US poised for breakthrough with North Korea?

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US poised for breakthrough with North Korea?

President Trump hails CIA Director Mike Pompeo's secret trip to meet Kim Jong Un; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'

This is a rush transcript from "The Five," April 18, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

JESSE WATTERS, CO-HOST: Hello, everybody. I'm Jesse Watters along with Kimberly Guilfoyle, Juan Williams, Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld. It's 5 o'clock in New York City, and this is The Five.

We begin with a major diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea. A secret meeting just revealed to the world. CIA Director Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong-un over Easter weekend, paving the way for a potential summit between President Trump and the dictator. The president spoke about the trip and his secretary of state nominee at Mar-a-Lago earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think Mike Pompeo is extraordinary. He's number one at West Point. He's top at Harvard. He's a great gentleman. I think he will go down as truly a great secretary of state. By the way, he just left North Korea, had a great meeting with Kim Jong-un, and got along with him really well, really great. And he's that kind of a guy. He's very smart, but he gets along with people. So, I think that Mike will be in good shape. We'll see what happens. You know, a lot of people are predicting other things. But, I have a feeling it's going to work out very well, and I think our country really needs him. He's going to be a great leader.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: So, this is pretty high level, Kimberly. James Clapper, President Obama's top intel chief, went over there. And Madeline Albright went over there. But, to have Pompeo go over there on a secret mission is pretty big. How does the Trump administration not get suckered into a deal, like previous administrations, the Bush administrations, the Clinton administration, and make that same mistake.

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Yeah. I think by virtue of the representation that was sent. You know, I think Pompeo is somebody who has, you know, I'm not going to speak to the nature and qualities of past administrations, but I'm saying as it relates to Pompeo, the experience he has, you know, with the CIA, the position he's in now. I think it's a wise choice. And it also shows the United States is willing to engage in diplomatic line of discourse to be able to solve complex geopolitical problems. This should be a positive for everybody, because he's saying, you know what, we're taking this seriously, we're putting focus and attention on it, we're being open-minded. We want to talk to them and work out something in a good way that is going to be beneficial, not just to the United States and North Korea, South Korea, China, but globally, the world at large. Put some positivity into it. Hopefully, he's going to be able to make some inroads. You can't do anything unless you try.

WATTERS: And, he's trying pretty hard, and he's negotiating for a position of strength, unlike--

GUILFOYLE: A hundred percent.

WATTERS: -- other previous administration.

GUILFOYLE: Fire and fury.

WATTERS: That's right. Dana, some of the other Democrats on the senate intel committee are not so happy with Mike Pompeo. They may vote against him, and the White House is saying please don't undercut him during this kind of overture like this. And we have some sound of some Democrats explaining their position. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, D-CONN.: Director Pompeo has shown a disdain for diplomacy, putting military action at a higher priority. I think he sets a poor example in terms of American values. So, I will strongly oppose his nomination.

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ, D-N.J.: I do expect for someone who is the nominee to be the secretary of state, when he speaks with the committee leadership, and when he was asked specific questions about North Korea, to share some insights about such a visit.

SEN. TIM KAINE, D-VA.: I think the diplomat that represents this country as secretary of state, especially under this president, has to be somebody who really has a strong orientation toward diplomacy, and not somebody who is going to exacerbate the president's worst tendencies.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

WATTERS: Dana?

DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: It takes a lot to get me worked up, but I am worked up about this. How is it that Blumenthal, the senator from New Jersey, can say -- or Connecticut, that Pompeo has a disdain for diplomacy? When he spent his Easter weekend flying to North Korea to sit down and actually talk to Kim Jong-un, which I believe is diplomacy. The president also benefits from this being the beginning of his administration when this is happening. For example, Madeleine Albright when she went it was at the very end. Like, it was in the last -- they only had two months left. And President Clinton had a choice. He could work on Middle East peace or North Korea. He chose to Middle East peace. That deal fell apart. And later, tells Madeleine Albright, I wish I would have gone and done the North Korea deal. So, things happen. President to president. I feel like the Democrats are picking a fight that they do not want to have. I don't think they will win it. It is not sustainable to have this argument. The other thing about Senator Menendez being frustrated that Pompeo didn't tell them. He's saying, well, he wasn't forthcoming in his testimony. Well, yeah, because he had a secret meeting to go to North Korea, and he is the CIA director. They confirmed him a year ago. And to assume that he can't be CIA director -- he can't be state department head, but he can run the CIA in nine months is preposterous to me. I think that this is a really bad example for the United States to set for the world. You don't have to like Mike Pompeo, but you should confirm him and let him do his job.

GUILFOYLE: Absolutely.

WATTERS: And shouldn't, Greg, the Democrats be applauding the administration for this type of diplomatic overture?

GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Of course not. How can they possibly handle this kind of achievement from somebody that they despise? We're going to have to truck in thousands of therapy llamas from Peru to deal with the mental breakdown that's going to happen with all of the haters who want so badly for Trump to fail, even if a success could mean an incredible transformation in world safety. I mean, if you denuclearize North Korea, if they unite, if this happens, you're going to have to make room on Mount Rushmore.

WATTERS: Juan, get the chisel out.

GUTFELD: It's interesting -- I mean, it must be hard for CNN and MSNBC because they're too busy covering a consensual transactional sex act that happened years ago. I mean, imagine if CNN -- if CNN now were around when the Berlin Wall fell, they would be covering a Love Boat reunion. That is how stupid this is. And, by the way, I think it was a week ago or so, we're talking about how Comey, you know, said that he compared Trump to a mafia boss and the media was like, oh, this is terrible. I think we realized that a mafia boss beats a massage therapist. It's not a bad thing to have somebody who talks tough, who reset the table, and it comes down to a system that we have noticed -- Trump enters, he kind of throws the table over, says everything has changed now. He takes the hardest position, and you have to walk towards him. They understand that language. You cannot understand ambiguous intellectual paralysis of analysis language, but you can understand that. And I think that's why this is working.

WATTERS: So, Greg, saying he came in and he pulls out of TPP. He puts the security deal on the table with the South Koreans. He slapped sanctions on the Chinese. War games with our allies like Japan and South Korea. And, it looks like things are moving in the right direction. Do you give the president any credit for any action he's taken--

JUAN WILLIAMS, CO-HOST: I was just going -- I was waiting for you to tell me what moved in the right direction.

WATTERS: I mean, Juan, this is a historic summit. They haven't spoken--

WILLIAMS: Oh, no, no. That's potentially--

WATTERS: I think 60 or 70 years and they were on the eve of a historic summit between the north and south.

WILLIAMS: Well, let me just say, it's not like, you know, when you heard this around the table. It's not like the first time people have gone over there. You said right in the beginning that not only had Clapper gone, but that our Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had gone.

GUTFELD: Don't forget Rodman.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIAMS: Well, I won't. But the problem is that the North Koreans always say, oh, yeah, well, we'll do something. We'll come along.

WATTERS: Right.

WILLIAMS: And maybe they say, oh, we'll stop selling this stuff, right? We'll stop selling it to the Pakistanis and the people in the Middle East. Or think about maybe not making so much, but they never say will give up our current--

WATTERS: You're right.

WILLIAMS: -- arsenal of weapons. So, the question for Pompeo, and I disagree with Dana pretty strongly on this, because it seems to me--

WATTERS: How dare you, Juan.

WILLIAMS: -- Pompeo has been a guy that says, oh, yeah, first strike, go right ahead, right? He disagrees with diplomacy when it comes not only to the climate deal but to the Iranian deal.

PERINO: He's going to go to war over the climate deal?

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: No, no, no. No, you spoke about him as someone -- you're saying, oh, he want to North Korea over the Easter holiday, so, of course he believes in diplomacy. To the contrary, he has a history of undermining diplomatic deals. And so, I think that for people in the senate, they're saying, wait a second, that's going to be your secretary of state--

PERINO: So, what deal?

GUILFOYLE: What has been undermined?

WILLIAMS: I'm just saying, the Iran deal, the climate deal. But to say, that he is going to somehow -- now come back.

WATTERS: A deal isn't good just because it's a deal, Juan. Sometimes deals are bad and you have to get out of it.

WILLIAMS: Well, I don't think those are bad deals, so let me say that upfront. But I will say this--

WATTERS: Well, a lot of other Americans do.

WILLIAMS: But doesn't matter because it is American -- we sign the deal as the American people. That was our government. And so, you can say, oh, you know, I show up and I'm a great deal maker, so I'm going to bluster my way through. I think a lot of people say -- exactly what did Pompeo get from his visit? What is the news out of that visit? Did he get some concessions? Or is it the case that we're giving everything to North Korea in terms of--

GUTFELD: OK. Wait, wait, wait. I've got to point the hypocrisy here. On one side, he's saying Pompeo is mean for being harsh on the claimant deal--

PERINO: Right.

GUTFELD: -- and now he's being soft on North Korea, number one. The climate deal, everybody now agrees it was a lousy, lousy deal. It cost a hundred trillion dollars over a century. Now, it doesn't mean that there isn't -- yes. Look at the statistics, Juan. I have looked at it. You have not. I am right. You are wrong. Settle it. All right. Well, my point is this, is that he actually went there, right? Because the Trump presidency is regarded as hard, not soft, so it changes the whole way -- the atmosphere of it. It's not like they going to put -- I don't think they're going to push Trump around because I think they've seen him bomb Syria twice. There're red lines that won't be crossed.

WILLIAMS: You know what surprises me is, the conservative point of view, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld said to Colin Powell, who came in after Albright, and said, you know, I would like to see if we can get some negotiations going. Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld said no. We're not playing ball with this guy. He just wants a meeting with the president, and he'll use it to convince his people that nuclear devices have brought the U.S. to the table--

PERINO: That was true.

WILLIAMS: -- with North Korea.

PERINO: That was true.

WILLIAMS: And is true today.

PERINO: But the calculus has changed now that they have nuclear weapons.

WILLIAMS: They had nuclear weapons then.

WATTERS: Well, they have nuclear weapons because we secured a number of bad deals with them, and they cheated on everyone. What's different this time is because we believe the sanctions that brought them to their knees, and we've got serious gunships encircling them. The country is starving. And there's, actually, good progress being made between the north and the south that we haven't seen in decades, Juan. So, let's just hold out hope, maybe, something positive will come out.

PERINO: Don't forget that John Bolton is very skeptical about the North Koreans.

WILLIAMS: Right.

PERINO: He was very critical of Condoleezza Rice who was trying also to make a deal with our allies and North Korea at the end of the administration. So, he's now onboard at the National Security Council. And I think that -- if that's the concern, there's at least somebody at the table with a voice saying be careful.

GUILFOYLE: And just to say really quickly, the president didn't undermine these deals. He's the commander-in-chief, and he has to evaluate them and decide what's in the best interest of the United States, and what is not. And he made a calculation the Iran deal was not, and that the Paris Climate Change Accord deal was not as well. And then, he acted prudently to withdraw from those.

WATTERS: All right, ahead, we celebrate the life of former First Lady Barbara Bush, and pay our respects to the beloved American icon gone at the age of 92. Back in a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA BUSH, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: One of the reasons I made the most important decision of my life to marry George Bush is because he made me laugh. It's true. Sometimes we laugh through our tears, but that's shared laughter had been one of our strongest bonds. Find the joy in life because as Ferris Buehler said on his day off--

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: -- life moves pretty fast, and you don't stop and look around, once a while, you're going to miss it.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA BUSH, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: Huge believer in a loving God. I pray. George and I pray every night, out loud. And, sometimes, we fight over whose turn it is, but we do. And I have no fear of death, which is a huge comfort because we're getting darn close. And I don't have a fear of death for my precious George, or for myself, because I know that there is a great God, and I'm not worried.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUILFOYLE: Comforting words. An outpouring of love from across the country for former First Lady Barbara Bush who passed away yesterday at the age of 92. And while many are mourning the loss of this great woman, her beloved husband of 73 years, President H.W. Bush, has a different request. The president releasing this statement earlier today, saying, quote, I always knew Barbara was the most beloved woman in the world. The outpouring of love and friendship being directed at the enforcer is lifting us all up. We have faith she's in heaven, and we know that life will go on. So cross the Bushes off your worry list. This morning, her son, a former president, George W. Bush, recalled his final moments with his mom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: She and I were needling each other. The doctor came in and she turned to the doctor and said do you know why George W. is the way he is? And the doctor look somewhat surprised. She said because I drank and smoked while I was pregnant with him.

(LAUGHTER)

MARIA BARTIROMO, FBN: That's hilarious.

BUSH: Yeah, I know. She's funny. Here's the thing, she had great faith. She truly believes that she is -- there's an afterlife. That she will be wonderfully received in the arms of a loving God. And therefore, did not fear death. And as a result of her soul being comforted on the deathbed, my soul is comforted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUILFOYLE: Isn't that incredible? What a wonderful life lesson for so many people who have suffered loss of loved ones and family members. You can carry that kind of strength. And just the sentiment, Dana, that they shared with everybody, on how wonderful she was, the enforcer, the matriarch of the family, beloved, and also, you know, very funny.

PERINO: He used to say that I have my daddy's eyes and my mother's mouth. That he and his mom used to get in trouble sometimes for the fact that they spoke so frankly. Actually, their nickname for her at home was Frank. Everybody called her that because of how she would just tell it like it is. Watching her talk about her precious George, it is almost unfathomable to most of us that you could be married to somebody for 73 years, that you would marry the first man that you ever kissed, and that you will go on to have this -- basically to be the founder of such a big political family. But they're not just political family. They do a lot of public service. I remember one time hearing advice she had for people in a marriage, that each person has to be willing to go 60 percent of the way. And that's a good reminder for those of us who need to be nicer to our loved ones.

GUILFOYLE: Oh, my goodness.

GUTFELD: Who's that directed at?

PERINO: Peter, I will be nicer to you now.

GUILFOYLE: Well, we're working on that, Dana, right?

PERINO: I also -- I would point out this, that when he talked about the comfort that she had because of her faith, a lot people don't remember all the times, she had a second child after George W. Bush. Her name was Robin, and she died at 4 years old of leukemia. Actually, it's Mark Steyn this morning who said that he believed, and I think that it's true, that that is when her hair turned prematurely white. And she never chose to hide that. And she really just was who she was, and it was an honor to know her, for sure.

GUILFOYLE: Very sweet. God bless her. OK, Greg.

GUTFELD: I want to get the negative stuff out of the way because not all people had an outpouring. And the worst place you can go when someone major dies is twitter.

PERINO: Yeah, don't go there.

GUTFELD: And I don't know why I went there. But if you want to Google Fresno professor -- Fresno professor and Barbara Bush, you probably should. And let Fresno know what you think about what this woman said about Barbara Bush, because this professor has tenure. And she's an incompetent bucket of slime. Anyway, now to something positive, she reminds me of my mother. That's what I really like about her. When I dedicated my first book to my mom it said to the woman who smoked and drank while she was pregnant with me.

(LAUGHTER)

GUILFOYLE: Explains a lot as well.

GUTFELD: Yeah. But, I mean, like, an older woman who enjoys a cocktail, there's nothing more enjoyable to be around because they have been on the planet for a long time. And having a drink with them is, like, you learn what really goes on in the world because they have a more accurate take on it than most men. And it's a valuable experience to be with somebody who's older, drinking a bourbon.

GUILFOYLE: There you go. All right, Jesse. Jesse will have something nice to say.

WATTERS: Of course. I mean, the matriarch of one of the most distinguished political dynasties in American history.

GUILFOYLE: Probably of the world.

WATTERS: Probably. And wife of a president, mother of a president, mother of a governor, and to think that someone like this came from this area, I think a lot people understand she's cut from a certain cloth if you live in Long Island or Connecticut or Westchester County. For me, she reminded me of my great grandmother, my grandmother with the white hair, the way she dressed, and the way she made you feel when you were around her. Because of Barbara Bush was around, you're in your presence, you made sure your tie is right, sit up straight, you spoke with perfect English, and you conducted yourself in a way that was honorable and presentable to the general public. And you never wanted to disappoint her.

PERINO: Right.

WATTERS: She inspired a feeling of a commitment to excellence in the way you conducted yourself, and the way you should conduct yourself as an American or as a young adult. And she's just an amazing woman, and she raised such a beautiful family. And I think the family and their success is a testament to her wonderful nature.

PERINO: She would have sent you some great texts.

(LAUGHTER)

WATTERS: She would.

GUILFOYLE: So cute, just so nice even just look at her, right? When you see the pictures and the images, very sweet. Juan.

WILLIAMS: So, I was around during these years and I must say she was extremely popular. If you look at the poll numbers on someone, especially a first lady, they tend to be pretty popular. But, Nancy Reagan wasn't all that popular. People had a lot of issues with Nancy Reagan. So here comes Barbara Bush. And people were like, wow, she's so approachable, so warm, and so direct. I mean, I think everybody at this table can remember when she was asked if Jeb should run for president. She said no, there's been enough Bushes. You know, pretty direct.

GUTFELD: They listened.

WILLIAMS: In middle of war she would say I don't want to hear all that news about body bag -- it was just very real person. I used to fly around with her husband. I guess I've spent more one-on-one time with her husband than any other president. And so, I'd occasionally have talk with her. And let me tell you, she was not only -- I mean, her attitude towards the press was you guys are a bunch of, you know, baloney. And, you know, don't say anything in front of the press, even Juan, you know, that kind of thing. But I just fell in love because I don't think you may realize this but she's actually a year younger, Jesse, then her husband.

WATTERS: No kidding.

WILLIAMS: So, she say, she looks grand -- she used to think this was hilarious. And, you know, people would say why doesn't she dress up in fancy clothes like some per say. That wasn't Barbara Bush. I mean, I think -- you know, when I look at back on her, I think of one of the most real, lovable people in public life that I've ever come across.

GUILFOYLE: Oh, it's very sweet. All right--

WILLIAMS: By the way, let me just throw this in here, something close to my heart. She's big on literacy and did a lot with her family foundation to say, you know, we need more Americans to know how to read.

GUTFELD: Especially my books.

WILLIAMS: Oh, yes.

GUILFOYLE: Exactly. Well, I think everybody -- join us and, you know, say may Barbara Bush, you know, rest in eternal peace. God bless her--

PERINO: And I'm going to do the 2 o'clock show on Friday from Houston.

GUILFOYLE: OK. All right, perfect. You don't want to miss that. Ahead, fired FBI Director Jim Comey appeared on The View, and is asked a very direct question. Did he write his tell-all on President Trump for the money? His answer is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PERINO: Jim Comey making the rounds to promote his new book. Yes, it's still going on. He showed up on "The View" today where he was pressed on the number of subjects, including his intention for writing his tell-all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think it's worth noting that David Axelrod, a big Democrat, who is a former chief strategist to President Obama, said I have no doubt about his brilliance when it comes to book sales. Maybe he should've called it Higher Royalties. What do you say to people like him, and people like me, that think you're just doing this for money and attention?

JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: Yeah, first thing I'd do is ask him to read the book. And, I'm not saying he should agree with me, but if he reads the book, he will see I'm trying to make choices between bad options, and doing it in a way that I think he would want something as director of the FBI to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO: He was also questioned about his decision to include descriptions of President Trump's physical appearance in his memoir.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMEY: You're right. If I have it -- to do over again, I wouldn't put that paragraph in. I wasn't trying to pick on Donald Trump. I could hear my editor's voice saying, bring the reader, bring the reader.

UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

COMEY: And so, that's what I'm trying to do. And, I wasn't making fun of his hands. In fact, I say in the book, his hands seemed normal sized to me. I'm not--

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO: So, Greg, I wanted to pick up on that with you. Not -- just from an editor's perspective--

GUTFELD: Not from the hand perspective.

PERINO: -- you've written a lot of books, and when you have that editor's voice saying maybe you should not put that in there, like, maybe you shouldn't put it in there. I think it's in there, because they know it was going to get attention.

GUTFELD: Yes, and this is all part of his gimmick, which is to wrestle with his conscience in public. This entire thing is about "Every day is a challenge being me. Because I'm so highly moral in a world that's gone amoral. What do I do? You know, maybe I shouldn't have done that."

But you know, where does he go when the talk shows run out? I have an idea. He needs to write another -- a book of sonnets for Hillary. Call it "Prayers for a Pantsuit." And I wrote the first one.

PERINO: OK, I'd like to hear it.

GUTFELD: "Why did I pillory poor Ms. Hillary? It was but a con to unseat Don. But now you've had your fill of me."

A little tear dropped down my face.

PERINO: Democrats certainly --

GUTFELD: Juan is moved by this.

PERINO: Democrats certainly feel like --

GUTFELD: I'm trying.

WILLIAMS: Yes, really. A minute ago you were looking at Twitter when someone died. I thought, I'm alive. You can look and see what trash is in there right now.

PERINO: Don't ever look at your mentions, Juan. Democrats are obviously mad. Meghan McCain brings up that David Axelrod is the one is that he was just trying to sell books.

WILLIAMS: I don't know if he -- I guess he's trying to sell books.

PERINO: Well, of course. Like anyone who has written a book.

GUTFELD: Not me. I just do it for the passion.

WILLIAMS: But I must say, I -- I, you know, think he's a little self- righteous, but on the other hand, he's not a perfect person. But he's autonomous, and he was apparently trying to act in good faith. I mean, I don't think that anybody thinks he was there, doing his job as FBI director, because he was trying to make money or set himself up. I think he got caught here in very difficult situation.

So it's not -- Greg, you you were saying as a citizen, people -- having this normative conscience. "Boy, I had tough choices." He's FBI director. I think you talk to any FBI director, they'll tell you they get into tough positions. And I think one last thing to say on this, Dana, is that Trump tweets out, "Gee, you know, no problem. You know, I had to fire Comey, because he was so reckless." He told Lester Holt he fired him because of the Russia probe.

PERINO: Yes, there was that interview. Yes, of course.

One thing, though, that the Clintons don't ever seem to take responsibility for is that the whole reason there was an investigation in the first place is because she set up the private email server.

WATTERS: That's true, but she doesn't take responsibility. I want to back up to the top of the segment. Did you have country music bump in? Was that country? Because it didn't sound like country.

PERINO: Her name is Casey -- her name is Casey Musgrave. That is her new song from her new album.

WATTERS: OK. I'm quality control here. I wanted to make sure.

PERINO: It's called "Lonely Weekend," which you just might end up having if you don't like Casey Musgrave.

WATTERS: OK.

PERINO: Because you want to help with your demo? You've got to get with the program.

WATTERS: I'll see if I can add that into the music mix. I was researching this segment, as I do. I did a deep dive, Greg.

GUTFELD: You always do.

WATTERS: And I forgot Comey put Martha Stewart in prison.

PERINO: You forgot that?

WATTERS: I forgot that. I mean, that really doubles it down for me. This guy is a scoundrel. And I understand now why Trump fired him. I mean, that was just a long list of botched prosecutions. And now it makes perfect sense.

PERINO: What do you think about that case, Kimberly? I mean, Martha Stewart, we didn't allow you time to do a deep dive on Martha Stewart but I mean, people look back. I mean, that is questionable for some people that she ended up having to go to jail.

GUILFOYLE: It seems very unfair, doesn't it? And she's, like, singled out. I mean, Martha Stewart, really? Is she a big danger and threat, you know, to society?

PERINO: They said she lied.

GUILFOYLE: -- untruths here and there. Right, so they said did she make false statements? Did she not, you know, tell the truth? That's typically how they get you in terms of prosecution stage. Well, did you make false statements. Did you not tell the truth?

Especially with this Mueller investigation, where is it going? Obstruction of justice. What happened in it? Kind of similar parallels. It will try and do a deep dive, you know, wide net and see if they can get you on anything if they're just zeroed in on you.

PERINO: The book tour continues tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have more at that point.

Coming up, President Trump's thoughts on that sketch put out by Stormy Daniels yesterday. Right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Yesterday on "The View," Stormy Daniels and her lawyer revealed a sketch of a dude who allegedly made threats in a parking lot:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, ABC'S "THE VIEW": Can we take a look at that?

STORMY DANIELS, FORMER ADULT FILM STAR: There you go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And to your recollection, is that the person that threatened you?

DANIELS: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many years ago?

DANIELS: Seven years ago.

BEHAR: And you remembered to that detail. I mean, it looks like an actor, sort of.

DANIELS: That's why he stood out to me, is because I thought, honestly, that he was, you know, sort of handsome. When I saw him when I was parking, I was like, "Oh, that's somebody's husband."

BEHAR: Not somebody who'd threaten you. Handsome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: The president today responded to this, saying, "A sketch years later about a nonexistent man, a total con job, playing the fake news media for fools, but they know it."

His tweet linked to a comparison in which a Twitter user thinks there's a similarity between the mystery man and Stormy's husband. Now, before the media gets on their high horse and chides the president for weighing in, be aware that every single media mouthpiece is doing the very same thing. The sketch invites comparisons. And in a circus like this, a circus made more absurd every day by media and legal hysterics, it's just another mad attraction that challenges any decorum we have left.

After Stormy shows up in court as a publicity gimmick and reveals the sketch on a morning gabfest usually reserved for discussing Kardashians' glutes, it's hard to take any of it seriously, especially as the president makes potentially historic progress with North Korea.

So who's the guy in the sketch? Is it this guy or that guy or this guy?

GRAPHIC: PHOTO OF BRIAN KILMEADE

GUTFELD: I don't know. And I'm beginning to think that no one else does either.

GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God.

GUTFELD: So I have to read --

GUILFOYLE: Poor Kilmeade.

GUTFELD: Michael Avenatti -- is that how you say it? Stormy's husband's lawyer, as well. Responded to Trump's tweet, and I want to read them. "In my experience" -- this is tweet one. "In my experience, there's nothing better in litigation that having a completely unhinged" -- kind of an overused word -- "undisciplined opponent who is prone to shootings himself in the foot. Always leads to big-league problems like new claims."

Second tweet, i.e. defamation. "Warning: As the walls close and reality sets in that the most damaging witnesses, secrets and evidence are no longer protected. Fully expect the following: sheer panic, personal attacks, tirades and distraction. None of it will change the outcome in the end. #basta."

All right, so I have to --

GUILFOYLE: There's also some news just in that Avenatti is on another network and saying that he's going to add a defamation case against the president of the United States.

GUTFELD: There you go. So I have to give him credit, Kimberly. This is now a meme. It's like people have Tom Brady. They've got Kato Kaelin. They've got Mark McGrath.

PERINO: I saw one of you.

GUTFELD: Yes, I did, too. Yes, that wasn't funny. I'm not that good- looking.

GUILFOYLE: Or Kilmeade. Poor Kilmeade.

Well, obviously, it should be taken seriously if somebody threatened her and said that you're not to, you know, cooperate, intimidation, and harassed her to the point where she felt she needed to be silent on it.

However, nevertheless, now you see it's on "The View," and they're laughing about it. It looks like an actor. But yes. There are -- it's all over the Internet, everybody making comparisons to a variety of people, saying it looks like them.

So quite frankly, because it does resemble so many different people, as a former prosecutor, I'll tell you it makes it very difficult for positive identification.

GUTFELD: What a great point. That's a great point.

GUILFOYLE: Because it could be anybody. There you go. So let's just prosecute anybody.

GUTFELD: Yes.

GUILFOYLE: That's the problem. So it's just rife with problems in terms of identification, reasonable doubt, but it looks like this person. Are you sure? The passage of time, inability to make a positive I.D. or a cold show, like we say. I don't know. I mean, what are you going to do? They'll put it as Christmas cards.

GUTFELD: Juan.

PERINO: Is it impossible that the material that they seized in Michael Cohen's raid and his emails would lead them back to this mysterious actor person?

GUILFOYLE: Well, you know what, Dana? Anything is possible. Meaning if there was the identity of a person, in fact, he was acting in concert and, you know, specified for someone to go, maybe you'll find him. But I doubt his name will be written in big bold print somewhere.

But that's why you have to have, I think, a special master, as I did in my case, go through all of the documents to make sure that you get only what you're supposed to, as well, to uphold the attorney-client privilege.

But yes, there could be a lot of variety of different things in there that aren't pertinent.

GUTFELD: It's so good we have a prosecutor here.

Juan, do you have any theories?

GUILFOYLE: I'm helping you every day, Greg.

GUTFELD: I know. I know. I'll need help later at some point.

Juan, do you have a theory? I mean, the thing is, everybody is now adding to this, because it's like guess who the guy is if the guy exists.

WILLIAMS: You know, I think it's probably a publicity stunt. I don't know. I think that Kimberly is right, though, and people are being intimidated and harassed. We shouldn't dismiss it out of hand.

GUTFELD: Right.

WILLIAMS: Even if it's Stormy Daniels.

GUILFOYLE: Or there's a passage of time?

WILLIAMS: I'm sorry.

GUILFOYLE: Even if there is a passage of time.

WILLIAMS: Yes. But the thing that caught my attention, Greg, is why is the president tweeting about this? How low can you go? I don't like it. I just think, you know --

GUTFELD: You can't change him, Juan, though.

WILLIAMS: It debases normality.

GUTFELD: What are you going to do? I mean, you can't -- even if you -- I'm sure people tell him not to.

WILLIAMS: Normal behavior by the president of the United States. First of all, he says it didn't happen, so leave her -- let it be. But I mean, I think that was a good strategy on his part, but now he's tweeting about her and this thing. To me it's like a tawdry display.

GUTFELD: It is. It is. Jesse.

WATTERS: I don't think the president can help himself on Twitter.

GUTFELD: Yes.

WATTERS: I think we're beyond that point.

But I mean, I get that sex sells. But it's -- the 15 minutes has got to be up pretty soon. This is just about a nondisclosure agreement that was allegedly broken. A court should just fast-track this.

GUILFOYLE: Yes.

WATTERS: Someone is going to get a judgment or they're going to settle. That's it.

PERINO: Don't they just want to go to arbitration?

WATTERS: Or go to arbitration. Forget about it.

But when you pile up, as you said, all these stunts, from the sketch to the photo of the lie detector test, to the nationwide strip club tour, to this guy's all over every single cable outlet.

PERINO: Right now?

WATTERS: And then what else are they doing? First of all, the guy -- the lawyer is a highly-paid Democratic attorney who's represented dozens of Democrats. You team him up with a publicity-seeking porn star. Not saying these allegations are inaccurate. But -- and they go hand-in-hand. And when you have the media ushering them along and acting like she's pure as the wind-driven snow --

WILLIAMS: Oh, come on.

WATTERS: --- it's a recipe for disaster. They don't ever ask her any challenging questions. They never debate her. They take everything she says as fact. It's beyond the point of no return at this point.

It's about a campaign finance violation. Bernie Sanders just settled a campaign finance violation for $14,000, because he accepted donations from Australia. This is the exact same type of violation. And they raided the president's lawyer's office over this?

GUTFELD: Didn't President Obama have to settle something even bigger, like, when he -- right after he came in? Yes.

WILLIAMS: Something like that, but of course, there was no effort to conceal it.

GUTFELD: Yes. Did you -- last thing?

PERINO: I asked a question. I'm good.

GUTFELD: All right. A mom admits she has a favorite child, probably me. And people react in horror.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIAMS: It's a taboo topic. When you're a parent, it's an unwritten rule. You don't say whether you have a favorite child. But an English mom of four, she just went there, sending the Internet aghast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Kennedie that's your favorite?

ALISHA TIERNEY-MARCH, MOTHER OF FOUR: She is, yes. Kennedie is just all- around nicer to be around.

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY, TV HOST: Your 7- and 9-year-old have heard you say those words?

TIERNEY-MARCH: They will say, "She's your favorite." And I will admit it. I'll say, "Yes, I have just got that different bond with Kennedie. I mean, I have got such a bond with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: Wow. Kimberly, were you your favorite or your mom or dad's favorite kid?

GUILFOYLE: Yes. Yes. You know what's funny? My brother would say that. He would say, like, "You were the favorite." You know, I was the one with the straight "A's," the perfect attendance, the nice little things. And there he is. There's my little "max macho" (ph). But he looks more Puerto Rican than me. I think he's got better looks.

WILLIAMS: So -- does he have -- does he have a feeling that he was treated unfairly? Does he have --

GUILFOYLE: Oh, no, not at all. They're both -- my parents were both super lovely, nice to him. He was just, like, you know, more mischievous and probably had more fun.

WILLIAMS: OK, so Jesse, were you the favorite?

PERINO: Dana, you know the story?

PERINO: No, I'm just assuming.

GUILFOYLE: Mom text coming.

WATTERS: It would appear that my parents would like my sister more.

WILLIAMS: OK.

WATTERS: Because I was trouble as a child. And they have a lot more in common. They're both liberal academics. But deep down, I always really know that they really do like me more.

WILLIAMS: Take it easy, man. Take it easy.

GUILFOYLE: Aww, it's a little emotional for him. Look at his eyes. He's got a tear.

WILLIAMS: He's my man. He's good. He's good.

GUILFOYLE: Aww.

WILLIAMS: Dana, what was your experience?

PERINO: I think that my parents absolutely loved my sister more. I mean, not lots more more, but Angie is certainly the favorite. She's the favorite at every party, every event, everything. And yes. They would probably never say it out loud.

GUILFOYLE: You think so?

PERINO: Absolutely. And I think Angie would agree, and my mom and dad would agree.

WILLIAMS: Why?

PERINO: Because I was a Type A annoying person. Like who wants to get up at 5 a.m. in the morning to take me to my speech tournament on Saturday? Nobody. That's why I got a driver's license and a car. I had to drive myself.

WATTERS: You were so (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

WILLIAMS: Greg, were you the favorite?

GUTFELD: I'm not going to answer that question, because I prefer to go after this crazy lady who spells her kid's name "Kennedie" with an "I-E," which is clearly a sign that she's not of a healthy mind. Because the real sin here is that she overshared at the expense of her kids. She decided to sacrifice her kids' feelings for some fame. It gave me an idea for a website, called Fame Tokens. You reward it to people who attract attention for good things, and then you take them away for people seeking attention for bad things.

WILLIAMS: Wait a minute. This is a bad thing in your mind?

GUTFELD: What she did was a bad thing. Yes.

GUILFOYLE: Yes.

GUTFELD: Also, I've seen it before. The story has been done. The story's been done every year.

GUILFOYLE: You would never do that, Juan.

GUTFELD: Let me just add: the story has been done over and over again by people seeking attention. That's all it is.

PERINO: Also, her kid is 2. And the other kids are 7, 9, and 12. So of course you probably like the 2-year-old better, because she hasn't learned how to talk yet.

GUTFELD: And these kids are going to grow up and totally resent her, and I love it.

WILLIAMS: Well, she said she had more time to bond with the child. She breastfed them.

GUTFELD: She's an awful person.

WILLIAMS: Let me just say the firstborn child is often the most popular. I'm the third born, and my sister was the most popular, the smartest, the best. And my dad couldn't have loved my sister anymore.

Anyway, "One More Thing" is up next.

GUILFOYLE: All right.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATTERS: It's time now for "One More Thing."

Some people asked me on Twitter, what's that thing around your wrist? It's a bracelet I have. It says, "Every day is a victory." And on the other side, "Full-court press on ALS." ALS is Lou Gehrig's disease.

And I have a special guest here, my man Michael Hanricks (ph), over here in studio, who came up to visit and watch the show today. He's behind the organization that raises awareness for ALS. And also raises money for funding for medical research, as well. So I just want to give a special shout out to my man Mike, who's in studio today.

Greg Gutfeld.

GUTFELD: Yes, he's actually kind of a bigger fan of me.

WATTERS: More of a "Red Eye" fan than "Watters' World." We're going to talk to him about that afterwards.

GUTFELD: He allows me to make really crude jokes to him, and he just laughs. Actually, he types out the laugh, which I love.

All right. Podcasts. It's up right now. Go to FOXNewsPodcast.com. It's with King Buzzo the legend, the guy from the Melvins, who created grunge music, which he regrets. But this interview is amazing. We talk about Thomas Sowell. We talk about pop music. It's pretty awesome.

WATTERS: All right. We all regret that music, still.

GUTFELD: Oh, stop it.

WATTERS: Kimberly Guilfoyle.

GUILFOYLE: Thank you so much, Jesse.

So I want to take a moment here to honor in the girl power Captain Tammie Jo Schults, who is a pilot and being hailed as a hero for the way she handled an emergency like none that she had ever encountered before. And you'll remember after the engine of the Southwest airplane failed and it torpedoed shrapnel through a window mid-flight. Captain Shults calmly steered the plane towards safety.

She's no stranger to going against the odds, because she is one of the first female fighter pilots in the United States of America, in our military. And a classmate of Shults described her as a true pioneer who outworked her male counterparts not only for herself but for all the women fighting for a chance.

So Captain Tammie Jo Schults, you are a true American hero, and you're an inspiration to all of us. Very cool story.

WATTERS: Bravo.

WILLIAMS: Terrific.

WATTERS: Juan Williams.

WILLIAMS: So we talked about Barbara Bush's death. But you should know two other prominent people have also died: Radio broadcaster Carl Kasell and professional wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino.

Kasell was a friend from my days at NPR. Every NPR listener knew his voice. A terrifically friendly, North Carolina-accented baritone. In fact, his voice became a prize for contest winners. They got Carl Kasell's voice on their greetings for their answering machine.

Sammartino, the longest reigning world champion in pro wrestling history, was called the Italian Superman. He was an immigrant who had a 30-year wrestling career, sold out the Garden many times.

Two men who made their mark on America. Rest in peace.

GUILFOYLE: God bless.

WATTERS: Rest in peace.

Dana.

PERINO: All right. Jesse mentioned it yesterday, but tomorrow I'm going to be on "The View." It's currently in honor of Jasper. It's my paperback of "Let Me Tell You About Jasper" came out. So I have a chance to go on and chat with them. And hopefully, we will talk about jasper.

GUTFELD: Do you really -- how much do you think it's going to be Jasper?

PERINO: I think that that picture is going to help me talk about Jasper.

GUTFELD: Just keep bringing it back to Jasper.

PERINO: That's quite easy for me to do.

GUTFELD: Exactly.

PERINO: But I also want to do this "One More Thing." Two days ago, journalists around the country found out if they had won a Pulitzer. You might have heard that The Washington Post and The New York Times. But you might not have heard about the Press Democrat. It's a daily paper published in Santa Rosa, California. They got the Pulitzer for their coverage of the wildfires there.

Adam Housley, who is a reporter here for FOX News, says that is an amazing paper. They do terrific work. They have a lot of clarity for their readers. And congratulations to them. Local papers are so important to communities.

WATTERS: Yes, they eked me out for the Pulitzer. "Watters' World" was this close.

WILLIAMS: Oh, my God.

WATTERS: This close.

WILLIAMS: This close?

WATTERS: This close, yes.

GUTFELD: Diamond and Silk.

WATTERS: That's it for us.

GUILFOYLE: Oh, my God.

WATTERS: Stay tuned for "Special Report" up next. And a news conference with President Trump and Japanese premised or Shinzo Abe. Bret Baier.

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