This is a rush transcript from "The Five," February 20, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: Hello everyone, I'm Eric Bolling along with Kimberly Guilfoyle, Bob Beckle, Dana Perino and Tom Shillue. It's 5 o'clock in New York City and this is "The Five."
We have breaking news this afternoon from Mar-a-Lago. President Trump named a new national security adviser to replace General Michael Flynn who asked to resign last week. The president also named a chief of staff for his National Security Team. Here is Mr. Trump a short while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: General H.R. McMaster will become the national security adviser. He's a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience. He is highly respected by everybody in the military and we are very honored to have him. He also has known for a long time General Keith Kellogg and Keith is going to be chief of staff. I know John Bolton we are going to be asking to work with us in a somewhat different capacity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLLING: We got a lot of information right there, Kimberly. H.R. McMaster -- general -- is going to be -- he's going to run the show but you heard John Bolton's name mentioned and Kellogg's name mentioned as well. McMaster, he graduated from the West Point, PhD from University of California Chapel Hill.
He also wrote a couple of books, "Dereliction of Duty" which I think people see as the description of what went wrong with Vietnam. But for me, one of the big highlights in 2016 last year, he's overseeing a high-level government panel intended to figure how the army should adapt to a new relationship with Russia.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Yes, I mean it sounds like a fantastic choice, doesn't it? And I know that he's well-regarded in the military community. So I think that this is someone that is eager to serve which is also what you want. It's a huge commitment. So we're happy to have his service on behalf of the country and it's important I think that he have a good relationship with General Kellogg, which we understand that he does.
This seems to be from the sources I've talked too, pick that. The president was very enthusiastic about someone that he feels that he can work well with. And this isn't somebody that has to go through a confirmation process as well. So hopefully then just get right to work.
BOLLING: And Dana, all three or four director of the advisory group at CENTCOM or four or six command assignment 3rd Army Cavalry Regiment. Your thoughts on this pick.
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: Well, I just think that America is blessed with several peoples, McMaster being one of them, that dedicates their life to their country in a way of serving through the military. Other interesting thing I think about this pick and I think why he is so well- regarded. You saw after the announcement everyone from the neocons to the foreign policy establishment group, everyone loves him. In fact, David French of "National Review" called him the Neil Gorsuch of the military.
In that time frame of when they went to West Point and he wrote the book about Vietnam, part of that is that they really understand the need for hard and soft power. For example, when the surge was put forward in '07 and '08, it was led by General Petraeus, and part for that -- that wasn't just adding more military.
It was bringing in the State Department and the diplomatic side of things in order to clear hold and build and I think that he comes from that school of thought and I think he will work very well not only with General Mattis at Department of Defense but also the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.
BOLLING: Bob, what's the left think of this pick?
BOB BECKLE, CO-HOST: Well, I think, you know, I think it's not totally controversial. I mean the guy, he was a real hero during the Desert War. He took four tanks up against a hundred Iraqi tanks and he's known as a fiscal hawk. I mean, he wants to spend a lot of money, as does comrade Trump and I think that --
GUILFOYLE: Bob, Bob.
BOLLING: Can we just -- can we stop it with the comrade Trump?
BECKLE: No. No.
BOLLING: Can we just for right now? Can we do it?
BECKLE: For right now? OK, for you I'll do it right now.
BOLLING: Let's try one show at a time.
BECKLE: The, well, I didn't commit to that. I'll say it to discretion. I think the real question is, you know, I'm interested in what happens with Mattis and Tillerson. Here the adults in this foreign policy team and the defense team, who were cut out of strategic issues like the one state solution and now you've got Tillerson over in the group of 20 and all of a sudden trying to repair the damage that Trump did about NATO and Trump said something else about NATO. You know, it's very difficult to imagine how these guys are going to do under Trump. It all depends on how well the president organizes himself and from what we've seen so far, this is probably the most disorganized presidency since Buchanan.
BOLLING: I would think Tom that a good place to start would be graduated West Point ahead an illustrious military career behind him.
TOM SHILLUE, CO-HOST: Yes, obviously well-qualified. It looks like, you know, everyone agrees it's a good pick, everyone except Bob or maybe even Bob.
BECKLE: I think he's probably fine. I don't think it matters.
PERINO: Usually the National Security advisor is not even ever known.
BECKLE: Who's the fourth guy out? Who got left out? There were four people on for consideration.
SHILLUE: Well, look, everybody got a job.
BOLLING: Petraeus was -- I think he decided he didn't want to get involved.
GUILFOYLE: Petraeus did not want to do it --
BECKLE: I think there was somebody behind Bolton or maybe not.
GUILFOYLE: -- like request.
SHILLUE: But this take five story up the front, I mean, what I've been reading for the past week is that nobody wants the job. I don't think of that was really. So, that said, you know, Flynn is pushed aside as a news story. So, obviously it's good news for Trump.
BOLLING: All right, let's do this. Let's go forward. On Saturday, the president addressed national security at his first rally since the inauguration and it was just like the campaign. President Trump looking very comfortable back on that stage, fired up the crowd the way he did for most of the 2016 campaign. He focused on three themes. The first though was terror and security. He told Americans he has a plan to keep the terrorists out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I've taken decisive action to keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country. The president has the right to keep people out if he feels is not of the best interest of our country, right.
We will do something next week. I think you'll be impressed. Let's see what happens. Here's the bottom line, we've got to keep our country safe. You look at what's happening. We've got to keep our country safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLLING: All right Bob, that guy was relaxed. He was comfortable. He was back on the stage firing up a crowd of 10,000 or so. That was the guy who's probably been holding back for a good 31 or two days.
BECKLE: Yes, let me go back to comrade because I think that's the --
BOLLING: Wait, you agreed to a whole day?
BECKLE: No, (INAUDIBLE) the question yes, but listen, if you had to sit where I sit and listen to what you guys called Obama, I think it's fair case.
GUILFOYLE: We didn't say that to tell you that much.
BECKLE: Comrade is nice term. I mean, but anyway, yes, he's comfortable doing this and yes he had, you know, you can build a crowd (ph) -- if I had $150,000 I can build a crowd like that for you and they'd cheer. The problem is --
PERINO: You wouldn't even need that.
GUILFOYLE: No.
BECKEL: Yes, you probably would. But you know, the thing is, one thing he says I've taken decisive action. No, he hasn't. He said he did a historic deal, got in the board. He has not. All this now comes to the question of is he going to be able to implement this? And now he's going to have to run into something called the other two branches of government.
And when he starts to have to deal whoever let him go out there and say for example that he's going to have come into weeks, a new health care plan that's going to be better and less costly, it should be indicted because that's not going to happen. And so Congress is not going to let that happen so I think he's setting himself up.
BOLLING: Dana, we got -- a lot of news came out of that. There's a lot of, you know, a lot of fired up speech but we also heard he's going to release a new executive order this week and a lot of other things came out of that.
PERINO: Yes so, the executive order was released in the first week, the end of the first week. So, they've been having to deal with that for three to four weeks and now we hear that the final document is being put together and there's going to be a lot more scrutiny on its just because of what's happened in the last month.
But I do think that there does need to be some deference to whoever the commander-in-chief is because that person alone is responsible for the protection of the country. Now of course I do think that Congress will have a chance to weigh in. The courts might even have to weigh in but nobody knows the responsibility except for President Trump because he hears the briefings. He knows what the threats are and I think thers has to be some deference within the law to allow him to do what he needs to do to protect us.
BOLLING: Kimberly, I was watching that speech with a bunch of friends and they all say, you know, he did really well with this. He was very comfortable. He was in his element at that moment. More so than I thought even with that big press conference he had with the media, you know, that big fight with the media or any other time in the last month or so. This is where he thrives. He get his message out too, by the way.
GUILFOYLE: Well, yes, but he's relying on himself to be the messenger and connect with people because he's comfortable doing that. That is very familiar to him because he did it during the campaign. So, that was similar to what we saw during the presidential election and then he pulled out the paper and read from the executive order to say, "I have the authority to do that. Yes, I was surprised when the courts did not allow me to proceed forward."
However, and we heard from General Kelly at the Munich Security Conference as well, telling us that the president was going to be releasing a new executive order that is more streamlined and in keeping with the proper tenets of it so there wouldn't be this kind of like controversy again. So we look forward to that. And keep in mind General Kelly is in place now to ensure the people don't falter --
BOLLING: And Tommy, guess what, the same seven countries were targeted and remember the big backlash saying oh, this is a Muslim ban. No, it's not a Muslim ban. It's an origin -- region of origin where terrorist likely come from and as Dana has pointed out in the past, where the government is virtually nonexistent.
SHILLUE: And you know, it would help that Obama did list those seven countries as well. But yes, I think the -- this is the way you've got to do executive orders. It's brilliant. Everyone said, oh, he botched it. You know, he issued the order, it was too fast, it was hasty, but I think it seems to have worked out.
You issue it. Everyone tells you what's wrong with it then you cross those things then issue it again. I think it's --
PERINO: You think that's brilliant?
BECKEL: That's a hell of a way to run a government.
SHILLUE: Wait a minute --
BECKEL: -- done months ago.
SHILLUE: Well, I mean --
BECKEL: If you just -- somebody said that we know green card holders --
SHILLUE: Now it's under a month.
BECKEL: -- actually have a right to come in Mr. President.
SHILLUE: Well look, it looks like they're going to have an executive order that already has, you know, everything is all set because they've already told him what was wrong --
BECKEL: It sounds like that. We ought to have another one.
GUILFOYLE: Too bad your team delayed, you know, his cabinet being put in place.
BECKLE: That's because one of them was -- the guy, the head of EPA by the way has sued the EPA 14 times. This is a good idea.
BOLLING: You know what, I like that kind of guy.
BECKLE: I'm sure you do.
BOLLING: You know why, because the EPA was probably wrong for 114 times.
BECKEL: Yes, right.
BOLLING: And good for him for (INAUDIBLE) By the way, what better way to dismantle EPA regulations, what a better guy, no one who knows the ins and outs of the EPA that he sued them 14 times.
BECKLE: You would if (INAUDIBLE) you know what this bureaucracy is going to do to this and Pruitt of all people, you know this guy, first of all, well, you know I think we've already established the fact that the nominee for the secretary of labor was a wife beater.
GUILFOYLE: Oh my god.
BECKLE: He was.
GUILFOYLE: All right, well Bob, we have to be careful of things like --
BECKLE: No, we don't. It's in the record.
GUILFOYLE: -- legal department.
BECKLE: Why are you guys -- have you all taken the Kool-Aid at one time? I mean come on. There's got to be an antidote here. At least you guys step back and say this has been a rough start. Can you say that much?
BOLLING: You know, you like that big Kool-Aid picture for Obama for about eight years or so.
BECKLE: No, I had to sit here and pretend --
(CROSSTALK)
BECKEL: -- said many times, I felt like fire plug at the West Minster dog show.
(LAUGHTER)
BECKEL: You guys have a little get back coming your way.
GUILFOYLE: A get back?
BOLLING: Well you know what, we're going to do a little sound bite of the immigration, the border wall and (INAUDIBLE) that Donald Trump talked about. So we ran out of time so we do that maybe later in the show or maybe tomorrow. Much more to come on "The Five"."
The president ratcheting up his rhetoric at the press on the press with (INAUDIBLE) controversial tweets like this, calling the fake media our enemy. The fallout on where we stand, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUILFOYLE: Last week President Trump was fired up at his first solo news conference that he let the media have it for their bogus, dishonest reporting that he didn't let up over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I also want to speak to you without the filter of the fake news. The dishonest media which has published one false story after another with no sources, even though they pretend they have them.
When the media lies to people, I will never, ever let them get away with it. I will do whatever I can that they don't get away with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: And he piled on with this controversial tweet calling the "fake news media the enemy of the American people." That didn't sit well with many in the press including our very own Chris Wallace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: You don't get to tell us what to do anymore than Barack Obama did. Barack Obama whined about Fox News all the time but I got to say he never said we were an enemy of the people.
REINCE PRIEBUS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Let me tell you something, he said a lot of things about Fox News, Chris. I think you ought to check the tape. He blamed you for a lot of things and I'm surprised as so much from Fox that you would forget all the shots that he took at Fox News --
WALLACE: No, he took the shots and we didn't like them and frankly we don't like this either because you know, but he never went as far as President Trump has and that's what's concerning because it seems like he crosses the line when he talks about that we're an enemy of the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Well, one of the more interesting exchanges on the Sunday news shows. OK, so Dana, Chris Wallace had a very strong opinion, essentially voicing it on behalf of the media in general and the chief of staff, Reince Priebus fired back saying wait, President Obama talked about the media.
PERINO: Right, and we would make fun of President Obama for his thin skin and being ridiculous.
GUILFOYLE: And that's coming on Fox.
PERINO: And the only thing is like so for the last eight years we have complained that President Obama wouldn't name the enemy and we would say if you can't name radical Islamic Islam, if you won't say the words how can you actually fight the enemy if you can't define it? So, it is a step too far to say that the media is the enemy and the fake news of -- I do, as a skeptical news consumer, take a moment to actually believe anything right now because as we saw last week, I can't remember what it was on Friday. Something broke and about --
BOLLING: It was the "Washington Post."
PERINO: And like three hours later, I was like, this will be over. No, it was the AP and it was about the executive order possibly like round up so using the National Guard in order to go out and round up people. I see those things and I just have to say like, you know, democracy is a participatory sport and if you're going to be a news consumer, then you have to have some discernment. You might have favorite things that you want to read, but you also read things that like maybe you don't like sometimes, whether you're a president or you're a press secretary or you're on the opposition.
I just feel like there are so many people in journalism that do a really noble, good work. This weekend, Daniel Pearl, who was the "Wall Street Journal" reporter who was murdered by terrorists because he was out there doing his job, I mean, it's one thing to be frustrated with certain reporters or certain news outlets but to blanket everybody as the enemy, it basically waters down your point and makes it look pitiful.
SHILLUE: I don't think -- he said in his tweet -- first of all, I think it's important that he said in the tweet, the fake news media and then mentions specifically, I think it was five media organizations. So he did name them, right. So he named them there, OK. He also said they're not my enemy, they're your enemy.
So to me that tweet was saying, they're not my enemy, they're yours. It was not saying that, you know, it wasn't an attack on the first amendment, which everyone went crazy where they said oh, a free press is important to the country. The tweet had nothing to do with the free press is important to the country. It was a simple -- he was saying. He was calling --
PERINO: You (INAUDIBLE) the media is the enemy of the people of the United States?
SHILLUE: He was -- you got to speak Trump.
PERINO: Quickly, what happened --
SHILLUE: I speak Trump. I understand what he says --
BECKEL: That's the most scorched (ph) logic I've ever heard. Are you hung over?
SHILLUE: I am making a great point here, Bob. Your logic is fantastic. Listen to what I'm saying Bob.
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: -- in a better way, OK. He was calling the media out. When a teacher gives a D to a student you don't say you hate all children. He said no, I just gave them a failing grade, these specific media organizations. I think it was a great tweet.
BECKEL: No, he said the press is --
GUILFOYLE: Yes, but he also know
SHILLUE: It's all fake media. D is fake media. He named them.
GGUILFOYLE: He specified them --
BECKLE: -- piece of history, the last person who used those words was not Richard Nixon. It was Joe McCarthy. And he eventually got caught up with (INAUDIBLE) but I didn't hear them say I'm going to stand up there and (INAUDIBLE) the first lies I'm going to say to the Unites States (ph)? Who's going to stand what he lies? He lied about ten times there. He made up by terrorist attack that nobody ever heard of.
SHILLUE: He didn't say terrorist Bob but we'll get to that later.
BECKEL: Listen, if you're going to have to do this you're one month in, you know, you guys are going be at the psychiatric ward --
(CROSSTALK)
GUILFOYLE: Eric, so I'm having you respond to this and then we'll talk about John McCain.
BOLLING: I want to talk about that one too. As far as this is a concern, look what happened in the last couple weeks. "Washington Post" a couple of Thursdays ago came out and said that had nine sources saying that General Flynn had discussions with Russian intel about sanctions, nine sources.
Dana, we talked about this last Friday. They said well, the "Washington Post," they're not sure exactly what they were talking about. IN the meantime "The New York Times" came out with their piece where they cited three separate occasions, one with Flynn, one with Manafort, one with some sort of connection to Donald Trump himself.
Again, all anonymous sources. Not one single source named --
BECKEL: Did anybody --
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: But here's the problem, Bob, Trump is -- he's right about this. If you're going to do this, you better cross your T's (ph) and get your eyes at everything. Now, they've got their skin, they've got -- General Flynn is gone. He's been replaced. Here's what he's doing, he's putting these news organizations on notice. If you're going to attack him, go for it but you better be accurate
BECKEL: So you're sitting here -- are you taking the Shillue line and saying that nobody did talk to Russian intelligence?
BOLLING: I didn't say that. Did I say that once? I also didn't report that it happened and then walked it back a couple of news later after someone's been fired.
BECKEL: I don't think (INAUDIBLE) out, but listen --
PERINO: But he's the one who said -- he's then one who wrote --
GUILFOYLE: And you want to make a comment about McCain --
PERINO: Go ahead.
GUILFOYLE: No, go ahead, Dana.
PERINO: No, I just -- I mean, I don't want you to put words in my mouth and I don't think that you meant to but just to be clear. Flynn is the one who said in those letters that he missed -- said his remarks to Pence and the president is the one who said that Mike Flynn lied and that's why he had to go. There was a conversation about saying --
BOLLING: When he lied --
PERINO: -- in those conversations.
BOLLING: - to Pence -- yes, and we all agree on that, but you remember on Friday after two weeks of the "Washington Post" piece, throwing out there that there are nine --
PERINO: -- you conflated those two things. I just want to say clear that I was making --
BOLLING: Well, you know. Well --
PERINO: He did say it was Flynn himself. I'm just quoting Flynn on that.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: They're two different things.
BECKEL: It's a thousand to one shot that they can survive (ph) with the Russian intelligence. Why don't you just own up to it --
BOLLING: Own up to what? Bob, I didn't report that there was a conversation. I didn't report there was any, in fact, I've said this consistently --
BECKEL: You don't believe there was (INAUDIBLE)
BOLLING: I don't care. I don't know if there was. He was fired --
BECKEL: You don't care that he was having conversation with Russian intelligence?
BOLLING: You don't know -- No, I don't.
GUILFOYLE: Bob, that's not illegal. There's no violation of the Logan Act.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: It's not illegal.
GUILFOYLE: Look at the law!
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: It doesn't Robert. Flynn got fired for lying to the vice president, not because of discussions he had with the Russians.
BECKLE: God, you'll forgive this guy anything, won't you? You will not be able to forgive (ph) him too much longer --
GUILFOYLE: He will not forgive him if he doesn't build the wall. The president is also trying to debunk the fake news that he invented a terror attack over the weekend. Fox's Tucker Carlson fits into this wild story and he's going to join us to set the record straight and straighten this show out, I hope.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: Welcome back. President Trump set off a new firestorm with this comment on Saturday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We've got to keep our country safe. You look at what's happening in Germany. You look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They are having problems like they never thought possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: And that came right before a reference to recent terror attacks in Europe. The immediate take away for many media outlet was that the president made up an attack in Sweden. In a tweet, Mr. Trump said, "he did no such thing" but was referencing the story broadcast on this network concerning immigrants and Sweded.
Tucker Carlson knows something about it. It was his show the president was apparently watching. Kudos to you Tucker. The host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight" is with us now. I'm sure you didn't anticipate being the subject of a big story this weekend.
TUCKER CARLSON, TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT SHOW HOST: No, and actually I was in Europe when it happened and kind of miss the whole thing. I mean look, the President should always speak in a way that people can understand. They should always be accurate and clear. Those are the rules. They predate this president, but every president has to adhere to them, and so he should've been clear about what he meant.
But I think it's obscuring a much more important conversation that Americans need to have about not just Sweden but the rest of Western Europe. How do you assimilate large numbers of people from different cultures without blowing up your own? And they've run this kind of longitudinal experiment for 50 years with immigration and in some ways it's been fine, in some ways it hasn't been fine at all. It has hurt those countries and so how do we not repeat that here. I don't know why we're not having that conversation. We hope to.
PERINO: Well, one of the things too is that -- I'll go to Kimberly next -- but that Sweden had been so permissive in the last decade or so and now they're trying to pull it back a little bit and it gets harder to do so on the back end. So if you are facing it now, as America, it would stand to reason that you would be cautious. Let's go to Kimberly next.
GUILFOYLE: Yes, and Tucker, perhaps maybe you can just kind of specify, in fact, what you think the exact confusion was because he watched your program. We love it. He's watching Mike Tucker New Network. That's fantastic, but he was trying to convey to the public about the problems like Dana said that Sweden has been facing and some of the other E.U. communities and countries.
CARLSON: Yes, I mean, why was it misread? I don't know. I mean, I've seen this before, you know, part of it is he has a lot of antagonists but part of it is that he want to slow down and say exactly what you mean. I mean I personally don't think the president should be speaking off the script at all because the value of their words is so profound that you want to get each one right.
GUILFOYLE: How should he have phrased this though? What should he have said?
CARLSON: All right, take out the phrase last night, I guess. This is an ongoing problem. It's been going on in Sweden for a long time. And by the way, that's not controversial. And I know that a lot of kind of hysterical people have written pieces today saying everything is fine in Sweden, but the Swedes don't think that. The Swedish government doesn't think that. They've put a halt to some of their immigration, because it's destabilizing their country. That's not a -- that's not a controversial thing to say.
BECKEL: If anybody -- if anybody has been around London or Paris or any of these capitals and looked at the -- at the infusion of Muslims and now the new generation of born Muslims, where a lot of terrorists have come from. But exactly right; they didn't assimilate well, and something we can learn a lesson from.
But Tucker, you said you've got to play by the rules; every president does. This president flat-out lied. Would you admit that? Tell me why you think he lies.
CARLSON: Well, I don't know...
GUILFOYLE: He's not a shrink.
CARLSON: ... exactly what you're talking about.
BECKEL: You don't think he lied? He said -- he said there was a terrorist attack last night in Sweden. Now, that's a lie.
CARLSON: Well, he said -- actually, he said -- he said, "Look at last night." You know, I don't know why he said that, and I don't know what he meant by it.
BECKEL: You, too? Please.
CARLSON: No, no, let me...
BECKEL: Doctor, doctor, come. Save.
GUILFOYLE: What?
CARLSON: Here's what's important. I don't think it's just about terror, actually. It's not as simple as -- by the way, a lot of Muslim immigrants are great, and they add to society. But huge numbers of people from very different cultures tend to destabilize the culture into which they come, unless affirmative steps are taken to assimilate them. And...
(CROSSTALK)
BECKEL: You're exactly right when you said presidents ought to play by the rules. This one, too. I think...
CARLSON: And the west is not doing that.
No, I think he ought to speak precisely. And I don't know what he meant by "Look what happened last night." I don't know. I'm not in charge of...
GUILFOYLE: Referring to your program.
CARLSON: ... Trump or his press. I guess referring to the program. I'm just saying, if there's any question about what a president means, he ought to clarify it.
BECKEL: OK, but when you essentially -- when it's interpreted and anybody who has half a brain would have interpreted that as a terrorist attack in Sweden last night.
GUILFOYLE: OK, well he...
BECKEL: Then he shouldn't say it.
CARLSON: Look, I started by saying I think the president, any president -- this one, too -- ought to be precise and clear about what he says.
BECKEL: Thank you.
CARLSON: I'm not defending it.
BECKEL: Thank you.
CARLSON: I started by saying that. But I'm just saying there's a bigger question, which is how do we not become Europe?
BECKEL: Exactly.
PERINO: Right. The reason you had the story on Friday night.
CARLSON: All the people here are saying, "Oh, there's no problem." It is a problem.
GUILFOYLE: Three hundred percent increase...
PERINO: That was in the story on Friday.
GUILFOYLE: ... in violent crime in Sweden since 1975.
PERINO: Eric Bolling has a question for you.
BOLLING: So and also we should note that the president clarified what he was talking about today in the form of a tweet, saying he was watching Tucker's show, and that's what he was referring to. So can we move on from that?
Tucker, something else happened over the weekend I thought was really, really concerning to me. Let's put it that way. John McCain was overseas, and he was asked -- well, he was asked by Chuck Todd on Sunday about what was going on with this fight, this feud between Donald Trump and the press. And he seemed -- he seemed to take the press's side and take the president down a bit, saying that this is how dictators start.
And then he clarified, saying, "Well, I don't really mean Donald Trump is the beginning of a dictatorship." However, any time you do that, you kind of muddy that relationship. Do you find concern, as I do, with the senator's words over the weekend?
CARLSON: I mean, look, I see this as a contest between two understandings of what our foreign policy ought to be. And who knows what this president will actually do in office, but he's said again and again, you ought to look at every foreign policy decision through the following lens: Is it good for American interests or is it not?
I think Senator McCain and Senator Graham and many other Republican senators -- and Democrats, by the way -- have a different way of seeing foreign policy, which is will it benefit the world? That's the debate right there. I think it's pretty clear where most people, most voters are. But I think we should have that debate. Like, what's the point of what we do abroad? Is it to protect American interests, ensure the safety and prosperity of this country, or is there some other reasons we do it?
BECKEL: Do you find that...
BOLLING: Should this be playing out in the media, on the Sunday shows?
CARLSON: Yes.
BOLLING: Or should this be a discussion that the senator should have in the Oval Office with the president?
CARLSON: No, I think it's a public...
BECKEL: Should the president have a discussion, who said he wasn't a war hero?
CARLSON: Look, there's a public conversation that needs to happen. There's a bipartisan consensus on foreign policy, Republicans and Democrats, in D.C. have a certain view of the world. I think the last 15 years have shown that view to be counterproductive, at best. And I think...
BECKEL: Tucker -- Tucker, for a guy to be called a war hero -- not a war hero who never got a gun to protect the United States of America is a sin. And you ought to call him out on it.
CARLSON: It's a sin, it's a sin. OK, fine. But what you're...
BECKEL: Well, nobody said anything here.
CARLSON: ... saying is what everybody does, Bob, which is argue...
BECKEL: ... on the Sunday shows.
CARLSON: You're arguing about...
BECKEL: This guy was in the prison for six years...
CARLSON: I've been in the prison with him. I'm not...
BECKEL: ... while Donald Trump was building flashy casinos in Atlantic City.
PERINO: But Bob, he's not...
GUILFOYLE: Bob, why are you yelling at Tucker?
CARLSON: You're arguing -- you're arguing past me, Bob. What I'm saying is this is not about the relative personal virtue of the two people.
BECKEL: Because I'm trying...
CARLSON: It's not about who's the better man and who do you want to babysit your kids? It's about how do you want to run the world, as the most powerful country in the world? And why don't we have an actual adult debate about that? But nobody wants to. So you bring up things like you did. He said this, OK, fine. He did. Great. That's -- you know, I won't defend it. But, like, how should you make your foreign policy? Why don't we debate that?
BECKEL: Good idea.
PERINO: And we'll have the last question from Tom Shillue.
GUILFOYLE: Take Bob to lunch.
SHILLUE: Tucker, you said the president should be accurate and clear, but shouldn't the press ask him what he meant after his speech...
PERINO: No.
SHILLUE: ... instead of writing these hysterical stories?
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God. Bob is shaking now.
CARLSON: I mean, they hate him, so...
(CROSSTALK)
SHILLUE: He was speaking off-the-cuff at a rally; and after the rally they wrote hysterical articles saying he called for [SIC] a terrorist attack when he, to my -- you know, to my eye, he obviously didn't. Why didn't they say to him after his speech, "What did you mean by that?" Instead of writing the hysterical articles and then waiting for him to clear it up 48 hours later.
BECKEL: Drop that LSD you've got, because it's bad.
CARLSON: They don't like him.
SHILLUE: There it is. Thank you, Tucker.
CARLSON: No, but that increases responsibility. Just be clear, make your case. People agree with you if you do that. And you know, it moves the ball forward when you do that.
PERINO: So Tucker, I had one thing I was going to tell you. So when I was the press secretary, there was a time, like, in '07, we were doing an event. It was, like, a pro-democracy event of the establishment kind that you were just referring to.
And somebody in the audience asked President Bush, "Well, why don't you just try to find the Nelson Mandela of Iraq and then have that person be president?"
CARLSON: Right.
PERINO: And President Bush said, "Because Nelson Mandela is dead."
OK, Nelson Mandela was not dead at the time, but what President Bush meant was that Saddam Hussein had killed anybody who would have had the potential to be Nelson Mandela.
CARLSON: Right.
PERINO: But it triggered a call from the embassy. The family had to issue a letter. It's like, "No, no, Nelson Mandela is very much alive." And we had to clean it up. So it happens to all presidents.
BECKEL: He was?
GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God.
CARLSON: We're not good at colonialism, so let's just not attempt it. We're not the English.
PERINO: All right.
CARLSON: That would be my argument.
PERINO: You and I will have that debate later.
CARLSON: Thank you.
PERINO: All right. much more on this topic on "Tucker Carlson" tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern. Thanks, Tucker.
Ahead, a FOX News exclusive with Rush Limbaugh. He thinks Democrats and the media are trying to sabotage and destroy President Trump. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHILLUE: It's not often you see Rush Limbaugh doing TV interviews. But he appeared on "FOX News Sunday" this weekend and had a lot to say about the left's relentless effort to take down President Trump. He says one example is their relentless effort to convince America that Russia influenced the election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK RADIO HOST: And this -- you don't need any more evidence than that to suggest and to know that the left, which is run by Obama and Hillary and the hierarchy of the Democrat Party, is doing everything they can to undermine, sabotage, and to prevent Trump from implementing his agenda. There's no question about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHILLUE: Take a breath, Bob.
He also addressed the media's effort to destroy the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIMBAUGH: The media did not make Donald Trump, and they can't destroy him. They have a formula, they have a blueprint for destroying Republican political officials they don't like. It's not going to work on Trump. He doesn't fit that mold.
Trump has a connection with his voters that most politicians don't have. I understand it perhaps better than anybody in media, and that connection that he has is not anything that anybody else can break. Only he can break it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHILLUE: Eric, OK, let's discuss this. The blueprint. They have a blueprint for Republicans. Rush says it's not going to work on Trump. Is he right?
BOLLING: Yes, because you can't put Trump in that GOP. Can't put him in the corner and say, "We're going to take shots, because we're waiting for him to do this." He'll do something like that. The next thing you know, the unions are backing Donald Trump or he'll come up with an infrastructure bill that even Democrats -- some Democrats alike. So he's not that mold; he's not the GOP mold.
I think Rush is 100 percent -- he, Donald Trump, what he's very good at is his -- is locking down his base. Now everyone's going to say, OK, so his base is only giving him about 40, 43 percent approval and backing; and he's going to need more than that in 2020. But I disagree with that. They were wrong about the polls; they're wrong about his base. They come out. They're animated, and they will reelect this guy, assuming he doesn't become too media friendly. He picks -- he picks the fight with -- with the least popular group on the planet, probably.
SHILLUE: Yes.
BOLLING: Maybe Congress, maybe the media. Maybe one of the two. But he's fighting with both of them.
SHILLUE: Kimberly...
GUILFOYLE: Yes.
SHILLUE: ... Rush seems to think he's going to have to keep doing these. Like, he's going to have to -- every issue, he's going to have to go out and do these rallies, because that's what works for him. He's got to get out there and see the people. Do you agree?
GUILFOYLE: Yes, because he's so comfortable doing it; he actually enjoys it. It's not somebody like -- "Hey, you've got to go out and do this." This is something where he feels incredibly comfortable in his own skin. He feels connected to the public and his supporters in this movement of working-class men and women who show up in droves to support him.
They do have an unbreakable bond. And we saw during the campaign, how many times, over and over again, people were like, "Whoa, this is going to be it; this is it," and it never was. In fact, he went on to defy all the odds and win the American presidency. So I think that is going to continue, because those core supporters of his movement are not going to abandon him.
SHILLUE: They're not going anywhere, Bob.
BECKEL: None of them -- you know, if you look back at history, every president gets in trouble goes out on the campaign trail. Even Richard Nixon gave a good speech when he was in trouble.
But you know, let me correct -- I know you all sort of lay at the feet of Rush Limbaugh, what he says. But Rush, let me point something out today. Hillary Clinton has nothing to do with the Democratic Party now. Barack Obama doesn't, and the hierarchy of the Democratic Party doesn't exist. So you might want to check those things out before you start throwing these things out. That is not right. There's no left blueprint...
BOLLING: So you're absolutely making reference to nothing we heard. What are you talking about?
BECKEL: Exactly what he said. He said the left is in charge by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the upper class of the Democratic National Committee.
GUILFOYLE: They are.
BECKEL: That's just a flat lie.
GUILFOYLE: No, it's not! No, it's not.
BECKEL: They're not! They're not!
SHILLUE: Dana...
PERINO: What.
SHILLUE: ... did you hear what they're talking about, the shadow government?
PERINO: Yes.
SHILLUE: I mean, is there a shadow government? The Obama people that are left over?
BECKEL: Yes, they beat every...
SHILLUE: What do you think of this shadow government?
PERINO: I think that that description is a little dangerous, but I do believe that there are civil servants. These are not people that are leftover Obama people. That means that they would be political appointees that burrowed in and got civil servant jobs and are hiding in disguise.
Most civil servants are there because they want to do a really good job. And I think that if President Trump wants to be -- wants to use these rallies to his benefit, he could do something like we did in, like, 2001. I wasn't there yet, but they did a bunch of tax cut rallies in states with Democratic senators. And that was -- so there was a strategic end, and that's how it passed.
GUILFOYLE: Sounds like a good idea.
BECKEL: We need the password to the shadow government. Will you give it to me, Tom?
SHILLUE: I will, Bob, later.
BECKEL: OK.
SHILLUE: During the break.
Today is Presidents' Day to most of us, but not to some anti-Trumpers. It is "Not My President's Day" to them. We'll show you how they spent the holiday, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKEL: Happy Presidents' Day, everyone and happy Not My President's Day, too. Here's a look at what's been happening across the country on this federal holiday.
Thousands of protesters have been talking -- taking to the streets to demonstrate against the man they say is not their president, Donald Trump. The protests are being held in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and elsewhere.
I'd like to lead this off myself for saying that, in the break, I've been accused...
BOLLING: Calling on yourself?
GUILFOYLE: Yes.
BECKEL: I am. I've been accused of losing it here. And I have. You're right. And I will continue to, so if you want to watch the show, you can just expect this until the day I die, which is not going to be that many years.
GUILFOYLE: You said eight years left.
BECKEL: But...
GUILFOYLE: Right?
BECKEL: I've got eight years left, I think. And long enough to outlive Trump.
But listen, here's the other thing. I want to say to the people on the left that go out and protest, the fact is, he is our president. He did win constitutionally. And you're not going to get away with just saying he's not our president. What you've got to do is do some effective organizing against his absurd, obscene program. I mean, this guy is -- as I said, James Buchanan will be elevated from 50th. But you just don't go out there and say he's not your president, because he is. He was elected under the Constitution. Don't play his game. There weren't three to five million phony voters. Even his campaign manager came out and said New Hampshire had a legitimate election. He's the president. And that's what we have to live with.
BOLLING: Forty-fifth, by the way.
BECKEL: What?
BOLLING: Not 50, only 45 presidents.
BECKEL: I thought he was 50th.
GUILFOYLE: All right. Fake news from Bob.
BOLLING: So you know what makes me happy about this? I'm watching George Soros spend all that money getting these protestors organized. He lost all the money in the election. He lost a lot of money on -- it was a big currency trade. He lost it. And now he's spending all this money, trying to have all these people say he's not -- He's your president, just like Obama was my president. I disagreed with everything he said and did, but he was still my president.
GUILFOYLE: Except for some of the drone strikes. You liked those.
BECKEL: He did.
BOLLING: I was fine with that.
BECKEL: You've got to put your evidence up about Soros.
BOLLING: There's plenty of evidence of George Soros.
BECKEL: OK, good.
BOLLING: Yes, plenty, plenty.
BECKEL: OK, fine. Bring it tomorrow, will you?
BOLLING: We know he financed a lot of web sites that he's involved in: MoveOn.org...
BECKEL: There's an ambulance waiting for you outside, so don't say anything, OK?
GUILFOYLE: What?
BECKEL: Get you to the psychiatric institute
SHILLUE: Look, I mean...
BOLLING: There's someone with a jacket out there, but I'm sure it's not my -- I'm not the one they're waiting for outside the door.
BECKEL: Oh, brother.
SHILLUE: There was an article in The New York Times that liberals, are they hurting Trump? And no, they are not. These -- and these -- the protests are not hurting at all. They should stop them. I don't know what they're protesting this time. It's got a new name, Presidents' Day. There's too many protests. There's just too many. I mean, how many -- how long have we had here, and we just had a parade or a protest every day. We're all sick of them.
BECKEL: Dana, do you think they' re doing any good?
PERINO: I don't know. I'm curious to see if this is formidable or if it's just ephemeral. So, like, can this last? It's only been 30 days. Are people going to get tired of it and go, "Oh, fine, I'm going back to work"?
BECKEL: Yes, you think something...
PERINO: Or are they going to continue? I don't know.
GUILFOYLE: I think that, look, they keep doing this, they're going to wear themselves out like a dog just chasing its tail in the corner. You know, I think it's the same people that show up. They're obviously upset. But when you see polling done, the majority of people, "Who did you vote for?" "No one." They didn't even vote. So why didn't you show up and vote if you are this, like, aggrieved and this outraged? But I guess everyone just wants to spent Soros's money.
BECKEL: That's a good point. The turnout was abysmally low across the country this year.
"One More Thing" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLLING: It's time for "One More Thing." And we're all in luck: Bob is first.
BECKEL: Thank you, brothers and sisters. You're welcome.
You know, there's a lot of talk out of the grassroots of the Democratic Party about impeachment of Donald Trump, and the party leaders are getting a little worried it's a trap. I agree. You don't get impeached for being a serial liar. That's OK.
But I don't believe he's going to be impeached. I don't think it does any good to talk about it. I think it does do to oppose him. In my own view, he won't finish his first term, but he won't be impeached.
GUILFOYLE: Oh, boy.
BOLLING: That's your "One More Thing"?
GUILFOYLE: Big, bold prediction.
BOLLING: OK. All right, Dana.
PERINO: OK, I have something totally different than this show. So there's a guy named Connor Cox. He just started his second semester of Westminster College in Pennsylvania last month. And he wasn't very surprised when he got a care package from his mom. But when he opened it, it wasn't just any care package. It was a care package stuffed to the brim with crumpled garbage.
And he immediately called his mom and said what was with the box of trash? And she said, "That was what you were supposed to take out before you left."
I love her. Her name is Terry, and I think she's pretty funny.
GUILFOYLE: That is pretty cute.
BOLLING: All right, K.G.
PERINO: Don't get any ideas, though, Bolling.
GUILFOYLE: No, he recycles it.
SHILLUE: He still didn't take it out. It's still sitting there.
PERINO: Probably.
GUILFOYLE: OK, excuse me, very important segment here. Time for...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Kimberly's Dating Tips.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUILFOYLE: Did I do it good that time?
PERINO: Yes, that was good. Better.
GUILFOYLE: Yes. What?
BECKEL: I'm going to tune in. Go ahead.
GUILFOYLE: OK, tune in.
BECKEL: From the expert.
GUILFOYLE: Listen up -- yes -- Bob, there still may be some hope for you. Or maybe not.
But so women and men in love, Bob, guess what? Who says "I love you" first? Is it men or is it women?
BECKEL: It depends on what you're after, but my guess is it's men.
GUILFOYLE: Keep it clean. Yes, it's men.
BOLLING: Get out of here.
GUILFOYLE: According to a study, this is 100 percent true, by the way. According to a study published by the Journal of Social Psychology, it's the man who falls in love faster than the female counterpart.
Now, the study surveyed 172 college students. Maybe that's part of it. Right? It's like college men? And they reported falling in love earlier and expressing it earlier than the women reported.
And by the way, Bob, both genders thought that women would fall in love before the men did, and they were wrong.
BECKEL: College student man said "I love you." I wonder what their motives were?
GUILFOYLE: I knew you were going to say that and try and ruin my gorgeous segment.
BECKEL: Sorry.
PERINO: Great tips.
GUILFOYLE: Thank you so much.
BOLLING: All right. Let's get this in very quickly, Free Market 101. Two factors -- two factors -- affect the free market only: supply and demand. Boycotts, they cut off supply, but they don't affect demand. And the reason why this matters. Bob, sit down, please.
Demand remains high even if you cut off the supply. Nordstrom cut off the supply of Ivanka's brands. Right? Guess what happened? On Amazon, right now, No. 1 fragrance in the world, worldwide, is Ivanka's, because they affected the supply and the accessibility, not the demand for it. And by the way, I think that's a shoe, a pump, K.G. Whatever that is. I think it's No. 2, on its way up.
GUILFOYLE: Was it the one that Melissa McCarthy wore? Because that was pretty...
BOLLING: I'm not sure.
GUILFOYLE: Remember that? She put her leg so high it was amazing.
BOLLING: And Tommy.
SHILLUE: OK, police in Southfield, Connecticut, warned the public, don't open your doors. Take a look at these two. They said there's these two suspicious characters -- were lurking outside. The police, you know, put out an alert this morning. Officers responded to a complaint of two suspicious males, going door to door, selling dairy products.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(PHOTO OF COWS AT A DOOR)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHILLUE: This is the police having fun. I like the police lately. They're having a lot of fun on social media, aren't they?
PERINO: I know. They are.
BECKEL: Those guys are soliciting votes for Trump.
SHILLUE: Listen, everyone counts.
GUILFOYLE: Bob, lay off, Big Daddy.
BOLLING: All right. Let's leave it right there. Set your DVR so you don't -- never miss an episode of "The Five." That's it for us. "Special Report" next.
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