WEBVTT 00:19.066 --> 00:23.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It was a major focus of today's White House briefing with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. 00:23.333 --> 00:26.566 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, White House Press Secretary: The president and the entire administration 00:26.566 --> 00:31.300 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% take domestic violence very seriously and believe all allegations need to be investigated 00:31.300 --> 00:33.333 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% thoroughly. 00:33.333 --> 00:36.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Above all, the president supports victims of domestic violence and believes everyone 00:36.166 --> 00:38.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% should be treated fairly and with due process. 00:38.266 --> 00:42.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% QUESTION: Why haven't we heard the president say exactly what you just said right there, 00:42.166 --> 00:44.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that he takes domestic violence very seriously? 00:44.300 --> 00:47.500 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: I spoke with the president, and those are actually directly his words 00:47.500 --> 00:48.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that he gave me earlier today. 00:48.766 --> 00:50.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% QUESTION: But why hasn't he said that? 00:50.300 --> 00:51.300 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% He had the opportunity. 00:51.300 --> 00:53.066 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% He's been active on Twitter. 00:53.066 --> 00:55.166 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: It's my job to speak on behalf of the president. 00:55.166 --> 00:59.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I spoke to him, and he relayed that message directly to me, and I'm relaying it directly 00:59.066 --> 01:00.633 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% to you. 01:00.633 --> 01:03.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And our Yamiche Alcindor joins me now for more. 01:03.133 --> 01:06.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, Yamiche, what the White House wanted to talk about today was the budget and something 01:06.566 --> 01:08.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% else, and we will get to that in a minute. 01:08.833 --> 01:13.833 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% But this lingering story is still hanging out there, reporters asking, how did the president, 01:15.366 --> 01:17.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% how did the White House handle this? 01:17.466 --> 01:19.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Why is this still going on? 01:19.533 --> 01:22.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, this was, as you know, supposed to be infrastructure week. 01:22.033 --> 01:26.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% This is the White House's second try at infrastructure week and each time it's been overshadowed 01:26.633 --> 01:28.600 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% by this scandal. 01:28.600 --> 01:32.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% We're talking about it still largely because President Trump tweeted about it over the 01:32.066 --> 01:34.166 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% weekend. 01:34.166 --> 01:37.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% He didn't name Rob Porter, the other aide that resigned because of domestic violence 01:37.800 --> 01:41.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% allegations, but he said that people's lives were being destroyed and that they needed 01:41.433 --> 01:43.533 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% due process. 01:43.533 --> 01:47.866 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% Because of that tweet and because of the fact nobody really knows who knew what when at 01:47.866 --> 01:51.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% the White House, this has been an issue the White House is continuing to deal with. 01:51.633 --> 01:55.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% John Kelly, who is the chief of staff to President Trump, has said as soon as he heard about 01:55.733 --> 01:59.666 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% the allegations, that 40 minutes later Rob Porter was out of the job. 01:59.666 --> 02:04.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But Sarah Sanders today from the podium said that it was actually 24 hours later that Rob 02:04.366 --> 02:06.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Porter resigned or terminated. 02:06.533 --> 02:08.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And even that detail is still murky. 02:08.700 --> 02:13.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So there is the idea this President Trump continues to likely -- come to the defense 02:13.033 --> 02:16.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of men who are allegedly domestically violating people. 02:16.933 --> 02:20.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And you have this idea that Sarah Sanders said herself that the president dictated a 02:20.766 --> 02:24.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% statement to her in support of domestic violence victims. 02:24.266 --> 02:28.500 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But the president, who of course has no qualms ever using his Twitter account to say whatever 02:28.500 --> 02:32.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% is on his mind, has not spoken publicly in support of the women here. 02:32.133 --> 02:35.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And people were pointing to a series of these statements over the last 02:35.533 --> 02:40.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% several years where he's spoken out in more sympathy for the people have been accused 02:41.466 --> 02:43.466 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% of abuse. 02:43.466 --> 02:46.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, Yamiche, let's talk about the other things going on at the White House today. 02:46.566 --> 02:51.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president did roll out -- they did roll out their budget for the coming fiscal year. 02:51.200 --> 02:53.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Just give us the highlights. 02:53.333 --> 02:55.833 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Some of the highlights are that this is a budget that's $4.4 trillion. 02:55.833 --> 03:00.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% That's 10 percent more than Republicans spent in -- or wanted to spend in 2017. 03:02.933 --> 03:07.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The other thing that's happening here is that they're asking for $23 billion in border security. 03:07.166 --> 03:09.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% That includes money for the wall. 03:09.200 --> 03:13.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Of course, that's the wall on the border of Mexico -- then you have -- $28 billion, sorry. 03:13.766 --> 03:16.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Then you have $13 billion for opioid treatment services. 03:16.533 --> 03:21.000 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% That's a critical step since President Trump has declared a public health crisis about 03:21.000 --> 03:23.266 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% this issue in October. 03:23.266 --> 03:27.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And then you have $200 billion for infrastructure structure over 10 years. 03:27.200 --> 03:32.000 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, then you have 17 -- I'm sorry -- $716 billion for military spending. 03:32.000 --> 03:37.000 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% The other thing that's happening here is that it eliminates 62 agencies, including the Corporation 03:37.933 --> 03:39.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% for Public Broadcasting. 03:39.966 --> 03:43.733 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% It eliminates a lot of entitlement programs, which is something that Republicans wanted 03:43.733 --> 03:45.533 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% to get rid of. 03:45.533 --> 03:47.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% They said 64 agencies. 03:47.733 --> 03:49.800 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Sorry about that. 03:49.800 --> 03:54.266 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Then they have $554 billion are getting cut from Medicaid; $250 billion are getting cut 03:56.200 --> 03:59.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% from Medicaid; $214 billion is being cut from the SNAP program, which of course used to 03:59.866 --> 04:02.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% be known as the food stamp program. 04:02.533 --> 04:05.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The other thing that's really being cut is here the EPA. 04:05.533 --> 04:08.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's going to be losing $2.8 billion. 04:08.400 --> 04:10.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% That's a lot of money. 04:10.200 --> 04:13.000 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% Most of those programs are to eliminate climate change programs. 04:13.000 --> 04:16.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, that's a big deal, because a lot of people are saying that this is an administration 04:16.733 --> 04:19.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that has been hostile to climate change issues. 04:19.900 --> 04:24.900 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And then the last thing that it does is that it adds $984 billion to the deficit in 2018 04:26.866 --> 04:30.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% - - in 2019, which is a huge, huge change for Republicans who have really been wanting to 04:32.000 --> 04:34.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% balance the budget. 04:34.033 --> 04:36.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: It's been noted that they don't even make a pretense of getting to balance, 04:36.633 --> 04:38.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% of worrying about deficits. 04:38.400 --> 04:42.566 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% So, the last thing, just quickly, of course, is infrastructure. 04:42.566 --> 04:46.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% This has been long awaited and the White House did finally push out their plan. 04:46.666 --> 04:49.633 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The White House pushed out their plan today. 04:49.633 --> 04:53.600 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And it's a plan -- it's an issue, I should say, that the White House should be able to 04:53.600 --> 04:55.600 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% get some bipartisan support on. 04:55.600 --> 04:59.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president, when he talked about infrastructure, it was a very popular thing. 04:59.066 --> 05:03.033 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% Bernie Sanders, when I was on the campaign trail with him, also talked about infrastructure. 05:03.033 --> 05:06.433 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% But the way that President Trump is talking about the infrastructure plan is essentially 05:06.433 --> 05:11.100 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% saying that states and local governments are going to be the ones bearing the brunt and 05:11.100 --> 05:13.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% paying for the most of it. 05:13.200 --> 05:17.300 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% The federal government would spend something like $200 billion, but that's a small fraction 05:17.300 --> 05:19.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% of what they want to spend. 05:19.266 --> 05:22.933 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And today Senator Chuck Schumer came out and basically said that there are going to be 05:22.933 --> 05:27.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Trump tolls all across the country, saying that for President Trump to get this plan 05:27.666 --> 05:32.666 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% passed, it's going to have to turn into tolls and all sorts of fees being passed on to different 05:34.333 --> 05:36.333 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Americans. 05:36.333 --> 05:38.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Republicans, on the other hand, some of them have been saying they praised this program. 05:38.733 --> 05:42.600 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% And some of them, of course, have been saying that they want more explanation, because they're 05:42.600 --> 05:45.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% very worried about the fact that they're adding to the deficit. 05:45.333 --> 05:50.333 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: A lot of discussion still about how this is paid for, in very early stages. 05:51.533 --> 05:52.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Yamiche Alcindor, so much going on. 05:52.866 --> 05:53.866 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Thank you. 05:53.866 --> 05:54.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks.