Biden campaign previews former vice president's DNC acceptance speech

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Biden campaign previews former vice president's DNC acceptance speech

Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders joins 'The Story' on the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

This is a rush transcript from "The Story," August 20, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS HOST: Bret, we'll see you later. 75 days and counting until Election Day. Tonight, Joe Biden makes his official debut as the Democrat nominee for president and the standard bearer of his party. And you're looking at the place where he will do just that. Good evening, everybody. I'm Martha McCallum and this is “The Story” live from Wilmington, Delaware, where the former vice president will address his supporters a few hours from now.

Meanwhile, his opponent, President Trump, spent the day in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, about 15 minutes from Biden's hometown of Scranton, delivering a prebuttal ahead of tonight's main event. Pennsylvania remains a key battleground state in 2020, with the potential to single handedly decide this race potentially. Here's our own Bill Hemmer on that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: What I haven't talked about is Pennsylvania, so many times, Martha, we're going to keep coming back to Pennsylvania and the 20 electoral votes. That seems to be the key for Trump or Biden in order to get victory in 2020.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, let's take a closer look at Pennsylvania, where 20 electoral votes will be up for grabs come November 3rd and everybody is working on getting them already. President Trump edged out Hillary Clinton by less than one percentage point, very tight race last time around in Pennsylvania. On this day, four years ago, when you look at the polls, they looked like this. She was ahead by nine points in August of 2016.

So, let's take a look today. Joe Biden's advantage is smaller than that. He is ahead by six points, according to the Real Clear Average of polls. So tonight, senior advisers for both the Biden and Trump campaigns are here following the blistering critique from the president a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The only way they're going to win is by a rigged election. I really believe that. I saw the crowd outside. For the last four years, we've been reversing Biden's betrayals and delivering historic wins for the people of Pennsylvania. He wants to impose a permanent lockdown combined with a socialist takeover of the U.S. economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Biden Campaign Senior Advisor Symone Sanders joins me now. Symone, thank you. Good to have you here. I know it's a big night for your team as Joe Biden gets ready to accept that nomination. What do you think that he needs to really do tonight? And will he be addressing the kind of large, empty room that we saw last night for Kamala Harris, which was difficult?

SYMONE SANDERS, BIDEN CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISOR: Well, thank you for having me tonight, Martha. We are very excited to close out our convention with Vice President Biden accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

We're very, very excited about this. And tonight, Vice President Biden, this is about the people. You're going to hear him articulate his vision for America all throughout this convention. You have really heard us talk about we the people. We've talked about a more perfect union. We've highlighted stories of folks from across this country. We talked - and tonight we're going to talk about the promise of America.

And, yes, Vice President Biden will be not addressing a physical crowd in the room, but we are having drive-ins all across the country where people will be watching his speech in their cars. And we're doing that because of the Coronavirus COVID-19. Unfortunately, we could not be all together in Milwaukee, but we are organizing virtually, Martha, and there's a lot of excitement out there. And we're looking forward to this evening.

MACCALLUM: We're looking forward to it to0, Symone. And as we have been covering all of this week. When you look at Pennsylvania, which we started with in the conversation here, I remember when we were at the town hall, Bret Baier and I, with President Trump in Scranton, former Vice President Biden's hometown, there was a lot - there were a lot of union members and they were all talking about how they no longer support Democrats. They now support President Trump in Pennsylvania.

Also, obviously, there is lot of fracking related business in Pennsylvania. So, how does the Biden campaign reach back to those blue-collar voters who have - many of whom abandoned the Democrat party the last time around?

SANDERS: Well, look Martha, the folks that you are talking about, these are folks that Joe Biden grew up with. This is who he is. He often talks about his Scranton roots. And the way that we reached these voters much like the way that we reached young voters or progressive voters is speaking directly to the issues and that means really addressing the crises that America is currently experiencing. We have a public health crisis that has taken this COVID-19, has taken the lives of more than 72,000 people in America.

We also have an economic crisis. Folks are out of work. More than 60 million people have filed for unemployment insurance. And so, we feel good about our operation in Pennsylvania. As you know, Vice President Biden has spent a lot of time there. We will be back again very soon. This is very important to us.

MACCALLUM: But as you know, the way to reach those blue-collar workers is not the same way that you reach progressive voters. And a lot of people think that the Democrat Party has leaned too far to reaching out to the progressive voter.

We heard Joe Biden say that he will be the most progressive president ever in history if he is elected. So, I'm thinking about these folks in Delaware. I'm thinking about folks who are in those energy businesses in Pennsylvania and wondering what you're doing specifically to address them.

SANDERS: Well, Martha, the Democratic Party, as you saw this week, has a large tent. And what we have talked about throughout the course of this convention and frankly, throughout the course of this campaign is focusing on the people, talking about Vice President Biden and Senator Kamala Harris's vision for America. What we will do to make sure that we build back not just to the way we were before but build back better to create good union paying jobs.

Vice President Biden has laid out a whole plan to fix this. Now, the president, on the other hand, I believe every week is infrastructure week, but we have yet to see an infrastructure plan. Vice President Biden laid out his plan for a clean energy economy and infrastructure. And let me tell you, because you just said something really interesting, Martha. You said the way to talk to progressives is not the way to reach voters in Pennsylvania, if you will.

Well, in this particular plan that he laid out, the third plank, one of the planks of his build back better plan, that plan was lauded by climate activists, folks in the Sunrise movement, but also folks from IBEW and the UAW. Why is that? Because they know that Joe Biden's plan for a clean energy economy and infrastructure will create good union paying jobs.

MACCALLUM: What do you do if you're a Pennsylvania worker? I'm sorry, but--

SANDERS: That the plan is good for climate and addressing climate change. So that's the only point here--

MACCALLUM: So, what do you say Symone, I'm sorry, but we're talking over each other. But I do want to ask you one more question before we run out of time. What are you going to tell the voter who works in the fracking business in Western Pennsylvania, where there are probably 200,000 jobs in that area? And they say, look, I know that he says he's going to let the existing leases still be carried out, but what about the next one? On the next one, I'm out of a job.

SANDERS: Vice President Biden does not believe in banning fracking, that is not his plan. Our plan is a plan that creates good union paying jobs. It's also a plan that, yes, transitions us to a clean energy economy and it brings everybody along. So, look, this is not a - I think what we're setting up, what the Trump campaign, frankly, pardon me has set up as a false choice here. It's not, do we address the existential threat that is climate change in this country, or do we make sure people have jobs?

No, no, we can absolutely do both. And Joe Biden has put forth a plan to do just that. I'd like to see the Trump campaign's plan. I'd like to see the Trump administration's plan to do that. We haven't seen it yet, but I'll keep watching.

MACCALLUM: All right, lots more to talk about, so we hope you'll come back soon. Thank you very much.

SANDERS: Obviously, thank you.

MACCALLUM: Big night obviously for the Biden campaign as he, after 33 years, will get an opportunity and three runs at the presidency to actually become the nominee of his party. That's going to happen tonight.

So, bringing in Lara Trump now to speak with her. Lara, good to see you tonight. Thank you very much. Next week is obviously the big week for your campaign, where you're a senior advisor for the Trump 2020 campaign.

I want to take a look at a quote from Joe Biden, because there's been a lot said about his intellect and how sharp Joe Biden is or isn't. And he seems to be sort of trying to turn the tables on that conversation. And here's what he had to say when he addressed the DNC's Wisconsin delegation yesterday.

He said, when it comes to the pandemic, after months of failure, he just gave up. I used to think it was because of his personality, but I just don't think he can intellectually handle it. I don't think he's competent enough to know what to do. He just waved the white flag. What do you say to that, Lara?

LARA TRUMP, TRUMP 2020 CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISOR: Well, it's interesting to hear a critique like this from Joe Biden, because if we had listened to Joe Biden in the beginning of this pandemic, Martha, you remember that he immediately criticized President Trump, who stopped travel coming from China back in January to save lives in this country. Joe Biden called it xenophobic and fear mongering.

So, thank goodness we weren't listening to Joe Biden on that front. Look, it is not lost on anyone that Joe Biden is not the Joe Biden of eight years ago. He's probably not the Joe Biden of four years ago. There is a big question as to what is going on with Joe Biden's mental acuity. I am not the only person to suggest that. So, I think the onus is really on him when it comes to that.

MACCALLUM: All right. I want to play this from President Obama. And obviously, Steve Bannon was arrested today. He was brought in on charges that in a wire fraud scheme with relation to build the wall private partnership. And President Obama spoke about the president and those around him in his speech last night. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: They believe that no one, including the president, is above the law and that no public official, including the president, should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, what's your reaction given that big story this morning, Lara?

L. TRUMP: Well, I think there's quite the irony here, Martha. I find it very interesting that the media is in a frenzy over a story about Steve Bannon, who, by the way, was not employed by the Trump campaign, nor was he working in the Trump administration when these allegations of this illegal situation happened.

However, the media--

MACCALLUM: Well, he worked in the White House, so I mean they worked together. So, that's obviously why people are talking about it.

L. TRUMP: Let's talk about President Obama because we just heard a quote from him. Meanwhile, this week, what did we see? We saw that an active anti-Trump FBI lawyer pleaded guilty to fraudulent files that he put forward in order to make sure that it was acceptable for there to be illegal wiretapping on the Trump campaign by the Obama administration.

And that then propelled what we know happened next, which was the investigation into Russia, which was phony from the beginning, cost the taxpayers of this country tens of millions of dollars. And by the way, two years of our lives that we will never get back. Why are we focused on that? Maybe we should have asked President Obama to expand on that a little bit last night.

MACCALLUM: Well, we have focused on that story quite a bit. And the other story was also in the news today. So, why don't you get your reaction to it, given the relationship that did once exist with Steve Bannon? We'll see where that case goes. I do want to play today foxnews.com did an interview with Tara Reade. She has obviously brought accusations against Joe Biden. The Joe Biden himself has said that this never happened. But here's what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TARA READE, BIDEN ACCUSER: They're pretending that they're the upholders of the MeToo, like a shield, but meanwhile some of their main democratic elite, some of the main powerful people involved with the party are actually perpetrators themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Do you think that there has been hypocrisy on that at the DNC?

L. TRUMP: Well, it certainly seems like there's a lot of hypocrisy because you take the vice presidential running mate now of Joe Biden, who not too long ago said that she believed this young woman, that she believed Tara Reade, she believed the accusers of men and yet here she is signing up to be his running mate.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

L. TRUMP: Either way, there is absolute hypocrisy. Yes. I think most people would agree with that.

MACCALLUM: She said she would like to speak at the RNC next week, Tara Reade, she said she'd like some time there. Would your team offer it to her?

L. TRUMP: Well, I haven't spoken directly to her, but that certainly is a conversation that we could have. Absolutely. Why not?

MACCALLUM: OK, Lara Trump, we have a bit of a delay, so sorry for stepping on each other. Good to see you, as always. Thanks for being here tonight.

L. TRUMP: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: We'll see all of you next week. All right. So, the United States making an appeal to the United Nations today to restore virtually all of the previously suspended sanctions on Iran. It's called snapback, and it looks like it's going to happen.

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien joins me exclusively on that tonight from the White House. And the breaking news that the DOJ says they will seek the death penalty now for the Boston Marathon bomber, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stoking tensions with the United States, unveiling what he says are two new ballistic cruise missiles on the same day that the Trump administration makes a high stakes appeal to the U.N. to bring in snapback sanctions on Iran lifted as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Our friends in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, the E3 all told me privately that they don't want the arms embargo lifted either. And yet today, in the end, they provided no alternatives, no options. Instead, they chose to side with ayatollahs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Here now exclusively, U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien. Ambassador O'Brien, good to have you with us. So, back on the program tonight, obviously, this is a very big development. Thank you.

ROBERT O'BRIEN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Thank you, Martha.

MACCALLUM: And I just want to play just to remind everybody about the origins of the Iran deal. This is John Kerry who used his opportunity at the DNC to talk about that deal again. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We eliminated the threat of an Iran with a nuclear weapon. We built a 68-nation coalition to destroy ISIS. This is the bottom-line. Our interests, our ideals and our brave men and women in uniform can't afford four more years of Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, now you have the arms embargo, which looks like it's going to be lifted, and your reaction to that and to John Kerry the other night on the deal?

O'BRIEN: Well, Secretary Kerry's comments were ironic that and that ISIS was running a caliphate the size of Great Britain across Syria and Iraq when he left office. The Iran deal contributed to that. The precipitous withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, precipitated ISIS. Americans were killed, Sotloff, Mueller, Foley, Kasich, brutally executed by ISIS. And it took Donald Trump to bring justice to Baghdadi. It took Donald Trump to destroy the ISIS caliphate.

With respect to Iran, John Kerry and the JCPOA gave Iran $150 billion in sanctions relief. That was the Obama-Biden administration. Iran spent that money not on its own people, not to build a middle class in Iran. They spent it on terrorist activities in Lebanon and Syria and Iraq and Yemen. So, the JCPOA was no great deal. In fact, it was the worst deal, diplomatic deal since the Munich appeasement in 1938.

President Trump decided that the U.S. would not participate in the JCPOA which was just a mere political document. And so, the U.S. stop providing sanctions relief. The U.N. sanctions are separate and under resolution 2231, the United States has the right to call for snapback sanctions and to put the U.N. sanctions, the multilateral sanctions that were in place in 2015 back in Iran. And that's exactly what President Trump and Secretary Kerry did today.

MACCALLUM: Well, obviously, Russia and China want that arms embargo lifted. They do oil transactions and defense transactions with Iran, and they don't want to stop doing that any time soon.

The Chinese foreign mission to the U.N. said today the U.S. demand has no legal ground and common sense. It's nothing but a political show staged by the United States. It receives no support of the Security Council members and no acknowledgement of the international community. So, what's going to happen next?

O'BRIEN: What's going to happen is that the U.N. sanctions will go back in place. So, 2231 was drafted and the United States was listed as one of the parties that could snapback sanctions. And that was a protection for the United States. It was - that was built into the agreement and to the U.N. resolution 2231, that resolution's never been changed.

So, there may be part of U.N. member states that don't like what the resolution says, but the resolution gives the U.S. the right to snapback the sanctions and the countries that violate those sanctions will have a price to pay. And so, they'll be in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution and they'll be subject to sanctions themselves. We're taking this very seriously. No one wants to see Iran with advanced fighter jets, with main battle tanks or with more missiles. That would be a disaster for the region.

MACCALLUM: Yes, we'll be watching closely. I do want to ask you about one other topic, and that is Alexei Navalny, who is an opposition leader in Russia. And we have now seen a situation with him. He reportedly drank tea that was poisoned. He's very sick now. We've seen the Putin regime pull off things like this in the past with Sergei Skripal in London and we also remember Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned to death as well. So, what is the U.S. response to this story and this charge?

O'BRIEN: Well, it is very similar to the - especially to the Litvinenko case with the polonium that was put in his tea in London. And it's very concerning. I want to, first of all, wish Navalny a very speedy recovery. I understand that he may be going to Germany tonight for medical care, and we hope that that will result in his full recovery. He's a very courageous man. He's a very courageous politician to have stood up to Putin inside Russia.

And our thoughts and our prayers are with him and his family. We'll have to wait and see how this develops and we'll have to get evidence as to what happened. But it's extraordinarily concerning. And if the Russians were behind this, as they were with Skripal or other incidents of the like, and there have been more than that in continental Europe, it's something that we're going to factor into how we deal with the Russians going forward. It's very concerning. And we'll monitor the situation closely.

MACCALLUM: And he's a very courageous man indeed. One last question for you, because this caught my eye just before we went on air tonight. The Attorney General Bill Barr says that they will seek the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, whose brother was killed during the course of a shootout in the - after the Boston marathon bombing. Tsarnaev is now 27 years old and in prison. Your thoughts on that news this evening?

O'BRIEN: Well, I think we have to take a hard line on these types of terrorist activities. I applaud Attorney General Barr for the position he's taken, the Department of Justice has taken. That was such a horrific attack in Boston. And there are people that will never recover their legs, their arms. And, of course, they were mutilated by those horrific bombings. And of course, we lost. Americans, their families will never have them back in another Thanksgiving or Christmas or birthday. And so, it's right that justice is pursued. And I applaud Attorney General Barr.

MACCALLUM: He's responsible for the death of an eight-year-old boy, I believe he was at the time.

O'BRIEN: Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. Good to see you. Yes, indeed.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Martha.

MACCALLUM: Robert O'Brien. Thank you, Ambassador. Good to see you, as always.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: So, a shocking daytime assault against a retired New York City Police Department sergeant. This is midtown in daytime in New York. Now Democrats are being called out for turning a blind eye to this topic. Big city violence at the DNC this week. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: A horrific scene depicting the lawlessness that is playing out in the cities across America, this time it's in New York. Look at this, awful, unbelievable. This is a retired NYPD sergeant tackled to the ground, he was punched more than a dozen times.

And then the guy in the red jacket came back and kicked him in the head during an altercation that began reportedly when the officer asked, the retired officer, I should say, ask the man to stop panhandling in front of a store in midtown New York. That suspect, who probably didn't realize he was on camera during the course of this entire thing, look at this.

I mean, what is -- it's hard to imagine what goes through someone's mind, to be able to do that to someone. So, he was arrested a couple days ago and reportedly had a machete in his backpack, he's wearing a backpack in this image as well.

So, today, President Trump laid blame for what we are seeing in our nation's cities squarely at the feet of Democrats. Listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If you want a vision of your life under Biden presidency, think of the smoldering ruins in Minneapolis, the violent anarchy of Portland, the bloodstained sidewalks of Chicago and imagine the mayhem coming to your town and every single town in America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Joining me now is John Kass, Chicago Tribune columnist and member of the tribune's editorial board. He's been writing about this issue a lot lately. And John, it's good to see you again tonight. Thank you very much for being here. So, I mean, obviously --

JOHN KASS, COLUMNIST, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Thank you for having me.

MACCALLUM: Thank you. Obviously, the president feels that this is a situation that works to his advantage in the election and he's not shying away from using it in the way that you just heard. During the course of the whole DNC, we've heard not one mention of this, in fact, we've heard it downplayed when we've asked about it, what do you say?

KASS: I'd say that's a key to everything, I mean, clearly, Trump will take advantage of whatever he can, he's a politician and that's what politicians do. But the larger question for me is that the Democratic Party is under assault, the liberal Democratic mayors are under assault by the hard left and by criminal elements in their own cities.

And people, this is what people are talking about, Martha. This video that you just showed and the other stuff from Portland, the truck driver getting beaten half to death, that's what people talk about and they don't see any reflection of it in the national conversation at the Democratic National Convention.

And by not talking about it, you know, I always tell people to look at the negative space between, say, if you're watching dancers or prize fighters, you look at that space between the bodies and that tells you the story even in politics and the story  here is that Democrats are trying to avoid, very much so, what's on the mind of so many voters, particularly swing state voters, suburban moms that they are trying to target with empathy and all that.

MACCALLUM: Yes. You know, the suburban mom has been a big player in many elections, it referred to as the key security mom in recent elections and the polling shows at least at this point and we don't know how much we can depend on these polls after 2016.

But the polling shows that the president has lost ground with them. But I wonder if the Democrats continue to ignore what these moms see and feel in the big city that's, you know, 15 or 20 minutes from their house, if they will do so at their own peril.

KASS: You wonder when looters went out to the suburbs, suburban moms were trying to download police scanners on their phones, right? And look of the Democratic National Convention now, the Republicans aren't going to have a Steve Bannon day, OK? You are going to talk about that which hurts you.

MACCALLUM: Right.

KASS: But Val Demings is nowhere to be seen, maybe she showed up, the U.S. Representative and former police chief of Orlando or Carmen Best, the Seattle police chief that you had on your show just a few days ago and who resigned after her police department was defunded, she is nowhere to be seen. She's a strong -- they are both strong black women, women of color and that's what they are celebrating.

MACCALLUM: I think a lot of women relate to Chief Best and her frustration.

KASS: Yes.

MACCALLUM: I think they watch her and they see someone who is very sincere and who works hard like they do and they get it, they get her frustrations.

John Kass, thank you. Always good to speak with you, sir.

KASS: Thank you, Martha.

MACCALLUM: Great column today.

KASS: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: Good to see you.

KASS: Bye.

MACCALLUM: So, coming up next, another subtle nod to the Black Lives Matter movement. The letters on the shelves right behind Elizabeth Warren there spell out BLM at the DNC, and also the controversial take from one local leader talking about reparations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAWK NEWSOME, LEADER, BLACK LIVES MATTER NEW YORK: Now, if you want to talk to me about reparations, nothing falls short of a solution other than people cutting a check.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Burgess Owens when THE STORY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: We are back. Senator Elizabeth Warren giving a subtle nod to the Black Lives Matter movement with those three letters behind her when she spoke last night. An issue that is being tread somewhat carefully as activists who embrace the group more radical ideology justify the lootings that we've seen in Chicago and other places as, quote, "just reparations."

Here's how the BLM chair of Greater New York responded when I asked him if he agreed that looting is OK because it is reparations. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWSOME: Now if you want to talk to me about reparations, nothing falls short of a solution other than people cutting a check. If you want to do something about reparations, cut the check.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Cut the check. Cut the check, he says. Joining me now, Burgess Owens, Republican candidate for congress in Utah and a former NFL pro football player. Mr. Owens, thank you very much for being here tonight.

BURGESS OWENS, GOP CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS, UTAH: Hi, Martha. Good to talk with you.

MACCALLUM: I just want to remind everybody, thank you, it's great to have you here, sir. I just want to play the other sound bite from the Chicago BLM leader which prompted that part of our conversation. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL ATKINS, ORGANIZER, BLM CHICAGO: I don't care if somebody decides to loot a Gucci or a Macy's or a Nike because that makes sure that that person eats. That makes sure that that person has closed. That's reparations. That is reparations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Burgess Owens, what do you say about all this?

OWENS: Well, Martha, first of all, we are -- we are at a very clear crossroads and our country has a decision of which way we want to go. And I just spoken about with that some of our folks from the 100 years ago. Thomas Edison said ignorant free can never be. And the founder of Marxism cause and communism said the first battleground is rewriting the history.

So, we have one vision that says, we, the people are empowered by education and we'll give that power to the people. And the other side they said they want to power themselves by stealing our education, stealing our history which should not be a surprise.

And for those who can go to Google, you'll find out that BLM is nothing but a Marxist organization. So, we shouldn't be surprise by the message here. They hate, they hate God, they hate the family unit, the nuclear (Ph) family and they hate capitalism. So of course, they are going to feel this way.

And I will say this, too, we are 100 days now into all this mayhem and death, black business owners going out of business, and black people being killed in the streets of Chicago across the board. It's time that good people, do your homework.

If you're not able to pass the emotion, go to Google and find out who you're supporting, what these people then you're complicit at the end of the day. We don't need pity, we don't need guilt, we need courage and some backbone.

Our country needs to stand up. And black -- the black community needs to have people that understand our history and do not feel sorry for us, but give us an opportunity to go out there and live our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness like everybody else. And we have organizations like this, an antifa, the arms of the Democratic party, they're all black, they all wear their mask because they're coward bullies and they destroy everything that they touch including the black community.

So, it's time for us to get past the emotion, it's not about emotions now. It's about learning that we need to fight for our country against these Marxists and these bullies and cowards that's destroying everything they touch. And we can't stand by and let this happen.

MACCALLUM: What do you say to those who say look, I'm not about that, you know, I'm not a Marxist, and I'm not interested in even reparations, you know, people who say I just want to make sure that police are not abusive to people when they are arresting them, what do you say to them when they, you know, wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt or carry a sign?

OWENS: What I'm saying is that we are now past the point of letting emotions drive this. For those who to educate ourselves, understand that we have a lot of good people in our police force. So, if we have the radical left telling us that police are bad, ask the black people in these communities what they think about the police force.

And by the way, I think this is a very good moment for us if those who, if solve (Ph) by education, my suggestion is that we take the next two weeks, talk to your good friends that are Democrats and independents, make a deal with them that if you're willing to watch CNN, MSNBC and they are willing to watch Fox. For two weeks. And let's see what the truth, how the truth kind of resonates. Because good people don't want to be lied to.

And you're starting to realize that those who watch those other channels are not getting any part of the truth, then they will come about and realize that our country is not as bad as they want to make it and that we truly can come together, Democrats, independents, and Republicans and fight for our kids future. And it's not in the devious, dark side of the radical left, it's not there.

MACCALLUM: Yes. Well, I would agree with you on part of that, I think people that criticize us don't really watch and don't see the shows and don't listen to the questions that we're asking.

So, Burgess Owens, thank you.

OWENS: Thank you, Martha.

MACCALLUM: Good to see you as always, sir.

OWENS: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

MACCALLUM: Have a good night.

So, coming up, we got a treat for you. Dana Perino is going to be here on the message that Joe Biden needs to deliver tonight plus a special edition of our quote of the night coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Joe Biden is now hours away from accepting the Democrat nomination for president. We expect more than 100 cars outside Wilmington Chase Center behind me to provide a drive-in movie style audience for the former vice president, who will take to that outdoor stage with so far, the message of that speech, very much under wraps tonight.

Joining me to talk about it, Dana Perino, host of The Daily Briefing and co-host of The Five. We'll be together later tonight covering all of this.

Dana, you know, when you look back at the 30-plus year journey, the determination of a young Joe Biden to become a senator, to become a president, this has been what he's wanted his whole life and this moment has finally arrived for him.

DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS HOST: It's interesting you say that because I was thinking about what I would say on your show tonight and this is my hope for him, that he can enjoy the moment and own the moment and not worry about all the things that happened in the past or what might happen in the next 70 days.

But tonight, for himself, to recognize this accomplishment, the fact that he beat back a lot of opponents during that primary and that he has a chance now to address the nation and the Democrats that are going to be voting for him in a way that tells them that he is here for them and he is going to be for the future. And we'll maybe hear a little bit more about the future rather than just Donald Trump because we've heard a lot about Donald Trump in the last few days.

But my hope for him is that he can really seize this president and not worry too much about the past or the future.

MACCALLUM: Yes. I mean, you know, so much of his history when you look back at his life is marked by the grief that he experienced as a young brand-new senator, tragically lost his wife and his daughter, then he went on to raise his two sons with the help eventually of Jill Biden who is still by his side and then he lost his son Beau when he was thinking about running for president again.

But it seems to me that tonight he has to have a message that is hopeful, you know? That shows that hopeful side of him and sells it, frankly.

PERINO: Well, in addition to hope, maybe it's also about resilience. Because somebody who is gone through that kind of tragedy in their life and bounce back and come through it and continues to put one foot in front of the other, Dr. Jill Biden the other night talking about how she watched him shave, put on his suit and get back to work after Beau died, and that that's who he is.

And I also think that having read Dr. Biden's book, I was really taken by the love story and the importance of family and the traditions and also he is quite, like a fun guy, right, he has friendships all across the country and across the aisle and they've shown that. But also, tonight, Martha, can he talk to the younger people?

He's an older president -- or excuse me -- older vice president, now wants to be president, an older person wanting to lead a really young party. And I'm interested to see how he does it, the sort of language he uses to reach out to them, he can't pretend to be hip and happening. But he can reach out to them in a way that encourages them to do what they've been saying this entire convention which is to try to get out the vote.

MACCALLUM: Yes. I, for one, you know, just having covered this whole week, you and I, I'm relieved that they have cars behind me and that there's going to be a drive-in atmosphere here. I think that last night was so difficult in that empty room and we're just watching the cars pull in here. I think, you know, I think it looks like a good idea, we'll see how it works.

PERINO: Yes. It's a little bit of -- it's challenge but I think they've done as best as they could and I look forward to hearing his speech tonight. But we miss you down here, Martha.

MACCALLUM: I know. I wish you were all up here.

PERINO: Yes.

MACCALLUM: But I look forward to seeing you tonight, Dana.

PERINO: Thanks.

MACCALLUM: So, before Joe Biden steps into the spotlight -- thanks, Dana -- and accepts that nomination for president, let's take a look back at some of his predecessors and their messages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I accept your nomination.

FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I accept your nomination.

FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: I accept the nomination of the Democratic Party.

I believe that the times require imagination, to the starting spirit regardless of party, to all who respond to the (Inaudible) call, be strong and of good courage, be not afraid.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Build a great society. A place where the meaning of man's life matches the marvels of man's labor.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to have faith again, we want to be proud again. We just want the truth again. It's time for the people to run the government and not the other way around.

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE: If Mr. Reagan wants to re-run the 1980 campaign, fine. We are fighting for the American future. And that's why we are going to win.

FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MICHAEL DUKAKIS: If anyone tells you that the American dream belongs to the privileged few and not to all of us, you tell them that the Reagan era is all of us.

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: We've got some change to do, too. There is not a program and government for every problem. We are too divided.

When we are united, we are unstoppable. Seize this moment, make it exciting and energizing and heroic to be American again.

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: If you entrust me with the presidency, I know I won't always be the most exciting politician. But I pledge to you tonight, I will work for you every day and I will never let you down.

JOHN KERRY, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty. I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war and here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising, and our middle class are shrinking. People are working weekends, two jobs, three jobs and they're still not getting ahead.

OBAMA: It's time for us to change America. This election is our chance to keep in the 21st century the American promise alive.

H. CLINTON: So, let's keep going, let's keep going until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves to have.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, you know what, it's so interesting watching that, who are the winners in that group? President John Kennedy, President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton. The ones who were challenging to the American people and presented an uplifting voice for the future and that is what it takes, generally, to win presidential elections.

So that is the challenge that is out here before Joe Biden and will be out there before President Trump when he takes the stage next week. So, we'll be there tonight obviously, covering all of it for you.

That's “The Story” part of the evening for this Thursday, August 20, 2020. But it is always the story that continues. I'll see you back here as I said tonight at 10 o'clock Eastern. Bret Baier will be with me of course for the main event. And our great cast of panel as well. Have a great night, everybody. I hope you'll spend the rest of it with us here at Fox News Channel covering the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

END

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