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Trump Speaks After Signing Mexico Wall Order; Trump: Mexico Will Reimburse U.S. For Wall Construction; Stocks Still In Rally Mode After Trump Election; British Prime Minister To Publish Plan Ahead Of Vote. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired January 25, 2017 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: -- our apologies, some technical problems there. We turn now to the town hall news conference given now by

President Donald Trump at the Department of Homeland Security.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- and we also understand that a strong and healthy economy in Mexico is very good for the

United States, very, very good. We want that to happen. By working together on a positive trade, safe orders and economic cooperation, I truly

believe we can enhance the relationship between our two nations, to a degree not seen before, certainly in a very, very long time.

I think our relationship with Mexico is going to get better. Here's a brief summary of what actions are contained in my executive orders. The

secretary of homeland security, working with myself and my staff, will begin immediate construction of a border wall, so badly needed. You folks

know how badly needed it is as a help. But very badly needed.

This will also help Mexico by deterring illegal immigration from Central America and by disrupting violent cartel networks. As I've said repeatedly

to the country, we're going to get the bad ones out, the criminals and drug deals and gangs and gang members and cartel leaders.

The day is over when they can stay in our country and wreak havoc. We're going to get them out, and we're going to get them out fast, and John Kelly

is going to lead that way.

Our order also does the following, ends the policy of catch and release at the border, requires other countries to take back their criminals. They

will take them back. Cracks down on sanctuary cities.

Empowers ICE officers to target and remove those who pose a threat to public safety. Calls for the hiring of another 5,000 border patrol

officers. Calls for the tripling the number of ICE officers.

And you both do an incredible job, but you need help, you need more. Creates an office of Homeland Security dedicated to supporting the victims

of illegal immigrant crime.

For years, the media has largely ignored the stories of Americans and lawful residents victimized by open borders. To all of those out there, I

repeat to you these words. We hear you, we see you, and you will never, ever be ignored again.

As I travel the country, I had the chance to get to know mothers who have lost their children to violence spilling over the border. I want to thank

the Remembrance Project, such incredible people, for giving these families a voice.

They're called Angel Moms for good reason because they are a voice to protect all of America's children. Their children have not died in vain,

believe me.

Pundits talk about how enforcing immigration laws can separate illegal immigrant families, but the families they don't talk about are the families

of Americans forever separated from the people they love. They don't talk about that, ever.

As your president, I have no higher duty than to protect the lives of the American people. First, these families lost their loved ones, then they

endured a system that ignored them, while at the same time, constantly rewarding those who broke the law.

[15:05:06]For these families, it's been one injustice after another, but that all turns around beginning today. We're joined here this afternoon by

parents whose children were horribly killed by individuals living here illegally.

I will now read these parents' names and ask them to stand. Many have become friends of mine over the last two years and have supported me so

dearly and I appreciate it.

Maryann Mendoza who lost her son, Police Sergeant Brandon Mendoza. Fred Funderberg (ph) and his son, James, who lost Billy. Billy was Fred's son

and James's brother. Billy's wife, Natalie, was also killed by an illegal immigrant, somebody that should never, ever have been here.

Laura Wilkerson, who lost her 17-year-old son, beautiful josh. Josh was special. Where's Laura? Good. Laura, thank you. Thank you, Laura.

Carrie Ruiz and Lucia Ruiz Jr., who lost their young daughter, Felicia. Thank you. Beautiful Felicia. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Steven Ronabeck, who lost his 21-year-old son, Grant. Thank you, Steven. And we have many others with us from Remembrance and from other groups and

these are incredible people that have endured so much, and I just want to thank everybody for being here, very, very special people. Thank you.

Nothing can ever make their pain go away, but I want you to know your children will not have lost their lives for no reason. They've set this

incredible goal for so many. These were great young people, and they will always be remembered, always. We will never forget them.

And to the parents and loved ones, you kept the flame of justice alive with your activism. Keep it going and now together we will save thousands and

thousands of lives.

When it comes to public safety, there is no place for politics. No Republicans, no Democrats, just citizens, and good citizens. We want safe

communities, and we demand safe communities for everyone. We want respect. We want great schools. We want dignity and equality for everyone.

And I will be a president, I promise you, for everyone. We will bridge our divisions, heal our wounds, and unify our country. And if we do that, if

we work together, then there is nothing we cannot achieve as Americans. The future is limitless.

Good luck to our new and brilliant leader at DHS, General John Kelly. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America. Congratulations to John.

MANN: Beginning today the United States will get back its borders, the words of President Donald Trump at the Department of Homeland Security

announcing the immediate construction of a border wall, a centerpiece of his campaign for the presidency, now moving into effect in just a few days

after he took office.

[15:10:11]Part of two executive orders that would also hire 5,000 border patrol agents and triple the number of deportation agents working inside

U.S. borders.

Let's take a closer look at all of this. Ryan Lizza and Mark Preston join us now from Washington. Michael Smerconish is with us from Philadelphia.

Michael Smerconish, why don't we start with you? This is what he promised as a candidate. I imagine his voters are thinking they got what they

wanted.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I'm sure that's true and what struck me, John, it was really a continuation of the way in which

he presented this issue on the campaign trail, something that we're seeing on a variety of different issues with now President Trump.

And I'm referring specifically to the way in which he singled out individuals in that crowd who were family members of victims of crime,

murders in many cases, committed by illegal immigrants. So he's presenting this as a matter of national safety.

I happen to think it's an effective pitch whether Americans are prepared to pay $14 billion for a wall with Mexico, that's a separate issue.

MANN: We still don't know about the funding, but these executive orders are about more than just a wall. Mark Preston, what exactly did the

president set into motion?

MARK PRESTON, CNN EXECUTIVE EDITOR FOR POLITICS: Well, a couple things right now. What he's accomplished is certainly that he has played very

well to his base. And as Michael has said, the bottom line, he is fulfilling his promises. But there will be a lot of problems with the

funding of this wall.

You have senior Republicans right now who are saying that they don't need a contiguous wall across the southern border. In parts of the border, they

do believe a wall needs to go up, but there are parts that it doesn't need to happen.

Also building this wall is very, very difficult. You're talking about going across private land as well, where they would have to go in and take

that away from the homeowners. And you're also having to talk about going across some very difficult terrain.

Now one of the other orders that is going to be talked about much today is the sanctuary city order that Donald Trump is pushing forward, and that's

where he's going to cut off funding to cities that refuse to enforce immigration laws against immigrants.

Therefore, you have a sanctuary city in the fact that they will not be deported. That is going to cause a big rift amongst some big city mayors

and the Trump administration.

MANN: Ryan Lizza, list me ask you something that neither Michael or Mark mentioned and that's 5,000 more patrol officers along the border and

tripling the force that's going to hunt down illegal immigrants into the United States essentially. This is the deportation force that he was

talking about.

RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It is. I've only started to read the executive order, the first one that was sent out by the White House

essentially on the sanctuary cities. So really with a lot of these executive orders this week, the devil is in the details.

Remember, the president can't do anything that requires funding without Congress approving legislation. For instance, in the executive order on

sanctuary cities, it says, no federal funds to any of these cities except where mandated by law.

So you have to change the law to really get some teeth. There can always be caveats. There may be existing laws where he's using existing authority

or existing funds, and we need to sort all that out.

But as Mark pointed out, and as you alluded to, this issue between the federal government and cities that have fought the federal government on

deporting some undocumented citizens that is going to be a big war.

The language in this executive order is extremely harsh. It talks about cities harming the fabric of America, these sanctuary cities, and there's

going to be a big, big fight between the cities and the federal government.

If ICE agents and an expanded force, a deportation force, start descending into American cities and picking out this class of undocumented immigrants

who Trump is talking about in this executive order, people who have been charged with a crime or have been convicted of a crime.

So that's a pretty large category of people, and again I say the devil is in the details, but this is pretty significant action today.

MANN: Is it going to be politically adept for -- politically helpful for the new president, Michael Smerconish. Because I would think among his

voters, especially making Mexico into a presidential pinata and going after illegal immigrants who are raping and pillaging and doing all kinds of

horrible things that he's happy to tell us about, this is red meat for Trump voters.

SMERCONISH: Well, I think it's an enormous win for the 46 percent of the country who voted for him. But for the 73 million who voted for someone

else, you know, this campaign hasn't ended.

[15:15:10]I'm sure that Ryan and Mark would agree with me, that to be in the United States since November 8 is to have seen absolutely no end to the

fight, the divide, the polarization, and the opposition that we had for the last year and a half of the campaign.

The time periods are indistinguishable, and I've been paying attention for three decades, and I've never seen anything like it. So will people like

this? It depends which people you ask.

MANN: Is there less here than meets the eye? And I asked you that because just a moment ago, we were showing our correspondent, Ed Lavandera,

traveling along the barrier that's already in place along the Mexican border, it goes on for miles in some areas, and there is already an

enormous effort under way to deport criminals or unwanted illegal aliens, even under the Obama administration. Ryan Lizza, could this be less than

we've all been thinking it would be?

LIZZA: It could be. Remember, especially in Obama's early years, he deported a record number of undocumented immigrants. And so we'll have to

see what the numbers are, but I think you're going to start hearing from the groups that are much more pro-expansionist immigration, and are going

to point out that the categories described in this executive order are more expansive than people think.

In his speech today, Trump talked about the worst offenders, people that nobody would defend, murderers, nobody like that should be welcome in the

United States, obviously, if they're here illegally.

But this order targets people who have ever committed a crime. So if you've lived in this country for 30 years and you maybe have a citation

from possession of marijuana, but you've been here for 30 years and you still don't have citizenship, you would be targeted for deportation here.

So I think that's the next battle you're going to see as some of the groups gear up to oppose this, and frankly, some of the Democratic mayors who will

oppose this tooth and nail, watch for that.

And who specifically is targeted for expedited deportation and see if there are more sympathetic faces on this, as compared to some of the folks that

Trump pointed out today.

MANN: Ryan Lizza, Mark Preston, Michael Smerconish, thanks very much. Leyla Santiago is watching all this unfold from the other side of the

border, in Mexico City and joins us now.

Let me ask you the key question. We've all known that he was going to make this announcement. We're all waiting to see whether indeed the government

of Mexico will be induced, embarrassed, or forced into paying for this barrier. Has that changed at all?

Leyla Santiago in Mexico City, can you hear me all right? OK. Once again, we're hg trouble with her audio. It's been a day of small technical

glitches.

But if you're just joining us, let me tell you about what we just saw, the U.S. president, Donald Trump, going to the Department of Homeland Security,

the department that's responsible for monitoring, patrolling and protecting U.S. borders and immigration in particular, and signing two executive

orders.

One of which will initiate the construction of the wall that he's promised and the other that will control immigration and police much more fiercely.

We're back again with Leyla Santiago in Mexico City. Leyla, are the Mexicans any more willing to pay for this one than they were yesterday or a

week ago, or a month ago?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, a lot of Mexicans woke up to this news, it came in overnight that Trump would be signing this executive

order, and he also tweeted about building a wall. Some of the lawmakers here are calling on the Mexican president to cancel his meeting with

President Trump next week.

Now, remember the timing of this. Today the delegation from Mexico is there with some of the top officials from Mexico and top White House aides

to begin of talks of negotiations, likely to be about NAFTA and immigration.

So a lot of Mexicans perhaps feeling that what's at stake here is possibly respect and dignity along with NAFTA and immigration policies. But at no

point today have we heard anyone from the Mexican government say they will ever pay for that wall.

In fact, yesterday, the economic minister said, if Trump tries to tax remittances as a way to pay for that wall, or any other way of paying for

that wall, Mexico will pull out of any negotiations.

MANN: Well, the president has already mused publicly about withholding or taxing remittances. Billions of dollars that leave the United States,

coming from Mexicans employed in the United States, Mexican Americans employed in the United States going home to their families in Mexico.

It's one of the biggest sources of income that the entire country has. If not the remittances, he's proposed taking the opposite attack and imposing

tariffs on Mexican goods moving into the United States. How ugly could this get for the people of Mexico?

[15:20:10]SANTIAGO: You know, you got to also take into consideration Mexico's own issues right now, you got the plunging peso since Trump's

election. You also have the Mexican government's decision to raise gas prices. That alone has cost -- has brought about quite a few protests

here.

So take into account where Mexico stands on its own, and add a complicated relationship with its northern neighbor, something that has already had

some points of contention, not only during Trump's campaign, but also have some of the things he said as president.

Put all of that together and certainly you can understand why there's a lot of uncertainty here, why there's a lot of fear. Not only among the Mexican

government officials, but also the people of Mexico.

MANN: Leyla Santiago in Mexico City, thanks very much.

Coming up, the Trump bump in full effect on Wall Street as the Dow hits a landmark number. Stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANN: Welcome back. President Trump can feel the love on the street, Wall Street. The post-election rally finally pushed the Dow Jones Industrial

average to 20,000 and beyond. The big board hitting the milestone just after the open and with about 45 minutes left in the trading day, the Dow

Jones still up more than a hundred, now 140 points.

The Dow had been flirting with 20,000 for weeks, it's finally there. CNN's Richard Quest is with us as well, anchor of "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," a CNN

Money editor-at-large. He is joining us now from London. Is this the Trump rally continuing? Is there any other possible explanation?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": No, it is the Trump rally in some shape or form, the Trump bump as it's become known. Once you

got to around 19,800, and economists were getting tired of people like me saying, when will the 20,000 happen? One of them just said, look, it's

going to happen probably sooner rather later.

But I think that's ignores the reality that this is a significant event and the reason it's significant is the run up from 19,000 to 20,000 has been

just a matter of months, if not weeks, and the market says, and the people that we speak to say that as long as the president's policies on the

economy come into force, then there's more upside to this, Jonathan.

Because what's driving this rally is a question of faster economic growth, greater government spending, more deregulation, less banking regulation,

and a feeling that the economy is going to be put onto steroids.

MANN: OK, that having been said, President Trump just yesterday has signed an executive order, formally withdrawing from the Transpacific Partnership

and he's making noise about modifying, changing the North American Free Trade Agreement.

[15:25:14]Are investors coming around to his skepticism when it comes to trade?

QUEST: No, they're just ignoring it. They're just ignoring those potential threats. There's a feeling of disbelief in that rational people

won't go over the cliff. And if it rationally looks like 35 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico or China would harm the U.S. economy, then he

won't do it.

And the same for a variety of other rules. One other point to bear in mind, just look at how CEOs for General Motors, Carrier, Lockheed Martin,

Boeing, how they've all responded to presidential bullying by tweet.

Now if companies are prepared to respond when he's the president-elect, there's an argument out there that says they will respond and create more

jobs and more economic activity now he's president.

So the long and short of it, Jonathan, this rally is short-sighted, yes, no question. It's looking at what's likely to happen from economic growth,

but is choosing to ignore the prospect of a trade war with China or difficulties on tariffs from Mexico.

MANN: Richard quest, thanks so much. And we'll have the "CLOSING BELL" and Richard will bring you "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" at the top of the hour.

Well, just days before she heads to a White House visit, Britain's prime minister faced a grilling in the House of Commons. The opposition leader

pressed her not to give any ground on trade, workers' rights or respect for women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY CORBYN, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER: Will the Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker, also take this opportunity today to congratulate the 100,000

people who marched in Britain last weekend to highlight women's rights after President Trump's inauguration, and express their concerns about his

misogyny?

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I am pleased that I am able to meet President Trump so early in his administration. That is a sign of the

strength of the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States of America, a special relationship on which he and I intend

to build. But can I also say to the leader of the opposition, I am not afraid to speak frankly to a president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: British lawmakers also want more information about Downing Street's strategy for negotiating the terms of Brexit. A day after the British

Supreme Court ruled that parliament must have a say before Prime Minister May can begin Brexit talks with the E.U. Our Isa Soares followed the prime

minister's questions and answers.

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, it was a day of political theater as well as political fireworks as Prime Minister Theresa May faced questions

from members of parliament. They wanted to know when she would present Article 50 bill, the bill that the Supreme Court said they must seek

approval from Houses of Parliament.

We know today that that bill would present as early as Thursday and could be debated for a period of two weeks back and forth, of course, between

Members of Parliament who said they will want to make amendments to it.

But on the whole, the majority say they will approve it because that is the will of the people following on from the referendum. But we have seen in

the last 24 hours somewhat of a u-turn from Theresa May.

Yesterday, they were saying there's no need for a white paper, basically an outline of Theresa May's plans and strategy when it comes to (inaudible).

Today, Theresa May basically said there will be a white paper that she will introduce to the House.

The important thing here is that Theresa May does not show her hand when it comes to strategy because that would influence talks with Europe and she

wants that hand to be strengthened -- Jon.

MANN: Isa Soares. Coming up, Eastern Mosul is now freed from ISIS' grip, but for many the memories of its terror are still to fresh. We'll have

more on what life is like now ahead.

And the U.S. president's pen is getting a lot of work this week. We'll talk more about how Donald Trump's executive actions, compared to his

predecessors.

[15:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. Donald Trump has started the process of fulfilling a very big campaign promise, signing an executive

order to begin work on a border wall with Mexico. He reiterated in an interview with ABC that he insists Mexico will reimburse U.S. taxpayers.

In that same ABC interview, Mr. Trump said that intelligence professionals tell him torture, quote, "absolutely works." When asked specifically about

waterboarding, he said that he would work toward that, and in his Secretary of Defense and CIA Director want to do it.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has finally hit the 20,000 mark, and it's hovered above that point since they opened. Investors are optimistic about

the economy and the Trump administration's pro-business policies.

Looking elsewhere around the world now, to eastern Mosul where freedoms are slowly returning after Iraqi forces liberated that part of the city from

ISIS. Still the terror group left its mark. Our Arwa Damon takes a look at life now and what ISIS left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Children play on the streets of an affluent neighborhood, just steps away from a residential

home that was a local ISIS headquarters.

This was a security center, so that was the office. And upstairs is what they had transformed into a prison. This is really creepy.

The screams of those who were imprisoned here still haunt the neighbors, too afraid to go on camera.

In the industrial zone, ISIS was manufacturing its own weapons entirely from scratch, and then hiding the stockpiles throughout the city.

Counterterrorism soldiers even found a partly constructed plane.

It is fairly crudely put together, but this would take a certain level of expertise, creativity, and ingenuity. They've cobbled together all sorts

of different parts and even used glue to try to fix some of the wires into place.

To the north, wooden Humvees are under construction in what eerily feels like a children's wood shop were it not so sinister. ISIS would use these

as decoys.

On the streets, there is a sense of relief. Women no longer have to wear the niqab. Men can be clean-shaven. Cell phones and cigarettes, banned

under ISIS, are on full display.

But the atmosphere of so-called normalcy in some areas belies the trauma. Schools have started to re-open for the first time in over two years, the

children eager to reclaim their lost education.

"ISIS would put knives in our hands," 14-year-old Mustafa (ph) tells us.

MUSTAFA, MOSUL SURVIVOR (through translator): Once my parents found out, they pulled me out of school.

DAMON: Their innocence stolen perhaps, but not their enthusiasm for life and the future.

[15:35:05] Little girls clamor around us, jostling for attention as children do. Their sweet voices uttering phrases they never should.

"They cut a man's hand," one girl says. They lashed her father because his pants weren't long enough, 50 times, she said. Some of the wounds here

will heal, but others are too profound, defined by years and lives lost.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Mosul, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MANN: Back to our top story this hour, President Trump has signed four executive orders so far, including two of them today. That, in addition to

eight memoranda, some many, two executive orders. Mr. Trump's advisers say he's fulfilling campaign promises.

Now, "The American Presidency Project" reports that some early U.S. president signed fewer than 10 executive orders during their entire time in

office, though Franklin Roosevelt was one of four presidents who signed more than a thousand. Most fall in somewhere between. Every president

since Roosevelt has come in in roughly the triple-digit range.

Let's get some perspective on why President Trump is relying so heavily on executive actions early in his term. Larry Sabato is director of the

Center for Politics at the University of Virginia joining us from Charlotte now.

Thanks so much for being with us once again. First of all, what are executive orders?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Executive orders are the actions solely of the President using the

executive power given to him by the constitution.

He doesn't have to submit this to Congress. The courts don't have to approve it, at least initially, unless it's challenged. And essentially,

it's the President acting on his own and acting immediately. And that's why presidents love executive orders.

MANN: How much can they get done that way? I mean, if the government will work on that basis alone, what does it need Congress for?

SABATO: Well, many people believe that presidents have gone much too far in using executive orders, and they ought to return to the Congress because

the founders intended that most of these actions, most legislative effects, should, in fact, go through the Congress.

But that's not what presidents do in this era, when Democrats and Republicans could not be more different. The first thing, when a President

enters office succeeding a president of the other party, he revokes most of the executive orders signed by the previous president, and then he puts

into effect executive orders that reflect the ideology of his party.

MANN: Now, it would seem, just by adding them up, and the math is a bit rough, that Ronald Reagan used more than the president who succeeded him,

who used more than the president who succeeded him, who used more than the president who succeeded him. Although that last president, Barack Obama,

was constantly criticized by Republicans for using executive orders. They seem to be going, well, slowly out of fashion.

SABATO: I don't think they're going out of fashion. What's happening is, executive orders aren't being used as much for trivial matters. Those are

simply regulations released by administrative branches of the government.

Rather, the executive orders are being used for big-ticket items, which is what you're seeing Donald Trump do, from starting building the wall or

diverting money to build the wall on the border with Mexico, to his immigration executive orders, to the executive order on abortion. You're

going to see a lot more of these coming too.

MANN: But why is that? I mean, he's got majorities in both Houses of Congress. It seems to subvert the way the U.S. government is supposed to

work.

SABATO: Well, it does subvert the way the government is supposed to work. But unfortunately, in modern times, Congress has become far less

productive. It's a debating society as much as anything else.

And while congress once could get dozens or even a hundred pieces of legislation done within the first few months of a president's term, now

it's down to a handful of pieces of legislation. And so presidents simply want to go (inaudible).

MANN: Let me just ask you one last question. Is this good politics for Donald Trump? He seems to be getting very busy and getting a lot done with

just a stroke of a pen.

Some of our previous guests have suggested there may be less to it than meets the eye because there's no money, there's no mechanism for some of

these orders to be carried out. But, fundamentally, is this helping him become a more popular president?

SABATO: It's not helping him become more popular. It's helping to intensify the popularity among the 46 percent who voted for him. This is

what they supported when they voted for Donald Trump. They like the fact that he's taking immediate action, but these actions are viewed as extreme

by much of the 54 percent who didn't vote for him.

MANN: Larry Sabato, thanks so much for talking to us.

SABATO: Thank you, Jon.

MANN: And we have this just in to CNN, U.S. television icon Mary Tyler Moore has died at the age of 80.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:40:02] MANN (voice-over): She was best known, of course, as the star of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." She played a successful single T.V.

producer in the 1970s sitcom, won several awards for that role.

And as her representative said in a statement today, Mary Tyler Moore will always be remembered as the woman who turned the world on with her smile.

She was 80.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Coming up, we'll be live in Chicago as U.S. President Trump weighs in on the violence there. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANN: Welcome back. For the first time since taking office, President Trump has weighed in on the violence in the U.S. city of Chicago, calling

it horrible carnage. Writing on Twitter, he said, "If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible carnage going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings, up

24 percent from 2016, I will send in the feds."

Trump's tweet may have been inspired by cable news. He responded shortly after a segment on the subject ran on Fox.

Well, let's take a look at both angles of this. Ryan Young joins us now from Chicago. And CNN Money Senior Reporter for Media and Politics, Dylan

Byers, is in Los Angeles.

Ryan, let's start with you. The numbers are stunning and the President's tweet really doesn't tell the half of it. In 2016, the last full year that

just came to an end that we have numbers for, 762 murders, 4,300 shootings.

What's going on in Chicago, and how do people feel about the President saying he may get involved?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what, a lot of people are calling for more help when it comes to the violence. And here in Chicago,

they are saying they're going to work on the violence problem by starting a new community initiative with community policing.

But when you look at that number, more than 700 murders in a city like this, it's almost like everybody's just moving on for certain as gamble.

But in the city, they really want to do something about those murders. And, of course, when Trump start tweeting about it, then it becomes sort of

a political football, and that's not what the community members want.

They do want more resources. They do want more jobs. They do want more help for this police department. And that's been part of the overall

conversation.

But as you see how this crime has been in effect for several years, people talk about the idea of two different cities. We're in the downtown area

where you don't really have that much crime. And then you go outside the city, the south and west sides, that's where you see the crime here in

Chicago.

MANN: Now, it's not just Chicago President Trump is talking about. He says there is carnage in America. He used that phrase in his inaugural

address.

And so I'm just curious about whether Chicago is a tragic but good example of just how bad the problem has gotten nationwide, or if it's an exception

to a country that some people say is seeing less, fortunately, crime than it used to.

YOUNG: Well, I'm glad you actually brought that up. There was a Ferguson effect that even the mayor talked about today, and that's, of course, where

Michael Brown was shot a few years ago and he was a teen. And that's why you saw all the protest in Ferguson a few years ago.

That, he says, has had a chilling effect in law enforcement and that, maybe, police are pulling back just a little bit with in terms of what they

were doing before. And that's why you see the rise in crime.

[15:45:05] In Chicago, we have an issue with gangs. And there are gangs throughout this community where you see even children involved in some of

these gang killings. In fact, the mayor talked about the Ferguson effect just in about an hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: I know what my colleague Greg Fischer is facing in Louisville. I know what my colleague in Austin is

facing. I know what my colleagues in Indianapolis and Memphis are facing, in Phoenix.

And the real question, I will just say, in general, for all the mayors -- and that's just to name some. San Antonio as well is up 49 percent.

Dallas is up. The real question is what cities have experienced over the last two years.

I think this has been, if I can, in the last two years, once again, another false debate. There were some that wanted to deny the reality that there's

a Ferguson effect. That's not helpful. Anybody that is close to the ground will tell you, there's an impact since Ferguson on the mindset of

local law enforcement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Now, we really were expecting the mayor to punch back at Trump, but that didn't happen today. He was really cautionary about that. He talked

about more programs for the city in terms of getting kids summer jobs, more infrastructure plans, something to help the community. So he took that

tack when he came to talk about this.

But at the end of the day, when you talk about the violence, there are parts of this city where people are talking about, they need more help.

They don't care whether it comes from the federal government or the police department.

MANN: Right. It may be on its way. Ryan Young in Chicago, thanks very much.

Dylan Byers, let's go to you now because what's extraordinary is, is that this whole debate today started not because there was news from Chicago.

It started because there was a tweet from the President. How much do we know about how the tweet, how this plan, was born?

DYLAN BYERS, CNN MONEY SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: Well, that's right. You know, so often, when the President of the United States says something,

writes something, in this case, issues a tweet, we look to that and sort of want to read the tea leaves for some signal about policy or what we might

expect going forward.

With Donald Trump, it's very different. So often what he tweets is a reaction to something that he's seen on television. The President of the

United States watches a lot of television, morning, night, and he tweets his responses. That was the case here.

He had been watching Fox News, Bill O'Reilly, about an hour before his tweet. Bill O'Reilly did a segment on the violence in Chicago. He put up

the exact same statistics that Donald Trump used in his tweet.

He had a guest on who used the word "carnage" to describe the violence in Chicago, which is perhaps why Donald Trump put the word "carnage," in

quotes, in his own tweet. And then, lo and behold, you have this tweet from the President of the United States, which is really just a reaction to

cable news, much the way, you know, many an average Twitter user would react to what they're seeing on television.

And it makes it very hard for officials in Chicago and for the people of Chicago to understand whether the President of the United States is issuing

a very real threat about sending the feds in, or whether he's just sort of reacting to what he sees on television as he has done so many times before

since winning the election in November.

MANN: I just want to underscore that. I mean, how many big decisions does he make because of one thing he spotted on T.V.?

BYERS: Right. So we've seen this happen. There are at least eight or nine examples that we have, and certainly there might be more. You know,

the list sort of keeps growing longer and longer.

But what he'll do is -- look, what we know about his day, he watches television when he wakes up, usually until about 9:00 when he has morning

meetings, as was reported today in "The New York Times." And then he watches T.V. again at night.

So if you watch his Twitter account, you look at what he's tweeting, and it seems to come out of nowhere. And yet very often, if you just go back

through Fox News, through CNN, in some cases, MSNBC, you'll find that they were talking about that earlier.

And, again, it just makes it extremely hard to know whether or not he's just sort of being reactionary or whether or not he's actually proposing

something serious that he might try and turn into policy.

MANN: Well, it's not just policy. There's another aspect of this, which is extraordinary if it's true. Both "TIME" magazine and "The Washington

Post" reported that he actually influenced or he actually picked his Cabinet secretaries -- he chose the people who are going to be leading

government departments -- on the basis of their appearance because he wanted people who looked the part. Is that true?

BYERS: Yes, we've heard this from the President all the time. We heard it from him even when he was a candidate and certainly when he was the

President-elect. He would describe people as looking the part.

There was this idea that he sort of had a vision of America, not based on sort of the substance of a person so much as the aesthetics of a person.

And look, who is Donald Trump? He's a reality television show star before he's a politician.

[15:50:01] He is someone who thinks first and foremost about ratings, about appearance, about his brand, and how he is viewed by viewers. I think he

thinks of the American people sort of as viewers in that way.

And in that regard, a lot of the decisions he's making are based on ratings, based on visuals, based on aesthetics. And so it's entirely

probable that when he meets somebody, he thinks as much about how they look and whether or not they look the part, as he does about whether or not

they're qualified for the position based on their resume.

MANN: Dylan Byers, thanks very much.

BYERS: Sure.

MANN: Still ahead this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA TAYLOR, BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS RESIDENT: That wall is not going to stop them. If it's 20 feet high, they're going to get a 21-foot ladder, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: CNN travels to the Texas border where locals say Donald Trump's plan for a wall is --complicated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANN: Welcome back. We end this hour as we began it, with President Donald Trump and the wall. It was one of his big campaign promises.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Build that wall, build that wall, build that wall!

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Folks, folks, don't even think about it. It will be built. Don't even think about it. Don't waste

your breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: Now, President Trump says he's moving to do just that. He signed the papers a short time ago. So how do people who live on the U.S. side of

the border feel about it? CNN's Ed Lavandera has been on the road to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This journey across the U.S.-Mexico border begins in south Texas, where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of

Mexico and on a rugged ride in an all-terrain vehicle with Robert Cameron. He runs an ATV border tour business in the small town of Progreso.

So do you think people have that impression of the border that it's a scary, dangerous place?

ROBERT CAMERON, OWNER, TEXAS BORDER TOURS: Oh, scary, dangerous, absolutely. But it's not as bad as people make it seem to be.

LAVANDERA: Cameron was born in Mexico, is now a U.S. citizen, was a long- time Democrat until Donald Trump came along and made him a Republican.

Living and working on the border reveals a blurry reality. Cameron fully supports the idea of Trump's border wall. But every day, he sees the holes

in that plan.

This is a part of the border wall that already exists, right?

CAMERON: Exactly, exactly. This is put back in 2006 by George Bush. It's been around for a while.

LAVANDERA: A few months ago, while riding along the Rio Grande, he recorded this video of what appeared to be smugglers with packs. It's the

kind of story countless people along the border can share. But this is an area where a border fence is already in place, yet drugs and human

smuggling keep coming.

CAMERON: It hasn't stopped them, no, absolutely not. So you got this wall all the way around to the eye can see all the way over there. And then --

LAVANDERA: And it keeps going?

CAMERON: It keeps going. But then, it's like, did they start here? I don't know. I'm sure there's a reason.

LAVANDERA: Right.

CAMERON: What would you think? They ran out of money?

LAVANDERA: This is the landscape in the Big Bend area of Texas, and that is the challenge. How in the world do you build a wall in this kind of

terrain?

[15:55:01] Marcos Paredes lives in Terlingua, a far-flung outpost in the Big Bend region of west Texas. He's a former Big Bend park ranger and now

takes visitors on aerial tours of some of the most beautiful landscapes you'll ever see.

MARCOS PAREDES, CHIEF PILOT, RIO AVIATION SCENIC FLIGHTS: So I want to know where in all of that do you put a wall.

LAVANDERA: Do you think if Donald Trump flew with you, he'd still want to build that wall?

PAREDEZ: And I want you to tell Donald Trump that we already have a wall, thank you very much. And I don't think he could build a bigger one.

LAVANDERA: This is some of the most rugged terrain you'll find along the southern border, hard to imagine that anyone would ever try to cross

illegally through here. Just simply too treacherous.

The Big Bend region stretches roughly 250 miles along the Rio Grande, a place far past the middle of nowhere. On a canoe trip down the Rio Grande,

it's so quiet out here, you can hear the wind flutter past coasting birds.

Every night, 88-year-old Pamela Taylor, out of compassion, leaves bottled water outside her home for migrants moving north and the border patrol

agents chasing them. She's lived in this house in Brownsville, Texas, a stone's throw from the border, since 1946.

When the border fence was built nearly 10 years ago north of the river, she found herself on the south side, between the wall and Mexico.

So you're a little bit of no-man's land here, right?

TAYLOR: My son-in-law say we live in a gated community.

(LAUGHTER)

TAYLOR: I mean, you have to laugh about it, you know.

LAVANDERA: You have to.

Taylor voted for Trump and wants to see illegal immigration controlled. She once found an undocumented migrant hiding from border patrol agents in

her living room. But she warns the rest of the country that a wall won't work.

TAYLOR: That wall is not going to stop them. If it's 20 feet high, they're going to get a 21-foot ladder, right?

LAVANDERA: Donald Trump wants to build this bigger, more powerful wall.

TAYLOR: I would like for Mr. Trump to -- I will even feed him if he will come down here and talk to the people.

LAVANDERA: Until then, life on the border will keep passing by Pamela Taylor's front porch, and it might even stop for a quick drink.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, along the Texas-Mexico border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MANN: And the wall is coming. You've been watching THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Thanks for joining us. I'm Jonathan Mann. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:59:58] RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: Celebrations on Wall Street. There we are. The Dow Jones is ringing the closing bell. Look to celebrate as,

for the first time in history, the Dow closes above 20,000.

Give us a good -- yes. Look! Oh, my goodness. Gracious me!

END