all by yourself... or let healthmarkets help make it easier to find the right plan for you. call now or visit healthmarkets.com. (♪) >> sandra: really interesting exchange with our own edward lawrence and karine jean-pierre, and the economy and the way american people are feeling things are affordable, her acknowledgment things are unaffordable and what the president is doing to bring down the prices, and why is the president not driving around an electric vehicle. will the beast be electric. >> you are talking about the omb director, having conversations with members on the hill, talking about, you know, ola, office of leg affairs, shawanza, who runs that, the president's senior advisers, a lot of people involved and all of those folks have the trust in the president to get this done and to do these negotiations. remember, we have done negotiations multiple times here and have gotten things done for the american people and many times in a bipartisan way. so, that's what's important that the president has a team that he trusts, that has done this before in the past two years, even more, and getting these bipartisan kind of conversation compromises done, and so he entrusts in that whole entire team to get that done and sometimes it's jake sullivan, sometimes it's, you know, shalonda young and ola and others, we work as a team, as a unit to get things done. >> has his chief of staff been in the room? >> i am not going to list names but the senior advisers are involved unthis and the chief of staff, yes, the chief of staff has been involved but again, he has a team of folks who have been critical parts of -- critical component of getting this done and having these conversations. >> clarify, been on capitol hill? >> not everybody has been on capitol hill. people have picked up the phone, have conversations, members of leadership in congress call on this side wanting to talk to maybe the chief of staff and others who are part of this, the president's team. and so conversations certainly have been had. i don't have a list of who has been back and forth from here to the hill. so, it's the president's team who has done this many times before on negotiating and finding compromise, especially on important issues that matter to the american people. >> two questions if i can. how concerned is the white house there seems to be very little movement on appropriations bills and when lawmakers get back into town after the holiday recess the first funding deadline of january 19th will be quickly approaching. >> so look, let's not forget the deal made as we are -- >> sandra: okay, so there is still not a question in the room about the house approving the formal impeachment inquiry, peter doocy is in the room, and edward lawrence, if that happens -- >> john: curious nobody has asked her a question about that. >> sandra: news in itself. >> john: stunning, i would think. if it was donald trump, it would have just been the subject of an official impeachment inquiry, the room would be on fire. the fire department would be there, five alarms, trying to keep the flames down. but nobody asked. >> sandra: this is true. a lot of the news centered around hunter biden, of course, and all of this is just coming hours after the president's son skipped that closed door deposition on capitol hill. we'll also continue listening to the white house press briefing to see if the press asks about that. questions over whether or not he will be held in contempt for defying a congressional subpoena, that is a big question at this hour as well. again, we'll keep monitoring the white house press briefing and back in there as the news warrants. had -- hello, sandra smith in new york. >> john: john roberts in washington. republican leaders say the impeachment inquiry is necessary to force the white house to comply with their investigation while the same time giving them more leverage when seeking documents and testimony from key witnesses. >> sandra: right to it with hillary vaughan, does this formal impeachment inquiry change things for republicans? >> sandra, that's what they hope. they think that launching this formal impeachment inquiry means their subpoenas have a little more teeth and they will have a little bit better luck getting people to actually show up so these closed door depositions that they are trying to do as part of their ongoing investigation. today the committee did hear from lesley wolf, the former assistant attorney in delaware, accused of slow walking the hunter biden irs investigation by the irs whistleblowers. >> lesley wolf, according to mr. shapley and -- you cannot talk about the big one, meaning joe biden. >> majority of interviews after the new york. and also hunter biden facing potential contempt of congress. beginning the process now. today hunter biden did an interview with axios and insisted he is innocent, saying republicans have weaponized my dad's love for me, into evidence of corrupt complicity. democrats largely backing hunter biden for ditching the deposition out of protest he did not get the public hearing he demanded. >> they said multiple times he could testify publicly or privately, and he said publicly, so he showed up. >> he didn't answer any of our questions. he said he wanted it to be in public with cameras there, but we tried to ask him questions, he didn't say anything. what do you think he's afraid of or what do you think he's hiding? why -- >> i don't know what james comer is afraid of. he said hunter could testify publicly, and then comer no wanted him publicly. >> as far as the timeline goes, looks like the biden family will be ringing in the new year with a few new problems, president biden himself potentially facing impeachment in 2024 and his son hunter biden could be potentially facing jail time if he's prosecuted for the contempt of congress. sandra. >> sandra: hillary vaughan live on capitol hill, appreciate it. thank you. >> john: take a look at this. exclusive video obtained by fox shows another mass surge of migrants waiting to catch trains in mexico this. is about three hours away from the u.s. border. border officials are already at their breaking point with nearly 15,000 migrant encounters just this week alone. fox team coverage now, brian kilmeade's reaction to that and the slow moving border security talks in washington in moments. but first, to our griff jenkins, live from eagle pass, texas, where the migrant train is headed and griff, we understand border patrol agents have encountered almost a record number of migrants just where you are let alone across the entire southwestern border. what's it looking like right now? >> that's right, john. they are just getting absolutely hammered, more than 2000 every day since i've been here. the week's total since i've been here is just shy of 15,000. get 24, the last 24 hours, more than 11,000 migrant encounters and nine sectors that line our southern border. in five of the nine, they have gotten more than at least 1,000. the cartels are hammering these agents at every turn and they know well what they are doing. i want to show you our live camera, 286, the migrants are processed right here under the bridge. we have a couple hundred slowly trickling in. they will be taken to a soft sided process and many of them, if not most of them released on an nta, that's what's driving them, the guarantee they will be released and the exclusive video, i want to go to the train, three hours south, they'll be here soon, john. if not tonight, by tomorrow. and that train shows thousands of migrants waiting to get on trains to come right here. now, i want to bring in a special guest we have here, i've been talking to odden, a mexican independent journalist and you live in mexico, you see this every day. what do we need to know about the train and why can't mexico stop it? >> that's one of the things i've been documenting on the mexican side is most of these migrants, they are riding this freight train because they are free, poor, they don't have a bus ticket. mexican officials do everything to get them off the train, in this case they got them off about 100 miles -- >> griff: i'm sorry, john, you have news there. you get the idea the trains won't stop. >> sandra: on the heels of the formal house impeachment inquiry vote that happened, the who -- white house is responding to that, and referenced house republicans as wasting time. listen here. >> the president has done wrongdoing, there's none, absolutely none, none, and that is just a fact. you have heard it from republicans themselves so they are wasting their time instead of doing the work on behalf of the american people, they go after the president's family. but that's a waste of time. >> is there an easy way to counter the central message, though, that the president interated with associates and has been lying about it since? >> the president is not lying about anything as it relates to what house republicans are trying to do. it is baseless, a political stunt, and he has -- it has not proven that the president has done anything wrong, anything wrong. and so they are wasting their time, they are wasting the american people's time and what they should be doing, the things i just listed. they are going to go home, they have not taken care of what we need to make sure that we are helping ukraine. there is going to be potentially a shutdown next month, they have done nothing to avert the shutdown. >> to follow up the concerns of the hispanic caucus and some other groups. have they now been contacted by white house officials to the ongoing -- >> we have been in touch with them, that's what i can say, we have heard their concerns, we have had conversations, been in regular touch. i'm not going to go into details about the conversation. >> two other things. you keep mentioning how the house has left town. would the president consider postponing christmas vacation plans of his own? >> we are hoping a deal is done. i can't talk about changes in the president's schedule. we have a week left before that happens. we know the conversation is going well, right, it's going in the right direction, we believe, we are encouraged by that, the president's team on the hill and also today -- i'm sorry, tuesday, and that's encouraging, that's what we are going to focus on. we don't have anything on the pres president's schedule. he will go to milwaukee and then to the national cathedral to give words on sandra day o'connor. >> as we near, should we anticipate a year-end news conference. >> he just did a press conference. co-start -- no, took more than two questions. there were four -- there were two plus two, ok, for american press. look, guys, i -- you said it, not i, ed. look, he did a two plus two on tuesday, gosh, the week is going by really fast, on tuesday with president zelenskyy, you heard the president speak very passionately and important -- an important way about the way forward how he wants to move -- >> sandra: i guess the answer is, i don't know, but we'll see. brian kilmeade is here, "fox & friends" co-host of one nation, he's got a live book tour coming up, good to have you here. i keep reminding our viewers, we will jump back in as she continues to take questions here. first your reaction to what you just heard there. says republicans are wasting time, they are wasting time when they could be working on behalf of the american people. calls the impeachment inquiry baseless, it's a political stunt, the president did nothing wrong. your reaction. >> brian: my reaction, she better have a plan b because we don't know what the president did wrong or right. we know he has not been candid. nothing to do with his son's overseas business dealings, and now called in according to devon archer, and met with business partners in the past, and tony said he dealt with him directly in beverly hilton, he's coming in, too. just look at the republican caucus. they were not ready to produce a majority vote to have an inquiry, impeachment inquiry three weeks ago. now they looked at this, they said the material that they have already gotten from the witnesses they have already brought in is so overwhelming, this crazy chaos caucus voted to make this an official impeachment inquiry so there is a lot there. now the president of the united states calls everyone liars, you are lying, and said 51 intel agentis said it was russian misinformation, knowing it was beau biden's bumper sticker and his emails on there, and someone looks you in the eye and lies to you you wonder what else they are lying about. and you saw yesterday from hunter is a stunt, and from eric swalwell he says he'll go in front of the masses and do something publicly. we know, sandra and john, five minutes, and then they come in, raskin asks, and they say donald trump is behind it. so impeachment and investigations and donald trump. >> sandra: ok, on that note, we had debbie dingell on at the top of the last hour, this is call for 3, she thinks that this impeachment inquiry will be a political liability for the gop in the 2024 presidential election. >> i think it's a real problem for republicans and seats that biden won, some by as much as 13 points. many people, not -- it's an issue, are going to call it exactly what it is, a political issue. >> sandra: is it, brian? >> brian: if this is a full blown impeachment, yeah, it's a problem. it's an inquiry. six out of ten people when asked surveyed thinks joe biden knew about his son's overseas business dealings and they are concerning. china, kazakhstan, ukraine, moscow mayor, the richest woman in the country, pretty significant. what did you say about it, nothing. what did we find about it, a lot. if it ends up being a vote for impeachment, you are right, it will help donald trump. but the investigation is revealing things along the way that are not disputeable because they are partners of the biden, of hunter biden and now coming forward. they fractured from the family, and devon archer's case and look out for schwerin and bobolinski, he was threatened being sued by the biden, and said bring it on. >> sandra: amazing how few questions were on the impeachment inquiry. you are like a rock star, on tour. >> brian: friday night on fox nation i talk about the war on history and teddy and booker t.. >> sandra: good to have you here. there you have it. >> john: hanukkah menorah draped in a palestinian flag, putting a damper on the jewish holiday across the country. more troubling examples of this. >> sandra: sexual violence committed by hamas terrorists is well documented but not officially investigated, and a group of bipartisan senators are demanding the united nations look into it. iowa republican joni ernst is among them. she will be joining us live next. miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go... ...free your gut. and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try new mirafiber gummies. only at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner. our financial planning tools and advice can help you prepare for today's longer retirement. hi mom. that's the value of ownership. this is remington. he's a member of the family, for sure. we always fed him kibble it just seemed like the thing to do. but he was getting picky, and we started noticing some allergy symptoms. we heard about the farmer's dog and it was a complete transformation. his allergies were going away and he just had amazing energy. it's a no-brainer that remi should have the best nutritious and delicious food possible. i'm investing in my dog's health and happiness. ♪ get started at longlivedogs.com goli, taste your goals. loving this pay bump in our allowance. wonder where mom and dad got the extra money? maybe they won the lottery? maybe they inherited a fortune? maybe buried treasure? maybe it fell off a truck? maybe they heard that xfinity customers can save hundreds when they buy one unlimted line and get one free. now i can buy that electric scooter! i'm starting a private-equity fund that specializes in midcap. you do you. visit xfinitymobile.com today. goli, taste your goals. >> sandra: the last night of hanukkah but the festival of lights is not shining as bright as usual this year. menorahs are vandalized worldwide, and here in the united states since the hamas war began. gillian, what's the state department saying about these antisemitic crimes? >> gillian: the state department is forcefully condemning antisemitism since october 7th, the day hamas attacked israel. the reality, though, is that the jewish holidays this year have been menaced by this spate of overtly antisemitic attacks, including vandalism of menorahs. in connecticut near yale university's campus, fofficials say they scaled it and placed a palestinian flag on top. >> it's a deeply, deeply painful thing to see. it evokes thousands of years of trauma and pain for the jewish community. >> this potential crime and most important every one of you who have come out because you are being here sends a message. we will not tolerate hate in america. >> gillian: in brooklyn, new york, one rabbi tells us the nypd hate crimes unit is investigating vandalism of two menorahs at his congregation. >> a beautiful diverse community but since october 7th the streets of new york, streets of brooklyn are different. we are experiencing real antisemitism. anyone who denies it is an anti-semite themselves. >> gillian: and also this in lakewood, illinois. >> you made us stronger, make sure there's a menorah here this hanukkah. >> gillian: they are battling antisemitism abroad as well, take a look at this incident in the polish parliament. a member of parliament uses a fire extinguisher to snuff out a lit menorah, chaos ensued. that happened a few days back. but the menorah was relit earlier this morning thankfully. also worth noting on this topic that there were several bomb threats made against temples in america today, two we know of in missouri, one in west palm beach, florida, also the day before yesterday, statewide threats made against synagogues across hawaii and law enforcement investigators are now looking into all of those threats. >> sandra: gillian turner with all of that live at the state department for us. thank you. john. >> john: sandra, from that to this. a bipartisan group of senators is urging the united nations to open an investigation into a growing body of evidence that suggests hamas committed sexual violence against israeli women during the attack on october 7th. 33 senators wrote a letter to the u.n. secretary general demanding an investigation with survivor and witness testimonies. one of the authors of the letter, senator joni ernst of iowa. great to see you. you together with gillibrand and others said in part, we write to express our profound disappointment with the united nations response to hamas's widespread sexual violence, including rape and mutilation as a weapon of war of the women of israel october 7, 2023. sexual violence on this scale and level of brutality must be condemned unequivocally and without qualification, why we are shocked it took u.n. women nearly two months to speak out against these atrocities. and john bolton said you can take top 20 floors off the u.n. and would not make a difference. >> we saw it took the u.n. women 57 days to come out and condemn sexual violence and mutilation against israeli women and men that was committed by hamas. these are atrocious acts. it's not about sexual excitement for hamas, it is about degradation, it is about humiliation, it is about the power behind the act, and again, if this had been any other group of individuals, the united nations would have been out right away. the reason they weren't, these women are jewish. that's it. that is it. so we are sorely disappointed in the united nations. they hide behind the facade of a human rights organization and they have failed miserabl