‘Sunday Morning Futures’ on Biden's Afghanistan policy, border crisis

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Rep. Jordan: Afghanistan withdrawal 'frightening, embarrassing' for US

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, weighs in on unrest in Afghanistan and the worsening border crisis.

This is a rush transcript from "Sunday Morning Futures," August 15, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning, everyone. Welcome to "Sunday Morning Futures." I'm Maria Bartiromo.

Today, breaking news: death and destruction in Afghanistan. Panic at the White House. The Taliban has now entered the capital city of Kabul, home to six million Afghans. Reports this morning that the group has started freeing inmates at the city's largest prison.

The Wall Street Journal reports it has triggered a massive effort to airlift diplomats and civilians out, as it appears the U.S. and the U.K. have surrendered to the Taliban.

The president of Afghanistan has now left the country, the U.K. calling back the Parliament in an emergency session, as the Biden administration flip-flops and says it will send 5,000 troops back to Afghanistan immediately. And the president must admit his assessment was way off from what he told us just last month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Is a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan now inevitable?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, it is not, because you have -- the Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped, as well-equipped as any army in the world, and an air force, against something like 75,000 Taliban.

It is not inevitable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARTIROMO: In fact, it is happening as we speak.

Coming up, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan on Biden's foreign policy fires flaming up across the world, including wide-open borders and the illicit drugs flowing in killing Americans.

Plus, a legal victory for the U.S. border and Texas, as a federal judge orders the Biden administration to resume the Trump era remain-in-Mexico policy. The man who first brought the lawsuit, Attorney General Ken Paxton, on his pushback of this radical agenda.

Then: Despite mounting crisis across the world, the Senate closes in on $6 trillion of new spending, with no new money earmarked at all for U.S. defense, even as China rises and Afghanistan burns. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn on what the new tax increases coming your way will pay for, as China builds a nuclear capability, and the FBI this week says over 2,000 active investigations tie back to the Chinese government, as the CCP romances corporate America to underwrite its expansion.

Plus: The coronavirus apparently is back. The FDA approves a third booster shot for some, as the number of breakthrough cases rises. Why are some vaccinated people still getting COVID? And which vaccine is most effective?

The head of research and development and the president of Moderna, Dr. Stephen Hoge, will join me with a special critical look at the leading COVID vaccines today.

All that right here, right now on "Sunday Morning Futures."

And first this morning: unsustainable and under siege.

The official July apprehensions numbers are in. The criminal cartels are running the entry into America. And the numbers are at a 21-year high, more than 212,000 apprehended last month, up 13 percent from June, and now more than 1.1 million illegal migrants apprehended at the border so far this year. That is not including the got-aways.

Unfortunately, this administration is lying to you about the severity of this crisis. The Department of Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, downplayed the crisis for the cameras last week during a visit to Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday.

But then leaked audio later obtained by FOX News's Bill Melugin through a Border Patrol source reveals his true assessment of the surge. Here's what he told the press with a straight face and then the about-face in private.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We have seen my surges in migration before. We have seen them in the past. And migration surges are not know.

Just as we did with the challenge of unaccompanied children in March of this year, we have a plan. We are executing our plan. And that takes time.

This is unsustainable. These numbers cannot continue. We cannot get to a point where we were a couple of weeks ago. We're going to make sure that doesn't happen. We're looking at the policy options.

Our border is the first line of defense. We're going to lose. And this is unsustainable. We can't continue like this. Our people in the field can't continue and our system isn't built for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARTIROMO: Joining me right now is Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan.

He is the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the border.

Congressman, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks very much.

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): You bet. Good to be with you.

BARTIROMO: You just heard the flip-flop from Mayorkas moments ago.

JORDAN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: I'm going to ask you about the border in a moment.

But, first, give us your assessment of Afghanistan, which is falling apart this morning.

JORDAN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Taliban has now entered Kabul, home to six million Afghan people. Your reaction?

JORDAN: Well, I think the first thing is, why is Joe Biden on vacation?

I don't think he's taken one question from the press this entire weekend. So, this is a frightening situation. It's an embarrassing situation for the United States. But I think, frankly, it's not surprising.

I mean, Maria, tell me what this administration has done right in their first eight months on the job. We got inflation like crazy. We got a crisis on the border, which we're going to talk about. We now have this unbelievable mess in foreign policy. We have an economy that's not where it needs to be and crime surging in every major urban area.

We had 12 murders in Chicago two weekends ago. So tell me what they have done right. This is -- as I said, it's embarrassing. It's frightening. It's -- we have never seen anything this -- this crazy in foreign policy probably since back in Vietnam, when we had to get people out at the last minute as well.

So let's hope we can, we can protect American lives. But this would not happen, this would not happen if President Trump was in the White House. We know that. We would not be treated the way we are from our from our adversaries. We would not have what took place up in Anchorage, Alaska, a few months ago, where Secretary Blinken was treated the way he was by his Chinese counterpart.

That just would not happen when you project strength and confidence from the White House. But, unfortunately, we don't have that today.

BARTIROMO: Yes, and the Taliban actually released a statement saying that they would not take Kabul by force. The insurgent group added it had ordered its fighters to wait and not attack the Afghan capital, and that it was in talks with the other side to discuss entering the city without harming the residents.

Of course, the president of Afghanistan has now fled.

JORDAN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: He is gone and left the country.

The border is another problem. I spoke with a border source yesterday, and he said they are apprehending people from the Middle East. I'm wondering if this is going to be another option for people who want to do the U.S. home -- harm, rather, coming through the open border.

What is your assessment of where we are now at the Southern border, which I'm told has destabilized all borders, including the northern border and the coastal borders as well of this country?

JORDAN: No, of course, it's a -- of course, it's a concern.

I mean, terrorists are -- could get into our company (sic). We know the drug cartels now have basically control, and they're sending people through the border. Of course, fentanyl, and drugs are coming through, causing all kinds of harm in our communities.

We now have what Secretary Clinton said five years ago. We have a borderless hemisphere. And I believe it's intentional, because you cannot look at these numbers and look at what's happening and not conclude that it's actually an deliberate act by the Biden administration.

Remember, Maria, March was the highest month on record for illegal crossings until April came. And then April was the highest month until May. And then May was the highest month until June. And then June was the highest month until July.

This just keeps increasing. So, it is truly a deliberate action, a borderless hemisphere, as the Democrats said. And it brings with it all the problems of drugs, not to mention the threat from terrorists now again.

When you have a weak administration, bad guys will exploit that.

BARTIROMO: Yes, we're looking at the border encounters right now at 212,000 for the month of July. It's gone up every month.

Let's look at the drug seizures, because I just have this breaking news that CBP agents in San Diego discovered 2.8 tons of meth and fentanyl powder, the largest drug smuggling seizure along the border to date. This is an incredible number.

And, of course, we have had 93,000 overdoses in America because our people, our young people are taking drugs, common drugs like Xanax, but those Xanax pills were laced with fentanyl, unbeknownst to them.

JORDAN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: There was also toxic cocaine that led to eight overdoses just in this neighborhood where I am right now, the North Fork and Shelter island in the last eight days.

Who -- I mean, what is the justification for pushing fentanyl into this country? This is just to kill. I mean, what is fentanyl used for, other than to kill? And I know that the underlying chemicals are made in China. So you have got the Chinese criminal cartels working with the Mexican criminal cartels to kill Americans by getting this drug into this country.

JORDAN: Yes. Yes, I mean, this is Joe Biden's America, terrorists being more aggressive. The Taliban control Afghanistan. The cartels control the border. And China keeps being as aggressive as they can. That is the world we live in today, again, because you don't have any kind of confidence, I think, projected from the Oval Office.

So, look, it's no accident or no question of what needs to happen. You got to go back to the policies that work. You got to build a wall. You got to have the remain-in-Mexico policy. And you need to -- imagine this, Maria -- enforce the law.

People who are supposed to be detained according to our law, detain them. People who are supposed to be sent back according to our law, send them back. You have to enforce the law.

But they're not doing it. This administration is not doing it on our border. And that's why, month after month after month, we see the numbers coming across. This is not rocket science. You just have to enforce the law and go back to the policies that worked in the Trump administration.

But the Biden administration refuses to do those simple things.

BARTIROMO: They're not following the law in any of their policy, and not just the border.

But this eviction moratorium extended, allowing people to live in their homes for free, that is also breaking the law. The Supreme Court had already a ruling saying Congress needs to act in order to have that.

JORDAN: Yes. Great point.

BARTIROMO: But what do you make of this federal judge on Friday ordering the Biden administration to resume the remain-in-Mexico policy? Will we see that resume?

JORDAN: God bless him.

Let's hope. Let's hope so. But, again, the way they exploit the law, don't follow the law, the way they just thumb their nose at the Constitution, as you mentioned, on the eviction notice, again, this is not just coming because I'm a Republican, but tell me what they have done right.

I mean, look at their economic policy, Maria. Their economic policy is basically lock down the economy, spend like crazy, pay people not to work. The same people you're paying not to work, tell them they don't have to pay their rent. And, oh, by the way, for people who do work and do pay the rent, they're getting ready to raise your taxes.

Now, that's the dumbest economic plan you could come up with. But that's their plan. So they do everything wrong. It's all -- I mean, I don't get it. I think -- so, I think a lot of Americans don't get it.

And, frankly, maybe, just maybe there's a few Democrats who've now figured out -- the nine Democrats who signed the letter to Pelosi and said, we don't want to vote on this crazy spending, and we just want this 1.2 so- called infrastructure, we don't want to vote on the other $5 trillion they want to spend, maybe there's some rational thought coming back to some Democrats, and we can stop some of the craziness that's been going on by the Democrats in Washington.

BARTIROMO: So let's talk about that, because Nancy Pelosi is telling you and your colleagues that you need to come back from recess early. You have got to come back on August 23 to vote on this spending.

It's outrageous to so many that your colleagues in the Senate in the Republican Party agreed to spend $1.25 trillion on a Green New Deal, as well as open the door to massive spending, $5.5 trillion, where our taxes are going to go higher, and there's not one acknowledgement of these wide open borders, not one acknowledgement that defense -- our defenses are not ready in terms of readiness.

There's no new money for the defense budget, Congressman.

JORDAN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: And your colleagues are agreeing to spend money on a Green New Deal.

JORDAN: Yes, they don't want to -- they don't want to address the real issues, the real crises that are happening in our country right now. They just want to keep spending and keep moving things too in this socialist fashion.

Look, I don't know why the Republican senators went along with it. I wish they hadn't. Let's hope we can slow it down and stop it. I do think it's important that your viewers understand just how massive this is. We normally spend $4 trillion.

And we were already piling up debt just with the normal spending of $4 trillion. But Democrats have already spent 1.9. They're looking to spend the 1.2 and the 3.5 on top of that. So that's $6 trillion more than we normally spend.

I mean, I don't know that that's ever happened in American -- you can maybe go back to World War II, maybe percentage-wise, when we were fighting the two evil powers that we were fighting then. Maybe we spent like that, but it's never happened in American history, never happened in human history.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

JORDAN: And they just want to keep doing it.

Again, I hope. I hope there are a handful of Democrats, at least these nine who signed this letter to the speaker. I hope they're willing to say, wait a minute.

I think the reason they're now finally figuring out what you and I know and what the American people know is, they know an election is coming up next fall. And if they keep doing this, they know they're going to get their tails kicked. So I think that's part of it.

But let's hope -- let's hope we can hold the line on some of this craziness.

BARTIROMO: Well, let's end on this FOX News poll showing that the majority of registered Democrats now prefer socialism over capitalism, OK?

This is a FOX News poll. And it says that Democrats are favoring socialism over capitalism. This is just extraordinary in terms of this late -- latest FOX News poll.

JORDAN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: Make sure you look at this and want to make a comment as we go on what voters need to understand as they vote in 2022 in the midterms.

JORDAN: Yes.

Well, the majority of Americans don't buy into that socialism. They believe in the values that made our country great. Here's the key thing. Right now, the Democrat Party, as you point out, the left controls that party. And you now have a major political party in this country, the Democrats, who don't like America. They think we're bad. They think we're terrible.

The Republican Party understands we're the greatest nation in history, not perfect, but the greatest nation in history. And there are certain values and principles that need to be defended. That's the contrast today. That's what's going to be on the ballot in -- next November.

BARTIROMO: OK.

JORDAN: And I think it's why the Republican Party is going to win big.

BARTIROMO: All right.

Congressman, it's good to see you. Thanks very much.

Stay with us. We're going to get into the vaccines when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEPHEN HAHN, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: I think this is a good decision by the FDA. It's based on recently accumulated data around the antibody or immune response in immunocompromised people who have a weakened immune system, as you mentioned, cancer patients, transplant patients, et cetera.

So I think it's a good decision. It tells us a lot about where the science and data are heading. And I do believe that we will -- this pre-stages a decision about a broader application of booster immunizations.

It's not that uncommon, right? Tetanus shots have boosters. And I think we always had the expectation that this might be the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARTIROMO: And that was the commissioner -- the former commissioner of the FDA Dr. Stephen Hahn on "Mornings With Maria" with me last week on FOX Business praising the FDA's decision to authorize COVID boosters for people with weakened immune systems.

Joining me right now is the president of Moderna. He is the leader of all research and development at the company. Dr. Stephen Hoge is here.

Dr. Hoge, it's very good to see you this morning. Thanks very much for spending the time with us.

You heard Dr. Hahn. Tell us about the need for a booster. How much protection does the Moderna vaccine give us? And will we all need a booster at some point?

DR. STEPHEN HOGE PRESIDENT, MODERNA: Well, it's important to contextualize this in the face of the Delta variant and really the surge of cases we have seen.

So, if you look over the course of the summer, I think we have all been surprised by the steps the virus has taken to evolve and get much, much better in the form of Delta and infecting people. That's really what's driving the surge right now.

So, the vaccines are really effective. And that's the good news. In fact, if you look at the breakdown of cases, still, almost overwhelmingly, these cases are in the unvaccinated people. The number one thing we have got to do is get those folks vaccinated.

But, as you said, Maria, there is breakthrough clearly starting to happen with the vaccine. And Delta poses a substantial threat to all of the vaccines and the durability of that immunity.

BARTIROMO: What do you make of these breakthrough cases?

I mean, anecdotally, I have a few friends that had been vaccinated, but got COVID anyway.

HOGE: Yes, it's -- well, it's -- I think Dr. Hahn said it well.

It's not surprising that immunity would decline over time for a respiratory virus. If you think about it, it's not that different than when you get the common cold. We're used to getting the common cold every couple of years, and, sometimes, it can be a severe cold. And that's really actually a cousin to the coronaviruses currently circulating.

So you would expect over time that corona is going to be able to reinfect and maybe cause a disease like COVID-19. I think the surprising thing is that it's happening this quickly. Many folks in this country were vaccinated maybe six months ago.

And what we're seeing is breakthrough cases starting to emerge differentially across the vaccines, for sure, but really starting to emerge as a result of a Delta variant at about six to nine months. And I think that suggests we are going to need booster vaccines to get through the winter.

BARTIROMO: OK. I want to ask you more about this, because I know that the vaccine loses some efficacy after six months.

Let's take a short break, and then zero in on the vaccine efficacy longer- term. And then I want to ask you what else you're developing with this mRNA technology, including treating respiratory disease, as well as cancer.

We will be right back. We will be right back with the president of Moderna, Dr. Stephen Hoge.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CARSON, FORMER U.S. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY: Now, our CDC and the present administration won't even acknowledge natural immunity, which is every bit as effective as getting the vaccination.

And, between the two, about 85 percent of our population has immunity. So, we need to be dealing with that and working with that, and giving people the actual numbers, and letting them make decisions.

Mandates...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARTIROMO: And that was -- that was Dr. Ben Carson the program last month discussing natural immunity. He, of course, is a specialist in neurology.

I am back with a Dr. Stephen Hoge from Moderna.

So, Dr. Hoge, how much immunity does a person have if they have already had COVID? Will they need a booster shot as well?

HOGE: Well, I think we don't know. We don't have the data on it.

To be honest, I think we're still trying to develop data on how much natural immunity protects you, just like we are with the vaccines. But we do know, when we measure the level of immunity in the blood of people who've been infected, it is lower than you're seeing certainly with the Moderna vaccine or the Pfizer vaccine, which would suggest that breakthrough cases are going to happen with natural immunity at least as soon as, if not sooner, then you're going to see with vaccines.

BARTIROMO: This is -- this is fascinating.

And, of course, I know that we're learning more about this as we live it. But you're saying that we will -- you're not surprised by these breakthrough cases, right? But you were surprised, you said a minute ago, that it was happening as soon as it was, right?

HOGE: That's right.

I think -- I think, again, you would expect respiratory viruses to be able to reinfect people, hopefully not cause severe disease like COVID-19. But it's sort of the natural history of these infections.

I think the surprising thing that we're all seeing right now is, we're in the middle of a global pandemic. The virus continues to evolve and get even more virulent, even more aggressive. And Delta is an example of really a huge step change in its ability to infect people.

And so, with that step change, what you're seeing is really more rapid breakthrough. And I think that is the surprising thing from our perspective, is that the durability of the first couple of shots is really only looking to be maybe six months, maybe a year.

Now, that's not terribly surprising that you would need a third dose. I think, as Dr. Hahn said in the other lead-in, that happens with tetanus. That happens with your flu shot every year, that you need to boost yourself to maintain high levels of protective immunity.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

HOGE: But I think we were all hopeful that we were going to be able to stop this thing with the initial couple of doses. And it looks like the virus is going to fight back and require booster doses more broadly, certainly by the fall.

BARTIROMO: So, I want to look at really the conversation taking place in the medical research community right now.

And part of that conversation has to do with comparing the leading vaccines. This is a study which was reviewed by the Mayo Clinic. And what it shows us is that, while both vaccines were highly effective during the period from January to June, six months later, in terms of the seventh month -- that's July -- the numbers actually drop considerably.

And what you have is effectiveness against infection considerably lower, from the 90 percent, at Moderna, it goes down to 75 percent. But look at what happens to the Pfizer drug. It drops all the way down to 42 percent.

This study suggests that the Moderna vaccine is superior to the Pfizer vaccine. I recognize that this is not peer-reviewed. We are awaiting peer reviews here. But what can you tell us about this study?

HOGE: Well, the first caveat is that Moderna is not involved in the study. We weren't a sponsor. It's independent research by the folks at Mayo Clinic.

But I think you summarized it well. There is emerging evidence from this study and other sources that there is a difference in the durability of protection, particularly in the face of the Delta variant, at about six months between the two different vaccines that are otherwise very similar.

I think this is consistent with the public comments by both of the companies about their phase three trials recently, as well as some other publications internationally, including from the governments in Canada, showing a slight difference in protection over time.

I think the one last thing I'd want to say about it, though, is that, while there isn't yet maybe scientific consensus around this -- and, really, that's not the purview of any company -- that's the general scientific community -- even if there is a difference here, and the Moderna vaccine is showing better durable protection against the Delta variant, we don't expect that will be permanent.

And the truth is, as you pointed out, there is a little bit of waning already for Moderna. Even though it looks better, it is trending down. And we suspect that, over time -- maybe it's in a year, maybe it's at longer -- you will see eventual increase in breakthrough cases even with the best vaccines, which is again why we think, ultimately, boosters are the best way to maintain broad population immunity, so we can stop the pandemic, stop the economic disruption, certainly stop the death.

BARTIROMO: If you had two shots of the Pfizer, can you do the Moderna booster shot, or do you have to stick with the same?

HOGE: Well, that's really a decision for regulators and public health officials to make.

As a company, we will generate data. And we're conducting clinical studies actually exactly on that with the National Institutes of Health, as well as governments internationally, to provide information that shows you can do that.

But, again, the choice of whether that's appropriate is really up to the FDA and, in the United States, the CDC.

BARTIROMO: And, Dr. Hoge, you -- I know that Moderna has been developing, working on mRNA technology for 10 years. This is something that this company has been focused on.

And you are also looking to apply that to other illnesses, such as other respiratory disease, as well as cancer. Tell us a little about that, how you might be able to tap into mRNA technology for other uses.

HOGE: And thank you for that.

We actually are well-known for our work here on COVID, but, for the last 10 years, we have been working on the technology platform to try and address all those diseases you just referenced.

If you look at the history of respiratory disease, our view for most of the last decade has been we need to do so much better in preventing the death every year that happens as a result of infections like flu or the common cold viruses that often actually lead to silent death in this country and internationally.

So we have been working hard on developing solutions for that, hopefully, single vaccination, the single injection that you can get that protect you against all of the viruses now, including COVID-19, that actually lead to that death and disability.

But we have actually, obviously, substantially pivoted to focus on COVID-19 for the last year, but we haven't stopped that work. And we're in the process of starting late-stage studies across a range of those other respiratory viruses.

And then the same sorts of things, using mRNA to educate your immune system...

BARTIROMO: And anything -- yes. Yes.

HOGE: ... something we can do with cancer.

And so we're running clinical trials right now in cancer trying to show we can teach your immune system what your cancer looks like, individual in -- per person's cancers, so that your immune system can attack it and hopefully reverse the scourge of that disease as well.

BARTIROMO: Wow. Amazing. Amazing.

Thank you very much, Dr. Stephen Hoge. We will be watching the developments. We appreciate your time this morning. We will see you soon.

The president of Moderna is with us, Dr. Stephen Hoge.

We will be right back with Marsha Blackburn and Ken Paxton.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): The people that are going to suffer under this are people living on a fixed income. They are our seniors. They are people working getting by paycheck to paycheck.

All Americans are going to pay for this through inflation, through taxes. Joe Biden says, well, we're only going to raise taxes on businesses and some people making a lot of money. You cannot fund something this expensive without everybody in America getting hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARTIROMO: And that was Senator John Barrasso with us on this program last month before the Senate passed both an infrastructure bill and opened the door to a bigger bill, a budget resolution that paves the way for Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending plan, which we know is actually $5.5. trillion in cost.

Joining me right now is Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn. She sits on the Senate Judiciary, as well as Armed Services Committee.

Senator, it's very good to see you this morning. Thanks very much for being here.

SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): Good to see you.

BARTIROMO: Before I get to your colleagues opening the door to these massive tax increases and spending that will be coming to us, I want to get your take on what's taking place in Afghanistan this morning.

We have breaking news. The Taliban has entered...

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: ... the capital city of Kabul. We have news that the president of Afghanistan has now left the country.

And there is panic under way at the White House.

BLACKBURN: Right.

BARTIROMO: The Biden administration is now sending 5,000 troops to Afghanistan. Your reaction?

BLACKBURN: Oh, Maria, this is heartbreaking. It could have been avoided.

The exit from Afghanistan should have been conditioned-based. It should have been based on these threat assessments. We know that President Biden chose not to do it that way. He wanted to set a timeline. And as the Afghanis and the Taliban, as the Taliban has said all along, you may have the clocks, we have got the time.

So they have worked this through, planning an exit strategy for us, how they would reenter. They have worked with China to get political and economic support. And the plan that President Trump and Secretary Pompeo had was the right way to do this.

So, to see 20 years of gains go away, I am just heartbroken for the Afghani people. The Gold Star families, we are hearing from some of them. We know that the sacrifice there has given us a period where we were not hearing about ISIS attacks and beheadings on the news every night.

The steps that Secretary Pompeo when President Trump made were able to send that message, if you cross us, there is a price to pay. But Joe Biden is weak. And they are not fearing him. I think it is of concern when you hear him say that the exit is proceeding as planned. Seeing those choppers going into the embassy this morning, that is something that is upsetting.

Secretary Blinken I think a couple of weeks ago said that having China in Afghanistan could be a positive. Maria, this is weak leadership. It is ending in chaos and in destruction. This is a disaster. And I am just praying that we get those that have fought for freedom out of that country, that we are able to get those embassy personnel out of that country.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

Yes, well, at this point, we are understanding that the Taliban has taken prisoners out of the largest prison in the city.

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: Apparently, there are thousands and thousands of Taliban prisoners who are being let out.

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: We have not heard from Joe Biden at all, no statement from this administration.

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: And yet there is not a dime in the new spending plans toward our defense systems.

The readiness of the defense is being questioned as China continues to invest in its military. I want to get your take on this infrastructure package and what took place last week. I know you voted no.

Did your colleagues just open up the door for massive tax increases and spending numbers that are coming in the fall?

BLACKBURN: Well, what we know -- and my -- there are some colleagues that tried to come to a bipartisan deal. It was not one that Tennesseans wanted to see.

As I said about the infrastructure bill, I saw it as a gateway to socialism. This was the opener for those -- for the leftists, for Bernie's budget. And, of course, they immediately followed the infrastructure vote with the vote on Bernie's bill, which was a $3.5 trillion budget, which became 4.2 by the time we took the vote in the wee hours of the morning.

And the estimates are that it is going to be a $5 trillion bill. And we are hopeful that this is going to be somewhat derailed in the House. This is too expensive to afford. The American people do not want to see it.

And, Maria, what this budget is doing, look at what is happening to inflation. This administration is weak on every front, whether it is the out-of-control spending, or whether it is misplaced priorities. This is a weak president. It is an administration that is not focused.

They are not prioritizing what the American people want to see. And there's bipartisan agreement on that.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

BLACKBURN: And whether you're looking at this budget, what it is doing to inflation, whether you're looking at the loss of energy independence...

BARTIROMO: Yes.

BLACKBURN: ... with the Keystone pipeline, or Russia and Nord Stream, or China...

BARTIROMO: Yes.

BLACKBURN: ... and the way that they are being -- this administration is so soft on China, whether it's dealing with the genocide, whether it's dealing with trade...

BARTIROMO: Yes.

BLACKBURN: ... whether it is dealing with China and their military aggression, I mean, the list goes on and on.

BARTIROMO: Yes. And, Senator...

BLACKBURN: They have been wrong on everything.

BARTIROMO: Yes, it does -- the list does go on. You're right. Yes, the list does go on.

But, Senator, with all due respect, if they're so weak, why are they beating you, OK? I mean, the bottom line is, the Democrats are winning. And we are about you see...

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: ... a major Green New Deal, thanks to your colleagues.

Mitch McConnell the other day praised President Biden for doing bipartisan work. What's going on with the Republicans? You have gotten nothing out of this, except to say, oh, yes, we worked with our colleagues on the left. But they don't say that: We have worked with our colleagues on the right.

They don't care if you're there or not. They're going to push it through reconciliation. So, if they're so weak, why are they beating you and your colleagues?

BLACKBURN: Well, one of the things that we're doing every day is pushing back on this.

And the good thing is, the American people are beginning to push back with us. I talk to people every day that look at what has happened to this country in the last seven months, the loss of freedom, the push to federalize elections. And you know that's their next big front, the push to pack the courts, so that you have somebody that's going to approve all of this, lockdowns, mandates.

And people are going, hey, wait a minute. Hey, wait a minute.

So I think this is the time for Republicans to stand strong against this. This is a weak precedent. It is a weak administration when it comes -- they're just rolling over on the national stage.

BARTIROMO: Well -- yes.

BLACKBURN: Biden wanted to go to the G7, be praised, be part of the club. America's back.

BARTIROMO: Yes. Well, where is the G7 and...

BLACKBURN: Well, America is back when it is standing strong and not letting things like Afghanistan happen.

BARTIROMO: Or China. And you were the first to come on this program and tell you...

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: ... that you think that the administration is flying migrants to Nashville in the dead of night.

I also spoke with a source who told me that they're using private jets and private airports to transfer migrants all across the country.

BLACKBURN: Chartered aircraft.

BARTIROMO: You're right, in the dead of night.

BLACKBURN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: You also have China, the China challenge.

I spoke with Jamie Dimon last week. And he's getting ready to open up shop in China. Corporate America is not looking at the national security issues, partly because the Biden administration is not making it a priority.

BLACKBURN: Well, that's exactly right. They are not making China a priority.

And, Maria, when it comes to the border, Mayorkas said it this week. They know this is a problem. They know this should be our first line of defense. They know that the Border Patrol cannot sustain this.

So, reinstitute remain in Mexico, catch and release, and build the wall.

BARTIROMO: Wow, what a six months, Senator.

Thanks very much for being here this morning to navigate through it.

BLACKBURN: You got it.

BARTIROMO: We will be right back with Ken Paxton.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARTIROMO: Welcome back.

A monumental legal victory for Texas on Friday, with a federal judge ordering the Biden administration to reinstate President Trump's remain-in- Mexico policy.

This comes on the heels of the worst border numbers in over 20 years, agents apprehending 212,000-plus in the month of July. That doesn't include the got-aways seen on surveillance likely escaping into the interior of our country. I'm told the got-aways is averaging 30,000 to 40,000 every month.

Joining me right now is the man behind this victory, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He's been in court fighting Biden's radical policies from day one. This marks his second legal win on immigration since January.

A.G. Paxton, it's good to see you. Thanks very much for being here.

Are you expecting them to reinstate remain in Mexico? Or can they sit on this and not do it?

KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: No, they're supposed to.

Obviously, you know this was a pretty important policy put in place by the Trump administration that actually worked to stop people from coming in and claiming asylum when they really didn't deserve it, and so -- and then disappearing into our country.

So, we're really hoping that he follows the judge's order. He's supposed to -- they're supposed to put it back into place. They can obviously appeal this. And there will be -- there will obviously be appeal on this as we go forward.

BARTIROMO: Well, I spoke with one of my border sources yesterday, and he said there's absolutely no security at the border at all.

One major issue is, they have to take resources from the other borders, like the northern border. That's wide open, because they had to take resources from there to put it at the Southern border. Of course, this is the longest border in the world between Canada and the United States. And then they also had to take resources from the coastal borders. That's Florida, Louisiana, Alabama.

And so what's happening at the Southern border is sucking up resources across the world, making the country that much more vulnerable.

PAXTON: Yes, there's no doubt.

I have talked to Border Patrol agents. I have talked to high-level Border Patrol agents. They are -- they say there are no discussions ever with the Biden administration about actually stopping illegal immigration, just dealing with the logistics. And that's exactly what they're being told to do. That's what they are doing.

And they can't help but do that because there's so many people. You just mentioned the numbers. They're the highest we have ever had. And, unfortunately, the cartels are getting even better at transporting people and transporting drugs across our border.

BARTIROMO: And the drugs, those killing Americans.

There's also COVID to look at, because I know that there are wealthy Mexican families that send their kids across the border to Texas to go to school. And that is said to be creating a COVID crisis as well.

PAXTON: There's no doubt our numbers are going up because of the border and what's going on down there.

I have talked to Dallas police officers who've told me that they have seen buses come in at night and be completely empty.

BARTIROMO: All right.

PAXTON: The people, they just disappear.

BARTIROMO: Wow.

Hold on. Hold that thought, General Paxton.

We will be right back and continue this after this short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARTIROMO: Welcome back.

We are back with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

And, A.G. Paxton, we were talking about COVID at the border. The president is blaming you and blaming Florida for the increasing numbers of COVID. Your response?

PAXTON: He doesn't have any credibility left with me.

He's lecturing us, Texas and Florida and Americans, on vaccines and on masks, and yet he's allowing illegal immigration with COVID coming across our border every day by the thousands. And so it's hard for me to believe in what he's thing when he is openly allowing people to cross the borders and then go all around our country with COVID.

BARTIROMO: Yes, I know that you have breaking news on the endorsements that you're getting from Mark Morgan and Tom Homan for defending Texas' border.

Tell me about that, as well as how you try to rein in the Democrats who tried to obstruct justice by leaving just when you were trying to vote on the new Texas voting law. The law is being criticized for being too restrictive.

So we have a graphic here to show exactly what is in the law, increasing hours to vote during early voting and having an I.D. to vote.

PAXTON: Well, I really appreciate the endorsements of Tom and Mark. They were the leaders on immigration in our country during the Trump administration.

They were the most effective leaders I have ever seen on immigration. So their supporting me as I run for attorney general is super important to me. And I certainly appreciate that.

As far as the Democrats protesting and leaving the state, this is a ridiculous way to handle democracy. It's not democracy. It's a minority trying to control the majority. These are not restrictive. We have the one of the most open voting systems in America with two weeks of early voting. And this is merely trying to refine some of the things that happened in the last elections that went wrong.

These people ought to come up and debate and vote for their own constituents and for the people of Texas.

BARTIROMO: Assess what's going on in Arizona and elsewhere, where we're seeing new bills regarding voting.

PAXTON: Look, it's one of the most important issues of our time.

If we can't make sure that our elections are credible and that people trust them, we will lose votes. People will stop voting and they will stop believing in our system of democracy. I really can't think of a more important thing to be doing at the state legislatures these days, making sure that people trust our elections.

BARTIROMO: Yes, for sure.

Attorney General, great to see you this morning. Thanks so much, Ken Paxton. Always a pleasure to be with you.

That will do it for us on "Sunday Morning Futures."

I will see you next week on FOX Business, "Mornings With Maria."

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