Transcripts For FOXNEWSW Shepard Smith Reporting 20180316 :

Shepard smith reporting live from the fox news deck. Shepard first from the fox news deck this friday afternoon. Stormy daniels says she was warned to stay silent on what she knows about President Trump and threatened with physical harm if she does not. Stormy daniels, whose real name is stefanie clifford, is suing President Trump and his personal lawyer, her attorney said this morning its an attempt to throw out a nondisclosure agreement that she signed so she can speak freely about her alleged rip wit relationship wih the man who would become president. She claims she began an intimate relationship with mr. Trump in 2006 and that it continued well into the year 2007. And thats a quote. The white house has reportedly and repeatedly denied that there was any relationship. Its fox top story and rich edson is live for it at the white house. Shep legal action will continue here as Stormy Daniels and her attorney are suing the president of the United States claiming that the terms of their nondisclosure agreement are no longer valid. This is after claims earlier today on a couple cable news show cnn and msnbc. Stormy daniels attorney is alleging that she received threats, essentially keep quiet about her claims about the president , though that attorney didnt provide any further details about those situations. Its something that has been a topic a number of times here at the white house during the White House Briefing and its something that Sarah Huckabee sanders again addressed today. Obviously we take the security of any person. Would condemn anyone threatening any individual. I have no knowledge of that situation and would refer to you the president s outside personal attorney. Does the president have anything to say about it . I havent spoken to him about that. Daniels and her attorney say that she is going to discuss this in an interview later this month, shep. Shepard hey, rich, the White House Press secretary Sarah Sanders said there are no staff changes coming. Is she talking at this moment or in the near future or what do we know for details . What we know is right now there are no plans, according to the white house, according to what Sarah Huckabee sanders had to say. This is fueled in part by the president himself who had said earlier this week that he was still trying to perfect his cabinet and that, perhaps, suggested that they werent done with staff changes. This is a week in which the treasury secretary or, excuse me, the secretary of state Rex Tillerson was fired on tuesday. Thats how out week started and then followed by other speculation, h. R. Mcmaster, the v. A. Secretary and something that Sarah Huckabee sanders also addressed this afternoon. Chief of staff actually spoke to a number of staff this morning, reassuring them that there were personnel changes, no immediate personnel changes at this time. And that people shouldnt be concerned. We should do exactly what we do every day and thats come to work and do the very best job that we can. And thats exactly what were doing. Thats exactly what we are focused on. And many of us have relayed that to other staffers that werent part of that meeting. And were going to continue to focus on having record success in the second year as we had in our first year. There are major vacancies throughout the Trump Administration. Earlier in the briefing, mark short, the legislative director used this briefing as an opportunity to lambaste Senate Democrats to say its their faults. Theyre the ones holding up nominees, procedural votes forced in the senate totaled 4 for george w. Bush, barack obama the president got 17 in his first term. And that President Trump faces 79. But democrats respond first off that thats essentially what republicans did to barack obama stonewalling different appointments and that also the Trump Administration has failed to nominate some key positions like an ambassador to south korea. And on top of all of that, already here we are in just the second year and there are other positions that are getting another nomination. Rex tillerson in year 1. Mike pompeo year two at state. Shep. Shepard hey, rich, moscow is now threatening to hit back at washington. A top russian diplomat says that the kremlin plans to blacklist more americans. Thats after the Trump Administration handed out new punishments against russians for meddling in the 2016 president ial election. They include the 13 russians indicted by a grand jury last month as part of the special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Back to rich at the white house. Anything from the president . Nothing directly from the president on this or the white house, other than there is a lot of retaliation now happening between moscow, the United Kingdom, the United States. Moscow retaliating against the british, against the United States for the sanctions that the u. S. Had yesterday. The u. K. Kicking diplomats out, and now sergei lavrov, the Russian Foreign minister saying earlier today that russia will certainly expel british diplomats after the u. K. Expelled their diplomats. This is ongoing as the sanctions list that russia now has has been expanded against the United States. The Administration Says that there has been or the administration has faced questions, especially from critics who have said that they have not gone far enough when it comes to sanctioning russia. In particular what the announced yesterday. The state Department Says thats not the case and they are potentially exploring more sanctions against russia. Let me remind you that sanctions are ongoing. Just because sanctions are put in place on one day, march 15th, does not mean that additional sanctions wont be put in place in the coming days and in the coming weeks and in the coming months. These tend to happen in bashes. We have seen these before. This is after Administration Officials revealed that russian government hackers had penetrated critical u. S. Infrastructure just to look around and get some information there. So, plenty to go on between these governments, shep. Shepard rich edson very busy day at the white house. Thank you, sir. Lets get to Chris Wallace who is live with us in washington. The politics of all of this, chris. Whats your read . You talk about in terms of russia, specifically . Shepard yes. Well, you know, its interesting. The president taking kind of a middle road. Because these are the first sanctions announced yesterday. These were the first sanctions that have been ever imposed by the Trump Administration against russia for meddling in the 2016 election. When you think how long those charges have been going on, thats fairly remarkable. In addition to which the congress, by overwhelming majorities in both the house and the Senate Passed sanctions that they said the president could then impose last july and it wasnt until yesterday, march 15th, that the president did impose them. And he didnt impose the full arsenal of sanctions that they have authorized. There are still sanctions they could impose on the defense and other industries. The president so far has not taken those steps. Shepard on the Stormy Daniels matter, its not even something thats very comfortable to talk about if i must confess. But the fact is an attorney for her has made a very serious accusation. Did so this morning and i wonder about the politics of that in your estimation. Well, i dont know. You know, the points is in previous administrations and with previous president s the allegation of a relationship with a porn star would be sky high news. With this president and this administration it doesnt seem to be. I also have to say that for supposedly who had a nondisclosure agreement, is there anything about the relationship between Stormy Daniels and donald trump that you havent already heard . Because i dont know about you, but i find it all kind of boring. Shepard well, its not very interesting. But the accusation of a threat of physical harm that part of this is a serious accusation. If Something Like that were to be true, that could be a legal matter, could it not . Chris i suppose it okay on the other hand, you kind of have to say we have heard so much about the nondisclosure and then the suing of the lawyer and the money and whose name was on the contract or not and at this late date we are hearing about a threat of physical force . It just seems, you know, we see in these cases oftentimes lawyers just making allegations against other lawyers we have got to move on. Shepard yeah, i hear you. On the matter of russia, the white house has come out and condemn the russians. We are on board with europeans, on a joint statement against the russians. There are sanctions coming. There are people being dismissed from Great Britain. Are we expecting to hear anything from the president specifically on this or are the president s people going to handle it . Well, thats a good question. Because, so far, the president did yesterday in the Oval Office Say well, it appears that its russia and its a sad situation and it should never happen. But, that is not nearly as tough as the rhetoric that we have heard from Sarah Huckabee sanders, his spokeswoman that we have heard from the u. N. Ambassador nikki haley. And it is interesting that the president who certainly doesnt isnt shy about tough rhetoric when he wants to use it, has not been nearly as tough as some of his officials have been when it comes to taking on Vladimir Putin and the kremlin. Shepard theresa may had strong words. Yeah. Somebody was killed in her country with a nerve agent. The first offensive use of a nerve agent in europe since world war ii. Mine, its a pretty shocking case. And the statement that the president made a written statement, along with the leaders of britain, france, and germany was pretty tough. They talked about exactly that, that this is unprecedented. And abhorring this attack, but, on the other hand, when it comes to the president s own lips, we have not heard very much. Shepard its been interesting to follow the back and forth regarding staffing at the white house, chris. Something, again, that is kind of boring from time to time. In this case there has been so much discussion about h. R. Mcmaster and some in the white house gone and some saying we are expecting staff changes not today but is it Something Different at 5 00 this afternoon . I just dont have a way of knowing. I wonder if you have any insight. Yeah, do i have a little bit of insight. Did i some reporting yesterday with the top advisor who said some of this may happen but this talk about a blood bath and huge staff changes in the immediate future is not going to happen and that seems to be the prevailing word thats coming out today. There is also a very interesting development, you may not have had a chance to see since it broke just when you went on the air. The axios news site, their cracker jack News Reporter Jonathan Swan says the white house chief of staff john kelly had an offyou have the record session with some reporters. Swan wasnt invite touted session. So he wasnt found by the offtherecord ground rules. But he heard from somebody who obviously leaked it to him. One of his colleagues that the chief of staff was saying all the speculation that the president may be behind it because he likes to kind of spit ball. He likes to, you know, talk about gee, im not happy with this person. Talks to various friends, you know, in that executive time when he is not in the oval office and says well, what would you think of so and so for secretary of state or so and so for National Security advisor. He says i think up some of those friends have been feeding this is, o conversations and also this offtherecord session which is now on the record the chief of staff has said there is not going to be any change with when it comes to general mcmaster and the National Security position for some time. Shepard its interesting, chris, because it was the president himself from the microphone who said the day before yesterday i almost have my cabinet to where i want it, suggesting that, in fact, did he have more changes that he wanted to make. I had just heard it from him and assumed that it was something that was coming. Chris yeah. I think it probably is. But the word today again as you say what is it 3 12. Shepard exactly. Chris as of this moment there is not going to be any change with mcmaster and kelly went to some length to defend ben carson who supposedly got in trouble for 31,000 dining room set. Which i think incidentally would look lovely in your dining room, shep. Shepard i dont have a dining room. Chris in any case he defended him as well. I dont know. We may not get a 5 00 surprise today. Shepard make for a better day. Hey, are you watching basketball . Did you see what buffalo did to arizona . I didnt see it i read about it though. Yes. Shepard march madness, so much fun, you know, i dont really have a horse in that game but man alive. Buffalo looked serious. Chris with ole miss you certainly dont have a horse in that game. Shepard chris, i dont know, things are changing. I cant control everything, chris. Very proud of them though. They will have a great year next year. Chris you sound like the brooklyn dodgers, wait until next year. Shepard thats what were doing right now. The Baseball Team is 161 and lighting the place on fire. Its amazing, chris. Chris ole miss baseball. I never thowflt i would hear you talk about that. Shepard im a religious follower of that team. They are fantastic, come down to swaz field and be a swaz crazy sometime, chris, you would love it there. Chris if i come to you to an ole miss sporting event its going to be to the swamp for a football game. Shepard to the swamp, wow, enemy territory. Chris no, no. Not the swamp. Shepard the grove. Chris hush my mouth. Shepard careful now. Fox news sunday is this sunday with Chris Wallace. He will talk with the House Oversight committee chairman. The South Carolina republican trey gowdy. Number two Senate Democrat the minority whip dick durbin of illinois. Thats this sunday on fox news sunday. Did i miss your reference there, wallace. You be nice now. No shooting inside the tent. Everything is wonderful. Take a one week vacation as previously planned and be back in a week and everything is going to be peachy keen and hunky during, i cant wait. Chris thats what they say previously planned one week vacation. Shepard i have the airline ticket. Its been booked for a while. Have a fantastic friend. Chris hello my friend. Shepard tell everyone down hello for me. I think they cut his mike off. Sometimes enough is enough. Cross a red line, Robert Mueller requesting documents from the Trump Administration. And not just about russia. We will get into all of that coming up. Smile dad. I take medication for high Blood Pressure and cholesterol. But they might not be enough to protect my heart. Adding bayer aspirin can further reduce the risk of another heart attack. Because my Second Chance matters. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. 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Like these mountains, each amazing on their own. But together . Magical. All, for a smoother tasting cup of coffee. Green mountain Coffee Roasters packed with goodness. Shepard more on the russia investigation and report by the New York Times that special counsel muellers team has subpoenaed the Trump Organization subpoenaing documents related to russia and otherwise. Defense attorney and former federal prosecutor dealt with many questions involving the fbi and federal prosecutors. It was for the president who once said that would be a red line in his estimation. But what Robert Mueller does, i guess, is up t