US A BETTER NATION AND WE ARE
VERY GRATEFUL.
>> DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD?
I AM NOT SURE WHAT WILL.
>> IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> IT IS ABOUT TIME WE MET.
>> I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.
I FEEL LIKE EVERY TIME YOU COME
TO THE STUDIO, WE HAVE NOT BEEN
HERE.
WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT AND
THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
WE SHOULD BEGIN WITH WHAT’S IN
THE NEWS TODAY.
THERE ARE AMERICAN CITIES
BOARDING UP AND SCHOOLS ARE
CLOSING, EVERYONE IS AWAITING
FOR THE DEREK CHAUVIN’S VERDICT.
I WAS READING BACK TO WHAT YOU
SAID AFTER GEORGE FLOYD DIED.
IT STRUCK ME.
"YOU SAID LAURA AND I ARE ANGUISHED AND DISTURBED BY THE
ANGUISHED AND DISTURBED BY THE
FEAR THAT WILL SUFFOCATE OUR
COUNTRY.
WHAT DO
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE IMPACT OF THIS CASE TO THIS COUNTRY?
OF THIS CASE TO THIS COUNTRY?
>> WE’LL SEE WHAT THE JURY SAYS.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ALREADY
MADE UP THEIR MIND WHAT THE
VERDICT OUGHT TO BE.
ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IF
THE TRIAL IS NOT CONDUCTED
FAIRLY, THERE IS AN APPEAL
PROCESS, ONE O F THE THINGS WE
LEARNED AFTER THE STORMING OF
THE CAPITOL THAT OUR INSTITUTION
HELD.
OUR INSTITUTION IS REALLY
IMPORTANT IS A FAIR JUDICIAL
SYSTEM.
THAT’S PLAYING OUT ON OUR TV
SHOW NOW.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
CAPITOL.
LET’S TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION FOR
A SECOND.
I AM LOOKING AT THESE BEAUTIFUL
PORTRAITS OF THESE IMMIGRANTS
AND OTHER IMAGES THAT’S SO
DISTURBING.
THE LITTLE TEN-YEARS-OLD BOY
WANDERING AND CRYING OR THE TWO
AND THREE YEARS OLD DROPPED
RIGHT OVER THE FENCE.
I KEEP ON THINKING WHY CAN’T WE
GET THIS RIGHT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT IS WHATrdH
FOR AMERICANS TO UNDERSTAND AND
I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY A MOTHER
BECOMES SO DESPERATE THAT SHE’S
WILLING TO PUT HER CHILDREN IN A
HAPPENED OF A COYOTE OR A
SMUGGLER.
SO THERE IS BEEN A LOT OF
DEVASTATION AT CENTRAL AMERICA
AND POLITICAL UPHEAVALS AND
EARTHQUAKES AND GANGS AND PEOPLE
ARE INTIMIDATED AND THEY ARE
STREAMING TO OUR BORDER.
THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REFORMED
AND FIXED. TWO THINGS I THINK WILL HELP
TWO THINGS I THINK WILL HELP
ALLEVIATE THAT, ONE IS ASYLUM
PROCESS THAT’S MOREROW MORE ROBU
THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE JUDGES SO
PEOPLE CAN HAVE MORE HEARINGS.
A LOT OF JOBS ARE EMPTY AND A
LOT OF JOBS NEED TO BE FILLED
AND PEOPLE WOILILLING TO WORK HA
TO DO SO.
A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO WILL
HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE
BORDER.
I TALKED TO A BORDER PATROL
THERE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE
HAVE, MANY OF THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT, BORDER PATROL
AGENTS ARE PULLED OFF DUTY TO
DEAL WITH CHILDREN AND GUARD
HOSPITALS.
THERE IS A REAL SHORTAGE OF
MANPOWER.
>> YOU ARE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT
THIS.
YOU ARE LOBBYING BY THIS BOOK, I
THOUGHT YOU SAID SOMETHING
INTERESTING A COUPLE OF DAYS
AGO, IMPAIR AM PARAPHRASING.
YOU ARE NOT SURE YOUR REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES ARE LISTENING.
WHY NOT?
>> SOME OF THE DEMOCRAT
COLLEAGUES WERE NOT LISTENING
WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT BECAUSE YOU
CAN SCORE POLITICAL POINTS WITH
THE ISSUE.
PART OF THE REASON FOR THE BOOK
IS REMINEDING THE PEOPLE O F THE
BEAUTY OF AMERICA.
TODAY WE ARE SWEARING IN A GROUP
OF CITIZENS WHO ARE ON THE FRONT
LINE OF THE PANDEMIC AND THEY
WERE NOT CITIZENS OF THE UNITED
STATES.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY THAT
WE HAVE AND IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL
WHEN WE CONDEMN AND CALL PEOPLE
NAMES AND SCARE PEOPLE ABOUT
IMMIGRATION.
IT IS AN EASY ISSUE TO FRIGHTEN
SO MANY ELECTORATES AND I AM
TRYING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND
OF VOICE.
>> IF YOU WERE TO DESCRIBE THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY TODAY, HOW
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?
>> I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS
ISOLATIONIST, PROTECTIONIST AND
TO A CERTAIN EXTENT NATIVIST.
ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED?
>> IT IS NOT MY VISION BUT I AM
JUST AN OLD GUY THEY PUT OUT TO
PASTOR.
JUST A SIMPLE PAINTER.
>> HYPOTHETICAL -- THIS
HYPOTHETICAL REPUBLICAN IS
PROIMMIGRATION AND PRO-DACA AND
PRO-REASONABLE GUN CONTROL AND
PRO-EDUCATION, DOES THAT PERSON
HAVE A SHOT?
WOULD THAT REPUBLICAN HAVE A
SHOT IN 2024?
>> SURE, I THINK SO.
I THINK IT DEPENDS UPON THE
EMPHASIS.
IF THE EMPHASIS IS INTEGRITY AND
DECENCY AND TRYING TO WORK TO
GET PROBLEMS SOLVED.
I THINK THE PERSON HAS A SHOT.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE --
>> PRO-IMMIGRATION IS NOT THE
RIGHT WAY TO PUT IT.
BORDER ENFORCEMENT WITH A
COMPASSIONATE TOUCH.
THAT’S HOW I WOULD PUT IT.
THAT’S WHAT IMMIGRATION MEANS,
LET’S OPEN UP THE BORDERS.
>> I FEEL LIKE YOU MADE IT A
POINT NOT TO CRITICIZE YOUR
PREDECESSOR.
>> THAT’S TRUE.
>> HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TEMPTED?
>> THE ANSWER IS NO.
I AM OUT.
YEAH, I GUESS I HAVE BEEN.
>> ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE?
>> NO, I THINK I AM FINE.
IF I DID, MICHELLE OBAMA MAY NOT
BE MY FRIEND.
>> THAT FRIENDSHIP CAPTIVATED
PEOPLE.
IS THAT SO FUNNY SOMETHING SO
SIMILAR
SIMPLE SO WEIRD TO PEOPLE.
>> IT POINTS OUT HOW BETTER WE
HAVE BECOME.
>> HEY DAD, YOU ARE TRENDING.
I AM NOT SURE WHAT IT MEANS.
MICHELLE OBAMA AND I BEING
FRIENDLY TO EACH OTHER.
>> WE KNOW POLITICS CAN GET
UGLY.
I DON’T KNOW WHEN IT IS UGLIER
THAN JANUARY 6th.
I DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO ASK
YOU.
WHEN YOU WERE WATCHING THAT
UNFOLDS AS THE PRESIDENT AND SON
OF ONE, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN
YOUR MIND?
>> IT KIND OF MADE ME SICK.
IT DID MAKE ME SICK.
I FELT ILL, YOU JUST COULD NOT
BELIEVE IT.
THE TRUTH THE MATTER IS, I WAS
OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WOULD SURVIVE
THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE STRONG I
IN THE INSTITUTION OF OUR
COUNTRY.
IT DID CERTIFY.
THE COURTS MET AND STILL MEETING
TODAY TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE
FOR STORMING THE CAPITOL.
WHAT’S TROUBLING IS HOW MUCH
MISINFORMATION THERE IS AND THE
CAPACITY OF THE PEOPLE TO SPREAD
ALL KINDS OF UNTRUTHS.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE ARE GOING
TO DO ABOUT THAT?
I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING ABOUT IT.
I DON’T DO TWITTER OR FACEBOOK
OR ANY OF THOSE STUFF.
>> YOU HAVE NEVER DONE IT.
PRESIDENT BIDEN CAME TO YOU A
FEW DAYS AGO AND EXPLAINED TO
YOU THAT HE’S GOING TO PULL
TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
DID YOU THINK THAT’S A RIGHT
DECISION?
>> WHEN HE TOLD ME THAT, I
THOUGHT ABOUT ROYA, SHE’S BEEN
HELPING AFGHAN WOMEN AND GIRLS
AND AS LAURA.
MY FIRST REACTION WAS WOW, THESE
GIRLS ARE GOING TO HAVE REAL
TROUBLE WITH THE TALIBAN.
A LOT OF GANGS HAVE BEEN MADE SO
DEEPLY CONCERNED OF THE WOMEN
AND GIRLS IN THAT COUNTRY.
>> YOU THINK WE SHOULD HAVE HELD
OFF IN THAT COUNTRY?
>> WELL, WE’LL SEE, TIME WILL
TELL.
I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION HOPES
THAT THE GIRLS ARE GOING TO BE
OKAY THROUGH DIPLOMACY, WE’LL
FIND OUT.
THEY WERE BRUTAL, THE TALIBAN.
>> CAN YOU BELIEVE IT IS 20
YEARS SINCE WE WENT IN THERE?
>> WE WENT IN KOREA IN ’52 AND
GERMANY IN ’44.
YEAH, 20 YEARS.
YES, YOU ARE GOING TO SAY CAN
YOU BELIEVE IT?
TIME FLIES.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR
PAINTINGS.
YOU PAINT TWO GROUPS.
YOU PAINT VETERANS.
>> I PAINT A LOT OF VETERANS.
>> AND IMMIGRANTS.
>> WHY THOSE TWO GROUPS?
>> I HAD A KINSHIP WITH VETERANS
AND GREAT EMPATHY WITH
IMMIGRANTS.
WE WERE ALL RAISED MAINLY, A
WOMAN CAME UP FROM MEXICO WITH
NOTHING.
>> I LOVE READING HER STORY.
SHOO
>> SHE WAS AWESOME.
>> SHE WAS NEARLY AS TOUGH.
>> PRETTY DAMN TOUGH.
>> SHE WAS.
>> WOW.
>> SHE TALKING US ABOUT FAMILY
VALUES BECAUSE SHE CARED DEEPLY
ABOUT HER FAMILY.
AS A MATTER OF FEEDBACK, TWOACT,
DAUGHTERS CAME FROM HOUSTON TO
SEE THE PORTRAIT.
THIS WOMAN IS A VOTER, SHE CARES
DEEPLY AND HAD TWO FAMILIES.
IT OPENED UP MY HEART.