This is a rush transcript from "Sunday Morning Futures," November 6, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARIA BARTIROMO, HOST: Good morning.
We are in the final stretch. The Trump and the Clinton campaigns barnstorming across the country right now, making their final pitches to voters.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Maria Bartiromo. Thanks for being here. This is "Sunday Morning Futures."
Trump senior adviser Jeff Sessions and "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace on the state of the race coming up. Now less than 48 hours until we head to the polls.
Plus, where do we stand on the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's e- mails. House Benghazi Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy with me live.
And new polls out this morning show just how tight this presidential race is. Fox's Chris Stirewalt and Dana Perino as here breaking down the numbers, as we look ahead right now on "Sunday Morning Futures."
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BARTIROMO: Secret Service members rushing Donald Trump off the stage last night in Reno, Nevada, after reports that someone in the crowd shouted the word, "gun".
Welcome to "Sunday Morning Futures," everybody. We are beginning with the news of the moment. There was no gun that turned up.
Mr. Trump took the stage again after being rushed off moments later. He told the crowd his campaign will not be stopped. He is making his final push this morning in five different states heading to Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Senator Jeff Sessions is a Trump advisor. He joins me right now live.
And, Senator, it is good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.
SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, R-ALA, TRUMP ADVISER: Great, Maria. Nice to be with you. Exciting time.
BARTIROMO: I'll tell you -- he's like a machine. I mean, Trump is going to be in Florida, in North Carolina today and tomorrow, plus, Michigan, that Rust Belt of the country. How is the team feeling with just two days to go?
SESSIONS: Well, they're feeling really good and he is a leader. He's inspired the whole team. He'll be doing twice the stops that Hillary Clinton will be doing in the last few days.
It's been my image for a long time, my vision for him in this last week to barnstorm this country, talking directly to millions of Americans explaining that he is going to defend their interests and we've had way too much attention on big business, money interest, foreign interest, global interest instead of the people's interests. And to a large degree, that's what this election is about.
BARTIROMO: Yes, there's been a lot of back and forth between the two campaigns throughout the year, but in these final few days, it feels like Trump has pivoted toward let's reveal a positive message. Let's talk about what we can do for the country.
Whereas, Hillary Clinton so far has been really on that attack mode of Trump as opposed to telling people what they are actually voting for.
Is that the strategy?
SESSIONS: I couldn't agree more. I couldn't agree more.
I mean, you ask American people what is it that she will do other than more of the same when three to one American people think we're on the wrong track. And I think the people are right about that. We have not represented this country effectively. She has no plan to get us on the right track.
Donald Trump is a leader. He's a man who believes in results, not talk. He judges himself, what he accomplishes that you can see and touch. I believe he'll be a great president.
I think people are seeing that more and more, and I think his instincts on every major issue take a country in the right direction.
BARTIROMO: Well, I know what he has talked about in terms of his economic plan, lower taxes, roll back regulation, tap into energy, perhaps redo trade deals that are not advantageous to America.
But what are the other important messages? What's most important for him to communicate to voters with these just two days left?
SESSIONS: I think he needs to continue to make clear that he's doing this for us, for the average American who goes to work every day and he understands our problems and the problems of decent people who worry about being able to buy new tires for their car, vacation for their family, fees at school.
People are struggling out there. He seems to understand that despite the fact that, you know, that he's a wealthy businessman. And he has -- I think he can convey to the American people that his experience puts him in a position to turn this country around and get it growing again.
BARTIROMO: And that's what people really need the confidence in, right? Believing that, yes, maybe they're taking a risk. Maybe they're making a bet on somebody who is an outsider, not in politics, but maybe he also will do something to actually improve the situation.
I want to talk about this letter that you penned along with others like Rudy Giuliani, Frank Keating, Victoria Toensing and Henry McMaster. This is a letter basically saying, look, it is time for Loretta Lynch to appoint a special counsel because this brings me to the question of the morning after. Regardless who wins, Senator, you're going to have the next day and you're going to have real issues on the table.
Will Hillary Clinton be able to make important decisions when she's got these investigations overhanging? What does the morning after look like for Trump? What do you want to see in terms of this special counsel?
SESSIONS: Well, you should never politicize criminal investigations or prosecutions. We should never do that.
But the situation is such and the facts are such that we have an investigation going now and there's a lack of confidence, in fact, zero confidence really that the attorney general is doing anything other than delaying this investigation and not pursuing it effectively. It's been ongoing for over a year. A special prosecutor would have been the appropriate thing to do to take it out of politics and maybe would already have been completed, but the rumors we hear are that the FBI is being obstructed and delayed and blocked by the Department of Justice, Attorney General Lynch.
So, I think this is a serious matter. We've just got to have integrity in our criminal justice system. Everybody deserves a fair day in court, but we need a fair investigation, too, and I'm afraid that's not happening.
BARTIROMO: Well, in the letter, you and your colleagues write, look, the Department of Justice has been thwarted by top official's refusal to conduct a proper investigation of former Secretary Clinton's unsecured e- server and the pay-for-play accusations. So, if Donald Trump were to win the presidency, is he going to move to remove Loretta Lynch?
SESSIONS: Well, of course, there will be a removal of the attorney general, as well in every cabinet position. Remember, Janet -- Loretta Lynch serves at the pleasure of President Obama. She doesn't have a termed office. She knows who appointed her and she knows whose pleasure she serves at.
So, we need an independent person, person that's not politically connected that people in America can have confidence in them to take over this investigation and make sure it's done correctly, to bring charges if need. Hopefully not charges. Hopefully they're not needed. But there are some serious allegations here that the American people need to know fully investigated.
You know, FBI Director Comey did the right thing when he found new evidence. He had no choice but to report to the American Congress where he had under oath testified. The investigation was over. He had to correct that and say, this investigation is ongoing now. I'm sure it's significant or else he wouldn't have announced that.
BARTIROMO: Right, which is the question I'm trying to get at in terms of Hillary Clinton. Should she win the presidency, what is she going to do in terms of governance? Can she govern effectively if she's got these investigations going on? Will she have to change FBI directors knowing that Jim Comey is pursuing this? Or are we going to have four years of, you can't get anything done because of these investigations and the challenge from the Republicans like naming new Supreme Court justices?
SESSIONS: Well, it is a dangerous thing, no doubt. It puts a cloud over her tenure as president. What is she going to do about the attorney general? Who will she appoint? Will there be another loyalist as it appears Loretta Lynch is and Eric Holder was during his tenure? Or will it be someone that has respect of the American people who can handle a complex matter and do it right with confidence.
To me, at this point, it's so off track and so badly handled that an independent counsel is the right thing, I have no doubt about that.
BARTIROMO: Let me ask you this, Senator. Should Trump win the presidency, what role will you have in the administration?
SESSIONS: You know, I've not talked to him about that and don't intend to. I expect to be in the Senate unless he asks me to do something else, in which case I would consider that.
But I do believe he's moving forward. He's talking to a number of people. He has an effective transition team that's studying the issues out there, like both candidates have, and I believe he would be able to establish an administration of confidence, integrity, people of ability and judgment who can help lead this country and get it back on the right track again.
BARTIROMO: And we should point out that you've done an incredible amount of work regarding immigration -- and your immigration policies and your immigration work has helped Donald Trump in terms of his own stance on keeping borders safe, et cetera.
What do you think the most important policy Donald Trump needs to implement with regard to national security and immigration? What's happened in the first 100 days should he become president?
SESSIONS: Well, there's no doubt that under existing law, we can make tremendous improvements in our immigration situation. I just came from the border Friday, on the Arizona border and talked to law enforcement and local people and local sheriffs. They're just utterly frustrated.
This administration and Hillary Clinton is to the left of Barack Obama. They are just decimating the lawful system, and that encourages more people to come. So if you have a president who lays out a clear agenda that we're going to end the lawlessness. Please don't come unless you come lawfully. If you come, you're going to be apprehended and promptly.
That will send a message, and the attempts to enter illegally will decline substantially.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
SESSIONS: It's not that hard. It can be done. It's the right thing for the American people. American people want it and they have the right to demand it.
BARTIROMO: Senator, good to see you. Thanks very much. We'll be watching the developments in the next two days. Thanks so much.
SESSIONS: Thank you.
BARTIROMO: Senator Jeff Sessions joining us there.
And as the FBI continues sifting through the thousands of newly discovered emails on Anthony Weiner's laptop in search of a connection to Hillary Clinton, Representative Trey Gowdy will join me next, to talk about the latest on that investigation.
Follow me on Twitter @MariaBartiromo, @SundayFutures. Let us know what you'd like from Trey Gowdy, next.
We're looking ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures", right now.
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BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
The FBI is still poring over newly discovered emails possibly related to Hillary Clinton's email investigation and her time as secretary of state. So far, investigators are saying only that these are not duplicates but they are emails that they did not see during a previous probe of Clinton's private server.
Representative Trey Gowdy is with me. He's a member of the House Judiciary Committee, also the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Good to see you, sir. Thank you so much for joining us.
REP. TREY GOWDY, R-S.C.: Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
BARTIROMO: If these are new emails, some of these are new emails, Congressman. Isn't that right there evidence that the lawmakers were lied to? She said she had given all of the emails in. So, if the FBI is finding emails that they've never seen before, is right there we know that she lied? Perjury?
GOWDY: Well, we don't know. Well, we don't know because we don't know whether these emails are work related or personal. If they're personal, then no one is entitled to read her yoga and bridesmaids dresses emails.
If they're work related, yes. She testified under oath that she turned over all work-related emails. Frankly, we already know that to be false. This would just be additional evidence that it was false.
BARTIROMO: What about this idea that a special counsel, a grand jury needs to be brought in here? I mean, obviously there is now evidence or speculation, let's call it speculation, that the Justice Department has been trying to put a clamp on the FBI's work. Should an outsider be brought in to handle these deliberations?
GOWDY: Yes, ma'am, and they should have a long time ago. This Department of Justice has been politicized. I say that actually with a heavy heart. I actually like the Department of Justice, I want to believe in the Department of Justice. But it has been politicized.
But, Maria, guess who picks the special prosecutor? The attorney general. So, what I would love would be an attorney general who had the foresight and the respect for the justice system to say, you know what, we're going to have an independent woman or man. I'm going to stay out of it. I'm going to recuse myself totally. They can use a grand jury if they want to.
That would restore people's trust and confidence in this investigation because the Department of Justice has lost it. Yes, there ought to be a special prosecutor, but there should have been a year ago.
BARTIROMO: How are they still getting away with that, Congressman? If there should have been an outside independent person or committee looking at this doing the proper investigative work and they have not been, and the Justice Department is trying to clamp down the FBI's work and Jim Comey initially basically said no prosecutor would take on this case only to come out 11 days before the Election Day, this has been botched up because there was no independent counsel overseeing this.
GOWDY: Well, it's been botched for a lot of reasons. Part is the politicization of the Department of Justice. Part frankly is just the fact pattern of having the Democrats nominate someone who is under FBI investigation.
I mean, bad facts make for tough choices but the Department of Justice could have and should have used that regulation that empowers them in conflict of interest cases or when it's in the public interest, pick a special prosecutor who doesn't give a whit about politics, a woman or man who just follows the facts and works for that blindfolded woman holding a set of scales instead of having someone who meets on the tarmac with a spouse of the target of the investigation, which is what we have now.
BARTIROMO: It's quite extraordinary. You know, when I think back to the extraordinary job you did when you were there and the testimony and Jim Comey was testifying, you asked him specific questions, did she release all the emails? No. Did she only use one device as she said? No.
And you asked him question after question after question and you were very effective in that testimony, but at the end of the day, what can you do about it? Are you powerless here because of the politicization that has gone on?
GOWDY: Well, Congress is. Quite frankly, Secretary Clinton has trouble with the truth and she's had trouble with the truth throughout most of her professional career. So, come Tuesday, the jury gets to decide what to do next. Congress cannot investigate, cannot convene a grand jury. We don't have the power to do that.
So, if you're tired of the polite at this politicization of the Department of Justice and you're tired of scandal after scandal after stimulus plan for the criminal defense bar or whatever you think you're going to get with her presidency, our framers said, you know what, we're going to go in a separate direction. Congress can't fix it but the American people can on Tuesday.
BARTIROMO: And we'll see if that actually impacts them to vote Trump.
Let me ask you this, Congressman. Let's say Hillary Clinton wings the presidency. What's your take on how this plays out? I mean, she's got this criminal investigation, no doubt, that will follow her. Will she be a lame duck for four years? Will she be unable to do anything because she's got these investigators investigating her every move and also the Republicans will push back in terms of her Supreme Court appointees? What does the next four years look like in terms of governance if she wins?
GOWDY: Well, let's get the good news out of the race first. It would be really, really good for criminal defense attorneys in Washington. They're going to make a lot of money if she wins on Tuesday, because of not just her but people around her from Sidney Blumenthal on up are going to be under investigation, whether it's the Clinton foundation, whether it's her emails, whether it's things we don't know about, it's going to be the shortest honeymoon since Elizabeth Taylor's sixth marriage, but that's -- you know, that's what people are going to vote for on Tuesday.
If that's what they want, she is coming in under a cloud and she's going to pick the Department of Justice and an attorney general who are not going to be all that interested in investigating his or her boss. That will be frustrating. Congress will have to assume the role of oversight or watchdog. But we can't prosecute anyone for anything. I tell my fellow citizens, if this is what you want on Tuesday, let us know.
BARTIROMO: Congressman, thank you. Thank you very much.
GOWDY: Yes, ma'am.
BARTIROMO: We appreciate and we'll see you soon, Trey Gowdy there. It is the final countdown.
Two days America goes to the voting booth. A new president will be elected. Back in a minute with "FOX News Sunday's" Chris Wallace on deck.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE PENCE, R-IND., VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our secret weapon is the American people who are saying enough is enough. I mean, I was here at a rally last night in Virginia. We had an overflow crowd that was bigger than some of the rallies that I've seen out on the campaign trail over the last several months.
JOEL BENENSON, HILLAR CLINTON ADVISER: We're going into Election Day playing offense, keeping them on defense with states like Arizona that we never played in before, not in either of the Obama elections. So, we feel good. When we're on offense, we think we're in good shape. Voters are rejecting the divisive rhetoric that they've heard from Donald Trump.
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BARTIROMO: And there is Indiana Governor Mike Pence along with Clinton campaign chief strategist Joel Benenson appearing on "Fox News Sunday" today, just two days before Election Day.
Both sides now racing for the finish line, trying to sway every last voter in key battleground state, who may be still mulling over their presidential pick.
Joining me right now to talk about the state of the race is Chris Wallace, anchor of "FOX News Sunday".
Chris, good to see you.
CHRIS WALLACE, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY" ANCHOR: Good to be here.
BARTIROMO: Great interview. It's funny to see each side tell their own narrative in terms of how it's going.
WALLACE: Spinning.
BARTIROMO: How do you think it's going?
WALLACE: It certainly has tightened. There's no question about that. I think two weeks ago, it really did seem that Hillary Clinton was going to sail to a relatively easy victory. I think the FBI announcement by James Comey has had an impact. I think Republicans coming home has had an impact.
Clinton has many more paths to 270 electoral votes than he does, but if he were to -- you know, he's got to win Florida, win Ohio, win North Carolina, flip a traditionally blue Democratic state, if he can do that, he's the next president.
BARTIROMO: Which is why he's going to the Rust Belt states today and tomorrow. He's going to be in Michigan. Interesting to see Hillary Clinton going to Michigan as well.
WALLACE: I couldn't agree more. It's something I asked Joel Benenson about. She was there on Friday. She's there again on Monday.
The most precious commodity, as you know, Maria, in the final days of the campaign is the candidate's time and the fact that she's in Michigan -- a state that, you know, for the entire campaign, until like three days ago we thought was off the board for Trump, not possible for him. The fact that she's there is interesting.
BARTIROMO: It was a Democratic state, obviously Dem-leading state, but now she's pulling out the big guns. President Obama she's also got going to Michigan. It shows you she's nervous about losing that area of the country and Trump is doubling down on these Rust Belt states saying, look, you haven't done that much better in the last eight years, trust me -- appealing to their needs for jobs.
WALLACE: Yes. I mean, Trump always felt that there was his message about trade, about immigration, was a natural fit in places like Ohio and Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Ohio it seems to have been, he seems comfortably ahead there. Pennsylvania and Michigan are still uphill climbs, he's behind in the polls in both of those states, and he's almost - - I mean, there are different scenarios, but the easiest path to 270 for him is to take one of those states. If he flips that, he can win it.
BARTIROMO: People are not sure about Pennsylvania so he can still win it. It will be harder without Pennsylvania, but that's a big one.
WALLACE: Right. If he doesn't, that's one of the reasons I think he's pushing in Michigan as a kind of plan B. But, interestingly enough, her big final campaign rally, Clinton's, is tomorrow night in Pennsylvania and it's the entire Clinton family, including former President Bill and the entire Obama family. I guess she goes on to North Carolina from there but it's interesting because two weeks ago, as I say, it looked fairly comfortable for her. And now they're both -- they're both on offense and they're both on defense. She's making an effort in places like Arizona and Georgia which are typically Republican.
BARTIROMO: Yes, that's a good point. They're having a big party, a pre- election party on Monday night in Pennsylvania, the whole Clinton clan.
Let me ask you about this FBI investigation. Do you think it has moved the needle in terms of independents and where they're going to go, knowing now that she is under FBI investigation and they reopened it?
WALLACE: Well, if you believe the Fox News poll, 21 percent of independent voters say that they are less likely to vote for Clinton because of this. I -- it seemed to have just looking at the polls, it seemed to really have an impact in the first days after the announcement. It was a week ago Friday. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in the polls he was either ahead or a tie. She seemed to have moved out to two or three.
I mean, we're still talking inside the margin of error, but the shock value seems to be wearing off a little bit. But, of course, it does raise the possibility, she could be the president-elect on Wednesday and still under criminal investigation by the FBI.
BARTIROMO: Right, which is what I was just talking to Congressman Trey Gowdy about and Jeff Sessions as well.
Real quick in terms of what happens next and in terms of the GOP and their support. This morning, we see Paul Ryan coming out saying, hey, look, I'm ready to campaign with Donald Trump. Too little too late? What do you think, Chris?
WALLACE: Well, in terms of the leaders, yes. In terms of the rank and file, it's important and you do see Republicans -- she always had an advantage, more Democrats supporting her, more Republicans supporting him. That's disappearing. They're both getting pretty unified support from their own parties.
BARTIROMO: All right. We'll leave it there. Chris, we'll see you later on.
WALLACE: You bet.
BARTIROMO: Thank you so much.
Be sure to tune in to "Fox News Sunday" today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on the "FOX News Channel". Chris Wallace.
A brand-new poll out this morning shows one of the candidates pulling ahead. We'll talk to Dana Perino and Chris Stirewalt next, as we look ahead right now on "Sunday Morning Futures."
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BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
A new poll to report -- a brand-new poll shows Hillary Clinton's lead has widened over Donald Trump as we close in on Election Day. Secretary Clinton is now ahead by four points according to "The Wall Street Journal"/NBC News poll this morning. That is up from just a few days ago when other polls show the race to be slightly closer.
Joining me right now is Dana Perino. She is the co-host of "Five", and Chris Stirewalt, the Fox News digital politics editor. Both of them co- host of "Perino and Stirewalt: I'll Tell You What" here on the Fox News Channel.
Good to see both of you.
DANA PERINO, "THE FIVE" CO-HOST: We love to hear how people say I'll tell you what.
BARTIROMO: That's true.
PERINO: You have a good version.
BARTIROMO: OK, good. Congrats on your new show by the way.
How do you see the race right now?
PERINO: I think it is probably right where it is in terms of the national vote but the battleground states are a little bit tighter. I would defer to my pollster expert over here, but Democrats have seen -- 90 percent of Democrats say they will vote for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump may get Republicans up to 87 percent. That's a lot better than where he was in July. Turnout is the most important thing.
BARTIROMO: What do you think, Chris?
CHRIS STIREWALT, FNC DIGITAL POLITICS EDITOR: That's 100 percent right. The broad misunderstanding about the race in the last several weeks is that it was about James Comey. It wasn't about James Comey, it was about Republicans coming home. And by and large, the Republican Party -- they in as home and as Democrats is home, but they're home. And the Republicans in large part -- so, Donald Trump is not going to do as well among Republicans as Mitt Romney or John McCain did, but he is going to do better with Democrats in certain key groups.
BARTIROMO: Yes, it's interesting, because when you saw what Paul Ryan said today, I'm ready to campaign with Donald Trump, really? It's 48 hours away from election day. So this really matters now? Or will voters who are supportive of Trump be mad at him?
STIREWALT: The supporters -- the hard core supporters of Donald Trump, here we're talking about, you know, 20 percent of the broader electorate are going to hate Paul Ryan no matter what. They want him out. There is nothing that Paul Ryan is going to say or do today. He could go out there with a "Make America Great" hat on and sing the praises of Donald Trump to the rafters and they still would never forgive him.
PERINO: But one thing that Paul Ryan is doing is he's campaigning very heavily in Wisconsin, not just for Trump but also for Ron Johnson who I think is a Senate candidate, incumbent who's been running behind all year. But I think that could be one of the surprises Tuesday night that he holds onto the seat.
BARTIROMO: Let's talk about this. These polls and what we're seeing in terms of the down ballot races are really interesting and important. You think Ron Johnson wins in Wisconsin?
PERINO: I'm going out on a limb there. I like to just in case. I also maintain that former Senator Evan Bayh in Indiana will lose to Todd Young and I think that will bear out.
The true tossups are certainly North Carolina with Burr, Nevada, Heck, and New Hampshire with Ayotte. What's interesting about that, those three tossups are also the states that Donald Trump really needs to win if he's got a path to 270.
BARTIROMO: Right.
PERINO: Two places down ballot that are helping Trump I think would be Portman and Rubio in Ohio and Florida. One of the unsung heroes of this election cycle, the National Republican Senatorial Committee. They were quiet. They had money out early for those senators and they had an early out for those senators and they had an early voting push in places like Nevada, Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Arizona, which could end up not just helping the Republicans keep the Senate, but help Donald Trump if he's going to be close in those states.
BARTIROMO: Yes, it's interesting that you say that because Portman and Rubio -- well, Portman was pretty positive. He didn't go all out in terms of --
PERINO: He went all out very early.
BARTIROMO: Very early.
PERINO: So then the Republicans were able to not have to worry about Ohio so much and they could try to figure out a way to save the Senate seats like in Nevada, North Carolina. Missouri I think is one actually where the Republicans are probably a little more worried about that one that they anticipated being.
BARTIROMO: And Rubio in Florida, it's amazing to me how close Florida is between Clinton and Trump.
STIREWALT: It could not be closer.
BARTIROMO: It could not be closer. Do you agree with Dana, Chris, that --
STIREWALT: I'd better.
(LAUGHTER)
BARTIROMO: -- that a win for Rubio will help Trump?
STIREWALT: Well, Rubio's ground game will help Trump by getting more likely Republican voters -- voters more likely to vote Republican at the top of the ticket will help Trump. Now, the question is how much does Trump then hurt Rubio, how much does he Portman?
There is give and take. It goes both ways. In Florida, he's probably -- Rubio's probably a net harm but in Ohio, where you have a lot of older working class workers, a lot of older looking white voters, you have -- Donald Trump is going to help Rob Portman.
PERINO: Well, and Donald Trump will probably help Ron Johnson in Wisconsin and will help the incumbent Roy Blunt in Missouri.
STIREWALT: I don't know about that.
PERINO: I'm out on a limb.
STIREWALT: You're Wisconsin -- you're rooting for the Packers today probably also, too?
PERINO: Are they playing the Broncos?
STIREWALT: No, they're not.
PERINO: I always root for the Broncos.
BARTIROMO: Real quick on Kelly Ayotte. I mean, her competitor is all the way to the left, right?
PERINO: Hassan.
BARTIROMO: Hassan, and you've got Hillary Clinton being pushed all the way to the left by the likes of Elizabeth Warren, and Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders. If Hassan wins, what does that tell us about where Hillary Clinton is going to go?
PERINO: I think this is going to be interesting. You've seen them in a big civil war for the past 18 months. That's not going to end anytime soon, but the Democrats is coming, because you'll -- let's say that Hassan wins up in New Hampshire. Guess what happens?
If Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, there's a whole bunch of red state Democrats up in 2018. Hillary Clinton will be pulled in both directions because she would definitely want to try to keep the Senate. And nothing Hillary Clinton could ever do will ever be pure enough for the left.
STIREWALT: Kelly Ayotte is going to probably win.
PERINO: Yes, I think so.
BARTIROMO: OK, we will leave it there. Great to see you both.
PERINO: OK.
BARTIROMO: Thank you so much. Great analysis as always.
Let's get a look at what's coming up at the top of the hour, "Media Buzz". Howie Kurtz is with us now.
Howie, good morning to you.
HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, "MEDIABUZZ": Good morning, Maria.
Well, you look at the explosion of polls and punditry and pontification in these final couple days before the election, also taking a look at media bias which has permeated this campaign and the coverage of the FBI probe or probes of Hillary Clinton. Got an all-star lineup, Ed Henry, Trish Reagan and John Roberts, Jennifer Griffin, Joe Trippi and more, coming up on "Media Buzz."
BARTIROMO: All right. That's a must watch. We'll be there in 20 minutes, Howie. Thank you so much.
But, first, the presidential race entering the home stretch. Where are the candidates? And which states are in play in these final hours? We'll get into it with our political panel. Mary Kissel from The Wall Street Journal, Ed Rollins is here.
We will be right back. We're looking ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures."
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BARTIROMO: Welcome back. We are here. Less than 48 hours to go and the candidates are crisscrossing key battleground states today in that last- minute push for voters.
The Clinton campaign is holding 33 events in 11 states. Donald Trump himself holding six rallies in five important swing states.
Let's bring in our panel now. Ed Rollins is a former campaign manager for the Reagan/Bush ticket in 1984. He's the chief strategist for a Trump super PAC. Julie Roginsky is here, a Democratic strategist and a FOX News contributor. And Mary Kissel with us, on the editorial board of "The Wall Street Journal".
Good to see you, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us.
Ed, two days out. How are you feeling?
ED ROLLINS, FOXNEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I feel can have doesn't. I think he's really turned this thing back around the last couple of weeks with the big assist from the FBI investigating. I think at the end of the day for a campaign that didn't do anything correct in the sense of organization against a campaign that did everything, it's a dead even race.
BARTIROMO: Yes. I mean, does he have that ground game to come and bus people to the polls?
ROLLINS: He certainly can't match her ground game and he certainly can't in the get out the vote, but I think the momentum that's turned to him in the last two weeks may overcome that.
BARTIROMO: There sure is.
Julie?
ROLLINS: The critical thing is Florida. You look at Real Clear Politics, the tossups, basically 297/241. She's ahead. Florida, she's 270.
BARTIROMO: Wow. Florida's critical. Julie?
JULIE ROGINSKY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Florida is critical to him. Not necessarily critical to her. There are pathways for her, multiple pathways where she can win without winning Florida. But it is critical to him.
I will say it's not just about the ground game, which is very important. You also know what I'm talking about when we talk about modeling. She knows exactly who that voter is. She knows exactly whom she needs to get to the polls. That's something Trump has not done and I think to his own detriment and something that the next Republican candidate really needs to make sure they get down before --
BARTIROMO: What do you mean with modeling?
ROGINSKY: With modeling, what they do is they essentially model somebody to make sure that Maria Bartiromo gets to the polls, but if your twin sister with the same exact characteristics and demographics, they send 1,200, 1,400 criteria, and you may not be that voter, they don't have to focus on your twin sister, they have to focus on you.
This is very specific mathematic way of identifying your voters much more specific than polling. And that's something the Clinton campaign has done very effectively. Obama did that in 2008, 2012. The Trump campaign has not modeled and I think to its own detriment.
BARTIROMO: But he's been a one-man show for a long time.
MARY KISSEL, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: He has been. Trump is trying to break the mold. He's trying to get voters out to the polls through social media, flying around the country and holding rallies in airport hangers.
Maria, he has to win. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, it looks like he's doing well in Ohio, Florida is very, very close. Pennsylvania Clinton seems to have the lead and Florida doing well. He has to turn states that Mitt Romney lost.
So, he's -- you know, looking to places in the Midwest, Michigan, that went to Bernie Sanders that has the disaffected high school educated white vote out there.
I think the key for him, he has to stay on message. He has to talk about ObamaCare. He has to talk about jobs. He has to talk about change. He has to keep his thumb off the Twitter button essentially.
Take it away from him. Put him on a teleprompter and we'll see where the chips fall.
ROLLINS: They've been doing that. One is seeing the front page of "The New York Times" with him holding a baby. That's the traditional old politics which hasn't done at all.
And I think the drain the swamp which I thought was kind of silly thing at first. I think it's become a big issue and I think it symbolizes what people think about Washington.
BARTIROMO: Right.
ROLLINS: I think it's worked well.
BARTIROMO: Well, this campaign and the entire election season was a lot about jobs and national security. It has become just as much about ending corruption, isn't that right?
ROGINSKY: It has to some extent, look, but it's also about temperament and it's about who's fit to lead. And interesting if you look at polls that have come out over the last couple of days, that's where she's got the advantage over him. It's not enough to say, I want to drain the swamp, you have to say who's going to be draining the swamp for the next four years.
BARTIROMO: Have a plan.
ROGINSKY: And have a plan, I think just based on temperament alone, she's got an edge. People understand, this is going to be somebody who's going to be the commander in chief of the country.
ROLLINS: She's been very shrill.
ROGINSKY: Ooh, I wouldn't use that word.
ROLLINS: I would use that word.
ROGINSKY: OK.
ROLLINS: And she has been. She's very articulate person. But I've watched a lot of these sessions and she's very, very shrill. I think to a certain extent that basically backfires.
BARTIROMO: It's true.
But also, there is an FBI investigation happening and what does that mean? I've been asking this question throughout the show this morning, what does that mean for the day after, Mary? When you know -- let's say Hillary Clinton wins. What happens after that knowing that we've got this investigation hanging over her?
KISSEL: It means you're going to have ongoing investigations essentially.
Look, there's a reason why Donald Trump is seen as more honest and trustworthy today than Hillary Clinton. There are multiple FBI investigations. He has a lot of material to talk about here.
And, by the way, it's not just about the FBI. You have reporters like John Harwood, Donna Brazile, feeding questions to the Clinton campaign. You get the sense that the whole process was rigged. And I don't say that lightly because, you know, look, our voting system works. Our electoral process itself is not rigged. When you look at how the Clintons have been packaged and sold to the American people --
BARTIROMO: Yeah.
KISSEL: -- they're something a terrible product here. If Donald Trump has run this campaign in a different way, he would be ahead by 20 points now.
BARTIROMO: You mentioned these emails. I mean, the WikiLeaks emails, the most recent one from John Harwood from CNBC basically says to John Podesta, what should I ask Jeb Bush?
KISSEL: The media has not covered itself in glory in this campaign. That's why it's so important for Trump to continue to press the message that he has a positive mission to motivate Republicans come out. He's not even getting even 90 percent of the Republicans. He needs those Republicans to come home, while at the same time suppressing the Clinton vote by continuing to emphasize just how incredibly corrupt this family actually is.
BARTIROMO: Well, in the final few days of an election, Julie, isn't it the right path to make sure you communicate to voters something to vote for, right? Instead of -- I mean, she's chosen an approach to just trash Trump.
ROGINSKY: Well, it's both, right? So, you have a lot of people who may not love her but are terrified of him and I'll give you an example. You got Latino voters lining up for hours to vote in Clark County, Nevada or Broward County, Florida. The reason they're doing that is not because they're enamored with Hillary Clinton, they're doing that in reaction to Donald Trump and what he said about them in the last 15 months.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
ROGINSKY: And when you talk about John Harwood, John Podesta, the emails, that's not what voters really care about. I agree, the media has not covered itself in glory here whatsoever, but that's not why these voters are lining up early to vote for hours.
BARTIROMO: Yes, that's a fair point. Let's take a short break.
And we want to ask, who has the easier path to the presidency. It could come down to some tossup states. Our panel on that as we'll look ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures". We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
The path to 270 electoral votes is tight. The latest Fox News scorecard suggests that the path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is easier for Hillary Clinton if Secretary Clinton wins states in blue considered solid Democrat states. She clinches the White House with 283 electoral votes. Mr. Trump needs to win those red states, along with a number of states that are considered a tossup.
Back with our panel right now, Ed Rollins, Julie Roginsky and Mary Kissel.
And, Mary, you wanted to make a point early in terms of the down ballot races as well and the impact that we're seeing. Make a connection in terms of down ballot races. What are you seeing?
KISSEL: Well, this is an unusual election because voters seem to be separating in some races the Senate candidates from Donald Trump, because they don't see Donald Trump as a typical Republican. So, you see a guy like Rob Portman in Ohio, with an easy double digit what looks like sailing to victory win there. You see Marco Rubio also trying to separate himself from Donald Trump, seems to be in the lead there, although it is a close race.
So, you wonder if, for instance, the Rubio get out the vote mechanism is going to help Donald Trump in Florida. But, you know, it's a close race. And it is not just a close race up ballot, it is a close race also for control of the Senate.
ROLLINS: The critical thing as the leak ten days ago people would have predicted that we would lose the Senate. I don't think anybody is predicting that anymore. I think it will be close. I think we'll win that and agree with that point.
The interesting thing is that last campaign that won 49 states was the one that was run for Ronald Reagan was morning in America. This one is going to end up being nightmare in the middle of the night, and it's not a pretty -- it's R-rated all the way. It's not one that people will look back on and feel good no matter what side you're on. Someone is going to win and the other side will be bitter about it.
ROGINSKY: And I think you raise an excellent point. What is so depressing, and I hate to end in this note, and what's so depressing I think it is Wednesday morning, we're going to wake up and regardless of who the winner is, the country will be just as divided. I hope if Donald Trump loses, he concedes. I don't have any confidence he'll do that.
And we'll have the next month or two or three if not longer of threatened investigations from one side or the other and twill be --
BARTIROMO: Well, you make a good point, because when you look at the next day or let's call it January 21st, after the inauguration, neither one of these people have a mandate. Half the country didn't want them in.
ROGINSKY: Yes -- well, we'll see what the numbers are like, if they had Ed Rollins type 1984 numbers, and I can say, they have a mandate. But chances are, it's going to be a very divided election.
Look, when George Bush won in a squeaker in 2000, I think a lot of Democrats said, okay, I'm not happy about the result. He's the president, let's get behind him. I hope whoever the president is, the other side will believe that. I don't think they will.
KISSEL: I think this narrative of Hillary Clinton as the unifier, let's come together, it is just garbage. Trump is a dealmaker, might be ready to actually deal with Democrats and willing to do deals that Hillary Clinton might not do.
And also remember that Hillary Clinton is very constrained now by the left of her party. She is running for a third term of Obama. This is not Hillary Clinton of the 1990s. You can imagine a scenario -- by the way, there are also vindictive.
So, if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, she's going to go after those people who came after her for the FBI investigation. She's not going to have the political space to do deals with Republicans.
BARTIROMO: I would not --
ROLLINS: The worse scenario would be 269-269, which is very legitimate.
BARTIROMO: Wow. We'll be right back. One thing to watch between now and the closing of the polls Tuesday night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
One big thing to watch between now and Tuesday night, Ed Rollins?
ROLLINS: Trump loses Florida, it's over.
BARTIROMO: Florida is what you're watching.
Julie?
ROGINSKY: Souls to the polls in North Carolina, Florida, and Nevada today.
BARTIROMO: Mary Kissel?
KISSEL: Trump, can he stay on message? Take the thumb off of Twitter, stick to the policy message, talk about ideas.
BARTIROMO: That will do it.
KISSEL: Yes.
BARTIROMO: Mary Kissel, Julie Roginsky, Ed Rollins, great to see you all.
Have a great Sunday, everybody. I'll see you tomorrow on Fox Business Network, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 Eastern. Have a good day.
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