Scott Pruitt outlines problems with Paris climate agreement
EPA administrator provides insight on 'The First 100 Days'
This is a rush transcript from "The First 100 Days," April 27, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SANDRA SMITH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Breaking tonight, a vote on a new Republican health care bill could come any time within the next 48 hours as the GOP and White House scramble to make good on a campaign promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Welcome to day 98 of "The First 100 Days." I'm Sandra Smith in for Martha MacCallum tonight. With just two days left until the key marker in the Trump presidency, it appears a vote is eminent. As Republicans rally support behind the compromise plan. While the different factions of the party are finally in agreement on the bill, the Democrats are still not on board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL RYAN, SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: What this amendment does is it gives states more flexibility and tools to reduce premiums and increase choices. And it does this while maintaining and preserving protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
NANCY PELOSI, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MINORITY LEADER: House Republicans' latest version of TrumpCare means heart-stopping premium increases for Americans.
At some point they're going to have to explain to their children what did they do to make America sick again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The president not commenting on the new health plan today, instead touting his dozens of other accomplishments with two days left until the first 100.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: During these first 100 days, which, as you know, I've been saying as a very extreme emphasis placed on these 100 days, Joni. It's not quite as big as they're saying but we have really laid a foundation, had a lot of legislation passed which nobody understands. I think it's 28 bills as of this moment. Somebody said by the time it ends, it's 32 bills. And tremendous legislation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Congressman Jim Jordan was part of the group that killed the first health care bill but he signed onto the new one. So what changed? We'll ask him straight ahead. But first, we go to our chief Congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel live at the Capitol where all of this is unfolding tonight. Hey, Mike.
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sandra, good evening. There is pressure on house Republicans to put points on the board by passing health care reform. House Speaker Paul Ryan rejected any suggestion he's putting his moderate members at risk by pressing them to vote for health care reform, saying it's about keeping their word to the American people. Ryan acknowledged doing big things is not easy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: The kind of agenda that we're attempting to put together here, overhauling health care, overhauling the tax system, rebuilding our military, securing the border. Those take more than just a few months. They take a long time. At least a year. And so, that's why we've - we're working on the path to get it right and not constrain it to some artificial deadline.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: The House Rules Committee has been meeting this evening to prepare a one week government funding extension for the floor. It could do the same for health care reform later. Now, Republicans are being pressed whether they're a yes or no.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED YOHO, UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN FROM FLORIDA: I am a yes under duress. We made it better, we're lowering premiums, and that was one of my fights against it before, the premiums were going to go up under this. They should go down. The tax relief is immediate, employer mandates go away right away. And, you know, overall it's a better bill than it was that we were originally presented with.
DAN DONOVAN, UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN FROM NEW YORK: I spoke to the president personally and explained to him why I was a no vote. And to his credit, he listened more than he spoke. And when I was finished, the president said New York is a unique place. He's lived there his entire life and that, you know, sometimes things that are good for the rest of the nation aren't the same -- don't see the same benefit in New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: There no surprise House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is not interested in repealing and replacing ObamaCare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: TrumpCare, again, means higher costs, 24 million people losing health coverage, getting key protections, a crushing age tax for those 50 to 64, and stealing from Medicare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: Those rounding up votes from Republicans say it is heading in the right direction but not very quickly. Sandra?
SMITH: All right. Mike Emanuel, thank you. House Freedom Caucus opposition to the first GOP health care bill was one of the biggest reasons, you'll remember it, never made it to a vote. But now, the influential group has changed its tune. Joining me now, Freedom Caucus Member Jim Jordan is here. Congressman, thanks for joining us tonight.
JIM JORDAN, HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS MEMBER: Good to be with you.
SMITH: All right. So, is everything that we're hearing true, or is there a lot of progress being made, is there a movement on this?
JORDAN: I think so. Yes.
SMITH: How close are - how close are you getting?
JORDAN: I think close. I think, you know, the vast majority of the Freedom Caucus is going to support the legislation because we think by our engagement we know that the tax increases that were put in place under ObamaCare, those are gone right away. We know that there's now a work requirement in the bill for able-bodied adults who are in the Medicaid expansion population. And if the states seek and get this waiver, we believe premiums will come down for their residents, so that's a step in the right direction.
But, Sandra, we got to be clear, this is not a full repeal of ObamaCare, but it is a good step and I think the best step we can get out of the House of Representatives right now. And that's why we support it.
SMITH: All right. So, you're sold on it, your colleagues in the Freedom Caucus are sold on it, your fellow conservatives are sold on it, but as Mike just laid out, Democrats aren't sold on it and many moderate Republicans aren't yet sold.
JORDAN: Well, the Democrats are never get -- yes, Democrats are never going to get sold. They like -
SMITH: But what about those moderate Republicans?
JORDAN: I think they'll come along, too. And that's what we're working on right now. That's what the leadership is working on right now. But we've got to focus on not what, you know, moderates think, what Freedom Caucus -- what did the American people elect us to do? They elected us to get rid of ObamaCare. This bill doesn't quite get there but it is a good step. If we get to the Senate, we got to do more and we got to be persistent about doing more. But what did the American people elect us to in 2010, 2014, and again in November of 2016? They elected to us do what this bill does, and frankly, to do even more. So let's just get this passed.
SMITH: But let me give you a snapshot, Congressman, of what the American people do want. This is the latest views that we have seen on ObamaCare. Fox News polling revealing a 26 percent want it repealed entirely, 31 percent want to repeal parts of it, 25 percent want to expand it, 16 percent want to leave it as-is. So, a majority want to replace some or all of ObamaCare.
JORDAN: Right. Right.
SMITH: That's a really interesting statistic to look at, at this point in the game.
JORDAN: Yes, yes. And the Democrats are thinking about shutting down the government because they want to keep ObamaCare. That makes no sense to me. So, let's focus again on what the American people sent to us do, what they elected us to do, what we told them we were going to do. This is a good first step. So, let's get this passed and get it to the Senate and then keep working to make sure we can fully repeal ObamaCare and bring back - bring back --
SMITH: Do you have enough votes now? Do you have enough votes now, Congressman?
JORDAN: I think we're - I think we're close. But you'd have to ask the whip that question. But I do think we're really close. Because again, when the Freedom Caucus came on board that brought a lot of votes to the yes column, so we should be real close now. Hopefully, it will happen soon.
SMITH: What timing are we looking at, 100-day mark coming up Saturday. Will there be a vote by then?
JORDAN: Much more important than when it happens is that it happened the right way. So, we shouldn't be in a rush just to pass anything. That's why we opposed and fought and debated this bill and got it to this point. We should be focused on doing the best piece of legislation we can. Remember, the bill as introduced, the American Health Care Act, only 17 percent of the country liked it. So, it's a good thing we did engage in this debate and make this bill a better piece of legislation. So, let's focus on doing it right, get it to the Senate, and doing even more, and doing what the American people elected us to accomplish.
SMITH: All right. And really quickly, Congressman, your name is being thrown around as a possible replacement for Jason Chaffetz. Is there anything to that? Is that something you're interested in as far as the Chairman of the House Oversight Government Reform Committee?
JORDAN: Yes. Sandra, I'm focused on getting this health care bill done, starting the tax reform legislation, make sure that the wall gets built. All those things we promised the American people. Jason Chaffetz is still the chairman, and I'm going to keep working hard on the committee. We'll find out what happens later down the road.
SMITH: So much going on, so much to get to. Congressman, thanks for joining us tonight.
JORDAN: You bet, thank you.
SMITH: All right. David Bossie served as President Trump's deputy campaign manager, and he's a Fox News Contributor, and Juan Williams is a Fox News Political Analyst and a co-host of "The Five" which is now on at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, by the way. Juan is also the author of the new book "We the People" now out in paperback. Good to see, both of you.
Juan, I'll start with you first. It seems that there are positive developments on the part of Republicans getting together and backing these changes to the health care bill.
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, without a doubt because what you just heard from Jim Jordan is the Freedom Caucus is on board, people at the Heritage Foundation, Heritage are now saying, "Yes, we think this will work," which gives, I think, the conservatives some basis for moving forward. But, you know, Sandra, it strikes me, just looking from the outside, as a political salvage job. They were so embarrassed by the failure to get anything done initially that they're now engaged in an act of symbolism that on Saturday, potentially, the 100th day of the Trump administration, they say, "We're going to have a vote, we're going to have something for you but as Jim Jordan pointed out, this is not even a full repeal and replace of ObamaCare.
SMITH: Well, they - if they pass it onto the Senate and they do a little more work on it. But David, let me get your response to that.
WILLIAMS: Yes, exactly.
DAVID BOSSIE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: This is a great start, Juan, and you know it. And it potentially happens on the 100th day. And let me just say this. "Elections have consequence" to quote Barack Obama. We're going to have some consequences to this election. Jim Jordan was just pointing out. They got elected, President Trump, part of the reason that he is President Trump today is because of his leadership and on this issue and because he promised to repeal and replace ObamaCare, which this is a big step towards doing.
SMITH: Juan?
WILLIAMS: Well, I guess, again, go back to what the Congressman said. Jim Jordan said the American Care Act or whatever they call it, Trump care, had about a 17 percent approval in its prior incarnation. Now, with the changes they had made to bring on board Heritage and the Freedom Caucus, Sandra, is to say that people with pre-existing conditions, well, you know what, we're not going to enforce the insurance companies to deal with that, we're not going to deal with Medicare in that way. We're not going to --
SMITH: All right. So, David, let me ask you this question. Because you did hear from a very optimistic Congressman Jim Jordan just a few minutes ago, what if? What if they don't have the -- what if this doesn't go through? What if there's another failure? What would the fallout be from that?
BOSSIE: Well, first of all, you know, President Trump has done everything that he can to this point to get this job done, to repeal and replace ObamaCare. He has been a leader, he has worked. He has call -- he has worked the phones, he's had meetings, he's had groups of individuals, he's had individual Congressman that he has talked to and met with. He has done everything over the last month to get to this point. And now, it's in the Republican leaders' hands, in the House of Representatives. Speaker Ryan has to get those moderates, has to work to get that conference that he leads on board, and I think that he is well on his way to doing it. The Freedom Caucus coming on board is a big step but I think Speaker Ryan is a tremendous speaker and he's going to get there.
WILLIAMS: David, I don't think it's fair to blame Paul Ryan for the fact that Donald Trump campaigned and said I'll get a better plan right away within 100 days and nothing.
BOSSIE: Juan, you guys want - look, Paul Ryan and the leadership of the house has had a long time to get a bill ready. In my opinion, they failed a month ago. The president has made them -- the President of the United States sat down and said enough is enough. We're going to take this back at the White House and we'll deliver the bill.
SMITH: All right. Juan?
WILLIAMS: But they - what did they do? Go home with a bad plan? They can't sell that. You saw what happened at those town hall meetings. They got to have a good plan, a better plan, ensures more people.
BOSSIE: Yes. I know. I know, Juan. The paid - the paid protesters who show up at all of these town halls, you know, they're going to - they're going continue to be --
WILLIAMS: Oh, come on, David. Come on.
BOSSIE: They are going to continue to be --
SMITH: Guys, we've got to leave it there.
BOSSIE: -- on President Trump.
SMITH: But thanks to both of you for coming on tonight.
WILLIAMS: You're welcome, Sandra.
SMITH: All right.
BOSSIE: Thanks.
SMITH: And tomorrow, on day 99 of The First 100, don't miss Martha's exclusive interview with President Donald Trump. No topic will be off limits, as Martha presses the president on the big issues from the first three months of his term including health care, North Korea, the wall, his clashes with the courts, and the never-ending battles with what the president calls the dishonest media. That is all happening tomorrow night at 7:00.
All right. Breaking tonight, this is a live look at Berkeley, California where hundreds are now gathering in protest to free speech. We'll continue to monitor this throughout our hour.
Plus, President Trump talks with leaders from our - from our north and south, have him rethinking a campaign promise to retool the NAFTA agreement. Chris Stirewalt is here on what that means.
And U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley forcefully calling out Russia today for its role in the Syria crises. Ambassador John Bolt is here next on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The humanitarian workers don't lie. The fact that they can't get the assistance they need, that's not lying. What is, is to continue to give Russia a pass for allowing this terrible situation to occur.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to make some very big changes or we are going to get rid of NAFTA for once and for all. It cannot continue like this, believe me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: All right. That was President Trump just last week doubling down on his campaign promise to either renegotiate or pull out of NAFTA. It's a regulation that eliminates most tariffs on trade with Canada and Mexico. But after a late night call with leaders from both countries, Trump now says there is some wiggle room. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So, I decided rather than terminating NAFTA, which would be a pretty big, you know, shock to the system, we will renegotiate. Now, if I'm unable to make a fair deal, if I'm unable to make a fair deal for the United States, meaning a fair deal for our workers and our companies, I will terminate NAFTA. But we're going to give renegotiation a good, strong shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Here now, Chris Stirewalt Fox News Politics Editor. Chris, good to see you. So, are we seeing an about-face from the president? First, he said that he was doing away with it altogether and now it's talk about renegotiation.
CHRIS STIREWALT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL POLITICS EDITOR: Well, let's put it this way, there is campaign talk and every politician does this. There's a lot of freaking out about Trump. They're acting like he's the first politician to say one thing on the campaign trail and govern in a different way. Well, duh. They all do it. Trump just does it at higher decibel level. The issue here is presidents like trade, they love trade because it makes for good jobs. They want free trade. When presidents get in, they say, "I want to grow the economy, I want to grow manufacturing." How do I do it? I've got to increase exports. That's why Trump did an about-face on the export, import bank. That's why he has changed about China being a currency manipulator, as he has more streams of information and more access to more smart people who can tell him how the stuff works. He says, "I want to grow the economy, I want to grow jobs, I need trade."
SMITH: But historically, when you look at trade wars, what historically is the impact on countries that engage in these?
STIREWALT: Famines are one thing. Various forms of pestilence and discord and dismay. Wars, actual shooting wars. Trade wars stink. They should be avoided at all costs. What Trump is doing here and I think you can certainly put this to his good, Trump is getting leverage and he scares the Canadians, scares the Mexicans, "Oh my gosh, he's crazy. He's going to pull out of NAFTA which would be devastating for both of those countries. NAFTA is good for us but it would be devastating to those countries to lose access to the U.S. market. So, he scares them, he gets into the negotiating table, and whatever changes he makes in the end, he'll claim victory. He needs NAFTA, he wants NAFTA. This is a chance to make some changes. In the end, whatever happens, he'll declare a victory just like he did on NATO.
SMITH: Because, in the end, what is important to American voters that put him in office and to the American people, the economy, jobs. So, are you telling me that even if he is - this isn't an about-face from the president that voters will be fine as long as we see a strong economy?
STIREWALT: The whole point of Trumpism is just win, right?
That's the whole point. It's not an ideology, it's an attitude. It's like a sports franchise. So, the voters are looking to Trump not on specific -- well, he said he would do renegotiate NAFTA, but who cares? What they care about and this is where Democrats are missing this. This is where Democrats are screwing up their Trump opposition which is if people are richer a year from now than they were a year ago. It's like on his tax plan. If he works and he gets it in and people are richer now than they were a year ago, they're going to forget about a lot of stuff. Republicans thought they could beat Bill Clinton on social issues, Democrats think they can beat Trump on a different set of these things, then Bill Clinton's case, economy was good, people forgave him even after impeachment. And with Trump, he have a lot of attitude on doing whatever he wants if the economy is cooking.
SMITH: All right, Chris Stirewalt, good to see you. Thank you.
STIREWALT: Bye.
SMITH: Also today, the U.N. Security Council addressing the atrocities in Syria and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley not mincing words, calling for all eyes and all pressure go to Russia to end the conflict. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HALEY: Russia continues to cover for the Syrian regime. Russia continues to allow them to keep humanitarian aid from the people that need it. Russia continues to cover for a leader who uses chemical weapons against his own people. The Syrian people don't care about diplomacy. The Syrian people don't care about any sort of task forces. Syrian people don't care about any of the things we said today. They're just trying to live their very last day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Here now, a man who served in that very same role, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. He is also a Fox News Contributor. Ambassador, always good to see you. First of all, as far as Nikki Haley is concerned, how is she shaping that role that you once held?
JOHN BOLTON, FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Well, I think what's been notable in the first 100 days is the extent of her ability to make statements that have really encapsulated the administration's - the new administration's foreign policy. I wouldn't say it's quite a role reversal with the Secretary of State, Secretary Tillerson is now, I think, beginning to speak more to the press. He did with Bret Baier earlier tonight. But in this first couple of months, it has been very interesting to see how much he has done and how much she's been able to call attention to some of the problems as she did this afternoon on Syria.
SMITH: And how much change can we actually enact there?
BOLTON: Well, that goes to a more fundamental question. You know, the real hard work at the United Nations, this is breathtakingly boring, but it occurs in windowless rooms after midnight when the ambassadors on the Security Council are hashing out language that most people will never read in Security Council resolution. But that said, you know, this is an iconic location, the Security Council Chamber. And so, it's a good place to take advantage of to make statements that you want the rest of the world to hear.
SMITH: And by the way, you make it so simple for us. I know can you easily go into that language that nobody can understand, but you've heard from Trump calling the U.N. an underperformer, he referred to it as.
BOLTON: Very diploma diplomatic, I might say.
SMITH: But he said, "It has huge potential." I spoke with you earlier this week. I said the president sounds pretty optimistic. You didn't exactly agree with that.
BOLTON: Well, I think he sounds optimistic. I agree with that. I'm just not as optimistic as he is. But that's fine for a president. I think it's a signal to the other Security Council ambassadors that the administration doesn't come in with an in-build hostility to doing things at the U.N. But he wants to see whether, in fact, there is follow through on it, and I think that's where the hard task lies.
SMITH: So, let's talk strategy because you just saw Nikki Haley, she is - she is saying we need to put pressure on Russia in this Syria conflict.
BOLTON: Yes. Well, whether speeches in the Security Council will do that or not is a question. And I tell you, the Russians in these circumstances, the Chinese when it comes to defending North Korea, have shown very thick skins. They can sit there and listen to that and completely ignore it. So, there's a lot of utility to putting this public pressure on. But different countries react in different ways where we might take it more seriously. It just -- it's just business as usual.
SMITH: And speaking of us taking it more seriously, this is where the American people stand, according to the latest Fox News polling on using U.S. airstrikes to punish Syria for using chemical weapons. 67 percent of respondents said they approved. 29 percent disapprove.
BOLTON: Yes. And I think it's in part because President Trump made it very clear that the airstrikes were a precise response to the Syrian use of chemical weapons against his own people. It did not reflect a change in our overall involvement in the Syrian conflict. Some proponents of that thought that the U.S. strike did represent a change in policy, and they liked that opponents of greater U.S. involvement also thought it was a change of policy. And they didn't like it. It wasn't a change of policy, it was a response to the use of weapons and max destruction and I think the American people care a good deal about nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
SMITH: Well, in that - and it shows up in that poll. We've got to leave it there but a grade for the president foreign policy-wise of the first 100 days, ambassador?
BOLTON: I'd give him a solid B. I mean, I think he's done a lot. There's a lot more to do. He's inherited a lot of difficulties from the Obama administration.
SMITH: All right. Very good. Ambassador, thanks for being here.
BOLTON: Glad to be here.
SMITH: All right. Well, up next, the Trump administration also weighing in on another major foreign policy decision tonight. On the heels of nationwide climate change protests, the White House now considering getting out of the Paris Climate Agreement. EPA administrator Scott Pruitt is here on that next. And breaking tonight, we're watching as police are prepping for protests after Ann Coulter said she was forced to cancel a speech at U.C. Berkeley. We'll be monitoring that situation throughout the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The Paris deal also allows China, the world's largest polluter by far, to increase emissions for more than a dozen years while the United States makes drastic cuts immediately, right now.
What's that all about? Why aren't we doing it together? What's that about? Who negotiates our deals?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: That was then-candidate Donald Trump critical of President Obama's entry into the Paris accord. The deal limits U.S. carbon emissions while critics say goes easy on countries like China, and now, top Trump advisors are talking about pulling out of the deal. Here now, a man involved in those discussions, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. And in fact, Mr. Pruitt, you were in conversations with the president today, any changes or any developments there?
SCOTT PRUITT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR: No, Sandra. And the discussion continues. And you're right, there were discussions today at the White House with respect to this issue of Paris. I think the point that needs to be made initially is that the CO2 discussion, having a seat at the table, American leadership if you will on the CO2 reduction. We're pre-1994 levels right now in this country on our CO2 footprints.
Largely because of innovation and technology that we've deployed here that has reduced our carbon emissions. China, Russia, India, those countries across the globe had not had similar commitments. And what Paris represents is a front loading of cost for this country, a contraction of our own economy while those countries continue to pollute and not take steps that we've taken already.
SMITH: So is there any changes, a more moderate approach to this agreement that would, in your opinion, allow you to stay in the -- allow us to stay in the agreement and not leave it entirely?
PRUITT: Well, the Paris accord and the Paris agreement, one, should have been treated at as a treaty. You know, it's something that this country -- the clean power plan, the regulatory response of the past EPA was in response to the climate action plan in Paris. And so, they're inextricably linked and, as such, we have front loaded those costs, Sandra. What we should be talking about is how we export innovation, how we export technology that we've already deployed here to places like China and India to get accountability with respect to our CO2 footprint. The clean power plan and the Paris accord represented a $2.5 trillion reduction in gross domestic product over a 10 year period, $292 billion of compliance cost, up to 400,000 jobs annually. This is something that we're doing taking steps now when we're already at pre-1994 levels. That's a bad business deal for this country.
SMITH: The reason I ask you if there's any more moderate approach that could be taken on this while still staying in it is because there seems to be some conflict even within the administration. I'm thinking on this, Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state who used to run ExxonMobil during his confirmation hearings, said that we should have a seat at the table.
PRUITT: That seat can continue, Sandra. I mean, that's something that we should do. In fact, the secretary of state -- and I talked about that, we are a part of the U.N. at triple-c, which is a seat at the table with respect to climate change. So that discussion can continue. It just needs to be reset. It need to be focused upon America first strategy to make sure that our interests are advance in that international discussion and not sacrificed with respect to our economy in relation to China and India and other nations. You know it's interesting about the green climate fund as an example, the fund that followed and was part of the Paris discussion, $100 billion of moneys to be committed by the year 2020, if we kept our current funding commitments that we've already made, we would be providing almost 20 percent of all funding internationally, taxpayers in this country, while China and India and Russia pay zero. That's just simply -- that's a continuation of America last, America second type of strategy that the previous administration used on issues like this. And that has to change. And I appreciate the president's leadership in those areas.
SMITH: All right. Mr. Pruitt, we have to leave it there, but thank you for coming on tonight.
PRUITT: Thank you.
SMITH: All right. With just two days left until the first 100 day mark, what do the voters think of the Trump presidency so far? Pollster Lee Carter is here with some the most pivotal moments from the first three months. Then, Karl Rove, here with why he says the rest of the first four years is what matters most.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I want you to think about what we can accomplish in the first 100 days of a Trump administration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I've always heard that the most important thing that a president of the United States does is appoint people, hopefully great people like this appointment to the United States Supreme Court, and I can say this is a greater honor.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: And I got it done in the first 100 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: All right, that was President Trump touting one of his big achievements of the first 100 days. But my next guest argues now is the time for President Trump to take a long, hard look on how he does business, and says the Trump legacy will be decided by what happens after his arbitrary milestone. Karl Rove is a Fox News politics -- political contributor and former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush. Karl, I will ask you a simple question first. How is he doing?
KARL ROVE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Mostly good. But the things that he's coming up short on if not rectified could have a long-term impact upon his ability to be a successful president, particularly in the midterms next year and in the final two years of his first term.
SMITH: All right. So how important is this first 100 days as you just saw him reflecting on some of his biggest achievements. Is this an important benchmark for you?
ROVE: No, the 100 days is not. Because, look, no 100 days has mattered to a presidency since 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt came in and achieved a great deal of legislative prowess and action in the country in the first 100 days. No president since then has been able to turn the first 100 days in to a lot. And that's, look, that's the way the system works. Sure, he had a bunch of executive orders. He did a terrific job with Gorsuch. He's got a cabinet particularly in the international arena, home land, defense and state that is really good. But we shouldn't be judging a president, you know, their policy achievements in the first 100 days because congress doesn't act in 100 days. But Americans do form a judgment about what they see as the ability of that individual who is holding that office to achieve the things that they expect of the presidency. And that's why I'm worried to say it's time to recalibrate and rethink. The real clear politics average shows 42 percent approval for President Trump as we approach the end of his first quarter of his term in office, 53 percent disapprove. The average for modern presidents is 61. No president since we began polling has been elected to office and had in the first 100 days a lower approval rating than their disapproval rating. And so the way that he is conducting business and the focus that people are perceiving from how he does the things that he does is not helping him. This is the moment that he should have the honeymoon. Even George W. Bush who came in to office with acrimonious election, his approval rating was at 63 percent in the gallop poll at this point.
SMITH: That's right. And Barack Obama's was also higher at this point.
ROVE: Oh, 70, 72.
SMITH: When you look at it in Fox News polling, Donald Trump 45 percent, Barack Obama 61 percent at this point, George Bush 56 percent at this point, so there's that perspective as well. So if he, the president, is to look on day 101 which is this Sunday, look back at the first 100 days, what should he learn as far as his mistakes?
ROVE: Well, there are a variety of things I think they could do better, one is focus. There is a jumbo. Every day seems to bring in a new issue to us. Last night we had NAFTA, we're going to withdraw in a matter days, and a couple of hours later after reassuring phone calls with Canada and Mexico, no, we're not. I mean, that was the same day that he laid out his tax reform package. Maybe they're better off slowing this thing up paying a particular focus on things that have to do with economy and jobs and people's paychecks and not have high expectations that this needs to be done in a rush. Now we have the administration saying, well, we think we ought to have a vote on the health care reform bill now, and maybe we ought to do it Saturday. Well, that's going to be a very tough vote to pull off. And so, they're not going to be raising the expectations. Better to under promise and over deliver, and maybe it ought to be to slow things up.
We've also got a lesson earlier tonight about something I think they'd be well advised to do in Bret Baier's "Special Report." He had an interview with the secretary of state which was terrific. And maybe we need to see just a little bit less of Donald Trump and more of the people around him. We had a great interview here in the last day or so with General Kelly, the head of homeland security. Better to put some of these other faces out there so that they get a sense of who the president surrounded himself with because I think that's a big plus for the kind of people he's drawn into these sensitive posts.
SMITH: All right. Karl Rove, good to get your take as the president wraps up his first 100 days. Thank you, sir.
ROVE: You bet. Thank you.
SMITH: All right. Well, breaking tonight, as we've mentioned, we've been looking live and you are looking live now at the UC Berkeley campus where police are in a standoff. We're being told right now over fears that protests over at Ann Coulter could actually turn into riots. We're going to continue to monitor the situation there. And take you there if there is news breaking. And, up next, American voters weighing in on the best and worst moments from President Trump's first 100 days, pollster Lee Carter is here with the results right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: All right. Well, as we close in on President Trump's first 100 days, what do American voters think were his best and worst moments? We put the question to our pollster when you watch the blue line on your screen represent Democratic voters, red represents Republicans and yellow is for the independents. Here is his top moment. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types. We ask for God's wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world. We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Here now Lee Carter, pollster and president of Maslansky and Partners. Good to see you, Lee.
LEE CARTER, POLLSTER: Good to be here.
SMITH: All right. So that moment on Syria one of his best.
CARTER: It was strong, it was decisive, and people really rallied around him. You could see even the Democrats there. I mean, while they weren't totally enthused by it, they certainly weren't turn off by him. It was a moment that everybody came together and said we can't take this.
SMITH: Wow, really fascinating to watch. And then there's another moment which you labeled as one of his best, and you'll see it with the way everybody reacted here, but when President Trump was talking about American pride.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Anything we can dream for our country, we can achieve for our country. All we have to do is tap into that American pride that is swelling our hearts and stirring our souls and we found that out very recently in our last election, a lot of pride.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: That was really reminiscent of so many of his strongest moments on the campaign trail as well.
CARTER: That's right. He gets his energy from being around those rallies, around those people and so are the American voters. You can you see there's Republicans and independents really respond to that message of American pride, America first, make America great again. He at his best when he's talking around his people about those sorts of things.
SMITH: And bringing everybody together. All right. And then there was this moment on Trump with health care admitting that it's a very difficult complex subject. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Now, I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And?
CARTER: And I think most people said -- I think a lot of people knew health care could be so complicated because if it weren't you'd have a plan already. This was one of his low moments. You could see even Republicans and independents didn't support him in this message. That's not what they want to hear. They want to hear he's going to fix it.
SMITH: They want to hear he's got all the answers and he's going to fix it. We've just talked to Jim Jordan at the top of the hour and say Republicans are on their way, so we'll see. All right. In the second worst moment or I should say the worst moment that you brought to us tonight, these moments sort of happened earlier on in Trump's presidency. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Free nations are the best vehicle for expressing the will of the people and America respects the right of all nations to chart their own path. My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: OK. Let's try that one more time. That was actually one of his best moments as you mentioned. But this was Sean Spicer and Kellyanne Conway, a few things that they said earlier on was that messaging coming out of the White House, and that a lot of even his own supporters complained about. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Photograph of the inaugural proceedings were intentionally framed in a way in one particular tweet to minimize the enormous support that it gathered on the national mall. This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, SENIOR COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: You're saying it's a falsehood and they're giving Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Didn't go over so well, right?
CARTER: This has not go over well. It's interesting to me though is looking at some of the worst moments and polling people what they were. Most of them came out of Donald Trump's tweets. And what we saw is when he's people like Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer had to go out and defend those tweets those are some of the worst moments that he had. What people really want to hear is him talking about the issues, tax reform, health care, that he's got solutions.
SMITH: American pride, the economy. That's what they love.
CARTER: That's right.
SMITH: All right. Lee Carter, thank you.
CARTER: Great to be here.
SMITH: All right. Breaking tonight, we are watching the west coast where free speech protests are growing in California. You can see police there facing off against protesters in Berkeley. This, of course, is coming as an annual tradition in another state was scrapped because of threats to, quote, drag local Republicans off the parade route. The head of that group is going to be here next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: Tonight, as we see protests play out in Berkeley where they turn violent frequently in recent months. A new story on what appears to be the continuing chipping away in this country at the promise of free speech. A Republican group out of Oregon was threatened with violence if they walked in a local parade. The threat claims the fascists know that we'll keep shutting their marches down. They are now planning to march within other parades to protect their message of hate and white supremacy. It won't work. Nazis will not march through Portland. The chair of that group joins me now, James Buchal. James, thanks for being here tonight.
JAMES BUCHAL, CHAIR MULTNOMAH COUNTY GOP: You're welcome.
SMITH: What did you make of being called a Nazi?
BUCHAL: I think these people are delusional. I mean, we're just the Oregon, Multnomah County Republican Party. We're not Nazis. And if we're marching in a parade and somebody shows up in our ranks tries to wave a swastika or something, we're goings to eject them really quickly. We're out there to attract voters not act like psychos.
SMITH: Why did organizers decide to cancel the parade?
BUCHAL: That's a good question. This city has tolerated these leftwing psychos for a long time. And we're not privy to the full range of threats that was made here. I don't really know why they cancelled the whole parade. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. It's a form of capitulation that has characterized the city administration. So ever since Trump was elected they've let these people shut down interstate highways, they've let them cause millions of dollars of damage downtown, and it's to the point where these people are bragging openly, they bragged in the threat letter that, oh, the police can't stop us. The real answer is the police won't stop them.
SMITH: I've talk to you as we're looking at these images at UC Berkeley where, of course, the speech by Ann Coulter was supposed to happen. It is now not happening. Violence was -- was the reasoning behind that. They said this couldn't go on anymore. So, organizers caved there. But when you look at what is happening in this country on college campuses, or the streets where parades were planned, for 82 years straight this parade went on, and now it will not. What is that say about the state of free speech in America?
BUCHAL: It's under very serious attack because we've raised a generation of what you might call little Nazis. They're little totalitarians who have no adherence to fundamental American constitutional principles or anything other than shutting people up who they don't agree with, and it's very sinister thing. And it's a real indictment of our educational system that this is a -- these people are the product of a public educational system that is supposed to uphold civic virtues. Instead, here in Portland, they turn the kids loose to participate in anti-Trump protests. It's ridiculous.
SMITH: By the way, how do you plan to fight back? What do you plan to do about this?
BUCHAL: Well, we'll probably be organizing our own free speech event. Maybe I should call in Coulter.
SMITH: OK. Well, listen, organizers said that it was threats of violence during the parade by multiple groups that were planned for this event to demonstrate at the event. They said they could no longer guarantee the safety of our community and have made difficult decision to cancel that parade. It's a shame. But we thank you for coming on and telling your story tonight. All right. Tomorrow on day 99, and our final of the first 100 days do not miss Martha MacCallum' exclusive interview with President Donald Trump, no topic will be off limits as Martha questions the president on the big issues on the first three months of his term. That's it for us here tonight. Thank you for watching. I'm Sandra Smith. Tucker Carlson is up next.
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