New Hampshire voters weigh in on the 2020 candidates

This is a rush transcript from "The Story with Martha MacCallum," February 11, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: The President thinks we are suckers and this is our chance to send a completely different message that he will hear.

[BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This turnout tells me why we are going to win here in New Hampshire and why we are going to defeat the most dangerous President in the modern history of America, Donald Trump.

JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll be damn if I'm going to stand by and lose this country that Donald Trump for four more years.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it says that he is not here to fight to fight for the votes in New Hampshire. This is what democracy is about. We get out here and talk to voters and fight for every vote that's why I'm here.

SANDERS: My friend Mr. Buttigieg and my friend Joe Biden they have dozens and dozens of billionaires contributing to their campaign. We don't have any billionaires.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We were asked at the last debate if we thought a socialist should get the ticket, I was the only one that raised my hand and said it, no.

WARREN: We can't have a repeat of 2016 where two parts of the party are fighting with each other.

MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG (D-IN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At a moment when our country is so divided we can't risk further polarizing the American people. Let's make that a reality.

BIDEN: Stick with me. 24 more hours and I promise you we're going to do just fine. We're going to win this nomination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: It is 7:00 here in New Hampshire which means polls are now closed in more than half of the voting locations across the state. The rest will close in an hour by which time we expect to have a clear picture of who is the winner tonight who might have been in second place and who is a show in third of the first primary of the 2020 election cycle.

Good evening everybody, good to have you with us tonight. I am Martha MacCallum.

BAIER: And I'm Bret Baier. For the first time in 16 years no candidate dropped out of the race after Iowa so it's up to the voters here in New Hampshire to set the tone. Tonight's results could have a huge impact on who stays in and who gets out.

MACCALLUM: But with polls showing that as late as this weekend, as many as half of the voters weren't 100 percent sure who they were going to support. Where does the momentum lie? That at this point is anybody's guess? Brit Hume and Chris Wallace are standing by as we await the first results of tonight's primary.

BAIER: Well, we begin with Peter Doocy live on the ground in Manchester where front runner Bernie Sanders is making the final push. Hi, Peter.

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Bret and Martha we are about 30 minutes away now from the doors opening to the general public here at primary night HQ for Bernie Sanders. He spent part of the day today thanking his volunteers for knocking on tens of thousands of doors in New Hampshire while he was tied up in Washington, D.C., at the impeachment trial.

And he also spent part of the day today bragging about having the biggest New Hampshire crowd of any Democrats this cycle 7500 at a Strokes Concert that Sanders headlined. Sanders himself would not predict a victory this evening but it did predict that if a Democrat is going to beat President Trump in November it's going to take the largest voter turnout in the history of the country and it's got to be better than the turnout in Iowa which was not as great as a Sanders campaign wanted it to be.

Sanders usually at his campaign events, gives unscripted speeches that hit on the same themes Medicare for all, tuition free public college and legal pot in every state. But tonight we are expecting something different because they've got a teleprompter set up on the stage very unusual for him. Bret and Martha?

BAIER: Very unusual.

MACCALLUM: We will see he is opening this special night perhaps we'll see in about an hour from now, we will start to get some numbers in here. Brit Hume is with us Fox News Senior Political Analyst and Chris Wallace Anchor of Fox News Sunday.

I mean it's pretty remarkable Brit when you think about the fact that Bernie Sanders who ran last time around, a socialist from Vermont is in such strong shape and it just one of these numbers that we have come at 6 out of 10 Sanders supporters think the process in 2020 will be unfair.

BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: And they also and his supporters also think the U.S. economy is unfair.

MACCALLUM: That's correct.

HUME: In a state where the economy is doing very well, it's kind of remarkable to contemplate. We could be in a situation where in a few weeks if Bloomberg makes the kind of progress he looked looks like he will make, we will have a socialist running against kind of the ultimate capitalist.

Bernie Sanders likes to brag that he has no support from those, Brett says it better than I do he calls it millionaires and billionaires. Since he is now a millionaire I guess he doesn't talk about millionaires anymore he talks about billionaires all the time.

There are a lot ways to look at that and one of them would be - yes the most -really most successful business people in this country don't want him to do - but I think you know that's where the lines are drawn. It would be quite striking if we ended up with socialism versus capitalism.

MACCALLUM: Really what--

HUME: Embodied in the campaign.

BAIER: Thoughts on Bernie as it looks like this night is shaping up for him.

CHRIS WALLACE, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY" ANCHOR: Well, I mean look at it excuse me we could end up with Bernie Sanders having gotten the most popular votes may be not the most as state delegate equivalence in Iowa but the most votes mostly will think that's the winner in Iowa and the most votes by after margin in New Hampshire.

He is it appears going to be the front runner for the Democratic nomination as of tonight. And you know we talk about socialist when you look and talk to them on "Fox News Sunday" about his plans, and sometimes he says he knows how much that costs and he says he doesn't know how much it costs.

You add up Medicare for all and the green new deal and free college tuition and a guaranteed federal job, its $60 trillion in new spending over the next decade. The federal government has already projected to spend $52 trillion over the next decade so his plans more than double government spending.

It's a pretty extraordinary agenda and at this point it seems to be the agenda that is getting the most support the most traction in the Democratic primary. All be it in Tuesday but, that's where the race is.

MACCALLUM: I mean it's such a huge dichotomy between the messages of President Trump and the message of Bernie Sanders. The idea that you shouldn't have to pay for college and you shouldn't have to pay for medical care in the United States, it's something that you know - is really remarkable how much support there is for it?

HUME: There is. And it may well be enough to get him nominated. You hear Trump supporter's and other Republican saying look he is the guy we wants to run against because he would be so easy to beat. Well we've heard that before we heard that about Trump.

I remember back in I'm sure Chris remembers as well too back in the campaign in 1980, the Democrats were all saying oh, boy they could are just licking their chops running against this Reagan guy, they washed out the far right old actor and they found out the hard way that it's not a good idea. You have got to be careful what you wish for when you are wishing for some other candidates and someone on the other side to win.

BAIER: Take a listen to this. This is Joe Biden leaving for the airport from here in New Hampshire to South Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: This is just the beginning. We have an entire nation to vote yet and so what I'm doing, is doing is going down after where you fight for every vote we have here and then I'm getting on a plane and heading down there to doing a little rally in South Carolina to get going and getting on the plane and going to Nevada.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: So how do you read that? You just read it like it, get out of here?

WALLACE: Yes, absolutely. And for him to say it is just the beginning it you know it was like I guess it was like the Yogi Berra Line, it's getting late early here. And it is because he was selling electability. He doesn't have a great dramatic agenda he obviously doesn't - he's not Barack Obama or Jack Kennedy with the new face on the scene.

He was selling tried and true and electable and it appears he's going to be none of those things at the end of tonight if the results go the way they do. I think he's really in serious trouble and, you know, I know he says we will have Nevada and then we're going to have South Carolina, two more races, and yes they dine line up in a demographic sense more favorably to him because he does much better among minorities especially with minorities and African-Americans.

They are looking at these results, too and they want a winner. I can see it you are already beginning to see some of the support for Biden in South Carolina in the polls at least peeling off and going to Bernie Sanders. If he finishes fourth or fifth tonight, I think the bottom begins to fall out of the Biden campaign. He can continue running.

MACCALLUM: There is only one reason to leave town for Joe Biden and that is because you don't want to get on that stage tonight. And that the alternative seems more attractive to say we're leaving and we're going to South Carolina. But what we've seen in some of these and we will get more numbers but the momentum feels like some of his voters when to Buttigieg and some went to Klobuchar who also may a very good night tonight for some of the reasons that people thought Joe Biden might be a good candidate.

HUME: And, I think that's exactly will right. I think he was ads on favorite for a time to be the candidate in the center so says it is in the Democratic Party. And that's gone. I don't think there is any - I think there is no way he recovers out of this. I don't think there is any history in these first two states of anybody finishing worse than second ever being nominated. And he is going to come in way behind in both these states. So I think it's--

MACCALLUM: Bloomberg can prove that wrong although he wasn't actually on the ballot.

HUME: Well, Bloomberg is a whole other deal.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

WALLACE: But can I just say, this race couldn't be starting up here Michael Bloomberg, you're sitting there and you're saying my gosh this is just all turning exactly the way I hoped it would, and he could get into Super Tuesday and have a field. Bernie Sanders he would be happy to run against Bernie Sanders.

A lot of Democrats care that he is too far to the left with his repulsive and the people you're most scared about Joe Biden may be a very weakened candidate if he is in at all.

BAIER: Bloomberg has had a lot of money to spend.

WALLACE: You think so?

BAIER: I think so. All right, gentlemen, thank you.

MACCALLUM: So Corey Lewandowski is up next for some perspective, as somebody from New Hampshire and also a look at the Trump campaign tonight.

BAIER: Plus our conversations with voter's specifically late deciders which way do they lean? Some beautiful places here in New Hampshire. We paid a lot of money to try to figure out who's going to win the state. Paying for polls, campaigns do it too. This city, Hudson, is 1 of 6 cities that has accurately predicted the Democratic winner of the New Hampshire Primary since 1952. So will they get it right again? We will see tonight. Democracy 2020 continues after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Brand new insight this hour from our fox news vote analysis.

MACCALLUM: "Fox News At Night" Anchor Shannon Bream is here with what we found. Hi, Shannon.

SHANNON BREAM, ANCHOR, "AT NIGHT": Hi guys so the polls just about an hour away from being closed here in New Hampshire. So let's look at some of the issues that are driving voters to get out today. This is what they told us, roughly equal numbers side health care and climate change as the number one issue facing the country that is moving their votes.

The Democratic field is basically proposing when it comes to health care, were formed two different ideas both are favored by sizable majorities. Seven in 10 say they've got a favorable view of the single payer plan this is the one proposed by Senator Sanders and Warren.

Sometime it is called Medicare for all, basically the government running your health care. Now the public option plan backed by Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar even more popular and nearly nine in ten favor this plan. In this scenario Americans could buy into a government plan if they wanted to but it would be optional.

Now both of these plans are considered liberal, and for Democratic primary voters here liberal is not a bad word. Four in ten calls themselves liberal and one quarter identifies what they call very liberal. At the same time as many as six in ten believe it would actually be tougher to beat President Trump in November if the Democratic nominee has strongly liberal progressive far left views, and that includes one in five who believe it would be a lot harder to take the President on that way.

The night is still young and we are still interviewing voters. And you can stay tuned for much more Fox News Voter Analysis. But guys, you know if they are worried about the liberal folks being able to take on President Trump, I could tell you something about the way they decided to go tonight as we standby.

BAIER: Yes that is real.

MACCALLUM: Good. Thanks Shannon.

BAIER: Thank you Shannon. Joining us now.

MACCALLUM: New Hampshire native Corey Lewandowski, Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign Trump 2020.

BAIER: Welcome.

COREY LEWANDOWSKI, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Thanks for having me.

BAIER: Do you like our Fox box?

LEWANDOWSKI: I love it. It is very nice.

BAIER: Right to New Hampshire.

LEWANDOWSKI: Yes.

BAIER: What are your thoughts tonight?

LEWANDOWSKI: Look, I think tonight is going to be a big night for Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. Obviously I think Joe Biden is going to have to leave New Hampshire as a clear loser. He has already made his way to South Carolina. And it's very disappointing for his supporters because when he filed for office here about 95 days ago he said he would compete in New Hampshire.

Coming off a fourth-place finish in Iowa, I think this could be the end of the Biden campaign. I hope it isn't, but I think this might be the end of the Biden campaign tonight.

MACCALLUM: We have a quick sound bite from Joe Biden earlier let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I refused to suggest a any Democratic moves. I think we could run Mickey Mouse against this President and have a shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So you can run a Mickey Mouse against the President and have a shot. He thinks that's a winnable race.

LEWANDOWSKI: Well, look obviously it is going to be competitive - there is no question about but this President has a huge presence here in New Hampshire tonight. The surrogates out here Don Junior a number of Congressmen, a number of U.S. Senators came up to show the support.

And we are not taking anything for granted. We want to thank the volunteers who turned out for the Trump campaign. I had been in a number of polling locations across the state today. We've got enthusiasm and we're hoping for a big showing tonight. I think there are 16 or 17 people on the Republican Primary ballot.

Remember the highest percentage an incumbent President has ever received in New Hampshire for reelection was Ronald Reagan in 1984 he received 86 percent of the vote. Barack Obama when he ran for reelection here as the incumbent received just under 81 percent of the vote and I think tonight you are going to see a Republican Party that's unified behind Donald Trump and we're going to be looking around 90 percent of the vote tonight.

BAIER: You saw Shannon with the voter analysis and the big issue is health care. Democrats talk about all the time it's why they won in 2018. Is there vulnerability on the President's side when it comes to the issue of health care?

LEWANDOWSKI: Well, I think it's clear that the Republicans failed the President, when they had control of the House for the first two years. They did not pass a health care bill that allowed individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines. It's something that should have been done and something that should still be done.

We are in such a hyper-partisan environment right now, and I don't think any of that legislation are going to get done in the remainder of this year. And I don't know if the voters are going to hold the House responsible for that or the administration. But I think they are going to look at the totality of the of administrations record and be very supportive, particularly in the economy.

MACCALLUM: Now Corey you're from here, one of the things that have been criticized widely is Iowa for their Caucus process. And New Hampshire as well as two states that really don't reflect the diversity of the country South Carolina and Nevada more so. Why should New Hampshire keep this honor of being first in the nation for the primary?

LEWANDOWSKI: Well look, let's just be clear. Barack Obama won the Iowa Caucus and so it's not that they don't understand a good candidate when they see it, and no candidate in modern political history going back to 1976 did not finish first, second or third in Iowa and has ever been elected President of the United States.

So they've done a fairly good job. I think if you look at our primary, Donald Trump won it here four years ago, by 19 points went on to become the President of United States. The luxury of New Hampshire is, we get to that people, and we get to spend time with them. We get to look him in the eye ask them tough questions go to the rallies here about it.

And we make good decisions here. Look Bernie Sanders won it last time he probably should have been the nominee. I think if the process was different he would have been the nominee and we'll see what happens. And I think Bernie is going to win here tonight and we know Donald Trump is going to win here tonight.

MACCALLUM: Who the President wants to run against?

LEWANDOWSKI: I think he will take any of them honestly. I think he will take all of them together or any of them individually. We are ready to go to this fight.

BAIER: Or Mickey Mouse either one?

LEWANDOWSKI: I think we could beat Mickey too.

BAIER: All right.

LEWANDOWSKI: He's tough though he's got a whole park to himself.

BAIER: Thank God.

MACCALLUM: Thank you Corey.

BAIER: One big question tonight, which direction will undecided voters break?

MACCALLUM: We spoke to many of them here in New Hampshire what they had to say in the final hours is next. We are just inside at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester New Hampshire famous for every candidate has to make a campaign stop right here.

We're talking to some people inside as they eat that fantastic diner food and asking them what they think is going to happen on Tuesday night more democracy 2020 after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: We are a little more than 30 minutes away from all of the polls closing here in New Hampshire and the first official results coming in.

MACCALLUM: I spoke with several voters over the past few days who said that they were still undecided about who they would support, meaning that the results tonight could be anyone's guess.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: We are going to bring fundamental change to a broken and racist criminal justice system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: In their final push to win New Hampshire voters the 2020 Democratic Candidates devote much of their time to revving up their debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN: I am so happy to see all of you here today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really like the retail politics of this. I'm a town captain for her in California and so this is just really exciting for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACALLUM: This includes many supporters who've come in from other states invited by campaigns to help make a last minute personal appeals to granite state voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've done multiple canvassing, phone calls and texts kind of whatever we can make time for it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people are still undecided here in New Hampshire and I think that if you make a personal appeal they might come around on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you 100 percent for Pete?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a 100 percent but I'm very leaning towards him. He did a great job. He was great the other night. And he seems to be really getting momentum.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: At campaign stops we did meet some New Hampshire residents who had their minds firmly made up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think you are deciding because you've got a Bernie Vermont.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 100 percent?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 100.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Infect many decided voters here say they are determined to convince their neighbors not to be swayed by the post Iowa bumps. Some candidates are now enjoying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like the money in politics and the lobbyists, they've bought our government. I love Andrew Yang and I love Mayor Pete but I'm not sure they have that tested ability to say no. No, I don't want your money. I would rather do the right thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you tempted by Mayor Pete at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pete will never have my vote because of the work that he has done for companies that really don't support the interest of the people.

BUTTIGIEG: With the President this divisive, we cannot risk dividing American's future further saying that you must either be here for a revolution or you must be for the status quo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are supporting Amy we've got Pete Buttigieg on stage right now. Why do you like Amy more than Pete?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think that Amy has more experience. She has had a 100 bills passed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you surprised that she hasn't done better? She's had a strong showing in Iowa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No not surprised. I think it's a marathon, it is not a sprint. And I think she's gaining a lot of attraction as people can hear what she has to say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From just what I hear like amongst people on my social media talking, probably Mayor Pete probably the forerunner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will not be supporting Trump. I do think - it's kind of interesting to see who is coming out of this Democratic Party and certainly what it is going to be either Bernie or Buttigieg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: But here at the Red Arrow Diner, a popular Manchester candidate stop, we found voters still debating whom to support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know I think it's - right man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: And it appears they are not alone late polls indicate nearly half of likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire say they could still change their minds in the final moments before casting their ballot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Are you decided yet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not 100 percent so that's why I was out today seeing all the candidates. I've gotten to meet almost all of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're out here to--

MACCALLUM: Oh, really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I love rallies. So I would have been here anyway.

MACCALLUM: What do you think about who you might support in the election? Do you have any idea yet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, I'm honestly a Trump guy to be completely honest but of the Democratic candidates Pete Buttigieg is my favorite. I've been looking forward to voting since like 2016.

MACCALLUM: Is this your first time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am.

MACCALLUM: Good for you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing is a shorten - it's we could always surprise that's front a little more.

MACCALLUM: Do you think Trump could win in New Hampshire?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

MACCALLUM: So the impeachment didn't sway you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. That was mess that was garbage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: It was amazing how many people are undecided heading into that polling place.

MACCALLUM: it is and I hint that's why we may see some surprises tonight and we're going to see them perhaps in about 31 minutes from now. The Trump folks that we talked to all of them were just dead on, not wavering at all which I found very interesting.

Coming up next, the Buttigieg campaign responds to those who say that Mayor Pete is not the centrist Democrat that he claims to be.

BAIER: This, as others like Amy Klobuchar, back on strong support for moderates to propel them to victory tonight.

Senator Amy Klobuchar with her closing pitch her to a packed house in Manchester. Among her lines, if you are tired of the extremes in politics and noise and nonsense, you have a home with me.

She's making the close to try to finish in the top three here. This crowd is big. Our democracy 2020 special continues after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Pete Buttigieg coming into New Hampshire tonight with a lot of momentum after his surprise when in Iowa pulling here in the granite state, showing him just behind Bernie Sanders. But you know, the voting is underway tonight. So, vesting any another moderate candidate like Amy Klobuchar and the numbers that we had going in.

BAIER: But that's what the Washington Post, the Washington Times argue Buttigieg may not, quote, "be the centrist he is running as a moderate while championing far-left policies."

Luke Bronin is a surrogate for Pete Buttigieg who has known him for 15 years. Buttigieg, he is also a mayor, Mayor Bronin from Hartford, Connecticut. Mayor, thanks for being here.

MAYOR LUKE BRONIN (D), HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT: Thanks for having me. Good to be with you.

BAIER: Your thoughts on tonight as it's shaping up?

BRONIN: Look, I thick coming out of Iowa there's been a tremendous amount of energy and momentum for the Buttigieg campaign. I've been all over the state the past couple of days you can feel the energy, not just in the headquarters but just talking to voters out there. There are a lot of undecideds and I think a lot of people are paying close attention to what happened in Iowa.

BAIER: You know, he had a lot of focus from the other candidates. One of the standard lines was that, you know, he's a small-town mayor and he's not up to the big job of president. If you had to say, what was the thing that he's most proud of as mayor, what would it be?

BRONIN: Look, I don't want to speak for him but I'll tell you why I support him. I mean, first of all, as a fellow veteran I would love to have a veteran in the office -- in the White House who is, you know, when making decisions about whether to send American men and women into harm's way. He does it with that experience of having worn the uniform and deployed on a set of orders.

I also think that what some people are criticizing, to me, it's one of his greatest strengths. You know, to be mayor for eight years of a city that saw the bottom fall out, that saw thousands of industrial jobs lost and he's had to work to reinvent himself and reimagine itself and chart a new course.

There are so many communities across the country just like that. And I want a president who is connected to those communities.

BAIER: So, you said the economy in South Bend is what he's most proud.

BRONIN: Look, I think you take a city like South Bend which kind of like Hartford, had gone from a period of prosperity to some real challenge and struggle. And you've got to reinvent that place and rally the community together around a future in the 21st century.

MACCALLUM: But what do you say to those who look at Pete Buttigieg and are so impressed by all of the things that you just mentioned? He is 38 years old now, I believe. And they say, well, why don't you run for Senate, why don't you run for governor, why don't you kind of get some experience under your belt before --

BRONIN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: -- you decide to run for president of the United States?

BRONIN: Well, I think that's an easy answer because executive experience is very different from legislative experience and he is executive running for an executive office --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: But a governor is executive experience.

BRONIN: Sure. And there were governors in the race. And I think Pete Buttigieg has been able to establish himself as one of the strongest candidates in this race. Because when people hear him talk, they hear somebody who is not just incredibly smart but who listens well, who understands what folks are going through in this country.

And I think at the end of the day, you know, what voters are looking for when they choose a president is someone they trust to do the right thing, someone they believe has the ability and the temperament to do that job. And I think that's what people are seeing in Pete.

BAIER: We just got where the vice president, former Vice President Biden landed in South Carolina, how do you read that move? Do you think that the Biden campaign is done?

BRONIN: Look, I wouldn't speculate on that. I'd just say it's a pretty remarkable thing for the mayor of a Midwest city, small Midwest city who most people thought didn't have a shot at the beginning of this process to have come out at the top of the pack in Iowa and to be one of the leading contenders here in New Hampshire coming out, you know, of a field.

That's a strong field. You got, as you said a former vice president of the United States, two neighboring state senators. So, we'll see what tonight brings.

But I think that the theme of this campaign is that as people have gotten to know Pete and see him face-to-face, they've seen in him a person who can be commander-in-chief.

MACCALLUM: All right. Mayor Bronin, thank you very much.

BRONIN: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: Good to see you.

So just over 20 minutes until the close -- the polls close here in New Hampshire.

BAIER: We will be getting numbers; we are being told we will get numbers.

MACCALLUM: We have PTSD from Iowa.

BAIER: From Iowa.

MACCALLUM: We didn't get any numbers so we hope we're going to get numbers.

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: Our panel is up as we await the results from the first in the nation primary. Stay with us.

MACCALLUM: Amy Klobuchar on stage right now at the Shaheen dinner in New Hampshire. She comes off a strong debate last night and tonight she's here trying to rally not only Democrats but independents against Donald Trump come November.

Democracy 2020 returns after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Fox News alert. We have the first numbers, folks, to take a look at here. This is 3 percent of the vote. Very, very early in the evening but you can see what we are looking at here, 32.4 percent for Sanders and then Buttigieg in second place at 20, Amy Klobuchar in third with 17, and Elizabeth Warren at 11 percent.

BAIER: I mean, this is obviously very early.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

BAIER: But you know I just like to say it's really nice to see numbers.

MACCALLUM: Isn't it? What a relief.

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: It's really, really nice to see actual votes.

MACCALLUM: Poll data pouring in before our eyes.

BAIER: So, we will be tracking this on the bottom of the screen throughout as the number start to populate, obviously the polls close entirely across the state in 16 and a half minutes.

MACCALLUM: Let's bring in our panel. Marc Thiessen, American Enterprise Institute scholar and Fox News contributor, Kristen Soltis Anderson, columnist at the Washington Examiner and a Fox News contributor, and Juan Williams, co-host of The Five and Fox News political analyst.

As we are getting a first look at some of these numbers, Juan, let me start with you. As your look at these Democrats and Bernie Sanders as expected out in front at this very early stage.

JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS CO-HOST & POLITICAL ANALYST: It's very early. You know, two things stand out to me. Thirty-two that's a big number. Boy, if he maintains that, that's really great for Bernie. It's not what he did last year. I mean, last -- I'm sorry not last year but in 2016 when he won here by about 30 points. But that's pretty incredible if that holds.

The other thing that stands out to me is the absence of Joe Biden. I don't even see him on the screen.

BAIER: He's there at 7.3 percent. He's out there in the screen.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

BAIER: But yes. I mean, listen, you are looking at fourth and fifth, could he even finish sixth, I don't know.

WILLIAMS: I don't -- well, the thing is, what does he have to do. In my mind, just politically speaking, I think he's got to at least get into double digits but if he doesn't get into double digits I don't see how he can say that this is anything but a massive failure and potentially, then sink his campaign.

MACCALLUM: Yes. I mean, you see Sanders is one point out at 30 percent, Kristen. Donald Trump got 35 percent of the vote here in 2016. What do you make of these numbers so far?

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, this was always going to be a very tough place for Joe Biden to compete because it's right next door to Elizabeth Warren's state, right next door to Bernie Sanders' state. So already he had expectations working a bit in his favor. He was not expected to win.

But fifth place is a long way from a strong third-place finish, for instance. And so, you can see why his campaign must have seen this coming and why he decided to get out of the state early and get to South Carolina, but this is really bad news for him and puts all the more pressure on that South Carolina contest.

BAIER: Marc, I can see, I mean, we don't know, this is very early. But you could see a story developing that it's an Amy Klobuchar kind of news night.

MARC THIESSEN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.

BAIER: Even though, you know, she finishes wherever she finishes.

THIESSEN: Well, it's entirely I wouldn't believe out of the realm a possibly she could come in second. I mean, she's got real momentum. Pete Buttigieg is in -- those numbers are only 3 percent but that's very tight, so it could in fact be inverted and she come in second, and Buttigieg could come in third which would be bad for him.

But I think the story of the night in the race to watch is the third-place race. Because there are three tickets out of Iowa -- out of New Hampshire. And if Klobuchar gets that and Elizabeth Warren doesn't get that, that's pretty bad for her because she's got nowhere else to go.

She's -- Joe Biden has had South Carolina. So, what's her South Carolina? What's her blue wall state where she can come back? This was it. So, she had to do really well here tonight and if she can't pull at least third, she's dead.

MACCALLUM: You know, it strikes me that the reason that there is so much interest, Juan, in third place is because there's a lot of Democrats who don't like the guy who is in first place.

BAIER: Yes.

MACCALLUM: And they're looking for options.

WILLIAMS: Well, there is no question. I mean, let's just step back for a second, we got really numbers and I think everybody is quite occupied with them. But step back for a second, Martha, and you see the fracture in the party.

I don't think there's any question you have Sanders representing the progressive or left wing or the liberal wing of the party, and then you have people like Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren, Biden all representing what they would say is the centrist one. And don't forget Mike Bloomberg standing out they're saying, hey, if these guys falter, I'm coming in the centrist lane.

That's the competition. We were just talking moment about Klobuchar's rise. I think a lot of her rise are women, especially here in New Hampshire who would have gone for Warren coming from the neighboring state but who have - - instead picked up on Klobuchar's outstanding performance in the debate in the sense that she has momentum at the moment.

That's a big loss for Warren. Because when we looked down the road, and that's what I've been trying to do, neither of these women really have a 50-state strategy. I think Warren has better ground game going towards South Carolina and Nevada.

Klobuchar doesn't have that yet. She doesn't have the money either. It's going to be very tough for her. But hopefully, you know, from her perspective with the good performance here tonight, that picture then begins to take shape.

THIESSEN: True.

BAIER: You know, a lot of people pay attention to stars and who they are endorsing. Clay Aiken, the singer, came out and endorsed Joe Biden. But today he put out a quote and said, "Let me be clear. I love Joe Biden. My support for the former vice president has been genuine. However, as the voters in early stages have begun to have their say like so many of my fellow Democrats, I found myself grappling with the options and realize the Democratic Party of 2020 is ready for a fresher voice. Klobuchar is that voice."

Now, does anybody really care big picture by Clay Aiken?

THIESSEN: Yes.

BAIER: Maybe not. But it is a sentiment you hear from Biden voters who maybe leaving.

ANDERSON: Well, and Klobuchar had such a great performance in the debate just a few days ago. And you saw in the Fox News voter analysis a significant portion of New Hampshire voters making this decision within the last couple of days.

There are a lot of Democrats across the country that may be early on in this process, so I like Joe Biden. He was vice president. He was Obama's guy. Sure. And they would tell pollsters like me that he was their choice.

But now that more people in the field are getting more exposure and Biden has really begun to falter when he's put to the test at the ballot box, it's giving someone like Klobuchar an opportunity. Now, Juan is right, though. She has to be able to seize it to get the money to be able to compete with the rest of the field in these later states.

MACCALLUM: I mean, when you look at Klobuchar and Warren and they were sort of close in the polls going in, the biggest difference between them is that when asked, you know, do you think a socialist should be president of the United States, or do not think so. Amy Klobuchar was the only person who said no. I'm not for that.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

MACCALLUM: And Warren kept her hand down, Marc.

THIESSEN: Because she's basically a socialist, so she would be -- she would be raising her hand against herself. She and Bernie Sanders have been competing for the far-left lane of this, you know. I mean, it's not out of the realm of possibility that she could have a little bit of a surge and come in third in which case she be the comeback kid.

But if she comes back in fourth or even fifth, and also look at the separation between third, and fourth and fifth.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

THIESEN: If second and third are really close and then there's like a 10- point gap, that's really bad and it has -- it has implications for the rest of the race.

BAIER: All right, panel, stick around. Again, numbers coming in. Just about 10 minutes until the last polls close in New Hampshire. We'll get a big dump at that point.

MACCALLUM: More results moments away. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: We are back with a look at the latest numbers that we have. This is 6 percent just to give you an idea. The thinking is that they could get as high as 270,000 votes in the state of New Hampshire tonight.

BAIER: It should be a record.

MACCALLUM: So, we will go on the bottom which will be a record, exactly, after 2008. But you look along the bottom and you're nowhere near there. But we do have a pretty good sense of where things stand with 6 percent in, Bret.

BAIER: Back now with our panel Marc Thiessen, Kristen Soltis Anderson, and Juan Williams. Marc, you know, as we look at these numbers, what we're not talking about obviously is Joe Biden. He is hoping that South Carolina can save him, but at some point, South Carolina is looking at these numbers too.

THIESSEN: Of course. I mean, these aren't stove pipes, you know. So, these primaries aren't stove pipe. The people in each state they're watching tonight and they are seeing what the results are. So, I just don't see how Biden recovers from tonight.

And of course, Mike Bloomberg is sitting out there watching these results too and feeling much and much better about his prospects. I mean, the -- but here is the interesting thing that's emerging.

If Biden falls out and you have Sanders, you have Buttigieg and you have Bloomberg sort of as emerging as front runners, is all of them have a problem with the African-American vote.

The way -- the reason that Democrats lost in 2016 is because they were not able to energize the Obama coalition and bring out their traditional supporters in the African-American community.

And right now, all the people who are leading the Democratic race have real problems with the African-Americans especially -- and especially Bloomberg now after what came out this afternoon.

MACCALLUM: Let's take a look at what came out this afternoon. This is a big story. Today, it got a lot of attention. He came out afterwards and said, you know, I've said what I'm going to say on that. I apologize, but let's play that for the folks at home.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ninety-five percent of your murders -- murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. They are male minorities, 16 to 25. That's true in New York. That's true in virtually every city. And that's where the real crime is. And the way you get the guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the walls and frisk them.

(END VOICE CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Juan, what do you think?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, there is two ways to look at this. One is to say, well, the numbers support what the mayor -- the former mayor just said. I mean, if you look at where the crime rates are highest, et cetera.

The other way to look at it and I look at this of course as an African- American is to say, when my son or sons go out the door, I don't want the police to immediately identify them as a criminal and a suspect.

Nine out of 10 of the people subjected to stopped and frisk were not arrested or stopped for anything. They have anything on them. So that creates a certain antagonism between the police and the community. And there's you know, just stop and think. Everybody, blacks, Latinos, whites want good policing. We want to be safe in our neighborhoods and in our homes.

But if you create a situation where you feel like, in fact, the police are a force that's antagonistic to you and your family and your children, that creates an inflammatory, combustible situation. And I don't think the mayor understood that at the time in that language, the way that he is thinking is so indifferent to the minority experience.

MACCALLUM: So, given the fact that Biden is the bottom is falling out apparently, where do you think African-American voters will look given some of these issues that all of these people have as Marc says?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think you have to remember they are strongly anti-Trump on the whole. And I'm speaking here in generalization. But I would say two things to you, Martha. One is, Biden still has the lead in South Carolina. We talked about these things that are not taken in silos that in fact they --

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: The last poll was a couple of days ago.

WILLIAMS: Right. Right. What you saw in that Quinnipiac poll recently, Bret, was a decline in black support for Joe Biden because of the decline and the notion that he was the most electable, the guy who could do the best job of battling in possibly defeating Donald Trump.

I'll say this. I still think that he has a ground game. He still has a ground game in South Carolina and Nevada. The guy who can unseat him here, and I think where you see some of this black support and Latino support going, no surprise as we sit here in New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders.

BAIER: I think that's an interesting phenomenon for the Sanders campaign who has seen all kinds of different folks from different groups coming to his support.

ANDERSON: And this is something to keep in mind. Remember in 2016, there was Donald Trump and then there were a lot of other Republicans and there was this thought, well, as other Republicans drop out, they were support will go to a Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio.

You can look at that chart up on the screen and think you'll condense the Buttigieg and Klobuchar lines altogether, but in practice that's not what happened. In practice, for some of them Bernie Sanders might be their second choice.

And so, this idea that you can just collapse all of the moderates together and that's how they'll beat Bernie Sanders I think is mistaken. I think he is able to pick up support from a lot of different placements in that coalition.

MACCALLUM: Marc?

THIESSEN: But the problem is that what the Democrats need is not just for black support in the primaries to go to somebody. They need -- the promise of Joe Biden was that he can bring out the Obama coalition, that he has great support with the African-American people community. He was the most electable because the Obama voters will come out for him, the African- American voters.

That's gone now. There is no candidate out there who's making -- who really has that promise and at the same time, you saw Donald Trump make an incredible push for African-American votes in the State of the Union. He spent half of his Super Bowl ad on a criminal justice reform. He doesn't have to increase his black vote very much but if he increases a little bit he wins.

BAIER: We are just a moment away from the top of the hour when all of the polls officially close in New Hampshire and we will have some more results for you.

MACCALLUM: But first, here is Tucker Carlson with "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT."

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: Good evening and welcome to TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT.

The polls as you just heard are about 25 seconds away for closing for good this season in the state of New Hampshire, the first primary. And there is no caucus in this time. We'll understand the results when they come in. They are imminent. You'll see them as they come. In a minute we'll give you our take on what this all means.

The Democratic race has become a frantic struggle to destroy Bernie Sanders' supporters.

But first, we're going to check in for an overview with the best we have. Bret and Martha in a Fox News alert to kick off our coverage.

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