Life after being a vice presidential nominee

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Life after being a vice presidential nominee

This is a rush transcript from “Special Report," August 14, 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, a former lawyer with the FBI will plead guilty to making a false statement in the investigation into the origins of the Russia collusion probe. It is the first criminal case ahead of a report President Trump has predicted will expose illegal surveillance of his campaign under the Obama administration. The long-awaited investigation by prosecutor John Durham.

We have Fox team coverage tonight. John Roberts at the White House as the president's reaction to this news. Correspondent David Spunt though starts us off tonight from Bridgewater, New Jersey, the details of the case. Good evening, David.

DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Bret, good evening to you. This is the first tangible result of the John Durham investigation. We've been hearing about it for more than a year right now. Finally, the results are starting to show in this investigation.

You mentioned that former FBI attorney, his name is Kevin Clinesmith. He will plead guilty to falsifying a document. This all just breaking a few hours ago.

Now, the document is part of a larger document collection used to issue a warrant to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Mr. Clinesmith worked in the FBI General Counsel Office and altered an e-mail to say that Page was not a source for the CIA but he indeed was at some point in time.

The FBI never disclosed the CIA paid relationship because Clinesmith changed the wording. Clinesmith's attorney in a statement to Fox News wrote that Kevin deeply regrets having altered the e-mail. It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues as he believed the information he relayed was accurate. But Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility.

That brought the Durham investigation name for U.S. Attorney John Durham appointed by Attorney General Bill Barr. Bill Barr finding himself under increasing criticism for a probe that yielding results right now so close to the November election.

WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We're not going to do anything inappropriate before the election, but we're not being dictated to by the schedule. What's dictating the timing of this are developments in the case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPUNT: The FBI rarely comments on an active investigation, today's an exception. In a statement to Fox News, an FBI spokesperson wrote, under Director Wray's leadership, the FBI has been, and will continue to be, fully cooperative with Mr. Durham's review. This includes providing documents and assigning personnel to assist his team.

Now, John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut Bret, as you know and as we've said, he can criminally charge if he wants to, it's possible. There could be indictments over the next few months. The DOJ official tells me that Durham probe expected to be wrapped up. But I do use a word expected to be wrapped up sometime in the next month, Bret.

BAIER: We'll see. David Spunt, thank you.

President Trump says he expects this to be the first of many developments resulting from the Durham investigation. Chief White House correspondent John Roberts has that part of the story from the North Lawn tonight. Good evening, John.

JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Bret, good evening to you. For two years, President Trump fumed as the special counsel Robert Mueller put his campaign and his White House under a microscope and said several of the president's former associates off to prison.

So, it was with some degree of satisfaction that the president today watched what may be the first of many shoes to drop on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: President Trump today found another reason to feel vindicated in the Russia probe with the announcement that former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith will plead guilty for falsifying an application for a FISA surveillance warrant.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, that's just the beginning, I would imagine because what happened should never happen again. They spied on my campaign and they got caught.

ROBERTS: The president today also keeping up the pressure on Democrats to come back to the table for another coronavirus relief bill.

In a series of tweets saying, he is ready to send direct payments $3,400 for a family of four to all Americans. Send additional PPP payments to small businesses and send more money to states and local governments to save jobs for police, firefighters, first responders and teachers. But that Democrats are holding this up.

One of the sticking points in a possible deal has been money Democrats want for the post office, including $3.5 billion to handle mass mail-in voting.

President Trump has been highly critical of that demand but today indicated, if Democrats agree to what he is asking for, he'd be willing to deal on the post office.

TRUMP: If they give us what we wanted. And it's not what I want, it's what the American people want.

ROBERTS: So, if they were to give you that, would you sign off for the money for the Postal Service?

TRUMP: Yes, but they're not giving it to me, they're giving it to the American people. I mean, giving it --

ROBERTS: But if they were to agree with that.

TRUMP: Yes, I would -- I would certainly do that, sure.

ROBERTS: The apparent willingness to compromise was lost on Democrats who simply kept hammering the president over the effects of new cost cutting measures at the post office.

In a statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer saying, the president made plain that he will manipulate the operations of the post office to deny eligible voters the ballot in pursuit of his own reelection.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): That's what real leadership looks like.

ROBERTS: President Trump also defended his assessment of Joe Biden's newly minted running mate. Insisting, he wasn't being blunt when he described Kamala Harris as being extraordinarily nasty and mean.

TRUMP: She treated Biden worse than anybody else by far. There was nobody - - including Pocahontas, nobody treated Biden so badly as Kamala.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, let me ask you this then: Do you have an issue with a strong woman of color being in this presidential race? Do you see --

TRUMP: None whatsoever.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't see her as a threat?

TRUMP: As you -- as you know, none whatsoever. No, not at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: As he did in 2016, President Trump next week will again ignore the tradition of his campaign staying dark while the opposing campaign has its convention. The president with events planned in several battleground states over the next week counter programming the virtual democratic festivities, Bret.

BAIER: John Roberts live in the North Lawn. John, thanks.

Very quickly, the U.S. Postal Service's inspector general, we're being told right now, breaking, that is reviewing the policy changes implemented by the new Postmaster General and looking into all of this as John mentioned. There's that continue -- that story continues.

A federal appeals court meantime has overturned an order requiring Hillary Clinton and her former chief of staff to sit for a private deposition about her use of a private e-mail server for government work when she served as secretary of state. The judges accused the lower court of abusing its discretion.

Let's bring in our panel early tonight. Josh Kraushaar, politics editor for National Journal. Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at The Federalist and Bill McGurn, columnist for the Wall Street journal.

Mollie, let me start with you. This isn't getting a ton of coverage as you can imagine this development today. But it is a big development as you -- we heard from the attorney general on "SEAN HANNITY SHOW" last night that he kind of forecast that something was going to happen.

Explain the importance of this and what it means in the big picture.

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, THE FEDERALIST: Well, for years, there were a group of opponents of President Trump who worked together to spread a false and damaging conspiracy theory that Trump and his campaign were Russian operatives who had stolen the election.

This was something that was spread day after day for years. It was weaponized by the federal government and its law enforcement and intelligence agencies; it was spread in part through the Democratic Party in the Never Trump movement.

And then, it was enabled through co-conspirators in the media who willfully took anonymous leaks to spread this false and dangerous theory.

At the end of the day, not a single American was found to have colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election. But now, we have the first indication of some measure of accountability for the people who perpetrated this false theory that did so much damage to the Republican president and his voters.

BAIER: Here's the attorney general kind of foreshadowing this last night with Sean.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARR: If people cross the line, if people involved in that activity violated the criminal law, they will be charged.

It's not an earth-shattering development but it is an indication that things are moving along at the proper pace as dictated by the facts in this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Josh, the attorney general said that this is not going to be dictated by the election calendar but also said, he expected it to be wrapped up in coming weeks. It obviously does factor in to the political calendar.

JOSH KRAUSHAAR, POLITICS EDITOR, NATIONAL JOURNAL: Yes, any indictments or any conclusions right in that window for over the next couple months, it's going to create a partisan (INAUDIBLE) people are going to interpret it in partisan ways, so I think there's some risk.

And I -- you know, the some risk is this is going to be viewed in a partisan way. And I think, as serious as these -- as the guilty plea is for Clinesmith, from the political perspective, we knew about Clinesmith's involvement from the -- from the I.G. report, the Horowitz report earlier in the year.

And I think on the issue of how people view Trump and Russia, a lot of the voters who are paying attention are already have their views baked in.

So, as far as the politics of any new indictments, any new information, yes, it could move the political needle a little bit but this is an issue where people have made up their minds and they're not probably going to be persuaded --

BAIER: I guess the thought process here is he made a plea and usually plea comes with a deal and you don't know what the other side of the deal is in this investigation.

I do, Bill, want to play some of the Democrats assessment of -- when the Durham investigation was getting going and how they looked at this through there, the prison.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have some real concerns about why an independent and separate investigation in addition to the inspector general's investigation was called for.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): You can assign good people to do an illegitimate investigation. You can assign good people to investigate the president's political rivals. It doesn't mean that the investigation is any less tainted. This is tainted, because of the motivation which is a political one to serve the president's political interests.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And now, they have an investigation of the investigators were investigating whether or not Vladimir Putin and the Russians engaged in trying to affect our election, give me a break. Gosh almighty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Don't Bill Democrats kind of turn this and blow it off, is that a risk?

BILL MCGURN, COLUMNIST, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Yes, look, they talk about this because they don't want to talk about the basic facts. The facts is, this guy was caught red handed. He's an FBI lawyer who altered a document to make Carter Page look guilty and which was then submitted to the FISA court.

Now, no one's reporting also these other statements that he made. You know, when Trump was elected, viva la resistance and then he was worried that his name was all over the documents investigating President Trump.

Now, what he's -- what's interesting about this is three things. First, the attorney general last night said this would be a development but a modest one, which it was.

Second, they implies that there might be bigger developments to come with this.

Third, it shows that -- you know, when he's making charges, it's not based on novel interpretations of the law, it's based on a pretty black and white case. You know, real meat and potatoes violation.

And I think the big thing that no one's talking about, if you have a deal as you say, there's usually a quid pro quo. It probably means that Clinesmith blabbed. And all the other parties in this have to be wondering what did Clinesmith tell them about me. And it may be a signal also for others. They might want to cut their own deals.

BAIER: Yes, and we're going to follow all the developments. Well, I want to turn quickly to this, the focus on the post office. We reported that we're getting word that the post office inspector general is looking into the actions of the Postmaster General who knew I didn't have all my bingo card that the post office who was going to be the election topic of August before the conventions. But it is, and the charges that the president is somehow holding back in order to stop mail-in voting, your thoughts on --

HEMINGWAY: Well, it does seem all the more important that people really do focus on the integrity of our November election. It was just a few days and weeks ago when people were acting like President Trump was insane to say that there might be problems with mail-in balloting. That messaging has spawned dramatically differently now where they're now claiming that Trump is somehow causing problems for mail-in balloting, thereby conceding that mail-in balloting is something that is fraught with risk. It is important particularly given what we now know about coronavirus and its risks that people work to ensure the integrity of voting in person at our November elections.

BAIER: Josh, what the president has said publicly raised eyebrows and now they're in this negotiation that has stalled. He has said as late as today, that he wouldn't agree to a deal for funding for the post office and for mail-in ballots if the Democrats came to the table with what the administration wanted.

KRAUSHAAR: Yes, there's still room for a compromise to get funding for election administration. And I think Democrats make a mistake by making this a partisan issue because, you know, as Mollie was alluding to, even if there -- everything was going perfectly with the post office -- you know, a significant amount of mail does get lost, it does get misplaced.

Probably, casting ballots by mail especially in states that don't have a lot of experience with mail-in balloting is a surefire way to lose a whole lot of ballots even in a -- in a good scenario.

BAIER: Yes, Bill --

KRAUSHAAR: So, Democrats, are making a mistake by having them one send their ballots through the mail instead of doing it early voting or voting in person at some of these polling places.

BAIER: Bill.

MCGURN: Yes, I agree. I also think -- look, the president did conflate the two issues. One is just how bad the post office operates today, it's such a dinosaur, it's a monopoly. We have a lot of problems with that, it hemorrhages money.

And whether they can carry out the election burden of mail-in ballots, but I think the latter is a very legitimate question, people want to know. It's just amazing to me that the more advanced in technology we become, the more doubtful of our election outcomes.

I do think people have a right to get them quickly and we used to do it a hundred years ago without all this technology and it's ridiculous that we can't do it today.

BAIER: We're preparing for election night or nights or weeks, either way, we'll be here and have it all covered. Thank you all. See you later in the show.

In tonight's Democracy 2020 report, some paperwork on the way to the Democratic Convention for the two individuals on the ticket. We're also getting reaction from Kamala Harris and others on her selection to the number two spot.

Corresponded Jacqui Heinrich reports tonight from Wilmington, Delaware.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BIDEN: Ready to set go.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm ready, go.

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden and his V.P. pick, Senator Kamala Harris, made it official today. Signing documents to accept their Democratic nominations next week when Harris will officially become the first black and south Asian woman ever on a presidential ticket.

Later, in her first interview on team Biden for a moderated conversation about gender and race, Harris answered two attacks on her candidacy and breaking barriers.

HARRIS: Joe Biden had the audacity to choose a (INAUDIBLE). How incredible is that and what a statement -- about Joe Biden?

HEINRICH: Harris also received praise from former President Barack Obama, who on a podcast, seems to suggest, Harris might face someone other than Vice President Mike Pence on the debate stage.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She is someone who I think will be able to share the stage with Mike Pence, or whoever body else, and dissect some of the terrible decisions that have been made over the last four years.

HEINRICH: The Biden campaign is focusing on showing voters how their administration would address coronavirus differently than President Trump. Yesterday, calling on governors to enact nationwide mass mandates for the next three months, with an unexpected none of agreement from White House epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: From myself, personally, I would say everybody should have to use it.

HEINRICH: The campaign echoing coronavirus criticism in new ads in battleground states.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president, our seniors --

HEINRICH: One, specifically targeting seniors, a group key to President Trump's 2016 win. And just one area where a new Fox News poll shows Biden is leading.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEINRICH: The bigger Biden event is tonight, another virtual fund-raiser. In the 48 hours after putting Kamala Harris on the ticket, the campaign brought in $48 million, a really stunning number when you recall Biden raised just over $60 million in all of 2019. Bret.

BAIER: Jacqui, thank you.

A huge win tonight for gun rights advocates. A federal appeals court has overturned California's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. The panel's majority ruled the law prohibiting magazines holding more than 10 bullets violates the constitutional right to bear firearms. Gun-control supporters say this ruling is dangerous.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__Lawandcrime.com&d=DwICAg&c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&r=tgDLkJy54PfJyWJwul3dKe54qGxqO7b7d5vjo7RcZds&m=rJV5egbrDmhekMZkaz2pLfK_LNapHB_1XewZne7uan4&s=GTxZti1dFJ9kLQqOL4RBGRa5cSSAwNnq8jiosnP3mds&e= , reports interestingly, a judge on that court cited a statement by Kamala Harris in that ruling. Harris once said on the U.S. Senate floor that people and communities of color are less likely to call police than other people.

Judge Kenneth Lee, notes, those communities often needed non-law enforcement methods of self-defense, specifically citing attacks by the KKK.

"BREAKING TONIGHT", the United Nations Security Council refusing to go along with the U.S. resolution extending its arms embargo against Iran. This comes after the U.S., says it has seized four Iranian fuel shipments on route to Venezuela and confiscated the cargo.

State Department correspondent Rich Edson has details tonight. Good evening, Rich.

RICH EDSON, FOX NEWS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. And the State Department has just announced that the U.N. Security Council has rejected an American resolution that would have extended this arms embargo against Iran. Secretary of State, says the U.N. Security Council vote is inexcusable.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: It makes no sense to permit the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism to purchase and sell weapon systems. It doesn't make sense for the European people either.

EDSON: Without United Nation Security Council support, Iran can legally buy conventional weapons starting October 18th, when an international weapons embargo expires.

POMPEO: We're going to do everything that we can within our diplomatic toolset to ensure that, that arms embargo doesn't expire.

EDSON: The next diplomatic tool on the administration's list, a controversial maneuver to restore sanctions against Iran, known as snapback, the Trump administration argues it could automatically impose international sanctions against Iran that the 2015 nuclear agreement lifted.

Opponents contend the U.S. surrendered the power to restore those sanctions when it left the Iran deal in 2018.

In a statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin, writes, "No one should resort to blackmail or dictate in this region as well as anywhere else in the world. Putin, says he wants to host an international summit with the U.S., France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, and Iran. President Trump's response to the invitation --

TRUMP: I haven't been told of it yet.

EDSON: U.S. officials, say China and Russia are mostly interested in selling weapons to Iran when or if the arms embargo expires.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

EDSON: The next step is to try to get those sanctions, those automatic snapback sanctions on Iran at the U.N. Security Council. Something that a U.S. official says will be moved forward with a process that will begin likely next week at the Security Council. Bret?

BAIER: Rich Edson, live in the State Department. Rich, thanks.

Up next, why northerners are flocking to Florida suburbs, a hint, it is not the weather. We'll explain.

First, here is with some of our Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. Fox 26 in Houston as a memorial is held more than three months after the death of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier at fort hood, who was beaten to death on base by fellow soldier.

The service took place at the same field on which Guillen once played soccer as a high school athlete.

Fox 31 in Denver as a wildfire burning north of Grand Junction grows to nearly 75,000 acres. That makes it the fourth-largest individual wildfire ever recorded in Colorado, started July 31st, likely caused by lightning.

And this is a live look at the Santa Monica Pier from Fox 11, our affiliate out there. The big story there tonight, a blistering heatwave over the next several days prompting California's Independent System Operator to issue a Flex Alert for today.

Residents are being asked to reduce power usage until 10:00 p.m. Pacific. Excessive heat warnings will be in effect throughout the weekend for most of -- most of the southland.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: A challenge tonight to the president's appointment of his two top Homeland Security officials, the Government Accountability Office says the hirings of acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf and Deputy Ken Cuccinelli were improper. If challenged in court, it could bring into question the policy actions taken since both men have taken over those jobs. The Homeland Security Department, says the GAO's report though, is baseless.

Oregon state police are leaving Portland after a two-week assignment to help protect a federal courthouse under attack by protesters. A state police official says forces are moving, "back to counties where prosecution of criminal conduct is still a priority."

Earlier this week, the county district attorney there, said he will not prosecute people arrested for nonviolent misdemeanors. Since those protests began, more than 500 people have been arrested coming up on 80 days of protests that sometimes have turned into riots and violence. So far, fewer than 50 people are being prosecuted.

Florida suburbs are experiencing a population boom right now, and it's not because of the weather. Correspondent Bryan Llenas in West Palm Beach tonight tells us it's all about COVID and crime.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK HARZ, BRANDON TRANSFER AND STORAGE COMPANY: -- if ever been in the history of the company.

BRYAN LLENAS, FOX NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In its 100-year history, Brandon Transfer and Storage Company in West Palm Beach, Florida has never had a year like this.

HARZ: Our increase in storage and transit business coming from the north is up 50 percent right now.

LLENAS: A record, 180 thousand pounds of household items is now sitting in their warehouses sent from people living in cities primarily in the northeast, who are now looking to live in Florida.

HARZ: We do a lot from Chicago, we're doing a lot of Connecticut, New York, -- North Jersey.

LLENAS: Dozens and dozens of wooden vaults are stacked floor to ceiling holding sofas, beds, clothes, garden rakes, you name it.

HARZ: Our increase started about April, but it is steadily increasing, and you know, usually our season ends about the end of September, but we don't see that happening, we see moves booked out into October and November already coming from other parts of the country.

LLENAS: Amid a pandemic and surging urban violence, people are shipping their stuff away from crowded cities and having it stored as they look for property in Florida's suburbs. And despite being a coronavirus hot spot, Florida's real estate market is highly competitive.

PETER ANCONA, REALTOR: Pre-pandemic, you know, about 12 months prior to pandemic, we were always seeing an uptick in the northeast buyer coming here. And then, when the pandemic hit, we started getting a lot of different calls where was shocking to us.

LLENAS: The result as rents drop in cities like New York, single-family home prices in Florida are up nearly five percent, and even condo prices are up, six percent.

ANCONA: They're not coming to shop or, you know, on vacation. They're coming with a specific agenda to execute, purchase, and (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LLENAS: As buyers search for their perfect new homes, their stuff sits in storage sometimes longer than they have planned because properties are selling quickly even virtually, sight unseen. Bret?

BAIER: Bryan, thank you.

Stocks were mixed. The Dow was up 34 today. The S&P 500 finished down a fraction. The NASDAQ lost 23. For the week though, the Dow gained almost two percentage points. The S&P 500 was up two-thirds, the NASDAQ rose about a tenth.

Up next, emotional reaction to the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

First, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. Almost all the remaining oil has been pumped from a Japanese ship that ran aground near Mauritius. However, environmental groups say the initial spill of a thousand tons has severely damaged the Indian Ocean. The coral reefs near that island once pristine coast there.

Thousands of South Korean doctors gathered in Seoul to protest the government's latest decision to expand medical schools and increase the number of students. The South Korean Health and Welfare Ministry, recently announced it will add 4,000 doctors nationwide over the next 10 years to resolve a shortage of medical personnel.

And investigators in Scotland, say a passenger train hit a landslide before derailing earlier this week, killing three people. A train track obstruction had been suspected at playing a role in Wednesday's derailment near the coastal town of Stonehaven because it happened after heavy rain and flooding in that area.

Just some of the other stories "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. We'll be right back.

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