CHARLES: WE BEGIN WITH THE WHITE
HOUSE BLAMING DEMOCRATS FOR THIS
PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN,
EXPECTED NOW TO STRETCH INTO THE
NEW YEAR PRESENTING A DAY ONE
CHALLENGE FOR THE NEXT SPEAKER
OF THE HOUSE, PRESUMABLY NANCY
PELOSI.
HERE NOW TO TALK ABOUT IT,
REPUBLICAN FROM TEXAS LOUIE
GOHMERT WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE
FREEDOM CAUCUS AND A VICE
CHAIRMAN ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF
CRIME, TERRORISM AND HOMELAND
SECURITY.
REPRESENTATIVE GOHMERT, THANKS
FOR JOINING US.
YOU KNOW, IT FEELS WE'VE COME A
LONG WAY.
WE'RE A WEEK INTO THIS, AND I'M
NOT SURE THAT THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC NECESSARILY FEELS AN
IMPACT, BUT THE POLITICAL
PRESSURE SEEMS TO BE MOUNTING
DAY BY DAY.
PLAY OUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF
HOW THIS MAY END.
>> WELL, IT'S GOING TO END AT
SOME POINT BECAUSE THERE ARE
THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FUNDED
THAT THE DEMOCRATS DESPERATELY
WANT TO FUND, BE IT HUD AND SOME
OTHER THINGS, BUT THE TRUTH IS
THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT
THAN THE NATION'S SECURITY.
IT'S OUR NUMBER ONE JOB IN THE
U.S. CONGRESS, KEEPING AMERICA
SAFE.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT
ARE HERE LEGALLY FROM MEXICO,
FROM CENTRAL AMERICA SAYING GET
THE WALL WHERE WE NEED IT,
SECURE THE BORDER, YOU'VE GOT TO
MAKE THIS COUNTRY SAFE, I DON'T
KNOW WHY THEY'RE NOT BEING
LISTENED TO.
AND WHEN YOU HEAR DEMOCRATS
SAYING, OH, NO, IT'S IMMORAL TO
HAVE A WALL AND THEY SAY THAT
WHILE THEY'RE LIVING BEHIND A
WALL AROUND THEIR HOUSES LIKE
PRESIDENT OBAMA, HIS NEW HOME
HAS A 10-FOOT WALL AROUND IT,
WALLS MATTER.
THEY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND THIS ISN'T LIKE THE IRON
CURTAIN THAT KEPT PEOPLE IN TO
DEAL WITH WHAT WAS CALLED A FEAR
SOCIETY.
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FREE
SOCIETY, IT'S GOT TO BE
PROTECTED.
AND RANDY WEBER SAID THAT HE SAW
A BUMPER STICKER IN HOUSTON THAT
SAID "HEAVEN HAS WALLS, PEARLY
GATES, AND A STRICT IMMIGRATION
POLICY; HELL HAS NO BORDERS, NO
WALLS AND IMMIGRATION POLICY."
CHARLES: RIGHT.
>> THERE'S SOMETHING TO THAT,
CHARLES D.
CHARLES: THERE IS SOMETHING TO
IT.
LET ME JUMP IN FOR A WE COULD
IS --
>> LET ME MENTION, CHARLES --
CHARLES: LET ME JUMP IN FOR A
SECOND --
>> SURE, OF COURSE, IT'S YOUR
SHOW.
CHARLES: -- PLAYING THE GAME OF
POLITICS UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING.
I THINK IF THEY DON'T HAVE A
WALL, THEY CERTAINLY LOCK THEIR
DOORS AT NIGHT.
SO THEY'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT A
GAME OF SEMANTICS.
OKAY, MAYBE NOT A WALL, BUT,
QUOTE-UNQUOTE, SECURITY.
IS THAT A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE IN
YOUR MIND?
>> WELL, JANET NAPOLITANO SPOKE
FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHILE
SHE WAS SECRETARY OF HOMELAND
SECURITY.
WE HAD APPROPRIATED BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS, MUCH OF WHICH WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE A VIRTUAL WALL,
THE DRONES, THE, YOU KNOW, ALL
OF THIS SECURITY, CAMERAS AND
ALL THAT, AND SHE ENDED UP
RULING THAT THAT WAS NOT A
LEGITIMATE USE OF THE MONEY, AND
SHE NULLIFIED WHAT WE
APPROPRIATED MONEY TO DO.
NOW, THERE WAS AN ESCAPE
PROVISION IN CASE SHE FELT IT
WAS BETTER SPENT ELSEWHERE, BUT
THE FACT IS SHE DECLARED THAT
WAS NOT A PROPER USE OF THE
MONEY.
SO THIS IS TOTAL HYPOCRISY, FOR
DEMOCRATS TO COME ALONG NOW
AFTER THEY SQUANDERED THAT MONEY
AND SAY, OH, NO, THIS WOULD BE
WHERE WE PUT IT.
NO, WE PLAYED THAT GAME BEFORE.
WE GOT YOU THE MONEY, YOU DIDN'T
USE IT FOR THAT.
WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE A TANGIBLE
WALL WHERE WE NEED IT.
AND AS SECRETARY NIELSEN HAS
POINTED OUT, WHEN WE HAVE A
WALL, OVER 95% OF THE ILLEGAL
AIM GRATION IN THAT IMMIGRATION
IN THAT AREA STOPS.
THAT IS IMPORTANT.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT WHETHER THIS
THING IS, THE SHUTDOWN, HOW LONG
BEFORE IT ENDS, YOU LOOK AT EACH
PARTY'S PRIORITIES, AND I LOVE
JUSTICE SCALIA, I WAS HAVING
LUNCH WITH HIM ONE DAY, AND HE
SAID -- AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHO
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS, BUT
WHEN HE WORKED FOR HIM, HE CAME
IN AND SAID, HEY, I HEARD A
GREAT DEFINITION FOR THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS.
HE SAID DEMOCRATS WANT TO
CONTROL EVERYTHING AND
EVERYBODY, AND REPUBLICANS DON'T
WANT THEM TO.
NOW, WHEN YOU'RE PLOTTING A
STRATEGY HIKE THAT, IT'S -- LIKE
THAT, IT'S MORE OF A DEFENSE
THAN ANYTHING TO THE PARTY THAT
WANTS TO CONTROL PEOPLE'S LIVES,
THINKS THEY'RE NOT SMART ENOUGH,
SO WE'VE GOT OUR WORK CUT OUT
FOR US FROM HERE.
CHARLES: IS THERE A CHANCE FOR,
PERHAPS, A GRANDER COMPROMISE?
YOU KNOW, A WEEK OR SO AGO THERE
WAS TALK OF MAYBE THE
REPUBLICANS COMING DOWN A LITTLE
BIT, THE WHITE HOUSE COMING DOWN
FROM ITS $5 BILLION NUMBER AND
DEMOCRATS GOING UP.
BUT WHAT ABOUT A GRANDER
COMPROMISE?
MAYBE THE REINTRODUCTION OF
DACA, THE OFFER THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP, I THOUGHT WAS AN
AMAZINGLY, AN AMAZING OFFER WITH
RESPECT TO WHAT HE CAMPAIGNED
ON, COMING BACK WITH SOMETHING
FOR GREATER FUNDING FOR THE
WALL, GREATER FUNDING FOR DACA,
MAYBE SOME IMMIGRATION POLICY
ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE WE SAW THE
TRAGIC DEATH OF POLICE OFFICER
SINGH IN CALIFORNIA.
COULD THIS BE A CHANCE TO TAKE
IT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION AND
FINALLY DELIVER TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE HONEST SOLUTIONS SO THAT
WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS
ANYMORE?
>> YOU KNOW, WELL, WE'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO KEEP DEALING WITH IT
UNTIL WE DO HAVE THE BORDER
SECURE.
ANY OFFER OF AMNESTY BEFORE THE
BORDER IS SECURE, OUR BORDER
PATROLMEN MAKE CLEAR DAY AFTER
DAY YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT EVEN
LEGALITY, AMNESTY, ANYTHING OF
THAT NATURE, CHARLES, IT IS A
SHINY OBJECT, IT'S AN ATTRACTION
THAT DRAWS THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS MORE EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE NEED TO SECURE THE
BORDER, AND THEN WE CAN WORK
THESE THINGS OCCUPANT.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THE PRESIDENT
WENT OVER BACKWARDS TO TRY TO
NEGOTIATE, AND HE WAS SLAPPED
BACK FOR IT AND I DO THINK THIS
PRESIDENT IS AND WILL PROVE
HIMSELF TO BE THE BEST
NEGOTIATOR WE'VE HAD AT LEAST IN
MY LIFE TAOISM.
AND IT HELPS IF PEOPLE THINK
HE'S A LITTLE BIT CRAZY, YOU BET
BETTER DEALS THAT WAY.
HE MADE THAT OFFER.
CHARLES: RIGHT.
>> BUT I'M TELLING YOU, IN
STATES LIKE TEXAS IF YOU DO AN
AMNESTY BEFORE THE BORDER'S
SECURE, YOU CAN SAY GOOD-BYE TO
REPUBLICANS WINNING ELECTIONS IN
THOSE STATES EVER AGAIN --
CHARLES: WE'VE GOT LESS THAN A
MINUTE TO GO, SO I DO WANT TO
ASK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GOHMERT,
DO YOU BELIEVE IN, ULTIMATELY,
THE DEMOCRATS WILL CAVE AND THEY
WILL COME THROUGH WITH SOME
ADDITIONAL FUNDING WHERE THEY
ARE RIGHT NOW FOR THIS BORDER
WALL?
>> WELL, WITH NANCY PELOSI
EXPECTED TO BE SPEAKER AND SHE'S
IN HAWAII, MOST OF US HAVE BEEN
ON ALERT READY TO RUN BACK TO
WASHINGTON AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE,
BUT AS LONG AS SHE'S IN
CHICAGO -- I MEAN HAWAII, THE
ODDS ARE ZERO.
ONCE SHE GETS BACK, THEN I'M
HOPING THAT SOME GRANDER SCHEME
CAN BE WORKED OUT, A COME TO HIS
WORKED OUT -- COMPROMISE WORKED
OUT.
YOU CAN COMPROMISE ON NUMBERS,
THAT'S COMPROMISEABLE, BUT WHEN
YOU ARE ASKED TO COMPROMISE ON
PRINCIPLES THAT INCLUDE THE
SECURITY OF THE COUNTRY, MORE
PRECIOUS OFFICERS BEING KILLED,
MORE CHILDREN BEING LURED INTO
THEIR DEATHS, I MEAN, THAT'S
SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO
STAND UP FOR THOSE LIVES THAT
ARE BEING LOST, BOTH LEGAL
AMERICANS HERE AND ILLEGAL
AMERICANS BEING ATTRACTED IN TO
THEIR DEATH.
IT'S TIME TO PROTECT THIS
ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE AS WHAT'S
CALLED IN THE LEGAL REALM LIKE A
SWIMMING POOL.
IF A CHILD COMES IN, FALLS IN
YOUR POOL AND DROWNS FROM IT,
EVERY STATE HAS LAWS.
DEMOCRATS NEED TO UNDERSTAND
THIS IS ON THEM.
CHARLES: WE'VE HAD THREE
TRAGEDIES THAT ALL POINT TO --
>> YES, WE HAVE.
AND THAT WON'T BE THE LAST.
CHARLES: WON'T BE THE LAST, FOR