IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE
HOW MUCH THIS IS PLAYED OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
>> Bret: THANK YOU.
TO THE WHITE HOUSE WHERE
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS EARLIER
TODAY RAILING AGAINST THE
DEMOCRATIC PLAN.
HE SAYS IT WOULD INFEST THE U.S.
WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WOULD
VOTE AGAINST REPUBLICANS.
THE PRESIDENT'S WORDS.
CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
JOHN ROBERTS IS THERE AGAIN ON
THE NORTH LAWN.
>> GOOD EVENING.
THE PRESIDENT WILL SPEND HIS
TIME ON CAPITOL HILL TWISTING
ARMS IN SUPPORT OF THE TWO
IMMIGRATION BILLS BEFORE THE
HOUSE, TALKING WITH REPUBLICANS
TONIGHT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
GETTING AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE
MEASURES THROUGH.
OFFICIALLY THE WHITE HOUSE
SUPPORTS BOTH OF THEM BUT THE
COMPROMISE BILL IS THE ONE THEY
WOULD MORE LIKELY LIKE TO SEE
PAST.
THE PRESIDENT THING THESE BILLS,
AT LEAST ONE OF THEM COME ARE
NEEDED TO END THE CRISIS OF
FAMILIES BEING SEPARATED ON THE
BORDER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL NEED ALL
HIS DEALMAKING SKILLS TO PULL
THIS ONE OFF, LEVERAGING THE
HORRIBLY UNPOPULAR IDEA OF
SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM THEIR
FAMILIES AT THE BORDER IN ORDER
TO GET CONGRESS TO MOVE ON
IMMIGRATION FORM.
>> AS A RESULT OF DEMOCRATS
SUPPORTED LOOPHOLES IN OUR
FEDERAL LAWS, MOST ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANT FAMILIES AND MINORS
FROM CENTRAL AMERICA WHO ARRIVED
UNLAWFULLY AT THE BORDER CANNOT
BE DETAINED TOGETHER.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS BLAMING
DEMOCRATS BUT IT WAS HIS
ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION TO
INVOKE A ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY
OF THE BORDER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP INSISTING THAT
YEARS OF PREVIOUS WHITE HOUSE IS
NOT ENFORCING THE LAW HAS HAD A
PROFOUNDLY DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON
THE NATION.
>> ROUGHLY HALF A MILLION
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FAMILY UNITS
AND MINORS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
HAVE BEEN RELEASED INTO THE
UNITED STATES SINCE 2014.
ACT UNBELIEVABLY GREAT TAXPAYER
EXPENSE.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS PUSHING
CONGRESS TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE
LAW TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO STAY
WITH HER PARENTS DURING THE
PROSECUTION OR DEPORTATION
PROCESS.
HE ALSO WANTS A $25 BILLION
COMMITMENT TO BUILD A BORDER
WALL AND BROADER IMMIGRATION
REFORMS.
>> WE WANT THEM TO COME IN
THROUGH THE PROCESS, THROUGH THE
LEGAL SYSTEM, AND WE WANT
ULTIMATELY A MERIT-BASED SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE COME IN BASED ON
MERIT.
>> IN A CONFERENCE CALL THIS
MORNING, OFFICIALS FROM HOMELAND
SECURITY AT HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES SAID 2,342 CHILDREN
HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THEIR
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MAY
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MA5
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MAA
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MAD
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MAJ
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MAN
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MA
PARENTS IN THE MONTH BETWEEN MA.
THEY INSISTED THE CHILDREN ARE
BEING WELL CARED FOR BUT THEY
CONTRADICTED THE DHS SECRETARY
WHO SAID THE ZERO TOLERANCE
POLICY WAS NOT ADOPTED TO
DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
>> WE EXPECT THAT THE NEW POLICY
WILL RESULT IN A DETERRENCE
EFFECT.
WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT PARENTS
STOP BRINGING THEIR KIDS ON THIS
DANGEROUS JOURNEY AND ENTERING
THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.
>> 21 OF THE CHILDREN REMOVED
FROM THEIR PARENTS ARE MEXICAN.
THE ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY DREW
AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM
MEXICO'S FOREIGN RELATIONS
SECRETARY TODAY.
CALLING IT CRUEL AND INHUMANE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRING BACK THAT
MEXICO IS ONLY TOO QUICK TO
ALLOW MIGRANTS FROM
CENTRAL AMERICA TO PASS THROUGH
MEXICO AS LONG AS THEY ARE BOUND
FOR THE UNITED STATES.
>> MEXICO DOES NOTHING FOR US.
YOU HEAR IT HERE.
THEY DO NOTHING FOR US.
THEY COULD STOP IT.
THEY HAVE VERY, VERY STRONG
LAWS.
TRY STAYING IN MEXICO FOR A
COUPLE DAYS.
SEE HOW LONG THAT LASTS.
>> THE MAJORITY OF FAMILIES
SUBJECT TO SEPARATION ARE FROM
HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, AND
EL SALVADOR.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TODAY SAID IN
THE SAME SPEECH THAT HE'S GOING
TO GO TO CONGRESS FOR
AUTHORIZATION TO WITHHOLD U.S.
AID FROM COUNTRIES THAT DON'T
TAKE STEPS TO CURB THE FLOW OF
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS.
>> Bret: THE WHITE HOUSE HAD
AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON HEALTH CARE
TODAY.
>> THIS WAS WELL RECEIVED BY THE
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
INDEPENDENT BUSINESS, THE BODY
TO WHICH THE PRESIDENT WAS
SPEAKING, SAYING HE'S TAKING
STEPS TO AUTHORIZE SMALL
BUSINESSES TO BAND TOGETHER AND
HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATIONS WHICH
WOULD ALLOW THEM THE PURCHASING
POWER OF NUMBERS TO BUY HEALTH
INSURANCE AT LOWER COSTS.
LISTEN.
>> FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, SOLE
PROPRIETORS WILL BE ABLE TO COME
TOGETHER AND BUY LOWER COST
GROUP INSURANCE INSTEAD OF
GETTING RIPPED OFF BY THIS
DISASTER THAT WE ALL KNOW AS
OBAMACARE.
>> WHILE SMALL BUSINESSES SEEM
TO APPRECIATE THE EFFORT, THERE
ARE CRITICS WHO SAY THIS IS
GOING TO LEAD TO SUBSTANDARD
HEALTH COVERAGE FOR PEOPLE WHO