REWARD-01
Allegedly Interfering In The Presidential Election; Secretary Of State John
Kerry Was Slammed By Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu For Those
Comments Yesterday; President-Elect Trump Considering Big Change At
Department Of Veterans Affairs; President-Elect Trump Keeping Promise To
Help Bring Jobs Back To The United States; Transition Of Power Has Begun
Tug-Of-War Between President-Elect Trump And Obama - Part 2>
Scaramucci>
Attack; White House; Veterans; Employment; Veterans Affairs; Healthcare;
Jobs; Employment; Economy; Politics>
MEYER: I think that has to happen that way. I don't see it is not going to happen where Israel won't accept it, right. It's a tough problem. It is one we have for decades and decades. And it is going to be tough for President Trump, and now even tougher for president-elect Trump to try to fix this problem. You are going to have to rethink everything. You are going to have to think outside the box. And one thing one thing that is excited about the Trump administration and what they're putting together for the next term is that some things that you would never think of, solutions, are coming out of it and working already. And he is not even president. So I think there is some hope there. You know, people have said that Trump cannot accomplish things. I said Trump couldn't accomplish things. And all of a sudden, it happens. So I'm holding out hope. I think everyone should hold out hope. But there's no doubt that the circumstances on the ground are very tough to deal with.
SHAPIRO: Ron Meyer, thank you very much for joining us today on Risk and Reward.
MEYER: Thank you, Adam.
SHAPIRO: Despite trading wars, President Obama and president-elect Trump continue to say they have a good relationship. We will ask the definition of good though. We're going to ask a member of the transition team on how the two are really getting along.
But first, president-elect Trump is considering privatizing portions, if not all, of the DA. We are going to ask state representative, Al Baldasaro weighs in next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHAPIRO: It came out recently that president-elect Trump is considering a big change at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a change that would allow some veterans to bypass the V.A. healthcare system and obtain private sector care instead. Now, this after disturbing revelations of the veterans dying while they were waiting for treatment placed on the now infamous waiting list at places like the V.A. hospital in Phoenix. Joining me now is veteran and state representative Al Baldasaro. Thank you for being here, Sir.
AL BALDASARO, STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you for having me.
SHAPIRO: I know that several veteran organizations have come out against the potential of privatizing portions of V.A. healthcare. Is there room to have portions of the V.A. healthcare system privatized? Would that help reform it or is that really not a solution?
BALDASARO: Well I think there is some confusion on those veteran groups coming out on the privatization. Right now, we already have privatization that's going on throughout the country. It is a pilot program. We have in the V.A., which is called the fee basis, that they send out veterans out to the private sector. Donald Trump's plan does not privatize the V.A. His thoughts are about modernizing the V.A. But what it does talk about instead of a choice card, where you have to call a third-party and ask for permission to go see a doctor because you can't go into the V.A., he wants a medical card, just like we do like for instance if you are on welfare or if you're a refugee. You can have a choice, wherever you want to go.
SHAPIRO: What a potential solution because I can remember the V.A. being in constant headlines of bad care for at least 30 years. And this issue has not gone away. Would it make more sense to roll the V.A. and I don't say this as a joke, I mean it quite seriously, into the healthcare system that the members of Congress kept, because that's the Cadillac Rolls Royce best healthcare system under the sun. Will that perhaps solve the problem?
BALDASARO: Well, you know, that sounds all great. But the bottom-line is that the Congress healthcare that they get there is no studies going on, unless it is not a syndrome, age, PTSD, TBI, that goes on within the V.A. It's very important for veterans, just like myself. I use the V.A. but when I have my heart attack or my gallbladder out, I use my insurance. I have choice. I had to go to a civilian doctor because we don't have a full-service hospital here. But we have a great care center with specialized clinics that takes care the needs of the veterans. But I had a choice. And that is what Donald Trump's plan talks about. I mean, his plan -- it has been out there since he ran. I helped him write the plan. It is on his website.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: You bring up a very important point that many of us fail to note about or forget, but it is the research at V.A. centers. It is called Gulf War syndrome (ph), which was a huge headline in the 1990s. I know about this because I lived in Indianapolis. It was the V.A. hospital in Indianapolis that was able to figure out what was going on along with studies of people who had come out of it now closed. That is a service that the V.A. performed that is working. Is it not?
BALDASARO: Oh, it is working big time. If you look at the water, many veterans and marines, they got sick down there in North Carolina. They are finding a lot of the disabilities that go with that. It's a win-win for the veteran community. We do not want that. Donald Trump is not looking to get rid of the V.A. because if they go to his website, he talks about modernizing it. It's a no brainer because you have many veterans that are happy with the V.A. We just need to fix the accountability where we can fire people that do not treat the whole veteran and they treat veterans like terrible and they try to push them out the door and a 10-minute appointment.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: When I said OK, I didn't mean to cut you off short.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDASARO: This is a no-brainer what Trump is doing.
SHAPIRO: And with that, I'm going to give you the last word. We appreciate you not only been with us, but of course, your service to the country, Sir.
BALDASARO: Thank you.
SHAPIRO: President-elect Trump announced a jobs victory last night, just the beginning of his economic plan. What else is on the agenda? We're going to ask Trump transition team member, you know well, he's here. We got Scaramucci up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I was told by the head people at Sprint and they're going to be bringing 5,000 jobs back into the United States that are taken from other countries. They are bringing them back to the United States. And Masa (ph) and some other people were very much involved in that. So I want to thank them. And also, OneWeb, a new company, is going to be hiring 3,000 people. So that's very exciting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHAPIRO: President-elect Trump is keeping his promise to help bring jobs back to the United States, with the addition of 8,000 more jobs to the country. We covered that yesterday. But joining me now is presidential transition team executive committee member, Anthony Scaramucci. Good to have you here. Before we get into the details.
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER: Yes.
SHAPIRO: You know, we've got the boisterous Donald Trump and the brazen perhaps President Obama, although I shouldn't use adjectives. Do they get along or is there kind of a.
SCARAMUCCI: I think it's an early stage in their relationship. I mean, they probably spent a total of 90 minutes to 2 hours together. And they have been on the phone a few times. But I think what happens -- and you and I were talking about this at the break, I think these guys get together because they realize the heat of the job and the intensity. Richard Nixon said it was a very lonely job.
SHAPIRO: Yes.
SCARAMUCCI: And you have got four -- there will be five people now living presidents, once President Obama leaves office. I think there is connectivity between all of them. And there is a level of solidarity once you see all of the stuff.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: It is an exclusive club.
SCARAMUCCI: I will just point this out. I have President Bush at my conference a few years ago. He said something to 2,000 people -- he said you know I don't care what your resume looks like, you are not prepared for the job. The first real intense briefing that he got was on January 21st. And it changed the color of his face. And I think what ends up happening is, these guys get bonded, they love the country, obviously they are ideologically different.
SHAPIRO: Yes.
SCARAMUCCI: But they love the country and I think they have the best intentions for the country. They're just going to go about it differently.
SHAPIRO: Let's talk about good intentions in bringing jobs back to the United States.
SCARAMUCCI: Uh-huh.
SHAPIRO: It is the latest in a string of announcements by the president- elect about jobs coming back to the U.S. He hasn't even officially taken office yet. So can we expect more of this and I know that critics say he should be meddling with private enterprise. But on the other hand, I can't recall in the last 20 to 25 years when a president was so actively involved in standing up for American workers.
SCARAMUCCI: I think it is a fabulous thing. I find it really puzzling that guys on the left that are for the American worker or for the working class people are upset with president-elect Trump advocating on their behalf and trying to get their wages up and trying to secure manufacturing jobs and other types of jobs, Adam. So I can't understand that. No one will be able to explain it to me. Here is what I will say about the president-elect, which I absolutely. He has a personal commitment to this. He loves people. And I think what the American people are going to discover once he becomes the president for everybody, that he loves people and he loves seeing people do well. He loves the people around him doing well. He props up everybody's success. He's been unbelievably gracious to me and my family. And he looks out for people. And I think this is something that the American people are really going to enjoy once he is the president of the United States.
SHAPIRO: I am going to ask you if this is a possibility because I witnessed among my family and friends, but I think might be underestimating the president-elect because he does things so differently.
SCARAMUCCI: Uh-huh.
SHAPIRO: . than the way the establishment and the country has for the last 60 or 70 years. And they equate that with ignorance. But I don't think this man is ignorant at all.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: He gets things done in a way that nobody in Washington has had to get things done for decades.
SCARAMUCCI: And I watch them in these meetings. He can read people in the meeting in a way that is just fascinating to watch. And he is incredibly savvy and he has very good judgment on things. He's also a risk taker. He has a lot of guts. And so, he wants peace in the Middle East. And so, he will put things on the table that people didn't think of before. He's a disruptive entrepreneurial person. He is also very adaptive. So you tell him what the rules are, and if the game gets jumbled a little bit, he is a he's the kind of guy that will step back from it and look at it, and put the puzzle pieces.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: He can adapt.
SCARAMUCCI: Yeah. He has done that in his business career, you know. Churchill once said when he was 65 and became prime minister, he said all of the ups and downs of my life had now prepared me for this job. And I feel that way about president-elect Trump. He has had rising tide in his business, a lowering tide, and then success again. He has really had the process of that and still a lot of confidence, but also a lot of flexibility and adaptability in his personality.
SHAPIRO: If I had a British accent, I would say the ruling class -- to watch because they had been thrown out of power.
(CROSSTALK)
SCARAMUCCI: Quietly, they're actually secretly saying wow, this is going to be great. There is going to be growth. The economy is going to grow. The consumption cycle is going to start again, Adam. There will be a big opportunity for America to feel good about itself again. And he's already doing that. Look at the consumer confidence.
SHAPIRO: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
SCARAMUCCI: Even the professional economist and the pundits that don't like Mr. President-Elect, they have to give him credit for it. I love that. I love that about him.
SHAPIRO: And that's where we will end this discussion. Anthony Scaramucci, thank you very much.
SCARAMUCCI: Happy New Year.
SHAPIRO: Happy New Year.
Coming up, with just 22 days left in the Obama presidency, he is still pursuing foreign policy changes and environmental rules, even executive orders. Some say he is undermining the incoming administration. We are going to debate that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHAPIRO: The transition of power has begun with a tug-of-war with what began as a surprisingly pleasant association between president-elect Trump and Obama, now ending with let's say the rhetoric is getting a little hostile. Twenty-two days left in President Obama's presidency and he has pursued what some people would say as aggressive foreign policy changes, environmental rules, even executive orders.
The power panel is back. Joining me again, don't go anywhere, I just will let you know that president-elect Trump could issue a statement on the sanctions and the steps the United States is taking, throwing out Russian diplomats. If he does that, we have to interrupt everybody. But let me start right now with you, Gina. Is the Obama administration acting in the best interest of the United States or are they trying to throw obstacles in the way of the incoming administration?
GINA LOUDON, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: This is true colors. This is very sad to see. And I'm seeing a lot -- I'm really making a big bold statement in my own mind when I say that this may be one of the most un-American things Obama has done yet. He has done a lot of un-American things. But this process, this transition time, that are founders have set-up for a peaceful and smooth transition for the American people, for him to attempt to undermine president-elect Trump is not only completely selfish and un- American. It will back fire.
(CROSSTALK)
LOUDON: Because as you know, president-elect Trump does not take kindly to anyone confronting him publicly.
SHAPIRO: OK.
LOUDON: Rest assured, there will be a reversal.
SHAPIRO: I got to get Jessica in here because I'm watching the clock.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: I know you want to respond to that.
JESSICA TARLOV, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: No, I do. Thank you for the time to do it. Listen, I greatly respect you and I understand what you're saying. There are people on both sides who were upset about the extension of the U.N. vote. And I get that.
SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
TARLOV: I can see both sides of this. On one hand, it's a continuation of U.S. policy. And President Obama was trying to send a shot across the battle saying what we are doing right now with the two-state solution as our goal is not working. But at the same time, when you listen to Bibi Netanyahu up there, talking how the Palestine doesn't even want to recognize the Jewish state. You have to say, well, got to be on this side right here. So it is complicated. I understand how that's a big deal in terms of the executive action. He is still well below other level of Bill Clinton and George Bush. And Trump can overturn them or the Congressional Review Act, they can get it that way as well.
But when Gina said this is supposed to be a smooth period, yeah, it started out really well. And then, you know, Donald Trump is not necessarily the most mature person. And I think President Obama has gotten a little feisty himself. But listen, he has another 22 days left. And he is still the president. And when president-elect Trump undermines him, you know, you have a chat with Taiwan, for instance, I don't even know if it was the worst thing in the world, but I know that it certainly wasn't diplomatically cleared.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: We only have 30 seconds. I'm giving Gina the last word on this. I mean, not mature, that's the word that made my eyebrow.
(CROSSTALK)
TARLOV: That's the most polite way I could say.
SHAPIRO: Gina.
LOUDON: I think that president-elect Trump has demonstrated his maturated throughout this transition process, holding his tongue when most people couldn't have. I think he has demonstrated -- he's going to be a great president. And I think it is going to be a great, very interesting 2017 for all of us to analyze, don't you?
SHAPIRO: Yeah.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAPIRO: . because he is tweeting.
TARLOV: Yes.
SHAPIRO: We are going to be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHAPIRO: OK. Any minute now, we are going to get a response from president-elect Trump on the White House sanctions on Russia. That's expected to be out again now. And we'll bring you the latest when it happens.
Also, breaking news in Russia, the Russians are reacting. They are closing the Anglo-American school in Moscow. We're going to have much more of this. Because it is a developing story, stay tuned to the Fox Business Network. I'm going to throw it to David Asman who is going to bring you up to speed.
END
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