This is a rush transcript from “Special Report," July 24, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Good evening, welcome to Washington, I'm Bret Baier.
Breaking tonight, the fight over getting back to school as schools come to the crucial decision about what will happen in just a few weeks.
The president's press secretary said today children should go back to school this fall even if future studies find they are transmitting the coronavirus with of course proper mitigation efforts by the schools.
The U.S. is now approaching 150,000 deaths and yesterday eclipse the four million cases mark. The World Health Organization reports global deaths rose by almost 9,800 in 24 hours, the largest single day increase since late April. And the number of cases rose by a record of almost 300,000 in one day.
A new poll meantime finds nearly half of Americans who family -- whose families have experienced a layoff during this pandemic now believe those jobs are lost for good.
All of this occurs as the president signs an executive order to get drug prices down. Correspondent Kevin Corke starts us off tonight live on the North Lawn of the White House. Good evening, Kevin.
KEVIN CORKE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. We're going to learn a lot more on Monday about what the GOP plans to do to get more money into the hands of tens of millions of Americans that need more stimulus money to get over to them, that is clearly on top of mind for a lot of people.
But as you pointed today, late this afternoon, the president made new headlines by once again wading into the prescription drug battle, this time hoping to save Americans a lot of money.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CORKE: By Signing a series of executive orders late this afternoon, President Trump today promised to slash drug prices across the country.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is an incredible day. This is just a big day; this is a big day. I've been waiting for this day for a long time.
CORKE: The order is open up America to more important, cheaper drugs, directs drug maker rebates directly to patients, provides insulin and EpiPens at a very steep discount to low income people. And allows the use of lower international prices to pay for some Medicare drugs. The order fulfills a pledge he made to voters as a candidate back in 2016 and could well help him in 2020.
The signings come with time running out for many out of work Americans whose lives could dramatically change after Saturday. That's when the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits from the federal government, pandemic unemployment compensation ends.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We feel that it's very important from the White House to address unemployment insurance in particular and in also money for schools and ensuring that the money for schools enable students to make school choices like actually going to a physically open school.
CORKE: The president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel do appear to be on agreement on one thing, and yes, there should be another round of $1,200 direct payments to Americans in need at a cost approaching $300 billion.
As for the White House suggestion that perhaps unemployment insurance be funded separately, well, Speaker Pelosi has a clear message.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): It's a tactic in order not to honor our other responsibility. This is deadly serious. A house is burning down in terms of the economic security of America's families and these people are settling wherever they may be this weekend.
CORKE: Still, getting Americans and their businesses back to work and school-age children back in the classroom remains the priority for this White House. A goal thwarted by rising COVID-19 cases. And in some parts of the country, a spike in fatalities attributed to the virus.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Right now, I think if you look at what's going on in some of the southern states particularly, they're having the resurging of cases, you can put a pause on what you're doing or even maybe take a step back.
But I think we can probably get around what we're doing now and put a lid on it and stop the surging by just being a bit more caution.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CORKE: The CDC meanwhile is issuing a full protocol to get kids back in the classroom this coming fall, Bret. In fact, if you go to the website, you'll see a resources and tools section which basically extols the virtue of getting in person learning back in going to -- back in front of the kids, Bret.
BAIER: Kevin Corke live in the North Lawn. Kevin, thanks.
The violence during protest turned to riots in Portland is escalated. Last night, 2,000 people gathered to demonstrate against police brutality and racial injustice, but that soon deteriorated into another assault on the federal courthouse there.
National correspondent William La Jeunesse has the latest on now 57 consecutive nights of protest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they are definitely not being discriminatory about what they shoot at you. All they care is that it hits you and that hurts.
WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE, FOX NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What began as a stand against racism has become a nightly ritual outside the federal courthouse in Portland. The president showed a force 100 federal agents.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they're going to be violent, we have to match them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's definitely a lot more aggressive like, -- I wouldn't call it peaceful.
LA JEUNESSE: 2,000 gathered peacefully Thursday evening holding hands and blocking traffic but as night fell, a younger crowd set fires inside a fence erected to protect the building.
Agents warned protesters multiple times to back away from the fence, they refused. After several breached the perimeter, agents fired teargas and foam pellets.
CHAD WOLF, ACTING SECRETARY, HOMELAND SECURITY: We are targeting individuals that are doing these criminal acts and we're trying to hold them accountable.
LA JEUNESSE: The feds charged 18 this week for assault, arson, and destroying federal poverty.
In Seattle, an additional 100 federal agents are on standby in advance of a solidarity demonstration plan for Saturday.
Police erected walls around two police stations out of fear they cannot protect them as the city council, and now a federal judge say cops cannot use pepper spray, teargas, or nonlethal munitions in crowd control.
CARMEN BEST, CHIEF OF POLICE, SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Now that we don't have any tools in our tool belt to protect the officers as we did before, that we have some protection around each of the facilities.
LA JEUNESSE: Meanwhile, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says she will take every legal step necessary to stop federal agents from deploying as a quote, occupying force.
JENNY DURKAN (D), MAYOR OF SEATTLE: I don't trust this president. I trust him to say what he does when it comes down to conflict, but we've got to prepare for any scenario and that's what we're trying to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LA JEUNESSE: The DOJ inspector general agreed to review agent's use of force in Portland, in Seattle. Chief Best hope police not to risk their personal safety during protests since they are limited to their gun and riot baton, Bret.
BAIER: William, thank you.
More historical symbols came down today. Two statues of Christopher Columbus that stood in Chicago parks were removed at the direction of Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Virginia has taken down its iconic busts and statues, honoring Confederate generals and officials that includes a bronze statue of general Robert E. Lee positioned in the same spot where he stood to assume command of the state's armed forces in the Civil War nearly 160 years ago.
The Minneapolis City Council is taking police media duties away from the Police Department. The city communications staff will now take over. Some on the council object as do some local journalists who raised concerns the change would decrease access to timely information.
In tonight's Democracy 2020 report, we look at President Trump's shifting campaign strategy in recent days. The president has of course advocated for face coverings. He's canceled the Florida component of the Republican Convention. This occurs as the president continues to trail Joe Biden in national and battleground state polls.
Correspondent Peter Doocy tells us where things stand tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Trump 2020 looked different in April.
TRUMP: Hopefully in a not-too-distant future, we'll have some massive rallies.
DOOCY: But it does in July.
TRUMP: We're going to do some other things with tele-rallies and online.
DOOCY: The transition away from Trump's trademark rallies and planned in- person convention comes days after the president installed a new campaign manager Bill Stepien who told Fox on a Zoom call today, he believes Trump can flip Minnesota while arguing Trump can win the electoral college even if he only wins one of these three states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Michigan. As the campaign broadly argues polls don't measure support like enthusiasm.
HOGAN GIDLEY, TRUMP 2020 NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Our supporters wills stand through rain, sleet, snow, hail and crawl across broken glass to vote for Donald Trump. Joe Biden supporters won't even click on a link to watch and do a Q&A.
DOOCY: Joe Biden is nearing his target date for an aiming a running mate August 1st and in a twist, one contender is defending another.
Congresswoman Karen Bass condemned a political report, calling her the anti-Kamala. Tweeting, I would never want to be labeled the anti-Kamala Harris. We're fortunate to have had her as attorney general and now as senator, she would be an excellent V.P. and the same goes for anyone else on the list.
The former V.P. Biden is also now taking heat for this comment about President Trump.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've had racists and they've exist and they've tried to get elected president. He's the first one that has.
DOOCY: The influential "Breakfast Club" host Charlamagne Tha God says, that goes to show, Biden doesn't recognize the faults of other white male leaders.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, RADIO HOST, THE BREAKFAST CLUB: I really wish Joe Biden would shut the F up forever and continue to act like he's starring in the movie "A Quiet Place" because as soon as he opens his mouth and makes noise, he gets us all killed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOOCY: Trump's new campaign manager also signaled a new theme lies ahead because even though Biden has been around a long time, they think he's largely undefined to most Americans, so they'll try to do that, reminding voters in industrial states about things like Biden's vote for NAFTA, Bret.
BAIER: More on this with the panel. Peter, thank you.
Tonight, we have potentially groundbreaking new information about the FBI personnel involved in the investigation into the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.
Correspondent Doug McKelway tells us this evening things were not as they seemed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOUG MCKELWAY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The White House believes the declassified document released by director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe appears to further implicate top FBI officials and in apparent attempt to surreptitiously dig up dirt on then candidate Donald Trump under the guise of briefing him.
TRUMP: This is illegal as can be, this is treason.
MCKELWAY: The document shows that on August 17th, 2016, then candidate Trump, General Michael Flynn and former New York Governor Chris Christie, attended a 15-minute long defensive briefing by FBI agent Joe Pientka at the FBI's New York Field Office.
Pientka's typewritten notes showed Trump asked, Joe, are the Russians bad because they have more numbers? Are they worse than the Chinese? Pientka responds, both countries are bad.
During a discussion on Russia and China cheating on a Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, Trump asked, who's worse? Someone then responds, they are both bad but Russia is worse.
Trump and Christie turned towards each other and Christie comments with apparent sarcasm, I'm shocked.
Later, Agent Pientka turns the case file over to the FBI's head of counter espionage Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Kevin Kleinsmith who has admitted falsifying a FISA application to spy on the Trump campaign.
It remains unclear whether Agent Pientka was told before briefing Trump whether to seek damaging information on him.
Congressional Democrats have defended the FBI saying, it would have been negligent not to launch an investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia. Trump supporters disagree.
K.T. MCFARLAND, FORMER DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is not anonymous sources leaking, these are actual documents, pieces of paper, text messages, e-mails.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKELWAY: The release of the document may mean that the Justice Department is done with it and that U.S. Attorney John Durham could be close to wrapping up his investigation of the FBI's spying on the Trump campaign, Bret.
BAIER: Doug McKelway, outside of the DOJ. Doug, thanks.
The Beijing government is ordering the U.S. to close one of its consulates in China. The move is retaliation for a similar order by the Trump administration regarding China's consulate in Houston, called a den of spies by administration officials and lawmakers.
Tonight, Lucas Tomlinson at the Pentagon looks at the rapidly deteriorating relationship between the two nations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCAS TOMLINSON, FOX NEWS PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The Trump administration reacting after the Chinese Communist Party gives a U.S. Consulate in Western China 72 hours to close down.
MCENANY: We urge the CCP to cease these malign actions rather than engage in retaliations.
TOMLINSON: Beijing returned the favor two days after U.S. kick China out of its consulate in Houston with the same 72-hour deadline.
The Justice Department taking actions on more spies they say are working for Communist China. A scientist from the University of California Davis is now in custody after hiding out in the Chinese consulate in San Francisco.
Speaking at the Nixon Library, nearly 50 years after the 37th president's historic visit to Beijing, President Trump's Secretary of State said confronting China is the, quote, mission of our time.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: China ripped off our prized intellectual property and trade secrets causing millions of jobs all across America. It sucked supply chains away from America.
President Nixon once said, he feared he had created a Frankenstein by opening the world to the CCP and here we are.
WANG WENBIN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY (through translator): Pompeo's speech disregarded facts and confuse the right and wrong.
TOMLINSON: The relationship between Beijing and Washington has showered in recent years.
TRUMP: President Xi, he's a friend of mine, but he likes China, I like the USA.
TOMLINSON: Earlier this month, two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers Ronald Reagan and Nimitz sailed together in the South China Sea to send a message to Beijing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not going to be stopped by anybody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TOMLINSON: After record-setting six months at sea without a port call, the U.S. has (INAUDIBLE) finally heading home from the Middle East. Now the Nimitz has arrived, Bret.
BAIER: Lucas Tomlinson at the Pentagon. Lucas, thanks. Stocks were down as tensions flare again between the U.S. and China. The Dow lost 182 today, the S&P 500 fell 20, the NASDAQ dropped 98.
For the week, the Dow was down three quarters of a percentage point. The S&P 500 finished off about a quarter, the NASDAQ lost 1-1/3.
Up next, we look at how colleges and universities are dealing with their students as school resumes in coming weeks.
First, here's with some of our Fox Affiliates around the country are covering tonight, Fox 26 in Houston as the National Hurricane Center says tropical storm Hanna in strengthening and is expected to become a hurricane before making landfall.
Along the Texas coastline, probably, on Saturday, forecasters are warning of heavy rain, rough waters, and strong winds.
Fox 10 in Phoenix as a fire damages the Arizona Democratic Party building, no one was inside at the time. Phoenix police investigators are working to determine the cause of that fire.
And this is a live look and New York from our affiliate Fox 5 there, one of the big stories there tonight. The release of former Trump personal lawyer, Michael Cohen from prison. Yesterday, a judge ordered Cohen freed, saying, his incarceration, re-incarceration two weeks ago was Trump administration retaliation over his plans to write a book about the president, not a positive one.
That's tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from SPECIAL REPORT. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: The funeral for the late civil rights icon in Georgia, Democratic Congressman John Lewis will be held Thursday at Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. Lewis's family announced the funeral will be private, but the public is invited to pay tribute over the coming days during events beginning Saturday in his hometown of Troy, Alabama.
Lewis's body will lie in state in the Alabama State Capitol, to Georgia State Capitol, and the U.S. Capitol. The 80-year-old Lewis died last Friday, several months after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.
The Washington Post has settled the defamation lawsuit launched by a Kentucky high school student over its coverage of a confrontation with the Native Americans in the nation's capital last year.
Nicholas Sandmann has already reached a settlement with CNN and is still pursuing action against several other outlets. Many media wrongly portrayed the Kentucky teen as the aggressor during that incident. Additional video evidence later showed that was not true.
Michigan State University has suspended workouts and ordered all members of its football team to quarantine for two weeks. The team stopped practice Wednesday after a second staff member and one student-athlete tested positive for coronavirus.
Just one issue as we look at how some colleges and universities are planning to deal with the fall semester in light of where we are with the coronavirus pandemic.
Correspondent Molly Line, reports tonight from Boston.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOLLY LINE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: With the fall looming, the nation's institutions of higher learning are making plans to welcome students back. But how to keep them safe and protect faculty and staff in the age of COVID-19 is a staggering challenge. And the solutions are as varied as the universities implementing them.
One of the nation's most prestigious universities, Harvard, has announced all classes will be online. Mary Duvnjak is a rising junior from Long Island.
MARY DUVNJAK, STUDENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: I'm considering taking the fall semester off because after experiencing the virtual spring, I really feel like I missed out on a very important aspects of the Harvard education, which is the Harvard experience.
LINE: Nearby Boston University is planning a return to campus, but --
JEAN MORRISON, PROVOST, BOSTON UNIVERSITY: The experience that the students will have will not be the experiences as usual.
LINE: Masks will be required, dorm capacity reduced, and a robust COVID-19 testing program launched. Students will have a choice to attend classes in person or remotely.
MORRISON: We had made an investment in technology to provide that capability in classrooms that didn't previously have it.
LINE: The overall cost is staggering, facing a $264 million revenue shortfall in next year's budget. B.U. top reserves froze and reduced salaries. And now the university is planning layoffs.
The Chronicle for Higher Education is tracking plans nationwide, based on the roughly 1,200 colleges researchers have looked at, just over half planned to welcome students for classes on campus.
A third are planning hybrid models. Meaning, a mix of in-person and online. And roughly 10 percent are slated to go fully or mostly online.
ANDY THOMASON, SENIOR EDITOR, THE CHRONICLES OF HIGHER EDUCATION: More campuses are beginning to reverse their plans for in-person instruction in favor of an online approach, and they're citing, you know, worsening public health trends as the primary reason for that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LINE: And while students attend the classes online, most will still be paying full tuition, including those going to Harvard. There are some colleges offering discounts, notably, Princeton, offering a 10 percent break. Bret?
BAIER: Molly Line in Boston. Molly, thanks.
Up next, we meet the North Carolina man seeking to become the youngest elected member of Congress in more than 200 years.
First, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. Iranian officials called the interception of the Iranian passenger plane by a U.S. fighter jet in the skies over Syria illegal. Iran is threatening action against Washington over this incident. A U.S. official confirms an American jet passed by the Iranian airliner but at a safe distance.
The Taliban in Afghanistan, say they are ready for talks with Afghanistan's political leadership after the Muslim holiday at the end of July. The terror group is offering to hand over the last of the government's prisoners in a week's time providing the government frees the last of its Taliban prisoners as well.
Turkish President Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers for the first Muslim prayers in 86 years inside Hagia Sophia. The Istanbul landmark has been one of Christendom's most significant cathedrals, a mosque, and a museum before its conversion back into a Muslim place of worship.
Just some of the other stories, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: This evening, we introduce you to a young man who wants to make history. Senior political correspondent Mike Emanuel has his story tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Madison Cawthorn is aiming to become the youngest person elected to Congress since the late 1700s. The first move was to defeat his opponent in the North Carolina primary, which he did overwhelmingly.
The second is pretty easy. He will be legally old enough to serve when he turns 25 on August 1st. President Trump and the man whose see he could be filling chief of staff mark meadows actually backed Cawthorn's primary opponent.
But Tuesday at the president's invitation, Cawthorn brought his family to the White House.
MADISON CAWTHORN (R), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE, NORTH CAROLINA: It was definitely not a referendum on Trump with that endorsement. And so, he was very aware of that today and he was very excited to get to work with us in the future.
EMANUEL: Cawthorn also had a chance encounter with the president, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Rudy Giuliani, while visiting the Trump International Hotel.
CAWTHORN: I got big shoes to fill right here.
EMANUEL: He's also making the rounds with leading Republicans like GOP Whip Steve Scalise.
CAWTHORN: They were impressed with the way we've been running our campaign. So, they wanted us to just keep doing what we were doing.
EMANUEL: As a member of Gen Z, Cawthorn, says the Republican Party is struggling to reach his peers.
CAWTHORN: They are not able to connect with this generational time bomb. They're not -- they've tried to defuse it, but they're unable to. I'm a millennial.
EMANUEL: He says he can speak to young voters and will be helpful to the GOP.
CAWTHORN: We don't want government telling us what to do. We don't want these high tax rates, we just want to be able to live our lives, and that resonates with everyone.
EMANUEL: I asked Cawthorn about the recent confederate names and statue issue.
CAWTHORN: That's not something to be decided by an angry mob. If we want to take down statues of imperfect people, we have to take them all down.
EMANUEL: Some of Cawthorn's maturity likely comes from the fact he was nearly killed in a car accident six years ago.
CAWTHORN: When I was 19 years old, I exited the hospital with over $3 million in medical debt.
EMANUEL: Cawthorn believes he is here for a reason.
CAWTHORN: I still have the ability to make a difference. The lord decided to protect my mind, protect my ability to speak, and through that accident. And now I've got this motivation, this passion, the zeal to realize that our life can be taken from us at any moment.
EMANUEL: In Washington, Mike Emanuel, Fox News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BAIER: ON the other end of the age spectrum, there is Joe Biden. He's 77- years-old, seeking to become the oldest American ever elected president. This evening, a look at Biden's long political resume through its twist and turns, a lot of time here in Washington. Here is FOX Business Correspondent Hillary Vaughn.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every major crime bill since 1976 has had the name of the Democratic senator from the state of Delaware, Joe Biden.
HILLARY VAUGHN, FOX BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act is now blamed for mass incarcerations of black and brown Americans. Biden helped write it and later regretted it.
BIDEN: It was a big mistake when it was made.
VAUGHN: Biden did do one thing to combat crime that he hasn't taken back, the Violence Against Women Act, calling it the single most significant legislation he crafted. Biden, a foreign policy hawk at the time, campaigned hard for the war in Afghanistan.
BIDEN: We must stay involved in the region after the initial job is done.
VAUGHN: Biden also backed the invasion in Iraq.
BIDEN: It was the right vote then and it would be the correct vote today.
VAUGHN: Two years later Biden took it back, saying it was a mistake, and today wants to end the two wars he once supported.
BIDEN: It's long past time we end the forever wars.
VAUGHN: As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Biden was in charge of the headline grabbing hearing for nominee to the high court, Clarence Thomas. His decision not to allow witnesses who would support Anita Hill's claims has come under scrutiny.
BIDEN: I do apologize to the women of America if they got the wrong impression.
VAUGHN: But it took 28 years before Biden apologized to Anita Hill, expressing, quote, "his regret for what she endured." Biden was also against gay marriage in the Senate before he was for it in the White House.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: You know what it's like and how lonely it can be to make tough decisions, where not every decision is going to be perfect.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHN: In 1995, Biden tried to balance the budget by freezing entitlements like Medicare four times, but failed. Today, Biden wants to grow the government's budget by trillions, another example of something he tried to do as senator that he doesn't want to do as president. Bret?
BAIER: Hillary, thank you.
President Trump has presented former Kansas congressman and Olympic athlete Jim Ryun with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Ryun served in Congress from 1996 to 2006, but his fame was as one of the most accomplished American runners in history. In 1964, the 17-year-old Ryun became the first high schooler to record a sub four-minute mile. He later smashed the world record in the mile, won the Silver Medal in the 1,500 meters in the 1968 Olympics.
Up next with the panel, coronavirus politics and Candidate Casino.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: The president said when we did opening up America again guidelines that he would step in when he saw things that had to be corrected.
MCENANY: The circumstances changed in Florida where we intended to have the convention. As the circumstances on the ground changed, the president changed his viewpoint on having the convention in Jacksonville.
TRUMP: We're going to do some other things with tele-rallies and online the week that we are discussing. I'll still do a convention speech in a different form. But we won't do a big, crowded convention per se. It's just not the right time for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Coronavirus changing pretty much everything in our country, including how this political race is going to turn out. In Florida, the number of cases, you can see here on the average there from Johns Hopkins, the seven-day rolling average, you see shooting up. And if you look at the U.S. daily cases and deaths, deaths is the blue line there, cases being the yellow line. And you can see where we are here at the end of July. Hospitalizations track in Florida, that number as well, which is why the RNC is not going to be in Jacksonville. We'll see what it looks like coming forward.
Let's bring in our panel, former White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer, Leslie Marshall, Democrat strategist, and Steve Hayes, editor of "The Dispatch." Ari, how do you think this is going to work from now until November 3rd, what this election is going to look like?
ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's going to look nothing like we've ever seen before. I think you have to go back to the late 1800s when candidates didn't campaign. That is probably the reality of no rallies, no public events, the debates are going to take on an even bigger importance because there will be so few other events to measure especially Joe Biden by.
But corona remains, Bret, the biggest issue. And I'm convinced until the president successfully deals with corona, it will be very hard for him to make the economy, or to make law and order, as he puts it, the main issues in this campaign. And that's why I thought it is a welcome change this week how realistic the president was about corona, how frank he was, his actions in canceling the convention. These are the steps he needs to take to help reset this race and just face corona head on.
BAIER: Here, Leslie, is Dr. Fauci, over the past couple of days and today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: It so efficient in its ability to transmit from human to human that I think we ultimately will get control of it. I don't really see us eradicating it. We certainly can control it better than we're doing. And if we can do that at the global level, when we get a vaccine, I think we can really stop it dead in its tracks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: And really the hope is that these therapeutics come around and they're better and treating coronavirus before we get a vaccine, Leslie.
LESLIE MARSHALL, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, absolutely. I was talking to my husband about this, and he said, look, this is a living thing, and it needs us to continue to live, and just like us, it wants to live. Most viruses we live with or we develop vaccines for things in our lives. You've heard of polio and other things that we couldn't survive at one time and do survive now.
Here's the problem, though, Bret. We've lost a lot of time with messaging. We've lost a lot of time with making this political and it's not. It's very societal and medical. We as a nation have a responsibility to wear our masks, practice our social distancing. I agree with Ari, I think the president has finally come around. But it's five months too late. If we had been told as a nation social distance, put your mask on, or lock the place down for three weeks, this would be perhaps a different conversation. But definitely with the election in November, COVID-19 is on the ballot, and the president's handling of it will be the referendum on whether or not he has four more years or he goes into retirement as the president of the United States.
BAIER: I will say that there is a push, there's always been a push for social distancing. We did close the country down for some time. Steve, the question is whether there's going to be a reclose in some places because of the spikes we've seen, and whether that's a good thing in the big picture. Obviously, the economy and coronavirus is tied together.
STEVE HAYES, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Very closely tied together. And look, I agree with Ari, and I agree with Leslie. What we see from the president this week is better, it's good that he has changed his position on masks, it's good that he's pushing people to take this more seriously than he has. But I think looking at the polls today, it certainly seems that people have come to the conclusion that the way that he handled it to this point was not positive. He didn't do a good job on it.
And if you look at the specifics that we now know help curb the virus, help control the virus, as Dr. Fauci said, things like wearing masks, et cetera, the president was on the wrong side of those things. He was mocking reporters in the briefing room for wearing masks, saying it was politically incorrect of them to wear masks. He said we were going to be open by Easter, which was, I think, certainly premature and not what was consistent with his own White House guidelines.
So I think it's a good thing that he's not going to be trying to hold the convention in Jacksonville or Charlotte. I think it's a good thing that he's wearing masks. I think it's catastrophic that we didn't do a lot of the things earlier.
BAIER: In the meantime, as we look at this election, the campaign, the Trump campaign is pointing towards voter enthusiasm. Take a listen, Ari.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOGAN GIDLEY, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Our supporters will stand through rain, sleet, snow, hail, and crawl across broken glass to vote for Donald Trump. Joe Biden's supporters won't even click on a link to watch him do a Q&A.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, RADIO HOST, "THE BREAKFAST CLUB": Joe, you've got to hurry up and announce your black woman VP so I can be enthused about voting for her, because I will never be enthused about voting for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Rough there from Charlamagne tha God. Ari?
FLEISCHER: Yes, and Hogan Gidley, the spokesman there, is 100 percent right. Very few people are clicking on Joe Biden's links. Joe Biden has an enthusiasm problem of his own, and in a traditional year, that would really be one of the things that takes Joe Biden down.
The difference is Democrats can't get wait to get out to vote against Donald Trump, regardless of whether it's for Joe Biden or not, and that's why I still think this is going to be a 50/50 election. Biden does have a lot of weaknesses, and I still think there's a real opportunity for the president to do better than most Republicans ever do with African- Americans. I still think he's on track for about 15 percent of the African- American vote.
And if the African-American vote doesn't come out in huge numbers the way they traditionally do for Democrats, they did for Barack Obama, it can also really hurt to Joe Biden in a lot of the industrial battleground states.
BAIER: I want to save time for the lighting round, but I want to do a lightning trip to the Candidate Casino. And this is VP Candidate Casino for Joe Biden's pick. You've got $100 in chips. Really fast, Leslie, first.
MARSHALL: Senator Kamala Harris, $60, and I'll put $30 each, I'll split the rest -- excuse me, $30 on Representative Karen Bass, and then $10, forgive my bad math there, on Representative Val Demings.
BAIER: They told me there'd be no math. Steve?
HAYES: No wonder we have deficits with people like Leslie. It's $25 on Tammy Duckworth, $15 on Val Demings, $15 on Kamala Harris, $15 on Karen Bass and $10 on Susan Rice. I think Tammy Duckworth should be Vice President Biden's pick for campaign reasons.
BAIER: And you put $20 on the field? Do you ever make money at a casino?
HAYES: You've been there with me before, right? You know.
BAIER: All right, Ari, Ari.
FLEISCHER: I'm betting low on lots. I've got $20 on Karen Bass, the California congresswoman, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, $20 for Senator Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, senator from Illinois, $20 for Val Demings, Florida congresswoman, impeachment manager, and essentially the rest on the field and on nobodies. I don't think it will be Kamala Harris. I bet only $5 on her. That's as close as you can get.
BAIER: Wow, again, spread the chips. All right, we will see. It's coming up soon.
Next up, the Friday lightning round. We'll get to a lot of things. Stand by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: Just this week we announced the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston because it was a hub of spying and intellectual property theft.
We reversed, two weeks ago, eight years of cheek turning with respect to international law in the South China Sea.
MCENANY: Our action to direct the consulate of the PRC consulate general in Houston was taken to protect American intellectual property and American's private information.
WANG WENBIN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, (through translator): China has put forward specific requirements for the U.S. consulate in Chengdu to stop all operations and activities. Diplomacy must be reciprocal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Consulate closures here and in China. We're back with the panel. Steve, it is deteriorating. You wonder where the U.S.-China relationship is going to go as we get closer to the election.
HAYES: It's unfortunate. You would like to think that we could have better relations with China, but China won't let us have better relations with China. China has been doing this for years. China has been stealing our intellectual properties, stealing government secrets. They have been in our government computer systems. They've been acting like an adversary if not an enemy. I think it's good that Trump administration has decided to treat them like the adversary that they see determined to be, and I think it was entirely appropriate to close the consulate in Houston.
BAIER: Ari, it's a big deal.
FLEISCHER: It is a big deal, and I think the bigger question is after the election what happens with China. Look, nothing is of greater consequence than what President Trump has been doing both China. They are huge rival, and they became powerful by deceit, by cheating, and by theft. And so I'm glad the president is doing what he's doing and standing up to them.
BAIER: There's declassified documents of the FBI intelligence briefing to then candidate Trump, August of 2016. During the ODNI briefs, writer actively listened for topics or questions regarding the Russian Federation," more details about basically spying early on, trying to get information about the Trump campaign. Here is the president and Representative Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is illegal as can be. This is treason. They spied on the campaign both before and after victory.
REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA): I'm so happy that John Ratcliffe is there. he is a good friend. We have worked together on this hand in glove. And I'm so happy he's actually now getting to the point where he's saying, no, we're not going to tolerate this. This country needs transparency, and they need to know what they did to the president. They need to know what they did as a candidate. And they need to know how they came very close to trying to subvert an election. That's why it's so important to get it out now before this election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Leslie, this doesn't get covered anyplace else, but it is, too, a big deal.
MARSHALL: It definitely is a big deal. But a couple of the problems and things that make people on my side of the aisle, Bret, go um, are Inspector General Michael Horowitz was extremely thorough. And why we weren't hearing more about this then and what will we hear from Durham in that report going forward, that is definitely there.
And then the timing of this, the timing of the release and the timing of allegation that this whole meeting was supposed to be a coverup instead of an actual briefing. Again, the timing with the election around the corner, especially with the president's poll numbers really in free fall right now makes a lot of us raise an eyebrow on the left.
BAIER: Well, sure. It's just getting declassified by the new ODNI. But we'll see where Durham goes, and we'll cover it always.
Here we go, Winners and Losers, quickly, Steve.
HAYES: The winner is Liz Chenez who stood down an ambush from fellow Republicans who claim she wasn't insufficiently well with President Trump, and then when the president tweeted at her, she stood up and said, it's no secret that I have disagreements with the president, but my job is to represent my constituent and do good work in Congress.
My loser is John Weaver from the Lincoln Project who this week told "The Washington Post" that his group, which is supposedly acting on behalf of Republicans who are frustrated with Donald Trump, would serve in the event of a Joe Biden presidency as an enforcer of sorts, going after Republicans who thwart Joe Biden's agenda. There's nothing wrong with being a Democrat, but if you're a Democrat, you should call yourself a Democrat.
BAIER: There you go. Ari, quickly, winner and loser?
FLEISCHER: Winner is the New York Yankees. The Yankees are undefeated. They defeated the world champion Nationals last night.
BAIER: Boo.
FLEISCHER: And every single one of them stood for the National Anthem.
The losers, the losers are the government officials in Portland, Oregon. They have turned their city over to lawless forces. They have abandoned what we need for public safety. They have attacked federal authorities with the worst messages. And what they have learned is that weakness only leads to more rioters.
BAIER: Can you do 10 seconds, winner and loser, Leslie?
MARSHALL: Yes, I can. The winner, AOC for when she was attacked by my loser, Congressman Ted Yoho spoke like I would, which is I am somebody's daughter. And shame on Yoho. He was not just attacking her but all women. And Ari, go Sox.
(LAUGHTER)
BAIER: There you go. That was 12 seconds. All right, thank you, panel. When we come back, "Notable Quotables."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Finally tonight, it's Friday. You know what that means -- "Notable Quotables."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Will you consider a national mandate that people need to wear masks?
TRUMP: I want people to have a certain freedom.
BIRX: This particular pandemic that we're experiencing is very different that what we experienced in March and April.
TRUMP: It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The department was established to be the president's personal militia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These police officers are not stormtroopers.
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've had racists, and they've existed and they tried to get elected president. He's the first one that has.
TRUMP: I've done more for black Americans than anybody, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln.
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE SPEAKER: We have to act, and what they are proposing falls far short.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, (R-LA): I hate to be a hair on her biscuit, but it's just not going to pass.
SEN. RAND PAUL, (R-KY): I just came from a Republican caucus meeting that could be sort of the Bernie bros progressive caucus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a pair for sure.
TRUMP: We're going to go outside and be with some little leaguers. Mariano Rivera, you know he's the Sandman, right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I rise to apologize.
REP. ALEXANDRA OCASIO-CORTEZ, (D-NY): Having a daughter does not make a man decent.
TRUMP: To have a big convention, it's not the right time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the sun set of John Lewis' life last night, the sun rises on the movement that will never die.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: One week in Washington. Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this SPECIAL REPORT, fair, balanced, and unafraid. We are one week closer to getting COVID-19 behind us. Promise.
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