Bruce Springsteen slams Trump as un-American

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Bruce Springsteen slams Trump as un-American

Springsteen criticizes the president; reaction and analysis from our ladies night panel on 'The Story.'

This is a rush transcript from "The Story," October 25, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

ED HENRY, HOST: Have a good weekend. Breaking tonight, an explosive new court filing from retired General Michael Flynn's legal team. Alleging that FBI agents manipulated the former National Security adviser's statements. Leading him to be charged with lying to investigators and what his lawyers are now calling a case of outrageous government misconduct against their client in the Russia probe.

Once again, raising questions about whether bad actors inside the government -- the deep state as President Trump calls them were out to get him from the start. Those fresh allegations come as a criminal investigation has begun now into how the entire Russia probe began.

And as the president today claimed the impeachment probe over Ukraine is also in his words a hoax. The president pushing back on the impeachment testimony of Bill Taylor, the top U.S. envoy to Ukraine who earlier this week seemed to tie the president to a quid pro quo, at least, that's what the Democrats suggested. The president today firing back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: Here is the problem. He's a never Trumper and his lawyers had never Trumper. But a never Trumper some time is more vicious than a failed Obama candidate or a failed Clinton candidate, who I beat both in the same election. But there's a lot of angry people out there and that's the way it goes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: But remember, Democrats have been claiming all along impeachment is about high crimes and misdemeanors. Truth, justice, and the American way they say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF.: We're here to find the truth to pull the Constitution of the United States. This is not a game for us, this is deadly serious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: But tonight, some Democrats are publicly admitting this might really be all about political payback. Oversight Committee Democrat Gerry Connolly, bluntly telling the New York Times, "I think you are seeing some payback here." It's all about, he says, karmic justice.

Good evening, everybody. I'm Ed Henry, in for Martha MacCallum and this is THE STORY. The Connolly statement about political payback from the deep state sounds familiar back in January 2017, before the president even took office, Democrat Chuck Schumer alluded to something similar. Issuing this warning to the soon-to-be commander-in-chief. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y.: You take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.

RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC HOST: What do you think the intelligence community would do if they were (INAUDIBLE).

SCHUMER: I don't know. But I -- from what I am told, they are very upset with how he has treated them and talked about them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: All this as Congressman Connolly is one of several Democrats now saying the whistleblower at the center of all of this doesn't even need to testify anymore.

Connolly, telling the Washington Post, "I think it's quite clear we have a surfeit of evidence that corroborates in full every aspect of what happened."

My next guest is one of several Republicans who pushed back on the impeachment proceedings this week by protesting what they call the secretive closed-door sessions. He is Florida Congressman Michael Waltz, he joins me live now. Congressman, good to have you.

REP. MICHAEL WALTZ, R-FLA.: Thank you, Ed.

HENRY: So, I thought Democrats were sort of mocking the president all this time at the idea that there was a deep state now. They seem to admitting, well maybe there's a deep state and there's political payback directed at the president. What's going on here?

WALTZ: Well, you know, Ed, I've worked with fantastic Americans across CIA, Justice Department, the Defense Department. Heck, I worked in the Bush White House and Pentagon and disagreed with a number of policy positions.

I pushed back to my superiors, I made my views known that the president makes a decision. And then, you move out and you -- and you execute. And so, you know, we were talking about Ambassador Taylor earlier in his testimony, in our pushback on how secretively this is being handled.

I've asked for three weeks now as a sitting member of Congress, representing nearly a million Floridians to see Kurt Volker's testimony which apparently told a very different story. But what we're seeing is that gets squashed. I can't have access to it and other members can't have access to it.

HENRY: Yes.

WALTZ: But we see Taylor splashed all over the front pages. There's -- look, there's some basic elements to our justice system here, and this is the impeachment of the president of the United States.

HENRY: Yes.

WALTZ: The accuser faces his accused -- in this case, the whistleblower. He's allowed to have counsel and the -- and the defense is allowed to cross-examine, and then, bring their own witnesses. None of those things are being allowed in these secretive hearings.

HENRY: Well -- yes.

WALTZ: And here is the other thing, I just found out this week when we went down to the SCIF.

HENRY: Yes, real quick.

WALTZ: All of those hearings have been announced as unclassified. There is no reason to be in that secure facility, it's all unclassified. So --

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: Well --

WALTZ: So, why can't I have access to it? And I've got -- I'm responsible to my voters.

HENRY: You know what it's not just you and other Republicans raising this. We've heard Adam Schiff and other saying, Oh, Republicans don't like the narrative, they don't like the facts for the president. Actually, there are Democrats like Tulsi Gabbard. She's running for president, maybe she's got other political motives.

WALTZ: Right.

HENRY: But listen to what she told Sean Hannity the last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TULSI GABBARD, D-HI, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That inquiry needs to be done in a very narrowly focused way and it must be done transparently. I don't know what's going on in those closed doors. We as members of Congress don't have access to the information that is being shared. And I think that the American people deserve to know exactly what the facts are, what the evidence is that's being presented as this inquiry goes on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: When even some Democrats who have been supportive of an impeachment inquiry are saying, there needs to be more transparency. Is the tide turning for your party?

WALTZ: And I encourage everyone to look up House Resolution 803 passed in 1974. That governed the rules for the Nixon impeachment. Newt Gingrich inherited those rules and adopted them as a republican Speaker for Clinton.

They laid out the scope, they laid out the rules, they made for transparency. That's the president, not Benghazi, not other normal oversight hearings that go on for classified reasons.

HENRY: Yes.

WALTZ: Those are the rules that we should be adopting and the mainstream media should be asking Pelosi why we can't debate and vote on those rules.

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: Pressure --

WALTZ: And why these are being held in secret? There's no reason for it. Again, every hearing has been announced as unclassified.

HENRY: Yes.

WALTZ: So, Schiff's having it both ways. He's able to control the narrative, but keep it unclassified so that he can leak it without any issue.

HENRY: Yes. All right, well, pressure does seem to be building on Adam Schiff about this some talk that he's going to have to bring some of these sessions into the public. We shall see, Congressman.

WALTZ: This isn't what I fought for, Ed. This isn't what veterans around the world fought for.

HENRY: Yes. All right.

WALTZ: This is an unfair unjust system.

HENRY: Congressman, we appreciate you coming in.

WALTZ: All right, thank you.

HENRY: Joining me now, Brett Tolman. He is a former U.S. Attorney, former legal counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. We welcome you. I appreciate you coming in, Brett.

BRETT TOLMAN, FORMER UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, DISTRICT OF UTAH: Thank you.

HENRY: What do you think about this idea? You can follow up on the congressman, but what do you also think about the idea that Democrats are saying, never mind, we don't really need to hear from the whistleblower anymore.

TOLMAN: Well, I look at this as a prosecutor, and Adam Schiff was a prosecutor. And I look at what's happening and it's a scenario in which the congressman is correct. They are getting to control the narrative but at the same time they're trampling on what you and I, Ed, think are very important about are our constitutional protections, and that's the ability to have a fair process.

A whistleblower is an individual that has unique information. They can be anonymous when they first come forward. But when you are starting to receive testimony when you're interviewing individuals, the identity and the credibility of that whistleblower is the most important aspect of ensuring that someone has their due process rights.

HENRY: Yes, now, but on the other hand, you're a good lawyer and you understand that what the Democrats are saying, I want at least give them a fair hearing on this, they're suggesting that Republicans are focusing on process because the facts for President Trump, the idea at the beginning of this that he said it was a perfect phone call with the Ukrainian president that the facts haven't turned out the way the Republicans thought. How do you respond to that?

TOLMAN: I've never thought the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments to the Constitution were insignificant. Or that they were something that we didn't worry about because the facts justify trampling them.

HENRY: Sure.

TOLMAN: But let's take their argument. Facts are only important if you have them. And we've heard plenty of facts that suggest that there was no quid pro quo. And we -- but yet, we don't have the nobility to cross- examine, or to observe, or to listen in, and assess for ourselves the credibility. And then, this is the issue that they have -- the Democrats have. Whether you like the president or not, we should all be hoping for and that this process is something that is transparent, something that gives us an ability to say, OK, now I see that fact A and fact B lead me to the conclusion that there was a quid pro quo -- we don't have that.

HENRY: So --

TOLMAN: So, then, I think, process becomes vital.

HENRY: So, is it inevitable that Adam Schiff will have to bring transparency in and bring some of this testimony into the public so we can all see it?

TOLMAN: Only if this is a legitimate inquiry. And so far, they've refused to do that. So, then, it makes me and others that are on the outside of this looking in believe that it's more political than it is an effort to try to get to the facts.

And let's face it, Congress oftentimes is one of the most inefficient and least effective venues to try to get to the facts.

HENRY: And to get to the bottom of all, that, that might be something that Democrats and Republicans can actually agree on. Brett Tolman, I appreciate you coming in tonight.

TOLMAN: Thank you. All right. Next up. The president has an ominous warning for some top former Obama officials, one day after his Justice Department upgraded its review of the beginnings of the Russia probe into a criminal investigation.

Is it time for John Brennan and others to get nervous?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Investigate the investigators. I can't tell you what's happening. I will tell you this. I think you're going to see a lot of really bad things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This program is brought to you by Centrum Silver. Now, verified non-GMO and gluten-free

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Investigate the investigators. Whether it's Strzok and Page, whether it's Clapper, and whether it's Comey, and all of these people because terrible things went on for our country.

I leave it all up to the attorney general, and I leave it all up to the people that are working with the Attorney General, who I don't know. But I will say this, I think you'll see things that nobody would have believed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: President Trump today after the DOJ review into the origins of the Russia probe escalated into an official criminal investigation. Top Democrats so are blasting the development as political weaponization.

Congressman Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler saying in the joint statement, "these reports of true, raise profound new concerns that the Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump's political revenge.

Here now to weigh in John Sale. He's a former Federal Prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. He also served as an Assistant Special Watergate prosecutor. Good evening, John.

JOHN SALE, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Hey, Ed.

HENRY: While this was perhaps expected that it would eventually go criminal, how significant is it that John Durham the U.S. Attorney in charge of all this now has access to subpoenas and the grand jury?

SALE: Hey, it's way overblown. What yesterday was a probe or an inquiry, is today an investigation. I described it as a shortcut or almost a gimmick. Anybody who's the subject of an inquiry, a probe, or so-called criminal investigation, it's not fun. It's not fun to be investigated.

And the fact that he now has subpoena power merely means he can compel the production of documents and compel people to come testify.

HENRY: It may not be fun though, John, for John Brennan and others, but if they actually sort of cooked a lot of this up and sent us down a road for two and a half years of alleged Russia collusion that wasn't there, isn't it time for them to be held accountable?

SALE: It's time for anybody who broke the law to be held accountable. I think you have to look at John Durham, and he's a career prosecutor of over 30 years. He's done high-level investigations for three Attorneys General of different parties. He's going to have the chips fall where they may. If they broke the law, they might face criminal charges. If they didn't, they won't.

And I think they enjoy the presumption of innocence as President Trump should have had during the period of the Mueller probe.

HENRY: He often did not get that presumption of innocence as you know, the President in this case. It's interesting you mentioned John Durham from somebody who leaders in both parties have praised before but now Democrats seem to be going after him.

I've talked to people closely investigation who say he's got Democrats and Republicans on this staff. He's very even-handed. Will that give john dorm credibility if he ends up bringing criminal charges against Obama officials?

SALE: His 30-year career gives them credibility. As I said, I've personally spoken in the course of my lifetime to two of those attorneys general who had him do high visibility tasks. And they both independently told me he was a man of integrity, who called him as he saw them. So if he doesn't have credibility, I mean, then nobody does.

HENRY: What about William Barr, the Attorney General? Because what's interesting is, you know, you can see that he's sort of this whipping boy for Democrats now. We suggested that in the lead-in. He says he's just trying to follow the facts. Rachel Maddow last night had this to say. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL MADDOW, HOST, MSNBC: It's involved William Barr hopping around the globe, searching for evidence to bolster a right-wing conspiracy theory that the real scandal of the 2016 campaign was not that Russia intervened in our election, that Russia attacked our election with the help -- with the goal of helping Donald Trump win that campaign, no.

According to this conspiracy theory, Russia didn't do that. Russia didn't intervene. What actually happened is that it was the Obama administration that was setting this all up as a frame job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: Isn't it rich for some of the left now to be talking about conspiracy theories they say pushed by Trump people, when for two and a half years Adam Schiff and other Democrats claim they had evidence of Russia collusion that never appeared.

SALE: Well, I wouldn't say the Attorney General is hopping around the world. He's meeting with representatives of other governments, where there are mutual assistance treaties, agreements to assist each other and gathering evidence to see if the evidence is there. People will be held accountable.

And I think if the evidence is not there, there'll be no charges filed. Again, let the chips fall where they may.

HENRY: That's something, John Sale, that a lot of people have been waiting a long time for. There's two tracks right now as you know, the Durham criminal investigation as well as Michael Horowitz, the inspector general expecting his report. We appreciate, John Sale, you coming in with your analysis as always.

SALE: Thanks for having me, Ed.

HENRY: All right, next up, a new survey suggests president -- former Vice President Joe Biden may be falling out of the front runner spot in the 2020 Democratic race. But don't tell that to by who may be in a little bit of denial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you still consider yourself the front runner?

JOE BIDEN, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know I'm the frontrunner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENRY: Joe Biden seemingly unfazed by 2020 opponents like Elizabeth Warren gaining ground on him or any of the questions about his son's business dealings abroad that might be plaguing his campaign. He told CBS in a new interview, he knows he is at the head of the pack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I know I'm the frontrunner. Find me a national poll with the notable couple of exceptions the last four that have come out. But look, this is a marathon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BIDEN: This is a marathon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can look at the last campaign finance filing. We looked at that. You have less than $9 million in the bank. Bernie Sanders is 30 -- nearly $34 million in the bank. Senator Warren has $26 million. How do you compete against that?

BIDEN: I just flat beat them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Well, the latest national poll puts Elizabeth Warren ahead of the so-called front runner by seven points. Joining me now, Charlie Kirk, Founder and President of Turning Point USA, and Robert Zimmerman is a Democratic Strategist and DNC member. Gentlemen, good evening.

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good to be with you.

HENRY: Good to be with both of you. And obviously Joe Biden in many other polls, we should be fair, is still at the head of the pack, as he suggests. But Robert, as Norah O'Donnell suggested in that CBS 60 minutes report, he's burning cash at an alarming rate for him and others are gaining ground. Your front runner is pretty shaky right now.

ZIMMERMAN: Well, look, the reality is this is a marathon like Joe Biden said. He clearly has to build a grassroots organization for fundraising purposes. But it's worth noting not only is he as you pointed out been ahead in most national polls, the other point is all of our major Democratic candidates are beating Donald Trump soundly in every national poll and by substantial numbers.

We have a number of really very strong candidates who are emerging. And it's -- and it's not going to be decided, Ed, by national polls. It's going to be decided by the state by state contest and that's what we have to keep an eye on.

HENRY: On those state by state contest in the early states, Iowa, New Hampshire, Charlie, it seems like Elizabeth Warren might be better positioned right now, rather than looking at the national polls. And I wonder if you and others in the Trump camp are licking your chops at the prospect of facing Elizabeth Warren instead of Joe Biden?

CHARLIE KIRK, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, TURNING POINT USA: Boy, I'll tell you, you know, dreams do come true if Senator Elizabeth Warren becomes the nominee. Now, though I don't think it will be easy, but I think it'll be easier to go against her than someone who would at least pretend to be a moderate.

Look, Joe Biden is now fourth in Iowa. His best day was his first day. From that point forward, he has been riddled with gaff after gaff. You look in the campaign finance reports, not too good. In fact today it seems like his campaign signaled that the now open to Super PACs support which is a big no-no in a Democrat field that makes it a big talking point about how they want to have campaign finance reform.

So in Iowa, Joe Biden, a recent poll was as low as three and four. And in New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren is now getting a commanding lead.

ZIMMERMAN: Be careful what you wish for, Charlie.

HENRY: We have Robert in there. Go ahead, Robert. On that point, but also react to the idea of what Charlie pointed out, these super PACs, the big, big money that Bernie Sanders and other say you can't get involved with that, Joe Biden used to be against that. Now he's for it because he's burning cash and he needs the big money.

ZIMMERMAN: Look, I agree with Elizabeth -- I agree with Elizabeth Warren. And super PACs have no place in a Democratic primary process. And I think the more important strategies to use a grassroots organization to build your fundraising which has been done successfully by Mayor Pete Buttigieg, by Elizabeth Warren, and by Bernie Sanders.

But I would not by any stretch of the imagination, try to determine Super PACs has been the deciding role here. It's going to be the issues that are going to energize Democrats, motivate them. And the biggest issue is ultimately the corruption and competence of the Trump administration.

We're seeing it play out now as more Republicans come forward, including members of the Trump administration attacking this White House for its -- for its corruption, for its abuse of power, and for the lies they've engaged in covering up their abuse of power.

HENRY: Well, I'm going to let -- I'm going to let Charlie respond to that, but I want to add another element to this, which is whether Democrats are concerned that this pack is not strong enough, this field not strong enough. John Kerry's name keeps coming up. And guess what he weighed in on that corruption you're talking about. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: The evidence is powerful. Some of it more powerful already than what we saw in the impeachment of Richard Nixon. And what's more, the evidence at this point in time, certainly merits the inquiry that is taking place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Charlie, Robert is trying to tell us here that you know, the field is great, it's going to keep building, and yet John Kerry's names is coming up, Hillary Clinton, Michael Bloomberg, what's going on here?

KIRK: I'm still waiting for Al Gore to get floated out there. My goodness, one former candidate --

ZIMMERMAN: I think it would be -- I think it'd be a great addition. He, after all, won the popular vote, and he's a great figure.

KIRK: OK. Thankfully, we don't have a national popular vote, we have an electoral college. However, here's the thing. Hillary Clinton and many others in the Democrat Party, including Nancy Pelosi, have said that impeachment is the way they have to go forward because if they don't impeach Donald Trump, he'll get reelected. President Trump has raised great amounts of money --

ZIMMERMAN: They never said that. That's a false statement.

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: Hang on. Hang on. Let me actually jump in here real quick.

KIRK: His popularity --

HENRY: Hang on, Charlie. Pardon me. I want to be fair to Robert. I believe that was Al Green. And so we were both a little bit wrong. Robert, you just said no --

ZIMMERMAN: No, I'm not wrong. Nancy Pelosi never said it.

HENRY: No, you said nobody said that.

ZIMMERMAN: Well, no Democratic leader said it.

HENRY: OK, Al Green, a Democrat, said the President is going to get reelected. We have to impeach him otherwise. So Charlie was sort of half right. Let's get to the point, Charlie.

KIRK: The bigger point is this -- I stand corrected, thank you, Ed -- is that the Democrats are looking at impeachment as a political tool because there is apprehension. And there is anxiety about this week Democrat field and the amount of funding that President Trump has in his campaign $125 million in cash, $303 --

ZIMMERMAN: Charlie, you know how Republicans in Congress --

KIRK: Please let me finish.

HENRY: Let him finish and then Robert, you'll get the last word.

KIRK: $303 million was raised and a very sizable grassroots infrastructure. President Trump's approval ratings going up in the states that matter. Thankfully we don't have a national popular vote. I look forward to President Trump defeating whatever socialist the Democrats nominate in 2020.

HENRY: And Robert, bottom line, what he's talking about on the money and the money's not going to decide this alone. But the President's base is fired up about impeachment. He does have a lot of money in the bank. Respond.

ZIMMERMAN: Well, first of all, when Charlie says thank goodness, he doesn't -- the President Trump doesn't have to rely upon the national popular vote. It's always a concern when your candidates afraid of the national vote. The bigger point here simply is this. It's not just Democrats are exploring impeachment, you now have Republicans in Congress who are expressing their disgust with the corruption of this president and his abuse of power and recognizing that impeachment may have merit.

HENRY: Hang on. Can you name one Republican who said he's discussed it with the President?

ZIMMERMAN: Mitt Romney certainly has talked about this for a possibility.

HENRY: OK. I'll give you Mitt Romney. Who else?

ZIMMERMAN: OK. You have Mitt Romney, you have, I think several -- Lindsey Graham said he were looking impeachment if he --

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: He is (Inaudible) with the president. Let's be clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But he said -- he said, but let be also that he is looking at impeachment.

HENRY: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My point simply is this. Impeachment is not a partisan issue. We have to rise above partisanship and you now see a majority of Americans --

HENRY: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- in most polls are supporting impeachment and possibly even approval.

HENRY: OK. I'll let you go along, real quick. Last word, Charlie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. You're fair. It's fair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, they are using impeachment as a political tool to try to stop the Trump presidency that is looking better and better for 2020 every single day.

HENRY: Gentlemen, spirited debate. We'll have you back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to be with you.

HENRY: Have a good weekend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

HENRY: All right. Next up, Russia sends even more troops to patrol northern Syria, what it means for U.S. interests in the region. A big, big story and retired General Jack Keane is all over it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We have secured the oil and therefore a small number of U.S. troops will remain in the area. Where they have the oil. And we are going to be protecting it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: President Trump announcing that some U.S. troops will stay in Syria, the Pentagon saying today the move is intended to defend oilfields from the Islamic state and Iran, perhaps, and that it also plans to deploy mechanized forces to the region which could include tanks or other armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, Russia also moving in, deploying 300 additional troops to police the region in a deal brokered between Moscow and Turkey.

Here now retired General Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute of the Studies of War, and of course, Fox News senior strategic analyst.

Good evening, General.

JACK KEANE, SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST: Yes, good evening, Ed.

HENRY: There was a report by NBC News a few days ago that it was you and others who have gone in the White House and talk to the president directly by showing him a map of the region and saying look, if we don't get on top of these oilfields, Ian, the Islamic state and others could capture this oil. How critical is that in the region, and what was the case you made to the president?

KEANE: Well, I don't -- it's his meeting and I don't discuss what goes -- takes place in his meetings but I will discuss my position on oilfields and I think where the United States is.

Clearly, what's happened here, Ed, is we have had seven days of ceasefire and that's a good thing even though it's been sporadic interruption of that and that's enabled the president and his national security team, and also in concert with our allies to take a look at the issues we are facing.

And I think as a result of that, and also, this, we have a new chairman of the joint chiefs, General Mark Milley who just took over when this crisis began -- and he brought to the president a revised security plan which would cover about 60 percent of eastern Syria and it would have three purposes.

One is to deny the oilfields, as you just mentioned, to the Iranians or to the ISIS retaking them. And by the way, so our audience understand, 70 percent of all of Syrian's oilfields are in eastern Syria under the control of U.S.-led coalition forces.

The second thing is, deny ISIS the opportunity to return and we are all interested in that, and the third thing is maintain control of all the airspace in eastern Syria and that's pretty much what the president's decision represents.

HENRY: Well, general you are laying out a very reasonable plan that seems like it can work. And yet there are Democratic leaders like Dick Durbin who are saying quite the opposite. Listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DICK DURBIN, D-ILL.: This policy is going to be a danger to the slaughter of Kurdish troops who stood by Americans and fought bravely against terrorism. And now he's giving break, frankly, Prime Minister Erdogan all he wants a territory, a large territory where there will be ethnic cleansing of the Kurds.

This is no victory. This is no time for the president to be claiming he has won some great battle for America. It's something opposite is --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: How does the president to move forward when he's got Democratic leaders not just rank and file Democrats saying this is not a victory?

KEANE: Well, I think it's pretty much what many presidents have to deal with when it comes to foreign policy. The American people's security is make much -- make the right decision based on that premise and your oath of office, you are always going to have some degree of political opposition you got to -- you got to deal with it.

What happened here and people seem to forget, we focused on the numbers of U.S. troops but there's an excess of 60,000 Syrian Democratic Forces that are in the area of eastern Syria where, we are providing advice to them and also we coordinate for airpower.

So, they are the main force to matter what we are going to do here, they will always be the main force. We still have some problems up north though, Ed. I mean, and you made reference to the Russians.

The Russians are not down in main part of eastern Syria, they are up north in this buffer zone that's 20 miles in width that stretches across a 300- mile wide area from the Euphrates River Valley to the Iraqi border. And they're in there.

And I think it would be better if all of vested parties that got out there, we brought in international players who are not vested. In other words, get the Russians out, get the Assad regime and get the Turks.

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: Are you concerned about them moving in, the Russians, general? Pardon me, but are you concerned about the Russians right now?

KEANE: Well, the people they are bringing in there are not combat forces, they're M.P.s, so they're not there to do any fighting but it gives -- it gives Putin and the Russians another advantage in the region, I think, which is something we are not interested in.

HENRY: Yes.

KEANE: And also, I don't believe it's any advantage to the Syrian Kurds whatsoever. Another thing that is happening up there. There's now about two to 300,000 Kurd refugees as a result of this displacements from their homes and I think the United States could lead a humanitarian effort, international support to help them. And also, given the decision we made about the Kurds, I think they would appreciate it very much to say the least.

HENRY: Very, very serious times, you've been helping to steer a sober course forward, General Jack Keane, we appreciate you coming in with your insights tonight. very important. Thank you.

KEANE: Good talking to you, Ed.

HENRY: All right. Next up, back on the campaign trail, Beto O'Rourke a surprising answer to this question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am a hunter myself, I have used an AR-15 for hunting, what about those people who use that as a way to, you know, get dinner, who live down south, who don't really have a lot of options for food and they don't have money but they can go get their own food?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETO O'ROURKE, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we're able to pass mandatory buybacks, I'm able to send that into law, then I fully expect our fellow Americans to turn in their AR-15s and their AK-47s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Beto O'Rourke putting his faith and lawfully abiding citizens to carry out his plan for a mandatory buyback of assault rifles. But when pressed on the issue again today by an avid hunter in Iowa, he appeared to be doing a little backpedaling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'ROURKE: This is the first time that I've heard the case made for using an AR-15 to hunt deer. Perhaps a way to address a legitimate concern or need is to ensure that those who have or want to use an AR-15 are able to keep it at a hunting club or at a gun range so there is some control and safeguards still placed on that firearm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Here now, Johnny Joey Jones, retired United States Marine Corps and Fox News contributor. Good evening, sir.

JOHNNY JOEY JONES, CONTRIBUTOR: Hey, good evening. How's it going, Ed?

HENRY: It's fantastic. Beto O'Rourke says he didn't know you could go hunting with something like this.

JONES: Yes, it kind of reminds me of someone like in a cartoon stepping on their tie while they are trying to work -- or walk and just kind of falling over and that's what Beto is doing on this issue.

He has dug himself into a hole, because he has spoken with authority on something he has no information or authority about. And he'll continue to be challenged just like Mayor Pete challenged him in the last debate and not that Mayor Pete is any kind of authority on this either.

But the idea of just simply how would you confiscate these guns? And he has nothing to say. He goes on CNN the next day and he says well, I just have faith that law-abiding citizens would turn them in. Well, Beto, I have faith that law-abiding citizens won't go shoot people they don't need to be shooting --

HENRY: Yes.

JONES: -- and that is how this country works. That's actually called freedom and it works really well.

HENRY: You would think he might from like, you know, a coastal state or something, he's from Texas. Does he not understand how this works?

JONES: Yes. Well, he probably doesn't realize he's probably never more than 20 to 40 feet away from one of these kinds of guns in Texas, yet he has never been harmed by one.

Yes, absolutely. People in his district have and that's a tragedy and something we should all not dig in so hard that we're not willing to give a concession or do something that might work to keep people safe.

But at the end of the day, he walks around regurgitating a 40,000 number, a 40,000 people who died by gun death but what he doesn't say is that 4 percent of that was all rifles, not to mention that type of rifle he's specifically trying to get rid of, ban, or confiscate.

So, he is proposing a fix that might save hundreds, might, and then using the number 40,000 as if it's an epidemic. Sixty-two hundred, I believe people from the age of 15 to 24 committed suicide in 2017. That's an issue we all should be up working on.

HENRY: Absolutely.

JONES: That saves thousands of lives.

HENRY: But Joey --

JONES: Something like this. This is a talking point in a shiny object.

HENRY: Sure. Now clearly you believe the buyback plan is wrongheaded and not a smart idea. But on the other hand, there have been these high-profile tragedies, is there something reasonable in what Beto O'Rourke said in terms of taking some of these rifles and putting them at a hunting club or somewhere where it may be secure?

JONES: What authority does a hunting club have? How does that work? We are talking about a federal government that takes three to six to do a background check on a class three firearm and it should take about three weeks and that's the promise they give.

Our federal government is not capable of doing what it already should be doing, how are they going to regulate hunting lodges holding onto guns? My guns are safe --

HENRY: Yes.

JONES: -- in my safe. That's the best place for them. So, it's just -- it's not that I don't give him a chance.

HENRY: Yes.

JONES: It's that, he doesn't give it a chance, he doesn't research, he doesn't come up with solutions --

HENRY: Got it.

JONES: -- and when he gets stumped you can see he doesn't think about it very hard.

HENRY: Safe in your safe. Johnny Joey Jones, I appreciate you coming in with your insights as always.

JONES: There you go.

HENRY: All right. Next up --

JONES: Thank you.

HENRY: -- the president has been labeled many things by elites in Hollywood but the so-called boss may have just leveled the very worst insult of all, actually accusing the president, this president, of being un-American, really?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SINGER-SONGWRITER: Unfortunately, we have somebody who I feel doesn't have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: It's Friday night which means our ladies panel in Bruce style is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPRINGSTEEN: Here's our next first family.

(APPLAUSE)

SPRINGSTEEN: Senator Barack Obama. Michelle Obama. Malia Obama. Sasha Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Yes, that was nearly 11 years ago, Bruce Springsteen was a common fixture out on the campaign trail for Barack Obama in 2008, and then again when he was president for his re-election in 2012.

So, it's no surprise the boss has had some choice words for President Trump, calling the then candidate dumb in 2016. Then a few months later saying he'd be fearful of him as president, now he's taking aim once again, this time labeling the president, yes, un-American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPRINGSTEEN: The stewardship of the nation has been thrown away. It is somebody who doesn't have a clue as to what that means. You know? I mean, the United States of America is in your care, do you know what -- do you what the stakes are, do you know what that means?

And unfortunately, we have somebody who I feel doesn't have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Joining me now for ladies night, Lisa Boothe, Susan Li, and Jessica Tarlov. First of all, when did Bruce Springsteen become Bob Dylan? The voice is now -- it's almost like he --

LISA BOOTHE, CONTRIBUTOR: Also, I didn't realize you were trying to imitate him earlier. What's wrong with Ed --

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: Yes. You guys seen -- you guys were freaked out about my voice.

BOOTHE: Yes. Is his throat OK?

HENRY: I was trying to be the boss for a second, it clearly didn't work.

BOOTHE: Probably you're sick, I don't know.

HENRY: But the idea that this president -- you could say what you want about him, and say you don't like him, you don't like his policies, you don't like his tweets. Un-American?

BOOTHE: Well, also I think being president of the United States is about as American as it gets, especially for a guy who gave up his cushy lifestyle as a billionaire to decide to run for president, getting his teeth knocked in every single day by the media as well as the left, that's pretty darn American.

He also gives up his salary. So, I think President Trump loves this country --

(CROSSTALK)

JESSICA TARLOV, CONTRIBUTOR: You slain me, Lisa.

BOOTHE: -- who loves this country and is dedicated to this country as evidenced by running for president. And I will not call Bruce Springsteen what you called him because I'm not going to give them any affection.

HENRY: Well Jessica seems to think he's the boss.

(CROSSTALK)

BOOTHE: Bruce, you're staying.

HENRY: And she's laughing.

BOOTHE: Boo, Bruce.

TARLOV: I'm a Bruce aficionado musically and I went to see Bob Dylan actually at the Barclays Center a few years ago. Just because I love to see all the greats.

I'm not a fan of calling someone especially the president of the United States of America un-American. I am a fan of pointed criticism of policies that I believed to be un-American in spirit.

I believe Bruce Springsteen was thinking of as many of us have that kind of immigration policy of this administration has enacted and the betrayal of what it says on the Statue of Liberty.

So, I think that would have, perhaps, been a better way to go about this. But also, Bruce Springsteen is not a political pundit. Right? He is talking from his heart. He is seeing the divisiveness and the challenges that our country is facing that a lot of people draw straight line to this president for.

And you know, if you have the bully pulpit, use it and there are millions of Americans that agree with him.

HENRY: Susan?

SUSAN LI, FOX BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I, well, to me, American means having a thriving capitalist democracy, isn't that what we are living in right now? You have the longest economic expansion on record, you have record stock markets, you have all this money coming here because there's nowhere else to put your money, and this is what we call American exceptionalism in, you know, markets and business. That's my expertise, and I think that's pretty American to me.

HENRY: Quick last point.

BOOTHE: I also think he is the one who is dividing, because he is the one labeling someone un-American. This is the problem with people in the country today because they are labeling others that they disagree with things like un-American, racist, sexist --

(CROSSTALK)

TARLOV: I think the president called never-Trumpers human scum this week.

BOOTHE: That is not good.

HENRY: Well, he did do that. But Jessica, look at this photo, he's hugging the American flag. Un-American?

TARLOV: You know --

HENRY: You're speechless.

TARLOV: Yes, I am.

BOOTHE: Because it's such a beautiful sight and Jess is literally loss of words.

(CROSSTALK)

TARLOV: I have never seen anything more beautiful than that except Barack Obama today.

BOOTHE: She is speechless.

TARLOV: And a lot of --

BOOTHE: You just seen the ego spying in the background and then we have --

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: All right. Let's shift gears to another artist, Kanye. Take a look at this.

LI: We love Kanye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANYE WEST, RAPPER: Liberals love art, right? And now I am unquestionably, undoubtedly the greatest human artist of all time, it's not even a question anymore at this point. It's just a fact. Right? So, for the greatest artist in human existence to put a red hat on, was like, God, it chokes all liberals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. Right. Right. Yes.

KANYE: Not Kanye.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Jessica, you're the liberal here.

TARLOV: Paying a John Legend, make another call to your body here. Ys. first of all --

BOOTHE: That was funny.

TARLOV: I don't think he was joking though, about thinking that he is the greatest human artist of all time. And I'm sure --

(CROSSTALK)

LI: You don't think he was joking? You thought he was for real that he thought he was it forever and ever?

TARLOV: Kanye, well, he is first of all, for a while, he has called himself certainly the best rapper, a living genius and this is an extension. Like he is going through something Kanye Sunday service has become such a revolution, and the discussion about spirituality and finding something to connect --

HENRY: Which is fantastic.

TARLOV: -- which is absolutely fantastic. So, no, I don't think he was joking. I think --

(CROSSTALK)

LI: I think he is (Inaudible), doesn't he? Isn't that how you talk when you want to be an entertainer? You want to get people's attention. I think Kanye will say anything, basically to sell tickets or albums. So.

HENRY: He's got a new album, right? So, there you go.

(CROSSTALK)

BOOTHE: Doesn't every artist think they're the greatest, though?

TARLOV: No.

BOOTHE: I think that's pretty much standard operating procedure.

(CROSSTALK)

TARLOV: No. I don't think Bruce Springsteen they see as a better artist than Michael Angelo.

BOOTHE: But I think, look, I actually -- I actually have a lot of respect for Kanye West because he has taken two incredibly unpopular positions in America today. One, to be a Trump supporter, and two, to say that you love God and to say that you love Jesus, it's incredibly unpopular in this day and age which is sad.

And like think of the impact that he's having on millions of Americans by literally having an album called Jesus is King.

HENRY: Right.

BOOTHE: And songs like Jesus is lord. So, I mean, to be able to have that kind of bravery I think is commendable.

HENRY: Absolutely. All right. Look, I want to call an audible and bring this up. Because my iPhone -- this whole new operating system for Apple, I mostly like it but there's this thing where if you don't actually click -- when you first check your e-mail --

(CROSSTALK)

TARLOV: It's hard. I think I have no friends anymore. I wake in the morning --

HENRY: Right.

TARLOV: -- and I'm like, no one wrote to me?

LI: But the home button disappeared back in 2017 --

HENRY: OK.

LI: -- unless you have an iPhone 8, and dear Lord, they need to upgrade. That's what I have.

HENRY: So, but I bring it up not because of my concern. But look at this tweet from the president just a few moments ago. To Tim, I assume Tim Cook.

LI: Yes, Tim Cook.

HENRY: "The button on the iPhone was far better than the swipe." Hilarious.

BOOTHE: And what is really funny about this, because this comes on the heel of the Giuliani thing, apparently, he dialed a reporter, so I'm pretty sure that's why the president said that.

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: And we should report it.

BOOTHE: Which is really funny. I don't -- this is going to sound -- I don't remember the home --

(CROSSTALK)

LI: The home button.

TARLOV: Here it is.

HENRY: Guess what?

TARLOV: On my phone.

HENRY: Jessica still has it.

(CROSSTALK)

LI: iPhone 8. Look at that.

BOOTHE: Can I see that? Can I see that?

LI: So, I'm seeing Tim on Monday at the premiere of the morning show, so I'll ask him about that.

HENRY: So, you're on the first-name on basis with Tim.

LI: With Tim.

(CROSSTALK)

TARLOV: What's more American than you being on a first-name basis with Tim?

(CROSSTALK)

LI: That's calculus of an American flag.

HENRY: Don't miss Susan Monday then with Tim Cook from Apple on Fox Business. Last word from you about the new iPhone?

BOOTHE: Cool. Good for you.

TARLOV: I'm not -- I'm scared by the face technology, I'm old school, I like my button, I've had the same passcode, though.

HENRY: All right.

TARLOV: Safe to use.

HENRY: Ladies, it's always fun.

TARLOV: Happy weekend.

(CROSSTALK)

LI: Greatest human --

HENRY: Absolutely. Happy weekend. You're the greatest pundits ever. That is The Story of Friday, October 25th. But as always, The Story continues. I'll see you tomorrow morning on Fox and Friends, 6 a.m. Eastern.

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