Good morning everybody and happy new year. Its wednesday, january sexd. 2nd. President Trump Holding his first meeting with Congressional Democrats and saying he would quote take the mantle for a Government Shutdown. Hes invited the top aids for both parties. It will be the first significant conversation hes had with democrats since the partial shutdown. This after he tweeted Border Security and the wall thing, in quotes, and shutdown is not where nancy pelohsy wanted to start her tenure. And it she said we will quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible trump shutdown. Just the first of new things to come. And as the president faces abandoning largescale plans, aids and allies have tried to down play chief of staff john kelly said to be honest its not wall. The president still says wall. Often times hell say barrier or facing, now hes towards steel plats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration. Also others suggest the wall was moorly symbolic. Lets not acweesto the ridiculous sound bite of a wall when the president s been talking about Border Security all along. The wall has become a metaphor for Border Security and what were talking about is a physical barrier where it makes sense. So all this but the president made it clear over and over again during his campaign that he was not talking about the idea of a wall or any other type of Border Security but of an actual wall. I will build a great, great wall. This a very serious wall. This has to be a real wall, not toy wall. See the way they go over our little fences. People dont go over my wall. Maybe some day theyre going to call it the trump wall. Were talking about a serious wall, a trump wall. Its not a fence, its a wall. You misreported it. Sounds like a wall. Former president ial nominee mitt romney criticizing President Trump in a blistering new oped in the washington post. Titleds the president shapes the character of the nation. Trumps falls short. It is well known that donald trump was not my choice for the republican president ial nomination after i hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name callingt callingtop it did not. President ial leadership and qualities of character is indispensable and its in this province where the incumbents shortfall has been most glaring. I will support policies i believe are in the best interest of the country and my state and oppose those that are not. I do not intend to comment on every tweet or fault but i will speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, antiimmigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions. Reaction has been swift. Trumps Campaign Manager writing on twitter the truth is mitt romney lacked the ability to save this nation. Donald trump has saved it. Jealousy is a drink best served warm and romney just proved it. So sad. Wish everyone had the courage donald trump had. Daniel, good to see you. Thanks for joining us this morning. Happy new years. I think the big question here is what was romneys angle in all of this . And his timing with regards to when he released this oped . Reporter Vice President pence will have to swear him in tomorrow. So it might get a little awkward unthat room. But i think romney sees this as a moment where he can capture the public attention and at a time when a number of trump skeptical republican senators are leaving the senate, like bob corker and jeff flake and so he sees it it as his job to kind of protect the public and show a way for real traditional conservatism to continue to be in this country rather than just the trump republican party. I think criticism has been people speak out against the president when theyre on their way out. So this is a turn when they have someone spooking out on their way into the job. Reporter and it will be interesting to see how much mitt romney keeps at it. Because there have been so many republicans that have spoken out against trump and they want influence in washington and they dont want to be shut out of the republican party. And so this is a real test for romney if he can stick to it. Thats what a lot of his supporters are looking for him to do. What do you make of the president with regards of the Government Shutdown . What do you make of the president saufing his demands with regards to the border wall funding . Reporter i think he sees the writing on the wall in terms of this has not been great for him and his popularity because he bran branded this the trump shutdown, now hes trying to call it the schumer shutdown but the public may not be buying that and republicans arent trying hard to join the president in terms of the blame game. I dont think he wants this to take up his entire january. He sees the real world implications of this shutdown continuing. The smithsonian is closing its doors later today. So he wants to kind of get away from this fight and talk about Something Else and get some border wall money but not that much will result. Woell see what happens tomorrow. All eye oz on that. A week 1 2 after proclaiming that isis is quote defeated in syria and ord arg complete withdrawal of troops, President Trump took to twitter to clarify. The president writes this. If anybody but donald trump did what i did in syria, which was an isisloaded mess, they would be a national hero. Isis is mostly gone. Year slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families. The Fake News Media or failed generals unable to do the job before i arrived like to complain about me and my tactics are working. The earesults are far better than i said they were going to be and the it contrary to the president s initial order it could occur within 30 days. And the white house confirmed that troops had already started returning to the United States. Meanwhile one of the biggest critics has pulled a 1 authy. 180. Senator Lindsey Graham had wlunch the president thursday. He told me things i didnt know that make me feel a lot better about where were headed in syria. He promised to destroy isis. Hes going to keep that prommess. Were not there yet. I think were in a pause situation. Year trying to figure out the best way to achieve people having morand paying more ive felt better about syria than i did before i had lunch. I think the president s taking this seriously. Reporter what are did you relay inside the white house . I never said im going to rush out. Year getting out of syria and year going to do it in a good way. Isis was all over the place when i took over. It it was a total mess in syria. Weve almost eradicated all of them. Theyve done more than i said because not only did i and am i able to get out but ive won. Weve really largely eradicated isis. Were also following a new runin with russia. A retired u. S. Marine arrested on friday on espionage charges. The mans twin brother says he was not spying and only in russia for a wedding. Reporter for the former marine gone missing in moscow a mystery. Russia has rested paul wheelan for spying but his family says hes your tourist who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Its inconceivable he took the actions the russians have alleged. They have asked for access to whelan. He was last seen giving a tour of the kremlin which he had visited at least once before. This seems to complicate the already fraught relationship with russia and washington. And tried to infiltrate conservative groups like the nra. Asked about heir, putin insisted russia wouldnt retaliate. Translator were not going to detain any innocent pop Tool Exchange them from anyone. Reporter that prearrest denial raising suspicions among russian experts. Has the sound of a tit for tat to me because theyre Still Holding him in custody. Reporter raising concern among his family that whelan could become a political pawn. The only thing i would say is let my brother go and send him on the next plane back. Just discharged and court marm marshalled orn several charges related to larceny. With democrats taking over the house tomorrow, President Trump could be facing new challenges. Plus one Congressional Republican is pitching an idea to fund trumps border wall and it involves the president shelling out some of his own money. Some of those stories and abchuck of your weather when we come back. Abchuck of your weather when we come back. With my bladder leakage, the products ive tried just didnt fit right. They were too loose. Its getting in the way of our camping trips. But with a range of sizes, depend fitflex is made for me. With a range of sizes for all body types, depend fitflex underwear is guaranteed to be your best fit. danny clients voice . That youre not using smarter tools to manage your business. You work too hard to work this hard collecting receipts . Is it the 80s . Does anybody have a mixtape i can borrow . You should be chasing peoples pets. Not chasing payments quickbooks gives you a sweet set of business tools. That do all the hard work for you. You may groom corgis, but you dont have to work like a dog. vo you earned it, were here to make sure you get it. danny its time to get yours. vo quickbooks. Backing you. Thats why i take osteo biflex to keep me moving the way i was made to. It nourishes and strengthens my joints for the longterm. Osteo biflex; find our coupon in sundays paper. Hey, batter, batter, [ crowd cheers ] like everyone, i lead a busy life. But i know the importance of having time to do what you love. At comcast we know our customers time is valuable. Thats why we have 2hour appointment windows, including nights and weekends. So you can do more of what you love. My name is tito, and im a techhouse manager at comcast. Were working to make things simple, easy and awesome. My ultimatum is put up or shut up. What do you have . There are those of us who believe you dont have anything on collusion and by the way, if you did, its not a crime. If you dont have a darn thing on collusion the whole thing is a phoney. A reminder of where he is at, the president s personal attorn a, of course, seeing things as special counsel bob mueller continues to dig in. Danny g to see you. Happy new year. Isnt it fun when with ahmeds not here. Yeah, we can spread out. We have a democratically controlled congress tomorrow. And and the intention of the democrats it seems like is thats exactly what theyre going to be doing. Thats just one sliver of the things donald trump and the white house have to worry about. The ways and means committee, oversight committee. Investigations for his tax returns. All of these things are related but could be directly related depending on the liabilities or connections to russia that have emerged. His tax returns could tell us more about business in russia and did that also mean doish business with the government in russia. A quid pro quo. What would the president be most worried about do you think . What type of investigation . If i put myself into the mind of President Trump, going back pretty consistently hes said investigationinize investigations into family a red line, into my business another red line. You can gauge humans that hes most concerned about by how he slams them on twitter. Michael cohen very concerned. Hes a rat, all caps tweeting. Michael flynn, on the other hand, doesnt seem too concerned about flynn and his total cooperation with the government. Maybe he thinks Michael Flynn doesnt have anything on him and maybe he thinks Michael Cohen has a lot on him and thats why he slams him so frequently. Lets look ahead to what we can expect in 2019 with the Mueller Probe. A lot of people talk about roger stone and muellers looking at Trump Organization and family as well. Could there be people very much inside trumps orbit . Don jr. Possibly . Whatever immunity the president enjoys by virtue of being the president , his family members do not. So then you have a closely held corporation, the trump Business Activities which are essentially family owned and it appears everything gets routed through the owner or ceo or president of Trump Organization through what Michael Cohen has told us, that nothing got done in that business unless trump or the people close to him were involved. So these are the kinds of things that have emerged from upgter cooperators that tell it us that m maybe those close to the president have near be concerned about. Reports that Mueller Probe could be wrapped up by february. There credible reports that could happen. And many indicators this will go on much, much beyond february. Very quickly that look at all the redactions, sealed documents. That means ongoing investigations. Michael flynn continues sentencing to continue to cooperate. Same with yates. That implies more cooperation to be done and the final piece is that the government does not speed things along if it it doesnt have to. It takes its time so the cases stay made. And this has been a short time if we look back historically toings haves like this one. A year and change is not that much time. This is the biggest one of our time. Lets get a check on your weather now. Hey, bill, happy new year. Its not the control room, tlirlts weather. Everybody still ahead. Just kidding. Happy new year, bill. Well show you pictures of snow. We havent had lot to show you. We have to go to albuquerque for that. The kids love it. The adults eh, not so much. Were watching freezing rain, sleet. Slide nothing to areas of central texas. Dallas is barely above freezing. Around fort worth, watch out. We have 9 Million People either under winterstorm watches or warnings or advisories. Oklahoma city a very difficult fear cast over the next few days. A little bit of freezing rain and rain. The Ice Accumulation is nothing crazy. So Oklahoma City southwards, fort worth, westwards and snowfall, maybe two or three inches around Wichita Falls and areas around portions right around the red river, oklahoma and texas. A lot of heavy rain, houston, central louisiana into mississippi. The rest of the east coast nice and clear for today. Still ahead everybody. All the highlights from new years bowl games, including when mascots attack. Including when mascots attack. Lewis is off. Time now for sports and a new years day filled with bowl games. The 1105th rose bell. 283 am to the 4th. A little too much. 2823 was the final. Theres a big comeback by washington but not quite enough and this was urban meyers final game of his coaching career. In new orleans texas topped georgia. That would have been nice if you showed up better for this one. Texas takes it to him 2821 in the sugar bowl. They had no answer for qb. Who ran for two touchdowns. The contest started out when an episode of mascots gone wild as texass giant long horn steer a mascot charged through the barricade through the sweat clad bull dog. There were no injuries reported to either spectators or those mascots. The action was containing to the Playing Field for the fiesta bowl. All my friends hoping to keep the street going. Lsu wins. He threw for almost 400 yards, four touchdowns. This snapped central floridas 25game winning streak which was the longest in the country. Fun while it lasted. Those handlers looked pretty startled when they charged that bull dog. Little cute guy. Democrats unveil their own plan to keep open the government but it doesnt include funding for a border wall. Well tell it you what that means plus senator Elizabeth Warren taking steps towards a possible 2020 president ial run. Possible 2020 president ial run burke parking splat. And we covered it. Talk to farmers. We know a thing or two because weve seen a thing or two. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum thats where i feel normal. Having an annuity tells me my retirement is protected. Learn more at retire your risk dot org. danny clients voice . That youre not using smarter tools to manage your business. You work too hard to work this hard collecting receipts . Is it the 80s . Does anybody have a mixtape i can borrow . You should be chasing peoples pets. Not chasing payments quickbooks gives you a sweet set of business tools. That do all the hard work for you. You may groom corgis, but you dont have to work like a dog. vo you earned it, were here to make sure you get it. danny its time to get yours. vo quickbooks. Backing you. Here you come again lookin a body has a right to and shakin me up so applebees all you can eat is back. Now with shrimp. Now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. But prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally discovered. In jellyfish. In clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve shortterm memory. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. Welcome back. It the bottom of the hour. Lets start with the mornings top stories. Democrats will take control of the house tomorrow and the first item on their agenda apeers to boo ending the shutdown. Schumer and pelosi announce plans to fund the government. Their plan is to pass two sperate bills. One would temporarily open the government and the other would temporarily open homeland skurlt with no new money for a border wall. White House Press Secretary saying this President Trump made a serious, good faith offer to democrats to open the government, address the cries at our border and protect all americans. Weve heard nothing back from the democrats. The pelosi plan is a nonstarter. And the president has a new defense for those who claim its an ineffective and out dated effect comparing it to the wheel. First on new years eve morning, then later that night on fox news. Watch this. Translator we have to have Border Security and a wall is part of Border Security. I hear so much about the wall is oldfashioned. No, the wall is 100 full proof. Th