Health officials warn of surge in COVID-19 cases after Thanksgiving

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Health officials warn of surge in COVID-19 cases after Thanksgiving

Fox News correspondent Casey Stegall joins 'Special Report' with the latest on the pandemic

This is a rush transcript from “Special Report” November 30, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Yes. And I also got a call about a word you
used in the show earlier.

PERINO: I mean, proof is a defense.

BAIER: See you. Good evening, welcome to Washington. I'm Bret Baier.

Breaking tonight, the Trump administration says Americans may be getting
the first doses of coronavirus vaccine before Christmas. Drugmaker Moderna
is applying for emergency use permission for its formula with 95 percent
efficacy against the virus.

And on the first day following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, TSA
reporting more than a million screenings Sunday, the most since March. Dr.
Anthony Fauci is warning of a surge superimposed upon a surge after the
holiday travel. We will talk live with the scientific head of Operation
Warp Speed in just a few minutes about the latest developments.

First, though, correspondent Casey Stegall begins our coverage on COVID-19
tonight from Arlington, Texas. Good evening, Casey.

CASEY STEGALL, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Bret, good evening. The
United States has now recorded nearly 13-1/2 million total coronavirus
cases since this all began. More than four million of those infections just
in the month of November alone and public health officials warn, we still
have dark days ahead before these vaccines are widely distributed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEGALL (voice over): Drugmaker Moderna announced it was filing paperwork
today with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for possible approval of
its coronavirus vaccine under the emergency use authorization.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We anticipate that the benefit of this vaccine is going
to be quite significant.

STEGALL: Moderna says the final stage of its large-scale clinical trial
shows that more than 94 percent efficacy rate, while Pfizer's candidate
already before the FDA is reported to be 95 percent effective. If both are
greenlighted, officials say Americans could see two different vaccines
before Christmas.

ALEX AZAR, U.S. SECRETARY, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: We're going to have
maybe 40 million doses of vaccine by the end of this year.

STEGALL: Medical workers in high-risk groups will get top priority for the
first doses, the CDC holding an emergency meeting on Tuesday to outline a
plan.

More than 93,000 Americans are now hospitalized with COVID. Some places
running out of space to treat those who don't have the disease but still
need care.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS
DISEASES: We're entering into what's really a precarious situation because
we're in the middle of a steep slope.

STEGALL: Dr. Anthony Fauci fears Thanksgiving gatherings and travel may
have further spread the virus.

On Sunday, TSA says it screened nearly 1.2 million travelers, the highest
number since the pandemic began. This as school districts across the
country continue grappling with how to safely educate students. New York
City's mayor has reversed course and now plans to reopen elementary schools
next week.

BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: For the kids who did choose, for the
families that did choose in person will be able to move to five days a
week.

STEGALL: Yet in neighboring New Jersey, more districts are going fully
remote through January.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a normal school year and this is not without
risk.

STEGALL: While Florida Governor Ron De Santis vowed to keep schools open
through spring.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Today's announcement doubles down on Florida's
commitment to our students and to our parents.

STEGALL: In parts of California, new restrictions have also been rolled out
shuttering many businesses, including Levi's Stadium, home to the San
Francisco 49ers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEGALL (on camera): Yes, the NFL has really taken a beating. In fact, all
four quarterbacks for the Denver Broncos are out. And then you have 22
players that are on the Baltimore Ravens COVID reserve list, and so their
game against the Pittsburgh Steelers has now been rescheduled until
Wednesday, Bret.

BAIER: Casey, thank you. Also breaking tonight, President Trump has told
advisors he wants to run again in 2024 and may announce that decision
before the inauguration maybe even on Inauguration Day. That move would be
a concession of sorts that Joe Biden is going to become the next president
even as President Trump continues to contest the election via the media and
various court options.

Chief White House correspondent John Roberts has all of that tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (Voice
over): President Trump today enthusiastically embracing the news about
Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, urging government agencies to expedite its
approval, tweeting, Moderna now applying for emergency vaccine approval.
U.S. FDA must act quickly. Operation Warp Speed has been a great modern-day
miracle.

The President less pleased with state officials in Georgia as the election
recount there nears its end. Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger citing, "Massive amounts of misinformation that is being
spread by dishonest actors."

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, SECRETARY OF STATE, GEORGIA: There are those who are
exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims,
half-truths, misinformation. And frankly, they are misleading the president
as well apparently.

ROBERTS: Raffensperger did say his office has opened more than 250
investigations of potential voter fraud.

But President Trump wants more taking aim at both Raffensperger and
Governor Brian Kemp in a morning tweet saying, why won't Governor Brian
Kemp, the hapless governor of Georgia use his emergency powers which can be
easily done to overrule his obstinate at Secretary of State and do a match
of signatures on envelopes? It will be a goldmine of fraud, and we will
easily win the state.

On Fox's "SUNDAY MORNING FUTURES", the president saying he regrets
endorsing camp in camps 2018 election.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's done absolutely nothing.
I'm ashamed that I endorsed him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This concludes the official canvass of the November
3rd, 2020 general election.

ROBERTS: At the same time, Arizona today certified its election results.
Rudy Giuliani was leading a public hearing of Republican state lawmakers
looking into evidence of election fraud.

RUDY GIULIANI, TRUMP ATTORNEY: the vote as it presently exists is false.
It's fraudulent.

ROBERTS: In Pennsylvania, President Trump's attorneys vowed to take their
case to the U.S. Supreme Court, though President Trump told Fox News it
will be a heavy lift to get the case considered.

TRUMP: Well, the problem is it's hard to get into the Supreme Court. I've
got the best Supreme Court advocates, lawyers that want to argue the case
if it gets there. But they said it's very hard to get a case up there.

ROBERTS: President Trump claims there were massive problems with voting
machines on November 3rd. His supporters have alleged everything from CIA
hacking to votes being counted overseas.

But the President's former Cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs, the man the
president recently fired told "60 Minutes" the system was secure.

CHRIS KREBS, FORMER UNITED STATES DIRECTOR OF THE CYBERSECURITY AND
INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: We can go on and on with all the farcical
claims that alleging interference in the 2020 election. But the proof is in
the ballot and the American people should have 100 percent confidence in
their vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS (on camera): In Wisconsin, Trump requested recap yielded no change
in the results that Wisconsin Election Commission today confirming that Joe
Biden won that state.

However, the Trump campaign plans to file a lawsuit challenging the balance
themselves that could happen tomorrow, Bret.

BAIER: We'll follow all of that as well. John, thank you.

We know now who president-elect Joe Biden has on his perspective economic
team. That list starts with former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as
treasury secretary.

Biden is also rolling out in all-female senior communication staff. He
received his first daily briefing today, the presidential daily briefing,
and is also sporting a new accessory thanks to an accident. Correspondent
Peter Doocy reports tonight from Wilmington, Delaware.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (Voice over): For the next
several weeks, the president-elect will be in a walking boot. Official say
he heard himself playing with his German Shepherd Saturday and Sunday Fox
News cameras captured the 78-year old gingerly stepping into an SUV on a
foot with hairline fractures. Video transition officials did not permit the
press pool to shoot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not getting out. Mike, we're not getting out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was crafty.

DOOCY: The Biden cabinet is starting to look the way many thought a Hillary
Clinton cabinet might. Top spots have gone to Jake Sullivan, Tony Blinken,
and John Kerry.

Next, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Office of Management and Budget
Director Neera Tanden, the longtime Clinton defender who caught the
attention of Republican staffers including Senator John Cornyn's
communications director who wrote, Neera Tanden, who has an endless stream
of disparaging comments about the Republican senators whose votes she'll
need, stands zero chance of being confirmed.

Last year Tanden wrote, Stacey Abrams just called McConnell Moscow Mitch,
love it. Her lines in an intro video stuck to her resume.

NEERA TANDEN, DIRECTOR NOMINEE, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET: We have
the experience needed to get us through this recovery.

DOOCY: Biden's White House press secretary will be Jen Psaki and the
transition bragged about senior staff. "For the first time in history,
these communications roles will be filled entirely by women."
 
Kayleigh McEnany claims that's not historic because she and Alyssa Farah,
both women, have the top comms jobs now.

Although, critics point out the vice president's press secretary among
other communicators are men. Biden ally James Clyburn is hoping for more
diversity with coming Biden Cabinet picks pitching Congresswoman Marcia
Fudge as Agriculture Secretary and telling The Hill, I want to see where
the process leads to, what it produces, but so far, it's not good.

Clyburn's displeasure, not a secret. The presidential daily briefing, a big
secret. For the first time during the transition today, Biden received the
classified PDB at home in Delaware and vice president-elect Kamala Harris
received it in a secure space at the Commerce Department in D.C. They
haven't taken office yet but there are already questions about a rematch
with Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump has been making motions that he will run
again in 2024. Do you feel like you and President Biden -- president-elect
Biden would be ready to face him again?

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES:
Please.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOOCY (on camera): Tomorrow, Biden plans to roll out the six members of his
economic team most critical to his campaign promise to build the economy
back better.

And even though the president-elect laid low today, his first in a walking
boot, he is expected to make those big introductions at center stage in
person, Bret.

BAIER: Peter Doocy in Wilmington. Peter, thanks.

Election officials in Iowa have certified their election results today.
Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks had just six more votes than Democrat
Rita Hart in the state's second congressional district following a recount.

A short time ago, Republican John Katko won reelection in New York's 24th
congressional district. That puts the current balance of power at 222
Democrats to 207 Republicans, six races still uncalled.

Lawmakers are coming back to Washington tonight, Congress has just a few
days to put together legislation to keep the government open and to work on
a coronavirus relief package. Congressional correspondent Chad Pergram
tells us where things stand tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAD PERGRAM, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (Voice over):
It's a combination of what Congress has to do and what some want to do.
Most members want a coronavirus stimulus package, but the same divide
remains cost.

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): Well, I think another stimulus bill is necessary
but this one needs to be targeted.

GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): I don't think history will penalize us for
overshooting here.

PERGRAM: A bipartisan coalition of senators is now trying to forge a
stimulus agreement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still calls for
a narrow half-trillion-dollar package.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Will they finally let Congress pass hundreds
of billions of dollars of relief on all the subjects where we agree? Or
will they continue to insist that either they get their entire ideological
wish list, or the American people got nothing at all?

PERGRAM: Some Democrats believe House Speaker Nancy Pelosi miscalculated,
not moving a trim down coronavirus bill before the election. That will be
harder with a small majority next year since Democrats lost seats.
Possibilities of a bill this year are slim.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): And the Senate it's Mitch McConnell but the other
obstacle because he does what President Trump says and that's President
Trump.

PERGRAM: The only thing Congress has to do is fund the government by
December 11th to avoid a government shutdown, and President Trump has
threatened to veto the annual defense policy bill. The measure drops names
of bases named after Confederates.

President Trump has vetoed eight measures without Congress overriding him.
That requires a two-thirds vote by both the House and Senate. But the House
and Senate approved the initial versions of the defense bill with veto-
proof margins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERGRAM (on camera): House members are being told to stay through next week
and not go home out of concern for spiking coronavirus cases.

However, 87-year old Chuck Grassley of Iowa, third in line to the
presidency is back on Capitol Hill after testing positive. He says he never
experienced any symptoms. But he missed his first Thanksgiving dinner with
his wife, Bret.

BAIER: Our best to Senator. Chad, thanks.

Let's get an update tonight on the massive effort to bring a coronavirus
vaccine to the American people. Dr. Moncef Slaoui is the scientific head of
Operation Warp spread -- Warp Speed. Doctor, thanks for being here tonight.

MONCEF SLAOUI, SCIENTIFIC HEAD, OPERATION WARP SPEED: My pleasure. Thanks
for having me.

BAIER: Where do things stand tonight? The great news about Moderna today,
we've heard the news about Pfizer, just give us an update.

SLAOUI: Well, we have two vaccines that have demonstrated outstanding
efficacy with one of them 95 percent, the Pfizer vaccine, the other 94.1
percent, the Moderna vaccine, they are equivalent. They have excellent
efficacy.

Very importantly, there is almost perfect efficacy against severe disease.
For instance, in the Moderna trial, there were 30 cases of severe disease
in the trial. All 30 were in the placebo recipients, non in the vaccine
recipient. The efficacy is very high also in the elderly, people over the
age of 65, and people with co-morbidity.

So, I think we are in a good place in terms of these two vaccines. We're
also producing a few millions of doses of vaccine in preparation for
approval. Both vaccines have now been submitted to the FDA for emergency
use authorization expected around the 11th or so of December for Pfizer and
around the 18th or 19th for the Moderna vaccine. And hopefully, we'll start
rolling vaccine doses, that's great news.

However, it's very important to know that the number of doses we have is
limited compared to the size and the need. We need 600 million doses.
Everybody needs to get through shots of the vaccine.

It's going to take a while, a few months before we are able to produce
enough vaccine to immunize the full population. So, it's going to be very
important that we prioritize the first most at-risk people to have the
vaccine, and the CDC will be doing that. But also, for all of us to
continue to take our precautions, put our masks, wash our hands, keep our
distance.

BAIER: There's been a lot of talk about the challenging logistics here, not
only the refrigeration aspect of keeping the vaccine cold, but also the
logistics of getting this much product around the country.

Can you talk about that for the American people and what's realistic for
the American people broadly to be getting this vaccine?

SLAOUI: Right. So, it is a significant challenge but it's not a challenge
that's never done. In the sense that in contrast to the situation with the
test, for instance, where we don't test people against certain diseases all
the time. We vaccinate every year in the United States more than 100
million people, between children and the other population receiving, for
instance, the flu vaccine.

So, the distribution channels, the inoculation technology, the people who
know how to immunize, et cetera, are there. We're talking about maybe
having two times more, 2-1/2 times more. It's not, you know,
transformational.

Therefore, we feel confident and comfortable that by using the channels
that are normally used, so, for instance, shipping through FedEx and UPS,
using the same warehousing facilities used for the flu vaccines.

And empowering each state's health agencies to tell us where to ship the
vaccines. The number of doses are located to each state will be defined in
proportion to the population of the state. I think things we expect to go
pretty smoothly.

Also, the Department of Defense and in particular, General Perna, my co-
leader, and his team are doing an outstanding job preparing, rehearsing.
Just today, for instance, Pfizer was shipping vaccines, in fact, just vial,
mock vials in dry ice, in the boxes exactly as it will be done to 60
different sites across the United States as one of the dry runs, if you
wish, to make sure everything is smooth, everything is planned, and
hopefully, everything will work well.

Having said that --

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: If you look -- yes, go ahead.

SLAOUI: Having said that. So, just the number of doses, for instance,
between now and the end of the month between the two vaccine is going to be
35 to 40 million doses, enough to immunize about 20 million people.

We will be immunizing the most at-risk people, but unfortunately, the size
of the at-risk population is much more than 20 or 25 million. So, we're
going to need to be patient in the months following with that.

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: Yes, for that's -- I guess my next question is the statistics. What
percentage of the American population do you need to reach with this
vaccine to reach herd immunity considering the CDC numbers you've seen who
already had it? And where you could see this virus kind of meeting its end
because of the vaccine?

SLAOUI: So, herd immunity usually -- with a vaccine with this level of
protection, 95 percent, requires about between 75-80 percent of people to
be immunized. That's very, very important. That will take several months
before we get there, probably, May or June.

The people who have been infected and recovered are probably immune, the
strength of their immunity is unknown to us. At this stage, we know that
the vaccines are incredibly powerful with 95 percent, at least the two
first vaccines.

So, in my view, I think we're going to need to really make sure that large
majority of the population is immunized before we declare probably in May
or June that we have things under control.

BAIER: Last thing, Doctor. Just talked to people about the scope of this
operation, you've been at the forefront of it. But I don't think people
fully understand how significant Operation Warp Speed is as far as a
medical achievement at this point.

SLAOUI: Well, normally, and I've been doing this for 30 years before this
mission. Developing -- discovering, developing, manufacturing, testing in
the clinic, vaccines, and then launching them take anywhere between four
years and 25 years depending on the complexity.

What we have done here is to develop -- enable the development, accelerate
the development of six vaccines in a period of 10 months.

This, of course, has been done -- thanks to the companies who are the
sponsors and the owners of the vaccines. Thanks to the NIH and other
federal agencies in HSS, and in the Department of Defense. Thanks to the
alignment, the motivation, the enormous enthusiasm that has been behind the
operation.

And thanks, frankly, to the administration that has decided to put together
this operation, put together the army, and the -- and the industry, and the
academic, and the science behind this mission remarkable performance.

I do want to say that while we have two vaccines that have been completing
their phase three trial, we have four more vaccines in clinical trials. Two
of which are well advanced in phase three trials.

I want to call on our American population to continue to volunteer and
participate in these clinical trials because it's thanks to all the
individuals who are generous with their time and their health and
participate to these clinical trials. That we are able to assess whether
the vaccines are safe, whether they are effective.

BAIER: Yes.

SLAOUI: And we need more vaccines than the two we have because it will help
us have more doses faster.

BAIER: Yes. And possibly, one of those future vaccines might just be one
vaccine as far as the shot, instead of two. Doctor, we appreciate your
time. Well, you're always welcome back here and best of luck on your
efforts.

SLAOUI: Thank you very much.

BAIER: Up next, the calls of death to Israel and death to America ring out
in Iran following the killing of the country's top nuclear scientists. And
later, the pressure is on in Georgia as the push for votes in the Senate
runoff races January 5th is already leading to allegations of voter fraud.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFFENSPERGER: These third-party groups have a responsibility to not
encourage illegal voting. If they do so, they will be held responsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Stocks finished a huge month on a down note. The Dow lost 272 today,
but still posted its biggest monthly gain since 1987 and the largest
monthly percentage gain in almost a century.

The S&P 500 was off 17 but also had its biggest percentage increase since
1928. The NASDAQ finished off seven after seeing its largest percentage
hike since 2001.

Calls are growing tonight in Iran for retribution following the
assassination of the scientist who founded its nuclear program. And most of
that rage is directed at Israel and the U.S.

Senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot shows us tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG PALKOT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice
over): A key figure in Iran's covert nuclear weapons program was buried in
Tehran. Top Iranian officials present at the funeral, pledged that the
death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh would only spur them on.

BRIG. GEN. AMIR HATAMI, DEFENSE MINISTER OF IRAN (through translator): We
will be more determined, and our resolve will become sturdier for
continuing your path.

PALKOT: This is Iran now claims the Iranian scientist was killed on Friday
outside of Tehran by a satellite operated remote-controlled machine gun
mounted on the back of a pickup truck which was then detonated.

Earlier, officials said, gunmen committed the assassination.

REAR ADM. ALI SHAMKHANI, SECRETARY, SUPREME NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL,
IRAN
(through translator): What happen, fortunately, the operation was very
complicated using electronic devices.

PALKOT: Despite Israeli denials, Iran continues to blame that country,
claiming today, Israeli markings were found on the murder weapon.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has called for definitive
punishment. Iranian President Rouhani said Israel would pay, but maybe not
right now.

HASSAN ROUHANI, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): At the right time,
the relevant Iranian officials will respond to this crime.

PALKOT: An attack by Iran on Israeli tourists in the gulf region or on the
Israeli port city of Haifa, which one Iranian newspaper called for could
experts say trigger a military response from Israel and or the U.S. Israeli
embassies are on alert.

K.T. MCFARLAND, FORMER DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The Iranians will
do something, my guess, is they won't be able to escalate it in any great
way.

PALKOT: The real concern for Tehran could be that any counter-attack could
jeopardize a hope for revival of the Iran nuclear deal. The Trump
administration pulled out of it. The incoming Biden administration favors
it but might find it hard in the midst of new clashes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PALKOT (on camera): White House adviser and Trump's son-in-law, Jared
Kushner is headed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week, adding to an already
nervous region. Bret.

BAIER: Greg, thank you.

We are just learning the Pentagon is disbanding its Defeat-ISIS Task Force.
The director of that unit, Christopher Mayer has resigned. Pentagon
officials say they have successfully destroyed the terror group. The
reorganization is part of the Trump administration's desire to declare the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over.

Up next, the president's most recent pick for the U.S. Supreme Court poses
an interesting question in the administration's push to exclude illegal
immigrants from the census. We'll explain.

First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are
covering tonight. Fox 2 in St. Louis says a local company starts selling
the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

The test has not been approved yet by the Food and Drug Administration. It
is aimed at people 60 and older who are having memory problems are being
evaluated for Alzheimer's.

Fox 5 in San Diego as the Navy says it will decommission a warship severely
damaged after suspected arson. The USS Bonhomme Richard burned for more
than four days in July fully repairing it to warfighting capabilities would
cost up to $3 billion and take as long as seven years.

And this is a live look at Salt Lake City from Fox 13, one of the big
stories there tonight. A mysterious silver monolith that was illegally
placed in the Utah desert has disappeared less than 10 days after it was
discovered.

The Bureau of Land Management says it received credible reports the three-
sided stainless steel structure was removed Friday. The agency was
investigating its origin when the monolith vanished.

That is tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from SPECIAL REPORT.
We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER:  The mayor and police chief in San Jose, California, pushing for a
change to Santa Clara County's sanctuary policy. It comes after reports a
suspect in a stabbing spree was an illegal immigrant, undocumented, and had
been deported multiple times. Suspect Fernando Lopez is accused of stabbing
five people at a church, killing two and injuring three last week.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering arguments about President Trump's
policy to exclude illegal immigrants from the Census. It's a huge issue
because the Census determines congressional representation and funding
decisions in each state. Correspondent David Spunt has an update tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  There are approximately 11 million
undocumented immigrants in the United States, and the Trump administration
wants to remove all of them from the 2020 Census. In one of his last acts
in office, the president hopes to take the modified final count and pass it
on to Congress.

JEFFREY WALL, ACTING U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL:  The real fight is substantive
how much discretion a president has.

SPUNT:  But removing millions of people means removing millions of dollars
from states and cities. Texas, California and New Jersey are just some of
the states expected to lose funding and potentially congressional
representation if the Trump team wins in court. Justices from both wings of
the court appeared skeptical of the administration's ask, especially under
a tight deadline.

SAMUEL ALITO, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE:  There are only 31 days left in the
year. To exclude the 10.5 million seems to me a monumental task.

SONIA SOTOMAYOR, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE:  We have to decide as a matter of
law whether the word "persons" as used in the statute and Constitution who
live here permits the exclusion of illegal aliens.

SPUNT:  This case marks the first big test for Justice Amy Coney Barrett as
it relates to executive power and how much power the man who appointed her
to the bench can harness. This is the first time in history a president has
unilaterally moved to remove millions of undocumented from the Census, and
Justice Barrett questioned the administration's move.

AMY CONEY BARRETT, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT NOMINEE:  A lot of the historical
evidence and longstanding practice really cuts against your positions.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SPUNT:  The president is supposed to receive the final Census numbers by
December 31st, but that date could slide because of the pandemic. If it
slides past January 20th, President Biden could withdraw the case from the
Supreme Court and keep the 11 million in the final census count. Bret?

BAIER:  David, thank you.

Up next, Republicans and Georgia's secretary of state sounding the alarm in
the peach state's Senate runoff races.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONNA MCDANIEL, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN:  If you lose your
faith and you don't vote and people walk away, that will decide it.

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R) GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE:  These third party
groups have a responsibility to not encourage illegal voting. If they do
so, they will be held responsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER:  President Trump is ripping Georgia's Republican governor over what
the president calls inaction against fraudulent results in the election.
However, President Trump plans to be in Georgia this weekend to campaign
for the two GOP senators in January 5th runoffs. Correspondent Steve
Harrigan has the latest tonight from Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  Two Georgia Senate runoff races
are just weeks away, and Republican infighting has party leaders nervous.

RONNA MCDANIEL, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN:  It's not
decided. If you lose your faith and you don't vote and people walk away,
that will decide it.

HARRIGAN:  President Trump's repeated and unsubstantiated claims of voter
fraud have resulted in calls for Republicans to boycott the January 5th
vote. And that has let to a new super PAC being formed by some advisers to
Donald Trump Jr. They plan on airing ads that feature him to help turn out
the vote. Andy Surabian, one of the advisers behind the PAC told politico
"There is a critical role that must be played in both Georgia Senate
runoffs -- turning out the Trump vote."

Democrats are also spending lots of cash and trying to sign up as many
voters as possible before next week's registration deadline. The secretary
of state said his office is investigating 250 cases of potential fraud. He
also warned illegal voting is a felony.

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R) GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE:  These third party
groups have a responsibility to not encourage illegal voting. If they do
so, they will be held responsible.

HARRIGAN:  But it's a mixed message, as the candidates are themselves
trying to instill confidence back into the system.

SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-GA) ATLANTA DREAM CO-OWNER:  We are going to be
right there and make sure that Georgians can trust this process, because we
have to have integrity in our elections. And given everything that's on the
line, January 5th, we're making sure that Georgians are fired up to turn
out to vote.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIGAN:  The president will be in Georgia Saturday to campaign for the
two Republicans on the ticket. Bret?

BAIER:  Steve, thank you.

When we come back, the panel on the pandemic and the fight over the 2020
election results.

First, beyond our borders tonight. France's ruling political party
reversing course on a hugely controversial policy proposal that would make
it illegal to post identifiable images of police officers in France. More
than 100,000 people took part in weekend protests against the move.

Pakistan's lonely elephant arrives in Cambodia by cargo plane to start a
new life with fellow pachyderms at a local sanctuary. The transfer of the
zoo animal, who lost his partner in 2012, is the culmination of years of
campaigning by American entertainer Cher. She was on the tarmac to witness
the arrival. Turns out she really can turn back time.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS KREBS, FORMER DIRECTOR, CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY
AGENCY:  I have confidence in the security of the election because I know
the work that we've done for four years in support of our state and local
partners. I know the work that the intelligence community has done, that
the Department of Defense has done, that the FBI has done, that my team has
done. I know that these systems are more secure. I know based on what we
have seen that any attacks on the election were not successful.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:  You need a judge that's
willing to hear a case. You need a Supreme Court that's willing to make a
real big decision. It's not like you are going to change my mind, in other
words, my mind will not change in six months. There was tremendous cheating
here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER:  President Trump on with Maria Bartiromo talking about the fight
that continues on, his legal team fighting. There was a hearing in Arizona.
We'll bring you some of that in just a minute.

Meantime, Arizona, the governor there, Doug Ducey, a Republican, certified
the election rules today. As he was actually signing the documents, his
phone rang. He told the reporters back in July that cover him that he
changed his phone ring to "Hail to the Chief" if the president or Vice
President Pence called him. During that signing, "Hail to the Chief" played
on his phone. Just moments ago, the president tweeting out that, true, that
the governor of Arizona has abandoned the people of Arizona.

Let's bring in our panel, Charles Hurt, opinion editor for "The Washington
Times," Mara Liasson, national political correspondent for National Public
Radio, and Ben Domenech, publisher of "The Federalist."

Charlie, obviously, Trump supporters believe there is a route here, there
is a way, because the president says that. The legal options are narrowing.
However, they are following up and still filing these suits in the hopes
that it gets to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, these Republican
governors are certifying elections.

CHARLES HURT, OPINION EDITOR, "WASHINGTON TIMES":  Yes. And, of course,
that, at the end of the day, what happens is when states certify elections,
that becomes something that becomes binding. And that will, I suspect, be
the way this -- the way this finally ends.

But, between now and then, the president has every right to challenge every
single one of these things. We began with people saying that there was no
fraud whatsoever. Now it's moved to there may have been illegal votes and
fraud, but not enough to change the outcome of the election. Whatever the
case is, the president has the right to and should fight this through every
legal means that he has at his disposal.

Obviously, that runs up against some problems in a place where we have the
runoffs still in Georgia. But the president needs to make his case that the
biggest threat to his agenda if, in fact, he does end up losing the White
House, the biggest threat to his agenda is a Democratic-controlled Senate.
And I think that he can make that case. And, in the meantime, President
Trump is the first guy to come along in a very long time to fight for these
people, and they appreciate that every step of the way.

BAIER:  Let me go back to Arizona. Part of the plan, it seems, is to hold
these hearings in front of state legislators to hope that they do not
officially get the electors to sit down from those states. Here is a little
clip of a back and forth. It's Colonel Phil Waldron and Rudy Giuliani.
Waldron is one of the people testifying about the system that they are
looking into, the Dominion voting systems.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. PHIL WALDRON:  Our people looked at spider graphs on the Dominion
network on Election Day and showed the increased web traffic, Internet
traffic on Election Day for Dominion servers.

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY:  So on Election Day, Dominion
was communicating by Internet?

WALDRON:  Correct.

GIULIANI:  Contrary to what Mr. Krebs said or thought.

WALDRON:  That is, that is correct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER:  And you hear Mr. Krebs mentioned there. That was Krebs who was
interviewed, Chris Krebs, by "60 Minutes." Ben, and their thought here is
that these systems were plugged into the Internet and somehow adjusted on
the vote totals. And we just haven't seen the forensics. This team says
they have looked into it. We are looking into it as well.

BEN DOMENECH, "THE FEDERALIST":  I don't think that anybody has seen the
forensic data yet to prove anything along those lines. The bigger issue
that I think has to be addressed here is that so much of these questions
needed to be looked at earlier in terms of the arguments that the president
and his supporters are making now, namely that when they are looking back
at all the different steps that were taken in key states in terms of
authenticating signatures and looking at where people were registered,
there were a lot of objections that they needed to make months ago given
the way this was rushed through in terms of mail-in balloting being such a
big issue in this cycle.

I think that in a certain sense they have removed their ability to prove
the kind of fraud that would be significant enough to change anything here,
and I think that Governor Ducey understands that that's something that is
not going to be provable in a court of law or in a political sense.

BAIER:  And Mara, you get into a case in Georgia where you have a
Republican governor now under attack by a Republican president, and a
Republican secretary of state who is under attack by a fellow Republicans.

MARA LIASSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: 
Yes.

BAIER:  And he's getting ready to run two runoffs in a state where the
Senate balance of power hangs.

LIASSON:  Yes. That's the big question -- will this kind of tension between
the Republican president and Republican officials, particularly Georgia,
depress Republican turnout? The president is saying that the system is
rigged, that you can't get a fair result, so why should Republicans turn
out?

Meanwhile, he is going to go and campaign for these Republicans. You've got
his son starting a super PAC to help them. It's really, really confusing.
These are, in most cases, Republican state officials, many Republican
judges who are saying we're just not seeing the evidence that the Trump
lawyers say they have. And, as you heard the president say to Maria
Bartiromo, his last play is to get it to the Supreme Court. He didn't sound
that confident that they would pick it up. And the question is, would the
Supreme Court be willing to overturn the results of an election that is so
many lower court judges have said was free and fair?

BAIER:  Yes, and, Charlie, Chris Krebs on "60 Minutes" we hope have him on
to ask specifics as well, but went through the paper balloting in each
state and how he just didn't think any of this in the broad sense is at the
level of a massive fraud.

HURT:  Certainly, it is an uphill battle for the president. But, as I said
earlier, I do think it's his right to pursue every legal option that he has
at his disposal, and at the end of the day, as the states certify these
elections, I think those certifications will end up standing.

But of course, none of this takes away from the fact that there are real,
genuine problems when you have mass mail-in ballots. It is fraught, and
obviously this has been going on long before Trump was around. And it's a
problem that does need to be addressed, and Republicans have not done a
very effective job before now of addressing those very issues.

BAIER:  Ben, very quickly, what we are hearing is that the president wants
to run again in 2024 and may be planning some kind of announcement even on
Inauguration Day.

DOMENECH:  I think a big part of how that plays could relate to what goes
on in Georgia in these Senate races, which will indicate whether Trump
wants to pull away from the GOP, he was always someone who took it over, or
whether he wants to be seen as the leader of the party.

BAIER:  All right, panel, thank you very much. When we come back,
celebrating our veterans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER:  Finally tonight, a big surprise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:  Happy Thanksgiving, daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:  One more time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER:  Look at this. Military Police Commander Patrick Potter has been
deployed overseas since January. Thanksgiving Day he gave his family a
special homecoming, surprising his three kids at their house in Rhode
Island. That is awesome.

And police officers, firefighters, and military veterans in Alabama
celebrating the birthday of Arlen (ph) Patterson (ph) over the weekend. The
World War II veteran turned 95. He sat and waived at dozens of cars and
trucks on his special day. Happy birthday, Mr. Patterson (ph). Thank you
for your service to the country. And thank you for inviting us into your
home tonight. That's it for the SPECIAL REPORT." Fair, balanced, and
unafraid. Here is Martha.

Hey, Martha.

END
 

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