100-year-old WWII veteran meets President Trump

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100-year-old WWII veteran meets President Trump

WWII Army veteran Sidney Walton and his son Paul talk about Sidney's 'no regrets' tour.

This is a rush transcript from "The Story," April 11, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST: So, you know, President Trump said it all along that the intelligence agencies, he believed were spying on his campaign. Everyone said he was crazy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: If they had spies in my campaign, that would be a disgrace to this country. That would be one of the biggest insults that anyone's ever seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, then, when Attorney General Bill Barr used the S-word.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Spying on a political campaign is a big deal. I think there is a spying did occur. Yes, I think spying did occur.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Yes, he thinks it occurred. So, the people whose actions he would be looking at with regard to that; they snapped back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. JAMES CLAPPER, RET. FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I thought it was in what -- and both stunning and scary. I was amazed at that and rather disappointed.

JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: I was very disappointed in what the Attorney General Barr said today about spying. When he was referring to the investigation that was predicated, certainly. And that the FBI was trying to understand exactly what the Russians were doing

JAMES COMEY, FORMER DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: I really don't know what he's talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Barr, though, remember, is at least, speaking with knowledge of the actual report. And while they were shocked at his choice of words, they shocked along the way as well without the benefit of everything that Barr has now seen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SCIUTTO, CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, CNN: You're saying that Russia is handling President Trump as an asset?

CLAPPER: Well, that's the -- that's that seems to be -- that's the appearance to me.

BRENNAN: I use the term that this is nothing short of treasonous. Because it is a betrayal of the nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: But after the Barr letter came out, Brennan, did dial it back before the former head of the CIA had to admit this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENNAN: Well, I don't know if I received bad information. But I think I suspected that there was more than there actually was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, there we are. Joining me now, Trey Gowdy, former chairman of the House Oversight Committee and a Fox News contributor. Good to see you tonight, sir. Thank you for being here.

TREY GOWDY, CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks, madam.

MACCALLM: So what -- you know, what do you make of all of -- you know, John Brennan and James Clapper, very upset that Bill Barr had the audacity in their terms to use the word, the spying word, yesterday.

GOWDY: Well, he did use the spying word. I prefer the word, surveillance. I'm sure they're synonyms, and if they're not, they're first cousins.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: They are according to Webster's.

GOWDY: So, if you use the word -- if you use the word, surveillance, then what Bill Barr said is the least newsworthy thing that was said by anyone yesterday. We already know the United States government was doing surveillance on, at least, two members of the Trump campaign.

MACCALLUM: Right.

GOWDY: What we don't know was were there others? When did it begin? What's the factual predicate? I find it amusing that John Brennan says he received the bad information. The reason that you don't use bad information, or to prevent you from using that information you're supposed to investigate, corroborate that none of which was done with the dossier.

And Clapper, what a drama king to use the words, amazed and stunned. What Barr said is: we're going to look into whether or not the powers given the United States government were used to surveil a presidential campaign. I would hope everyone would want that to happen.

MACCALLUM: Yes, you would -- and, you know, when you look back I went back and looked at the transcript from yesterday a little more closely. And he says, you know -- I want to look at the I.G. report. Horowitz's report which is coming out, I guess, in the June timeframe. Late May, early June timeframe.

He said, "I want to look at the investigations that were done on the Hill. And then, I want to see if there are questions that still aren't answered. And if there are questions still aren't answered about whether or not there was unsubstantiated -- that there wasn't a predicate for basically spying, surveilling members of the Trump campaign, then I think, we all need to know about that because you really -- spying on a campaign is kind of a big deal. Right?

GOWDY: Spying on any American is a big deal. Doing surveillance. Which is why you have to go through certain evidentiary checkpoints before you can surveil an American or intercept communications, or wiretap, or even in some states, even have a consensual conversation if you're a law enforcement officer wearing a wire. Which also happened into this case.

I am really to use Clapper's word stunned that anyone would not want to know, what was the factual predicate for the United States government to monitor the conversations and activities of two campaign officials, regardless of whether they were working for a Republican or a Democrat?

I would think all Americans would want to know how are you using these awesome powers that we entrust you with.

MACCALLUM: I want to play some of the reaction to Bill Barr who -- you know, prior to yesterday had a reputation that was fairly even across Republicans and Democrats in terms of how they looked at him in his career. It seems to have changed -- you know, on a dime. And here's some of that reaction on the Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAN KILDEE, D-MICH.: If he wanted to be Michael Cohen's replacement as Donald Trump's mouthpiece, he should have applied for that job.

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO, D-HI: It just raises again, the issue of whether or not Barr, really is the independent attorney general that this country needs.

JOE SCARBOROUGH, CO-HOST, MSNBC: Did Attorney General Barr, embarrassed himself yesterday, disgrace himself yesterday?

REP. ERIC SWALWELL, D-CALIF., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: What do you think about that, Trey?

GOWDY: I think that last voice was Eric Swalwell. And for your viewers, they don't know who that is. That's a member of the Judiciary Committee in the Intelligence Committee from California, he's running for president, which I'm sure none of your viewers are familiar with and they won't be a year from now.

So, he is trying to get attention. Nancy Pelosi, said that Barr was off the rails. If anyone in the country would understand being off the rails, it would be Speaker Pelosi. This is a guy that was voice voted by the Senate. Democrats loved him. They thought he was an institutionalist, he was going to revive the Department of Justice. What they don't like is what he summarized in the Mueller report. That's what they don't like.

"No collusion, and we decided there's no obstruction of justice." And now, if that wasn't bad enough, now he's going to say something as crazy as, "We're going to look at the origins of this investigation to make sure the law was followed." That's what they're upset about.

MACCALLUM: Well, I -- that obviously has a lot of people very nervous to hear that. I want to put up a statement that Rod Rosenstein just said just a short time ago this evening about Bill Barr, the Attorney General.

He said, "He's being as forthcoming as he can, and so this notion that he is trying to mislead people, I think it's just completely bizarre." What do you say about that?

GOWDY: I -- you know, Martha, I'm in a really small minority. I think Bill Barr is being more forthcoming, then he should be. I don't think the Department of Justice should publish derogatory information on someone who has not been charged.

So, you get Schiff and others talking about beyond a reasonable doubt, that's what you have to have to convict. They don't even have evidence enough to charge, which is probable cause. So, Bill Barr is going to be far more transparent than, I think, if the shoe were on the other foot, and this was a Democrat A.G. with an uncharged person.

Remember what Comey did, and all of us said, when did the government start holding press conferences and announcing derogatory information on people who were not charged? That's exactly what the Democrats want Barr and Mueller to do with President Trump.

MACCALLUM: And it's worth remembering that that's exactly what Rod Rosenstein outlined in the memo that gave the president the substance to decide to go ahead and fire Jim Comey, at least, that's the sequence of events as it was laid out.

So, it's interesting to hear him say that he's sticking up for Bill Barr. They also worked together very closely throughout this entire process. Overseeing the special counsel to the extent that they did that.

I want to say one other thing here about Greg Craig, who's a name that, you know, people have heard a lot over the years. He was in the Obama administration, a lawyer. He now has a similar problem it sounds like to me. And you can tell me what the -- his legal situation is kind of like what Mike Flynn went through in terms of not registering as a federal agent and doing work for the Ukraine. How much trouble do you think that Greg Craig, this former Obama official may be in?

GOWDY: I think he's been indicted for making a false statement to the FBI. Which is what Papadopoulos and Flynn were also charged with. I guess, if you're looking for a bright side, is this that neither Republican nor Democrats can make false material statements to an FBI agent during the course of an investigation.

So, if you want a blind justice system, if you want her to wear a blindfold, I think that's good. He is presumed to innocent. It is Mueller indicting a Democrat. So, for everyone that who said, there are 13 angry Democrats that only targeting Republicans, I'm pretty sure this defend that as a Democrat.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: I just want to give this a chance to play the sound bite. This is from Greg Craig, sticking up for himself. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG CRAIG, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL OF PRESIDENT OBAMA: This prosecution is unprecedented and unjustified. I am confident that both the judge and the jury will agree with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Quick thought before we go, Trey.

GOWDY: He better hope the jury agrees with him. And if he were that confident, he would be having a press conference right now.

MACCALLUM: All right. Trey Gowdy, always a pleasure, sir. Thank you very much. Good to see you tonight.

GOWDY: Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

MACCALLUM: So, when we come back, Julian Assange behind bars. Is he a hero or a criminal? Senator Tom Cotton, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It's not my thing. I know nothing really about him. It's not my -- it's not my deal in life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, WikiLeaks' founder, Julian Assange to face justice in the United States after he spent nearly seven years holed up in an Ecuadorian Embassy in London. In the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, there's one. Here he is coming out today.

He was arrested by the British police. He was charged by the Justice Department for his role in the Chelsea Manning hack of the Pentagon, and of Defense documents -- very sensitive information.

WikiLeaks also famously released e-mails from the DNC and top Clinton aide John Podesta, sprinkling them from the summer of 2016 all the way through November. Democrats feel that, that was a serious infraction and hurt them a lot in the election.

So, everybody wants to hear what Mr. Assange has to say, ultimately. Trace Gallagher is live in our West Coast newsroom with the back story for us. Hi, Trace.

TRACE GALLAGHER, CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Martha. The president of Ecuador, says Julian Assange was evicted from its embassy because he violated international conventions. He also called Assange a spoiled brat who treated his host with disrespect.

Julian Assange was then dragged out of the embassy and into a London courtroom where a judge berated him for being a narcissist who can't get beyond his own self-interest. The court appearance is the first step to Assange being extradited to the U.S. to face charges of conspiring with former Army Intel Analyst Chelsea Manning to break into a classified government computer at the Pentagon and publish secret military cables.

Chelsea Manning spent several years in prison for leaking the classified documents until former President Obama commuted her sentence. Manning is once again in custody in Virginia for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.

Julian Assange is also an important figure in the Robert Mueller probe as investigators examine how WikiLeaks obtained emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and from the Democratic National Committee. In early 2017, here's what Julian Assange told our own Sean Hannity. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Can you tell the American people a thousand percent you did not get it from Russia or everybody associated with Russia?

JULIAN ASSANGE, FOUNDER, WIKILEAKS: We can say -- and we have said repeatedly over the last two months that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: The U.S. government disputes that claim and believes WikiLeaks got the e-mails from the Russian hacking group Guccifer 2.0 which is directly controlled by Russia's main intelligence agency. Julian Assange is vowing to fight extradition. Today his attorney called this a dangerous precedent. Look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER ROBINSON, LAWYER OF JULIAN ASSANGE: This precedent means that any journalist can be extradited for prosecution in the United States for having published truthful information about the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Edward Snowden who leaked classified information about U.S. surveillance programs called the arrest of Assange a blow to media freedom. Martha?

MACCALLUM: Trace, thank you. Joining me now Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He's also in Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran. Senator Cotton, great to see you tonight. Thank you for being here.

Having served in Iraq and Afghanistan and many of these documents were related to that war, some of them had to do with the treatment of detainees, in some quarters he was heralded as a hero for forcing those documents and that information into the open, how do you perceive him?

SEN. TOM COTTON, R-ARK: Well, Julian Assange is frankly kind of a weirdo but he's also a very dangerous man who put the lives of our troops at risk with the assistance of Chelsea Manning. I heard some of those lawyers defending him saying that this would be a blow to press freedom. It's important to know that he wasn't charged with leaking classified information, he was charged with a conspiracy to commit a computer crime which was inducing Chelsea Manning into hacking into those classified systems and providing that information to him.

Now, he's been living for six years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Remember, he didn't go there because of these charges, he went there because he was an accused rapist in Sweden, to give you a sense of the character of the men with which we're dealing. But I guess he's used to dealing and are living in small places so a federal prison cell will be a good place for him to be.

Frankly, I'm glad Chelsea Manning is back behind bars as well. It may just be for refusing to cooperate with their grand jury, but that's where she should have stayed until President Obama commuted her sentence.

MACCALLUM: I want to play some of the reaction from your colleagues on the Hill. This is Joe Manchin and also we're going to hear from Richard Blumenthal here. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN, D-W.V.: Thank God. I think we will get some answers now. I'm glad (INAUDIBLE) coming back to United States.

This is needed. It's very much needed. I'm glad (INAUDIBLE) to death. I'm glad we finally got that. We need some facts and get the truth out, maybe he'll put an end to all this stuff.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, D-CONN.: He should be extradited to face justice here. He should face charges here without presuming what the outcome will be. Justice should come to Julian Assange for his role in Russian meddling in our election and the sooner the better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So what do you think about that and what do you think we may learn? What do you want to know? What are your questions about his connection to the Russian government? You heard him say to Sean Hannity that he was -- there was no connection to the Russian government or this or a state entity. He was very specific in his answer there.

COTTON: Well, I want to say extradite him promptly. I want to see him face trial here. I'm confident that he will be convicted and he'll be sent to federal prison. I want to commend the President and Secretary of State Pompeo and the Attorney General as well for working with the government of Great Britain and Ecuador to finally in the farce of Julian Assange hanging out in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for six years rather than facing justice.

There's a lot to answer for and leaking highly classified military material but also into the release of those e-mails that were hacked from the Democratic National Committee and senior Clinton officials as well.

And as far as being separate from the Russian government, look, everyone knows that WikiLeaks is a front for the Russian intelligence services. Sure they may use cutouts that are not officially employed by the Russian government, but that's the way Russia works.

MACCALLUM: I want to try to squeeze in two quick questions for you. This is Ilan Omar talking about the -- about September 11th and what started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ILHAN OMAR, D-MINN.: Here was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: What's your reaction to that, Senator?

COTTON: Well, that something that happened was an attack on the American soil against the American people which 3,000 Americans died and the people who did it were radical Muslim terrorists. Ilan Omar was a refugee from Somalia. He would think of all the people that would be grateful for America and be thankful that we stood up and protected the rights of Muslims in places like Somalia or Afghanistan or Iraq that was going to be oppressed, it would be miss Omar.

It's very disappointing to hear and characterizing 9/11 in such a fashion.

MACCALLUM: I want to bring back and talk about the raise act, but just tell us briefly if you could what your goal is with this immigration act.

COTTON: Of course, Martha. So we've introduced the raise act to change the way we welcome permanent residents and ultimately citizens into our country. Right now we add a million people a year to our country. That's like adding the entire state of Montana every year. Yet only one out 15 of those people are admitted to this country because of their skills or their job training or their job opportunities.

We need to change that. We need to focus on high skilled employees and we need to make sure that we continue the progress we've made and giving pay raises for low-skilled workers in our country.

MACCALLUM: Senator Cotton, thank you very much. We'll have you back soon. Good to see you, sir.

COTTON: Thanks, Martha.

MACCALLUM: So the mounting legal problems for former porn star attorney Michael Avenatti just went from bad to much worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN KORNER, IRS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION: Michael Avenatti allegedly stole from his clients and he stole from the IRS. The money was used to fuel a lavish lifestyle that had no limits including making mortgage payments on a multi-million dollar home in Laguna Beach and purchasing a private plane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: So this is how the country came to know Michael Avenatti.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL AVENATTI, LAWYER: If anyone knows a con, I guess it would be Donald Trump. This guy has zero credibility in the eyes of most Americans and certainly in the eyes of the world. He's a habitual liar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: That was just one of hundreds of appearances that he made on cable news. It made him a household name. He even suggested that he was going to run for the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVENATTI: I've been pretty clear about the fact that in the event that Donald Trump does not seek election in 2020 and in the event that Mike Pence does not seek election to the presidency in 2020, I will not run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Now, a very different kind of exposure and potential time in the big house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If convicted of the 36 crimes alleged in the indictment, Mr. Avenatti would face a statutory maximum sentence of 333 years in federal prison, plus a mandatory two-year consecutive term for an identity theft count.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: 335 years in total. That is what the celebrity lawyer is now facing after being slapped with a bombshell 36 count, 61-page indictment by a federal grand jury who has looked at this case in California. It alleges that he skirted paying both personal and business taxes for several years, committed bank fraud, lied in bankruptcy proceedings, and stole millions of dollars from five of his clients including a mentally ill paraplegic man who it says he kept four million dollars away from.

He maintains his innocence. He is tweeting that he has many powerful enemies and promising "I intend to fully fight all of these charges and plead not guilty." He also faces charges of extortion and fraud in a separate case, that's the Nike case.

Here now Howard Kurtz, host of "Media Buzz." Howie, good to have you here tonight. I mean, you know this has been just an amazing story to watch unfold. I mean nobody knew anything about Michael Avenatti, never heard his name, and then suddenly you couldn't get away from him. He was pretty much everywhere, and now this stunning indictment out of California.

HOWARD KURTZ, ANCHOR: I guess this is going to hurt his non- existent campaign. Look, as you just demonstrated with those clips, the reason this is getting so much national attention is that CNN and MSNBC turned Michael Avenatti into a media superstar constantly, relentlessly putting them out on the air as stormy Daniels bigmouth attorney and representing the least credible of Brett Kavanaugh's accusers and even feeding his delusion. And that's what it was, a delusion about running for president.

Now, this is the third case he's been charged and you alluded to the alleged $20 million-shakedown of Nike, and when you get into the details there's old-fashioned accusations of stealing from clients including this paraplegic man. I mean, it just makes you cringe the level of terrible behavior that's being alleged here.

MACCALLUM: Yes, I mean, even Stormy Daniels has said that you know, she wouldn't stick up for him. She felt that she represented her badly, did a terrible job. Those cases went nowhere too. I mean --

KURTZ: When you've lost -- when you've lost Stormy, you are in trouble.

MACCALLUM: Yes, right. These are some -- you know, them in happier times when they were loving all of the cameras and all of the microphones that were in front of them. His private jet has been taken away. It was a $4.5 million jet. So obviously he is facing some pretty difficult times here.

I also want to ask you a little bit about this Jeff Bezos story, Howie, because we talked about that in the past. And now he is meeting with federal prosecutors over his allegation that the National Enquirer blackmailed him over his affair. And I believe it was his girlfriend's brother who sold them the text messages, right?

KURTZ: Well, the National Enquirer has not come out and said that Michael Sanchez, the brother of Bezo's girlfriend was the source. He disputes certain details but he hasn't told his whole story.

But the main thing here is, this is really the final straw, the accusations by Bezos denied by the Enquirer of blackmail, threatening to run naked selfies of him if he didn't stop criticizing the tabloid's coverage of his affair. It's the last straw for the hedge fund owner who is the guy who pulls the money strings at the National Enquirer.

Now it looks like the Enquirer is just days from being sold because it's become an embarrassment, it's not only a financial albatross but a political liability. Based both on the Bezos controversy.

And remember, this comes after a short time after the CEO of the National Enquirer, David Pecker, a close friend of President Trump entered into an immunity deal and admitted trying to influence the election by paying off the sort of catch and kill technique that former Playboy model Karen McDougal who made the allegations about having an affair with Donald Trump.

MACCALLUM: It's almost like something you'd see in a tabloid.

KURTZ: It is almost something you'd see in a tabloid. And you know, I don't know. You now, Bezos is also making charges about Saudi Arabia being involved. No doubt that Saudi Arabia may hate Jeff Bezos because his newspaper, The Washington Post has crusaded after the brutal murder of its contributor Jamal Khashoggi.

But that has not been proven and that may be more investigation. But I do have to say that it looks like an end of an era for the Enquirer.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

KURTZ: And if it's sold that means President Trump loses a publication that is very much been in his quarter because of his friendship with the CEO.

MACCALLUM: Well, hope it survives because there's nothing else to read on the grocery store line.

(CROSSTALK)

KURTZ: That's the tea.

MACCALLUM: Thank you, Howie. Good to see you tonight.

KURTZ: Thanks.

MACCALLUM: And this breaking news. Just a moment ago, Jussie Smollett also facing new legal troubles tonight. The City of Chicago has now filed a civil complaint against the actor pursuing damages after he refused to reimburse the city for $130,000 for the investigation costs into what authorities say was a staged, racist anti-gay attack.

He still in trouble and we will keep following the Jussie Smollett saga.

And coming up next, a closer look at Bernie Sanders' new health care plan, is Medicare for all code for socialized medicine? Marc Thiessen debates Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is not a radical idea to say that in the United States, every American who goes to a doctor should be able to afford the prescription drugs he or she needs. Health care is a human right, not a privilege.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Twenty-twenty candidate Bernie Sanders says under his proposed national health care plan; your private health insurance will not be necessary under what he calls Medicare for all. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Under Medicare for all, we cover all basic care health care needs, so they are not going to be there to do that. I supposed if you want to make yourself look a little bit more beautiful, and you want to work on that nose, your ears, they can do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So basically, Blue Cross Blue Shield will be reduced to nose jobs?

SANDERS: Something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Something like that. Joining me now, Marc Thiessen, American Enterprise Institute scholar and Fox News contributor, and Jonathan Gruber, a key architect of the Affordable Care Act and co-author of the brand-new book, "Jump Starting America: How a Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream."

Gentlemen, thank you for being here. Good to have you both here.

MARC THIESSEN, CONTRIBUTOR: Good to be with you, Martha.

JONATHAN GRUBER, OBAMACARE ARCHITECT: great to be here.

MACCALLUM: So basically, it would remove the entire private health insurance industry except for a small business that would still be around for elective surgery, Marc?

THIESSEN: Yes, exactly. Look, I've got -- I've actually got some breaking news, Martha. I've got a picture of the Sanders health care plan. Here it is. This is the first picture of the black hole. The Sander's health care plan is a fiscal black hole that's going to suck all your tax dollars into its inescapable gravitational pull.

The studies -- multiple studies using liberal and nonpartisan studies data have shown that this thing is going to cost $32.5 trillion. To put that in perspective, our national debt is $22 trillion. And that is based on the older version of the Sanders plan. The new version is much more of that.

No co-pays, no premiums, no cost whatsoever. How are we going to pay for that? Sanders doesn't say anywhere in his plan how are we going to pay for it. He makes a vague reference to a tax on extreme wealth.

Well, the only person who is put forward a tax on extreme wealth is Elizabeth -- is Elizabeth Warren and according to the Washington Post analysis of her plan, it only brings in $2.75 trillion, so we are about $30 trillion short. So where is the money going to come from?

MACCALLUM: All right.

THIESSEN: It's going to come from the middle class.

MACCALLUM: I mean, he says that when you eliminate all the private health insurance, it's somehow is going to save the government something like $59 trillion over the long term and that it's all going to get a lot cheaper.

Jonathan Gruber, you know, some people look at the ACA, which is known as Obamacare, and say, you know, it was designed to sort of last for only a period of time, that it was going -- that costs were going to increase and that ultimately it was going to be people saying, well, the only option is a single payer plan, which President Obama said ultimately he would like to see.

GRUBER: You know, I just don't think that's right. I think if you look at the history of American health care reform, every time we try it, we moved to the right. And President Obama's plan, the Obamacare, was actually a very conservative. It was the brainchild of the Heritage Foundation; it was a bipartisan -- originally bipartisan piece of legislation.

The actual law was written by three Republican and three Democratic senators sitting in the finance committee room. So, the point, the notion that somehow, you're going to pass this conservative principle law as a pathway to single payer just doesn't make sense.

MACCALLUM: Marc?

THIESSEN: Well, look, I mean, they call it Medicare for all? It's not. That's a lie. It's not Medicare for all. It's actually eliminates Medicare. Under Medicare today, Medicare covers most of your costs of seniors, but there's also Medicare advantage plans, Medicare gap plans that seniors use --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: That's right.

THIESSEN: -- when they pay a small amount of money --

MACCALLUM: Which would be gone.

THIESSEN: -- in order to get some of that. That doesn't -- that's all eliminated. Bernie Sanders is going to take every American senior take away their Medicare, take away their Medigap and Medicare advantage plans, which they love, and then force all of us to make those illegal. And then force all of us into this use of socialized medicine.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Yes. Not to mention the 180 million people who have an employer plan that they are happy with and that they might not want to lose.

THIESSEN: Exactly.

MACCALLUM: Before I let you guys go, I want to ask Jonathan Gruber about his new book. You -- quick question for you. In terms of what would happen under this, you know, using technology to sort of put his back like we were at World War II, 1944, where you had amazing innovation that really fueled the economy for years?

GRUBER: Look, to coin a quote, in a year when America was great, in the decades after World War II, the success, the hidden key to our success was a public/private partnership and financing research and development.

Every piece of your phone, Martha, the planes we fly on, the satellites we use, all came from government funded R&D. We've gotten away from that and the rest of the world is all in. We used to by far lead the world. The government didn't fund R&D, now we are barely in the top 10 and that's a large cost of productivity slow down.

MACCALLUM: All right.

GRUBER: We need government investments but we need to do so not just on the superstar cities on the coast. We spread it around the country so that everyone benefits from this new high-tech economy.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: You know what? It sounds like a good topic for our next debate. We'll have you back. Thank you, Jonathan Gruber and Marc Thiessen. Great to see you both.

THIESSEN: Take care.

MACCALLUM: So, we're going to hear straight from the candidate during our town hall with Bernie Sanders on Monday night 6.30 Eastern in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Join Bret and I. Monday night is going to be great.

And up next, not happy? A new study says get married, go to church, and have more sex.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Yes. Sometimes it seems like sex is everywhere but a new study says that the problem is it's not, it blames in part the liberation movement of the ‘60s which was supposed to make everybody freer and happier and more like those folks and less constrained by social institutions.

But it shows that happiness among young adults in America fell to a record low in 2018 while the share of Americans having sex at least once a week also plummeted to a new low from 59 percent in 1972 to 49 percent into 2018.

Two social scientists ultimately concluding that declining sex is at least partly about family and religious changes that make it harder for people to achieve stable couple life at a young age. And if we -- if we'd like more young adults to experience that joy of sex, we will either have to revive those institutions and find -- or find new ways to kindle love in the rising generation.

I just had a lot. Joining me now, Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, and Cathy Areu, founder of Catalina magazine. So, Cathy, did the women's movement make us less happy?

CATHY AREU, FOUNDER, CATALINA MAGAZINE: Absolutely. Women are exhausted. So, when you ask women, sex or sleep, the majority of women are going to say sleep. So, yes, we're free to work and raise children and do it all.

And the problem is we're exhausted. The men have to help out or there is going to be even less sex. They have to help the women now that they are in this revolution and trying to gain equality.

MACCALLUM: OK.

AREU: You know, help us out.

MACCALLUM: But Lila, this --

AREU: Yes.

MACCALLUM: Thank you. Lila, this study says that in order to be happier, it's not that men have to be more around the house, it's that you have to be married and that if you get married younger and that if you go to church once a week or more, those young people who they surveyed by and large said that they were actually a lot happier.

LILA ROSE, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, LIVE ACTION: Well, I'm living proof of this. I just got married. I go to --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Congratulations.

ROSE: -- mass every week. I'm thrilled. I mean, my life is such a gift. It's so -- I'm very, very happy. This isn't one study that just came out that gives us a shocking news. Sociological studies over the last 30, 40, 50 years prove it time and time again, if you put love first, then you put marriage, then you put sex, then you put babies, and if you believe in God and you make that a part of your life, you go to -- you go to faith services, you are going to be happier.

And that's because we were made to love and to be loved. And that's connected --

MACCALLUM: All right.

ROSE: -- to our sexual lives, that's connected to every part of us. And if you put our lives in that order, we will be more fulfilled and we will be happier.

MACCALLUM: All right. Well, she's very happy. Lila is very happy, Cathy. What do you say, Cathy? You know, because I mean, I was raised, you know, in the generation that women should work, women should, you know, maybe postpone getting married and having kids, and all of that, that you know, to empower yourselves.

And you know, I think when you look at studies like this, maybe some of that didn't really work. I mean, Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda gave us all these messages growing up, Cathy. And you know, do you think they were wrong?

AREU: Yes. It backfired. All that bra burning, and equality, just backfired. It just means that along with the men, the women are also working -- they save 400 percent more than our parents and our grandparents work. So, we are overworked, we're exhausted and --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: But I think what you are getting -- you're missing is that there is not necessarily a correlation between working and not being married and going to church.

AREU: Well, they did --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: This is about -- this is about people getting married because we know that the marriage rate is declining. The number of kids that people have is also declining. And I want to get you to react to that part of the story.

AREU: Well, they actually said in the story it doesn't necessarily mean marriage. It also said having a partner, having a boyfriend --

(CROSSTALK)

ROSE: No.

MACCALLUM: Healthier. Yes. Well, they said that married young adult -- let me just everybody what it says.

ROSE: It said marriage.

MACCALLUM: Married young adults are about 75 percent more likely --

(CROSSTALK)

ROSE: But except coupling. Except coupling.

MACCALLUM: -- to report that they are happy and compared with their peers.

(CROSSTALK)

ROSE: No, it said that these are not just like a happy --

MACCALLUM: All right. Everyone is going to have to check it out.

ROSE: It's marriage, it's commitment.

MACCALLUM: We got to go. Thank you very much. (Inaudible).

(CROSSTALK)

ROSE: Which will make the commitment and responsibility.

MACCALLUM: Another time. Up next, a story exclusive with a World War II hero, greatest generation, had a meeting with President Trump today. I'm telling you; you've got to stick around and watch this when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: Sidney Walton, World War II veteran, a great gentleman, a great hero, and he's 100 years old. I want to be like you someday. I want to be like all you guys someday, that's great. One hundred.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: President Trump thanking World War II veterans for their service today including my next guest, Sidney Walton, a 100-year-old army infantry veteran of World War II currently traveling the country on a no- regrets tour, hoping to meet governors from all of the 50 states.

Here now is Sidney Walton and his son, Paul. Sidney Walton, sir, very good to have you with us. And thank you so much for your service to our country in World War II. What was it like today to meet the president in the Oval Office?

PAUL WALTON, SIDNEY WALTON'S SON: Dad, what was it like today in the Oval Office, wasn't that a wonderful experience for you?

SIDNEY WALTON, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: Yes, it was. Yes, the Oval -- the Oval Office.

P. WALTON: You know, it took you a hundred years to get there, you know, but it was worth it, right?

S. WALTON: Yes.

P. WALTON: Wasn't that -- it was amazing and the president spoke to you and thank you for your service.

S. WALTON: He did.

P. WALTON: Yes.

S. WALTON: He did.

P. WALTON: And you gave him a little gift, do you remember? You remember you gave him a gift? You gave him this hat.

S. WALTON: Yes.

P. WALTON: See that hat right there?

S. WALTON: Yes.

P. WALTON: It has your web site on it. Go sydney.com.

S. WALTON: OK.

P. WALTON: If anyone goes on that way, isn't that great.

MACCALLUM: That's great.

P. WALTON: You have a web site; you have a web site.

S. WALTON: A web site?

P. WALTON: Anyone that wants to follow this tour, they go in the web site gosidney.com and they know exactly where you are and if they want to be generous, they could even donate a little to your cause. Do you know that?

MACCALLUM: That would be nice. Paul, let me ask you --

(CROSSTALK)

P. WALTON: Wouldn't that be nice?

MACCALLUM: -- why is it so important to you and your dad to meet these governors across the country and what do you want the governors to take away from meeting your dad and other World War II veterans?

P. WALTON: Well, it's very important that we meet every governor of every state because that means that we've gone to every single one of the 50 states in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii, which we've already been to, by the way.

Because we are spreading the word of how few World War II veterans are out there. Right, dad?

S. WALTON: Yes.

P. WALTON: Just a -- it's dwindling every day. And dad has a regret that he has lived with his entire life. Remember when you were young, you had a chance to meet World War, rather Civil War veterans?

S. WALTON: Yes.

P. WALTON: And you regret that to this day.

S. WALTON: I sure do.

P. WALTON: Well now you don't want anyone to live with a regret and that's why you are going around all over the country allowing anyone that wants to meet a World War II vets to meet one, and that's you. Right?

S. WALTON: Right.

P. WALTON: Are you up for it?

S. WALTON: I am. I think I am.

P. WALTON: You are from meeting --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: I think I am.

P. WALTON: Millions and millions of people, Fox viewers all over the country.

MACCALLUM: Well, you know what. It's so, it's great to see you, Mr. Walton, and I'm curious, Mr. Walton, or Paul, you know, what your dad has told you about his time in China, in India and Burma. And what he wants people to understand about what is accurately known as the greatest generation.

P. WALTON: Yes. The greatest generation that's what they dub your generation. The greatest generation, what do you think of that?

S. WALTON: Well, it's a good designation.

P. WALTON: It's a good designation, huh?

S. WALTON: Yes.

P. WALTON: Well, remember, you went off to war. You volunteered when you just were 21. And why did you join the army, dad?

S. WALTON: To fight in that war.

P. WALTON: And you didn't have any reservations, you just joined the army.

S. WALTON: I just joined the army.

P. WALTON: And you ended up in the army for five years. Right?

S. WALTON: yes.

P. WALTON: And you can still sing a song or two.

S. WALTON: Over here, over here.

P. WALTON: Over there.

S. WALTON: Yes.

The yanks are coming, the yanks are coming, the yanks are coming over here.

P. WALTON: It's amazing what they remember at 100 years old. One hundred, dad.

MACCALLUM: Well, we are -- we're certainly glad that he was part of the yanks who were going there and who did their jobs so valiantly. And we're going to be covering this 75th anniversary of Normandy and D-Day and all of what is to come in remembering the greatness of your generation, sir.

And we thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for all that you've done for our country, and for the world. And Sidney Walton and Paul Walton, thank you very much for sharing part of your day with us. Good to have you here.

P. WALTON: You're welcome. Thank you. We just want to say --

S. WALTON: Thank you.

P. WALTON: -- that for President Trump mentioned that he was going to D- Day and I didn't want to say in the meeting that we were going there, too because I wanted to surprise dad. But now the surprise is out --

MACCALLUM: That's great.

P. WALTON: -- dad, I'm taking you to the 75th anniversary of D-Day, June 6th in Normandy. Now you know.

S. WALTON: Wow.

P. WALTON: I'm going to do it. The surprise is out. Now -- now you know.

S. WALTON: Now I know.

MACCALLUM: Now you know.

P. WALTON: Are you OK with it?

S. WALTON: Yes.

MACCALLUM: We will see you there, we're going to be there, too. It's going to be an extraordinary moment and we hope that we see you there, Sidney. And we thank you very much. We're all looking forward to it. Thank you, sir. Thank you both.

P. WALTON: Thank you. Thank you. Go sydney.com, let's do it, dad.

S. WALTON: OK. Go Normandy.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much, gentlemen.

P. WALTON: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: We love Sidney. That is “The Story” on this Thursday night. Thanks for being with us, everybody. We'll see you right back here as always, tomorrow night at 7:00 o'clock.

Tucker Carlson take over in DC right about now.

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