate to. I completely disagree with the thinking behind that. And so he clearly says and does things I don't agree with. And I have had to speak up from time to time when that has occurred and I'll continue to do that if it's necessary. I hope it's not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: But Mr. Trump's comments are not the only ones drawing ire tonight as Hillary Clinton seemed to make a loaded suggestion about the New York businessman's own heritage. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: It makes no sense to me. The judge was born in Indiana. Yes, he is of Mexican heritage. Donald Trump is apparently of German heritage. I mean, what is that mean? We are all Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: Joining me right now. Attorney and Trump supporter David Wohl as well as Guy Benson, a Fox News contributor and political editor at Townhall.com. Good evening, gentlemen.
DAVID WOHL, ATTORNEY: Hi, Trish.
REGAN: David, how do you interpret what we just heard from Hillary Clinton where she referred to Donald Trump's German heritage?
WOHL: I think it's just a garbage. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. You know, when Donald Trump said Mexican referring to the judge. I mean he would agree with me that there are tremendous numbers of Latino lawyers and judges that do outstanding jobs. I work with them every day of the week. What he is referring to at Judge Curiel is his membership in La Raza Lawyers Association which is an activist association which caters to Latino lawyers and professionals. But that's fine for lawyers. But when a judge is a member of this organization, it raises an influence of bias and then when you couple that with adverse rulings this judge has basically sent down after Donald Trump -- his policy statement with immigration --
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: You know, it's our understanding David -- it's our understanding that that organization is actually not directly related to La Raza.
WOHL: It is directly not related but it is -- it caters exclusively to Latino lawyers. I looked at the website today, it's not directly affiliated with the one causing the violence at the rallies. That's correct.
REGAN: Okay. I want to leave that aside. And we'll get back to it in a minute. But Guy, back to what Hillary Clinton said there, it seems to me that by her trying to say, okay, you know, Donald Trump has German heritage-- and you can infer from that what you want, it seems to be kind of playing his game. And I don't know if that works.
GUY BENSON, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean I think what Hillary Clinton said for the most part, and I am loathe to defend her because I strenuously oppose her candidacy, but she is right, the fact that this judge's parents happen to be from Mexico. He was born in Indianapolis, a U.S. citizen, that has no bearing whatsoever on the facts of this case in Trump University, which pertains to alleged ramp and fraud at that fake failed university. And to invoke the irrelevancy in such a gratuitous way of this judge's cultural heritage the way Donald Trump has for months by the way, making it most explicit just in the last few days, it's race baiting, there's nothing else you can call it, it's race baiting, and it's repulsive.
REGAN: David is that what it is?
WOHL: No. No. I disagree completely.
BENSON: Of course.
WOHL: I mean, what they have to do -- basically Donald Trump at this point has to get evidence that the judge is engaged in maybe lectures that indicated biased towards Donald Trump or toward strict immigration laws. Maybe letters, maybe e-mails, lectures, and then attached that to a motion to have him recused. Or my suggestion is, very simple, do a settle mountain that admits no liability, whatsoever, get this thing out of the way, and get onto the issues that mean something and get onto the complain that will put him in the White House where he should be.
BENSON: Hang on.
REGAN: Okay. Guy?
BENSON: Do you have any evidence -- you just said get the evidence that this guy is biased against Trump personally or --
WOHL: When Trump makes a policy statement, regarding a wall, Mexico will pay for it, when Trump makes a policy statement regarding strict enforce immigration laws or deportation mysteriously rulings come down from these judges that are adverse to Donald Trump's case. So that is at least circumstantial evidence to some degree of bias and it needs to be investigated.
REGAN: Let me ask you this. Because, you know, I think a lot of people will say, you know, maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that the guy was Mexican. Maybe that took it a little bit too far. Guy, if he perhaps doing something else, I mean, think about it. Just a couple of days ago everybody in the media was talking about Donald Trump swindling people, swindling people out of hard earned money. And now all of a sudden they are talking about his bias against or perceived bias that the judge may have had because he wants to build this wall. Is this perhaps him yet showing another example of how he's twisting the story and getting ahead in front of the media?
BENSON: I mean, okay, so we're transitioning from a focus on Trump University, which isn't going away and the alleged fraud that went on there, bilking people who couldn't afford it out of tens of thousands of dollars and then denying it even though there are lots of evidence. And let's transition for pr purposes to race baiting a judge based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever. The suggestion is -- I mean it's very clear.
WOHL: Guy, does the judge have Mexican heritage, Guy, does he?
BENSON: Yes.
WOHL: I'm not sure that that's necessarily a bad thing to say. That there is a lot of wonderful Mexican judges and lawyers. Why is that such a horrible thing to say?
REGAN: OK. Well, you know what, the story is going to live on, this debate is going to live on. And we were going to continue to be all over it. Good to see you guys tonight. Thank you very much.
BENSON: All right. Thank you.
REGAN: All right. Here we are. Just a couple of days away from the all- important California primary. And a new poll shows Bernie Sanders is in a dead heat with Hillary Clinton in the Golden State.
Chris Stirewalt is here with a look at why Hillary Clinton needs to seal the deal. Can she?
And as the White House announces nearly 5,000 more Syrian refugees resettling here in the United States of America, there are new concerns tonight about background checks.
Tony Schaeffer is going to tell us what he is hearing about potential terrorists in our midst before Duncan Hunter tells us about a smuggling ring bringing potential terrorists right here to our doorstep.
And just this week, President Obama took a victory lap on the economy. But that was before some of the worst job numbers in years showed up.
Tucker Carlson and Alan Colmes are here on how this economic news affects the race for the White House. I'll see you back here in two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, D-UNITED STATES: By almost every economic measure, America is better off than when I came here at the beginning of my presidency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: Breaking tonight, just days before the critical California Democratic primary, where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are battling for every vote they can get, a new Los Angeles Times poll finds for the first time Sanders leading Clinton in eligible primary voters.
Joining me now, Fox News digital politics editor Chris Stirewalt. Chris, California is a big state. Why can't she seem to win it?
CHRIS STIREWALT, FOX NEWS DIGITAL POLITICS EDITOR: Well, look, she was favored to win it all along. What you are seeing is that as it gets to the end, what she wants to be an exclamation point on her campaign, on her candidacy is turning into a question mark. Is the largest state, the most important Democratic state, the source of the largest number of Democratic electoral votes, all of that jazz out there, why can't she quite button this up at the end?
Because let's face facts. She is so close to getting over the top that by the time we get to California on Tuesday, the number will be there. She will have surpassed that number. But if Bernie Sanders wins California, you know what he is going to do? He is going to stay in the race. He will linger around and say, hey, I won the biggest said.
REGAN: Wow! What does he want?
STIREWALT: To be a living hell for Hillary Clinton. To create the maximum amount --
REGAN: Hasn't he already done that?
STIREWALT: He certainly has. But what he wants to do is make it very hard for her to get elected president. He wants to make sure she can't pivot to the middle. He wants to make sure that she is so pinned down ideologically and in every way possible that when she does the thing that she is getting ready to do, you heard it in the speech that she gave this week that in between roasting Trump on a spit, she would basically remind everybody, hey, I am a very hawkish person when it comes to foreign policy.
I will bomb stuff and blow stuff up. Remember that. As she was talking about that, she wants to make a pivot to the center. Bernie Sanders wants to nail her feet to the floor. And if he wins in California, he will stay and fight for super delegates and all that stuff at the convention and it will be heinous.
REGAN: Who would have thought? Right. Chris, thanks. Good to see you.
STIREWALT: You bet.
REGAN: It was just two days ago that President Obama took a big victory lap on the economy out in Indiana. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: By almost every economic measure, America's better off than when I came here at the beginning of my presidency. We cut unemployment in half years before a lot of economists thought we could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: Hmm. Now, a dismal jobs report out today showing that job growth has slowed to its slowest pace in nearly six years has economists warning that we may soon slip into recession. And perhaps more alarming, nearly half a million Americans gave up -- just gave up looking for work all together. Which is why many argue the real reason behind the drop in the unemployment rate the President just touted is all about people giving up. So much for this so-called recovery.
Joining me now right now with the political implications of a tough economy, Tucker Carlson and Alan Colmes. Tucker, does a bad economy give Trump the advantage.
TUCKER CARLSON, THE DAILY CALLER: Of course it does. He wouldn't exist without economic anxiety, not with Bernie Sanders, the President. I mean, that's just legacy -- nobody believes it. He doesn't even believe it. The truth is, the labor force participation in this country as of today is at levels not seen since Jimmy Carter was president. Many people suspect that the economy is based on monetary policy. Cheap money is not real. And it has benefitted only a small percentage. And by the way, for every immigrant allowed into this country under the Obama presidency, there has been one half a job waiting. Two immigrants for every job created. So, they are acting against the interests of American workers and --
REGAN: So, Alan, I don't know how she runs on his economic record. In other words, she still has to live him down.
ALAN COLMES, HOST, "THE ALAN COLMES SHOW": Three million jobs. We had months after months of hundreds of thousands of job growth. It's funny how conservatives are taking one month out of 25 months in a row --
REGAN: No, no, no, here's the thing because you look at, you know, yes, 75 months of job growth. Well, guess what? I'll tell you these jobs, they are not good jobs.
COLMES: Wait a second.
REGAN: A lot of them are part time jobs. They are not paying anything. Wages haven't gone anywhere in eight years.
COLMES: It took years to get over the depression, the 1929 depression. He inherited the worst economy since the depression. We've had month after month after month of job growth. Millions of jobs created and people want to look at this little sliver of this month and say, oh that's it for Hillary Clinton. He can't possibly win. Because of what happened in this particular month.
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: Eight year, Alan, eight years ago, people are earning exactly the same amount or less actually when you account for inflation.
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: You're going to compare the economy today -- end of 2008 --
(CROSSTALK)
We were essentially in a depression at that point.
CARLSON: I don't think every person will blame any economic trend on any sitting president.
COLMES: That's true. But why blame this on Hillary Clinton --
CARLSON: No, no, here's my question. It's really simple. Why would the administration let in twice as many immigrants as jobs that are being created during this same period --
COLMES: You know, actually deported more immigrants in this administration--
(CROSSTALK)
CARLSON: Hold on. No. Deal with the facts.
(CROSSTALK)
That is actually not true.
COLMES: That is true. (INAUDIBLE)
CARLSON: You can't escape in the last two years, three million immigrants have come to the United States. We have not created three million jobs in the last two years.
COLMES: That's not true.
CARLSON: That is not true.
COLMES: Created millions of jobs in the Obama administration.
CARLSON: The last two years?
COLMES: That's not true.
REGAN: What I would add to what Tucker is saying is that it's not just about maybe filling jobs for immigrants and then keeping some for Americans. You have population growth. You have to consider. You have to be adding at least 150,000 jobs a month.
COLMES: And we have been doing that month after month after month and month. You are taking one month, you're taking a sliver of one month --
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: They don't pay anything.
COLMES: Wages are increasing of five percent more over the past month -- five cents rather more over the last month. Wages are higher than they were. And you have to compare on what it was when Obama took office and look what's happened over the last number of years.
REGAN: I'm going to give you the last word.
CARLSON: She has to run in the Obama economic legacy, she doesn't want to but she has to because she needs his core voters, anybody stuck with the Obama economic legacy is going to have a tough time getting elected this year. Because nobody, even most core Democrats believes --
COLMES: You have to prove that the economy is worse now than what it was when Obama took office.
CARLSON: No, you don't.
COLMES: It's a hard thing to prove for the Republican --
REGAN: I think you go out and you talk to any American, and they will tell you they don't feel very good about the economy or their prospects in it right now.
CARLSON: Can't wait until November.
REGAN: Thank you so much, gentlemen.
Coming up, some troubling news concerning boxing legend Muhammad Ali. We'll tell you what his family is saying tonight.
Plus, Ivy Leaguers throw a fit over the lack of diversity in their poetry class curriculum. Jason Riley is here with his reaction.
And the President is making good on his promise to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States. But sources tell "The Kelly File" that some of them could be very bad actors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEH JOHNSON, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The President has committed to accepting at least 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year. It's a humanitarian obligation and commitment on our behalf.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TRISH REGAN, THE KELLY FILE SHOW HOST: Breaking tonight. Growing concerns as the Obama administration moves forward with the resettlement of nearly 5,000 more Syrian refugees in the United States.
This, coming despite fears that the U.S. government cannot vet them all for ties to terrorism.
In just moments, we'll be joined by Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer on what he's hearing from his Intel sources on the threat of ISIS terrorists infiltrating the refugee pipeline, and Congressman Duncan Hunter on a potential smuggling ring already on the southern border.
But first, Trace Gallagher is live in our West Coast newsroom with the latest details. Trace.
TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Trish, the president is still pushing to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the summer. But it looks like that goal will fall short. And now the administration is being criticized by democrats, world leaders and human rights groups.
The senior director of the International Migration Center said the U.S. talks a good game but doesn't follow through. President Obama blames anti- immigration sentiment and republicans like Donald Trump for stoking fears about terrorism.
The president fails to mention that 47 House democrats joined republicans in voting to tighten the screening process for refugees. And some conservatives are pushing for an even stricter vetting process.
But now 27 democrats led by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin have signed a letter saying the administration can and should do much more to accept the refugees.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says so far this fiscal year 2700 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the U.S. with an additional 4700 awaiting resettlement. But many of those are still being screened.
Human rights groups blame the slow pace on red tape and lack of funding. But Jeh Johnson says that is changing. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEH JOHNSON, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We've served resources for refugee screening in places like Turkey and Jordan. And we're going to get the job done. And we should. It's a humanitarian obligation and commitment on our behalf.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: And so far, Michigan, California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania have taken in the most Syrian refugees. Trish?
REGAN: Thank you so much, Trace. You know, we mentioned the concerns that ISIS and other terror groups could infiltrate those refugee populations. Those concerns are out there. And those warnings have not only been around for months. They have been coming from some of our nation's top officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: We're not going to know a whole lot about the individual refugees that come forward from the U.N. High Commission on refugees for resettlement and vetting.
JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: My concern there is that there are certain gaps they don't want to talk about publicly in the data available to us.
JAMES CLAPPER, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: I don't obviously put it past the likes of ISIL to infiltrate operatives among these refugees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: Retired lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer is a CIA-trained Intel op now with the London Center for Policy Research. Colonel Schaeffer, what is the biggest risk for us right now, I mean, taking in 10,000 Syrian refugees?
TONY SHAFFER, CIA-TRAINED INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVE: Right. Well, they just said -- I'll tell what you the gap is that they are -- there is no data. We don't know anything about these people because it's not like someone immigrating from Germany why they have a long history. So, there is really no data. There is nothing to start with. There is no baseline.
So, that's number one. Number two, we have to look at this fact, Europe has had a massive problem with immigration. We've seen massive terrorist attacks which resulted in death of citizens.
Let's remind everybody that the job of the federal government is to provide common defense common and common good. San Bernardino resulted in bad immigration policies. So, what we have to do is understand that within this influx about...
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: What are your sources telling you about these people?
SHAFFER: Between 10 and 17 percent of these folks are going to be ISIS. We know that from both the intelligence we saw from the European attacks and what we've studied. what the intelligence have been studying right now.
REGAN: So, you're telling me 470 people.
SHAFFER: Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying.
REGAN: Could have ties to ISIS?
SHAFFER: They do, they will, in some form.
REGAN: So, why? Why are we allowing them in?
SHAFFER: For two reasons. First, political correctness. Again, Trish, we are ignoring the lessons from Europe. We have seen what happens in Europe and we're pretending it doesn't exist.
Secondly, you have a president and an administration who are completely politically committed to a course of action which will essentially undermine our defense.
And I can't give you why they're doing it. But that is exactly what they are doing. We know this.
REGAN: But it's not just President Obama, by the way. Hillary Clinton wants even more Syrian refugees.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAFFER: And it's totally insane.
REGAN: She wants 65,000 refugees. You know we heard her speak on this recently.
SHAFFER: Right.
REGAN: Back in November. If we have a clip, let's take a listen.
SHAFFER: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Slamming the door on every Syrian refugee, that is just not who we are. We should be doing more to ease this humanitarian crisis, not less.
America's open, free, tolerant society is described by some as a vulnerability in the struggle against terrorism. But I actually believe it's one of our strengths.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: Colonel, to be an open and free society, don't you also need to be a safe society?
SHAFFER: I'm sorry. She is insane. This is the deal. The U.S. government's job is to protect citizens like you and me. The refugee crisis as tragic as it is it's not our making, we did not do this. What we need to do is find a solution which engages our allies like the Saudi Arabians and others who have a lot of territory that they can move them to.
The Saudis have a lot of country, what we need to do is we work in without as supposed they speak the language, they have a similar culture, they're all Muslims.
So, really it's odd to me that Mrs. Clinton would be professing the idea of bringing folks here who are going to in an alien culture who cannot assimilate, and let me be clear on this, we do not want to have clusters of radicals unassimilated like what we've seen in Europe.
Again, it's bad policy resulting in death of Americans and we can prevent it now by understanding the basic facts which exist. We can do things to help. Helping in this manner is not going to be helpful and people will die.
REGAN: Colonel, good to see you tonight. Thank you very much.
SHAFFER: Thank you very much.
REGAN: OK. As if the problems with vetting Syrian refugees wasn't enough. Here we are tonight learning about a potentially smuggling network targeting our southern border.
And according to U.S. government documents unearthed by our next guest this smuggling network has already brought individuals with suspected terror ties to the United States' doorstep.
Congressman Duncan Hunter is a marine combat veteran and a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, welcome. What have you learned.
DUNCAN HUNTER, MARINE COMBAT VETERAN: Thank you for having me. Hey, it's very interesting and, you know, I'm coming to you right now from San Diego. We have known this anecdotally for a long time. Anybody that lives in Arizona, Texas, or San Diego, California, we know that there is folks coming over from the Middle East and Southwest Asia, and they are using Mexico to get north into the U.S.
So here's what we just found out. Five Pakistanis and one Afghan were apprehended 15 miles north into Arizona. They were flown from the Middle East to Brazil. Then they went through Peru. They went all the way up through Panama and into Mexico and now they ended up in the U.S.
The five Pakistanis as far as we know got away. They actually claimed that they were asylum seekers. Their names didn't register on any database. But the Afghan -- the Afghan did. The Afghan was involved with terror plots, planning terror plots within the U.S. and Canada.
We know he is not a good guy in Afghanistan. And here he was in Arizona.
So, here's the -- you know, that's the first problem is that there is not a secure border. No matter what the administration tries to say, it's not just people coming over looking for work. It's people coming over here to harm Americans.
REGAN: I mean, that's big thing here. We know, in fact in this particular case as I understand it this was Mexican drug lords who basically helped them with this smuggling ring to get these Middle Easters, including the Afghan that you mentioned who wanted to cause harm here in the United States and in Canada, who wanted to bring them into this country. And they'll do that for a fee, correct?
HUNTER Yes. Absolutely. Yes. They will take anybody for a fee.
REGAN: They are willing to bring anyone in for a fee. And we need the protect against that. How can we?
HUNTER: You have to secure the border. Here in San Diego, we have a double border fence. You know, Donald Trump talks about the wall. We have a double border fence here in San Diego where hardly anybody crosses. Literally we have two giant fences with high-speed road in between that the border patrol drives back and forth.
That has to go from the Pacific Ocean to Texas, and you can stop people coming in. Fences make good neighbors. And here's what's important in this case, too.
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: Is it more than that, though. I mean, not just fences do, we need to really be thinking hard about all our borders, I mean, we share a border with Canada as well.
(CROSSTALK)
HUNTER: No, absolutely. But Canada is not Mexico.
REGAN: And let's not forget, Congressman, anybody from Belgium or from France that may have been born in those countries that has ties to ISIS, they can come here on a plane any time they want.
HUNTER: No, we -- true but we have stopped those expedited visas for those countries. We have now had to stop those and say hey, we are going to take a closer look at you. The upside, if they're coming from Germany or France is that we can look at your data, we can look at you, we can test with the German authorities, the French authorities.
If you are coming up from Mexico, we can't test anything. And Canada is not Mexico.
REGAN: OK.
HUNTER: Mexico is a nation torn by drugs and crime. That is not Canada. So, here's what we have to do.
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: We have got a lot of work to do.
HUNTER: We have to secure the border. Yes. That's it. That's how you fix it.
REGAN: Congressman, thank you very much. Thank you for joining us tonight.
HUNTER: Thank you.
REGAN: Breaking tonight, everyone, the VFW is hitting back at President Obama after members felt the president slighted the nation's largest veterans group. We have their powerful response coming up.
Plus, students at Yale University are demanding the English department no longer require them to study the classics. Because, you know, those writers those poets, they are just too white. And they are too male.
We're going to talk about the latest in political correctness gone totally, utterly insane with Louise Mensch and Jason Riley. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REGAN: Breaking tonight, new reports that boxing legend Muhammad Ali is hospitalized in very serious condition. A source closely connected to Ali's family says the boxing great is in grave condition and just hours from death.
Yesterday, Ali was brought to a Phoenix area hospital with serious respiratory issues complicated by his Parkinson's disease. Now his family is gathered at his bedside. We will continue to monitor the situation and his condition.
Well, there is new controversy at a major university tonight as students at Yale say their required courses on English poets, like Shakespeare and Milton are too white and too male centric.
Now the Ivy Leaguers are petitioning faculties to quote, "decolonize the courses."
Joining me with more, Louise Mensch, an editor with Heat Street and Jason Riley, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of "Please Stop Helping Us."
Good to see both of you, guys. Look, it seems to me -- you are there at Yale University, or any university for that matter to get an education. And like it or not, part of the education is that foundation in the great, greats like Shakespeare.
And you know, and I'm sorry, I don't think there were a lot of women or, you know, black people or any other minority writing at that time.
JASON RILEY, MAHATTAN INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW: Yes. I think it starts with the adults. There is no adult supervision at these schools. These kids ought to be told the truth. The truth is that, and this applies to minorities especially that there has never ban better time than in America today to be racial minority, to be part of an ethnic minority.
You have tremendous opportunities. And instead of nurturing invented grievances I think these kids ought to do more spend more time working to make sure they can take advantage while these opportunities that are out there for them today.
But they are not being told to do that. Partly because the administrators and the faculty tend to be former radicals themselves who are reluctant just to speak these plain truths.
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: Well, it's not just happening at Yale. There was a story on your site, Louise.
RILEY: That's right.
REGAN: About a Seattle University where kids are demanding that the dean step down because the curriculum had not been diversified enough?
LOUISE MENSCH HEAT STREET EDITOR: Yes. It's really a case of curriculum so white. And really just disgracefully in the case of Seattle they actually got the dean suspended because of a classical normal curriculum.
It was apparently too western. We also covered Virginia tech disinviting Mr. O'Reilly for the crime. We have to follow the e-mails of writing about race in the Wall Street Journal because you may not be conservative while black.
RILEY: Yes.
MENSCH: The course at Yale is entitled major English poet, Trish, as an English woman I can tell you. At the time there were not a lot of ethnic minorities in the 1500s in England. And I don't protest when I went to Oxford when I study this, I didn't protest because there wasn't a lot of women. You know, that's the way the cookie crumbles. You can't be writing...
(CROSSTALK)
REGAN: And by the way, nobody is preventing you from reading all the female authors...
RILEY: Right.
REGAN: ... all the African-American authors, all the gay authors you want. You can do all that too.
MENSCH: Yes.
RILEY: These institutions used to be dedicated to robust intellectual debate. That is no longer the case today. Kids are taught to shut down offenders not to debate them. They're taught to say I'm offended. That's the beginning and end of a conversation. It's unfortunate.
And the irony, you know, we are going to let the generation that gave us the Kardashians determine the modern day relevance of Milton and Shakespeare? I think that's ridiculous.
MENSCH: I think Mr. Riley is exactly right. And the tragedy here is that there are so many students of color and otherwise who would kill to have that place at Yale, who would kill to have the opportunity that is being given to these students on a play. Instead of taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them they are crying their way through...
(CROSSTALK)
RILEY: And we're not helping the kids by coddling them. In the real world there are no trigger warnings, there are no safe phrases. And they should learn that sooner rather than later.
REGAN: Yes. And, you know, I think you said something very important. And people forget this, they lose sight of this in Academia. Academia should be a place that welcomes the expression of thought, where thought is tolerated and examined and expressed. And we're seeing anything but that right now.
MENSCH: How is this different from book burning? How is this different from McCarthyism? Except in former decades it was those on the right who were burning the books. Now it's those on the left who are metaphorically burning the books. If you are at Yale and you are afraid of an idea then I feel sorry for you.
RILEY: If you are at Yale and you think that Othello or Hamlet creates a hostile environment you should -- you should be told to go to another school.
MENSCH: Yes.
REGAN: Good luck Yale's. OK. Good to see you, guys.
MENSCH: Thank you.
RILEY: Thank you.
REGAN: Louise, thank you for being here. Good to see you, Jason.
REGAN: All right. New reaction tonight from our nation's largest veteran's group. The VFW is striking back after they felt slighted by President Obama. And this is after years of a warm relationship. We have the controversy for you next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: God bless these American heroes. God bless all our troops and all of our veterans.
(APPLAUSE)
God bless the United States of America. Thank you, VFW. We're proud of what you do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REGAN: New reaction tonight to a different kind of response to President Obama from the VFW after being warmly welcomed by the nation's largest veterans group in the last few years. Members are speaking out after perceiving a slight from the commander-in- chief.
Trace Gallagher has the details. Trace.
GALLAGHER: Trish, some veterans are quick to remind the president they're well able to think for themselves. It was during his Elkhart, Indiana speech this week where President Obama called out the conservative media and said those who listened are being misled and may have a skewed take on the states today's economy. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We've been hearing this story for decades. Tales about welfare queens. Talking about takers. Talking about the 47 percent. It's the story that is broadcast every day on some cable news stations. On right-wing radio. It's pumped into cars and bars and VFW halls. If you're hearing that story all the time, you start believing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Well, the VFW wasn't happy with the shout-out. The group's national commander released a statement yesterday hitting back at the president's remark quoting "We don't have confused politics, we don't need left or right wing media filters telling us how to think or vote and we don't need any President of the United States lecturing us about how we are individually affected by the economy."
Adding the comment denigrated the service, sacrifice and intelligence of all men and women in uniform. The president is no stranger to the group of 1.7 million vets. Having addressed their convention several times including last July.
REGAN: Thank you, Trace. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REGAN: Thank you, all, for joining me tonight. And my thanks again to Megyn for letting me sit in for her tonight. Have a terrific weekend, everyone, and I hope to see you all on our business network, Monday, 2 p.m. Eastern for Intelligence Report. Good night.
END
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