'Your World' on Russia-Ukraine, Hillary Clinton in New York

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Putin is seeing this as his opportunity to reestablish Soviet Union: Boykin

Retired Lt. Gen. General Jerry Boykin tells ‘Your World’ Biden needs to prepare for an ‘inevitable’ Russian attack on Ukraine.

This is a rush transcript of "Your World with Neil Cavuto" on February 17, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

CHARLES PAYNE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Is Russia than setting up for an imminent invasion?

President Joe Biden saying Vladimir Putin is in the middle of a false flag operation, as images show a kindergarten shelled in Eastern Ukraine. Is this it?

The news rattling stocks, as investors searching for safe havens pour money into gold and bonds.

Welcome, everyone. I'm Charles Payne, in for Neil Cavuto. And this is "Your World."

We have got FOX team coverage with Jennifer Griffin at the Pentagon this mounting tension and Steve Harrigan in Kyiv, where there are now reports of shelling in parts of Eastern Ukraine.

We begin with Steve.

STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Charles, the tension definitely picking up over here.

Russia expelled the U.S.' number two diplomat. Russia has also threatened to use -- quote -- "military-technical measures." Russia says the U.S., the West, NATO has largely ignored Russia's security concerns about NATO positions in Eastern Europe.

The West, meanwhile, says that Russia has been lying about its claims to be withdrawing forces from around the area around Ukraine's border. They said the opposite is actually true, that Russia is building up its forces, putting them into attack position and increasing the number of troops on Ukraine's border by up to 7,000.

The U.S. secretary of state laid out in detail what might be the pretext for a major Russian invasion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Russia plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack. This could be a violent event that Russia will blame on Ukraine or an outrageous accusation that Russia will level against the Ukrainian government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN: And the fighting in the east has picked up over the past 48 hours, as, there, Ukrainians are battling Russian-backed separatists. It's been a low-level war for the past eight years, but now the shelling on both sides has picked up.

On the Ukrainian side, a kindergarten was hit by a shell. There were no children in the building at the time. Two teachers were injured. And the town where the kindergarten is located lost power. The president of Ukraine said this was a major provocation -- Charles, back to you.

PAYNE: Steve, thank you very much.

Now to Jennifer Griffin at the Pentagon on how the military is responding - - Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Charles, the U.S. Air Force is sending a dozen fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Germany with about 350 Air Force personnel, as Russia's continued march toward a full-scale invasion of Ukraine appears imminent.

New satellite images confirm what NATO allies all agree, Europe is on the edge of war, of particular note, a new pontoon bridge built across a river from Belarus near Ukraine, near the border with Ukraine, north of the capital, Kyiv.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken delayed his trip to the Munich Security Conference to urgently address the U.N. Security Council. Blinken referenced skeptics who note Western intelligence was wrong before the Iraq invasion, the difference then, the U.S. was making the case -- was making the case for war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: Laying it out in great detail, with the hope that, by sharing what we know with the world, we can influence Russia to abandon the path of war and choose a different path while there's still time.

But let me be clear. I am here today not to start a war, but to prevent one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: U.S. officials warn of provocations in the coming few days, like the first shots fired this morning in Luhansk, when Russian-backed separatists, as Steve mentioned, fired mortar shells at a children's preschool, hoping to bait the Ukraine military into a response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have said for some time that the Russians might do something like this in order to justify a military conflict. So, we will be watching this very closely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin flew from Brussels to Poland to meet members of the 82nd Airborne sent to reassure this NATO ally -- Charles.

PAYNE: Jennifer, thank you very much.

So, again, the president is saying there is a high risk of invasion in the next several days. So is it inevitable?

With me now, Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin, former deputy undersecretary of defense.

General, we have been building up for this. We have gotten several dates. And the main question, is it too late? Has Vladimir Putin crossed the Rubicon, or is there still a slim chance that maybe this invasion never happens?

LT. GEN. JERRY BOYKIN (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, obviously, Putin could stop it right now if he chose to do so .

I think the problem is, his intent all along has been to invade Ukraine and to establish, essentially a Russian presence there. So I think he could stop it, but I don't think he will.

PAYNE: When Russia says they would use military tactical measures, what exactly does that mean?

BOYKIN: Yes, what does that mean?

I think that he what he's trying to say is -- or what he's -- the message he's trying to convey is that this will be a tactical battle. And, in other words, they will use -- they will use aircraft, they will use artillery, they will use ground forces and mobility, but this would not be a more strategic thing that would bring in, for example, strategic rockets or anything above the level of conventional munitions.

PAYNE: We heard the Secretary Blinken talk about the pretext for a violent event or accusation. Do you do you think -- and, of course, it's all conjecture -- that Vladimir Putin just wants to get a portion of Ukraine? Or do you think that he really is interested in a full invasion of the entire country?

BOYKIN: Yes, I think he's got -- I think he's conflicted on this.

First of all, I think that he is concerned about casualties. And that has to be a major concern for him, because that's what ran them out of Afghanistan in 1989, was the number of casualties that were being sent home with no good explanation.

So I think that that is a concern of his and he is looking at that very closely. But I also think that he realizes that it may be now or never. If he wants to reestablish, which he very much does, wants to reestablish the former Soviet Union, or at least parts of it, during Joe Biden's presidency is the best time to do that.

During a period of a weakened NATO, which he has had some success in peeling off some of the NATO nations here, I think, especially Germany, I think he realizes this is his best opportunity. It may be now or never. So I think that he will go for the whole enchilada.

PAYNE: With that in mind, we keep hearing on terms like off-ramp. There's still a little smattering of a potential diplomatic solution.

Have you written those off?

BOYKIN: No, I haven't written them off. And -- but, look, hope is not a strategy. We can all hope that he will change his mind that he will stop this insanity.

But what we have to do is be leaning forward and preparing and helping to prepare the Ukrainians for what I think is inevitable. And that is an attack that will be meant to take not only the eastern part, but the whole country.

PAYNE: And to that point, should we then be speeding up, not just our forces to aid NATO, but also military supplies to the Ukrainians?

BOYKIN: Absolutely.

And we have been doing that. I give the administration credit. Since they realized how serious this was, they have been pouring support into there, lethal support. And that's exactly what we have to do. We have to have lethal support in there.

We have to have the weapons of war that will allow the Ukrainians to fight a battle in a formidable way and make the Russians pay a tremendous price. That's probably the best opportunity the Ukrainians have. In time, the Russians are going to overrun them, but if they can make them pay them enough price...

PAYNE: Right.

BOYKIN: ... I think that it could slow the pace of this whole thing.

PAYNE: General Boykin, thank you very much.

BOYKIN: Glad to be with you.

PAYNE: So, tensions over Russia had investors selling big time today, the Dow dropping over 600 points, this, of course, on new fears of a possible invasion being imminent in Ukraine.

All three major averages suffered pretty steep losses for the day. Investors looking for safe havens put money into gold and bonds, gold, in fact, topping $1,900 an ounce for the first time in eight months, the 10- year Treasury yield also seeing a lot of action.

We will keep watching that.

Meanwhile, migrant encounters in January surging, releases at 62,000 and counting. We will ask a top Texas official where these migrants are going, but first to the border up north, police pouring into Ottawa, as truckers are told a crackdown is imminent.

Alexis McAdams is on it -- Alexis,.

ALEXIS MCADAMS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, take a look behind me. You can see there's still a lot of protesters here in Ottawa.

The police doing everything they can, though, to push them out. We will see what plays in overnight, as investigators say they are rolling in.

I'm Alexis McAdams. I will have details live from the Capitol coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here to stay. There's not a piece of paper that's going to make me leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care. They have turned all the cops into meter maids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looks like just a power play on them trying to scare us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know I'm not doing anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAYNE: The scenes today in a tense Ottawa, Ontario, work crews putting up a fence around Parliament and police taking to the streets, as truckers are bracing for a crackdown.

To FOX's Alexis McAdams in Ottawa with the very latest -- Alexis.

MCADAMS: Good afternoon.

Well, more police, Charles, have moved here into the area right in front of Parliament. But those trucks remain in park right near Parliament, where the prime minister has been holding meeting after meeting, trying to figure out how to get this convoy out of town.

And this morning and throughout the afternoon here on the ground, we have watched police move in. Take a look here. You can see a closer look at what we have been seeing here. Now it's day 21 and counting of this protest here in the capital city in Canada. A busload of law enforcement officers arrived in Ottawa this morning.

Police dropped off those officers to patrol what they're calling the red zone, now ordered to bring the chaos in the capital to a halt, for three weeks, protesters fighting back against COVID restrictions and mandates.

Although we haven't seen any major action by police yet, the interim chief, who was just appointed after the old one resigned the other day, says his officers are ready to use methods that Canadians are not used to seen. Now, the demonstrators I talk to say, bring it on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw four buses unload all the police officers. We saw six buses line up and get ready for them all to start boarding. There's over 150-plus police cars, prisoner transport wagons.

There's six buses getting ready to load guys up. We sat down there for three hours. We saw all the cruisers, all the unmarked, everybody that's been down here funneling through the streets in the crowd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCADAMS: This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked Canada's Emergencies Act. That gave police the power to ticket, tow and arrest protesters.

The government also freezing truckers' bank accounts, some trying to make transfers when they found out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just tried to make an e-transfer to pay for some minerals for some cattle. And, all of a sudden, I got absolutely no banking on my on my RBC account.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCADAMS: Another explosive day here on Parliament Hill, this morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defending the use of that Emergencies Act, saying it was necessary to protect Canadians.

That came while some conservative members fought back in Parliament, saying they're opposed to the Emergencies Act because it's dividing the country.

Back out here live, you can see that there are still some crowds here. And, man, does it pick up on the weekends. Where the government calls it a siege, these people call it a party, saying it's Canada Day every day. And there's lots of people that are expected to move in. But there's also checkpoints, which is new in the past 24 hours, that are going to stop those people from joining the convoy, according to police.

It's a story will continue to follow here on the ground -- back to you.

PAYNE: Thanks a lot, Alexis.

Let's get right to it with former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tom Dupree.

Tom, major steps by the government and police to break these protesters. What do you make of it? I mean, when you hear they're going to use tactics that Canadians aren't used to seeing, that sounds pretty scary.

TOM DUPREE, FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: I agree, Charles, I get worried.

And it seems ominous. This is the first time in Canadian history that a prime minister has invoked the Emergencies Act. It gives them the power to make arrests, to seize bank accounts, even to cancel insurance. I think that Trudeau is marshaling his forces.

My sense is that he figures he may need to actually clear the square by force, if necessary, but he's clearly getting his legal ducks in order in order to take whatever action he deems necessary.

PAYNE: So, this act -- and, to your point, the first time it's been used - - the predecessor act, I think, was used twice.

Does it have that type of legal power? We heard one trucker saying he wanted to take care of something on his farm. And the account was done. It was frozen.

DUPREE: It does, Charles, but I will say this.

There are certain prerequisites that have to be met before a Canadian prime minister can invoke emergency powers. He has to determine that there's a threat to Canada's national security or its sovereignty. He also has to determine that the normal laws aren't up to the task.

It's not clear to me that either of those conditions is met here. He's basically circumventing the normal democratic process and invoking these extraordinary powers.

PAYNE: Tom, there's also a data breach that's exposing the names of some of these Canadians who have actually donated to the truckers' cause. And, well, now some of them are facing threats, even having to shut down their business. Do they have any legal recourse?

DUPREE: Well, I mean, it's possible they would have a legal recourse for the data breach.

But, look, I think the goal here of the government is to bring whatever pressure it can to try to dissipate this protest. I have seen -- we have seen reports today that there are trial lawyers threatening to sue the truckers and other protesters for disrupting their business.

It's as though that the threat of arrest and incarceration were not serious enough. Now they're going to unleash the trial lawyers on the protesters too.

PAYNE: Yes.

Hey, let me ask you a question here in the states. In Texas -- Texas suing the Biden administration over the mask mandates for air travel. They're saying that federal authorities just don't have that right to issue those kinds of rules. Do they have a case?

DUPREE: Well, they probably have a better case than they did a month or two ago, when -- before the Supreme Court basically put a halt to at least one of the Biden administration's vaccine mandates.

On the other hand, I think it is an uphill battle. The Supreme Court just a couple of weeks ago turned away a very similar challenge to a mask mandate. So I think, from Texas' perspective, what they need to do is explain why their case is different, why what the CDC and the Biden administration are trying to do here is different than the prior mask mandate challenges that have been brought before the court before.

PAYNE: Yes. Well, maybe soon, it all become a moot point anyway, we hope.

Tom, thank you very much, my friend.

DUPREE: We hope.

PAYNE: All righty.

DUPREE: Thank you, Charles.

PAYNE: To the Southern border, where migrant encounters are surging. Where are those released into the U.S., where are they going?

And think inflation should have D.C. cooling its spending? Well, then you may not like what the White House and top Democrats are discussing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: To the crisis at our southern border, migrant encounters there surging last month, upwards to 60,000. So, once they cross the border, where are they going?

We will get the read from Lieutenant Chris Olivarez from the Texas Department of Safety.

Back in 60 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: President Biden in Ohio earlier today talking up his spending plans. But it's the talk between Senate Democrats and the White House chief of staff today that could be setting the money agenda for the rest of the year.

To FOX's Jacqui Heinrich at the White House with the very latest -- Jacqui.

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Charles.

It is the president's fourth visit to Ohio since he took office, the state he lost by eight points in 2020 and where a key midterm race could determine the balance of power in the Senate.

But with the president's poll numbers the way that they have been, it is yet to be seen just how many candidates are lining up for his support. A new Quinnipiac poll has just 35 percent of voters approving of the job Joe Biden is doing overall, with inflation topping the most urgent issues facing the country today.

It's a key reason why the president's Build Back Better social spending plan is stalled in Congress, lawmakers claiming big government spending, especially on COVID relief, contributed to the inflation problem, among them, Ohio Senator Rob Portman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R-OH): The money had nothing to do with fighting this virus. Most of it had to do, again, with just pumping stimulus into the economy.

At the same time, they were reducing the supply side. That includes on the energy front. Remember, the first day in office, shutting down Keystone XL pipeline, making it harder to produce energy?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH: Portman did vote for the president's bipartisan hard infrastructure bill, including $550 billion in new funding, which the president touted today in Ohio, announcing $1 billion of that will go toward cleaning up the Great Lakes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're also showing that growing the economy and creating jobs can go hand in hand with protecting the environment, not decimating it, meeting the moment on climate change, like our program to clean up abandoned mines and cap and plug orphan oil and gas wells.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH: Meantime, on Capitol Hill, Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, tried to drum up support for Biden's stalled agenda while talking to Senate Democrats about the Supreme Court nominees and the State of the Union, which is less than two weeks from now.

Now, the president did not stick along -- or stick around, rather, for long after his remarks in Ohio, saying he had to get back to Washington for a little thing going on in Europe, referring to the unfolding crisis in Ukraine and the looming Russian invasion there -- Charles.

PAYNE: Thanks, Jacqui.

And during President Biden speech today, we heard a lot about investments, but nothing about inflation. So are the White House and Democrats getting ready for another massive spinning push just as prices continue to spike?

Well, let's get the ray from Gary Kaltbaum, Democratic strategist Kristal Knight, and Patrice Onwuka from Independent Women's Forum.

Gary, you talk about this all the time. You have been against this sort of reckless spending for a long time. And now, politically, it seems to be dangerous. Nevertheless, they keep pushing for it. What would happen if we got it?

GARY KALTBAUM, FOX BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, and reckless spending by both parties.

Look, there are two problems here. Number one, you're trying to tell the American people that, coming out of a pandemic, where people are getting back on our feet, business is getting back on their feet, let's tax the heck out of the private economy, put it into government's hands to spend the way they want to spend on things like climate, and that is good?

I don't think so. The other part of the equation, you're seeing inflation numbers we haven't seen in decades. If you want to just add kerosene to the fire, all you got to do is just start drumming up a lot more spending, a lot more out of the Fed of printing money and keeping rates zero, and all heck breaks loose

And you are seeing the consumer right now absolutely crushed. The move in oil prices crushes the consumer, crushes business, crushes the airlines, the cruise lines, anybody who drives, and just needs to back away at this point in time.

PAYNE: Right.

KALTBAUM: There are moments in time to spend, like when we were in the midst of COVID and really need it.

Right now, just take a vacation, take a powder. There will be a better day in the future.

PAYNE: Well, the future is the next couple of months politically, Kristal.

KALTBAUM: Yes.

PAYNE: And what's interesting is, to Gary's point, obviously, we have had a big GDP print last year. Wages are going through the roof.

And yet people in real life, real terms have less money to spend, and it's reflected in President Biden's poll numbers. So why do you think the White House is still so insistent on going down this path?

KRISTAL KNIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think the White House is insistent because we still have to put money into this economy.

This is something that we have seen other presidents do during moments of crisis, maybe not a pandemic, per se, but in times where the economy has been down.

PAYNE: Is there a limit, though? Is there a limit to what we pump in?

I mean, there's been about five -- over $5 trillion from the fiscal side, over $5 trillion from the Federal Reserve. And people are paying a hefty price for it. Is there a limit? Do we draw a line, because this is the greatest economy in the world, where it feels like we're getting back on our feet?

KNIGHT: Well, I think there are limits to how much money this government can spend.

And I am not an economist, so I can't say where that line should be drawn. But, ultimately, the president has to rely on his economic advisers. And this is the move that they have decided will be in the best interest of the American economy. And so they're moving in that direction.

PAYNE: Yes.

Patrice, though, to that point, Larry Summers, he said it was a big mistake, that $1.9 trillion.

Jason Furman, who was a big economist under Obama, has been extraordinarily critical. I do wonder, sometimes, if the president listens more to the public relations advisers than his economic advisers.

PATRICE ONWUKA, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM: Well, he probably does.

I mean, Charles, it's really interesting to see all of these Obama era advisers saying the stimulus that was generated, that was passed out last year, particularly, has been fueling the inflation that we have seen.

And it's not -- it shouldn't be a surprise. It was actually predictable. And so the idea that we should continue, as Gary said, to fuel the fire with even more federal spending, it makes no sense.

I mean, Kristal, I thought we were beyond this crisis moment. And when we look at Democratic cities and states that are actually releasing their COVID era restrictions, from masking to lockdowns, I think it's time for us to go move back to normal.

That means we don't need more crisis level spending. We don't need to flood -- continue to flood the American households or economy with more cash. Again, that's just going to make inflation worse.

PAYNE: Yes.

ONWUKA: At this point, I think the federal government's role is to step back, allow the economy to do what it does, and then -- and allow inflation to kind of recede.

That's, I think, the best way forward.

PAYNE: Kristal?

KNIGHT: Well, I mean, I think releasing or relaxing masking mandates is something totally different, which is what you're speaking about, as opposed to the economy and spending and pumping money (AUDIO GAP) so that every business and every household can be successful.

So those are two different things that I don't think we should be equating in this scenario.

PAYNE: Yes, I think she was sort of just saying, unlocking the economy, more people going to work, more people going to the office, as those mandates go down, more people going to restaurants, that might give us that organic growth that we have always had.

KNIGHT: It might, but we're still in this pandemic.

PAYNE: Yes. All right.

I'll tell you what. We have come a long way from a chicken in every pot. That's all I can tell you. That's all I can tell you.

(LAUGHTER)

PAYNE: Thank you all very much. Appreciate it.

KNIGHT: Thank you.

ONWUKA: Thank you.

PAYNE: Staggering new numbers from the Southern border, migrant releases climbing, as encounters show no signs of slowing. How a top Texas official wants the administration -- what he wants them to do.

He will be responding next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: To the Southern border now.

New numbers from DHS showing the Biden administration released more than 62,000 migrants into the country in January.

FOX News correspondent Casey Stegall is in La Joya, Texas, with more -- Casey.

CASEY STEGALL, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Charles.

And we should point out, in fact, that that data, we had to kind of go in a roundabout way to get it, because the federal government still has not officially released the border numbers from January or February, since it's almost over.

So we have gleaned the data on those January stats from a federal court document. And it was a DHS court document that said that the last month's traffic on the Southern border quadrupled what was recorded in January of 2020 and almost doubled last year's tally.

Remember, this does not even include what Border Patrol officials called get-aways, obvious enough, those who don't get apprehended. So they're not even in the system. And Texas DPS estimates that there were roughly 600,000 of those last year.

So, in fact, those numbers we're seeing, they say, are much, much higher, the bulk of encounters still from people primarily from Central America. And out of the more than 154,000 encounters for January 2022, DHS says more than 62,000 of them were released right back into the U.S. interior.

All the while, gangs and smugglers work around the clock exploiting the system. Just this week, migrants were found inside some locked train cars down here in South Texas, including a young child with a family.

Charles, the investigators and officials here say that it is just one more example of how those smugglers are willing to go to any means to get their cargo across, whether it's drugs or people -- back to you.

PAYNE: Casey, thank you very much.

I want to get right to it with our next guests, Texas Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Chris Olivarez.

These numbers are just staggering. I don't even know where to begin. It must feel like just it's -- what should we know, what should the public know, when we hear numbers like this, 600,000 got-aways? Almost half of the encounters had to be released into this country.

I don't even know where to begin, Chris.

LT. CHRIS OLIVAREZ, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Well, you're right on point, Charles.

And, also, let me just -- thanks for having me. Great to be with you.

So, what I can tell you, it should be concerning, not only for law enforcement, but for the American people, when you see the amount of illegal immigrants that are coming across. And we're not talking about the families or the children. We're talking about those single adults that are coming across our border into the interior, some of those with criminal histories, criminal gang members, potential terrorists.

And we have seen that. Also, U.S. Border Patrol has seen that as well. So this is a reality of this current border crisis. It's only going to continue to escalate. And we see that by the numbers; 60,000 that were released into the country from January, that's a staggering number, compared to the previous years.

And that's unacceptable as far as releasing these individuals into the interior, when border agents, as well as our DPS personnel, are trying to secure the border by providing all the personnel, all the manpower, technology in order to apprehend these individuals and to stem the flow of migration.

But, again, because of the messaging and the fact that the majority of these illegal immigrants are being released into the interior does not help the current situation right now.

PAYNE: Where are they going once they're released into the interior?

OLIVAREZ: That's a great question. That's a very good question.

We have known that there's some of those flights and, of course, that some of the correspondents have been able to break some of those stories. And we have seen some of those flights that are being flown during the late-night hours to other states.

But, again, we don't know. And when we mentioned that got-aways, of course, those are only got-aways that are reported. There's also those that don't set off any sensors or any cameras, that we don't know who they are, and we don't know where they're at and what their intentions are.

These are individuals that are in the country right now. This is the reality of the situation. It should be very concerning to the American people, because it is a national security threat, not only to the state of Texas, but to the entire country.

PAYNE: Chris, when you interview these migrants, what are they telling you? Do they feel that -- have they been emboldened by the Biden administration, what was said on the campaign trail, and, obviously, the fact that the White House is looking the other way as this happens?

Do they feel emboldened almost, as if they have been invited?

OLIVAREZ: Well, they do because of the messaging, the message that we saw back in December 2020.

That was the whole purpose of why we're seeing this flow of mass migration taking place, but not only that, Charles. We're seeing the criminal organizations, the drug trafficking organizations exploiting that messaging. They're profiting billions of dollars off of human smuggling, as well as narcotics smuggling.

And because of that, we're continuing to see this influx of illegal immigration taking place along the Southern border. And it's going to continue. That was the whole reason why Governor Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, is to crack down on these organizations, and also, most importantly, to support our federal partners, because we know right now they are overwhelmed and their hands are tied.

They're not able to do the job that they want to do. And that's being out there on the border, trying to secure it and apprehend these individuals that are coming across.

PAYNE: I mean, that's admirable on the part of the state. But this feels like a national crisis. Is there any hope of getting any additional federal help?

OLIVAREZ: You know, right now, Charles, we are not seeing that. We don't expect that on the state side.

That's why everything that we are deploying to the Southern border with Operation Lone Star, as far as technology and state funding, it's all from the state of Texas, from our state leaders. We're not getting any type of support from the federal government.

Also, most importantly, constructing the first ever Texas border wall, that's all Texas funds. Again, we're not seeing any type of funds from the federal government. But, of course, that's not going to stop us doing what we're doing right now.

We're going to continue moving forward because we have dedicated men and women who are dedicated to this job in securing the border and safeguarding Texas.

PAYNE: Well, make sure those men and women know that we support them as well.

Thank you so much, Chris.

OLIVAREZ: I appreciate it. Thank you.

PAYNE: So, Russia kicking out a U.S. diplomat, as Ukraine braces for Vladimir Putin's next move.

Senate Armed Services Committee member Deb Fischer says it's time to sanction Putin's bottom line right now. She's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: New developments in the Durham probe, lawyers from Michael Sussmann today filing a motion to dismiss the single-count indictment against him.

FOX News' Mark Meredith has the details -- Mark.

MARK MEREDITH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Charles. Good afternoon to you.

Well, lawyers for former Clinton associate Michael Sussmann say there are multiple reasons why they think the case against their clients should be dismissed. For one, they argue Sussmann is being targeted for political purposes under special counsel John Durham's probe.

Now, the government's accusing Sussmann here of lying to the FBI for not disclosing that he was advising Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign when he was discussing what he was describing as suspicious links between then- candidate Donald Trump and Russia.

In the filing today, Sussmann's lawyer said that this was a case of extraordinary prosecutorial overreach, and that Mr. Sussmann did not make any false statements to the FBI, but that, in any event, the false statement alleged in the indictment is immaterial as a matter of law.

Some legal experts FOX spoke with say that they don't believe this change is going to mean -- nothing today is going to make much of a difference. However, Sussmann has already pled not guilty to this charge and he is scheduled to go to court in May.

Meantime, up on the Hill, Republicans are very eager to see if more charges could come and if any more Clinton associates could be accused of wrongdoing. Republicans vowing to investigate further, that is, if they win in the midterm elections.

We heard from Congressman Jim Jordan on Twitter today, who wrote: "It's not a vast right-wing conspiracy. They spied on President Trump."

Republican senators also demanding the Justice Department make sure that special counsel John Durham, the man on your screen right there, has the resources he needs to investigate for as long as he needs. His work started back in 2020. The attorney general says Durham's work will be allowed to go on.

Meantime, we're also watching some new developments today in the ongoing New York state investigation into the Trump Organization. Today, a state judge ruling the former president, as well as Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., all must testify under oath. The Trumps were challenging some subpoenas that -- issued to them late last year that was compelling their testimony.

The judge is ordering the Trumps to sit down for depositions within the next few weeks. We're going to wait to see if and when the Trump Organization may respond.

PAYNE: Yes.

MEREDITH: Never a dull moment down here -- back to you, Charles.

PAYNE: Thank you so much, Mark.

MEREDITH: You bet.

PAYNE: Hillary Clinton, though, also back on the main stage today at the Democratic Convention in New York.

FOX News' Laura Ingle is live in New York City with more on that -- Laura.

LAURA INGLE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: You know, things are wrapping up here.

And Hillary Clinton did not make any big 2024 announcements, as some people had kind of hinted that that could happen. And she did exactly what she came here to do that she said she was going to would, which would be to support those for the Democratic nominations in this convention.

And as we take a look at some of the tape that we have from today, the former New York senator and secretary of state was greeted by a few protesters outside the state's Democratic nomination convention, but largely greeted by a lot of cheers and enthusiasm inside.

Now, this was the first time that we have heard from Clinton in person since the accusations in special counsel John Durham's report that were made public last Friday. The report contained, as you know, allegations that Clinton campaign cybersecurity lawyer Robert (sic) Sussmann shared Internet data information gathered from Trump Tower and the White House by his friend and client tech executive Rodney Joffe with the FBI and CIA to establish an interference and narrative.

So, while touting recent accomplishments of Democrats, she also talked about this being a time when our nation is deeply divided and dangerously divided, pointing to select social media and FOX, as well as former President Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's funny. The more trouble Trump gets into, the wilder the charges and conspiracy theories about me seem to get.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: So now his accountants have fired him. And investigations draw closer to him.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And right on cue, the noise machine gets turned up, doesn't it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGLE: And Clinton also formally endorsed Governor Kathy Hochul for her reelection campaign, saying it's about time we elect a woman for the governor of the state of New York.

And, as Clinton left the stage, FOX News Digital managed to get a question as she left, asking her why she called special counsel John Durham's recent filing a fake scandal. She did not respond -- Charles.

PAYNE: Laura, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, Russia kicking out a U.S. diplomat, as Ukraine braces for Vladimir Putin to move in.

Senate Armed Services Committee member Deb Fischer is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAYNE: officials warning, Russia is on the brink of invading Ukraine, and it's putting the country on edge.

FOX News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson is in Lviv with more -- Lucas.

LUCAS TOMLINSON, FOX NEWS PENTAGON PRODUCER: Charles, the crisis here in Ukraine is over 30 years in the making, since the fall of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Putin wants it back.

In fact, he wrote a 5,000-word essay on the subject last summer. Today, the head of NATO joined President Biden, saying Russia is poised to invade any day now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: Despite Moscow's claims, we have seen no sign of withdrawal or de-escalation so far. On the contrary, Russia's buildup appears to continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOMLINSON: Putin is now on his fifth U.S. president, Charles. He could stay in office until 2036.

Tonight, over 150,000 Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border. There are also Russian warships offshore loaded with Russian marines and tanks. These joint military exercises with Belarus featuring rocket launchers dubbed Stalin's organ, because tubes look like pipe organs.

All set to end, these exercises, on Sunday. After that, it's anyone's guess. Only Putin knows what comes next. Earlier today, in what the Russians called a tit-for-tat move for the U.S. tossing Russian diplomats, likely spies, from the Russian Embassy in Washington, Moscow today announced it has expelled the deputy U.S. ambassador to Russia as payback, another sign of worsening relations.

Today, the leader of Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, said he's open to letting Russia park short-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads in his country after these drills end on Sunday.

I'm here tonight in the city where U.S. diplomats evacuated to after fleeing the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, the capital here in Ukraine, six hours to the east. The U.S. Embassy was abandoned over fears of the Russian invasion. The top U.S. diplomat here says she had to order sensitive documents shred.

Now, Charles, this city of Lviv is about the size of Boston. It's a university town in a country the size, about the size of Texas. A lot of the students I have spoken to here are nervous. Some are even-keeled. Others are saying, bring on the Russians -- Charles.

PAYNE: Lucas, thank you very much.

Here with me now to discuss all of this, Nebraska Republican Senator Deb Fischer. She sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Senator, you're actually calling for sanctions that hit Putin's bottom line. What are the chances that will happen?

SEN. DEB FISCHER (R-NE): You know, Putin has created such a destabilizing situation that really threatens European security.

And we haven't seen much action on that, except the fact that he's moving more troops to the border of Ukraine. You and I spoke a few weeks ago, Charles, about the importance of proactively imposing these sanctions on Russia, so that -- so that they understand that there is going to be a cost for any overt action that they take, an invasion that they take.

But we haven't seen that happen. So I have not seen that happen from the White House. We're not seeing it happen with our Democrat colleagues. So Republicans got together. We have a bill prepared that would impose sanctions on Russia, specifically their financial institutions, the bank, on Putin and his cronies, on their assets, but, importantly, to stop construction on Nord Stream 2.

PAYNE: And I got to tell you, it is somewhat frustrating, because we're watching every -- all Americans are watching. And this was one of the first things that was sort of promised, that we would get some sort of bipartisanship out of Washington, D.C.

And it seems like these are the kind of things that have emboldened folks like Vladimir Putin.

FISCHER: Yes.

PAYNE: Going after the oligarchs, his buddies, they investments all over the world, particularly in the West. They buy all the big real estate in London.

How -- is there some big aim? Are you aiming at them as well?

FISCHER: Yes, definitely.

His cronies need to feel the pain. He needs to feel the pain. When we're talking about preemptively taking these moves, I think that's important, because Putin understands strength, and we need to portray that strength. We don't want to see an invasion.

PAYNE: Right. Right.

FISCHER: The White House and the Democrats, they're talking about post- invasion imposing sanctions. That's after the fact.

So, we need to show action now to stop an invasion, to bring stability back to the area.

PAYNE: Yes, as they say, after the barn door is open.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia not to start a war with Ukraine in an address at the U.N. today. What do you make of his speech?

FISCHER: I didn't see his speech. I will watch it probably on reruns tonight.

I hope he was firm. I hope he showed resolve. I hope that he spoke about strong sanctions. And I hope he said that they would be proactive. We're dealing with a country that relies on gas, on its sale of natural gas, on its minerals, its metals for income.

We can put sanctions on those to show that the United States, our NATO allies, we mean business on this. We don't want to -- we don't want to see a war start in Europe. I certainly don't want to see a war start.

And that needs to be made clear when we close down his gas station and he realizes we're going to take action.

PAYNE: Yes.

Yes, well, I can tell you, it's a -- it looks like at least the West is consolidating, maybe a little bit more organization.

We appreciate the work that you're doing. And we certainly appreciate you coming on to tell us about it.

Thank you very much, Senator.

FISCHER: Thank you. Good to visit.

PAYNE: All right, folks, watching these markets very closely. Check me out tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.

It was an absolute bloodbath today. It is looking ugly in the aftermarket. It's all about war. It's all about the Federal Reserve. I'm on FOX Business at 2:00 p.m. And your money is at risk here.

Meanwhile, "The Five" starts right now.

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