WITH AN EXPERT ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION.

>> ERIC: WE START WITH POLITICAL NEWS OUT OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN HAS ENTERED WEEK FOUR.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ANNOUNCED HE'S ENDING TRADE TALKS WITH CANADA.

INFLATION IS EDGING HIGHER WITH RISING CONSUMER PRICES BEING REPORTED FOR SEPTEMBER.

DAVID SCHULTZ TEACHES POLITICAL SCIENCE AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT LAW PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST.

THOMAS.

PAYCHECKS ARE BEING MISSED, AND I WONDER IF THAT'S GOING TO SHAKE UP THE STALEMATE.

>> IT MIGHT POTENTIALLY, BUT ALSO TRUMP IS TRYING TO FIND WAYS OF MOVING MONEY AROUND FROM OTHER PLACES TO TRY TO PAY PEOPLE.

UNDER U.S.

CONSTITUTION, HE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT HE'S TRYING TO DO IT.

AT THIS POINT, TRUMP'S TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO LESSEN THE PRESSURE, DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING TO INCREASE THE PRESSURE FOR NEGOTIATION AT THIS POINT.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE PARTLY AT THE STANDOFF.

NEITHER OF THEM HAVE GOT ANYWHERE CLOSER TO REACHING ANY TYPE OF AN AGREEMENT ON HOW TO SOLVE THE IMPASSE.

>> Cathy: I WONDER, THE FOLKS WHO WILL BE AFFECTED HERE, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING NOW, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE WHO GET FOOD ASSISTANCE -- >> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: THAT'S GOING TO DRY UP STARTING NEXT MONTH.

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: THE LIHEAP PROGRAM, THAT'S THE PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME FOLKS GETTING THEIR FUEL BILLS PAID AND THAT KIND OF THING.

THERE'S NO MONEY THERE AT THIS POINT.

I WONDER HOW THE PRESSURE WILL RATCHET UP FROM THOSE WHO ARE ON ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND WOULD THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

>> AGAIN, I DON'T THINK SO.

BUT WHERE I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE, WE'RE STARTING NOW THE ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR INSURANCE.

AND THE FACT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, WHAT, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE SEEING -- AND WE'VE SEEN THE NEWS AT THIS POINT, WHAT, 10, 15, 20% INCREASES IN TERMS OF HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR THE YEAR.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT REALLY COMES TOGETHER AT THIS POINT, WHEN THERE'S THAT KIND OF PRESSURE COMING ON BOTH SIDES, INCLUDING ON THE PRESIDENT TO SAY, HEY, E'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE, A LOT OF THEM ARE VOTERS ALSO.

I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT A LOT OF THOSE GETTING THOSE LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE, THEY'RE TENDING NOT TO BE THE VOTERS.

>> Eric: WAR WITH VENEZUELA.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS THAT AT THIS POINT.

THAT TRUMP KEEPS TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT, AND IF YOU WERE TO DO HAT, IT WOULDN'T BE OUT OF CHARACTER WITH OTHER PRESIDENTS WHO AT SOME POINT IN THEIR ADMINISTRATION LIKE TO PICK A FIGHT, WHETHER IT IS FOR THE FACT OF A DIVERSION, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES INTERNATIONAL SKIRMISHES HELP YOU IN YOUR APPROVAL RATING, OR SORT OF, QUOTE, FROM THE OLD MOVIE, IS IT A WAG THE DOG.

YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT, WHAT, WE'RE NOW SEEING THE INFLATION LEVEL UP.

WE SAW, WHAT, I THINK IT SPIKED AGAIN LAST MONTH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WE'VE GOT THE ECONOMY STARTING TO SLOW DOWN.

SO MAYBE IT'S A WAY OF DIVERTING PEOPLE'S ATTENTION FROM OTHER PROBLEMS.

>> Cathy: DOESN'T CONGRESS HAVE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS?

>> YES!

YES.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.

THERE IS THIS THING CALLED THE WAR POWERS ACT OUT THERE THAT SAYS THAT PRESIDENTS CAN ONLY DO TEMPORARY DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS AND CAN'T REALLY MAKE COMMITMENTS IN TERMS OF FOR MILITARY ACTIVITY.

I MEAN, I THINK THE BIGGEST STORY RIGHT NOW, FOR THE FIRST, WHAT, NINE MONTHS, TEN MONTHS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SO MUCH HIS POWER GRAB, IT'S THE ACQUIESCENCE OF POWER BY CONGRESS.

THEY SHOULD BE HERE AT THIS POINT TALKING ABOUT WAR AND PEACE, ABOUT BUDGETARY ISSUES.

ESSENTIALLY THEY NEED TO BE DOING THEIR JOB AND THEY'RE NOT.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WILL BE THE LINE IN THE SAND FOR SOME REPUBLICANS?

>> SOME SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT.

I THINK THEY'RE INCREASINGLY REACHING A POINT WHERE IT'S LIKE THEY FEEL IRRELEVANT AND THIS IS GOING TO POTENTIALLY, DEPENDING ON HOW IT PLAYS OUT HERE, COMMIT AMERICAN TROOPS AND POTENTIALLY AMERICAN LIVES.

>> Eric: DEMOLITION OF THE EAST WING AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> YES.

AGAIN, ANOTHER PROMISE THAT THE PRESIDENT MADE, I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE EAST WING, AND BEING DEMOLISHED AT THIS POINT A BALLROOM.

>> Eric: OBAMA DID A BASKETBALL COURT.

I THINK HARRY TRUMAN DID A BALCONY.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: IT'S NOT UNHEARD OF.

>> NOT UNHEARD THAT PRESIDENTS WANT TO REMODEL, REDECORATE, UPDATE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT A WHOLESALE DEMOLITION LIKE THIS IS PRETTY UNUSUAL TO DO.

AND I THINK -- I'D BE CURIOUS WHAT THE POLLS SAY, THE OPTICS MAY NOT BE GOOD AT THIS POINT, AT A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS SHUT DOWN, AS YOU POINTED OUT, PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HEATING ASSISTANCE AND SO FORTH, TO NOW SAY, I'M GOING TO COMMIT, WHAT, 300, $400 MILLION FOR REMODELING OF THE WEST WING, IT PROBABLY DOESN'T PLAY WELL, AT LEAST FOR THE INDEPENDENT VOTERS NOW.

HIS BASE IS PROBABLY SUPPORTING HIM NO MATTER WHAT, BUT IT'S THE CRITICAL INDEPENDENT VOTERS THAT ARE GOING TO MATTER.

MY SENSE IS THAT THE POLLS ARE NOT -- THIS IS NOT RESONATING WELL WITH THEM IN THE POLLS.

>> Cathy: SO HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM WAS IN MINNEAPOLIS EARLIER TODAY, FRIDAY.

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: THERE WERE SOME PROTESTS AROUND THAT.

SHE SEEMS TO BE IN COMMUNITIES PRIOR TO THE NATIONAL GUARD BEING CALLED OUT.

>> YEAH.

THAT'S SORT OF -- THIS IS KIND OF LIKE FORESHADOWING IN A NOVEL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SHE'S HERE, SHE'S TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF I.C.E., TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRATION.

AND MINNEAPOLIS, St.

PAUL AREA I THINK IS A PERFECT TARGET, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PATTERN THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN USING.

YOU KNOW, CITIES THAT ARE PRETTY DEMOCRATICALLY CONTROLLED, CLAIMS ABOUT, WHAT, LAWLESSNESS AND SO FORTH, CRIME OUT OF CONTROL.

SO I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT, WE'VE GOT LIKE THE L.A.s, THE PORTLANDS AND SO FORTH, PLUS, JUST FOR THE SHAKE OF -- SAKE OF ARGUMENT HERE, MINNESOTA IS THE HOME TO, WHAT, HIS ADVERSARY AS VICE PRESIDENT IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE.

>> Eric: THANKS FOR LEADING OUR SEMINAR TONIGHT.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> MY PLEASURE.

THANK YOU.