blame mitch mcconnell. he bears some of the credit here and the failing and the appointing of people on the staff who weren't able to execute this or come up with a compromise that was going to get the votes necessary, you know, that is laid at his feet so what's this president do? what is he good at? whenever occupying the stage by himself, lawrence, he has a problem. he needs an enemy. he needs an opponent and mitch mcconnell, the man smiling next to him uncomfortably at the rose guard season the target. >> you mention the shift of paul ryan. it's fascinating one to watch. let's watch what paul ryan said today when he was asked about what his biggest obstacle is these days. let's listen to this. >> what is your biggest obstacle to getting tax reform passed? >> well, you ever heard of the united states senate before? >> david jolly, mitch mcconnell can't be happy with that. >> no. look. there's always been a divide at least in recent history of the chambers but to glenn's point and yours, lawrence, listen.

blame mitch mcconnell. he bears some of the credit here and the failing and the appointing of people on the staff who weren't able to execute this or come up with a compromise that was going to get the votes necessary, you know, that is laid at his feet so what's this president do? what is he good at? whenever occupying the stage by himself, lawrence, he has a problem. he needs an enemy. he needs an opponent and mitch mcconnell, the man smiling next to him uncomfortably at the rose guard season the target. and knowledge in the topic. blame mitch mcconnell. he bears some of the credit here and the failing and the appointing of people on the staff who weren't able to execute this or come up with a compromise that was going to get the votes necessary, you know, that is laid at his feet so what's this president do? what is he good at? whenever occupying the stage by himself, lawrence, he has a problem. he needs an enemy. he needs an opponent and mitch mcconnell, the man smiling next whenever occupying the stage

bannon declares war on mitch mcconnell. does have the president stand? and can anyone win this civil war? plus -- the blame game. >> when we get things approved we have to go through hell, because we have no democrat support. >> president trump calls on democrats to come to the table on health care. democratic senator chris coons joins us with his reaction. >>> and a plea for puerto rico. >> water's important. it's really important, and -- people are desperate. >> what will it take to turn the tide of this growing humanitarian crisis on u.s. soil? this is "mtp daily," and it starts right now. >>> good evening. i'm katy tur in new york in for chuck todd. welcome to "mtp daily." right now it looks increasingly as if the republican party as we flow it risks unraveling in large part because of the president's stalled agenda, which now looks less like an agenda and more like a wrecking ball. steve bannon this weekend declared open war on the republican establishment over its disloyalty and today while talking with reporters at c

mcconnell right there. >> huge show of support for mitch mcconnell. i'm curious in mitch mcconnell sort of asked to that before they went into the rose garden. after being pummeled by bannon over the weekend, did he actually say, mr. president, standing next to you would be a good idea in the rose garden. we'll find out. >> you know, it's interesting because all of this is playing out after the president's candidate in alabama lost, steve bannon's candidate in alabama won. how is that impacting the current situation? >> you know, think it was overplayed, you know, very much. kaitlan, who is from alabama, i went to school in alabama, was a reporter in alabama, certainly when she was down there in college, i think steve bannon came in very late to that. there were other factors at play. luther strange, the incumbent, was going to lose anyway to roy moore, but i do think, as david's saying, that donald trump needs to be very careful about how he tip toes with steve bannon. he can not alienate sbteve bannon, but at the same time he cannot alienate mitch m

and at his side, mitch mcconnell. the two at lunch and wanted everyone to know they're on the same page. >> we've been friends for a long time. we have probably now, despite what we read, we're probably now, at least as far as i'm concerned closer than ever before, and the relationship is very good. >> i want to undercore what the president said. we have the same agenda. we've been friends and acquaintances for a long time. we talk frequently. >> all right. but trump's former chief strategist steve bannon is waging a war on the gop establishment and his biggest target seems to be mitch mcconnell. just an hour before standing shoulder-to-shoulder with mcconnell the president appeared to sympathize with bannon. >> we're not getting the job done. and i'm not going to blame myself. i'll be honest. they are not getting the job done. i can understand where steve bannon is coming from and i can understand, to be honest with you, john, where a lot of people are coming from. i'm not happy about it and a lot of people aren't ha

give mitch mcconnell any advice. you tell the president, mr. mr. president, if you stand by mitch mcconnell's side, you can't stand by my side. if you support a man and say you understand what he is doing a guy who is your friend and says his life's work is destroying me and everybody around me, i'm not coming over. i'm not working with you. i'm going to do my own again do you and, yet, he's in there sitting there talking. there is really no excuse for it. you can have people say all they want. well, he's a majority leader. yeah, he is a majority leader. but the president is trying to destroy him and destroy people who work for him. so don't stand by him and smile anding a like nothing's happened. >> at the same time the president says he wants to get deals done, he goes out and says the things he says publicly about mitch mcconnell, mitch mcconnell isn't fooled by the niceties president trump dropped on him in the rose garden. as mika just showed a couple hours earlier, he was on board with the bannon plan, steve ba

senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. the same mitch mcconnell he's been feuding with in private and openly for months. >> we are probably now, despite what we read, we're probably now, i think, at least as far as i'm concerned, closer than ever before. and the relationship is very good. we're fighting for the same thing. >> well, that was today. again, this is the same mitch mcconnell he's been slamming who leads the very same gop makers he was criticizing just two hours earlier today. >> and i'm not going to blame myself, i'll be honest. they are not getting the job done. we've had health care approved, and then you had a surprise vote by john mccain. we've had other things happen, and they're not getting the job done. >> that criticism came in reaction to his former chief strategist and his pledge to primary republican incumbents next year. >> yeah, mitch, the donors are not happy. they've all left you. we've cut your oxygen off, mitch. >> even as the president echoed bannon credit seek, he also seemed to be looking ah

mitch mcconnell was asked about this. i thought it was kind of a bad look for mitch mcconnell. he said it's my job to keep the majority. i don't think that technically is his job. i think connell's job is to get the legislation through the senate to lead his party and yeah, the bannon approach has not been successful for republicans and the right wing, but the one thing the bannon approach has shown success for almost every cycle is fund-raising. and the party's fund-raising was down over the summer. it's come back a little bit, but these dynamics are going to keep and be promised over the next few weeks. any -- no consistence fre trump is going to contribute. >> number one, did he mean it? does he like mitch mcconnell or have a working partnership. you don't have to like each other have have a working partner. will he send a signal and say let's go easier on mitch. listen to him saying sorry, mr. president. that guy you were with in the rose garden? gotta go. >> but for the conservative and tea party movements, there wouldn't be a majority in the senate today. he opposed rubio

>> look, you know, donald trump needs mitch mcconnell to be an effective leader and mitch mcconnell needs donald trump to keep people energized and engaged in the public for what he wants to do. whether they like it or not they need each other to get things done. right now you got tax reform. mitch mcconnell and paul ryan has to put together a good package, because donald trump's not doing it. that's really the missing thing here that nobody talks about. donald trump's right, republicans ran for seven years on repeal and replace, be honest, donald trump didn't come with a package. congress is not really used to being in the role of about nichator of the ideas. they try to take with the president sends them and work with things. it's a very odd relationship, things are up side down. it hasn't worked very well. the republican leadership i agree with donald trump has not done a good job in this new area on trying to be the new leader on policy. we'll see whether this go around with tax reform will change. >> amy how do you see this? >> i watched the rose garden conference and i just had to l

in when mitch mcconnell was in the cabinet room he was go, steve, go! steve bannon has a point of view, and he does speak to him all of the time and that he is going to pursue this strategy. there was no mention of maybe we'll talk him out of a few of those primaries and now after meeting with mitch mcconnell and standing in the rose garden, all of a sudden, donald trump wanted to play nice with mitch mcconnell and said maybe we'll try to talk steve out of those primaries. >> you can see that it's sort of the last person he talks to and clearly they've gotten to him and said you have to work with this guy, but i guarantee you, when steve bannon gets him on the phone, steve bannon will say these people are not your friends, and they were not your allies in the campaign and they're going to undermine you to the very end and here is the president, of course, who said he took no responsibility for the failures of the united states senate led by mitch mcconnell whom he's tweeted about saying that he was a failure. >> that he was a failure and that they could

he had lunch with mitch mcconnell. he has to make good and make nice with some of those republican senators. he said he is friends with most of them. i think he feuded with 1/5 of the republican senators. we will see if he is able to kiss and make up with mitch mcconnell at the lunch today. >> as an interim event, he would like to work out a temporary fix to obamacare with democrats. he said he will have the votes to repeal and replace in march or april. in the meantime he is waiting for the democrats to see if he can get a attempterary solution. >> he is attacking the democrats and saying they don't want to work on tax cuts. the president said he wants to work with democrats on a host of issues. he does a little flirting with them and has them over to the white house for chinese food with chuck and nancy. then he blasts them on twitter. he is wanting to work with republicans and siding with bannon and wants to work with democrats and ataxes them. there is not a coherent strategy here. it's unclear what he is doing. a

president trump met with the senate republican leader, mitch mcconnell. after blasting him for failing on healthcare, the president showing some love. >> we're probably now i think as as far as i'm concerned closer than ever before. the relationship is very good. we're fighting for the same thing. >> shepard: can the two men work together on their agenda? including tax cuts. high stakes there as senator lindsey graham says the republicans fail, we're dead. a big day in the bribery trial of a sitting democratic senator as the judge declines to throw out part of the corruption case against bob menendez. a lot of eyes on this. if he's convicted, he's loses his seat and the republican governor would choose his replacement. have your pets aten anything they shouldn't have? of course they have. ahead, some of the strangest x-rays that veterinarians have seen. we'll show you. let's get to it. >> shepard: good afternoon from the fox news deck. what a surprise that was. a last-minute announcement at the regular press briefing but came a rose garden event. a full-o

now we have mitch mcconnell sent out. a lot of this is about what's going on behind the scenes which as there is a civil war raging. steve bannon, the president's former top political advisor, said he's got a war on the g.o.p. establishment. what does he mean by that? talking about congress, saying congress is made up of established republicans who are not backing this president, and he wants their support. and therefore bannon is going about trying to throw out republicans he considers insufficiently trump backers. you got that and you've got the president at war with a leading member of the senate, bob corke corker. that hasn't stopped. that went out over the weekend, dana. you have the president saying don't pay any attention to these people. it's not true what bob corker says is crazy. not one member of the senate, including mitch mcconnell, say anything different. >> dana: kimberly, bob corker is working with tom cotton on the iran deal. perhaps there's a lot, i don't know, the relationship intrigue is masking some a

mitch mcconnell is the key to his electoral and more importantly, his legislative victories. he wants tax reform and he wants infrastructure and he understands who mitch mcconnell's wife is, and the president knows he has to play good cop/bad cop at the same time and mitch mcconnell is the key to winning the battles he needs. >> he is so willing to poke mitch mcconnell in the eye, as well. when you looked at this press conference did you think this was helpful for republicans trying to get things done? >> yeah. i think in the main it is and i saw mitch mcconnell pushing back a little bit on reminding folks who the failed senate candidates were, and who this crowd put up years ago and why we had senator har harry reed instead of a winning republican in canada and delaware and other places. i think he will push back on this and i think he should. look, this is a very serious time for the president and for republicans in general, but for the president he's not going to want to go into the second half of his first term without the house to protect him from impeachment and without

if we are successful, mitch mcconnell is fine. if we are not, we are all in trouble. >> successful, we are all fine. but speaker paul ryan ceded to the president's left wants to get tax reform done by the end of the year. said that he will keep the house in through christmas break if it is necessary to get it passed. mitch mcconnell has said, we will get tax reform done this congress which means january 2019. to the president has promoted getting it done by the end of this year, melissa. but i am told that the president is not exactly crucial credit is not a matter of one tax reform gets done, it is a matter of if it gets done. that is why the president is pushing so hard. he needs to get tax of harm done at some point. >> melissa: add to the economy at the stock markets, ask the business owners, they need to get it done. the faster, the sooner. they think. it will be a showdown for sure, thank you. >> jon: more on that ahead. the senate back in session this afternoon after the senators took their columbus day recess. majority lea

so here is what he has said publicly, bannon, about mitch mcconnell. watch. >> right now it's a season of war against a gop establishment. we've cut your oxygen off, mitch. >> so bannon has made no secret of the fact that he wants to purge as many establishment republicans as possible in the upcoming midterms. how can the president be aligned with bannon and mcconnell at the same time? >> well, i don't know that that's possible. and i think you have competing interests here. i think for a while steve bannon and now president trump came together to help get him elected president, but i don't think that their goals are the same. i think president trump wants to get a deal done. he wants to deliver on the campaign promises that he talked about, and i don't think he really cares about who is involved and what the deal looks like. he just wants to say he got it done. steve bannon on the other hand has kind of aligned himself with trump, but i think he's using president trump as a way to either destroy the republican party or remake the republican party into

it will be the end of mitch mcconnell as we know it. >> it will be the end of mitch mcconnell as we know it. >> true. republicans came in, we had both chambers of congress and the presidency. we had unprecedented ways to get everything done. what do we have to show for it that we can hang our hats on as a party. we have neil gorsuch. >> that's a huge win, though. >> it is a huge win and it's going to be the lasting legacy. but how does it impact somebody on main street? how do they have extra money into their pockets? how do they have health care lower for the cost? >> that's a beautiful point because true conservatives love the neil gorsuch appointment but all of those forgotten americans who hadn't necessarily voted for a republican before, voted for president trump because they wanted something different. phillip, we have seen trump attack mitch over and over again specifically on health care. what do we think is going to happen here? the two of them need a win or does trump really need a win and just keep going after mcconnell? >> you're right that there's been so much public animosi

the all caps has been a needling mitch mcconnell -- donald trump has been needling mitch mcconnell, he failed to get obamacare debt and having slow start on tax reform. he has made him one of his favorite twitter target. donald trump may realize he could end the year with no major legislative achievements. the last one on tap is tax reform and that is not looking good for 2017. it was an attempt by donald trump to bring down the talk about donald trump started that he and ms. mcconnell do not get along and show they are marking to the same grammar when it comes to cutting taxes and repealing obamacare. julia: he is realizing he needs mitch mcconnell to get things passed, who is he sending the message of unity to? >> other members of the republican congress. he has criticized mitch mcconnell that he has not kept the caucus in line and only got a two vote margin on anything important. they could not get the two votes for obamacare and they're having trouble on tax reform. mitch mcconnell, who has been known as a wily legislative tactician and a tough arm twister when it comes to the toug

i actually don't blame mitch mcconnell. i think they can't do much if they have such loose cannons in the administration. >> well, that leaves me to wonder, when's the president -- who has the president's ear right now most, david? meeting with mitch mcconnell, according to "wall street journal" swapping phone calls with steve bannon encouraging him -- encouraging the moves from the outside. steve bannon calls this a season of war. directly targets mitch mcconnell saying we have taken your oxygen and donors. can the president work with both men here? >> right. i think maybe the president shows up with an oxygen tank today. i do think what trump is doing here, kate, playing both the outside and the inside game. right? he is giving his tacet blessing to bannon to get out there and fight the establishment and in the way that donald trump has been a torch bearer for that against the establishment for much of this year. and yet, he is also trying to sit down and play the inside game with mcconnell to actually get a bill to his d

mitch mcconnell surely does. he knows if he doesn't get tax reform, tax cuts done, then the republicans are unlikely to hold the majority in the president. if he thinks the last 10 months are uncomfortable, try covering with democrats in -- they will make his life a living hell. i think it's in both men's interest to find a way forward and i'm confident they will. they are surrounded by able people in the senate and white house. the president i think understands the political stakes. mcconnell understands. when you get to sort of this kind of a point when it's a life or death -- political life or death, people tend to find a way to move forward. >> sandra: a lot at stake here and timing is going to be everything. we're talking about the if here, karl. if it gets done. when does it get done? we sat down with senator ted cruz on this program on friday who said if it doesn't get done by tend of the year it will get done in the beginning of the year. paul ryan saying we'll stick around if it's not done by the end of

mitch mcconnell also -- donald trump also still realizes that mitch mcconnell is a relatively strong and plugged in leader for the senate republicans. he has been at this for a long time. that works for good or ill. there are some factions of the republican electorate that think term limits are too long. he's too much in the main stream. too much of an establishment guy it rings in my ears the way mitch mcconnell got booed at the cleveland convention like no other lawmaker. but he has brought results for the republican party. those who are anti-establishment might want to remember mitch mcconnell did one of the most of anti-establishment against political norm things any majority leader has done when he held antoni antonin scalia's sue court seat open. it turned out great. for republicans it's's been donald trump's biggest victory so far. the two of them, mr. trump and mr. mcconnell still have the potential to be more symbiotic than not. arthel: the majority leader was out today talking about that victory. let's hear the interview with chris wallace on "fox news sunday." >> i don't b

how much is riding on this meeting between the president and mitch mcconnell? let's bring in fox news chief political anchor bret baier, happy monday to you. every time zone, we celebrate every moment. the president talking a lot longer than we might have anticipated today about a whole host of issues but i want to settle in where reporters ended and that is this move, now that he is having lunch with mitch mcconnell, to sure up people in his own party. i pointed out, maybe some things mitch mcconnell fell short on with repealing obamacare, what are your thoughts on this matte matter? >> it all boils down to what the senate can get done. the big prize is tax reform. this week it's expected, senior republican aides on the hill are telling us they are going to still move forward with trying to pass the budget resolution in 2018. it has passed the house, it now has to pass the senate to lay the groundwork for tax reform and to get the reconciliation. that is the 50 votes plus one. that would enable them to not have to get 60 in the senate to pass tax reform. they

mitch mcconnell's is to keep things steady as they go. this is in some the relationship between the republican party and donald trump which is a president who kim in vowing to shake up the establishment, to do things very differently, and the personnel who's committed to doing this within their own party is steve bannon and it's mitch mcconnell whose job it is to try to keep these incumbents together. as we saw, mitch mcconnell and his team have spent a whole lot of money trying to protect one of those, luther strange in alabama, didn't work out so well. >> didn't work out. steve bannon is trying to help some other candidates. >> he is. he says he wants to field candidates for basically every senate race. he wants to go after people who are very conservative, who have never voted against president trump on anything, but who are part of a leadership and support mitch mcconnell. the thing about today that was fascinating to me is president trump in his cabinet meeting was asked about bannon and are sympathetic to ban's position that he felt

it is like trump is a neofight in politics and mitch mcconnell is the expert. i say that experts could not get the job done on seminole piece of legislation. lou: neither one of them has done a thing. >> time to retire for mitch mcconnell. lou: they are creations of sloo own their own physical -- >> do you think if today, donald trump ran against mitch mcconnell, for a g.o.p. primary. or bob corker in tennessee, if he took on both of them, who watching this doesn't think that donald trump would beat both of them by double digits. lou: you can throw in the entire g.o.p. leadership of both house and senate. add up their collective irk q's iq's and president trump would still win that is how i see the fight, laura. congratulations, it begins 10 p.m. eastern on fox news channel october 30. >> laura thank you. >> thank you. lou: coming right back with more. stay with us. president trump to announce his decision this week on disastrous iran nuclear deal. >> we'll be announcing that shortly. lou: we take up the international impact and the political fallout of decerti

you brought up health care, this is what mitch mcconnell had to say about that. that is a different battle. let's listen. >> what i am waiting -- to hear from president trump, what kind of health care he might sign. if there is a need for some kind of interim step, he wants to stabilize the market, we need a bill that the president will actually sign. i'm not certain yet what the president is looking for here. but i will be happy to bring a bill to the floor if i know that president trump will sign it. >> melissa: rachel, to me that sounds like you have not told us what to do or what you ones, i'm not moving. >> they will wait until they get a signal from the white house. if they need some cover on the the spread of tax reform it's taking off. obamacare repeal talk, definitely have some work to do before they reach some sort of agreement. there is a bipartisan deal in the senate between some democrats and republicans who crop up obamacare, and people think they it can pass, but i know from my experience that it is not going to go anywhere unless i get paul ryan a

on mitch mcconnell? >> well, you know, the thing about mitch mcconnell is i think he's a good man, but he wouldn't be majority leader if it had not been for donald trump. donald trump carried states that no republican has ever carried, pennsylvania, wisconsin. is so so he's where he is because of donald trump winning the election with the electoral college. so he ought to be all onboard. he's in charge of a lot of the committee chairmanships which he ought to be putting pressure on those senators because if you look at it, this isn't rocket science. this is giving money back. ashley: yeah. >> and this is what republicans promised, and we control all three houses, you know, the house, the senate, the executive branch. and we've got the deliver. ashley: yes. >> a no vote on this is unexcusable. ashley: as you said, the frustration is almost palpable on a daily basis right now. congressman, thank you so much for joining us, we appreciate it. >> my pleasure. stuart: talking of frustration, health reform. pre

if we are successful, mitch mcconnell is fine. if not, we are all in trouble. >> conservatives cheer the president's decision to stop subsidies. some see a price if congress doesn't step in and pass obamacare fixes. >> what the president is doing is affecting the ability of vulnerable people to receive health care right now. >> and the secretary of state said all is fine. they are on the same page when it comes to north korea. >> those diplomatic efforts continue until the first bomb drops. >> secretary tillerson among those meeting with the president right now. with the cabinet meeting, we expect tape momentarily. he is giving lengthy remarks about world problems to spending levels at home to the health care debate to the relationship with steve bannon. we will bring you that tape in a moment. next for the president is busy and intense. the president will have lunch with mitch mcconnell and mike pence. the top of their agenda which is how to salvage. both desperately need a win and have to work together to get it despite their ro

which is mitch mcconnell. but he take as shot at him by saying he gets where steve bannon is coming from. so do we have some sort soft expectation they're going to come out of the that meeting and say hey, everything's cool and we have a legislative agenda and we know how we're going to get there? >> i don't think we'll have that, but i think we'll be mcconnell's part at least sort of bringing this down so they can figure out what this is. what mcconnell and ryan are not used to is a white house that has no clear directional point to go to. typically, in this situation, you get some keys to the white house, you could roll some things by them. they're shop and the hill are on the aim page. that's not the case here. the president is on again, off again on health care. he's on again, off again on a number of foreign policy issues. the only thing he's on about is taxes. that may be the one piece of ground in which these two gentlemen can begin to carve out a legislative space to get something done. >> he has as ma

again, why mitch mcconnell was such an important image. there has been a lot of criticism going back and forth. we know trump is very comfortable with going after someone on twitter and then loving them the next day, so we'll see if that can sustain. you're right, a lot of really important issues. the opioid crisis, i think, also one of those he has taken the lead. so how he responds to this potential issue with marino as his drug czar is going to be critical. we have 91 americans dying every day of opioid overdose. it's increasing. so it's not getting better. how we tackle that will be really important. tax reform. this is his second chance at health care that didn't go. can he get the party to align? nobody wins for having the republican party be completely, you know, frankly divide on all these issues. if we're going to have any bipartisan work we've got to get the party aligned. >> dana: i just want to say the democrats also have a lot of risk. the republicans are on front and center display. what do you think about the democrats? >> y

watch. >> mitch mcconnell is not our problem. our problem is that we promised to repeal and replace obamacare and we failed. we promise to cut taxes and have yet to do it. if we are successful, mitch mcconnell is fine but if we are not, we are all in trouble. we lose our majority and i think president trump will not get reelected. >> sandra: that's a pretty tough assessment but i think a large part he is very accurate. people want results. the republicans have the house the senate and the presidency and they have to actually produce. i think one of the key is when they walk out of this meeting is are they talking about tax reform for the talking about tax cuts because with all of the chatter, we have yet to see a bill that would actually introduce and in mid-october, we are way late in doing that. >> sandra: some conservative groups places blame solely on mitch mcconnell not getting anything done. >> lisa: i think the blame could be on his shoulders but it's on everyone's right now it doesn't matter republicans lose the senate in

mitch mcconnell is part of the problem. roger wicker on mitch mcconnell's leadership team is part of the problem. that's the new willingness to fight for a change and nothing that is ever going to change in washington, d.c. >> philip rucker has a question for you. >> what's your relationship with president trump and have you had any conversations with him about the possibility of running and do you think you might be able to get him to come on your side? >> that would be a great idea, certainly. he's popular in mississippi. back in 2014, he did endorse me twice. at the time, it didn't mean what it does now but i was very proud to have received. and so naturally, if you would like to come down, i would love to meet with him and look forward to the invitation. >> michael steele has a question for you, former john boehner spokesman. >> sir, i was just curious, senator wicker voted to repeal and replace obamacare and supported president trump's agenda down the line. every democratic senator voted against repealing and replacing

is it steve bannon's party or mitch mcconnell's party? >> it is the republican party and right now donald trump is the president. mitch mcconnell has a significant role in that. i think betsy is right. the success of the trump presidency lies in large part in the hands of mitch mcconnell and if they cannot gate legislative accomplishment that a large part of it rests on mcconnell but trump is the president. look. steve bannon, since he's been outside of the white house, he's worked hard to continue and further the president's agenda. he's been doing that since he worked on the campaign and in the white house, and i do agree that mcconnell, that is a priority for him. to promote the president's agenda. but he hasn't had any successes. the president is frustrating with that. republicans are frustrated with that. steve bannon is frustrated with that. to be frank, if mcconnell cannot achieve a success, whether we're talking about tax reform or repealing and replacing obamacare, whether we're talking about many of the promises that these repub

he said when he was standing by mitch mcconnell that he was going to ask steve bannon to back off on some of his relationship primary targets. if the president asks, will you back off as well? >> well, i think the key word there was some of the primary targets. chris mentioned somebody like jeff flake, right. jeff flake, you know, wrote a book against donald trump, full disclosure i work with dr. kelli ward who will be the next senator from arizona and there's a reason for that. there is a battle within the republican party, but it's really also a battle across the country and why donald trump won the election. it is globalism versus america first policies. it is, you know, on key issues that we haven't discussed and really because, you know, congress is trying to set an agenda and really undercut the trump coalition agenda which does include illegal immigration, which does include, you know, getting better trade policies and does include u.s. job creation. the problem is -- >> i can't let you go without -- we have to stick to the list. jeff flake not backing off on. >> not at all. >

have a good monday. >> mitch mcconnell monday. majority leader will city dowsit downwith the president ae president today for a working lunch. >> if mitch mcconnell is successful, if not we are all in trouble. >> there is a season for everything right now it's a season of war against the g.o.p. establishment. >> bowe bergdahl is expected to plead guilty to charges of desertion. endangering fellow soldiers. >> to me life in prison. >> ending obamacare subsidies to insurance companies. >> this is the equivalent of healthcare arson. is he literally setting the entire healthcare system on fire. >>

is it mitch mcconnell to repeal and replace? >> 52 republican senators who aught entically want to repeal obamacare? >> i don't. i think we've demonstrated that. were they lying? >> i think we have a lot -- >> that reality that somehow mitch cock connell is short-coming the agenda. chris: is mitch mcconnell part of the solution or part of the problem? >> i think that mitch mcconnell has done a good job. i don't think mitch mcconnell is 100% responsible for everything. mitch mcconnell is a leader of the party and the buck stops with leadership and when you look at the party, it is the party that does not understand that the economic opportunity that donors feel is not shared by americans across the country who have anxiety on wages and see prices going up. mitch mcconnell does not understand that lobbyists know how the navigate washington, d.c. doesn't mean that the american people feel that they have access to the power and mitch mcconnell is part of the leadership of this party that's grotesquely out of touch with the base. loo

mitch mcconnell and donald trump eating lunch. going out hand in hand essentially for a news conference where they announced plans for tax reform, vowing to get it done this year, you heard president talking about health care and all that he has done to try an improve our health care situation in the united states of america. i'm trish regan. welcome, everyone, to "the intelligence report." we're watching all this as markets again hit another high. we're nearing 23,000, folks. just 70 points away on the dow. that would be 49th record close of the year. we're just shy of 23,000. by the way you heard it here on this show first, predictions of 23,000. looks like it could happen. joining me with his reaction what we just heard from the president and mitch mcconnell, we have congressman from florida, ron desantis. good to see you. >> hi, how are you? trish: i'm good. so what do you think of this? are the republicans going to finally get it together and work together, come up with meaningful policy? >> i think we need to. specifically t

if we're successful, mitch mcconnell is fine. if we're not, we're all in trouble. we lose our majority, and i think president trump will not get re-elected. >> now, the white house insists that president trump is keenly aware of the risks his presidency could face if democrats retake control of the house. they say they're not taking a defeatist attitude and the president will be out there fighting to maintain the gop majority. back to you. >> sara, thank you. the president voiced optimism about passing tax reform this year, but also acknowledged the challenge and the stakes republicans are now facing. >> i would like to see it be done this year, john. i would like very much to see it be done this year. so we won't go a step further. if we get it done, that's a great achiefment. don't forget, it took years for the reagan administration to get taxes done. i have been here for nine months, a little more than nine months. i can say the same thing for health care. if you look at obama, first of all, you look at clinton, they weren't able to get it done. you look at othe

it's not mitch mcconnell's fault that john mccain. the litmus test should be will you push mitch mcconnell to blow up the filibuster rules? that's withholding the agenda. he's been fighting hard to get things done part is not his fault that there's a few squishy senators in there. >> harris: there's that word squishy again. just to piggyback off of what rachel is saying, there are some within the party who have been on their own road. we won't call them against the president, but on their own road and what steve bannon says is i want pro trump reporters. i i want pro trump agenda if you will, with or without the president's endorsement. >> kennedy: it should be about pro growth. their people in the senate and the house of course you don't necessarily share steve bannon's philosophical vision because where it has been proven globally, it has not always worked out. economic isolation is not the key to listing people out of poverty, but free-trade is, capitalism is, and that's what they should be championing and also serving their own co

and at his side, mitch mcconnell. the two at lunch and wanted everyone to know they're on the same page. >> we've been friends for a long time. we have probably now, despite what we read, we're probably now, at least as far as i'm concerned closer than ever before, and the relationship is very good. >> i want to undercore what the president said. we have the same agenda. we've been friends and acquaintances for a long time. we talk frequently. >> all right. but trump's former chief strategist steve bannon is

walk me through mitch mcconnell's calculus. this weekend steve bannon said mcconnell is like julius caesar just before he was assassinated. then trump said bannon a good guy and mcconnell stands next to trump. mitch mcconnell may want to get tax reform done, but he doesn't need to stand there for this. >> mitch mcconnell is like making friends with dr. jekyl. it also reminds me of a wonderful line from winston churchill. he said appeasement is feeding the crocodile in the hopes that he eats you last. this is the way of the republican party today. they keep feeding the crocodile which is president trump's vanity, ego and position, thinking at some point we're going to be spared his wrath. but that never actually happens. eventually trump always turns his guns on his fellow republicans. why? i don't know. because it's like geico. it's what you do. it's what he does. three metaphors there. >> congressman, you've gone to the white house. you understand you have to do business with the other side in order to get things done, but don

he is having this event, this luncheon with mitch mcconnell. it seems like a buffer zone is going to be the vice president also in this luncheon. how do you think it's going to go? >> you know, i think the president recognizes how important this lunch is going to be. and mitch mcconnell recognizes how important this lunch is going to be to potentially his future in the congress. neil: so why is the vice president there if you want to just mono, is the vice president a peace maker? >> well, he's an important party here, and he's someone that can also potentially relate and connect with mitch mcconnell. and when we look forward to 2018, many senators, including senator ted cruz recognized that if nothing gets done on tax reform and owe issues, that this could be a bloodbath for republicans. so i think they all have similar interests in mind when we look at the big picture, and they will come together today, and i think they will get something done. neil: you've touched on it before about what it would take for democratic support. but i'm sure dem

mitch mcconnell is not our problem. our problem is repromised to repeal or replace obamacare and we failed. we promised to cut taxes and we've yet to do it. if we're successful, mitch mcconnell is fine. if we're not. we're all in trouble. >> now despite the outreach to mcconnell, two unnamed sources. bannon appeared on fox news. sitting republicans who don't actively support the president's agenda. >> president trump is also congress on the next steps of the iran deal after he decertified the deal on friday and the treasury department introduced new sanctions on the guard core. friday bashed the international agreement. refrained from pulling out completely. >> iranian nuclear deal, why not just scrap it all together now. you threatened to do so, why not just end it now. >> see what happens othver the next short period of time. i like a two step process better. >> you're going rip the iran deal off. >> i may do that. i may do that. the deal is terrible. so what we've done is through the certification process we'll have

-- here comes mitch mcconnell. let's listen. >>> good afternoon, everyone. as you know we had the president at lunch today. he went over all of the items that the administration has been working on, much of which i agree with him the administration hadn't gotten nearly enough credit for. i would highlight several things that i think will be front and center going down the end of this session. obviously, tax reform. we are hopeful the house will pass the budget that will open the door to begin the process of tax reform in the ways and means and finance committee. we are going to be confirming a number of judges beginning with a couple of district judges. and the president also talked about his upcoming announcement on opioids. you know, we have a national epidemic of historic proportion. and the administration is correctly seized on this issue as something that is important to the american people. we need to get a handle on this as best we can. the president will be talking about that later in the week. >>> as leade

so look, i understand that bannon has his beef with mitch mcconnell, which i think is strange, since mitch mcconnell has done nothing but try to implement the president's agenda, the president's single biggest accomplishment, supreme court nominee, is due sol solely to mitch mcconnell's legislative strategy, so be it. bannon is going after mcconnell, he would rather have a civil war than expand president trump's majorities. at the end of the day it's a failed strategy because we're going to end up potentially with democratic majorities which would be devastating to trump's presidency. >> quickly before we go, alexs, on a fear scale of one to ten how concerned you are for your party about steve bannon, one being the lowest, ten the highest, where do you fall? >> frankly i'm not very concerned. you know, steve bannon came to trump's campaign late. he came to alabama late. i haven't seep any evidence that bannon actually knows how to win these raise. most of these republican senators, if not all these republican senators, are popular and won in these states before. trying to nationalize