DURING A SHOOTOUT WITH AN ELITE
TEAM OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS.
JOINING ME NOW IS FLORIDA
SENATOR, SENATE HOMELAND
SECURITY AND ARMED FORCES
COMMUNITY MEMBER RICK SCOTT.
SENATOR, IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> GOOD MORNING, MARIA.
MARIA: OUR HEARTBREAKS, ALL OF
US.
I KNOW YOU WERE GOVERNOR OF
FLORIDA DURING THE 2018 PARKLAND
SHOOTING, SO YOU KNOW THE
FEELING WELL.
YOU ARE CALLING ON YOUR
COLLEAGUES IN WASHINGTON TO PASS
SCHOOL SAFETY LEGISLATION.
WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE, WHAT
CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE NOW THAT
WE RECOGNIZE THIS IS NOT
STOPPING?
>> FIRST OFF, THIS IS
DISGUSTING.
I THINK ALL OF US SORT OF
INTERNALIZE THIS.
YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN
FAMILIFUL I’VE GOT GRANDKIDS IN
GRADE SCHOOL, AND I THINK ABOUT
THOSE 17 FAMILIES THAT LOST
LOVED ONES AT PARKLAND.
I’VE EVEN TALKED TO SOME OF
THEM.
WHAT YOU’VE GOT TO DO IS YOU’VE
GOT TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT’S THE
PROBLEM, AND LET’S SOLVE IT.
WE PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE ON
MENTAL ILLNESS, HOW DO WE SHARE
INFORMATION, WORK WITH OUR LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
WE’VE GOTTED TO DO THE SAME
THING UP HERE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY
DEMOCRATS WANT TO BLOCK IT.
WE HAD A BILL YESTERDAY THAT
WOULD HAVE BASICALLY CODIFIED A
CLEARINGHOUSE TO GIVE PARENTS
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
SAFETY OF THEIR SCHOOLS, AND
CHUCK SCHUMER WENT TO THE FLOOR
AND BLOCKED IT.
WE’VE TRIED TO PASS A BILL THAT
WOULD HAVE THE SECRET SERVICE
INCREASE THEIR EFFORTS ON SCHOOL
SAFETY TRUE THE THREAT
ASSESSMENT CENTER.
THE DEMOCRATS BLOCK IT.
SO IT’S LIKE THEY KNOW -- WE’VE
GOT TO DO SOME COMMON SENSE
THINGS HERE AND SAY WHAT SHOULD
WE DO THAT WOULD PREVENT,
WHETHER IT WAS UVALDE OR
PARKLAND OR BUFFALO, LET’S FOCUS
ON THE THINGS THAT WOULD
ACTUALLY SOLVE PROBLEMS?
DON’T DO THINGS BECAUSE THEY
SOUND GOOD FROM A POLITICAL
SOUND BITE.
THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
IT’S THE IMPORTANT TO EVERY
FAMILY IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
MARIA: YOU’RE RIGHT.
AND IT WAS JUST DISGUSTING TO
SEE LAWMAKERS AND, YOU KNOW,
POLITICIANS USE THIS MOMENT AS A
WAY TO PUSH THEIR IDEOLOGIES AND
THEIR GUN POLICY PROPOSALS.
I MEAN, BETO O’ROURKE
EMBARRASSED HIMSELF YESTERDAY.
THAT WAS RIDICULOUS.
CHUCK SCHUMER ATTACKING THE
OTHER SIDE, REPUBLICANS, FOR
THIS.
I MEAN, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY
SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD COME
TOGETHER AND INCREASE THE
SECURITY IN SCHOOLS, DO
SOMETHING THAT HASN’T BEEN
TRIED.
MEANWHILE, THERE’S THE WIDE OPEN
BORDER.
I MEAN, THIS AREA, UVALDE, JUST,
WHAT, HOW MANY MILES AWAY FROM
THE WIDE OPEN BORDER?
AND YOU’VE GOT 50,000 ILLEGAL
MIGRANTS IN MEXICO WAITING JUST
OUTSIDE OF THE BORDER RIGHT NOW
TO CROSS.
BUT A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS RULED TO
KEEP TITLE 42 IN PLACE.
I DON’T KNOW IF THE
ADMINISTRATION IS BLOWING OFF
THE LAW OR KEEPING THE TITLE 42
IN PLACE, BUT AXIOS IS REPORTING
THERE’S AT LEAST 8,000 MIGRANTS
TRYING TO CROSS EVERY DAY, AND
DHS TRACKING BETWEEN 40-50,000
PEOPLE WANTING TO CROSS.
SENATOR, I’VE HAD BORDER AGENTS
MYSELF TELL ME THERE’S 7-8,000
PEOPLE GETTING ENCOUNTERED EVERY
DAY.
THAT DOESN’T EVEN INCLUDE THE
GOTAWAYS.
THERE’S 100,000 GOTAWAYS IN THE
LAST SIX MONTHS.
WE DON’T KNOW THEY’RE INTENTIONS
WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY’RE
GOING, THEY’RE IN THE COUNTRY.
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION HERE?
>> THE ONLY SOLUTION WE COULD
HAVE IS JOE BIDEN NEEDS TO
RESIGN.
I MEAN, HE -- I DON’T GET THIS.
HE WANTS AN OPEN BORDER.
SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
MAYORKAS SAYS, OH, THE BORDER’S
SECURE.
COMPLETE, COMPLETE, COMPLETE
LIE.
THEY HAVE CLEARLY MADE THE
DECISION WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN
OPEN BORDER.
THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT OVER
100,000 PEOPLE DIED OF DRUG
OVERDOSES, A LOT OF IT FROM
FENTANYL A MADE IN CHINA COMING
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BORDER.
THEY DON’T CARE THERE’S
TERRORISTS COMING ACROSS,
THEY’VE CAUGHT 45 ON THE TERROR
WATCH LIST SINCE BIDEN GOT
ELECTED.
HOW MANY DIDN’T WE CATCH?
THEY DON’T CARE THAT A NATIONAL
GUARD MEMBER DIED SAVING
MIGRANTS COMING ACROSS, AND
THOSE MIGRANTS WERE BRINGING
DRUGS.
I DON’T GET IT.
COUNTRIES HAVE BORDERS, IT’S
REAL SIMPLE.
WE NEED TO FINISH THE WALL, GET
OUR SECURITY GOING, AND WE’VE
GOT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WANT TO
COME AND LIVE OUR LIFE THE WAY
WE WANT TO LIVE IT, WE WANT THEM
HERE.
I’M FROM AN IMMIGRATION STATE,
BUT I DON’T WANT DRUGS,
TERRORISTS OR CRIMINALS.
I WANT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LIVE
OUR DREAM.
WE HAVE TO FIX OUR IMMIGRATION
SYSTEM AND SECURE OUR BORDER
TODAY.
MARIA: YEAH.
WELL, HE’S NOT.
I MEAN, THERE’S FENTANYL COMING
ACROSS KILLING OUR CITIZENS,
107,000 PEOPLE DEAD BECAUSE OF
OVERDOSE RELATED TO FENTANYL.
I MEAN, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE
FOR THIS PRESIDENT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE FENTANYL THREAT?
HE’S GOING TO TEXAS TO VISIT THE
FAMILIES, AND IT’S ONLY A FEW
MILES AWAY FROM THE BORDER.
DO YOU THINK HE WILL GO TO THE
SOUTHERN BORDER?
>> NO.
BY THE WAY, THINK ABOUT -- I CAN
TELL YOU A STORY.
A MOM I TALKED TO, HER
21-YEAR-OLD SON CAME HOME FROM
THE AIR FORBES HE GOES OUT
WITH -- AIR FORCE, HE GOES OUT
WITH SOME FRIENDS, ONE GUY GIVES
HIM A XANAX AND THE GUY IS DEAD.
I’M ON HOMELAND SECURITY, WE
SHOULD BE DOING INVESTIGATIONS
RIGHT NOW TO SAY WHY ISN’T OUR
BORDER SECURE, BUT, NO, WE WON’T
DO ANY INVESTIGATIONS BECAUSE
THAT MIGHT EMBARRASS THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
THIS ADMINISTRATION IS NOT GOOD
FOR THIS COUNTRY.
MARIA: WELL, WHAT REALLY WORRIES
ME IS THIS TIN EAR THAT WE SEE.
I MEAN, THE NONPARTISAN
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE IS
FORECASTING THAT INFLATION IS
SUPPOSED TO COOL AS ECONOMIC
GROWTH SLOWS LATER THIS YEAR.
BUT LET’S FACE IT, I MEAN, WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT MASSIVE INCREASES
IN ALL OF THE GOODS THAT WE BUY
EVERY DAY.
CPI MAY BE UP 8.3%
YEAR-OVER-YEAR, BUT THE PRICE OF
LETTUCE IS UP 13%, THE PRICE OF
FISH IS UP 17%.
THE PRICE OF AN AIRLINE TICKET
YEAR ARE OVER YEAR UP 33%.
SO AMERICANS ARE, YOU KNOW,
SEEING THEIR WAGES BURN UP AS A
RESULT OF THIS INFLATION IN
AMERICA, AND YET WE’RE NOT
SEEING ANY PIVOT WHATSOEVER FROM
THIS ADMINISTRATION.
SO IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THEY’RE
IGNORING THE FACT THAT THEIR
POLICY HAS STOKED SOME OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT PRICE HIKES.
LOOK AT EGGS.
EGGS UP 22.6% YEAR-OVER-YEAR.
SO YOU CAN’T REALLY SAY
INFLATION IS RUNNING AT 8% WHEN
YOU’VE GOT THE STUFF THAT WE BUY
EVERY DAY UP IN THE DOUBLE
DIGITS.
>> AND IT’S LIKE WHO DO THEY
THINK THEY’RE HELPING?
MAYBE RICH PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
KEEP GETTING RICHER BECAUSE
THEIR ASSETS GO UP, BUT POOR
FAMILIES, PEOPLE ON FIXED
INCOME, THEIR WAGES DON’T STAY
UP.
WHO’S IT HURTING?
IT’S HURTING THE POOREST
FAMILIES IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT’S LIKE MY MOM GROWING UP.
I LIVED IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
SHE STRUGGLED.
I REMEMBER, TO PUT GAS IN THE
CAR, TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.
THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO GO TO FOOD
BANKS THAT HAVE NEVER GONE EVER.
THIS IS WRONG, WHAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING AND
DEMOCRATS.
MARIA: YEAH.
OR DO I GO TO THE DOCTOR.
MAKING SUCH A DECISION, DO I PUT
FOOD ON THE TABLE OR DEAL WITH A
MEDICAL ISSUE.
IT’S EXTRAORDINARY.
SENATOR, THANKS VERY MUCH.
WE’LL BE WATCHING YOUR MOVESES,
SENATOR RICK SCOTT IN FLORIDA
THIS MORNING -- IN D.C. THIS
MORNING, PARDON ME.
ALL RIGHT, WE WILL TAKE A SHORT
BREAK AND COME RIGHT BACK.
WE’RE LIVE IN DAVOS.
WE’VE GOT AN INTERVIEW WITH