Transcripts For FOXNEWSW The Daily Briefing With Dana Perino 20180419

Daily briefing. The republican lawmaker has said he would not support pompeo to be the next secretary of state before agreeing to take todays meeting at the behest of donald trump. Rich edson is live at the state department. Rich, i thought that was a pretty wise move of the president to suggest this meeting. Reporter yeah. Just after the president suggested it, dana, the president spoke with kentucky senator rand paul, asked him to meet with mike pompeo, the cia director. That just happened on capitol hill. The cia director meeting with the only republican to publicly oppose his nomination as secretary of state. That meeting happening for about 45 minutes in rand pauls office. Shortly after the president nominated the cia director to be secretary of state, paul said that he would vote against him. Kentucky republican argues pompeo advocates for an enduring military presence overseases. He says it would be a big deal to change his mind on pompeo. Now, pauls office, or paul himself have said if this meeting changed his mind, if he plans on at least considering voting for pompeo or just forget about it. Now, pauls republican colleagues say he is out of the republican main stream on this issue. As to rand paul, you say you support the president. Heres a really good chance to do something about it. Do you want to avoid a war with north korea, somebody needs to do something different. I cant believe that mr. Pompeo is not qualified by any definition. Now, if youre looking for a libertarian, youre not gonna get one. Reporter there is also an undecided republican on pompeos nomination, thats arizona senator jeff flake. Republicans have a narrow Senate Majority and they will likely need some democratic support to confirm pompeo. Theyre targeting democrats from republican leading states and the 15 senators who voted for pompeos confirmation as cia director. Democrats argue pompeo would fail to check the president s first impulses. Republicans say pompeo speaks for the president. That was obvious, they say, in this meeting that pompeo had over eastern wheat again with kim jongun. They say that shows pompeo is a trusted emissary of the president of the United States and hes already executing American Foreign policy. Dana . Dana all right, rich, thank you so much. Were watching President Trump preparing to return to maralago from his visit in key west. We will catch back up with him when he arrives back at maralago. Syria is stepping up efforts to crush opposition as fresh gun fire prevents International Inspectors of seeking evidence of a poison gas attack, putting those efforts on hold. Benjamin hall is live across the border in turkey. Benjamin . Reporter yeah, hi, dana. Its been 12 days since that terrible gas attack that took place in douma. Its been four days since inspectors arrived in damascus to try to get samples and yet they still havent come close to it. What were learning here on the border is that concerted ef forts by syria and russia to prevent people from finding out what happened. Wto tried to go yesterday and were held back by gun fire supposedly by rebel fighter. But we know that is not necessarily true. Weve spoken to a number of soldiers who said rebel fighters were bussed out ten days ago in a deal which was done with the russians. In fact, similar deals are being done in other parts of damascus. But despite all the efforts in russia and syria to prevent people from finding out, stories are still getting out. Bit by bit were able to paint a picture of what happened in that terrible chemical attack in douma. We cant get to the site ourselves, but every day evidence and witnesses come across this border wall with more horrific details. We met up with a survivor of the chemical attack. Translator one brick in the roof and they were stuck. Everybody in that house and at least two other houses died. The barrel was five feet long, yellow and made of thick metal. Doctors say they only had room to treat those who had a chance of survival. They left the others to die. Reporter and weve also heard that the regime has found the graves of the chemical victims in douma and have taken the bodies so that they cant be tested. We heard doctors who treated those victims have been harassed, their families have been threatened if they give evidence to the outside world. But this evidence is still getting out. We spoke to some people who said they have seen contact with americans in the north who had taken blood and urine samples. Even if the wto may not have this evidence, the American Government does. Dana what has been the response from the u. S. Air strikes from last weekend . Reporter there have been a mixed response here. Many people feel a lot of gratitude after many years, they feel the western world has gotten them and that President Trump backs them. But they say its not enough. These strikes on the ground the military situation remains the same. So, yes, a sense of gratitude, but also a sense of more needing to be done. Interesting they all say they feel they are fighting not only assad. They are fighting russia and assads primary backer. Thats the state at the moment, many of them giving up hope here. Dana . Dana benjamin hall, thank you. For more on this, general jack keane is a senior strategic analyst. Sir, can you help us understand what is happening there when you send a team in to get evidence, the russians had four different stories last week trying to explain away this chemical weapons attack. Then there was small arms fire yesterday that prevented french and u. S. Well, the french and the United States both said it was preventing inspectors from getting in. What are they trying to prevent inspectors from seeing . Well, the russians and assad, as well as our government, the british government, french government, we all know that chemical weapons were used on that attack. So thats a fact. The russians are trying to avoid another damning report that was done as a result of the chemical attack a year ago this month in syria. And even though that report came out again by International Investigators confirming that chemical weapons were used by the assad forces, the russians still maintain that it was the radicals that used chemical weapons. So they persist in this lie. Putin, its about an image thing for putin. Assad does not care. He doesnt care that people know he uses chemical weapons. He knows for a fact that everybody in that area knows what happened. He would use chemical weapons again if it suits his military purposes. After all, after he used chemical weapons on his final holdout in damascus after six years trying to hold the city, this final holdout. He couldnt get it done with conventional weapons. He used chemical weapons and the rebels left. Dana listen to the joint chief, Kenneth Mackenzie on that very issue about syrias ability to conduct war strikes. They will have the ability to conduct limited attacks in the future. I would not rule that out. Howev however, theyve got to look over their shoulder that we will have the ability to strike them again, should it be necessary. Dana do you think last weekends attack did give a brush back pitch enough to assad to know he shouldnt do this again . Yeah. I just think that the purpose of the attack was misguided. The first attack that we made, the purpose was to deter assad. But obviously that didnt work because he came back and used chemical weapons a year later. The purpose of last fridays attack should not be to deter him. Thats already failed. Take all the capability away from him for him to be able to do another attack. That would have meant all his air force, rotary fixed wing, artillery. Take as much chemical weapons as you can. But you cant get all of it. That would have had meaning and we wouldnt be in this position waiting for another chemical attack. Dana while i have you, i wanted to ask you about mike pompeo. Hes the cia director who just had a meeting with rand paul, the senator from kentucky, who said he was going to vote against him. President trump asked senator paul to meet with mr. Pompeo and they had a meeting today. This is happening right at the time that weve learned mike pompeo had actually gone to pyongyang to try to set up the parameters for a possible meeting with kim jongun. He met with kim jongun. Yet it looks like hes going to have a hard time getting confirmed in the senate. This is congress reaching, i think, an incredibly low point. Here we have and i spoke to director pompeo on north korea a few weeks prior to his going over there because he didnt disclose he was going there. This man understands the issues, dana, and he also knows the profile of kim jongu. N. He went over there to stress test kim jonguns stress test. The fact that the president is moving towards a summit tells me theres an opportunity for progress. Think about it. Director pompeo is involved as a principle player in the most significant diplomatic effort that weve had in terms of a major achievement in 70 years. If this actually does happen, if we are on the cusp of denuclearizing north korea. Why would you want to keep him from being secretary of state, given the skill sets hes got . Its all about politics, unfortunately. Dana it certainly is. Its sickening to watch it, frankly. Dana well have a chance to talk to senator rob portman and well ask him about that. Jack keane, thank you. Puerto rico goes dark again. An update on restoring power to the territory after an island wide blackout. And lawmakers meeting over a bill to protect special Council Robert mueller if the president decides to fire him. What happened today behind closed doors. Patrick woke up with back pain. But he has work to do. So he took aleve. If hed taken tylenol, hed be stopping for more pills right now. Only aleve has the strength to stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. Aleve. All day strong. Lets team up to get the lady of the house back on her feet. And help her feel more strength and energy in just two weeks yaaay the complete balanced nutrition of great tasting ensure with 9 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. Ensure. Always be you. A heart transplant. Thats a whole different ballgame. I was in shock. I am very proud of the development of drugs that can prevent the rejection and prevent the recurrence of the original disease. I never felt i was going to die. 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Fox news is still working to confirm reports that there was a criminal referral by the Justice Departments internal watch dog, the Inspector General, over the former fbi Deputy Director Andrew Mccabe and his four counts of lying, three under oath as to his role in the leak of information about the clinton foundation. Whats key here is that the Inspector General can make criminal referrals in two ways. One is that after they finished their investigation and they concluded mccabe headlined federal investigator, they would send that information to the u. S. Attorneys here in washington for them to reach their own conclusion over whether there was a prosecutable case. The other option is that sometime ago, perhaps a couple months ago, the Inspector General, having concluded mccabe lied to federal investigators, then pushed that information to the u. S. Attorney and worked with the u. S. Attorney to determine whether criminal charges would be brought against him. The key thing here for critics of the fbi and many republicans on the hill is theyve made this argument that mccabe lied to federal investigators, he did it on multiple occasions, and members of the Trump Administration had to do big deals with the special counsel because they admitted to lying to federal investigators. They say theres got to be a uniformed standard here if youre going to get guilty pleas from members of the Trump Administration, you should also see if prosecution was warranted in the mccabe case. Dana whats going on with the Mueller Investigation . Reporter thats what i was up here to really cover originally on the hill. Were outside the Judiciary Committee hearing room. They had a business meeting this morning that lasted about an hour. Kind of a procedural event. For now they put off action on this Bipartisan Legislation to protect the special counsel. As you know, the Senate Majority leader expressed opposition to this legislation. What we heard from the committees republican chairman, Chuck Grassley and Diane Feinstein is that they are going to push ahead. Congress should at least require the executive branch to issue detailed reports to congress about the appointment investigation or removal of special counsel. Im concerned about requiring Law Enforcement officials to report prosecutorial decisions during open criminal investigations. In the name of transparency, we should not create new reporting requirements that could bring about obstruction or political pressure. Reporter one of the issues Committee Members are wrestling with is a possible amendment that would require additional reporting requirements for the special counsel to congress, but the bottom line is that this legislation is trying to add further protections for the existing special counsel, robert mueller. Only a senior Justice Department official could fire the special counsel in this case, the responsibility falls to Rod Rosenstein and if the special counsel were to be fired there would be an immediate and mandatory review. If it wasnt for cause, the special counsel would be reinstated. As you know yesterday in florida, the president didnt really indicate that firing either of these men was on his mind. As far as the two gentlemen you told me about, theyve been saying im going to get rid of them for the last three months, four months, five months, and theyre still here. Reporter so the thing to watch here, dana, is whether this amendment becomes a deal breaker for some members of the committee. And if we get more information on the Andrew Mccabe referral, the report, that referral, well bring it right to you on fox. Dana all right, thank you. Puerto ricos Power Company now says it has restored electricity to about 80 of the island after a downed transmission line put the entire territory in the dark yesterday. They are struggling to repair a power grid seven months after hurricane maria. Puerto rico restored electricity to 90 of its customers before this latest outage. Felons who served their time but still cant vote. A new effort to restore those rights and what it could mean to future elections. Hey we didnt have a homeowners claim last year so allstate is giving us money back on our bill. Well, that seems fair. We didnt use it. Wish we got money back on gym memberships. Get money back hilarious. With claimfree rewards. Switching to allstate is worth it. With a class leading 31mpgs nx combined estimate. Lease the 2018 nx 300 and nx 300 all wheel drive for these terms. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. You know whats not awesome . Gigspeed internet. When only certain people can get it. Lets fix that. 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That is, unless they wait five years after their sentence and then get specific permission from the state to cast a ballot. He hopes to change that. I think that theres nothing that speaks more to american citizenship than having the opportunity to have your voice heard. Reporter after serving his time, meade went to rehab, finished college and law school, even though florida also prevents him from practicing law. Meade and his organization, florida rights restoration coalition, are trying to restore Voting Rights with amendment iv. This is something that would create an opportunity for citizens to earn the ability to vote. And they do that when they serve their time. They include a portion of their sentence to include whatever fines or restitutions that they have to give once they see that stamp marked paid in full, as an american citizen they be given an opportunity to vote. Reporter amendment iv would not restore Voting Rights to those convicted of murder or felony sexual offense. Tampa bays attorney, who heads floridians for a sensible voting right policy, says such a blanket policy could set a bad precedent. There are already people out there talking about if it makes sense to automatically restore Voting Rights to convicted felons, maybe it also makes sense to automatically restore their Second Amendment right. The political issue of the day is never only about the political issue of the day. Its almost always about whats coming next. Reporter harrison says hes not completely opposed to felons voting, but that the normal klemm money process should not be ignored. Are we talking about a first time felon or somebody whos had a 20year life of crime . The amendment doesnt allow anybody to ask those questions. Reporter no matter what happens, its likely reform will be coming. As a recent District Court ruling said floridas method is discriminatory and ordered the state to come up with a new system. With amendment 4 on floridas ballot in november, the Court Decision could be a moot point. Pollsteres like josh altic say the amendment is quite popular. In florida, 60 . Thats one of the few states that have a simple majority requirement thats pretty high. Looks like they have a good 11 point margin. Polling indicates about 71 of voters are in favor of this. Reporter win or lose, amendment 4 could become a hot button issue, with some critics saying the surge in new voters would shift elections toward the Democratic Party. With a history of close races like the 2016 president ial election where President Trump won by only half a million votes, the amendment has given pause to many floridians. Thats why other liberal organizations are backing this with their money and effort. Thats why all three declared Democratic Candidates for governor have publicly stated theyre in support of amendment 4. And its not hard to see why. We should not try to silence someone just because we think that they dont agree with us. That is not what democracy is all about. So at the core of this issue shouldnt be about how we think people should vote. Reporter whatever happens, both parties will be watching. If nothing else, with florida a swing state, changing who can and cant vote could some day make the difference in a president ial election. You see voting and election law in all of the country. Its a huge deal. Different sides lining up on either sides of it. Reporter Governor Scott has already filed an appeal against the District Courts order citing the rules should be determined by people elected by floridians and not federal judges. One of the men we just met joins me now, desmond meade. Sir, thanks for being here with me today. I wanted to ask you a little bit about Public Opinion and how it might have changed from when you started this effort to where you are now. But let me first read to you a quote from Governor Scotts Spokes Person saying judge walker recklessly ordered elected officials to change decades of practice in a matter of weeks. The governor will always stand with victims of crimes not criminals. How do you respond to that . Welsh dana, first of all, let me thank you for having me on your show this afternoon. While this is an on going legal battle that i cannot personally comment on, what i can say is that whats most exciting and what grabs my attention more than anything, is the fact that over 1 million florida voters have signed a petition saying that we need to change the broken system in florida. Like you just reported, about twothirds of florida voters are agreeing with the way that folks should have an opportunity to earn the eligibility to vote again. And we know we have excluded murderers, excluded individuals who have been convicted of felony sex offenses. But the folks that have served their time, have paid their debt, they should be given that opportunity to earn that eligibility to vote. That is whats most exciting to me. Because the people standing up and saying that we need a change, that is to me an exciting show of democracy. Dana what do you put down for that change . Was there somebody that obviously, you are leading the charge there in florida now. What has been the difference that has made the big issue in florida . And what would you prefer . Do you want the court to rule on this or do you want the people of florida to voted on it in november . I think that we see that the environment is really right for a lot of reform, prison reform, second chances. That folks, especially when you say with the Opioid Crisis and drug crisis that this country has faced for quite a number of years, how its impacted so many families. And so when i traveled across the state, what i see are people from all political persuasions, from all walks of life, who this policy has impacted. When i hear the stories of veterans who have placed their lives on the line for this country, to come back to the state of florida and write a bad check and have to wait 30, 40 years before they are able to vote again, theres something wrong with that. Especially when you have states like texas and South Carolina and georgia that agree that american citizens should be able to earn their eligibility back to vote again, but yet florida is still only one of four states that refuse to get in line with the rest of the country. Dana its a fascinating issue. Its not one thats going to go away. But i appreciate you coming on and helping us understand it a little more. Desmond meade, thank you. Thank you so much. Dana mike pompeo is making the round of capitol hill, but facing an uphill battle from Senate Democrats who oppose his nomination for secretary of state. Ohio senator talks about his chances in his pow wow with senator rand paul. Plus, playing tribute to an iconic first lady. Were live in houston as preparations are under way for Barbara Bushs celebration of life. Today were out here with some big news. Jardiance is the only type 2 diabetes pill proven to both significantly reduce the chance of dying from a cardiovascular event in adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease. And lower your a1c. Wow. Jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. This may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. Ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing. 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Mark it down as one more example that hatred for mr. Trump has caused many opponents to abandon rational judgment. I noticed a tweet from Phillip Raines who works for Hillary Clinton. He said to senator bob corker, mike pompeo deserves a vote and confirmation as secretary of state. Remember Hillary Clinton and john kerry got 94 votes. Do you know whats memorable, senator corker, merritt garland getting zero votes so suck it up. Democrats to me had a pretty untenable position of not supporting mike pompeo, but Merrick Garland who did not get a vote in 2008. Thats where theyre going to try to hang your hat. Very different situation. Youre absolutely right. Traditionally secretaries of state are confirmed by huge numbers. Colin powell was confirmed by a unanimous vote, john kerry by 90 votes, Hillary Clinton, i think it was 85 votes for her. The point is people believed that the president had the right to have his people in place and particularly with regard to secretary of state. The question is whether youre qualified or not. Mike pompeo is imminentry qualified. He graduated top of his class at west point, army officer, harvard law school. Goes on to become an active member of the intelligence committee, cia where hes done a fine job. Hes qualified to do the job. The president needs somebody in that position that cares about the country. You should welcome somebody like that. Dana i noticed yesterday that when we find out that mike pompeo had gone to pyongyang to sit down with kim jongun with the hope of seeing if theres a way to have a constructive meeting about denuclearizing the peninsula, that senator blumenthal on that same day said mike pompeos disdain diplomacy. I dont now how you can sustain that position . I was there for the hearing. I said a lot of back and forth for the democrats. He not only does not disdain diplomacy, he realizes top power is absolutely critical. He said much like colin powell and others who have been in uniform and then become secretary of state. He said as a military officer in particular, he appreciates the fact that talk power is our alternative. I think hes kind of like general mattis in that regard. General mattis wants him there and wants somebody strong there because he wants to use diplomacy to avoid war. Dana i also wanted to have you on to talk about the onlike sex trafficking bill that the president signed. He spoke about it this afternoon. Take a listen. You look at Human Trafficking is worse than its ever been in the history of this world. Who would think in this modern day age. Theyre using very sophisticated equipment. They use the internet practically better than anybody uses the internet. Dana i dont know about the historical relevance in terms of the largest problem in the world ever at this point, but the online portion of it did actually cause a huge amount of an increase and risk for people being trafficked. And how did your bill help protect them . Well, we spent three years studying this. The president is right. Unfortunately here in this country tphrbg this century, weve seen an increase in trafficking. Trafficking is primarily attributed increase to the Online Presence of websites like backstage. Com that are selling women and children online. Our legislation i think has already, in just a weeks time that its been in effect, resulted in the shutdown of a lot of these websites, maybe over half of them, because for the First Time Ever people will be able to sue prosecutor will be able to prosecute these cases. And so the legislation is absolutely necessary. It changed the federal law to enable people to go after these websites that are doing illegal activity online. And thank you, dana, because youve been talking about this issue for a long time. Dana i learned more about it. They want me to go. But i dont think people realize, its not just something thats happening somewhere else. It could be happening right around you. Even to people that you know, especially younger women. Ill give you the last word. Every community. Weve made huge progress. Again, thank you for raising the awareness. Dana thank you for all you did to get it passed and working bipartisanly. Hopefully it does some good. Senator portman, thank you. In light of the starbucks policy and how well known it is to many why these two men were appalled when they were asked to leave. For this reason, me, i apologize to them. Dana philadelphias Police Commissioner is apologizing to the two black men arrested at a starbuck. He initially defended his officers but today said he failed miserably in his response. The men were waiting for a friend when one asked to use the bathroom but did not buy anything. That resulted in these arrests. Captured on a now viral video. Barbara bush will be honored in houston tonight. A celebration of her life is planned at city hall ahead of her funeral. Casey, the city has been paying tribute to the former first lady since she passed away. Reporter indeed. This is all so well choreographied. People have been working around the clock, behind the scenes, day and night, really to get everybody in order. The epi center of it all happens to be where we are, which is this beautiful church, st. Martins episcopal in houston. Less than one mile from the bush family home here in houston and where mrs. Bush attended service with her husband. Tomorrow at noon the doors open to the public and will remain open until midnight for anyone who wishes to come pay their respects and see the former first lady. The following day, saturday, Barbara Bushs invite only funeral will take place here at the church. Among the notable dignitaries in attendance, first lady melania trump, barack obama, bill clinton, former first Lady Michelle obama, former first lady, secretary of state Hillary Clinton. The names go on and on. But first a big celebration planned tonight at houston city hall. It will be a sight to see. City hall all lit up in blue. Thousands expected to turn out for this event. She was so beloved here in the houston community, admired around the world, as you know, dana, but she will always have an extra special place in the city of houstons heart. So this is their thank you to her. Dana what happens after the funeral on saturday . Reporter we understand the casket will be loaded up into the hearse publicly in front of the church. Then the motorcade will begin. Its quite a trek. Some 92 miles northwest of houston to College Station texas. Of course, home to the george h. W. Bush president ial library and museum. Also where the private family plot is. And barbara bush will be laid to rest by her daughter robin, who died from leukemia just before her 4th birthday. That ceremony will be private, family only. No doubt extremely emotional for everyone, especially her loving husband. I called him. He said, im kind of a cry baby. Not feeling good. Hes not completely hes physically better than he was a month ago. Hes in and out mentally. Hes surrounded by family love for sure. But this was a partnership. This is not something hes gonna say, im gonna build a new life now. Not gonna happen. Well be praying for him. Reporter and president obama acknowled president bush thanks everyone for sending their thoughts and prayers and well wishes to himself and the west of the bush family. Dana . Dana certainly think that everyone is thinking of him. Youre right. I will be live in houston to anchor the Daily Briefing tomorrow. I will be joined by former reagan and bush 41 press secretary Marlon Fitswater and Texas Governor greg abbott, as we continue to honor the life of barbara bush. Rising gas prices spelling bad news for drivers. So how high will they go as we approach summer driving season . Plus republicans facing new head winds as they battle to keep control of the house in november. From only the thickest, juiciest heinz tomatoes. No one grows ketchup like heinz™. Oone part ribs. Two parts incredible. New steak ribs at outback. 15. 99 for a limited time. Get a 6oz sirloin and make it your own with a choice of honey sriracha, barbecue, or dry rub ribs. So hurry in to outback now. Dana brand new signs of trouble for House Republicans ahead of the midterms. A political report shifting search house races to the left in gop strong holds, predicting democrats now have an improved chance of winning all seven contests. Time now, the democratic director for the Congressional Campaign committee, colin reed, Senior Vice President of public affairs. Listen to this about republicans and how they lag on fundraising. A whopping 43 House Republicans raised less money than democratic challengers in the first three months of 2018. An overlapping group of 16 republican incumbents already have less cash on hand than democratic challengers. Its a mirror image of this time in 2010, search months before republicans picked up house seats during president obamas first term. Ty, let me go to you first. You probably remember that 2010 midterm in which democrats lost a ton of seats. Are republicans not realizing that theyre facing the same uphill battle as the democrats did in 2010 . I think what really happens is youve got two sets of House Republicans. You have ones who have had competitive races in the past and ones that hasnt. The wave catches people who arent used to running competitive races. Of those seven you put up, most dont know theyre in trouble because theyve never been in trouble. Dana maybe they do now because hopefully they will watch the Daily Briefing. Colin reed, youre very skilled in figuring out the messaging for campaigns. Do the republicans realize theyve got a good story to tell and are they out there telling it . Yeah, dana, thats one thing republicans have going for them is that they are all united around their economic messaging involving the tax cuts they had last year with no democratic support. Meanwhi meanwhile, the democrats had a lot going for them, but what they dont have is a message. They are squabbling about single payor healthcare. But have yet to circle around a coherent message. Until they do thats one thing they dont have going for them. Dana ty, let me have you respond. Yesterday we were talking about four of the five new candidates they have put forward were veterans. I would say probably moderates. Theyre not progressives. Is there a disconnect between maybe what im perceiving in the media in terms of the base of the Democratic Party and then the candidates that are being put forward, which seem much more moderate . I think what youre seeing is in house campaigns it is solo callized. Theyre not like a president ial or even a Senate Campaign which sort of drafts on to national wins. The only thing about what colin mentioned is midterms are always a referendum on the president. Republicans didnt have a wonderful message in 2010 and democrats in 2006 didnt have a unifying message. It is always a referendum on the president. Dana so then, colin, just given that, are republicans what we saw in 2016 is it didnt matter how much money you had. President trump spent less money than Hillary Clinton to get elected. Do you think thats true in midterm elections . Yeah, lot of these republicans who face tough races this year all face tough races in 2016 and everyone thought they were going to lose then and they did not. They won. They overcame the odds. So, look, if these races become referendums on the National Political environment, its gonna be a tough night for republicans. But what the highest point, what these individual races can do is make it a choice between two candidates. When theres a choice, its anyones ball game. Dana i was going to ask you about tennessee and texas but were out of time, so hold that thought and well have you back next week to talk about it. Thank you. Thank you. Dana crude oil prices are spiking as demand for gas soars to record highs. How much more you could be paying at the pump. Dana crude Oil Prices Keep rising and thats driving up gas prices across the country ahead of the busy Summer Travel season. Fox businesss network jeff flock is in lamont, illinois. Jeff, how high are gas prices now . Reporter theyre getting high. Theyre high and theyre getting higher, dana. Take a look at that refinery behind me. Making gas as fast as they can. Gas is now 2. 74 a gallon on average in this country. Thats 0. 30 more than it was a year ago, but its risen 0. 20 just in the last month. We found a gas station in california just on the edge of the Mojave Desert thats charging 5. 29 a gallon of regular gas. Getting a little desperate as theyre about to head through the desert. Whats causing all of this . In some sense its a perfect storm of factors. Many of them geopolitical. Venezuela, im in front of the citgo refinely which is owned by the venezuelan government, citgo, of course, a company that relies on venezuelan crude. Their production way down because of unrest in the country. Unrest in syria also putting pressure, upward pressure on prices. Then, of course, iran, potential sanctions on iranian oil if we pull out of the iran nuclear deal. Last but not least, good old fashion supply and demand. This economy is humming along. More gas being burned than anticipated, and the supply, well, weve exhausted what was a supply situation that we were awash in oil. Not so much anymore. Dont go out and buy that gas guzzler just yet. Keep that little car. I like it when its like that. Dana very simple. We get it. All right. Thank you, jeff. Teaming up for a good cause. How the new york yankees are helping a victim of bullying. Alright, i brought in high protein to help get us moving. And help you feel more strength and energy in just two weeks ill take that. Yeeeeeah ensure high protein. With 16 grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar. Ensure. Always be you. What mahearthealthyle salad the california walnuts. Ver . The best simple veggie dish ever . California walnuts. The best simple dinner ever . Great tasting, hearthealthy california walnuts. So simple, so good. Get the recipes at walnuts. Org. Flood watches are in effect across hawaii as the idea is expecting more heavy rain to end the week. As much as 28 inches fell over a 24hour period last weekend. It caused massive floodings and landslides on kawhi. Several homes were destroyed and the waters washed out the main road leading to the north shore of the islands. The new york yankees are standing up for a pennsylvania fourth grader that said shes been the target of bullies. Cassidy slater posted a video that went viral online detailing her struggles saying no one would sit with her alunch. 23 yankee players and manager aaron boone made their own video response saying they were saving a seat for her at their clubhouse and they have her back. In case you missed it, i sat down with the ladies of the view and the paper back release of my book. I had a good time being there. Thanks. Im dana. Heres shep. Shepard its noon on the west coast, 3 00 in washington. Theres word of new trouble for the former fbi director Andrew Mccabe. He lost his job and fighting to keep his pension after a report that he lied to investigators. Now he could face criminal charges. Well take you to the Syrian Border to listen to people that said they survived the chemical attack. And the firefighters that stepped out to help a woman on a Southwest Airlines yet and a woman was nearly sucked into the sky. Im trained for emergency situations. Thats what it was. Shepard lets get to it