Trump Responds to Chief Justice John Roberts; Trump Gets Political on Call to Military on Thanksgiving; Trump Gives OK to Lethal Force as Border but Mattis Contradicts
KEILAR: President Trump is spending his Thanksgiving holiday lecturing Chief Justice John Roberts about the court system. It all started when the president described a Ninth Circuit Court judge who ruled against his migrant asylum policy as a, quote, "Obama judge." Roberts responded with a stunning rebuke and declared, quote, "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges." Trump not only fought back on Twitter, he clearly had the dispute on his mind during a call with troops this morning.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATTES: We get a lot of bad court decisions from the Ninth Circuit, which has become a big thorn in our side. You always lose and then you lose again and again, and then you hopefully win at the Supreme Court, which we have done. But it's a terrible thing when judges take over your protective services and tell you how to protect your border. It's a disgrace.</s>KEILAR: Joining me now, we have former Democratic congressman from North Carolina, Brad Miller, and former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, Charlie Dent, with us. Congressman Miller, it's worth noting that it will be widely said when you are talking about a judge's ruling that people say, oh, they were appointed by so and so. They kind of look to see the motivation or maybe that they went with a policy that doesn't represent whoever appointed them. Why is this different?</s>BRAD MILLER, (D), FORMER CONGRESSMAN: They are both wrong, although Trump more wrong. His attack on the judiciary is just way over the top. Also I don't think it's the case, as Justice Roberts suggested, that judges just call balls and strikes and they are impartial guardians of eternal values and sacred values of democracy and the rule of law. Judges do get appointed to decides cases a certain way. And he needs to keep that in mind. I think Trump's attacks on the judiciary and on the independence of the judiciary, it's like the facts on the media, you know, I don't think people should watch CNN with open-mouth credulity or read the "New York Times" with open-mouth credulity, but that doesn't mean he should call them the enemy of the people. It really gets at an attack on all of the institutions that the democracy depends upon.</s>KEILAR: What do you think, Congressman Dent?</s>CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I tend to agree with Brad. It's appropriate for Justice Robert to push back on the president. And the chief justice's job is to protect the integrity and the independence of the judiciary. Of course, judges come to these jobs with their own biases, but I believe most are there to weigh the cases based on the facts and the evidence and make a decision that is compliant with the law. I think the president ought to cease and desist. This is uncalled-for. Basically, trying to undermine the institution of the judiciary, which is unhelpful to this republic. As Brad said, too, we shouldn't be also attacking the media. These are -- an independent free media and a strong independent judiciary are essential components of any democratic society and we should work to strengthen these institutions and not weaken or undermine them.</s>KEILAR: I don't know if you are able to hear the call, but I'm sure you heard the call that the president placed to troops in various areas around the world. He addressed them. He thanked them but he also talked about the border afterwards. He said the troops can use lethal force if they have to. He hopes that doesn't happen, which is important to note, but if it's necessary. The U.S. military is not supposed to conduct law enforcement in the U.S. What do you think.</s>MILLER: I disagree with Trump politically and on policy, but beyond that, I think he just must have been raised by wolves. He seems to be unable to understand how human beings are supposed to act. To have that conversation with the troops, who just wanted to hear that, on behalf of a grateful nation, he appreciated they are wearing our nation's uniform and being in harm's way and separated from families, for it is sacrifice they were making and their families were making, and not go off on his own political tirade, as he just does on every occasion whether it's appropriate or not.</s>KEILAR: Do you worry about the authority of troops on the border to have that --</s>MILLER: There was an article in the paper this morning, in the "Washington Post" this morning that there was a battle royal in the White House over that. Yes, he was given the legal advice that he did not have that constitutional authority and he cares not a shred for the rule of law or for constitutional limitations as also displayed by the attacks on the judiciary.</s>KEILAR: Congressman Dent, if he was given that advice, reportedly a very good report, if he was given that advice and this is what he said this morning, do you have a concern?</s>DENT: Well, about the border?</s>KEILAR: No, giving the troops the authority to use lethal force, as he said, if they have to, which would be very unusual. This is a big step.</s>DENT: I had served in the Homeland Security Committee and it was clear to all of us that the National Guard or troops, if ever deployed to the border, their job was not to make apprehensions, but to provide an extra set of hands. The Border Patrol is responsible for apprehending people. They're trained to do this. This is not the role of the United States military and the National Guard at the border to make those types of arrests. I don't know why the president would say such a thing. I know the military is not down there to be making arrests. They are there to provide support to the Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol, as they should.</s>KEILAR: He's got a lot of generals, Congressman Dent, around him. They are advising him. He's hearing for them, presumably, when it comes to this issue of conducting law enforcement. He is hearing from them on how you talk to the troops in a phone call like he made today. Do you think he just doesn't care? Do you think he is disregarding their advice?</s>DENT: I suspect at times that the president just does not do propriety well. How hard is it to speak to the troops overseas? You thank them for their service and sacrifice and you bring greetings to them from the American people and then you listen to what the troops have to say. You ask them how they're doing. It's not about you, the president. It's about the troops on Thanksgiving. I don't know why he makes these things, why he makes inappropriate comments and raises messy political issues with our troops. Who are trained to be nonpolitical or apolitical. They are there to serve the country, they're not there to serve a political party or set of issues. They have a job to do. They are in an uncomfortable position when the commander-in-chief raises these types of difficult issues that they are not supposed to speak on --</s>KEILAR: What do you wish he would have said, Congressman Miller?</s>MILLER: Thank you for wearing our nation's uniforms. I thank you on behalf of myself and a grateful nation. Thank you for being in harm's way. And thank you for the sacrifice that you are making on this holiday that most people would rather be with their family. And thank you for your family's sacrifice as well. We love you and care about you and appreciate your being here.</s>KEILAR: Congressman Miller and Congressman Dent, I appreciate both of you being here. And a very happy Thanksgiving to you. Thank you.</s>MILLER: Thank you.</s>DENT: Happy Thanksgiving.</s>MILLER: Happy Thanksgiving.</s>KEILAR: Coming up, this is a heartbreaking twist of fate as the young girl behind an award-winning essay on gun violence is killed by a stray bullet in Milwaukee. How she's being remembered today. Plus, a dramatic rescue in Dallas as a mother desperate to save her baby daughter from a fire drops her from a third-story window to a bystander below.