‘TENTACLES OF TERRORISM’: Houthis launch STRIKES on Saudi oil facilities

. ♪♪. >> HELLO EVERYONE I AM TOMI. LAHREN ALONG WITH JASON CHAFFETZ. VERY WELCOME TO THE "THE BIG. WEEKEND SHOW" THE BIG STORIES. THIS. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS REPORTEDLY. HOLDING OFF ON A MAJOR. ESCALATION AGAINST IRAN ASKING. THE TOP U.S. MILITARY COMMANDER. IN THE MIDDLE EAST ADMIRAL BRAD. HOOPER AND STOPPING THE BOMBING. CAMPAIGN THAT STRAIT OF HORMUZ.

ARGUING IT'S REACHED THE LIMIT. OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS. MULTIPLE REPORTS INDICATE. TRUMP'S ADVISERS RAISE CONCERNS. OVER U.S. AIR DEFENSE MUNITIONS. AND PATRIOT INTERCEPTORS BEING. DIMINISHED IN THE MIDDLE EAST. EVEN -- THE ADMINISTRATIVE. DOWNPLAYING THOSE REPORTS IT. SHOULDN'T SURPRISE YOU "THE NEW. YORK TIMES" IS OFF BASE. AS THE PRESIDENT SAID WE ARE. LOCKED AND LOADED. EVEN MORE ASSETS ARE GOING INTO. IT BUT HE'S GIVING TALKS SOME. SPACE AND GIVING A LITTLE BIT OF. ROOM. WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF.

NEGOTIATORS ENGAGED AT EVERY. LEVEL FROM THE MOST SENIOR. LEVELS TO THE TECHNICAL LEVEL. OVER THE PAST TWO THE PAST WEEKS. AND PARTICULARLY IN THE PAST FEW. DAYS. >> MEANWHILE I. >> MEANWHILE IRAN BACKED REBELS. LAUNCHED A MASSIVE STRIKE ON. SAUDI OIL FACILITIES WITH DOZENS. OF BALLISTIC MISSILES AND. DRONES. THIS ESCALATION OPENS A NEW. FRONT OF THE CONFLICT AHEAD OF. INCH MONOTONY YAHOO! IS --. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S MINUETS. PRESIDENT TRUMP THIS WEEKEND.

>> IT HAS TO CHANGE ITS COURSE. THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS. TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND TO HAVE. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH OUR. GOOD FRIEND PRESIDENT TRUMP AND. TO HEAR WHAT HE HAS IN MIND. IN MANY WAYS I THINK IT'S HIS. DECISION. >> AT THE SAME TIME THE. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ASSIGNED A. MASSIVE CIVILIAN NUCLEAR DEAL. WITH SAUDI ARABIA GIVING. AMERICAN COMPANIES PRIORITY TO. BUILD REACTORS IN THE COUNTRY. JASON I WANT TO START THERE.

I THINK THAT'S A NEW TWIST AND. TURN TO ALL OF THIS. I WANT TO GET YOUR INITIAL. REACTION TO THIS NEWS AND WHAT. THAT ENTAILS AND IF YOU THINK. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA? >> I TRUST THE PRESIDENT. IT'S SOME THREE-DIMENSIONAL. CHESS GOING ON HERE BECAUSE WHEN. YOU START WITH THE EARLIER PART. OF THE STORY IF YOU LOOK AT THE. HOUTHIS WHICH IS THE SUBSET OR A. FACTION WITHIN YEMEN, YEMEN AND. SAUDI ARABIA HAVE BEEN GOING AT. IT FOR LIKE TWO DECADES. WHEN I WAS IN CONGRESS I'VE.

VISITED SOME OF THE TARGETED. SITES AND HOW THEY WOULD DO. THIS. THAT HAS TIES TO IRAN SO WE. CAN'T LOOK AT ANY ONE OF THESE. ELEMENTS IN ITS OWN ISOLATION. BECAUSE THE TENTACLES OF. TERRORISM THAT THE IRANIANS HAVE. BUILT OVER THE COURSE OF TIME. TIE INTO THIS. I THINK THE KNEE-JERK REACTION. IS TO SAY OH LET'S NOT LET. ANYBODY HAVE NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT. BUT IN A CONTROLLED SETTING AND. IN A CONTROLLED WAY WHERE U.S. COMPANIES ARE LEADING THE CHARGE. IF WE HAVE A SAY IN IT FOR. ENERGY PRODUCTION THAT SEEMS TO.

MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. WE NEED TO HAVE THAT. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SAUDIS. THEY ARE A GOOD PARTNER IN THIS. IT'S BEEN A NEFARIOUS OVER THE. COURSE OF TIME BUT I THINK THE. STRENGTH IN THE RELATIONSHIP. BETWEEN THE CROWN PRINCE AND THE. PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES WILL. TELL. >> I LOVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND. WHEN I HEARD IT I WAS A BIT. TAKEN ABACK. RICH RESTARTED THIS CONFLICT AND. WHERE FEW MONTHS AND NOW IT IS. ABOUT IRAN NOT HAVING A NUCLEAR.

WEAPON AND QUICKLY THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ BECAME PART OF THIS. NARRATIVE AND THERE WAS ISRAEL. LEBANON DISCUSSIONS THERE ARE NO. SAUDI ARABIA DOES POTENTIAL. ENDEAVOR OR THE STEEL WHICH IS. AN POTENTIAL ANYMORE. IT'S. R. DOORSTEP. IT'S BEEN EVOLVING ALIVE BUT. DOES THIS MEAN WE ARE IN FOR. MORE THAN WE BARGAINED FOR OR AS. JASON SAID HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN A. PART OF THAT? >> HAS JASON NOTED THERE ARE SO. MANY DIFFERENT PARTIES IN THIS. REGION. THEY ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED IN A. PLAY OFF OF EACH OTHER AND. REMEMBER WHEN THE CIVILIAN. NUCLEAR DEAL TRYING TO DRAW.

CLOSER TO SAUDI ARABIA THERE'S. THE QUESTION OF OKAY WELL CHINA. WILL FILL THE VACUUM IF THE. UNITED STATES LEADS LEAVES THE. REGION SO THAT'S ON THE HORIZON. AS WELL. AND IT'S A QUESTION FOR U.S. POLICYMAKERS BUT YOU HAVE THESE. INTERCONNECTING GROUPS. THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN BACKED BY. THE IRANIAN REGIME NOW HAVE. ENTERED THE FRAY IN THE BACK AND. FORTH AND AT FIRST YEAH THE. PRESIDENT HAD A LONG LIST OF. ISSUES THAT THE UNITED STATES. WANTED TO TACKLE IN THIS. CONFLICT. IT'S A VERY OLD LIST.

IT'S GET RID OF THE REGIME. IT STOPPED THE BALLISTIC MISSILE. PROGRAM. IT STOPPED THE REGIONAL PROXIES. INCLUDING SUPPORTING THE. HOUTHIS. UNTIL THIS CONFLICT THE IRANIANS. HAD NOT CHECKED OUT THE STRAIT. OF HORMUZ SO THAT GOT ADDED TO. THE LIST. NOW THE FOCUS IS REALLY BACK TO. NUCLEAR WHICH HAS BEEN THE. PRIMARY DRIVER OF THOSE OTHER. ISSUES AND IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE.

CYCLICAL. >> A LOT OF THINGS INVOLVED. IT FEELS LIKE THIS IS. EVER-CHANGING AS THESE THINGS. ARE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. TAYLOR WE ARE GOING TO GET INTO. THE ECONOMICS OF ALL OF THE. SHORTLY BUT I WANT TO GO WHERE. WE STARTED THE SEGMENT TALKING. ABOUT SOME OF THE REFORMS THAT. HAVE BEEN DISMISSED OR. DOWNPLAYED BY THE ADMINISTRATION. AND PERHAPS WE HAVE LIMITED OUR. ABILITY TO RESPOND AT THE. MOMENT. WE NEED TO REARM AND WE NEED TO. DO SOMETHING ABOUT OUR MUNITIONS.

SUPPLY. OF COURSE THE ADMINISTRATION. SAYING THAT'S NOT THE CASE BUT. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT CLIQUE. DO YOU THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. ARE GOING TO BE CONCERNED? >> NO I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT. AN ATTACK THAT WILL NOT COME OR. WILL COME LATER WE ARE GIVING 10. MORE CHANCES. TYPICALLY WE HEAR FROM LARRY. KUDLOW HAS ON THE PROGRAM. FREQUENTLY THAT VISITS THE. PRESIDENT HE WANTS PEACE THROUGH. STRENGTH THAT HE'S TRYING TO. GIVE THAT A CHANCE FOR AS LONG.

AS POSSIBLE I WANTS TOTO GO TO E. AMERICAN PEOPLE AND SAY WE. TRIED. WE TRIED EVERYTHING WE COULD NOT. TO DROP BOMBS ON THEM BUT THEY. ARE AND THERE ARE TERRORISTS SO. THIS IS ALL WE HAVE LEFT. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE MIDDLE. EAST AND THE NUCLEAR DEAL AND. SAUDI ARABIA I AM ALSO NOT. TOTALLY OPPOSED TO IT BECAUSE I. THINK IT HELPS PUT THE REGION ON. NOTICE. I THINK IRAN HAS BEEN SHOOTING. AT ITS NEIGHBORS AND WHO WOULD. HAVE THOUGHT 10 OR 20 YEARS AGO.

IRAN WOULD BE SHOOTING DRONE. ATTACKS AT SAUDI, QATAR YOU NAME. IT. I THINK THAT HELPS IN THE REGION. WITH YOU ARE EITHER WITH IRAN. AND CHINA OR THE U.S.. IT PULLS THE GULF NATIONS. TOWARDS THE U.S. TO FURTHER. ISOLATE IRAN. IRAN PRETTY MUCH ONLY HAS CHINA. AND RUSSIA. MAYBE CUBA BUT WE ARE TRYING TO. PULL CUBA IN VENEZUELA AWAY. WHAT WE DON'T WANT NUCLEAR. PROLIFERATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THAT WE WANT TO START TO ISOLATE.

IRAN. I THINK THIS PUTS IRAN ON NOTICE. LIKE YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE NOT YOUR. FRIENDS. THEY ARE COMING TOWARDS THE. WEST. WHY? BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE PEACE YOU. HAVE MASSIVE PROSPERITY AND I. THINK SAUDI ARABIA THEY WANT. PROSPERITY AND YOU GET THAT I. GOING THROUGH IT. YOU MENTIONED CHINA'S XI JINPING. WILL BE COMING HERE IN SEPTEMBER. AND HE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.

THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. RIGHT NOW WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WE'LL TALK. ABOUT. >> THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY. FRIEND, RIGHT? WE WILL TURN TO THIS AS WE. DISCUSS THIS FURTHER. THE LATEST DATA SHOWS AMERICAN. OIL REFINERIES ARE RUNNING AT. NEAR FULL CAPACITY HITTING OVER. 96% FOR THE WAR IF IRAN IS. PUTTING AMERICA'S ENERGY. DOMINANCE TO THE TEST FOR SURE. BUT IT'S HOLDING AS THE U.S. SHIPS MORE GASOLINE DIESEL AND. JET FUEL. AMERICANS ARE PAYING FOR BECAUSE.

THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF GAS. PRICES NOW TOPPING $4 A GALLON. JASON WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO. TALK ABOUT GAS PRICES YESTERDAY. SO WANT YOU TO WEIGH IN. WE HAD A DISCUSSION AT THIS. TABLE ABOUT NOT DOWNPLAYING THE. CONCERNS OF EVERY DAY AMERICANS. WHO PAY MORE FOR GAS. IT'S A MAKE OR BREAK THING FOR. THEM IN THEIR MONTHLY BUDGET AND. THEY CAN'T AFFORD A WHOLE LOT. EXTRA. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO BE. PATIENT BUT THEY ARE GETTING A. LITTLE CONCERNED THAT GAS PRICES. WILL BE ELEVATED FOR QUITE SOME. TIME.

>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID SHOWED. HE COULD DRIVE DOWN THE PRICE. I RAN A SET THAT BACK AND IT WAS. THE PRESIDENT GOAL TO END THE. CONFLICT WHAT HE SAW THE. NECESSITY TO PROTECT THE UNITED. STATES OF AMERICA. I'M OKAY PAYING A LITTLE BIT. MORE FOR GASOLINE UNDERSTANDING. OF THE BIGGER ROUTER SECURITY. INITIATIVE. I THINK THE MESSAGE FROM THE. ADMINISTRATION IS ONE OF YES. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE BUT THAT'S.

GOT TO MEAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. THANK GOODNESS WITH THE ENERGY. SECRETARY PRESENTS HAVE BEEN LEE. ZELDIN AT THE APA HAVE DONE, OTHERWISE GUESS WOULD BE SIX OR. $7 A GALLON ARE NINE OR $10 IN. CALIFORNIA. GAVIN NEWSOM IS PURPOSELY. DRIVING UP THE COST OF GASOLINE. IN CALIFORNIA. IT'S GOT TO GET BETTER AND I. THINK IT WILL HURT REPUBLICANS. IN THE MIDTERMS. THE GOAL IS A SAFE, SECURE THE.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS. ENERGY INDEPENDENT AND. SELF-SUFFICIENT I THINK WE ARE. ON A TRAJECTORY. WE HAVE TO FILL UP THE STRATEGIC. PETROLEUM RESERVES AND IT STILL. BOTHERS ME THAT BIDEN DRAINED. THOSE. THAT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE SHOULD WE. HAVE A NATURAL DISASTER OR. SOMETHING WORSE. >> I'M SURE WE WILL DISCUSS IT. MORE AND I'LL TALK TO TAYLOR. ABOUT THAT. I WANT YOU TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF. THAT. IN LAYMAN'S TERMS TO THE EVERY. DAY AMERICAN WATCHING THIS AND.

NOW THEY ARE SEEING SAUDI DEALS. POTENTIALLY BUT THEY ARE SAYING. OKAY BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STRAIT. OF HORMUZ AND NOW WE HAVE THE. HOUTHIS AND WE ARE LOOKING AT. THE SECOND FRONT OF THIS WAR AND. WE ARE AT $5 A GALLON. WHAT ARE THE HOLIDAYS GOING TO. LOOK LIKE FOR US? WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO EASE. THEIR FEARS OR MAYBE NOT? >> WE ARE THE WORLD EXPORTER OF. THE BAD NEWS IS IT'S PRICED. GLOBALLY SO PRETTY MUCH TRAITORS. ARE LOOKING AT SUPPLY AND. DEMAND. RIGHT NOW THERE'S A LOT MORE.

DEMAND THAN THEIR SUPPLY. HE DIDN'T KNOW WE ARE IN. PRODUCING A LOT MORE THEY ARE. LEANING ON THE GLOBAL SUPPLY NOT. THE U.S. SUPPLY. PEOPLE SAY WE ARE PRODUCING A. LOT OF OIL SO WHY ARE OUR PRICES. GOING UP? IS PRICED ON THE GLOBAL MARKET. UNFORTUNATELY. THAT'S WHY PRICES ARE HIGH. THE POINT OF CALIFORNIA ONE. EXTRA DOLLAR PER GALLON ARE. TAXES ALONE. THERE ARE REGULATION TAXES AND.

GREEN ENERGY TAXES AND THAHAT'S. WAY THEY GETTING PICKED UP TO. FOUR OR FIVE OR $6 A GALLON WHEN. THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IS. LOWERED. THEY DON'T REFINE IN CALIFORNIA. THEY PUSH REFINERIES OUT OF THE. STATE SO THEY IMPORT THEIR FROM. WAIT FOR IT, IRAQ. THEY DON'T WANT TO IMPORT OR. REFINE THEIR OWN SO THEY ARE. IMPORTING OIL FROM IRAQ TO DO.

SO. THE HARD PART AND I'LL WRAP THIS. UP AND NOT GET TOO NITTY-GRITTY. FEARS THE SWEET AND THE HEAVY. SOUR. REFINERIES ARE MEANT TO PROCESS. EITHER ONE. EVEN THOUGH WE PRODUCE LIGHT. SWEET A LOT OF THE REFINERIES. ARE MEANT TO REFINE HEAVY SOUR. IMPORTS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND. FROM CANADA. IT'S JUST MORE COMPLICATED WHEN. WE ARE ENERGY INDEPENDENT AND WE. CAN SETTLE ON PRICES.

>> I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO. MICHIGAN SOON. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE. NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON THE. CONFLICT IN IRAN ARE GAS PRICES. AND THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS ON. THEIR AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK THE PEOPLE OF MICHIGAN. ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS. HOW WILL IT CHANGE PRIMARIES AND. CHANGE THE MIDTERMS? COVERING POLITICS OVER THE PAST. 20 YEARS BASICALLY BUT REALLY. THE ONGOING SINCE THE 2024. ELECTION HAS BEEN THE COST OF. LIVING. THE COST OF LIVING HAS IMPACTED.

THAT ELECTION AND IT'S A LARGE. PART OF WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP GOT. ANOTHER GO AT THE WHITE HOUSE. NOW HE IS IN CHARGE AND PRICES. CONTINUE TO GO UP UP. WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT. FILLING UP OUR CARS BUT TALKING. ABOUT FILLING UP YOUR SEMI TRUCK. WITH DIESEL IT TAKES THE. PRODUCTS YOU BUY FROM THE SHELF. WHICH MAKES IT MORE EXPENSIVE. IT MAKES IT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR. ALL OF THIS TO BUY THE STUFF. IT'S SHOWING UP IN INFLATION. ACROSS THE ECONOMY AND FIRST OFF. IT'S A DIFFICULT ELECTION.

ENVIRONMENT WITH REPUBLICANS. HAVING CONTROL OF THE HOUSE AND. THE SENATE AND THE WHITE HOUSE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF VOTERS WHO. WILL SAY THIS ATTACK IS FOR THE. GREATER GOOD AND I'M OKAY PAYING. A COUPLE DOLLALARS MORE A GALLON. AND MAYBE FOR THE SHORT-TERM BUT. IF THEY FEEL IT'S TURNING INTO A. LONG-TERM OR THEY ARE LOOKING AT. THEIR GROCERY BILLS FURTHER. FUELED NO THAT'S NOT A GOOD MIX. TO GO INTO THE MIDTERMS. DEMOCRATS HAVE THEIR OWN.

PROBLEMS CERTAINLY WITHOUT. FOUNDATION FOR REPUBLICANS IS A. CHALLENGE. >> THAT'S HOW THIS. ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO BE. JUDGED AND I THINK THEY CAN GET. BACK ON TRACK. JET FUEL IS ALSO GOING UP. AIRLINE TICKETS LATELY THEY HAVE. BEEN PASSING IT RIGHT ALON.