REWARD-00
Trump's Cabinet; Ford Announces Concealment of Plan to build a $1.6 Billion
Plant in Mexico; Julian Assange Doubling Down; President Obama to Make his
Final Presidential Farewell Address in Chicago; Bruce Springsteen Compare
Trump to Genie Out of a Bottle; Air Travel Tempers Running High - Part 1>
Wurzelbacher, Robert Sicilliano, Robert Sicilliano, Brunell Donald-Kyei,
Tom Fitton >
Employment and Unemployment; Cybersecurity; Government; Aviation; Children;
Safety; Families; Internet; Furnitures >
MELISSA FRANCIS, FBN HOST: That does it for us, RISK & REWARD starts right now.
DAVID ASMAN, FBN HOST: Bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are going to lower taxes on American business from 35 percent to 15 percent.
(CROWD CHEERING)
We will massively cut taxes for the middle class, real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare.
At the core of my contract is my plan to bring back our jobs, trade policies of Hillary Clinton from NAFTA to China to Korea to the Trans- Pacific partnership, which is by the way, is a disaster.
Drain the swamp. Drain the swamp.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH MACDONALD, FBN HOST: Time to drain the swamp, Congress got a wake-up call about just that from President-elect Donald Trump today.
Welcome to RISK & REWARD. I'm Elizabeth MacDonald, in for Deirdre Bolton.
It is day one of America's 115th Congress, they sworn in today. What is the house republicans do? What was the first thing they did? They undercut President-elect Trump's vow to drain the swamp in D.C. by gutting the Congressional Ethics Office panel. It's the only independent oversight panel of Congress.
The president-elect strong arming the GOP back in line in the House saying, quote, "With all that Congress has to work on, do they have to make the weakening of the independent ethic watchdog as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority? Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance. Hash tag, drain the swamp."
Votes were just called for President-elect Trump transition team vice chair, she is republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn just came off the floor she was voting; she is joining me now via phone. Good to have you, Congresswoman.
REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TENNESSEE: It is good to be with you. Thank you. And yes, I have been on the floor and voting.
MACDONALD: So here is the thing with this first move to gut this ethics panel. It's taking off on Twitter, Congresswoman. It's now being a joke that the GOP is acting like it's my party, now lie if I want to, jet swamps and thieves, oops, I bribe you again.
Isn't this a colossal mistake to gut the ethics panel? Isn't this exactly what Senator Schumer said Obama should have done and focus on jobs first and not health reform. Why did the GOP make this move and not do what Trump wants focus on jobs, focus on health reform?
BLACKBURN: Yes, you know, Liz, it's one of those things where rules package gets voted on by the conference before the swearing in takes place. And I tell you what. I think that timing on this was absolutely terrible.
There is bipartisan agreement is that the steps that need to be taken to bring transparency and accountability and allow individuals who are being accused to know who is their accuser, and to know where the accusation is coming from. All of that is transparency that needs to happen. It's bipartisan agreement and I've already have one democrat ask me how soon they think...
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: Yes, Congresswoman, let me jump in here. We get that.
BLACKBURN: Yes.
MACDONALD: We understand that. We people understand the unfairness. You just don't make it the first move right out of the box. Because you are just going to get, listen, the GOP has control of both the House and the Senate, ethics are going to be an, credibility is going to be an issue, it's a mistake to do that as your first move, right?
BLACKBURN: It is. Yes, it's a timing.
MACDONALD: Yes.
BLACKBURN: It's a time issue and it's something that because this has been the rules package gets voted on, in it is a part of the rules of the House that that is when the vote occurred. But I'm with you. The timing on it was absolutely terrible even though bringing transparency and accountability is what has to happen. And you know what, I think we'll get back to this very soon. And it will come from the ethics committee to the floor separately, and then the rolled...
MACDONALD: OK.
BLACKBURN: ... rolled package.
MACDONALD: All right. Let's turn to the transition. Remember, President Obama promised a smooth presidential transition. And remember when Hillary Clinton said democrats would give Donald Trump a chance. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) FORMER UNITE STATES PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We must accept this result, and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: Well, unlike what the GOP did, the GOP basically accepted the president's first cabinet choices. Now democrats -- and that was in 2009, democrats are moving to block eight of Trump's cabinet nominees. They're planning demanding more personal financial tax returns and financial information about these eight nominees.
So, Congresswoman, what happened to President Obama's smooth transition? Are they following his or Hillary's advice?
BLACKBURN: Well, they are not, they are going to try to obstruct the process for these individuals. They seem to have picked out who they want to block or slowdown the nominations of. And it's not surprising to us to see that health care is one of the ones they want to go after.
Education and removing some of the common core provisions. That's another, you know, they're going after the -- Betsy DeVos who would be the secretary there. So, I think that what they are trying to do is say, OK, where can we slow the process down and gum up the works.
Now, this is a typical because they are misreading the American people once again. Just this they misread them through the election, people voted for change. They want to see things done.
MACDONALD: Yes.
BLACKBURN: And there is a terrible misreading of what is going to be the process, and I think you are going to see -- you're going to see them -- the democrats continue with this.
MACDONALD: Right.
BLACKBURN: I believe it's going to backfire on them.
MACDONALD: Yes, Congresswoman, let's go to that other side of the political aisle. Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi now putting the Obamacare blame it's going to put on republicans, saying, quote, "if you break it you buy it, republicans." Let's take a listen. I want your reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY PELOSI, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MINORITY LEADER: The fact is the old thing of going into a China shop, you break it you own it. This is -- they are dealing with something that is very when I say complex, it's sophisticated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: OK. A quick recap. This is a law that passed in the House and Senate with no republican votes, zero. Remember when Nancy Pelosi also said it was better to pass it than to know what's in it. Roll tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it away from the fog of the controversy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: OK. You got all that? Let's fast forward to today. Congressman -- woman, is this what happens what Nancy Pelosi is saying today, is this how politicians behave today they pass bills, when they pass bills that they haven't even read?
BLACKBURN: It is astounding, and of course everybody was just stunned when she made that remark. Here is what we do know, the disruption to the health care system came about because of Obamacare.
And if you go back to 2010 when we were having this debate, we had provisions that were patient-centered that were on the table, the democrats had provisions that were government-centered that were on the table. We went to government-centered route, what do we know? It does not work.
The insurance is too expensive to afford. It is too expensive to use because of this deductibles. The networks have narrowed, access to healthcare is more difficult now than ever.
So what we're trying to do is restore some order and access and affordability to the health care system.
MACDONALD: Yes, Congresswoman, to your point, Donald Trump responded saying, quote, "People must remember that Obamacare does not work, it's not affordable, more than double the increases in Arizona, up 116 percent, and remember how Bill Clinton also called it crazy." Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So you got this crazy system where all of a sudden, 25 million more people have health care, and then the people are busting it sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half. It's the craziest thing in the world. The insurance model doesn't work here, it's not like cash, it's not like predicting flood. It doesn't work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: Your thoughts, Congresswoman?
BLACKBURN: Well, he is right. It does not work. But what we also have to remember is in 1994, his wife, Secretary Clinton, led the fight for Hillarycare which Obamacare was based on. And here you go in theory, they thought this was going to work in '94, they did Tennessee Medicaid delivery system as a test case. The program was called Tenncare, it nearly bankrupted the state.
Within 10 years it was 35.3 percent of the state budget and the program had to be taken down.
MACDONALD: Yes.
BLACKBURN: And it was eliminated. So, you're right. It does not work, and I'm glad that the president, former president finally realized this all these years later, it is the craziest thing you've seen to run the health insurance crisis to the point that you can't afford them unless you get a subsidy, and when you get it you can't afford to use it because the deductibles are so high. It's like having no insurance at all.
MACDONALD: Yes.
BLACKBURN: Or just the major medical policy.
MACDONALD: Well, Congresswoman, thank you so much for stepping up the floor from your votes there. I really appreciate you coming on the show.
BLACKBURN: Happy to be with you. Thank you so much.
MACDONALD: OK. Thank you.
BLACKBURN: Ba-bye.
MACDONALD: We've got Democrat National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, she's back. She's now talking like that she herself may want a seat at Donald Trump's table. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRAT NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN: He has an enormous opportunity as every president in the first 100 days to show that you know, he is eager to find common ground to meet with you know, democrats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: All right. You heard that, but will president-elect be open to that after Donna Brazile said all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAZILE: I denounce Donald Trump for not denouncing the kind of vitriol, the kind of violence that he has perpetrated with his angry rhetoric.
Since I play straight up, and I'll play straight up with you. I did not receive any questions from CNN.
No boo-boo. And next time don't bring me no e-mails unless you clean your system, Ok. Don't bring nothing corrupt to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Given all you said about this hack do you think that Donald Trump's win was legitimate?
BRAZILE: Donald Trump used this information in ways to also sew division, I was very disappointed in his repeated usage of some of the stolen information, he used it as if he received daily talking points.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was the election legit?
BRAZILE: The election was tainted by this intrusion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: Let's take this to Independent Women's Forum Sabrina Schaeffer, and Young Democrats of America president, Atima Omara. They are here to discuss this all out. Sabrina, first up, should Trump negotiate with democrats? I mean, maybe can Trump -- maybe Trump can launch a new era after Obama's trash talking style and refuses to learn from political loses. I mean, the partisan divide is now a canyon. What do you think, Sabrina?
SABRINA SCHAEFFER, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Yes, you know, it's the -- you know that I'm someone who sort of a glass half full. So I am all for coming to the table, I do think of course, obviously democrats are in a rebuilding period right now. They realize that they are, you know, the party in the minority and that they have a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the American people.
And so there is a lot for them to gain by working with the party in power. That being said, I think that there are plenty of areas where republicans and democrats, if they can get beyond the political vitriol can agree. I think things like criminals justice reform, things like ethics, things like Russia, education.
These are areas where there is a lot of agreement, even on some of the women's issues. Things like paid leave and child care. So, I feel very optimistic that with the right kind of leadership...
MACDONALD: Right.
SCHAEFFER: ... and the right conversation we can move the ball forward in all of these issues.
MACDONALD: You know what, Atima, Sabrina makes an important point. And there's a starting point here, right, Atima? That everyone agrees to the government-issued set of facts, this is what the government is saying. You know, Donna Brazile is saying that, basically the democrats have done well economically.
We have anemic 1.5 percent growth, a record number of working-age men out of a job. Real unemployment falls in 11 percent. We got Harvard and Princeton now saying that you know that more than 10 million net new jobs created between 2005 and 2015, well, more than 9 out of 10 of those are temporary contract based. They're not the conventional 9 to 5 positions. We got more people work -- dropping out of the workforce than ever before. It seems -- and we've got household income at 1997 levels from Bill Clinton was his office -- was in office.
So we can agree on those facts and maybe when we agree on the facts, Atima, we can -- democrats and the republicans sit at the table and figure out how to fix it, right?
ATIMA OMARA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, as I said with the thing that we can definitely agree on is absolutely that the economy when Obama took over, you know, was perfectly the unemployment was higher than 10 percent, it's now at 4.9 percent.
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: No, no. Fall in at 11. No, Atima, come on. Let's be straight.
OMARA: No, OK. Liz, let me -- if you actually are going ask me...
MACDONALD: Let's be straight. Fully it's in 11 percent.
OMARA: If you're going to ask me...
MACDONALD: Well, I'm asking you to agree on government issued facts but you are still doing the ministry of whitewash.
OMARA: If you ask me a question let me answer.
MACDONALD: Sabrina, no, I will ask you a question when get the facts straight. This is the problem with this big partisan gridlock.
OMARA: Unemployment -- what is -- what is the government actually says -- the government is actually says that the unemployment stats from 10 percent to 4.9 percent.
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: No, no, no, fully, let's take it back.
OMARA: This is exactly why...
MACDONALD: Sorry. Go, Sabrina. No, Sabrina, what is the full unemployment, Sabrina?
OMARA: This is exactly why you cannot ask how unemployment because all you want to do is simply talk about white wash.
MACDONALD: No, no, no, you're top spinning. No, I'm not.
OMARA: You're not letting me answer the question.
MACDONALD: Sabrina, what's the full -- Atima, stop for a second. Sabrina, what's the full unemployment rate for people who have been out of a job for longer than six months when you factor those in?
SCHAEFFER: You know, I don't have that number.
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: It's 7.5 percent.
SCHAEFFER: Seven and a half, OK. All I do know with this is that for the last eight years there have been a lot of people, women included, who have been struggling, there's a lot of young people who left college with massive, you know, loans they now have to back without jobs. We have a lot of people in different parts of the country who are struggling, we have a lot of people who have lost their health care or whose premiums are poised to go up.
So, I think that there are a lot of challenges that Americans face, but we do need to be able to say, hey, you know what? Debate and having political differences as Atima and I might have is a good thing, it's a cornerstone of our democracy but now time it's to get beyond the name calling and that goes to both sides of the political aisle and sit down and start thinking about how we can actually make things better for people.
Make things easier. Roll back government in my view, roll back soem of those burdens and regulations...
MACDONALD: OK.
SCHAEFFER: ... and get this economy moving.
MACDONALD: Sorry, Atima, we're both passionate about it, I get where you are coming from, I just wanted to agree on the fact that...
(CROSSTALK)
OMARA: Yes. Absolutely...
MACDONALD: Wait, hang on. I ask -- let me ask the question.
OMARA: I really was going to answer the question...
MACDONALD: Atima, Atima, stop. Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Stop. Stop. Where do you think we can agree on? Where do you think that republicans and democrats can agree on that, Atima?
OMARA: I absolutely agree with Sabrina that we can work on criminal justice reform, we can probably look at some tenants of Obamacare, many Trump vote folks who supported Trump do like the fact that basically have health care will be able to keep them if they have pre-existing conditions or staying on their parent's plans until they are 26.
We can certainly talk about infrastructure developments. Those are the positive things that I think that democrats...
(CROSSTALK)
SCHAEFFER: And here's another one.
MACDONALD: OK. Quickly, Sabrina.
SCHAEFFER: There's another one really quickly. I think minimum wage is what we're seeing, you know, that the states are laboratories where...
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: OK. We got to go.
SCHAEFFER: OK. Minimum wage is another one, though.
MACDONALD: All right. Thank you. You are going to be back later in the show. I really appreciate the fiery debate.
Next up, president-elect starting the New Year off with another win, bringing American jobs back to the U.S., Ford Motor now saying it plans to cancel its $1.6 billion in Mexico factory, possibly safeguarding 3500 jobs.
We've got America's blue-collar worker, he is Joe the plumber. He is here to say you know what, I told you so, after this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Ford is leaving, you see that the small car division leaving, thousands of jobs leaving Michigan, leaving Ohio, they're all leaving, and we can't allow it to happen anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK FIELDS, FORD MOTOR CEO: The cancellation of the plant in Mexico was just really looking at capacity requirements, and the investments here in Michigan are around building our high-tech products here. And making Flat Rock one of our most advanced manufacturing facilities that will have going forward.
NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS HOST: So this has nothing to to with all of the criticism you got from Donald Trump?
FIELDS: Well, we're doing this decision based on what's right for our business. When we look at some of the tax and regulatory reforms that he's been talking about, that gives us a lot of confidence and this is -- this is a vote of confidence that he can deliver on those things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: Our own Neil Cavuto talking with Ford CEO Mark Fields today. Ford announcing it is canceling its plan to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico. Now Donald Trump criticizing another car company, GM, on Twitter. With what people are saying is off in his tweet, we'll explain that.
Here is what Donald Trump said, quote, "General Motors is sending Mexican- made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers tax-free across the border. Make it in the USA or pay a big border tax."
Let's take this to Liberty Alliance public relations vice president, Joe Wurzelbacher who is also known as Joe the plumber. Good to have you, Joe.
SAMUEL JOSEPH WURZELBACHER, LIBERTY ALLIANCE PUBLIC RELATIONS VICE PRESIDENT: Hey, thanks, Liz.
MACDONALD: Sure. Let's do some house cleaning here. First, GM did fact- check Trump's tweet, it's saying that Cruze Sedans are sold in U.S., and then that they are, the ones that are sold in the U.S. are made at a factory in the United States, it's the Chevy Cruze hatchbacks that are in fact made in Mexico.
Here is what GM said, Joe. Here is the statement, "GM manufacturers the Chevy Cruze sedans in Lordstown, Ohio. All Chevy Cruze sedans sold in the U.S. are built in GM's assembly plant in Ohio. GM builds the Cruze hatchbacks for global markets in Mexico with a small number sold in the U.S."
But here is the issue, Joe. And I think this is what Donald Trump is proving on that GM is laying off over 2,000 workers at two U.S. plants starting this month, right, Joe?
WURZELBACHER: Exactly. You know, Donald Trump is proving that make America great again is not a slogan, and he is using the bully pulpit, and he is doing a great job at it, you know, he's brought in Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Ford, you definitely give Trump credit for that. And then comes the GM.
He is letting business know that listen, I'm here, I'm going to work for you, let's keep our business here in America, let's make American workers work again and let's work on the failed policies that Barack Obama the Democratic Party and the union leadership that screwed the American worker.
Donald Trump has been proven to be, not even president yet, but he's going to be the president of republicans, democrats, union, non-union, he wants to make America great, and he doing a great job of it right now by using that bully pulpit to, you know, throw shots over the bow and tell these businesses, you know, this is where the real work is going to be done and this is how we're going to America great and we need your help to do it.
And so, he is just calling GM out. And I think it's a great, great way of doing it by using Twitter, getting around the media and putting it out there and letting them know that we're here to work and we need your help to make it happen. We need to Americans working.
MACDONALD: You know, it's a different topic when you use of the bully pulpit, right? I mean, President Obama basically shamed American businesses for being successful, saying, you know what, you didn't build that.
Now we got Donald Trump being criticized for using the bully pulpit for basically strong arm the companies that you just noted, including Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Carrier, and Ford. I mean, is this -- is this going to be a successful way in the long -- is this a long-term way to get companies to bring back manufacturing jobs?
WURZELBACHER: yes, it's hard to get people to do the right thing.
MACDONALD: Yes.
WURZELBACHER: So, I'm really thankful for what Donald Trump is doing, now don't get me wrong, though, you know, a lot of people talk about Donald Trump not being truly conservative. And he is focusing on the economy, health care, he is going to focus on a lot of thing that are going to help make America great again.
The liberal agenda that Donald Trump has in some capacity you know, we'll going to fight at the state level and work through that. So, you know, the democrats are really hitting him hard right now, but they're really, you know, hitting -- or hurting themselves because Donald Trump is going to embrace a lot of things that they are going to want to do as well.
So, there is going to be a lot of give and take coming in the next four years, but mostly if we can get this economy going back on, then the people can take care of the minutia that the federal government should be out of anyways.
MACDONALD: All right. Joe Wurzelbacher, Joe the plumber, thank you so much for joining us.
WURZELBACHER: OK. Thank you very much, Liz.
MACDONALD: And next up, in an exclusive interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity, WikiLeaks Julian Assange he is doubling down again. He is saying that Russian government did not provide him with the DNC and the Podesta e- mails.
My next guest, he's a security expert. He says the evidence that the Obama administration is using to go after Russia is thin. He's going to explain that, just after this, back in two.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Can you say to the American people equivocally that you did not get this information about the DNC, John Podesta's e-mails, can you tell the American people 1000 percent you did not get it from Russia or anybody associated with Russia.
JULIAN ASSANGE, WIKILEAKS FOUNDER: Yes. We can say, and we have said repeatedly over the last two months that our source is not the Russian government, and it is not state parties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACDONALD: That was WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange in an exclusive Hannity interview which will air tonight on Fox News channel. Assange is doubling down saying again that the Russian government is not the source of the e-mails released by WikiLeaks.
We've got cybersecurity expert with hotspot shield, he's Robert Sicilliano, and he says that the evidence the Obama administration has is very thin about Russia being the source. Can you explain that, sir?
ROBERT SICILIANO, IDTHEFTSECURITY.COM CEO: Sure, well one of the identifiers that makes one think that this was a Russian source hacked is the evidence of Russian language keyboard, among a few other things. But if they are to pinpoint the breach as Russian based because of a Russian language keyboard it's important that everyone looks at the actual fact here that you can install a Russian language keyboard on an iPhone. Anybody can utilize or recognize this keyboard.
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: I don't understand. Hang on. Sorry. I'm sorry to interrupt. Robert, you're making some very important points. I just want the viewers to be clear about what you are saying. At what step in this process did this Russian language keyboard come in?
SICILIANO: So, within the past six months or so, researchers responsible for doing the forensics in regards to the DNC hack, had discovered code and language names, some of it in Russian text. And the fact that there had been a Russian keyboard, Russian language keyboard associated with the computing. That said, the smoking gun supposedly is the fact that they identified a Russian language keyboard as part of that breach.
MACDONALD: OK. So, Julian Assange has been saying that it was a -- and the word is that it was instead a disgruntled, possibly a disgruntled DNC former worker who leaked it. We don't know what the source of the WikiLeaks disclosure says. What is your sense? Where, what -- what caused these disclosures?
SICILIANO: So, anyone from anywhere in the world, can set up servers that are rerouted from China to Russia, to the U.S., to Brazil back to Russia or to China, and so forth. And they can use any keyboard, in this case a Russian language board, to make it look like it's coming from, specifically from Russia along with other identifiers like names that are Russian based, and in this particular scenario a name from a Russian that is known to support other causes revolving around hacking and breaches and such.
