>> laura: good evening, everyone. i hope you had a great thanksgiving weekend. i'm laura ingraham. this is "the ingraham angle" from washington tonight. thanks for joining us. with just 50 days -- can you believe it -- until the iowa caucuses, the polls are tightening nationally. governor ron desantis is making a stop right here on the angle. but, first, money for nothing. that's the focus of tonight's angle. ♪ all right. unless you are the son of a president and are able to charge, what, $300,000 for art that looks like it should be hanging in a middle school hallway, you know the biden economy it's in the pits. >> how is the economy in your estimate? >> it's horrible. >> the economy is very bad right now. the cost of everything is very expensive. we don't spend the money like we used. to say i just spend more, obviously, i'm spending a whole lot more. i will spend what i usually spend but it probably won't buy nearly as much. >> well, the facts are undeniable. even the biden friendly media can't avoid reporting the truth any longer. from bloomberg today, groceries are up 25%. used cars climbed 35%. rent, it's only up 20%. now, while americans' daily routines have largely returned to their pre-pandemic normal the cost of living has not. from the atlantic, houses are unaffordable for middle class families across the country. rural areas are expensive. suburbs are expensive. cities are absurdly expensive. nowhere is cheap. that's in part thanks to mortgage rates. the monthly payment on a new home has increased by more than 50% in the past three years. from the "wall street journal," its new survey shows that the belief in the american dream is dying. just 36% of americans, this was so heart-breaking to see over the weekend, said it's still possible if you work hard, the american dream. 45 percent said it was true but not anymore. and 18 percent said it was never true. by the way, that's double whether it was previously. that's a big drop though from the other surveys in 2012 and 2016. where 53% and 46%, respectively still believed overall in the american dream. all of this is bad news for democrats. because women were more pessimistic than men, while younger people were much more pessimistic than people over the age of 65. now, remember, women and young voters are key biden constituencies, that's not good for him. the hard-working americans have good reason to be frustrated, very frustrated. >> we're seeing the gas prices. we're seeing it in the economy and how we are spending our money. >> i think inflation is impacting people very negatively. >> dollar is going less this year than it did last year. costs more just to wake up every day. >> laura: no wonder donald trump's numbers keep getting stronger and biden's are getting weaker. which makes it all the more baffling that the democrats refuse to change their policies. they refuse to shut the border. they refuse to cut spending. they refuse to unleash the energy sector. instead, the only thing they are doing is strategizing. "the washington post" reporting a meetings convened by biden's chief of staff with the economic and comms teams in an effort to turn around the narrative and then bee dunk what they believe are misleading social media reports like the one about the $16 big mac on tiktok which circulated last year and is still ricocheting around the internet. the big macha nun drums reflects what biden aids and officials regard as one of the most vexing challenges ahead of the 2024 election. even as inplace manageable 3% and labor market remained hot with strong growth, voters still don't like the economy. and they blame the president. but the president says air travel cost of gas costs went down. people making a lot of money, that doesn't matter a whole lot because the costs are relatively small compared to wealthy incomes. in fact, as a share of earnings this thanksgiving, dinner was the fourth cheapest ever on record. >> laura: okay. unconvincing the fourth cheapest. i don't know how they determined that especially unconvincing when he falls back on blaming companies that do what all businesses do to stay alive when costs go up. they have to pass their increased costs, especially energy costs on to consumers. >> let me be clear, any corporation that's not brought their prices back down, even as inflation has come down, even as supply chains have been rebuilt, it's time to stop the price gouging give the american consumer a break. >> laura: are his eyes even open. spoken as man who has never run a business in his life or had to actually make a payroll. when all else fails can you blame junk. >> end these junk fees, fortunately, we have been able to push back -- on maga republicans so far. they haven't given up. they haven't given up. they have still want to undo this progress we are making. >> laura: junk fees, really? i think he met undoing the -- not the progress, the regress. he does not give a darn about what he has done to this country. and we know the bidens, they won't need to pinch pennies this christmas. hunter and jim, after all, making all their foreign cash, they will make sure of that. how has the biden economy affected the holidays of regular americans? >> only buying what people need and not what they want. >> because of the economy. >> yes, because of the economy. everything is high, very expensive. >> laura: biden says everything is cheap this year. he doesn't comport. by the way, to think that the white house thinks women like that should be happy she must not understand things are great. what happened to the compassion surplus they claim they had. that like everything biden campaigned on was a lifetime achievement next november the voters will finally have the chance to make these arrogant, incompetent and corrupt people pay. and that's the angle. joining me is chris bedford editor at the common sense society and mollie hemingway editor and chief at "the federalist." chris, americans have said this over and over and over again this is not working, this economy. can you hide certain things when you are president. blame other people for so much. but, when people go to the grocery stores and can't walk out for two measly bags of groceries for under 80 bucks. people have to notice that people have to pull back all of their budgets all over. it's not just a messaging problem. it's a problem with the economy like you said. democrats haven't gotten the slap on the wrist that they expect. they performed beyond what they expected to perform in 2021, and this most recent election, so they don't have the same reasons to really pull back and right now you got a lot of folks completely ideological in that white house saying we need to double down on abortion. we need to double down on dreamers, double down wherever. and everything else will figure itself out. >> laura: taylor lorenz esteemed journalists at "the washington post" believe that bad stories about the economy on social media are what's behind biden's lagging poll numbers. and they glommed on to that big mac cost. cost of a big knack idaho. this was last year tell positive stories of biden's economic stewardship while also work working with social media platforms to counter misinformation. there we are again. they are doing it in the schools, in places like in new jersey and california, guarding against misinformation in the classroom. and now. this right. they think that propaganda will be the thing that solves this problem for them. as chris was saying. everyone goes to the store. they know how expensive things are. they know they can't afford to sell their house. can't afford to buy a house. >> laura: they can't leave. >> most dramatically what you said in the beginning with this belief that people have that the american dream has been lost. that is really significant. that is something that is so significant that i'm not sure that running propaganda will fix it. having said that, propaganda is very dangerous. the fact that we have a government that openly talks about censoring american speech and doesn't just talk about it but does it, it's a very complex thing that they do. it causes a lot of damage to america. and propaganda does work. it does work in elections. and they do have control over the information airspace. i think republicans should be very concerned about that. >> laura: biden gave this speech today. and they keep -- i got to say this. they keep sending him out thinking that if biden goes out there and speaks to the people enough that it's going to turn things around. every time they do this, it seems to backfire on them. they did it again today. and he addressed the supply chain -- who is even talking about the supply chain? he addressed that issue. watch. >> i truly believe that 50 years from now historians are taking a look back at this moment, and they look back on the work we are doing to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, to strengthen of american supply changes and manufacturing workers all across the country, they are going to say this was the beginning when america won the competition of the 21st century. >> laura: of course he doesn't even sound like he believes that again, he looks like he is sleeping. he doesn't sound like he believes that and the manufacturing index is at one of its lowest levels since the index has been measured and he is talking about american manufacturing coming? what planet is this man living on. >> he has got all these great american historians like jon meacham. >> esteemed michael trying to spin. this get out of elite places where you live and start talking to new people, michael. > he is the new fdr and invigorate the economy. >> loses all credibility. >> biden was never anyone's first choice. basically pushed onto the democrats because the didn't think that all the other radicals even could possibly stand a chance. enough to you see that reflected in the pollings e is kind of surprised. he has had all these historians coming out saying is he incredible and administration saying is he great. is he losing ground in the polls to trump. young people are abandoning him. the reality is starting to catch up with this white house. >> one of the issues with that, too. he was promised as this moderate calm grandfather lovingly person take you away from the drama of the trump years. there is a lot of drama and matefulness. his hatred toward people who want america to return to former greatness that hatred is not what we were promised four years ago when he was running. and so people remember what life was like under the trump administration. they remember what it was like economically. they remember what it was like in the foreign policy it i face and they liked that better than what they're going through now. >> laura: which is why they have to do the trump is hitler, trump is stalin, trump is -- this is why they have to do that. >> they have to do that while they are censoring american peach in dramatic and horrific tways and doing it for years while imprisoning political opponents and using hateful dehuman mizeing rhetoric like you saw earlier. >> the republicans for their part are saying their finances dwindle. rnc, i didn't say lagging far behind the dnc in fundraising. ronna was challenged by harmeet dhillon, the state parties all rallied around a lot of the connected republicans rallied to ronna mcdonnell. nothing personal against ronna mcdaniel and you are a basketball coach and you have this record how long have you going to last on a college basketball team. you would have been booted, correct? >> the ramsey clark had a great week of fund raising when jim jordan was up for speakership and spike when johnson became speaker. the kinded of people who donate to the rnc have looked at this and said what exactly is changing? they look at d.c. and they don't see republicans taking a stand. we are talking about whether or not -- the republicans are talking about whether or not they are going to shut down the government over this or that. >> laura: lawyer it's a loser strategy. the shutting down the government idea when you don't have the votes, mollie. oh you are a rhino, get out of town. that you're somehow a sell-out when you think okay. what are the numbers? what numbers do we have here? what about that? how did that play? >> i actually -- congress is the one area where republican does have control and that is going better than the other parts of the government. in general, i think people look at the republican party and they wonder what are they getting out of it. >> what is the message penal agree democrats are bad at running things. >> laura: what is the g.o.p. agenda? >> that's what republican also have to answer what are they offering people? particularly as so many americans think that things are going off the rails. they don't see that concern reflected in their leaders in washington, d.c. >> trump's message and have desantis on next segment. his position is similar. shut down the border. we're going to bring this economy back. we're going to unleash the energy sector. gas is going to be $2 a gallon and get rid of push for electric cars. you apt electric car. get it. we're not going to mandate it. >> can do it. >> gas at $2 a gallon. who is not going to vote for that. >> exactly. >> laura: panel, great to see you. a super pac supporting nikki haley has spent millions going after our next guest on the airways in iowa and new hampshire only. well, in moments, florida governor ron desantis will respond. let's stay there. ♪ dear moms and dads, what you have achieved here today is going to help us and our futures. it is why we're coming up on stage to collect your diplomas. mom, love you always. vo: when you graduate, they graduate. visit finishyourdiploma.org to find free and supportive adult education centers near you. ♪ >> laura: just under 50 days from the first real test of 2024, the iowa caucus. now, trump is leading nationally. we all know by a lot. and is he also leading in iowa. he is at 47% in the hawkeye state, according to the rcp average. his closest competitor is ron desantis of course the governor of florida. 17%. nikki haley trailing in third with 14. it's not really surprising that hale, because of where these things stand, has turned her sights on desantis. according to one top campaign finance expert, her super pac has spent $3.6 million against the florida governor at $25,000 only against biden and against trump she spent zero. now, as i have said for months, there's trump and then there is everyone else. but there is the battle for number two, and that's between desantis and haley. that's why i offered to host the debate. only one, governor desantis has responded and he accepted. he joins me now. governor, good to see you don't. why do you think nikki haley has not responded yet? a. >> well, she probably wouldn't like what the debate would be about. i think she has taken very, very establishment oriented positions. we know she had the social media proposal to force everybody to give their names, which we know would be weaponized against conservatives. anybody that's been alive for the last three or four years knows how that censorship regime works. she has also said no limits on immigration, that ceos should determine our immigration policy. no, i think immigration policy should be what's in the best interest of the american people and american workers. she also took the side of disney against the state of florida and against us protecting our kids. we had a debate about making sure that our young kids in elementary school were not subjected to sexualized curriculum and transgender ideology. we were right to stand with the kids. of course, she sided with the corporations. so i think she is just fundamentally out of step with republican voters. i think she is relying on liberal media to prop her up. i'm game for the debate. you know, i will debate any of these folks. i think that's what it is all about. >> laura: i think it would be interesting and very informative for the viewers and for people out there just kind of want to know more about, you know, who is number two and number three and who should really be in second place at this point. by the way, on that issue of immigration, there was a new report out, governor, by the group doctors without borders, and it said at least 400 female and child migrants making the journey to the u.s. border had been brutalized in so-called rape tents. in october alone, 107 rape survivors, including 59 people in a single week they were treated. the youngest victims were 11, 12, and 16. we know the biden administration they don't care. they don't care about the collateral damage an open border policy. but how would president desantis confront this issue? would you deport people who are here now and to deter people from coming and thus save the fate of these young women who are being brutalized? >> of course. if there's not a sanction for coming illegally, you are never going to stop the problem. so we'll declare it to be a national emergency on day one. we'll send troops to the border. we'll stop the asylum fraud. we'll do remain in mexico. i'm going to charge fees on foreign remittances to be able to fund construction of the border wall. but, yes, when people come illegally, we are sending them back. we have got 8 million that have come under biden. we need to end is them all back. we don't know who they are. they have come from all around the world. they have come from iran, russia, china, the middle east. there will absolutely be perspective terrorists that have come across. i think there will be a terrorist attack that we will be able to link to our border we also have to understand why do you have sex trafficking and human trafficking at this level? it's because the mexican drug cartels are running the show we are going to categorize them as a foreign terrorist organization. authorize the use of military force. they are evading our country and committing serious crimes. they are killing tens of thousands of our citizens by bringing fentanyl. that's going to every community in the country. it's not just border communities. i have met so many angel moms over the last year, year and a half who have lost a child. usually a high school or college-aged kid to drug -- basically being poisoned and may take a pill that's laced with fentanyl and then that's it. and they die. we have got to stop this. >> laura: governor bob vander plaats, i know, iowa faith leader he gave you his endorsement which is coveted in the state. now there are questions surrounding the money he received from groups linked to your campaign. he was asked about this last week on "special report." watch. >> desantis campaign, super pac linked to him a nonprofit group supporting him together paid $95,000 in recent months to the family leader foundation. according to the campaign finance reports is that not true or that's true? >> well, it's definitely true. i would encourage everybody to read the article. everything we do is above board. >> laura: governor, the allegations obviously or the inference would be it was like it a pay to play to get an endorsement. you have a chance to clear that up. well, the pac i don't control as you know, but they paid for advertising. so it's a very influential group of evangelicals in iowa. they have hosted a number of major events. they had a summer event. we just had the thanksgiving forum. so they are paying to be able to be in programs and to be able to advertise the candidacy. and that happens, that's frequently happened. but bob vander plaats' endorsement is not for sale. he has got a great reputation. he has become a friend of casey and me along the way. is he very influential in iowa. it's a scurrilous charge. it's without merit. and if somebody endorses somebody other than you, you don't always have to lash out and attack the person