Deadly tornadoes leave at least 24 dead, 22 missing as severe weather strikes Tennessee
Workers are still searching debris for more bodies two days after the deadly tornadoes ripped through central Tennessee; Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan reports.
This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," March 4, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
LISA KENNEDY MONTGOMERY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Ad it's OK to publicly sneeze shame people who won't covering their mouths when they sneeze.
GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Yes, now they worse in this. Not in Tuesday.
JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Shamming is --
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL POLITICAL ANALYST: Oh no, I like -- I like the Wuhan foot shake. That's it for us. Set your DVRs. Never miss an episode of THE FIVE, of course not. And "SPECIAL REPORT" with Bret Baier, up next.
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Bret Baier. We are coming to you tonight from Fox News World Headquarters in New York. Breaking tonight, we are following three major stories.
Vice President Pence as you just saw, saying he has great hope for great progress in expanding coronavirus testing throughout the country. The vice president just finished briefing the media in the White House briefing room.
The House has approved an emergency spending bill as two more Americans die from the virus. We'll have details shortly.
In the presidential race, you can call it consolidation Wednesday after a dramatic Super Tuesday for Democratic presidential candidates. But we begin tonight leading off with a rare and stern rebuke from the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court to the Senate minority leader.
It comes as the high court jumps back into the abortion debate. Fox News chief legal correspondent and anchor of "FOX NEWS @ NIGHT", Shannon Bream, has the specifics, and it was rare. Good evening, Shannon.
SHANNON BREAM, FOX NEWS CHANNEL ANCHOR: Yes, that's the right word for this, Bret. And it started when the Senate's top Democrat Chuck Schumer said this at a rally outside the Supreme Court as the justices were hearing a heated abortion case inside, "I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."
Well, that prompted this response from Chief Justice John Roberts, "Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All members of the court will continue to do their job without fear or favor, from whatever quarter."
And just moments ago, a spokesperson for Schumer said his comments, "we're a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court, and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision."
Only then accused Roberts of not taking -- of taking sides for not calling out President Trump for his comments last week. The Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor should have to recuse themselves after they made comments about the president. And it all comes against with backdrop of a high profile abortion case argued today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BREAM: From the moment Donald Trump won the presidency, the left has been warning that his appointments to the Supreme Court would be aimed at one thing, overturning Roe v. Wade.
Today, the justices including two appointed by the president, heard the case of a Louisiana law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinics.
In 2016, the Supreme Court struck down similar portions of a Texas law. Justice Ginsburg questioned the real aim of the Louisiana law and noted how challenging it can be for an abortion provider to gain the necessary hospital privileges.
"Abortion providers will never, if that's -- if they're not also doing obstetrics and gynecology, they will never qualify because their patients don't go to the hospital."
NANCY NORTHUP, PRESIDENT, CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: It's an underhanded law that is designed to bar access to abortion, which the Constitution guarantees.
BREAM: But there's a chance that justices may never get to the merits of the case. That's because none of the plaintiffs to the case are patients, instead, they're an abortion clinic and group of anonymous doctors fighting the Louisiana requirements.
Justice Alito spent several minutes questioning whether those doctors could appropriately challenge the very regulatory framework supporters say was designed to protect the health and safety of clinic patients, "You think that if the plaintiff actually has interests that are directly contrary to those of the -- those individuals on whose behalf the plaintiff is claiming to sue, nevertheless that plaintiff can have standing?
Pro-life advocates argue this case isn't about overturning Roe v. Wade, but instead about protecting women who do seek abortions.
KRISTAN HAWKINS, PRESIDENT, STUDENTS FOR LIFE OF AMERICA: I think this case boils down to who do you put first? Your patients or your profits?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BREAM: So, the court appeared split on this hot button issue with the possibility Chief Justice Roberts is the king -- key swing vote here. Decision is due by late June. Of course, that's right in the middle of an election year when the Supreme Court is guaranteed, Bret, to be a factor for a lot of folks out there considering their votes.
BAIER: Shannon, we just got that sound bite from Senator Schumer, you referenced early in the piece. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Now, for Schumer's office to say it was a reference to the political price Republicans will pay for putting them on the court and a warning that will unleash a grassroots effort, I mean, it's pretty pointed to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
BREAM: Yes. And he said you will pay the price. I mean, really the only remedy that he would have to go after them at this point would be an impeachment. Other than that, it sounded threatening enough to the chief justice that he thought it was something that needed to be addressed.
He very rarely does this, as we've noted. Now, he did say something to brush back President Trump, when President Trump referred to a judge as an Obama judge, because he'd been appointed by President Obama. The chief then, saying, we don't have Obama judges, or Trump or Bush judges. We're all just trying to do a neutral job and that's what the judiciary does.
So, another rare statement from him today, we don't get them often. Bret.
BAIER: That's right. Shannon, thanks so much.
Mike Bloomberg is out after just one primary night. One-off sure caucus when and more than a half-billion dollars spent on advertising. Roughly, $13 million per delegate, he received.
Elizabeth Warren is mulling her options tonight after a disastrous Super Tuesday that included an embarrassing third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts. Mayor Bloomberg is throwing his support behind a resurgent Joe Biden, left for dead by many pundits just week -- a week ago. Now riding a huge wave of momentum after a massive delegate haul on Super Tuesday including Maine, which was just added to his column this afternoon.
Maine, Bernie Sanders picked up the biggest prize-winning in California. National correspondent William La Jeunesse is in Los Angeles tonight. Good evening, William.
WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE, FOX NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bret. From 25 candidates, this race is effectively down to two: Biden and Sanders. While Warren reassesses her future, this has energized the Super Tuesday, the Biden campaign. And today he was here to capitalize on the win.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LA JEUNESSE: Joe Biden in California today thanking voters while seeking cash to fuel his campaign.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to bring together all Americans. And we did that, we showed that last night. That's why I entered the race in the first place, to unify this country. So, we welcome all those who want to join us.
LA JEUNESSE: From what many pundits called a near-dead man walking, to front runner, Biden's campaign shifted into high gear as Super Tuesday voters gave the former vice president a lead in delegates while forcing a rival to back down.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want you to all know that I am grateful to everyone who supported us.
LA JEUNESSE: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg ended his campaign today after spending more than $500 million. He pledged to help defeat President Trump and Biden said he would accept the financial assistance.
BLOOMBERG: I endorse Joe Biden, and I hope you will join me and working to make him the next president of the United States of America.
LA JEUNESSE: But Bloomberg out, Biden now owns the middle of a fractured Democratic Party. His victories in Texas, Minnesota, and Massachusetts, stunning even supporters.
REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): I did not expect that at all.
DONNA BRAZILE, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONTRIBUTOR: I've never seen anything like it in my life.
LA JEUNESSE: Biden's victory Tuesday marks a historic rebound. A week ago, his campaign stuck in third, beg for money. Today, he leads the delegate race in double digits.
But Senator Bernie Sanders is not far behind and is already headed to two campaign events in Michigan. A state he won in 2016, but currently trails Biden according to polls.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a campaign which is trying to bring and it is not easy. People who have not been involved in the political process.
LA JEUNESSE: The senator to California winning 49 out of 58 counties, riding the wave of young and Hispanic voters. Today, a new Sanders' add featured praise from former President Obama.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Bernie is somebody who has the virtue of saying exactly what he believes.
LA JEUNESSE: Senator Elizabeth Warren failed to win a single state. President Trump called her a spoiler.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Had Elizabeth Warren endorsed Bernie? You're talking about a whole different subject and that's not even a question. You're talking about a whole -- because he would have gotten 80, 90 almost. I mean, he would have gotten most of those votes.
LA JEUNESSE: Warren's campaign manager today said she needed time and space to consider her next step.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LA JEUNESSE: Sanders today cast, this is a battle between us versus them, workers versus corporations, rich versus poor. While Biden, of course, stressed that unity to defeat President Trump, who called Bloomberg a spiteful person, but said his billions would not cost rather sway the general election. Bret.
BAIER: William, thank you.
Our other major story breaking tonight, the latest on the coronavirus. Two more deaths being reported in the U.S., another in Washington State, and for the first time, a fatality outside of Washington, in California.
Vice President Mike Pence, who's heading up the administration's efforts just said to reporters in the White House briefing room, the administration is moving quickly to expand access to testing kits.
Correspondent Kristin Fisher was in the briefing room at the White House, joins us from the North Lawn. Good evening, Kristin.
KRISTIN FISHER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. Yes, Vice President Mike Pence just wrapped up another coronavirus briefing, something that's becoming almost a nightly occurrence here at the White House.
Earlier today, he was over on Capitol Hill, briefing Republican and Democratic lawmakers. And before that, back to back meetings here at the White House with the CEOs of companies and industries that are playing a critical role in containing the spread of the coronavirus. From the CEOs of nursing homes to diagnostic labs to all the major airlines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: I think where these people are flying, it's safe to fly. In large portions of the world are very safe to fly.
FISHER: As President Trump met with CEOs from almost every major American airline to discuss the steps those companies are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, he also shared what he's been doing to make sure he doesn't get sick.
TRUMP: I haven't touched my face in weeks. In weeks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I miss it.
FISHER: The airline industry is missing the billions of dollars in projected lost revenue due to the coronavirus. Airline stocks have plunged 27 percent over the last three weeks, and it's only getting worse. But don't expect President Trump to give the airlines a bailout.
TRUMP: Don't ask that question, please because they have an asset. So, I don't want you to give them any ideas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all in, we're here to help.
FISHER: Vice President Mike Pence solicited ideas from the CEOs of diagnostic labs about how to make coronavirus test kits available to anyone who wants one.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our objective is to make tests available broadly to the American public. You know, we want to make sure the American people can go to their doctor, can go to the local med check or CVS and obtain access to --
FISHER: The vice president, says the availability of testing kits is rapidly accelerating, and is on track for about a million tests a week, starting this week. The U.S. has lagged behind many other countries in its ability to test for the coronavirus. For the development of a vaccine is on pace to be the fastest delivery in human history. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The good news is we did it fast. The bad news is that the reality of vaccinology means this is not going to be something enough tomorrow.
FISHER: Dr. Fauci testified today that a vaccine is still 12 to 18 months away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bill is passed.
FISHER: One thing that was ready today, a bipartisan agreement on emergency coronavirus funding $8.3 billion. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, use the high price tag to tweak the administration from the Senate floor.
SCHUMER: This is very close to the amount that I thought was appropriate when I requested it last week, $8.5 billion. And it's more than four or five times with the administration originally requested.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FISHER: Now, tomorrow, Vice President Mike Pence just announced that he's going to be traveling to Washington State, which has really become ground zero for the coronavirus outbreak here in the United States.
And a few minutes ago, I asked him if he has any hesitations about traveling to Washington State tomorrow for his own personal health. His response, no hesitation whatsoever. Bret.
BAIER: Kristin Fisher, live on the North lawn. Kristin, thank you.
From coast to coast, the coronavirus appears to be gaining traction. Spurring widespread civic concern. Correspondent David Lee Miller takes a look tonight from New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID LEE MILLER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Eleven New York City area residents have now tested positive for the virus.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): The daughter is 14 years old.
MILLER: This afternoon, the governor announcing five new confirmed cases, all from a family who had contact with a 50-year-old lawyer who remains in stable condition at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on the city's west side.
As a precaution, two schools with the infected lawyer's kids attend to class have temporarily shut down, as well as a synagogue with a family attended services.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, says research and investigation prevent the virus from spreading.
CUOMO: Whenever you find a case, it's about containment. And doing the best you can to keep the circle as tight as possible.
MILLER: Authorities in Placer County, California, just north of Sacramento today announced that state's first fatality caused by the coronavirus. The elderly victim is believed to have been exposed to the virus while on a cruise to Mexico. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency.
HILDA SOLIS, SUPERVISOR, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: In the last 48 hours alone, the L.A. County Department of Public Health has confirmed six new cases of the novel coronavirus in our community.
MILLER: According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus is three times more deadly than the flu. At least, 10 virus-related deaths in the U.S. are linked to a nursing home in Seattle.
In South Korea, a member of the U.S. military along with his wife and child have the virus. Global containment efforts include canceling Friday prayers in Iran, and Italy schools are closed for two weeks.
And for the next month. All sporting events including soccer will take place without fans. In Japan, where nearly 1,000 cases of the virus have been reported, officials say there are no plans to cancel this Summer Olympics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MILLER: It is still much too early to calculate all the consequences of the virus. Even 007 is not immune. The producers at the next Bond film have postponed its release from April to November, setting what they call the global theatrical marketplace. The movie is called No Time to Die.
BAIER: OK. David Lee, thank you.
Healthcare stocks let a huge rally on Wall Street today. The Dow surged 1,173 points. The S&P 500 dropped or jumped rather, 127. The NASDAQ soared 334 today.
Fox Business correspondent Jackie DeAngelis is in New York tonight with analysis. Good evening, Jackie.
JACKIE DEANGELIS, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Bret. Well, on a day like today where the Dow finishes up almost 1,200 points. Its second-largest point game ever even when the coronavirus concerns are growing, it makes you question what's really been driving the market volatility?
Well, the virus definitely spurred selling, but fears happened to coincide roughly with Bernie Sanders, winning the Nevada caucus. Wall Street worrying that he was looking like the front runner.
But after Super Tuesday in Biden's upward momentum, investor's takeaway is that Joe Biden is back in the game and a Bernie Sanders nomination is not a slam dunk.
Now, with Mike Bloomberg also dropping out today pledging his support to Biden, a market assessment is clearing the field as a good thing. But what's ironic is that Sanders would be the one that Wall Street things would be easier for Trump to beat.
At the same time, Biden's more moderate approach would be what the market would want if a Democrat were to take the White House.
Also, being digested at this time, the emergency half-point rate cut from the Fed yesterday. Well, it's not a cure off for the market, it definitely will lend some support. Healthcare stocks rallying today, and that's because the market is less concerned about Medicare-for-All, that's a Sanders' proposal.
And big tech was hired too because Sanders has been vocal about severely regulating and even breaking up technology companies. Still, there's an amber light flashing, and that's the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury notes still hovering at all-time lows.
So, as investors buy stocks, they buy bonds too for protection, and it's a sign that the volatility may not be over just yet, Bret.
BAIER: Hold on tight. Jackie, thanks.
Up next, the U.S. launches a new attack against the Taliban just days after signing a peace agreement. Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: The much-celebrated peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban in Afghanistan may be in trouble tonight. The American military has launched its first strike against the terror group since Saturday signing ceremony. Correspondent Benjamin Hall has the latest tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BENJAMIN HALL, FOX NEWS FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. military has launched a drone strike in southern Afghanistan. It's first and 11 days after the Taliban carried out 43 attacks yesterday, 76 since the deal was signed.
It comes just a day after President Trump confirmed he had spoken directly with the leader of the terror group.
TRUMP: I spoke to the leader of the Taliban today. We had a good conversation. We've agreed there's no violence. We don't want violence. We'll see what happens.
HALL: But as the U.S. prepared to withdraw some of its 13,000 troops, there is growing concern by Republican lawmakers who say there is no specific language in the deal about a reduction in violence and no evidence the Taliban have broken with al-Qaeda.
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): So, I believe that the American people deserve to know what agreement has been entered into in our name with the terrorists who harbored those who killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11.
HALL: A concern that Secretary Pompeo addressed on SPECIAL REPORT.
MIKE POMPEO, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: We made it all public. There's no secrets ideals, members of Congress will get to see the two classified implementation military elements of this, but the deal is laid out there for the world to see.
I'm confident that over time, we're going to get to a better place.
HALL: At a hearing today at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary Esper stressed that they will be bringing the two sides back together in the coming days, while General Milley said that the recent attacks were not game-changers.
GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF: And of significance, there's no attacks on 34 provincial capitals, there's no attacks in Kabul. There's no high profile attacks, there's no suicide bombers, there's no vehicle-borne suicide. No attack against the U.S. forces, no attack against coalition. There's a whole laundry list of these things that aren't happening.
HALL: The Taliban are at their strongest since the U.S. invasion 18 years ago. And the Afghan government also fear that if U.S. forces leave, they will be no match for the resurgent terror group.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HALL: Inter-Afghan peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are scheduled to start on March the 10th. It's unclear now if those will even go ahead. Bret.
BAIER: Benjamin, thank you. Fox News Senior strategic analyst, retired four-star General Jack Keane, familiar face to all of you, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom next week. It's the nation's highest civilian honor.
Keane is a former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and chairman of the Institute for the Study of War. Congratulations to General Keane.
Up next, how the media are trying to dig out of a hole after throwing dirt on Joe Biden's presidential campaign just a few days ago.
First, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight, Israel remains in political deadlock as the final votes are being tallied from the third election in less than a year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party holds a solid lead, but fall short so far of the outright parliamentarian majority needed to form a government.
Greek authorities fire tear gas and stun grenades today to repulse a push by migrants to cross its land border from Turkey. Turkish authorities say one person was killed and five wounded by fire coming from the Greek side.
In assertion, the Greek government strongly rejects as fake news.
Japan's government has opened part of the last town that had been off- limits due to radiation since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, nine years ago. It's considered a symbolic move showing the region's recovery ahead of the Tokyo Olympics if they are going forward.
All 7,000 people in the town of Futaba were forced to evacuate when three reactors at the plant melted down after being damaged by a magnitude nine earthquake and tsunami in March of 2011.
Just some of the other stories "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Our "TOP STORY" at the bottom of the hour, former Vice President Joe Biden, a big winner on Super Tuesday. He won primaries from Texas to Massachusetts, even Maine today, reviving a campaign that was nearly pronounced dead by the media just a few days ago. Many in the media, at least.
Tonight, Fox News media analyst and host of Fox's "MEDIA BUZZ" Howard Kurtz, looks at how quickly things have changed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWARD KURTZ, FOX NEWS MEDIA ANALYST: It wasn't long ago after Iowa and New Hampshire that many journalists and pundits were writing off Joe Biden's campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he is on his way out the door.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like Joe Biden's campaign is collapsing or on the verge of collapse.
CHRIS STIREWALT, FOX NEWS POLITICS EDITOR: He's not going to be president. And it's very hard for him, I'm sure.
KURTZ: The L.A. Times said Biden was on "life support". Business Insider headline said, "Drop out Joe Biden". Other outlets called him toast. The former vice president had to urge voters to ignore the media chatter.
BIDEN: So, when you hear all these pundits and experts, cable T.V. talkers talked about the race, tell them, it ain't over man.
KURTZ: It wasn't over.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN: Joe Biden will win the Democratic presidential primary.
KURTZ: Many journalists were stunned by Biden's Super Tuesday performance as he racked up victories in 10 states.
BIDEN: Well, I'm here to report, we are very much alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's incredible. I've never heard of anything like it. I don't any of us have ever heard anything like it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It really is a shocking turn around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here is a guy who 10 days was dead. Joe Biden was done.
KURTZ: The media were convinced that Biden would be crippled by a lack of cash, while Mike Bloomberg could spend his way to Super Tuesday success. More than $500 million later, the former mayor dropped out today.
But news also acted as a megaphone for Democratic insiders who warned that Bernie Sanders could lock up the race yesterday and would likely lose to President Trump. That media message broke through with late deciders who broke for Joe Biden.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KURTZ: Joe Biden may be basking in the media spotlight, but he's the same candidate once derided for blunders and lousy debates. With Sanders still highly competitive, it would be a mistake for journalists to embrace a new conventional wisdom that Biden can't lose. Bret?
BAIER: Very true, Howie, very true. Thanks.
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been forced into a runoff as he attempts to win back his old Senate seat in Alabama. Sessions will face former college football coach Tommy Tuberville in the Republican runoff March 31st. The winner of that goes up against Democrat incumbent Doug Jones in November.
President Trump weighed in today, rubbing it in, tweeting "This is what happens to someone who loyally gets appointed Attorney General of the United States and then doesn't have the wisdom or courage to stare down and end the phony witch hunt. Recuses himself on first day in office, and the Mueller scam begins."
Workers are still searching debris for more bodies two days after the deadly tornadoes ripped through central Tennessee. The death toll tonight stands at 24, with at least 21 others still missing. Correspondent Steve Harrigan is in Cookeville, Tennessee, tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVEN HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Most of the deaths from the Tennessee tornado occurred here in Putnam County 80 miles east of Nashville. On Monday, Hensley Drive in Cookeville was lined with houses. By Tuesday, they were gone, replaced by piles of debris, debris that contains memories for one veteran.
CHESTER BUSH, COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE RESIDENT: I had a framed certificate of my Bronze Star from Vietnam.
HARRIGAN: Among the 18 dead here, five children under the age of 13.
RICKY SHELTON, (R) COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE, MAYOR: This is absolutely tragic and a devastating day for our city and county. I would first ask for prayers for the families affected, prayers for our community, prayers for our responders that are out there right now.
HARRIGAN: Bobcats, cranes, bulldozers plow through what was once a neighborhood, now a grid to be sorted and removed. Luke Carty and his wife lost their home.
LUKE CARTY, COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE RESIDENT: We don't know what the future looks like, but when you see other people lose people and you see whole families disappear, and we are fine compared to that.
HARRIGAN: No new bodies were recovered overnight. For firefighters and police, it is hard work physically and emotionally around the clock. Federal and state support is flowing in.
GOV. BILL LEE, (R) TENNESSEE: There is a lot of hope and rebuilding that needs to happen here. And already, we see members of the community coming out, saying what can they do to help.
HARRIGAN: The president also tweeting "I will be going to the great state of Tennessee on Friday. The USA stands with the people of Tennessee 100 percent, whatever they need. The tornadoes were of record size and velocity. God bless your loved ones and all of the families affected."
And in a rare moment, there is a small reward.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How is she doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the most part, OK. I don't think they its injured or anything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIGAN: That yorkie was actually stuck in the rubble for at least 34 hours. He seemed to be in pretty good shape. Bret?
BAIER: Steve Harrigan live in Tennessee. Steve, thanks.
The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court slaps down Senator Chuck Schumer. We will have reaction from the panel when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK SCHUMER, (D) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price!
(APPLAUSE)
SCHUMER: You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outside of the Supreme Court, talking about an abortion case, directing those comments directly to Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch, prompting a response by the chief justice in a letter. "Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All members of the court will continue to do their job without fear or favor from whatever quarter."
A Schumer spokesperson responded, saying "women's health care rights are at stake, and Americans from every corner of the country are in anguish about what the court might do to them. For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing's deliberate misinterpretation of what Senator Schumer said while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsburg last shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes."
So let's begin there with our panel, Bill McGurn, columnist for "The Wall Street Journal," Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at "The Federalist," former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr., currently chairman of RX Saver. Bill, thoughts on this.
BILL MCGURN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I thought it was a very crude attack, but I actually thought the response was worse. This cockamamie idea that Roberts had got it wrong. He is the same guy that said the intelligence community could get you six ways to Sunday. It was very inappropriate, and he doubled down. I'm not sure it hurts him in his constituency, but it is very inappropriate.
BAIER: Senator Sasse's office responding, Schumer's flaks are gaslighting. Schumer addressed his threat to Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh by name and literally pointed at the court. Check the tape.
MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": He clearly threatened, and it was a violent threat, and that's wrong to do that. It is also incredibly hypocritical. He says that if you speak in any way about judges, like a judge should recuse himself or herself because of a conflict of interest that that is inappropriate, and yet here he is actually threatening these people.
But more than anything, I think the problem should be that what we should expect of Supreme Court justices is that they faithfully interpret the law and the Constitution. This is an issue of whether the Constitution prohibits basic standards of care for abortion clinics. Chuck Schumer thinks that he would like the court to have a particular outcome that is extraconstitutional. And that threat to the Constitution is actually worse than any threat that he might be making.
BAIER: Harold, Shannon pointed out earlier in the show that Justice Roberts has responded to President Trump when he went after a federal judge, saying he was an Obama judge. Justice Roberts issuing a statement, saying there are no Obama judges or Trump judges. There are judges for the law. So this statement is, while rare, has happened before.
HAROLD FORD JR. (D) FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: We are at a low point when presidents, Supreme Court justices, and congresspeople are going at one another. There is nothing wrong with saying, Schumer to say I disagree with what you guys are going to do. I hope you pay attention to the law the way I see it. I happen to view it the way he does.
However, you can't incite violence. And one can make the case, whether he meant it or not, he is encouraging a kind of activity. The appropriate thing for young Justin Goodman, the press secretary, would have been, look, he didn't mean that. What he meant was this. But they almost sound like they doubled down on this.
And politics, there is nothing wrong with a little rough politics, but this is not the kind of politics that the American people signed up for it. And Democrat or Republican, pro-choice or pro-life, it was wrong of Senator Schumer to say that. I'm glad the chief justice shot back. And I hope if there are times where he's not calling balls and strikes, that Senator Schumer will call the chief justice and say please say something about this. But in fairness, he did say that about the judges when President Trump made his awful statement.
BAIER: Let's talk about last night. It looks like a two-man race, we will see. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am here to report, we are very much alive! We were told when we get to Super Tuesday, it would be over. It may be over for the other guy.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, (D) FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: I am glad to say I endorse Joe Biden, and I hope you will join me in working to make him the next president of the United States.
(APPLAUSE)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (D-VT) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, the media has been talking about for months, how do we stop Bernie Sanders? How do we stop a movement of working people and low-income people? How do we stop a multigenerational, multiracial movement which is standing up for justice? And what you do is you get candidates out of the race to rally around Joe Biden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Bernie Sanders still in, Elizabeth Warren assessing her campaign. Mike Bloomberg out. If you look at the delegates, Joe Biden, 566 as of tonight, Bernie Sanders, 501, 61 for Elizabeth Warren. Biden had a great night if you see the Super Tuesday wins by the former vice president. This doesn't even include Maine, yes, it does, there you go. It was called today. But he won Maine, Bill, and Massachusetts.
MCGURN: There is no way around it. No one predicted Joe Biden would do as well. I thought he would win maybe four states or something, but he did very well. It's also the perfect storm for him. South Carolina was always going to be his backstop. He had Mr. Clyburn give his endorsement, which counted for a lot. He not only won South Carolina but he won it big. Then he gave a very vigorous victory speech where he looked good, and then he went into Super Tuesday, the great benefit without a debate in between where he might embarrass himself. So it was a perfect storm.
And it completely flipped the narrative. A week ago if we were on here we would be saying how the moderates are splitting up the vote and giving it to Bernie. Now it is the progressives doing that.
BAIER: Right. What is Elizabeth Warren thinking, Harold?
FORD: Do I get out? If I do, I believe strongly in this progressive message. Is this the way to help Bernie Sanders? Bernie Sanders went on today and tried to lay out what he thought the party was doing to him. He needs to get over himself. The party change the rules for him a few years ago. He probably had a more legitimate argument a few years ago when the superdelegates were able to vote early, advantaged Secretary Clinton. I was for Secretary Clinton then. Make the case for why you think your message is best and your narrative and your ideas are the best America. Stop playing the victim.
You want to talk about victims in this country, people who are struggling to pay their light bill. My friends and family back in Tennessee dealing with devastation of a tornado. Those are the victims, not you because you're concerned that a few people got out of the race. Lay out where you want to take the country. Let Democrats have a choice. And if Democrats choose Joe Biden over you, you have to live with that. If Democrats choose Sanders over Biden, Democrats will have to live with that outcome as well.
BAIER: Bernie Sanders out with a couple new ads in states coming up. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I argue we should freeze federal spending, I mean Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Great passion and is fearless. Bernie served on the Veterans Committee and got bills done.
I think people are ready for a call to action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: You know he's going the distance when he has the Obama ad. He is staying in for the long haul.
HEMINGWAY: I think he's not ready to give up yet, but I do think it's really -- I agree that he needs to get over this in a sense, but he also needs to fight. The establishment really did make a decision that they were going to get behind Biden. And I actually want to give them kudos. Coming out of Nevada I think people really thought that they were in a bad place. They needed to do something big and they did it. It wasn't just that Biden had to win South Carolina, he had to win big. Clyburn coming out and saying we really need to have as much of the vote here as possible was huge. Having Pete Buttigieg get out, having Amy Klobuchar get out, all of these things mattered and contributed to this epic victory. And so I'm not saying it is over.
FORD: This isn't the establishment. This is basically those of us in the party who are capitalists. I believe that we ought to have a vigorous debate in the fall about a democratic form of capitalism which is reconstituted capitalism trying to help people where it doesn't work equally, and the capitalism on the other side. Socialism versus --
BAIER: So it was more of a scared of down ballot socialism?
HEMINGWAY: It wouldn't have worked if the people didn't think that. But I also think it is interesting that Bloomberg is out. We had years where people were saying a couple hundred thousand dollars and barely literate Facebook ads from Russians caused Donald Trump to win. Here you had a guy spend nearly $1 billion, and he went nowhere. It's a humiliating defeat for Michael Bloomberg.
BAIER: Let's just rewind a second. That is a great point. So Russia influenced the election with $200,000, $300,000 in Facebook ads. And Michael Bloomberg could not get more than 50 delegates and $600 million.
HEMINGWAY: And it hurts Bernie Sanders message, too, because he likes to say the billionaires control everything. Here, clearly Bloomberg having all this money didn't do as much for him as Biden having the media and the establishment behind him did. I would pick media and establishment over --
BAIER: But what he is getting upset about is the rigging talking about -- the establishment rigging it against Bernie. This is just an election. It is happening, and they are making decisions.
FORD: Exactly, and if you have better ideas you will prevail. With Bloomberg, and I like Mayor Bloomberg and was, frankly, in support of him. His challenge was how he performed in the debates. I think people saw these ads and they were looking for something different. And for whatever set of reasons, I thought he did a great job with you the other night down in Virginia, you and Martha, he was fantastic. If he had done that in the debates, we might be having a different conversation. Five days ago Joe Biden's campaign was not only on life support, we were all just ready to go to church and say it is going to be over here very soon. Now he's the frontrunner.
But we have got a ways to go. If you are Bernie Sanders, don't be a crybaby. Lay out what you want to do for the country. And if Democrats see fit to support you, they will. But I don't disagree with it. I hadn't thought about the Russia thing.
BAIER: Listen, we're going to wrap up. We'll look forward on the election after we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he is on his way out the door.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like Joe Biden's campaign is collapsing or on the verge of collapse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a path for Biden as like a zombie candidate. He's broke. He's been dreadful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He doesn't have a grassroots operation. So it's felt like a dead man walking campaign for a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Joe Biden completely collapsing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: To be fair, it did look like that, and pretty much everybody weighed in like that. We're back to the panel. I have not seen anything like this, the phoenix from the ashes of a politician. John McCain was a little bit like it in 2008, but not even, not like this.
MCGURN: I do agree with Harold. I think a lot of this is more anti-Sanders thing -- people combining to keep Bernie, and not just for the presidency but because they worried about the House majority with Bernie on top of the ticket. Again, I mentioned that perfect storm. Part of that was because people counted Joe Biden out, he didn't really face tough questions from the other candidates. They almost treated him like he was in a threat at all.
BAIER: A factor.
MCGURN: That is going to change going forward to. What I find interesting is he still invokes Barack Obama all the time. It helps him, I think. It helps him with the African-American -- but Barack Obama still has not endorsed him.
BAIER: And it doesn't seem like he will, Mollie.
HEMINGWAY: He is the zombie candidate, but he got new brains with Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg getting out. The question is whether they keep doing that with new people. How do you keep this candidacy going, because there were reasons Joe Biden didn't perform well in previous contests, and those things are going to come back. Those difficulties that he has, the lack of excitement, it will be more difficult to keep things going as well.
BAIER: I said last night, the Democrats look past all of that, and they just five him a pass because it is Joe Biden. Is that fair?
FORD: Yes. Voters feel like they know him. He was with Obama. He's been around a long time. He has chaired committees, national hearings. People have had an opportunity to vet him in their own way.
Which is why if you're Sanders, why didn't make the case today why you should be president, not how you were beat up on and done wrong by some Democrats? Biden, also, to your point, the anti-Sanders thing is about his ideas. It is nothing against him personally. So Biden now has to understand he has to deliver a message. The economy is moving in a good direction. How do you make the case that earning, owning, and working are good things, and Democrats can produce for people? That is the challenge for Democrats. And if Biden can do that, he can beat Sanders. If not, Sanders will remain a formidable force in the race.
BAIER: All the way to Milwaukee.
FORD: And I think it's making Joe Biden madder watching those commercials with Barack Obama. And it might be President Obama who will actually say where he stands in this race with all of this confusion.
BAIER: We will see. We will see. We are heading to Biden's boyhood home, Scranton, Pennsylvania, for a town hall with the president tomorrow. Panel, thank you.
When we come back, a really cool ride for a child with a debilitating condition.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Finally tonight, a boy gets a new set of wheels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I going to drive that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is yours to drive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's for you, bud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Five-year-old Brantley Volpel, who has spina bifida, loves big monster trucks. So when Monster Jam came to Portland, Oregon, Brantley's wheelchair rolled right into the driver's seat of a miniature version of his favorite truck. How cool is that? He took a few laps around in his new ride and loved it.
A quick reminder, tomorrow a 30-minute SPECIAL REPORT live from Scranton, Pennsylvania, followed by a town hall with President Trump, his first of the 2020 campaign season. I will be joined by Martha MacCallum for the questioning, and, obviously, all the people there will get the questions. Look forward to seeing you.
Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for the SPECIAL REPORT. Fair, balanced and unafraid. Here's Martha.
We've got work to do, Martha on the town hall.
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