Minnesota Democrats postpone gathering amid unrest over Floyd death

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," May 29, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Good evening, I'm Bret Baier. "BREAKING TONIGHT, two big stories. Minutes ago, we received the transcripts of phone calls between President Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and the former Russian ambassador. We'll bring you those and while those conversations cover.

But first, the big story. An arrest of the white Minneapolis police officer seen on video restraining a black man who later died. It comes following several nights of protests and rioting, which spread far from the Twin Cities to other parts of the country.

The mayor of Minneapolis has issued a curfew for his city tonight. We have "FOX TEAM COVERAGE." Kristin Fisher is at the White House with the tweet that the president sent out drawing ire, and the social media giant -- of the social media giant and his reaction.

William La Jeunesse in Los Angeles looks at the demonstrations in several cities around the country. But we begin with senior correspondent Mike Tobin in Minneapolis tonight. Good evening, Mike.

MIKE TOBIN, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. The streets out here went from no police presence mob ruling the street to state troopers in riot gear. National guardsmen rifles at the ready.

Still, you have an angry group of protesters despite the announcement of an arrest with a common belief that if George Floyd was White, it wouldn't have taken four days. Bret.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Angry is not a mob. You're not angry it's not across the mob. No, don't touch me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOBIN: The Minneapolis police officer seen around the world pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd is now behind bars.

MIKE FREEMAN, HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY, MINNESOTA: Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office with murder and with manslaughter.

Chauvin had remained free after he and three other officers who helped hold Floyd down or simply watched as he unarmed black man, repeatedly told them he couldn't breathe.

County Attorney Mike Freeman said the arrest and third-degree murder charge came faster than any other case involving a police officer. But Floyd's family responded with a statement, "We expected a first-degree murder charge. We want a first-degree murder charge, and we want to see the other officers arrested."

FREEMAN: I anticipate charges, but I'm not going to get into that.

TOBIN: Evidence in the arrest complaint includes cell phone videos, officer bodycam video, witness statements, and a preliminary medical exam report. The development came after another horrific night of rioting, looting, and arson.

Our cameras caught the moment officers in the third precinct station abandoned it before rioters broke inside the building, then lit it on fire and burned it to the ground.

GOV. TIM WALZ (DFL-MN): That is an abject failure that cannot happen. We must restore that order to that.

TOBIN: Just after midnight, Governor Tim Walz, took the situation out of local hands putting the state in charge. The National Guard is now fully deployed along with the Minnesota State Patrol. Though still tense the situation so far, looks much calmer than yesterday.

Asked why the guard were not fully deployed before last night's inferno, Major General Jon Jensen, said they had to wait for local authorities to request it.

MAJ. GEN. JON JENSEN, HEAD, MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD: I have no authority to self-deploy the Minnesota National Guard anywhere in the state. I have no authority whatsoever.

TOBIN: With local authorities no longer in the lead, Governor Walz, says he understands everyone is now watching and waiting to see what will happen tonight. But he also says the authorities cannot do this alone.

WALZ: And I will not patronize you as a white man without living those, those lived experiences of how very difficult that is. But I'm asking you to help us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOBIN: City police officers are still not here in the area by the third precinct as a state has taken over, and a curfew has been set starting at 8:00 p.m. tonight. Bret.

BAIER: Mike Tobin, live in Minneapolis. Mike, thank you.

President Trump coming under fire for a tweet stating that, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. That earned him another rebuke from Twitter, and that in turn intensifies the president's ongoing war with social media in general, Twitter specifically.

The president also is ratcheting up the pressure on China over the coronavirus and China's treatment of Hong Kong. Correspondent Kristin Fisher is at the White House tonight with all of that. Good evening, Kristin.

KRISTIN FISHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. Moments ago, President Trump addressed that controversial tweet for the first time today in person. He said that he did not know where that saying came from. When the looting starts, the shooting starts, nor does he say that he knew that it dated back to race riots in the 1960s.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I understand the hurt, I understand the pain.

FISHER: President Trump, expressing condolences over the murder of George Floyd. But he did not mention Floyd's name or the riots in Minneapolis, nor did he take any questions earlier in the day during what was billed as a Rose Garden news conference.

TRUMP: I'm here today to talk about our relationship with China.

FISHER: Instead, minutes before walking out, President Trump tried to clarify his controversial comment, when the looting starts, the shooting starts, on Twitter.

He wrote, "Looting leads to shooting, and that's why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night."

The line was first used in 1967 by a former police chief in Miami, whose aggressive tactics in black neighborhoods help spark riots. That is the historical context that Twitter is citing in its decision to slap a first- of-its-kind warning label over the president's tweet. "This tweet violated the Twitter rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the tweet to remain accessible."

The White House's official Twitter account fired back, saying that, "The president did not glorify violence." And accused Twitter of censoring the president of the United States, while allowing tweets from Iran's supreme leader calling for the destruction of Israel to stand.

But Twitter did put fat check labels on tweets from a Chinese government spokesperson for saying that the coronavirus originated in the United States and was brought to Wuhan by the U.S. military.

Today, President Trump placed the blame squarely on China.

TRUMP: China's cover-up of the Wuhan virus allowed the disease to spread all over the world, instigating a global pandemic that has cost more than 100,000 American lives and over a million lives worldwide.

FISHER: President Trump, also announced that after first freezing funding to the World Health Organization, now, the United States will be terminating its relationship with the WHO entirely.

And after China approved a new security law, threatening the independence of Hong Kong, President Trump, says he is now directing his administration to begin eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong preferential treatment.

TRUMP: My announcement today will affect the full range of agreements we have with Hong Kong from our extradition treaty to our export controls on dual-use technologies and more with few exceptions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FISHER: And in one final blow to Beijing, this afternoon, President Trump issued a proclamation banning certain Chinese nationals with ties to China's military from entering the United States for graduate school.

President Trump says that he's doing it to try to keep them from stealing U.S. intellectual property and technology. Bret.

BAIER: Kristin Fisher, live at the North Lawn. Kristin, thank you.

Protests over the situation in Minneapolis are taking place in several cities outside Minnesota, and at times, they've turned violent. National correspondent William La Jeunesse shows us from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE, FOX NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Protests continued Friday across the U.S. after violent clashes the night before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did not come this far here in Arizona throughout this country to let a few redneck racists and clan members with badges and guns turn us around.

LA JEUNESSE: In Phoenix, protesters lobbed rocks and bottles. Police responded with pepper spray and stun grenades. In Louisville, shots from inside the crowd injured two seriously. As riot police fired paintballs and tear gas.

Unrest there, not just over the events in Minneapolis, but the killing of Breonna Taylor, an unarmed black woman shot in her apartment by police executing a controversial no-knock search warrant. Today, the mayor announced changes.

MAYOR GREG FISCHER (D-KY), LOUISVILLE: I asked the FBI, the U.S. attorney, and the Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to investigate what happened on the night of March 13th. Why it happened? And what needs to happen now so that justice can be served?

LA JEUNESSE: The gunfire also erupting in Denver as protesters paint black lives matter at the state Capitol, smashed vehicles, and blocked traffic. This SUV retaliated, hitting a protester before speeding away.

In Columbus, crowds pelt cops with smoke bombs and bottles. 70 arrested in New York City, including a woman wielding a knife, and a man who hit an officer in the head with a garbage can.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Enough is enough.

LA JEUNESSE: In George Floyd's hometown of Houston, thousands marched peacefully today, while in Milwaukee, a more strident message.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been harmed every day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LA JEUNESSE: So, police around the country are bracing for more protests this weekend. Chicago, Denver, Austin, Texas, despite the prosecution in Minneapolis. Bret.

BAIER: William, thank you.

In tonight's "DEMOCRACY 2020" report, how the Minneapolis situation may be impacting Joe Biden's running mate search? Correspondent Peter Doocy has that and all the campaign news tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Joe Biden's message to protesters is, he gets it.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's no time to encourage violence. This is a national crisis, we need real leadership right now. Leadership that will bring everyone to the table, so we can take measures to root out systemic racism.

DOOCY: The presumptive Democratic nominee's tone on racial issues has changed a lot in a week.

BIDEN: If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, and you ain't Black.

DOOCY: How might faux pas or protests affect his choice of running mate? One of Minnesota's senators is a V.P. short-lister.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): If George Floyd's death has any legacy because he will never be brought back, it should be systemic change to our criminal justice system in Minnesota.

DOOCY: Amy Klobuchar was part of that criminal justice system as Hennepin County prosecutor, and denies letting the officer arrested in the death of George Floyd, walk after he was involved in another death.

KLOBUCHAR: Nine months after I was in the U.S. Senate is when it went to the grand jury.

DOOCY: Another possible running mate is focused elsewhere, Kamala Harris, writes, "Trump's tweets, yet again, show what racism looks like. This is why we need new leadership. Vote.

Congresswoman Val Demings, says she's on the shortlist and now she's writing about her time as Orlando's police chief, "As a former woman in blue, let me begin with my brothers and sisters in blue. What in the hell are you doing?

REP. VAL DEMINGS (D-FL): The nation is on fire. And the president of the United States is standing there with gasoline. Republicans are growing impatient with North Carolina's Democratic governor, writing, they need to know by June 3rd if they can host a convention featuring thermal scans and antibacterial gel.

The governor's office tells Fox, "North Carolina will continue working with the RNC to ensure the convention can be held safely." That's as Joe Biden signals these conventions could fall in the summer of the protests.

BIDEN: None of us can be silent. None of us can any longer can we hear the words, I can't breathe, and do nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOOCY: Biden will no longer speak this weekend at the Minnesota Democratic- Farmer-Labor Party convention, the two-day event that had been made virtual out of respect for concerns over public health has now been postponed out of respect for protesters concerned with racial injustice. Bret.

BAIER: Peter, thank you.

Also "BREAKING TONIGHT", the newly minted Director of National Intelligence has transmitted declassified transcripts of phone conversations between then-incoming White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and the Russian ambassador. That were used as part of the Russia collusion investigation.

Correspondent David Spunt has details tonight, breaking. Good evening, David.

DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Bret, good evening to you. Both sides of the aisle have been waiting to get these transcripts for a little bit more than three years -- 3-1/2 years to be exact.

It details four phone conversations and one voicemail between the two men. Sources say these are the only conversations between both men. Now, Ric Grenell, he was the former acting director of National Intelligence. He went ahead and declassified these transcripts earlier this week.

The new DNI on the right of your screen, John Ratcliffe, released them to members of Congress today. That call that jumps out at first though is December 29th, 2016 when Flynn talks to the ambassador about Russians in the United States, expelled by the Obama administration.

Kislyak proposes for President Vladimir Putin to talk to Donald Trump on January 21st, the day after Trump was inaugurated. I want to read part of that conversation. Flynn, says, "Listen, a couple of things. Number one, what would I ask you guys to do and make sure that you can convey this, OK? Do not allow this administration to box us in, right now, OK?"

Kislyak responds, "We have conveyed it." Flynn goes on to say, "depending on what actions they take over this current issue of the cyber stuff, you know, they're going to dismiss a number of Russians out of the country. I understand all of that and I understand that you know, the information they have and all of that, but what I would ask Russia is not to do anything, because I know, if you have some sort of action to only make it reciprocal. Make it reciprocal, do not make it go any further than you have to. Because I do not want to get us into something that has to escalate on, you know, a tit-for-tat. You follow me, ambassador?"

Bret, Kislyak then responds, I understand what you're saying, but you know, you might appreciate the sentiments that are raging right now in Moscow."

Now, this all comes, Bret, as Michael Flynn's fate hangs in the balance. The attorney general has oust to drop the separate criminal case against Flynn, a judge has not agreed yet on that. That is still playing out in the courts.

Bret, we're still digesting these transcripts right now. It's about 25 pages, all of them though, are posted right now on Foxnews.com. Bret.

BAIER: Any breaking news, we'll head back. David, thank you.

Up next, Washington, D.C. begins a lockdown policy. Its mayor calls stay at home light. What does that mean?

First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. FOX 13 in Salt Lake City, where authorities say a police officer was killed and another officer injured in a shootout with a man whose wife called police to report he had threatened to kill her. The gunman was also killed when officers returned fire.

WFXT in Boston, where the iconic Boston Marathon is canceled for the first time in its 124-year history because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers will have what they call a virtual event, in which participants who verify that they ran 26.2 miles on their own will receive their finisher's medal.

FOX 5 in New York, as a 14-year-old from Edison, New Jersey wins the online version of a national spelling bee. Navneeth Murali won the SpellPundit contest which replaces the traditional Bee canceled, of course, because of the pandemic. He won a total of 5,500 bucks. Congratulations.

And this is a live look at Orlando from FOX 35, our affiliate there. One of the big stories there tonight. There's a 50-50 chance of favorable weather for tomorrow's rescheduled space launch. The first space mission to originate in the U.S. manned, in nearly a decade, postponed Wednesday because of the weather.

Tomorrow's launch is scheduled for 3:22 p.m. Eastern from Florida, and you'll see it live if it happens right here on Fox News.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Restrictions are being eased tonight in Washington, D.C., and at least, nine other states. D.C.'s mayor calls it stay-at-home light. Correspondent Gillian Turner is here to tell us what that means. Good evening, Gillian.

GILLIAN TURNER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Bret. Here in the nation's capital, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, launched phase one of reopening today after the district enjoyed 14 days of flat-lining coronavirus case numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D-WA), DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Today is the first day of phase one or what I like to call, stay-at-home light.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: D.C.'s emergency field hospital at the National Convention Center was set to treat nearly 500 coronavirus patients. But never admitted a single one. Despite this, bowser warned Washingtonian's victory is still a long way away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOWSER: Not a day of celebration, it's a day of being able to do some things slowly and on a limited basis that we haven't been able to do for 10 weeks. But it's not a party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: D.C. isn't alone today. Nine other states, including neighbor neighboring Maryland and Virginia, all undertook phase one -- day one by opening up with varying degrees of caution.

Here in the city, that means if you work for a company that provides essential services, you could have already returned to work. Masks now required, citywide on trains, buses, and ride shares, and all grocery stores, plus anywhere where social distancing is not possible.

They'll also be on the hook -- excuse me, restaurants can now serve customers outside but are capping tables at six people per table. Bowser dubbing the new protocol, strategies.

They'll also be on the hook to alert customers if they learn someone at the restaurant was exposed to the virus. Just across the Potomac River, Maryland's governor is taking an equally cautious approach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. LARRY HOGAN (R-MD): Everyone felt we were in a position to slowly gradually and safely open some of the low-risk things like outdoor activities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: Outdoor activities at public parks like this one though, are still on hold. And it's creating a lot of confusion for district residents. Tennis courts like the one behind me, you can see still have no nets.

But public pools city-wide across the city are now filled up in anticipation of the summer rush during the summer season, whether anybody is able to get in these pools or actually play tennis this summer remains to be seen. Bret.

BAIER: We work it out eventually. Gillian, thank you.

Stocks were mixed today. The Dow lost 18. The S&P 500 gained 15. The NASDAQ finished ahead 121 today. For the week, the Dow surged 3-3/4 percentage points. The S&P 500 was up three. The NASDAQ gained 1-3/4. And for the month, the Dow jumped 4-1/4. The S&P 500 gained 4-1/2. The NASDAQ surged 6- 3/4.

Up next, how the pandemic is changing the way your government does business? And your kids go to school or don't go to school? We'll explain.

First, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. Afghanistan's defense ministry, says Taliban fighters have attacked an army checkpoint, killing 14 military personnel. The Taliban called the incident a defensive action.

A hostile on the grounds of the North Korean embassy in Berlin accused of helping finance the East-Asian country in violation of international sanctions has now been closed.

The administrative court has rejected the hostile's final appeal against closure. The facility was said to have been a significant source of foreign income for North Korea.

A former Samsung employee, who spent nearly a year protesting his firing by living atop an 82-foot traffic camera tower in South Korea's capital is on solid ground tonight.

60-year-old Kim Yong-hee came down after Samsung apologized. He contends he was fired for attempting to organize a labor union. Neither Kim, nor the company is saying whether he will be financially compensated or reinstated, but he is down.

A stunning Roman mosaic has been uncovered beneath the vineyards in northern Italy. Officials say it was first discovered more than a century ago. And they say recent excavations have finally brought that mosaic to light.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Schools all over the country could look a lot different when and if classes resume in the fall. Correspondent Doug McKelway examines the possibilities tonight from Falls Church, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOUG MCKELWAY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Under a shade tree near the locked doors of an elementary school, James, a third-grader is quietly reading a book.

Nearby, Zoey Brennan is knocking the stuffing out of softballs, hoping to make varsity if there's a season. No one knows for sure what the fall will bring, there are mixed signals from abroad.

MAYOR MOSHE FADLON, HERZLIYA, ISRAEL (through translator): It is a long and complicated process, but we'll face it with dignity.

MCKELWAY: In Israel, where schools reopened two weeks ago, one closed again last Friday, after 11 students and seven teachers tested positive. In South Korea, schools today limited elementary and junior highs to one-third and high schools to two-thirds of capacity, after a new outbreak. Across the U.S. and thousands of school districts talk of how and when to reopen has begun.

JOHN DAVIS, CHIEF OF SCHOOLS, BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: All of us across the nation are frankly talking and watching each other. You watch a little bit internationally as well.

MCKELWAY: It is a collaborative effort involving administrators, health experts, parents, and teachers. Each school is unique. Given the size of classrooms, the age, and health of staff, and numerous factors. Among some commonplace ideas, socially distant spacing, temperature checks, hand- washing stations, half days, with cleaning between morning and afternoon sessions. Or classes every other day to include some online learning.

Meals at desks only. Limiting contact sports and some extracurricular activities and wearing masks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By this time next year, I would hope they're all in there all the time.

MCKELWAY: Holding a powerful potential veto, are unions. The American Federation of Teachers alone, represents 1.7 million teachers, nurses, food service workers, and bus drivers.

RANDI WEINGARTEN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: If I don't think a school is safe -- I'm not going to say it safe. I think talking about strikes, strikes are a last resort.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKELWAY: These are all subject to change depending upon the state's phase reopening and on the course of the virus itself. Many school administrators are planning on three separate contingencies; a full reopening come fall, a partial reopening, or distance learning again. Bret?

BAIER: We'll see. Doug, thank you.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has new guidelines tonight for people returning to their workplaces. It says desks should be six feet apart, or employers should put plastic shield around them. Face covering should be worn. No handshakes, hugging, or touching. Commonly touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected. And people are also being urged, if possible, to drive to work instead of using public transportation.

Let's examine how Congress is changing because of coronavirus. Here is Congressional correspondent Chad Pergram.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD PERGRAM, FOX NEWS PRODUCER: Capitol Hill pulses when Congress is in session.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The House will be in order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Mueller, what's your message to the president?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just wrong.

PERGRAM: But now the capital is a shell of itself -- abandoned hallways, cavernous ornate rooms, few people even around.

This is Independence Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the House office building. When Congress is in session, this street bustles. Members of Congress rushing across from the House office building to the House floor to vote, lobbyists pulling in in cabs to go talk to aides of members of Congress. But coronavirus has quieted this street.

Congress isn't made for social distancing -- dozens of aides packed into cramped offices, but thousands of staff will now likely telework for months.

JOHN LAWRENCE, FORMER PELOSI CHIEF OF STAFF: The exposure both to the members, but also the staff and other people who are working in the capital and in the office buildings is extremely high. So it's definitely a high- risk environment.

PERGRAM: Before coronavirus, members of the public could venture virtually anywhere they wanted to on Capitol Hill, drop in on their representative unannounced, maybe attend a congressional hearing. But many of those hearings are now remote, and that could fundamentally alter the culture of Capitol Hill.

STEVEN LIVENGOOD, U.S. CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY: One of the arguments for having an office in Washington is that you need the direct contact.

LYNN WESTMORELAND (R), FORMER GEORGIA REPRESENTATIVE: This business is about relationships. And you can't build a lot of relationship through Zoom and these other technological instruments that are out there now to communicate. You like to see people in the eye, and you like to see all their emotions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PERGRAM: In normal times Congress is open to the public, but that's not going to be the case until the pandemic fades. The only people who will be here are lawmakers and some select aides. The capital attending physician recently told some House Democrats that it could take years before Congress gets back to normal. Bret?

BAIER: Chad Pergram up on Capitol Hill. Chad, thank you.

President Trump runs afoul of Twitter again, warning rioters in Minneapolis, and we'll get the latest on the entire situation on the ground, reaction from the panel, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just expressed my sorrow. That was a horrible thing to witness, and I've seen bad things. I've seen many bad things, and that was just a horrible thing to witness and to watch. And it would certainly look like there was no excuse for it. They were grieving very much. He was their brother, and they were grieving, and I could see very much that they loved their brother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: President Trump talking about phone call, a conversation he had with the Floyds. Obviously, the situation in Minneapolis very explosive, and around the country, reacting to this incident this afternoon. We heard from the Hennepin County attorney about charges against the officer involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE FREEMAN (D), HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA, ATTORNEY: I must say that this case has moved with extraordinary speed. This conduct, this criminal action took place on Monday evening, May 25th, Memorial Day. I am speaking to you at 1:00 on Friday, May 29th. That is less than four days. That's extraordinary. We have never charged a case in that kind of timeframe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: One officer charged with third-degree murder, manslaughter. More charges may be likely. We'll see.

Let's bring in our panel, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. who is currently the chairman of RX Saver, Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at "The Federalist," and Charles Lane, opinion writer for "The Washington Post." It seems like they are saying, Harold, that this did move fast. It's not enough for some people on the ground in Minneapolis and for the Floyd family.

HAROLD FORD JR. (D), FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: What a terrible moment for not only that family but for -- you think about it, we live in a constitutional democracy, and when a group of people, a race of people believe that wrongs can't be righted or that justice can't be meted out, whether they're right or wrong in believing that, you create real problems in a democracy when that happens.

I can appreciate and maybe respect those words that this seemed to move fast, but what really moved fast was watching that video on how quickly that young man died for, allegedly, at least what the reports suggests, allegedly forging a $20 check. Now, he should have been punished for that, very likely, but death, a knee to the neck with others watching. Will Smith, the great actor, said that racism is not a new thing, it's just being videoed now. And as much as I understand the process has to take time to work, it's puzzling, it's confounding, it's painful, it's angering for Americans of all stripes, and I would say to those Americans who may not quite fully understand or can't quite grasp what's happening, imagine your cousin, your sister, your brother, your parent, your best friend dying and you not believing there's a way to right that wrong or for justice to be served. That's what so many people that's what so many people are feeling.

And people say we need a conversation about race. Sure, we need a conversation about race. But we need a bigger conversation about how law enforcement, whom I support, how they're going to be held to a standard that prevents these things, not just punishes them, but how do we prevent young black men from dying for forging a check?

BAIER: Yes, Mollie, the flipside of the reaction to the looting and the situation on the ground in Minneapolis, many people say they understand the anger of the community, as Harold is articulating it there, but what's happening on the ground is quite something else.

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": Not just many people. I think everybody knows that this was a horrible wrong, that George Floyd lost his life wrongly. There was no dissent about this, whether it's left, right, socialist, libertarian, conservative. Everybody saw the video and everybody saw what was wrong. And I think it's important to make a distention between people knowing that's wrong and working hard to change what has led to things like this happening and the riots that we're seeing.

Riots are the complete breakdown of rule of law. They serve no justice. They destroy small business owners and large business owners. They break down community trust. So there is a big difference between righteously angry at things like this continuing to happen and rioting, and I think that we should remember that a lot of people are upset and focus on ways to improve things rather than handing over large American cities and having them fall to mobs.

BAIER: Chuck?

CHARLES LANE, OPINION WRITER, "WASHINGTON POST": I can't really add too much to what the other have just said, except to say that we can't be naive about how long this has been going on. One of my earliest memories is the uprising in Washington, D.C., in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King. This has been happening over and over and over again as long as I've been around, as long as I've been alive, and I'm 58-years-old.

And this is fueling the kind of -- you can't excuse the destruction and violence, but you can certainly comprehend the frustration. These cases keep coming up. There is no permanent reform. There's no permanent solution. I really have to fear, as Congressman Ford said, you have to be very concerned about the basic social fabric of this country if we aren't able to fundamentally reform these institutions in a credible way.

BAIER: Harold, the president took a lot of heat today for this tweet, that Twitter actually said lifted up violence in Minneapolis. He later clarified, talked to reporters. He then tweeted out "Looting leads to shooting, and that's why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night -- or look at what just happened in Louisville with seven people shot. I don't want this to happen, and that's what the expression put out last night means. It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It's very simple. Nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!"

Obviously, this fits into the whole back and forth on the president and social media, and specifically Twitter.

FORD: Look, I don't think the president condones what happened in Minneapolis with these police officers, and I would agree with Mollie. Looting, and I was surprised by the Minnesota and Minneapolis law enforcement, that they didn't coordinate better, and we are in the fourth night of this, fourth day now, fourth evening of this.

Presidents, in moments like this, when I served in Congress, 9/11 occurred, and President Bush worked his tail off to unite this country. He brought us together. I think this president is facing a moment like that. He's faced many moments like this, but there's a moment involving race and how it's roiling us and has it has roiled us. This is one of those moments where his language, he's got to be very careful about the tweets. I'm not going to read any more into his tweets. I don't read a lot of them, but I'm not going to read any more into it than he wants us to, but he should be careful about what he says and how he says it.

BAIER: Very quickly, Mollie, we had a CNN reporter and crew be arrested today, this morning. They were then released, and there was an apology issued. It's something we don't see every day.

HEMINGWAY: They shouldn't be arrested. It's very important that the meeting be able do report on these things. It's absolutely important.

I want to say something about this Twitter issue, though. Twitter is meddling in the 2020 election, and they started this week by appending an editor's note that was false, fact-checking a prediction about a future event, are not doing a good job of doing that fact-check, nothing short of meddling in the 2020 election. Then they amped it up by actually flat out censoring not just the president's personal Twitter account but official government communications. They are doing this in a space where they are letting China and Iran put forth all sorts of propaganda. This is a very serious escalation by Twitter and needs to be taken seriously.

BAIER: I think this is just the beginning of this conversation about that.

Next up, Friday lightning round and Winners and Losers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization. I will issue a proclamation to better secure our nation's vital university research and to suspend the entry of certain foreign nationals from China who we have identified as potential security risks.

I am directing my administration to begin the process of eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: The president talking about China, China's relationship with Hong Kong, and really the tensions increasing between the U.S. and China. We're back with the panel. Chuck, significant ratcheting up here?

LANE: I think so. I think it's a real watershed that, at least in symbolic terms, a lot of the details have not really been revealed yet, they are lumping Hong Kong back together with the rest of mainland China and aggregating this two track approach the United States had to customs and tariffs with that territory on the basis of a belief that China has reneged on its commitment.

That is a huge moment. It's got implications for all sort of things, including the future of Taiwan. And China has really until about September to fill in the blanks on its policy change. It's going to be very important to see what response they fill in there.

BAIER: Harold, the markets hated the mention of China yesterday afternoon, kind of rolled with it today. It's obviously an economic concern when looking at the future between the U.S. and China.

FORD: When the president didn't talk about any trade deals, any rolling back of anything, I think the market calmed itself a bit. He is right to do this. I'm not convinced that withdrawing money and withdrawing support for the WHO during a pandemic is the right thing, but I support a lot of what he's doing here. I do hope he decides to be more consistent here, because when peaceful protesters in Hong Kong were beaten, we didn't speak up. I'm glad to hear the president speaking more forcefully, and I've always been a believer that we need to take a little harsher posture towards China. But the WHO, I hope they think and change their mind on this one.

BAIER: This will be an election issue, no doubt. Also today, just before the show, the transcripts of the call between Michael Flynn and the Russian ambassador Kislyak released. They were declassified by acting DNI Ric Grenell. The current DNI, now confirmed, John Ratcliffe, putting them out through Congress. Mollie, what are we learning from this other than that it doesn't seem like a lot there there.

HEMINGWAY: I think there is a lot there. There's a minor point and a major point. The minor point is we were told for years that General Flynn had lied about discussing sanctions with this ambassador. At the end of the Obama administration, they put on financial sections and they expelled diplomats. What Flynn talks about in these calls is the expulsion of diplomats. And the Mueller probe conflated those two issues.

The much larger issue is that we were told it was legitimate to think this three-star general might be a Russian asset. Looking at these transcripts, that shows just how absurd and unfair the charge was. Pretty much everything involving the Flynn probe has been suspect and stinky. Starting it was ridiculous. Keeping it open on this basis of this phone, which was about national security interests, was bad. Coming up with this Logan Act, trying to get him fired, the ambush interview, the series of criminal leaks, the pressuring of the son, the fact that his first counsel was conflicted, the way the judge is acting out. What has happened to this three-star general shouldn't be happening to anyone in this United States.

BAIER: When I said there wasn't a lot there there, I meant from the Mueller point about talking about the call.

HEMINGWAY: Right.

BAIER: And we will continue to digest this. Winners and losers, I have got just a few seconds. Chuck first, and Harold.

LANE: Well, in a week like this, very hard to find an upbeat winner. The best I could come up with were the opponents of FISA reauthorization on Capitol Hill who have, backed by President Trump, have managed to stymie it.

My loser, just to remind everyone of how bad the economy is, Hertz, the iconic rental car company, has declared bankruptcy, and thousands of people are losing their jobs in the travel industry as a whole, and that will take a long time to come back.

BAIER: Your actual loser is my time clock, but give me your winner real quick, Harold.

FORD: Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning for raising $20 million for COVID relief. Thank you, guys.

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: There you go. That's a winner. Thanks, guys. Ran out of time. We'll see you. Have a good weekend. When we come back, "Notable Quotables."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, it's Friday. That means "Notable Quotables."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a wonderful man, a patriot. He was seated and he wanted to stand to honor the people driving by.

TRUMP: No obstacle, no challenge, and no threat is a match for the sheer determination of the American people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a special time where the appropriate amount, this new batch of heroes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're seeing so much. We're seen all these people that in fact are doing heroic things for other people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so proud of all of us. We really worked our tails off this entire year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to not have a hug. Six feet is way too far.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even though this pandemic seems to want to get us down, we know that we are better than this and we're going to rise stronger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Congratulations to the 2020 graduates. I know this is a different season. Hang in there. We are one day closer -- one week closer, now, to getting this all behind us.

Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight.

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