President Trump Notes That National Emergency To Build Border Wall "Not Off The Table"
TEXT: LET'S GET AFTER IT.</s>CUOMO: Listen, I hate that we even have a clock for something like this. These continuing resolutions, there's got to be a better way. But here we are, 11 days until brinkmanship right, and the President once again digging in.</s>MARGARET BRENNAN, CBS NEWS' MODERATOR OF FACE THE NATION & SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, FORMER CBS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Would you shut down the government again?</s>TRUMP: Well we're going to have to see what happens on February 15th. I don't like to take things off the table. It's that alternative. It's national emergency. It's other things. And, you know, there have been plenty national emergencies called.</s>CUOMO: It's not even the question, would you? We know he would. The question is, how could you given what just happened? And that would have led the segue into national emergency, why (ph) he sees it as an alternative. It's not just about one interview. It's about the reality, OK? The national emergency is seen as the easy way forward for him. But now, senior Republicans are saying, "It ain't so easy." But with no deal in sight, and the President so prepossessed with this perception that he won, he won, what's going to happen is an intra-party fight, our future? Let's debate, Bakari Sellers and Rick Santorum joining me now. Rick, the idea of a national emergency in 11 days, what's your take?</s>RICHARD JOHN SANTORUM, POLITICIAN, ATTORNEY, AUTHOR, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN PARTY MEMBER, FORMER UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA: Well I mean we're hearing (ph), you - you use the term that Donald Trump was digging in. But, let's be honest, I mean the person digging in right now is Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats who are saying not a penny for the wall. And, you know, that's not how you negotiate when you want to get to a compromise. And so, the President has been the one be - willing to compromise. And Nancy is doing this. This is all politics. What Nancy has figured out, and you've - you mentioned it here, is that this issue of going it alone divides Republicans. This is a - this is a bonanza for Nancy. She can stand and - and - and satisfy her base, and then leave Trump with no alternative but to divide his. So, it's a - it - it's all a political calculus, but it's not in the best interest of the country, and it's not what she pledged she would do if the President reopened the government.</s>CUOMO: Well the problem is Bakari is that this is what the President pledged he would do, "Wall, wall, wall, wall, wall, everything's solved by a wall." And now, he's got Mitch McConnell sitting in the corner, stay boy, and it's, "Give me the wall or else." Is it worth a shutdown? Is it worth a national emergency?</s>BAKARI SELLERS, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE MEMBER, DEMOCRAT: You know, I don't like to correct you per se, Chris. But I will tell you that he promised wall, wall, wall, but he also promised Mexico was going to pay for it, not the American--</s>CUOMO: True.</s>SELLERS: --taxpayers.</s>CUOMO: True.</s>SELLERS: And so, we're here in a pretzel. We're here trying to clean up his lie. And I just have to push back on what - what Rick said. The fact is that this is not a wall. An edifice to Donald Trump is not good public policy. An edifice to Donald Trump is not good immigration law.</s>SANTORUM: Then you - you want to tear down all the other walls--</s>SELLERS: We need compre--</s>SANTORUM: --Bakari?</s>SELLERS: But what we need and we - we can repair those, we can upgrade those. We can actually modernize our immigration.</s>SANTORUM: Why? If they're - if they're - if they're not necessary--</s>SELLERS: We can - we can modernize - we can modernize our immigration system.</s>SANTORUM: If they're not necessary, why - why are we playing along (ph)?</s>SELLERS: We can actually make sure - we can actually - we can actually make sure that we have a 21st Century immigration system, and not just some edifice to Donald Trump.</s>SANTORUM: But - but no more walls. Tear - tear those down?</s>SELLERS: Perfect example. If we have a trial--</s>SANTORUM: Tear them down?</s>SELLERS: --we have a trial - we have a trial going - we have the trial of the century going on right now. A 11 weeks of testimony with Pablo Escobar, and in that trial, they said that all of the drugs that he shipped into the country, none of which will be stopped by a wall. I mean there - this is absurd. And - and just to say that you want to build--</s>CUOMO: El Chapo and his tunnels.</s>SANTORUM: So tear them down?</s>SELLERS: --just - just - just to want - just to want to build a wall because something Donald Trump wants is not good policy. And the fact is this isn't a - this isn't a national emergency. And it's - it's Nancy actually having, or Speaker Pelosi, I would want to show her the due respect, Speaker Pelosi actually having public policy on her side, and you know what else she has on her side? The American people. That's why she's polling higher than the President of the United States.</s>SANTORUM: What public policy Bakari are you talking about because every Border Control Agent, everybody who's down there on the - on the front line is saying that walls are effective. I - I don't know where you come up with this.</s>CUOMO: They say walls - wait, hold on, hold on. Let's be - let's be careful. Let's be--</s>SANTORUM: Walls are effective and that more walls are necessary.</s>SELLERS: That's not - that's not--</s>CUOMO: --let's - hold on, let's just be careful, gentlemen, especially on this show. One, everybody knows, and they come after me for it, I believe the men and the women who are in charge of keeping us safe that physical barriers are helpful to them, none has ever told me it is their top priority. The President made it his, and he has handcuffed them--</s>SANTORUM: But that's not the point you're making, Chris.</s>CUOMO: --to that priority.</s>SANTORUM: Chris, you're not making--</s>SELLERS: That - that's the point. But the point I'm making is - the point I'm making is (ph)--</s>SANTORUM: Because it's the President's point (ph)--</s>CUOMO: That's the point I want to make.</s>SANTORUM: --doesn't mean it's not necessary. OK?</s>CUOMO: I'm not saying that it's not necessary. I'm saying it's not a panacea--</s>SELLERS: The point I'm making - the point I'm making--</s>CUOMO: --and the President says it is.</s>SANTORUM: And I don't think the President is saying it's a panacea.</s>CUOMO: And that's deceptive.</s>SELLERS: It's - it's--</s>CUOMO: That's all he says.</s>SANTORUM: The President is willing to do other things.</s>CUOMO: No. He only talks about the wall.</s>SANTORUM: He's put a lot of other things on the table. And neat (ph)--</s>SELLERS: That's not what he's willing to do though. But the - the irony--</s>SANTORUM: --he always talks about it. But he's put lots of things on the table.</s>SELLERS: --the irony in this, Rick the--</s>SANTORUM: And he's not getting any cooperation.</s>SELLERS: Rick, the irony - the irony in this is that this is all the President's talking about when it comes to immigration reform. He's only talking about a wall. And the complete irony of this is that he's willing to shut down the government over the wall, and guess who will not get paid? Border Patrol Agents.</s>SANTORUM: OK. Look, this is fake news, Bakari. This is fake news.</s>SELLERS: And yes, we need - and yes, we need, yes--</s>CUOMO: But Rick - Rick, you're not being fair to the audience.</s>SELLERS: --that's - what?</s>SANTORUM: This is fake news, Bakari.</s>CUOMO: No, no, no, hold on. Rick, come on.</s>SELLERS: What - what no. What are you--</s>CUOMO: Don't - don't say that BS on this show.</s>SELLERS: Yes. I mean that's absurd.</s>SANTORUM: No, but--</s>CUOMO: You know that this is the opposite of fake news.</s>SANTORUM: --the President has put forward a detailed plan, has offered to compromise in a lot of other areas.</s>SELLERS: What--</s>SANTORUM: Talked about additional funding on a--</s>CUOMO: It's on paper.</s>SELLERS: --why - why are you shutting--</s>SANTORUM: --variety of different areas, and he's open to doing it (ph).</s>CUOMO: It's on paper.</s>SELLERS: Why are you shutting the government down--</s>SANTORUM: And Nancy Pelosi is saying "No" to all of it unless--</s>SELLERS: --over $5.6 billion of a wall?</s>CUOMO: It's - it's on paper.</s>SANTORUM: --she doesn't get any money for a wall. That's it.</s>CUOMO: It never comes out of his mouth.</s>SELLERS: That's not true.</s>CUOMO: He puts all of the main priorities that matter more than physical borders last or not at all. We'll hear it again tomorrow night where he'll make up things about--</s>SELLERS: But - but--</s>CUOMO: --human trafficking. Hold on, Bakari. He'll make up things about drug trafficking because he wants to justify a physical barrier that doesn't even address the fake problems he's bringing up. And he handed it to Nancy Pelosi. He handed it by being so narrow. He made it easy for her to say, "No, we will not prioritize the physical over everything else. You lose!" He gave it to her, Rick. You wouldn't have done it this way. But he did. And now, he's got to pay the price.</s>SANTORUM: But he's--</s>SELLERS: But actually can</s>I-- SANTORUM: OK.</s>SELLERS: --can I - can I please - can I please correct, Rick because he--</s>CUOMO: Go ahead.</s>SELLERS: --he was - he was not - he was not honest when he gave his last answer. I want to say that the Democrats actually offered $1.6 billion for border fencing.</s>CUOMO: Which is what they asked for in the last budget.</s>SELLERS: With - with that, we actually offered $1.6 billion, and plus we were going to actually monetize - monitor - modernize our immigration system. But what Democrats also want when we talk about a comprehensive immigration reform is we want to make sure that we have a pathway to citizenship for DACA. We want to make sure that there is a pathway to citizenship for those who are T - Temporary Permanent - Temporary Protective Status. We want to make sure that we have these things in place and that is a comprehensive immigration reform package.</s>SANTORUM: And as you know, Bakari, as you know--</s>SELLERS: If you want to argue about making sure--</s>SANTORUM: --the President - the--</s>SELLERS: --if you want to make sure - if you want to argue about making sure that we - that we--</s>SANTORUM: OK. Look,</s>I-- SELLERS: --fully fund our Border Patrol Agents or give--</s>SANTORUM: Great.</s>SELLERS: --give them more resources, that's one thing. But to simply say - and the last point that I want to make to you, Rick--</s>SANTORUM: Yes, OK. I think you made enough points, Bakari.</s>SELLERS: --because this is - this is where - this is where Republicans--</s>SANTORUM: Because you guys - there's two against one, and you're taking three times the time.</s>SELLERS: --this is where Republicans - this is where Republicans get this wrong (ph).</s>CUOMO: It is not two against one. You'll be able to make your point, I promise you that.</s>SELLERS: This is where--</s>SANTORUM: So, let's - let's--</s>SELLERS: --this is - this is where--</s>SANTORUM: --let's - let's - let's be honest.</s>SELLERS: --this is where - Rick, let me just finish this point because--</s>CUOMO: Go ahead.</s>SELLERS: --this is where Republicans get this wrong. The majority of drugs in this country come through ports of entry.</s>CUOMO: He knows that.</s>SELLERS: The largest bust of Fentanyl - but he'd - acts like he doesn't. I know he knows that, but he acts like he doesn't, so I have to say it on national TV so that tomorrow night when the President--</s>CUOMO: Because the President puts him in a box by lying about it all the time.</s>SELLERS: --correct.</s>SANTORUM: OK. So, here's - so here's--</s>SELLERS: So, let's clarify--</s>CUOMO: That's why.</s>SELLERS: --that right now.</s>SANTORUM: OK. Look--</s>CUOMO: No, no, look, Rick, you know it. You know there's no big truck driving through holes in the fence.</s>SANTORUM: So, let - let's--</s>CUOMO: You know that the drugs come - bulk of it come through the ports of entry. I know you know that. Make your point.</s>SANTORUM: OK. Well, thank you, I appreciate the opportunity to get a couple of seconds in here, so let me just say this. I will agree with you that the President's fixation on - in his rhetoric on talking about the wall and all of the aspects of the wall and what the wall can do to help is - is - is his priority, and he - and he - and he reflects that in his rhetoric. But the reality is what the President has said when he put forth his proposal a few weeks ago, and as he has said so at - at negotiations, and is willing to put DACA on the table, to put the - the - the temporary folks on the table.</s>CUOMO: But they gutted it.</s>SANTORUM: To put additional book - funding on the table. And Nancy Pelosi has said, "Even if you give me all this stuff, I'm not giving you a penny."</s>SELLERS: But--</s>SANTORUM: You talk about $1.6 billion, Bakari, let me finish. You talk about $1.6 billion.</s>SELLERS: Please do.</s>SANTORUM: That's not on the table right now. She has said no.</s>SELLERS: You--</s>SANTORUM: So, don't talk about there's money on the table. It's not. Nancy Pelosi is playing a hard game--</s>SELLERS: I said a past offer.</s>SANTORUM: --a hardball game right now, and she's banking--</s>CUOMO: All right, let--</s>SANTORUM: --on the fact that - that he will - he will - he will--</s>CUOMO: --let me ask you guys something else before I let you go.</s>SELLERS: But also (ph) can I just - can we just point out the intellectual--</s>SANTORUM: --he will go and do an emergency and it'll divide the Party.</s>CUOMO: All right, go ahead, Bakari, make your last point.</s>SELLERS: Can we point out the intellectual dishonesty? Can we point out the intellectual dishonesty of Rick's last point? And this is where - this is where it falters. The fact is Donald Trump offered for a pathway to citizenship for DACA, and those with TPS, after he took it away. It's unconstitutional, and he was the one who took away their protection.</s>SANTORUM: Well, excuse me. DACA was unconstitutional in the first place.</s>SELLERS: So, do not take away their protections. Do not take away--</s>SANTORUM: That's - that's the bottom line.</s>SELLERS: --their protections. Do not take away their protections and then give it back to us and say that is a deal. That is not a deal.</s>CUOMO: Look, here's the--</s>SANTORUM: Well that was incorrect and that was (ph)--</s>SELLERS: That is not a compromise.</s>CUOMO: We're going to have--</s>SANTORUM: --was - was - was fraught with legal problems, so don't - don't - don't - don't even--</s>SELLERS: I'm sorry. I'm - I'm sorry but we can't--</s>SANTORUM: --go down that road. That's just baloney.</s>SELLERS: --we cannot have that intellectual dishonesty.</s>CUOMO: Here - here's the reality that we're going to see tomorrow night. He's going to have to pick a road in the wood to borrow from a much better mind. He's got two ways to go tomorrow night, guys, and we'll leave it on this thought. I - and we'll pick it up after the speech. One is, listen, let me be very clear about my priorities again, because you guys are all caught up in the wall, and he's going to make the case that Rick is making here tonight. But I've never heard the President put the true priorities for the Border folks who are keeping us safe in the order that they put them, or he's going to say, "I'm going national emergency." When he makes that choice, we're going to have a lot to talk about. I think that second choice is way worse than some people in your party think your party's starting to move towards a more rational understanding of what a national emergency would mean, if he calls it. So, let's see which road he takes tomorrow night. He's got to pick. Rick, you're always welcome to make your arguments. I don't tell you - I don't care how much heat I get for having you on to make the case. You make the case.</s>SANTORUM: You do. It's I appreciate that.</s>CUOMO: Bakari, as always, thank you for being here. I appreciate it.</s>SELLERS: Thank you.</s>CUOMO: All right, so another big story. And look, you got to - look, you got to chew on these things. You have to. I know it's a little frustrating. It's better than the alternative, all right? Silence, and a silo, and a vacuum, look where that gets you. So, should the Governor of Virginia leave? Very easy to get people to say, "Yes, he's got to go." I have somebody for you, knew him in high school, even earlier, campaigned to help get him elected, is African- American, and very proud, and knows why these pictures are so offensive. Her case to you, next.</s>TEXT: CUOMO PRIME TIME.