DONALD TRUMP HAS APPARENTLY BECOME FRUSTRATED ABOUT HIGHER
RECENT RATES OF BORDER CROSSINGS AND ALSO HIS DIFFICULTY IN FULLY
BUILDING THE BORDER WALL IN THE FIRST YEAR OF HIS PRESIDENCY,
AND APPARENTLY HE HAS BEEN TAKING HIS FRUSTRATION OUT ON
HIS EMPLOYEES, AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO HIS INTERACTIONS
WITH HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KIRSTJEN NIELSEN --
IN RESPONSE TO THAT --
THERE WERE A FEW SPECIFICS CITED, ONE WAS SHE WAS
APPARENTLY RESISTANT TO OR HESITANT WHEN IT CAME TO THE
SEPARATION OF FAMILIES COMING ACROSS THE BORDER, SHE WASN'T A
FAN OF THAT, AND THEY REFERENCED THAT DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF
HIS PRESIDENCY BORDER CROSSINGS DIPPED SIGNIFICANTLY BUT NOW
THEY ARE INCHING UP AGAIN.
NOT AT HISTORIC LEVELS OR ANYTHING, BUT A LITTLE
HIGHER, AND HE FINDS THAT FRUSTRATING.
I HAVE TO COMMENT ON THE FACT THAT SHE HAS MENTIONED SOME
RESERVATIONS ABOUT SEPARATING FAMILY MEMBERS AT THE BORDER,
THIS IS SOMETHING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN IN FAVOR
OF BECAUSE THEY SEE IT AS A DETERRENT.
IF YOU KNOW YOUR
CHILD WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU AND YOU WILL BE TURNED BACK
AT THE BORDER YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO TRY TO CROSS AS A
REFUGEE.
NOW, THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS.
OFTENTIMES THESE KIDS
GET TAKEN AWAY, OFTENTIMES THEY ARE BABIES, THEN THEY ARE IN
U.S. CUSTODY WHILE THE PARENT IS SHOOED AWAY, SO WHAT HAPPENS TO
THAT BABY?
OFTENTIMES THEY ARE IN DETENTION INDEFINITELY.
IT IS A HIDEOUS, HORRENDOUS THING TO DO, SO THE FACT
THAT SHE HAS VOICED ANY RESERVATION ABOUT THAT IS A
GOOD THING BUT TRUMP SEES THAT AS NOW IT'S TIME TO BERATE HER.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THEY ORIGINALLY SAID IN RESPONSE THAT
SHE DRAFTED A RESIGNATION LETTER, IN THE INITIAL NARRATIVE
ABOUT THIS THE WHITE HOUSE ATTEMPTED TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST
THAT IDEA.
THERE WAS A STATEMENT
PUT OUT BY A DHS SPOKESPERSON
WHO SAID --
WHICH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE LATER ON JOHN ROBERTS HAD THIS
SCOOP -- JOHN KELLY TOLD ME THAT YESTERDAY AFTER THE CABINET
MEETING KELLY CALLED NIELSEN TO IMPLORE HER NOT TO QUIT OVER IT,
WHICH IS A WEIRD THING TO SPEND YOUR TIME DOING IF SHE HAD NO
CAUSE TO QUIT OR EXPRESSED NO INTEREST IN QUITTING.
SO ONCE
AGAIN THE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE MEAN
NOTHING.
THE WHITE HOUSE DENIED IT SO THAT MEANS IT'S BASICALLY TRUE.
JOHN ROBERTS IS THAT FOX NEWS?
THEY HAVE SOME SOURCES IN THE
WHITE HOUSE SO THAT'S A GOOD INDICATION THAT SHE DID THE
RESIGNATION LETTER, WHICH MAKES ME RESPECT HER A TINY BIT MORE.
SHE WORKS IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SO I CAN'T GO
THAT HIGH.
I THINK THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO THIS STORY, ONE IS
TRUMP YELLING AT PEOPLE WHEN HE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING AND
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF ANY ISSUE, AND IF
YOU HAVE AN OUNCE OF SELF-RESPECT OF COURSE YOU WOULD
THINK OF RESIGNING.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR TRUMP DON'T
HAVE AN OUNCE OF SELF-RESPECT SO THEY TAKE IT FROM KING JOFFREY
SITTING THERE MAKING A JACKASS OF HIMSELF HAVING NO IDEA HE
DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT AND YELLING AT PEOPLE WHO
ARE FAR MORE INTELLIGENT THAN HE IS.
WE MIGHT DISAGREE WITH SOME
OF THEM BUT CLEARLY SOME OF THEM ARE BRIGHT, MUCH BRIGHTER THAN
TRUMP.
IN THIS CASE IT MIGHT BE THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN MIGRATION
PATTERNS THAT AFFECTED IT, THERE MIGHT BE CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL
AMERICA THAT LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN IMMIGRANTS CROSSING THE
BORDER HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH THE POLICIES.
IT MIGHT HAVE TO
DO WITH SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS, IT MIGHT HAVE TO DO
WITH LEGAL PRECEDENTS AND DECISIONS BEING HANDED DOWN.
SO
AS NIELSEN PROBABLY TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT TO HIM, THE
MANCHILD PROBABLY GREW ANGRY.
NO, I JUST WANT IT DOWN!
BLEAH!
HOW MUCH COULD YOU TAKE OF THAT?
I COULDN'T TAKE ANY OF IT.
DO
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, OR DO YOU WANT TO
SCREAM LIKE AN IDIOT?
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK HIM.
BUT THEY
HAVE TO SIT THERE AND TAKE IT FROM A GUY WITH NOT ONLY AN
INFERIOR INTELLECT BUT ALMOST NO INTELLECT.
THERE IS A SECOND
PART OF IT AND THIS IS WHERE IT'S A MIXED BAG FOR TRUMP.
HE
THINK THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO, AND HE WANTS THE PEOPLE HE
PICKED TO BE AS VICIOUS AS HE IS.
HE IS LIKE, I WANT YOU TO
SEPARATE THE FAMILIES, AND MAYBE THAT WILL AFFECT THINGS.
AND TO
BE FAIR TO TRUMP MAYBE IT WILL.
MAYBE IF YOU ARE THAT VICIOUS --
TO FLESH OUT WHAT ANA WAS SAYING, THE MECHANICS OF HOW
THEY SPLIT UP THE FAMILIES IS INTERESTING.
THERE IS A RULE
THAT KIDS HAVE TO BE RELEASED WITHIN THREE WEEKS, BUT NOW THE
NEW RULE THAT SESSIONS IS TRYING TO ENFORCE IS THAT THE ADULTS BE
IMPRISONED FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS FOR CROSSING THE BORDER.
BEFORE
YOU WOULD SAY OKAY YOU CROSSED THE BORDER ILLEGALLY, NOW WE
WILL SEND YOU BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM, AND WE WOULDN'T
BOTHER WASTING RESOURCES ON IMPRISONING PEOPLE.
WE TRY TO
IMPROVE THEIR LIVES AND BRING HOPE TO THEIR FAMILY, NOW WE
CAN'T HAVE IT BECAUSE IT'S ILLEGAL TO CROSS THE BORDER, BUT
WE DIDN'T WASTE RESOURCES.
NOW TRUMP IS SAYING MAKE SURE YOU
PUNISH THEM AND SPLIT UP THEIR FAMILY AND GOD KNOWS WHERE THE
BABY OR THE KID GOES WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED IN THREE WEEKS AND
THEIR PARENTS ARE STILL IN AIR U.S. JAIL.
THAT IS UNREAL TO A
NORMAL, FEELING HUMAN BEING, BUT DONALD TRUMP HAS NO EMPATHY FOR
ANYONE WHO ISN'T NAMED DONALD TRUMP, OR PERHAPS IVANKA TRUMP.
THAT IS BOTH BEING FAIR AND UNFAIR TO DONALD TRUMP, FAIR IN
THAT HEY NIELSEN, I HIRED YOU TO BE A TERRIBLE PERSON AND IF YOU
AREN'T GOING TO BE, I WILL FIRE YOU AND GET SOMEONE WHO WILL BE
SUFFICIENTLY BARBARIC.
THAT IS FAIR, IN THAT THAT'S HIS
PURVIEW, HE'S ALLOWED TO DO THAT AS PRESIDENT.
BUT HE'S ALSO FAILING TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT WORKS, WHICH IS PATHETIC CONSIDERING THAT HE'S
THE HEAD OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
SHE CAN'T UNILATERALLY
DO THINGS THAT CONGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON.
CONGRESS IS
SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON POLICY DECISIONS OR LEGISLATION, AND
THEY ARE COMPLETE AND UTTER FAILURES WHEN IT COMES TO THE
ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T SUCCEEDED IN
PASSING ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE.
SHE'S NOT QUEEN OF BORDER
CONTROL.
SHE IS NOT ABLE TO WAVE A MAGIC WAND AND DO WHATEVER
HIDEOUS THING TRUMP WANTS HER TO DO.
THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO HIS
POWER, AND TO HER POWER.
AND BY THE WAY, THEY ARE SEPARATING
FAMILIES, AND YES, I KNOW THE LAW IS SUPPOSED TO WORK THAT WAY
WHERE THE CHILDREN ARE RELEASED WITHIN THREE WEEKS BUT IT
DOESN'T OFTEN WORK THAT WAY, OFTEN THEY ATTEMPT TO FIND A
FAMILY MEMBER IN THE UNITED STATES TO RELEASE THE CHILD TO
COME AND WHEN THEY CAN'T, THEY JUST KEEP THEM INDEFINITELY.
THAT IS A DISASTROUS POLICY, AND BY THE WAY, A DISASTROUS POLICY
THAT ENDS UP COSTING YOU, THE TAXPAYER, EVEN MORE MONEY IF YOU
ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF ALL THIS
IMMIGRATION TALK.
ONE MORE QUICK THING ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW RIGHT WINGERS LOVE
PUNISHMENT, THEY LIKE BEING MEAN TO OTHER PEOPLE, THEY GET GREAT
JOY OUT OF THAT.
BUT HAVE YOU EVER HAD KIDS?
IMAGINE TAKING A
THREE-YEAR-OLD AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO FAMILY IN THE U.S. AND YOU
DON'T KNOW WHERE TO SEND THEM AND YOU'VE LOCKED UP THEIR
PARENTS, YOU HAVE TO KEEP A THREE-YEAR-OLD IN PRISON FOR SIX
MONTHS WITH NO ACCESS TO THEIR PARENTS.
WHETHER YOU CALL IT A
PRISON, A DETENTION FACILITY, WHATEVER, WITH GUARDS GUARDING
THE THREE-YEAR-OLD.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO DO TO A
THREE-YEAR-OLD?
WHAT PARENT WOULD SAY YES, HOW DARE THEY TRY
TO PURSUE THE AMERICAN DREAM?
THEY TECHNICALLY VIOLATED THE
LAW CROSSING THE BORDER TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES, LET'S
CRUSH THE THREE-YEAR-OLD AND GIVE IT SOME TRAUMA IT COULDN'T
POSSIBLY RECOVER FROM.
SO OKAY, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YOU SIGNED
UP FOR, I HOPE YOU ARE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
WE ALSO CAN'T CONTINUE COMPARTMENTALIZING ALL THESE
POLITICAL ISSUES THAT LEAD TO PEOPLE WANTING TO SEEK REFUGE IN
THE UNITED STATES.
IF WE GENUINELY WANT TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE MAYBE IT'S BETTER FOR YOU TO STAY IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY,
LET'S STOP PERPETUATING A DRUG WAR THAT LEADS TO THESE
EMBOLDENED CARTELS IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES.
THAT IS
WHERE THE VIOLENCE IS COMING FROM, WE NEED TO STRIP THEM FROM
THEIR POWER AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS LEGALIZE DRUGS.
I
KNOW PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BUT LET'S LOOK
AT THE ROOT OF ALL THESE ISSUES RATHER THAN PUTTING BAND-AIDS ON
GUSHING WOUNDS.
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
TO DONALD TRUMP'S CREDIT, WHAT HE IS DOING IS MAKING THE UNITED
STATES A PLACE YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO MOVE TO, LEGALLY OR
ILLEGALLY.
MAYBE IT'S NOT INTENTIONAL BUT THE THINGS HE'S
DOING ARE SO -- I MEAN, THEY ARE HORRIFIC.
JAILING CHILDREN,
SEPARATING FAMILIES -- LIKE, IF I HEARD ABOUT THAT HAPPENING IN
SPAIN I WOULDN'T GO TO SPAIN JUST IN CASE THEY MADE A MISTAKE
IN MY PAPERS AND THEY SEPARATED ME FROM MY KIDS OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT, IF I HAD KIDS.
BUT WHAT HE'S DOING TO THE UNITED
STATES AS A WHOLE IS MAKING US WEAKER, IT'S MAKING US WORSE,
AND IF I LIVED OUTSIDE THIS COUNTRY I WOULDN'T WANT TO MOVE
TO IT.
I'LL BE QUICK ON THIS BUT WHILE HE WANTS HIS SECRETARY OF
HOMELAND SECURITY TO BECOME VICIOUS, IT MIGHT WORK IN THE
LONG RUN, CERTAINLY MANY OF HIS AIDES ARE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT
EFFECT IS BEING FELT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, MANY OF HIS
SUPPORTERS ARE BECOMING MORE VICIOUS.
WE TALKED THIS WEEK
ABOUT HOW THE NUMBER OF THREATS AGAINST ABORTION CLINICS HAS
TRIPLED THIS YEAR, THE MEMBERSHIP IN EXTREMIST GROUPS
IS SKYROCKETING, HE MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN APPEALING TO SOME OF
THE DARKEST TENDENCIES IN AMERICA WHEN HE BECAME PRESIDENT
BUT HE'S CLEARLY EXACERBATING NOW.
HE DOESN'T JUST SHED LIGHT ON THESE THINGS, HE MAKES THEM
WORSE IN A NUMBER
OF WAYS.