AOC, Dem leadership praises Trump demand for revised COVID bill

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report" December 23, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR (on camera): I could listen for longer. I
wanted to hear more from Geraldo. All right, good evening. Welcome to
Washington. I'm Bret Baier.

Breaking tonight, no one knows how this will all end. One senior lawmaker
saying that today after President Trump vetoed the National Defense
Authorization Act, the defense bill that would fund the military through
2021.

President calling that bill a gift to China and Russia while also saying
numerous provisions of the Act directly contradict his administration's
foreign policy.

Additionally, the president wanted to take away a legal protection for
social media companies. That is not in the bill, he wanted it in there.

Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will convene in five days to
try to override that veto of the NDAA.

Now, this comes on the heels of the president telling Congress it has to
amend the $900 billion COVID-19 relief part of a spending bill saying
instead of $600 to most Americans, that should jump to a $2,000 cash
payment.

But many lawmakers are worried tonight that the whole thing could fall
apart after weeks of complex negotiations that included the President's
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

We have Fox team coverage tonight, Correspondent David Spunt on the
possibility of amending that stimulus where that stands. But we begin with
Correspondent Mark Meredith on the president's surprise announcements
today. Good evening, Mark.

MARK MEREDITH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good evening to
you, Bret. Within the hour, President Trump will be landing here in Florida
to kick off his holiday vacation. He didn't stop to talk to reporters on
his way out of D.C., but he has made plenty of news these last several
hours, also making it clear possibly that Congress will have to rewrite
that massive economic stimulus package within days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, what about COVID aid?

MEREDITH (voice over): Before leaving the White House for his holiday
vacation, President Trump surprised lawmakers, his staff and all of
Washington when he announced Tuesday in a White House produced video, he's
not happy with the $900 billion stimulus bill negotiated by his own
Treasury Secretary.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's called the COVID relief
bill, but it has almost nothing to do with COVID. I am asking Congress to
amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000
for a couple.

MEREDITH: The president's unhappiness could translate to a veto of a bill
already passed by the House and Senate. Democrats appear thrilled with the
President's demand to increase direct payments for some Americans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeting "At last, the president has agreed to
$2,000. Democrats are ready to bring this to the floor this week by
unanimous consent. Let's do it!"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motion to concurs agreed to.

MEREDITH: The economic stimulus package is tied to a massive government
funding bill which includes money for foreign aid, something the president
repeatedly lashed out against in his video message.

TRUMP: Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists and
special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people.

MEREDITH: If the president vetoes, the country faces a potential government
shutdown next week.

This afternoon, the president did veto the bipartisan back to National
Defense Authorization Act, a bill outlining Pentagon funding and
priorities. The veto was expected after the president had made it clear he
was upset the bill did not include language to repeal liability protections
for social media companies.

GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN AIDE: It's a tremendous moment
for myself and my family.

MEREDITH: Tonight, former Trump Campaign Aide George Papadopoulos is one of
several people thanking the president for a holiday pardon.

Papadopoulos and Alex van der Zwaan we're both convicted of lying to
investigators in the Mueller probe. Also on the pardoned list, two early
supporters of the president, former Republican Congressman Chris Collins
and Duncan Hunter.

DUNCAN HUNTER, FORMER REPRESENTATIVE OF CALIFORNIA: I had no idea what was
happening, and it just came through.

MEREDITH: Hunter was set to report to prison in January after pleading
guilty to misusing campaign funds for personal expenses. Collins was
convicted an insider trading charges and was already behind bars.

Four former Blackwater private security contractors were also pardoned. The
four men were convicted in 2014 after shooting in Baghdad's Nisour Square
left 17 Iraqi's dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH (on camera): Speaker Pelosi said late today that the House is
going to be meeting on Monday to vote to override the president's veto. We
are hearing from some Senate Republicans that indicate they will do the
same once that reaches their chamber. But this is also a bill that had
passed by veto proof majorities in both chambers.

So, Bret, this is looking likely that the president has an uphill battle
here, Bret.

BAIER: Yes, the political implications for the Georgia runoff we have to
factor in as well. Mark, the president also tonight warning Iran on
Twitter, what do we know about this?

MEREDITH: Yes, this (INAUDIBLE) to an incident over the weekend when
multiple rockets landed in Baghdad's Green Zone. No Americans were hurt,
that was the good news. But the president is blaming Iran for this and
we're hearing from the Iraqi military that they believe it was other
militia groups.

While the President's been on Air Force One making his way down here, he
had quite the tweet about this. He wrote, "Some friendly health advice to
Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it
over."

In the last few weeks, we have seen the Pentagon deploy more racist --
resources to the Middle East that includes the USS Georgia, that's one of
those submarine missiles -- submarines that carry Tomahawk missiles on its
way to the Middle East there.

So, certainly, we watch and see how Iran may respond to all of this once
the president touches down within the hour, Bret.

BAIER: Mark Meredith live in West Palm Beach, Florida. Mark, thanks.

House Democrats will try to approve those $2,000 cash payments that the
president talked about tomorrow on the House floor essentially daring
Republican members to object to the measure, the increase. It's shaping up
to be a busy Christmas Eve day on Capitol Hill. Correspondent David Spunt
is covering it all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In Washington,
the Congressional clock moves slow and that speed may make for a bumpy two
weeks ahead. Some of President Trump's fiercest opponents say sending
$2,000 checks will be a breeze.

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeting: Let's do it.
Rashida Tlaib and I already co-wrote the COVID amendment for $2,000 checks,
so it's ready to go. Glad to see the president is willing to support our
legislation.

Moving from 600 to $2,000 direct Payments would increase the cost of the
package by roughly $370 billion.

SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): The ball is in his court right now. I want to
make certain that we have targeted relief to individuals that are in
desperate need of help.

SPUNT: Under the Constitution, the president has 10 days not including
Sundays to either sign or veto a bill, that puts the calendar past the end
of the 116th Congress, which adjourns on January 3rd.

If the president does not get the bill today, he could enact what's known
as a pocket veto, where he takes no action and the bill dies.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): I hope he vetoes it. But the only way I would vote
for any spending or any additional spending is if it take -- if it came out
of existing spending.

SPUNT: The Senate has a veto proof majority, but the Georgia runoff is less
than two weeks away and that could either extend or extinguish Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's power.

While a throng of Democrats are welcoming the president's $2,000 sticking
point, not all are so quick to embrace him.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): He should not be doing this right now when his
own Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was involved in the negotiations from
beginning to end. He is literally trying to burn this country down on his
way out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPUNT (on camera): Bret, you mentioned tomorrow the House meeting, it's
going to be a very brief meeting. It's called a pro forma session, will
take just a few minutes, it's a formality. There will be a motion to
introduce those $2,000 checks to anxious Americans, as you said a way for
Democrats to dare Republicans to block it.

But right now, there's no indication whether or not any Republicans may do
that. After all, it only takes one to block that measure, Bret.

BAIER: A lot of news Christmas Eve, Christmas Day into the weekend. David,
thank you.

Stocks were mixed day, the Dow gained 114, the S&P 500 rose 2-3/4, the
NASDAQ dropped 37.

President-Elect Joe Biden continues to call a federal tax probe into his
son Hunter's business dealings, Russian misinformation. And now, new
reporting that Hunter may still have holdings in the Chinese company.
Here's correspondent Jackie Heinrich with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In October
2019, then candidate Joe Biden promised to deliver a "Squeaky clean,
transparent administration" just hours after his son Hunter stepped down
from the board of a Chinese private equity firm pledging no foreign deals
if his father won the White House.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: No one in my family or
associated with me will be involved in any foreign operation, whatsoever
period, end of story.

HEINRICH: 14 months later, 28 days till inauguration, the President-Elect
son still has a 10 percent stake in the company he distanced himself from,
BHR.

A source close to Hunter indicated he's in the process of offloading his
investment pointing to a Washington Post article from this summer. But the
Biden transition did not say whether the president-elect has taken new
steps to make good on his promise to keep his family free of foreign
entanglements.

The revelations over hundreds continued overseas investments come amid a
criminal probe of his tax affairs, which Biden's yet unnamed Attorney
General will oversee.

And it follows a Republican led Senate inquiry that found Hunter leveraged
his last name for a board seat at a Ukrainian energy firm while his father
as vice president led anti-corruption efforts in the country.

The Senate report didn't accuse Joe Biden of wrongdoing and just before
leaving office, Attorney General Bill Barr said he saw no need for a
special counsel.

WILLIAM BARR, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think to the extent that
there's an investigation, I think that it's being handled responsibly and
professionally currently within the department.

HEINRICH: Biden took no questions from reporters announcing his pick for
Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, a Puerto Rican educator born in
the projects who Biden lauded as brilliant, qualified and tested.

BIDEN: It's a cabinet that looks like America, taps into the best of
America.

MIGUEL CARDONA, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION NOMINEE: Being bilingual and
bicultural and as American as apple pie and rice and beans. For me,
education was the great equalizer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH (on camera): Questions remain about the scope of Hunter Biden's
federal tax probe. The Wall Street Journal reports: Hunter's business
affiliates wanted to harness his ties to Washington elites to facilitate
deals and stave off legal trouble, Bret.

BAIER: Jacqui, thank you.

Tonight's NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston
Rockets has been postponed because they don't have enough players. Three
Houston Rockets players have returned coronavirus tests that were either
positive or inconclusive, four other players are quarantined at this time
after contact tracing.

On COVID, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says every United Kingdom
traveler to New York will receive a home visit from his sheriff's deputy
enforcing quarantine orders. This comes as officials in Britain decide
whether or not to impose tighter restrictions within the country.

Senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot has our overseas COVID-19
roundup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG PALKOT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice
over): Clashes in England over COVID-19 restrictions. Truck drivers
battling with police at the Port of Dover. They've been held there for two
days when France banned travel from the U.K. triggered by a new strain of
virus here, most now agreed truckers can travel if they test negative for
COVID-19. With thousands of trucks backed up, it could take days for all to
roll.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's the point why the people are protesting
because we just won't make the test and just go straight to home.

PALKOT: This as the lockdown in the U.K. tightens, health officials calling
for broader measures throughout the country starting this weekend. Right
now, London and surroundings are shut. Some supermarkets are rationing
items amid fears they could run out.

Despite vaccination since last week, coronavirus infections and deaths are
soaring, all fueled by that more contagious COVID-19 mutant strain which
seems to affect young people more than before.

NEIL FERGUSON, EPIDEMIOLOGIST, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON: As far it has
changed in some way, which doesn't particularly target children, just makes
children more like adults.

PALKOT: And it's now revealed there could be yet another coronavirus
mutation this time from South Africa. Two cases have been detected in the
U.K. prompting new measures and concerns.

MATT HANCOCK, U.K. HEALTH SECRETARY: That is yet more transmissible, and it
appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been
discovered in

the U.K.

PALKOT: The COVID variants are showing up in other countries including
possibly the U.S. New York Governor Cuomo demanded airlines test passengers
from the U.K. Now, New York City Mayor de Blasio is ordering those
quarantine checks on travelers by officials.

BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: We cannot take chances with anyone
who travels particularly folks traveling in from the U.K.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PALKOT (on camera): Still, travel around the world is expected to spike
during the upcoming holidays, spiking also afterwards is feared COVID-19,
Bret.

BAIER: Greg Palkot in London. Greg, thank you.

Up next, how President Trump's demands to modify the COVID relief bill are
complicating those runoffs -- the Senate runoffs in Georgia, we'll head
there.

And later, how the pandemic is changing the way you and your coworkers are
celebrating the holiday season.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the online world, it still can be very personal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The beauty of Zoom is that if somebody does drink too
much or is too talkative, we do have the mute button.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Today, a federal judge blocked a last-minute Trump administration
rule aimed at curbing drug prices from taking effect on January 1st.

The rule was challenged by drug industry trade groups. The judge ruling the
administration had rushed the rule without giving the public a chance to
comment.

Today marks the last day of Bill Barr's tenure as U.S. attorney general
under President Trump. In a statement, Barr called serving a "great honor"
or also praising the work of the men and women at the Justice Department.

Barr previously served in the same role under George H.W. Bush. President
Trump has already named Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to be acting
A.G.

We are less than two weeks away from the Georgia Senate runoffs. January
5th. That will determine which party controls the chamber. And each day
closer to Election Day, it seems the more complicated this campaign becomes
on the issues.

Correspondent Jonathan Serrie explains tonight from Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motion to concur is agreed to.

JONATHAN SERRIE, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After
celebrating the passage of a coronavirus relief bill, Georgia's Republican
senators now have to respond to the president's demands lawmakers increase
payments to individuals.

SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-GA): I'll certainly look at supporting it if it
repurposes wasteful spending toward that. Yes.

SERRIE: In an ironic twist today, Senator Kelly Loeffler's democratic
challenger, Rafael Warnock, said, "Donald Trump is right, Congress should
swiftly increase direct payments to $2,000.

But Republicans are attacking Warnock over newly surfaced police video of a
domestic call back in March, in which his now ex-wife accused him of
driving over her foot during an argument over divorce papers.

OULEYE NDOYE, EX-WIFE OF RAPHAEL WARNOCK: I've tried to keep the way that
he acts under wraps for a long time. And today, he crossed the line.

REV. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE OF GEORGIA: I barely moved
and all of a sudden, she's screaming that I ran over her foot. I don't
believe it.

SERRIE: Medical professionals found no evidence of injury and police filed
no charges. Warnock spoke with local reporters about the incident shortly
after it happened.

And as Republicans revisit the case, a Warnock campaign spokesperson tells
Fox News, "This is desperate and shameful. Kelly Loefler has spent her
entire campaign attacking Reverend Warnock and has now stooped to a new low
of attacking his family."

With early voting in its second week, Georgia's top elections official told
a state legislative hearing on ballot security, he wants the authority to
hold county elections officials accountable.

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, SECRETARY OF STATE, GEORGIA: I need to have the ability
to fire election officials and boards that consistently fail their voters."

SERRIE: To better secure a future election, Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger wants to replace signature verification with a more objective
state I.D. requirement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERRIE (on camera): And Bret, in future elections, Raffensperger also wants
to require those requesting absentee ballots to provide a reason. He says
that the current no-excuses absentee voting system is overwhelming local
elections offices which are already required to provide three weeks of
early voting.

He says that three weeks is plenty of time for most Georgians to find a way
to get to the polls. Bret.

BAIER: Jonathan, the defense industry, big deal in Georgia, the military.
Will both GOP senators vote to override President Trump's veto of the
national defense spending bill?

SERRIE: Yes, I reach out to both campaigns and I'm still awaiting a
response to them. You know, senators Loeffler and Perdue really have to
walk a fine line in this situation. While this defense bill is crucial to
Georgia's military families, President Trump remains hugely popular among
Republican voters here in Georgia.

Bret, as you can imagine though Georgia Democrats have wasted no time
playing up this dilemma in their campaign messaging. Bret?

BAIER: Yes, very complex. Jonathan Serrie live in Atlanta. Jonathan,
thanks.

Up next, progressives are fuming at President like Joe Biden. We'll explain
why.

First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are
covering tonight. Fox 2 in Detroit where a lawsuit has been filed against
Black Lives Matter activists stemming from violent protests throughout the
year.

The city claims group members participated in civil conspiracy defame the
mayor and police and it contends that the city should be awarded damages
from Black Lives Matter.

Fox 28 in Columbus, Ohio where there's ongoing fallout after a police
officer shot and killed a black man holding a cellphone early Tuesday. The
officer's body camera was not activated before the incident, but because of
a "look back" feature, the shooting was captured without audio. The officer
has been suspended pending an investigation.

And this is a live look at New York from our affiliate there, Fox 5. You
can see the skating below there. The big story tonight. More residents left
the Big Apple over the last year than from any other state. Leaving New
York City and New York State, according to preliminary census data, over
125,000 people left New York City.

If the numbers hold, New York could lose a seat in the House of
Representatives, dropping it to 26. That would leave the Empire State with
fewer seats than Florida for the first time ever.

That's tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from Special Report. We'll
be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: President-elect Joe Biden is backing off his campaign promise that
sweeping immigration and border policy changes will occur on his first day
in office. The about-face is drawing sharp criticism from progressives in
his party.

Here is national correspondent William La Jeunesse with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: If I'm elected president, we're going to immediately end Trump's
assault on the dignity of immigrant communities.

WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE, FOX NEWS CHANNEL NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over):
That was candidate Biden. Now, as president-elect, he is saying something
else.

BIDEN: It will get done, and it will get done quickly. But it's not going
to be able to be done on day one.

LA JEUNESSE: Tuesday in Wilmington, Biden walked back a number of promises.

BIDEN: This is the first president in history of United States of America
that's anybody seeking asylum has to do it in another country.

The last thing we need is to say we're going to stop immediately the, you
know, the access to asylum the way it's being run now and end up with 2
million people on our border.

LA JEUNESSE: During the campaign, Trump repeatedly warned, Biden's
immigration plan would lead to a surge of immigrants.

TRUMP: Immediately suspend all removals, triggering a tidal wave of, really
a flood, if you think, a flood, all across our border.

LA JEUNESSE: Critics accuse Trump of hyperbole. But today, the acting CBP
director said Biden's rhetoric already has consequences.

MARK MORGAN, ACTING COMMISSIONER, CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION: As long as
he maintains policies that he said he's going to do, we are absolutely
looking at a crisis. It's already happened.

LA JEUNESSE: Biden has backed-off promises to stop wall construction, end
the Remain in Mexico program, lift limits on refugees, end detention, end
metering at the border, and allow asylum seekers entry.

BIDEN: It's a matter of setting up the guardrails so we can move into the
direction.

LA JEUNESSE: Biden says he needs at least six months to build capacity
before enacting a more humane policy. While most immigrant advocates give
Biden a pass, Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar calls Biden's move a classic
bait and switch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LA JEUNESSE (on camera): Biden's dilemma is this. Migrants closely follow
U.S. policy. Any attempt to unwind Trump's restrictions threatened to
overwhelm the border by encouraging waves of Central Americans, a crisis
Biden witnessed in 2014 as vice president, and a scene some fear could
happen again. Bret.

BAIER: We'll watch this one. William, thank you.

With just two days until Christmas and limitations on gatherings,
workplaces are adjusting how they show appreciation for their employees.

Tonight, correspondent Rich Edson shows us how companies are modifying
their holiday parties and how those changes affect team morale.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICH EDSON, FOX NEWS CHANNEL WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After a
year of Zoom meetings with co-workers, what could be better than a holiday
celebration on Zoom with co-workers?

Though companies looking to enhance, the typical video conference have
options.

MARK MEISSNER, OWNER, PETIT PHILIPPE: We're hosting 33 couples and they get
these lovely little kits.

EDSON: Mark Meissner says his wine and chocolate shop in Charlotte sends
customers a holiday party in a box.

MARK MEISSNER, PETIT PHILIPPE OWNER:  They get this nice little package
that says here's your login information. Go to Zoom, this is your
connection. Please go ahead and chill your white wine.

EDSON:  Consulting Firm Challenger Grey and Christmas says this year,
nearly three quarters of company holiday parties are moving online,
featuring comedy shows, live music, trivia, or mixology classes. Here
SPECIAL REPORT, we mastered pasta making.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  The holiday party is one of the few times a year you
get to talk to your colleagues about something other than work.

EDSON:  Even with the online option, the consulting survey says fewer than
a quarter of companies are holding any party this year, down from more than
three quarters a year ago. Some businesses are using this as an
opportunity, like volunteering at a local food bank.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:  We know that in San Antonio there's a lot of families
that are really hurting right now, and not everybody has recovered by any
means. So we've discussed how can we give back to the community that has
served so well.

EDSON:  However a company decides to mark the 2020 holidays, human resource
professionals recommend still commemorating the end of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:  It's definitely a morale booster, and it's really
healthy for an organization to be able to have a celebration at the end of
the year.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

EDSON (on camera):  Zoom has announced its removing time limits on its free
service throughout the holidays, and today is one of those days. So I've
sent out my holiday invites. And oh, someone is here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  Merry Christmas. Oh, sorry. Wrong party.

EDSON:  Well, everyone else should be here soon. Bret?

(LAUGHTER)

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR:  Rich, thanks. Leland is always popping up.
Thank you.

President Trump just landed down in West Palm Beach. Up next, the president
vetoes, as we said, that defense bill, setting up a potential congressional
override, as you see the beast there in front of Air Force One. So what
does all of that mean? And could the COVID relief bill and the funding for
the government actually be vetoed next? The panel weighs in on all of that
as the president takes off her Mar-a-Lago.

First, beyond our borders tonight. The FBI has concluded Iran was behind
online efforts earlier this month to incite lethal violence against Bureau
Director Chris Wray and more than a dozen other U.S. officials with refuted
claims over widespread election voter fraud. Iranian officials called the
revelations baseless.

In France, three police officers were killed by a heavily armed gunman.
While responding early Wednesday to reports of domestic abuse, the gunman
is said to have shot at the officers without warning when they arrived.
Prosecutors say the suspect had undergone brief military training and was
an expert shooter. He was later found dead.

In Australia, four people have been charged with unlawfully lighting a
campfire that authorities say sparked huge blazes on Fraser Island in
October. The inferno ultimately destroyed more than 210,000 acres of that
popular vacation spot. The fire finally came under control earlier this
month after heavy rains helped firefighters contain it.

Just some of the other stories beyond the borders tonight. We'll be right
back. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:  It really is a disgrace.
For example, among the more than 5,000 pages in this bill, which nobody in
Congress has read because of its length and complexity, I am asking
Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to
$2,000 or $4,000 for a couple.

REP. KEVIN BRADY (R-TX):  Despite the process, which I think we all believe
is appalling, there is no question, this was a rout for the president. My
biggest worry of vetoing it is that this spending won't get smaller. It
will get larger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER:  The president wants the spending to get larger when it comes to the
direct payment to Americans. In fact, he has allies on the left. House
Speaker Pelosi says she's going to put it up for a voice vote. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez tweeting "Let's do it. Rashida Tlaib and I co-wrote the COVID
amendment for $2,000 checks, so it's ready to go. Glad to see the president
is willing to support our legislation. We can pass $2,000 checks this week
if the Senate GOP agrees to stand down."

Well, here's the problem, is that the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has
been involved in very complex negotiations with leadership over the past
few months. They came to this deal. Now the president seems like he wants
to blow it all up.

What about all this, let's bring in our panel, Byron York, chief political
correspondent for the "Washington Examiner," Amy Walter, national editor
for the "Cook Political Report," and Bill McGurn, columnist for "The Wall
Street Journal." Bill, let me start with you. Listening to the president's
speech yesterday, which he put out on social media, he kind of conflated
the spending for funding the government and all that's in there and the
COVID relief, but clearly was pushing this direct payment, which really
seems like it's going to be complex for Republicans.

BILL MCGURN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR:  Yes. It's not the first time he's done
that. I believe in the summer when negotiations were breaking down between
Mr. Pelosi and the White House, he said something that he wants more money
to go out. I'm in an awkward place on this because I didn't even like the
$600 payment, because I don't think it is going to do really do much. I
understand the reason people want to do this.

But let me point out two things, Bret, that are not getting enough
attention, both on the COVID bill and the NDAA. They've really put the
Republican candidates in Georgia in an awkward position because Senators
Perdue and Loeffler I think voted for NDAA earlier, and they opposed the
$1,200 proposal for the direct payments.

So now they face these charges of political opportunism. If they switch
their votes and take the opposite position because of Donald Trump, and
they don't want to get him upset because they need his support, they'll be
charged with hypocrisy. If they go along with it, they'll be charged with
just pandering to Donald Trump and so forth.

So I think it really puts them, given their past votes and past positions,
in a very awkward spot at the moment they would be better off without an
awkward spot.

BAIER:  Right. Amy, that's a great point on the January 5th runoffs in
Georgia. They are already tiptoeing through the tulips on the election
challenge by President Trump and his supporters, and now double barrel
awkwardness about overriding the president's veto on the NDAA and then the
checks, whether to get more money, who's not going to be for getting more
money?

AMY WALTER, NATIONAL EDITOR, "COOK POLITICAL REPORT":  Right, and they have
already been fending off attacks from Democrats that they didn't do enough
to bring COVID relief to Georgia immediately. After that vote, both
candidates went up with TV ads praising this vote that they took and the
resources that were going to come back to Georgia. Now, of course, the
possibility that they're going to have to, as Bill pointed out, either
stick with the original vote and vote to override the president, or try to
go through this whole complicated dance.

It seems to me, Bret, though, at the end of the day, the fact that the
president did get the one veto in on the issue that he's been talking about
for a long time now, which was his frustration about some of the issues
that were in the National Defense Authorization, naming or renaming of
military facilities that have confederate soldier names and some issues
with social media protections. But that has been something, I think, even
for Perdue and for Loeffler that was baked in the cake. They kind of
somewhat expected this to be coming.

This one definitely puts everybody back on their heels. But the other
thing, remember, Bret, it's not just the COVID funding, it's also funding
for the government, right, which would run out. So they need to continue to
keep the government and the lights on because those two issues, as you
pointed out, are linked in this bill.

BAIER:  Yes. We're talking a lot of things -- vaccination distribution,
unemployment checks, replenishment of the PPP program.

Byron, everybody, Republican and Democrat, thinks this process -- I think I
can say this -- stinks, as far as putting it all together, throwing it down
someone's throat, and a 5,600-page bill. When it happens like this, a lot
of people are upset by it.

However, the criticism of foreign aid, for example, being in the funding of
the government, the foreign spending including in the omnibus bill, Sudan,
Ukraine, Cambodia, Burma, Israel, Egypt. You heard the president talk about
this, the list of countries here. But the State Department and the USAID,
the president's State Department in its budget request said that the "2021
President's Budget requests nearly $41 billion for the Department of State
and USAID. These resources will position, continue to advance the Trump
administration's foreign policy agenda on behalf of the American people."
This is the request for $41 billion in foreign aid, and that gets
overlooked in all of the criticism about these bills.

BRYON YORK, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "WASHINGTON EXAMINER":  Well,
some of the things the president is criticizing are, as you suggest, things
that his administration wanted in the bill. As far as the $2,000 is
concerned, you think, why wasn't the president talking about this in
October? It could have helped him.

But now, now he said this. Nancy Pelosi says, oh, let's do it. AOC said,
oh, let's do it. And of course, Congress can do anything in the blink of an
eye if there is unanimous agreement, which there is not going to be, so it
throws the whole thing into chaos. And even no matter how corrupt the whole
process was where they put out an almost 6,000 page bill, give lawmakers a
few hours to look at it, and then they can vote on it.

On the Defense Authorization Act, the president has been threatening this,
but it got 84 votes in the Senate. It got 335 votes in the House. These are
not unprecedented, it's not unprecedented veto. Carter did it, Clinton did
it, W. Bush did it, Obama did it, Reagan did it. So it's been done in the
past. But with a margin like that, and Republicans and Democrats in the
mood to make a lot of changes, I think the president is going to lose this
fight.

BAIER:  Yes, the question is, quickly, Bill, just the logistics how it
works, if he just sits on it, it's called a pocket veto, because when the
next Congress gets in January 3rd at noon, everything goes away that was
done that wasn't finished on the last Congress. So this could be
potentially a train wreck on some of this.

MCGURN:  Yes. It's not clear to me what the plan is. The president is
certainly making himself felt. I agree with Byron. A lot of these are
legitimate questions, but to raise them two days before Christmas and just
three or four weeks between a change in administration, that is not the
time to do it. And I would say that's another thing with the NDAA over
section 230, affecting the big tech companies and so forth.

I think there are a lot of questions about 230 and I would like to hear
hashed out. There are criticisms on the right because of the obvious anti-
conservative bias that we see. And on the left, a lot of them just don't
like it because they think it's a big, wealthy company. And I think there a
lot of questions, we should have a debate. But I don't think the NDAA is
the place to have the debate. And the time isn't right before passing these
behemoth pieces of legislation and we're going to have a change in the
White House.

BAIER:  Yes. All right, panel, thank you. Stand by. President Trump has
issued 20 pardons and commutations. More, we're told, are coming on the
way. The panel weighs in on all of that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS, PARDONED BY TRUMP:  First and foremost, I would just
really like to express how grateful I am to President Trump for pardoning
me and correcting what I think and what I think many people now with the
overwhelming evidence out there would believe was a tremendous injustice
and something that should have never happened, not only to myself but the
2016 presidential campaign and the country as a whole. So I'm extremely
grateful. It's a tremendous moment for myself and my family, and it came on
the cusp of Christmas, so it made it even more special for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER:  George Papadopoulos getting a pardon from President Trump,
obviously wrapped up in the beginning of the Russia collusion probe. And we
may learn more about all of that when the Durham report comes to fruition,
whenever that is.

If you take a look at some of the pardons, the new ones, Duncan Hunter,
Chris Collins, Steve Stockman, those are former congressman pardoned. Tied
to the Mueller report, George Papadopoulos, Alex van der Zwaan. Blackwater
contractors pardoned as well for murders in Iraq.

We're back with the panel. Amy, it seems like the president has racked up a
number of pardons and commutations so far. We're told more to come. This is
a right of presidents to do, and they do.

WALTER:  They do. It's always this time of year when we have this
conversation, right? As a president, it's either at the end of the year or
at the Christmas holidays, these things tend to be lost in the moment, that
everybody is focused on holidays. And at the end of the president's first
term, in fact, what was fun about researching this today was to see how
many pardons presidents make on their final day in office, Bill Clinton
having the record. I think it was something 100 that he issued on his very
last day in office. So we should expect to see more to come.

And you're right. It's a constitutional right that every president has to
do this. And every single president is going to pardon somebody that is
controversial. In the case of the president, as you pointed out, many of
these are people who were linked to the Russia probe. And those members of
Congress that you mentioned, a couple of them were some of the first
endorsers of the president when he was running for office. The question to
me is, will any of the pardons going forward be ones that really do break
the norm? In other words, we've had some ideas floated about pardoning
people for crimes they may not have committed, for example.

BAIER:  Right.

WALTER:  So that would be the more norm-busting. The rest of this is within
a president's prerogative.

BAIER:  Or the protective pardon, if you will. Byron, thoughts on that?

YORK:  Well, I think it's pretty clear that the president wants to use his
pardon power to kind of erase the effects of the Mueller investigation. He
pardoned Papadopoulos, and he pardoned a real bit player named Alex van der
Zwaan who pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI. He has commuted
the sentence of Roger Stone, and he has pardoned Michael Flynn.

So I think the really big question going forward is, what is he going to do
with Paul Manafort, the biggest case and the whole Russian investigation.
All the others, Papadopoulos, van der Zwaan, Flynn, Stone, got in trouble
for things that were related to Russia and the Russia investigation. Most
of Manafort's crimes involved his own tax evasion and financial crimes. Not
clear what the president is going to do with that, but it is clear that he
would like to wipe away as much of the Mueller investigation as he can.

BAIER:  Bill, final word.

MCGURN:  Yes, I would just add that the presidential pardon power is one of
the most unlimited powers of the president. So he doesn't have to give any
reasons. It's one of the most extraordinary powers.

And the other thing is a lot of people are under the misimpression that
it's declaring you innocent. A pardon is forgiveness in a way, right. A lot
of people are guilty that get pardons. But it's there for a president to
exercise his power to maybe temper something in a case where justice has
been a little too harsh. The woman that he released from a life sentence
that spent 21 years in prison, and I think he was saying this is enough
time. And all presidents use that.

I think, to name a controversial one, that he gave to Scooter Libby, I
think originally when his case came he should have been given a pardon
simply as a check on federal prosecutors. That's partly why it was there. I
think the case against him never should have been brought. And you can make
an argument. That's part of the use of pardons. It's not saying you are
innocent. It's saying there were either mitigating circumstances, or the
justice was too hard, or there's no purpose in keeping this man or women
behind bars.

BAIER:  We'll see what else comes down the pipe. Panel, thank you very
much.

When we come back, the perfect stocking stuffer, and a final thought.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER:  Finally tonight, really quickly, every year I host a charity event
in Naples, Florida, to raise money for Children's National Health System,
the hospital, doctors, nurses that saved our son Paul.

END

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