This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," July 21, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Thanks, Jesse. Welcome to Washington. I am Bret Baier.
Breaking tonight, it will likely get worse before it gets better, that from President Trump a short time ago in a solo coronavirus press briefing. The president saying wearing a mask is patriotic and he will push harder for people to wear them in close quarters.
Its President Trump's coronavirus briefing his first in 85 days, the president says a vaccine, and effective therapeutics will be coming sooner than anyone thought possible.
Meantime, on the statistics, Florida has overtaken Texas in average daily deaths from the coronavirus. Florida average 115 deaths per day last week, tapping Texas' figure of 112. Total U.S. deaths are now approaching 150,000. That is the most reported globally with total infections closing in on the four million mark.
The CDC says true COVID infection rates were more than 10 times higher than reported cases in most U.S. regions from late March to early May. This occurs as talks between the White House and Congress over the next round of coronavirus aid funding hit a bit of a stumbling block, the administration trying to push that through.
The Justice Department meantime is accusing two Chinese hackers of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars of trade secrets from companies around the world, including those working on a vaccine.
Chief White House correspondent John Roberts starts us off tonight with the president's latest promise or threat to send federal forces into cities as well to stop street violence but the coronavirus briefing taking the priority. Good evening, John.
JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you Bret. They kept us guessing what happened to the last minute, who might come out with the president but as you pointed out, it was the president solo for his first coronavirus briefing since May 11th. The president optimistic about the prospects for a vaccine and the development of new treatments.
The president also pointing out that the case fatality rate from coronavirus here in the United States is now lower than that of the European Union. The intention of all of this, to present the appearance of a president on top of the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Two vaccine candidates are entering the final stage of clinical trials this month. This was achieved in record time. It used to be years before you were in a position like we are right now.
Four other vaccines will enter final trials in the following weeks and we are mass-producing all of the top candidates so that the first approved vaccine will be available immediately and logistically we have the military ready to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And as President Trump moves to get back out in front of the coronavirus response, he also had a lot in order on his mind today and the federal response to the growing violence in cities across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: The White House today doubled down on the president's pledge to send federal law enforcement into troubled cities across America, insisting state and local leaders, all of them Democrats, don't want to solve the problem.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Democrats continue to put politics above peace while this president seeks to restore law and order.
ROBERTS: While there are no immediate plans to deploy more federal officers, administration officials say the idea is an expansion of operation legend in Kansas City where agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, and ATF are assisting local law enforcement. The operation requested by Republican Governor Mike Parson is named for a LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old who was shot and killed while he slept on June 29th.
MCENANY: This has been a successful operation that has been waged in his name, including the arrest of a wanted fugitives.
ROBERTS: But the Democratic mayor of Kansas City joined with his colleagues in Portland, Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago sending a letter to the DOJ and DHS yesterday urging them to withdraw federal officers from cities.
The mayor said in part, deployment of federal forces in the streets of our communities has not been requested nor is it acceptable. These are tactics we expect from authoritarian regimes, not our democracy. It is concerning that federal law enforcement is being deployed for political purposes.
Politics was front and center in a memo President Trump signed today instructing the Commerce Department to exclude illegal immigrants in the United States from the so-called apportionment base in the 2020 census. The apportionment base is used to determine the number of congressional seats a state is allocated.
But a statement the president saying, my administration will not support giving congressional representation to aliens who enter or remain in the country unlawfully, because doing so would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which successfully blocked an attempt by President Trump to add a citizenship question to the census fired back. In a statement saying, we'll see him in court and win again.
And as President Trump led his first coronavirus briefing in three months, the Justice Department today announced it was charging two Chinese nationals with among other things, hacking networks in the U.S. and around the world of companies developing coronavirus vaccines, testing technology, and treatments probing for weaknesses.
JOHN DEMERS, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, NATIONAL SECURITY DIVISION: In this indictment, we don't allege that they obtain that information. We do know that they were looking to obtain it by their computer intrusion activity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: President Trump said this afternoon, when it comes to the November election, he expects that voters will judge him on his and his administration's response to the coronavirus crisis but that they would also judge him on other things like the economy, rebuilding the military, and revamping the Department of Veterans Affairs, Bret.
BAIER: John, quickly, he said at the end that this will be a frequent event. Do you have a sense there how frequent?
ROBERTS: I don't think it will be daily as it was in the initial days of this crisis but I think we're going to see the president up in front of the cameras a lot more than we have in the past. And I think the reason for that is the president can't hold these big political rallies and Joe Biden is making lots of speeches, so the president is trying to find an opportunity to do it himself, Bret.
BAIER: John Roberts, live in the North Lawn. John, thanks.
The surgeon general meantime saying the U.S. needs to lower the infection rate to get students back in classrooms. Some teachers are suing actually to stay out of the classrooms and away from possible infection.
We're learning new information tonight about the search for a vaccine. We saw some of that in John's piece. Correspondent Casey Stegall has more on that from Dallas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. JULIE GERBERDING, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, MERCK: The race is on, not against each other but against this virus.
CASEY STEGALL, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Leaders from five pharmaceutical companies' updated lawmakers today stay on their coronavirus vaccine development.
DR. MACAYA DOUOGUIH, HEAD OF CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AND MEDICAL AFFAIRS AT JANSSEN VACCINES, JOHNSON & JOHNSON: We are still in the process of designing our phase three trials.
STEGALL: U.S. health officials remain optimistic one could be ready by later this year or early 2021. And it can't come soon enough, as Johns Hopkins University reports more than 14.7 million cases worldwide and more than 611,000 deaths. More than 141,000 of those fatalities are here in the U.S., the tenth highest per capita across the globe.
On Monday, seven states logged record highs of hospitalized COVID patients including Florida but the governor says there is still plenty of space.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Statewide 24 percent of the hospital beds in the state of Florida are empty. That's over 14,000 hospital beds and about 20 percent of the ICU beds.
STEGALL: The pandemic not only has states grappling with how to open classrooms, there are also challenges with extracurricular activities like sports.
In California, the high school fall sports schedule has been delayed until December. While in Texas, the season start depends on the school's size.
RON NOCETTI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA INTERSCHOLASTIC FEDERATION: In the best interest of the health and safety of our student-athletes that we need our school districts going to return to school first and then look at athletics down the road.
STEGALL: The U.S. surgeon general says lowering the country's transmission rates is the most important factor in opening schools, adding the best way to do that is by wearing a mask.
DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Please understand that we are not trying to take away your freedom when we say wear a face covering. We're saying if we do these things, we can actually open and stay open. We can get back to school, to worship, to jobs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STEGALL: And Hawaii is going ahead with reopening schools. In fact, students there are scheduled to get back into the classrooms in just about two weeks from now, Bret.
BAIER: Casey Stegall in Dallas. Casey, thanks.
Stocks were mixed today, the Dow gained 160. The S&P 500 finished ahead, five. The NASDAQ lost 87.
The conflict between the city governments and the Trump administration over who should be responding to civil unrest in the streets is coming into sharper focus tonight as the president threatens to send more federal forces to unruly locations throughout the country, there are constitutional questions being raised.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, says while his department supports peaceful protest, what is happening nightly in Portland, Oregon, for example, is the opposite of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAD WOLF, ACTING SECRETARY, HOMELAND SECURITY: Individuals trying to set fire to a building are no longer protesting, they are criminals. We cannot let one of our cities continue to experience this lawlessness night after night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Correspondent Dan Springer is in Seattle tonight with more on that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SPRINGER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: More late-night mayhem and rioting on the streets of downtown Portland with federal officers inside the federal courthouse, a protester tries to remove the plywood protecting glass windows and doors.
Portland police did not engage the rioters but federal agents did, firing tear gas and flash-bang devices. Arsonists set several fires. Protesters threw one agent to the ground and looted a jewelry store.
The violence comes as debate rages over President Trump's use of federal agents in Portland. Cell phone video shot last week showed agents in fatigues detaining people and walking them to unmarked cars. It prompted a lawsuit from Oregon's attorney general.
And today, concern from the Pentagon where Defense Secretary Esper is worried about federal officers being confused for military soldiers.
MARK ESPER, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: We want a system where people can tell the difference.
SPRINGER: But Customs and Border Protection's defense the uniforms and the arrests, saying the men were suspected of assault against federal agents or destruction of federal property. Those two were later released but 13 others faced federal charges.
Democratic mayors of several cities signed a letter to the Trump administration, saying they do not want federal officers sent their way.
BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: It's literally the federal government coming into a situation that -- you know, local officials were addressing and making it much worse.
SPRINGER: Seattle's mayor also signed the letter, even as 12 local officers were injured during violence over the weekend. Police body cam video shows what happened when officers stopped a protester from covering a precinct surveillance camera with an umbrella. They were hit with bottles and fireworks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SPRINGER: Seattle's elected officials have also now been hit with a wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the CHOP protest zone. The family of a 19-year old who was shot and killed inside the Capri area blamed the city for allowing the CHOP and all of its dangers to exist, Bret.
BAIER: Dan Springer in Seattle, Dan, thanks.
There are new revelations tonight about one of the key figures in the Justice Department investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged involvement in the Russian election interference in 2016. We know what came from that but there's new information tonight. Correspondent David Spunt has that story this evening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Four years after allegations of collusion between the Russians and Donald Trump's campaign, a newly declassified note from the man who helped run the investigation tells a different tale.
We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with IOs, IOs meaning Russian intelligence officers, wrote to an FBI agent Peter Strzok, according to newly declassified documents released on Friday. That sentence infuriates allies of the president who have long insisted collusion with Russia is political folklore.
Former assistant U.S. attorney and Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy in an op-ed yesterday wrote how much wasted time on pointless investigations could have been prevented had Peter Strzok said this publicly one month into President Trump's term. Strzok wrote that comment next to a February 2017 New York Times article, alleging contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham released the documents to the public. In a statement to Fox News, Strzok's attorney wrote in part, Senator Graham's statement represents another attempt by President Trump's congressional lackeys to use Pete's work product to paint the Russia investigation as a political witch hunt. It was no such thing, and Pete's comments on inaccuracies in the NYT article were nothing more than a dedicated counterintelligence professional diligently vetting public reports of intelligence information.
The declassification comes as U.S. Attorney John Durham continues his probe into the origins of the Russia investigation.
MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I think the American people expect indictments, I know. I expect indictments based on the evidence I've seen. It's all starting to come unravel -- to unravel and I tell you, it's time that people go to jail and people are indicted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SPUNT: A DOJ official tells me to expect the Durham report to be complete before the end of the summer, that's two months from today, the clock is ticking, Bret.
BAIER: More on all of this with the panel. David, thanks.
In tonight's Democracy 2020 report, Joe Biden is laying out new plans to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars if he's elected president in November. But it's targeted towards certain efforts, the total price tag for the promises is large and it's all in late July. He's laying it out in pieces, his economic plan. Correspondent Peter Doocy takes a looks at the Biden wish list so far.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Joe Biden believes he can put millions to work in an instant.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They are shovel ready. The workers are ready now. These jobs can be filled now.
DOOCY: Caregivers, both professional and informal are set for 775 billion taxpayer dollars overleaf if Biden wins as he tries to alleviate finances stretch thin during the pandemic he argues has been exacerbated by President Trump.
BIDEN: He's quit on you and he's quit on this country.
DOOCY: The new policies Biden has rolled out in the last few weeks would cost north of eight trillion taxpayer dollars according to calculations done by http://FoxNews.com. That's an eight with 12 zeroes after it.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): We can't afford not to do this. Now, Vice President Biden has put his pay force in his plan.
DOOCY: The money for this plan comes from rolling back recent tax relief for real estate investors, at a time real estate markets are changing with millions still working from home.
BIDEN: The way we pay for it is by rolling back unproductive tax cuts.
DOOCY: The Trump campaign argues, "Just like the rest of the radical Democrats who have co-opted his campaign, the only thing Biden knows how to do is raise taxes, kill jobs, and passed regulations that strangle small businesses."
The Democratic convention is in less than a month, so, an announcement about this former vice president's running mate is close.
BIDEN: I've been through one of these vets, as they say. It takes about six weeks and you go into everything. It's like having a public physical examination.
DOOCY: Who is it going to be?
JOY REID, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, MSNBC: Are you committed to naming a black woman as your vice presidential running mate?
BIDEN: I am not committed to naming any, but the people I've named and among them, there are four black women.
DOOCY: Biden's challenge is picking someone who keeps the base excited.
BIDEN: Let's get the hell head cup.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOOCY: Just like Biden's last in-person event last Tuesday, this one was closed to the public, except for a small group of press and a handful of invited educators, and it was close to home. The drive from his place in Wilmington to the socially distanced speech in Newcastle, 20 minutes. Bret.
BAIER: Peter, thank you. A Republican Party official tells Fox News, the GOP believes state, local, and federal officials will be able to ensure a safe nominating convention next month in Jacksonville, Florida.
Monday, the sheriff there said his police department lacks the resources, funding, and manpower to adequately provide security during the event. Last week, the GOP said it will implement an array of health safety protocols, including on-site temperature checks, providing personal protective equipment, aggressive sanitizing protocols, and available COVID-19 testing.
We talk about all of that, be sure to check out my podcast, "THE CAMPAIGN", which comes out every Tuesday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. It's out now. You can download it on https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__FOXNEWSPODCAST.COM&d=DwICAg&c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&r=tgDLkJy54PfJyWJwul3dKe54qGxqO7b7d5vjo7RcZds&m=3aT71IaxYZTslFnWrymXdb8kgPtwMhJHi0qKZT2smZc&s=oXqXACc3W_awtxG5kMigIwaqphz075Lm5_PYedeHoHY&e= or wherever you download podcasts, it's there. It's a great panel discussion, in-depth about the state of the presidential race right now.
Up next, new details on the case of that St. Louis husband and wife facing charges for using weapons defending their own home. We'll take you there.
First, here is what some of our Fox Affiliates around the country are covering tonight. Fox 8 in Columbus, with the arrest of the Ohio statehouse speaker and four other people.
FBI agents were at the farm of Republican Larry Householder this morning. The person briefed on the case says the arrest are in connection to a $60 million federal bribery probe, racketeering. Governor Mike DeWine, also a Republican has called on Householder to resign.
Fox 42 in Omaha, as Nebraska lawmakers approve a bill allowing college athletes to sign endorsement deals with shoe companies, car dealerships, and other sponsors. It would cover athletes in all sports, although the University of Nebraska's football, basketball, and volleyball players are likely to have the most money-making opportunities.
And this is a live look at New York from Fox 5, our affiliate there. One of the big stories there tonight, former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen is suing Attorney General William Barr and the Bureau of Prisons director.
Cohen, says he is being unjustly held behind bars to stop him from finishing a book that criticizes President Trump. Cohen was furloughed in May but sent back to prison earlier this month. No comment so far from the Justice Department.
That is tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from "special report." We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Federal investigators are examining whether a suspect in the ambush shooting of a federal judge's family in New Jersey is also responsible for the killing of a fellow men's rights lawyer in California.
Roy Den Hollander is suspected of posing as a FedEx driver when he open fire at the judge's home, Sunday, killing her son, wounding her husband. Hollander was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
President Trump, thinks the top prosecutor in St. Louis is abusing her power in bringing weapons charges against a couple who displayed guns while protesters march past their home last month.
The president is not alone in that opinion. Here is correspondent Matt Finn.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCENANY: It is absolutely absurd what is happening to the McCloskeys.
MATT FINN, FOX NEWS CHANNEL NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Today, the White House, again showed its support for the St. Louis couple now charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon for brandishing guns as a crowd of protesters gathered outside their home on a private street, shortly after the death of George Floyd sparked nationwide riots and looting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep moving!
FINN: Mark McCloskey tells Fox News, he and his wife Patricia were just protecting themselves and no crime was committed.
MARK MCCLOSKEY, RESIDENT, ST. LOUIS: The people that broke into my neighborhood, they're all trespassing. The prosecutor -- the circuit attorney has apparently decided that her job as a prosecutor isn't to keep us safe from criminals but to keep the criminal safe from us. It's a bizarre, upside down world.
FINN: The president slamming the charges.
MCENANY: He noted that this is an extreme abuse of power by the prosecutor.
FINN: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, says she brought charges after a thorough police investigation, and rights in part, "It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in non- violent protest. And while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force; this type of conduct is on acceptable in St. Louis."
Missouri's attorney general, says Missourians have broad rights to defend themselves and he will enter the case just to dismiss it. And the governor, says he will pardon the couple if convicted.
GOV. MIKE PARSON (R-MO): They had every right to protect their property, their home, just like any of us would.
MCCLOSKEY: I'm not going to be bullied. I'm not going to be intimidated.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FINN: The McCloskey's likely don't face real jail time even if they were convicted. Prosecutor suggested a diversion program to avoid time in court. Bret.
BAIER: Matt Finn, thanks.
Up next, why some house Republicans want one of their own leaders to step down from leadership.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: "BREAKING TONIGHT" There's something of a political mutiny tonight among House Republicans. One of the top figures is under attack from some inside the GOP Conference.
Congressional correspondent Chad Pergram, tells us about it from Capitol Hill this evening. Good evening, Chad.
CHAD PERGRAM, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. Well, this exploded today at a meeting of the House Republican Conference, which is chaired by Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
There are some Conservatives who believe that Cheney has been too deferential toward Dr. Anthony Fauci. They also don't like her opposition to President Trump's plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Germany.
Now, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, he escalated the feud. He tweeted, quote that Cheney worked against the president and should step down as the number three Republican in the House.
Donald Trump Jr. then-tweeted, "We already have one Mitt Romney, we don't need another." Cheney brushed off criticism from the president's son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): Donald Trump Jr. is not a member of the House Republican Conference. We have a situation in many cases wherein our conference we can have a healthy exchange of views. Unfortunately, you don't see that as much in the Democratic caucus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERGRAM: One Republican member told Fox that Conservatives are doubling down on Cheney, because, "There is a growing sense that we are going to lose this election big time and they are lining up someone to blame."
Now, Cheney took a pass on the Wyoming Senate race this year as some conservatives instead backed former GOP Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis. Part of that calculus is that Cheney could emerge down the line as Republican leader or speaker.
Now, there are only 13 House Republicans and women. Cheney is the only one with a major leadership position. Some Republicans will tell you privately that they think that Cheney could defeat Kevin McCarthy or Steve Scalise in a leadership race. Bret?
BAIER: Chad Pergram live on Capitol Hill. Chad, thanks.
President Trump is warning mail-in voting could lead to the most corrupt election in U.S. history. His opponents are pushing back hard to that. The president has some company, though, in predicting a mail-in meltdown. FOX Business Correspondent Hillary Vaughn shows us tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILLARY VAUGHN, FOX BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This set off an avalanche of mail-in ballots.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): If you want to vote, we should send you a ballot so you can vote so you don't have to come out and get on line.
VAUGHN: It flooded post offices during New York's primary. It wasn't the number of ballots that was problematic for the Post Office, but the prepaid envelopes that Governor Cuomo asked for to make voting easy. Because they weren't being postmarked with the date, leaving officials with no way to know if thousands of uncounted ballots were mailed in time to be counted. Now 28 days after Election Day, a congressional race in New York's 12th district is in limbo, waiting for a winner. A "Wall Street Journal" editorial warns, quote, "It's a dark omen for November."
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Nineteen percent of ballots have been rejected in Queens, 28 percent rejected in Brooklyn. There are questions about mass mail out voting.
VAUGHN: This presidential election in the middle of a pandemic means vote by mail could be more popular than ever, and could prove to be a stress test for the U.S. Postal Service that's drowning in debt. And now the new postmaster general is going on a cost cutting spree, warning, quote, "We may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks." That delay means voters are on deadline. The USPS says voters need to request a ballot at least 15 days before Election Day, but say, quote, "The Postal Service's financial condition is not going to impact our ability to process and delivery election and political mail." They are snafus, though, with snail mail.
GOV. LARRY HOGAN, (R) MARYLAND: The State Board of Elections screwed up getting ballots out. They mailed the wrong ballot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHN: Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan says some voters were surprised last month to open up their mailbox and get their primary ballots in Spanish. Bret?
BAIER: Hillary, thank you.
The president hosts his first Coronavirus Task Force briefing in months solo. We'll get reviews from the panel and a look at the data when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact, they'll have an effect, and we need everything we can get. I view it this way. Anything that potentially can help, and that certainly can potentially help, is a good thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want the American people to judge on the ballot in November by how you handled this pandemic so far?
TRUMP: I think the American people will judge us on this, but they will judge us on the economy that I created and that already we're creating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: President Trump talking about the coronavirus in his first briefing about the coronavirus and about 85 days. He did it solo, but he did it succinctly, and took some questions as well.
Let's bring in our panel, Mara Liasson, national political correspondent for National Public Radio, Guy Benson, political editor at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__Townhall.com&d=DwICAg&c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&r=tgDLkJy54PfJyWJwul3dKe54qGxqO7b7d5vjo7RcZds&m=3aT71IaxYZTslFnWrymXdb8kgPtwMhJHi0qKZT2smZc&s=JAe7p6zDnAqpOAOHES2lDLf9u_wMbrPRm2XoRiWITBI&e= , the host of "The Guy Benson Show" on FOX News Radio, and Kimberley Strassel, a member of the editor board at "The Wall Street Journal." Mara, this was shorter than the previous Coronavirus Task Force briefings, and obviously he was solo.
MARA LIASSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: He was solo. It was shorter. He had a really different tone, masks are good. He was sober and realistic, it's going to get worse before it gets better. The fact that he did it at all I think sends an important message because he had pretty much moved on. The economy was reopening, he wanted schools to reopen, he wasn't really talking about the virus much. But there he was all by himself in the briefing room for only 35 minutes, I think.
BAIER: Right, but the first part of that, Guy, was really substantive. Obviously, he was reading from prepared remarks, but talking about the vaccines, the therapeutics, the numbers, their responses to governors, things that maybe the American people hadn't heard in a while from the administration.
GUY BENSON, FOX RADIO HOST: Yes, I'm glad that it's back, meaning the briefing, for that very reason. The pandemic is ongoing, it is serious, it is real, it is worsening in some places. And so I think it's worthwhile to have been doing this, frankly. So they brought it back.
I'm glad that it was so succinct, to use your word, 30 minutes or so. He was roughly on time as well. I think that's probably a smart way to play it. I personally would have liked to have seen at least one medical expert there with him to field technical questions about various issues. And I know there weren't that many questions that were fielded by the president, but I'm sort of surprised that none of them tried to drill down on what he meant exactly by it's going to get worse before it gets better. That's a striking comment from the president given that the death numbers really have come down overall. What does he mean by that? Maybe we'll get an answer tomorrow.
BAIER: Obviously, real questions about testing and how effective it is and what it means for opening schools.
By the way, a deep tease. We're going to have Dr. Birx on SPECIAL REPORT tomorrow on this show to answer a lot of the medical questions. So please email in or tweet me @BretBaier with your questions. Kimberley, your thoughts on this effort today?
KIMBERLEY STRASSEL, WALL STREET JOURNAL: If felt to me very much like an attempt at a reset. I think a lot of people in the White House understand that there is an immense bully pulpit here for the president, one in which he could not only impart really useful, as you noted, information to the people, but also just to project an image from a political perspective, look as though he is in charge, look as though he's doing what's necessary, a strong leader.
Those past, prior events and briefings tended to spiral out of control at some point, so the fact that it was brief, that it was focused, suggested there's been a rethink about how they might use the briefing to the president and the nation's benefit.
BAIER: Meantime, Mara, there is another COVID bill that's in the works but seems like it's being stalled a bit. Take a listen to Senators McConnell and Schumer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: The American job market needs another shot of adrenaline. Senate Republicans are laser focused on getting American workers their jobs back. And speaking of building on what worked in the CARES act, we want another round of direct payments, direct payments to help American families keep driving our national comeback.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: The Republican majority in the Senate dithered and delayed on the next phase of major emergency relief. Republicans seem to want to play chicken with pandemic relief and string everyone along with a bill in the process we all know is doomed to fail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Yet Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says we're going to spend what we need to spend. The president says we're going to do what we need to do. What do you think this is, Mara?
MARA LIASSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: I think, first, Republicans have to get their ducks in order. Do they want a payroll tax cut in there? How much money, do they want any money for cities and states? How much money do they want to put in for testing? There was a lot of back-and-forth about whether the White House didn't want initial money. They felt there was some unspent funds on testing. Today the president seemed open to it. So once the Republicans figure out what they want, then they can go to conference with the House, which has a much, much more expensive bill.
But the point is that we are running out of time. At the end of this month is when those supplemental unemployment benefits run out. There are people in states all over the country where the eviction bans are going to end soon, and the economy is not getting better right now, and Congress really needs to act, and they need to act fast.
BAIER: And Guy, the unemployment benefits are a real question, too. A little disparity inside the administration whether to continue this $600 plus in addition to what you would be getting over and above. The president address that, saying maybe it would be a percentage, scale it back, but it seems like there is some negotiation ongoing.
BENSON: Yes, because there is a very real concern that there are a lot of members of the workforce that are getting paid more not to work, so there's not an incentive to go back to work, which is obviously perverse. That's not the way it should work. But there are people who do need additional help. So the president dodged the question, what would he accept. Is it $600, could it be $300, could they meet in the middle? I think that's what's going to get hashed out in the Senate.
I will say just briefly, Bret, the soundbite that you played from Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, was borderline delusional about his recollection of recent history, the dithering from the Republicans. The Republicans led in the Senate on this issue. The Democrats were part of that whole conversation. Then the Democrats themselves decided to slam the brakes on the entire process on the CARES act because Nancy Pelosi thought it wasn't leftwing enough. And they delayed that whole process twice by a span of days. So I know Schumer might be trying to rewrite recent history, but it's very recent, and I think a lot of people, at least who pay attention, should be able to remember.
BAIER: Yes, that's a good point. Kimberley, that really is potentially the sticking point as you get one of these massive bills, that other things that are not related to coronavirus end of being attached like Christmas ornaments.
STRASSEL: Yes, and that's the argument that you're seeing play out behind the scenes with Republicans, between those who really want a bill that's very laser-like focused on how do you reopen the economy, how do you aid in that, how to get people back to work, how do you help schools get back functioning, how do you make sure people have personal protective equipment, et cetera, and those who see this bill is an opportunity to get some credit in an election season to look like generous in the handouts and to all the special interests.
And so that's the dynamic you're going to see playing out in this bill. It's no question the Republican bill is going to be much smaller in the price tag of what comes out of the House. The question is how much extra is larded in there that not only doesn't really help the economy but potentially even makes things worse.
BAIER: Sometimes Congress operates on cliffs. They see a cliff coming and they go right up to it.
BENSON: Sometimes?
BAIER: It seems like we're headed that way. We'll see.
LIASSON: We got one now.
BAIER: Yes. Next up, the panel on the Peter Strzok emails and what's the latest with that investigation.
But as we go to break, 1988, Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, a big lead in the polls that year. Just a look back, Dukakis had a 17-point lead when he was nominated. He ended up losing to George H.W. Bush, a massive electoral landslide in that election. Thirty-two years ago tonight, he accepted the nomination in the Democratic Convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL DUKAKIS, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Tonight, with the wind at our backs, with friends at our sides, and with courage in our hearts, the race to the finish line begins.
And we're going to win this race. We're going to win this race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: If you knew back then when you are in charge of the investigation and you saw those texts between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, the level of animus they had against President Trump, what would you have done?
JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I'd have removed both of them from any contact with significant investigations.
BAIER: So shouldn't their --
COMEY: Including those involving anybody connected to President Trump, but beyond that.
BAIER: So should their work product then be questioned?
COMEY: Sure. It's a reasonable question to ask. They were badmouthing everybody, including the candidate Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: James Comey, former head of the FBI back in April of 2018 talking about Peter Strzok. Now just piece this together. "The New York Times" writes an article headline that says "Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence." On that same day, February 14th, 2017, Peter Strzok's notes just released, "We have not seen any evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with IOs," intelligence officers. "Again, we are on unaware of any Trump advisors engaging in conversations with Russian intelligence officers."
He goes on to say "Recent interviews and investigation reveal Steele," Christopher Steele, "may not be in a position to judge the reliability of his subsource network." That is from the dossier that became the focus, really, of a lot of this, including a FISA request.
We're back with the panel. Kimberley, try to put this in perspective for people who maybe don't understand what the significance of all this is.
STRASSEL: So look at the timeframe here, that "New York Times" story and those Peter Strzok notes come about in February. The note that he mentioned about Christopher Steele may not having a reliable network comes from a month before in which the FBI had interviewed the main person Christopher Steele got all of his information from that were the basis of the allegations in the dossier.
So this means in January and February of 2017, as the Trump administration is coming in, the FBI is already aware that the dossier is nonsense, that they have nothing, that the main source acknowledged that it was rumor and speculation that he had passed on. And you have one of the lead investigators in that case acknowledging that fact in a document and also saying that the FBI has no evidence of interaction between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence or officers.
So the question becomes, why did this continue? How did it go to the degree you ended up having Bob Mueller appointed as Special Counsel? And how on earth could the FBI justify continued surveillance of Carter Page, which continued to be based on the dossier they knew to be untrue?
BAIER: Andy McCarthy puts it this way in "The New York Post," "How much wasted time on pointless investigations could've been prevented had Peter Strzok said this publicly one month into President Trump's term? The narrative of Trump collusion with Russian was pure fiction. The public officials who peddled it to a voracious anti-Trump press had to know it was bunk. Yet they fed the beast anyway. It is a shocking black eye for American law enforcement and intelligence agencies."
Mara, does this factor in if we don't get this completed Durham report pretty soon?
LIASSON: I think we will get a Durham report, and this is probably something that he's going to make part of his report. But the question is, if you believe that the Mueller investigation was based solely on Peter Strzok's work and on the dossier, this is very damning. Now, the Mueller report still concluded that it could not find evidence of criminal wrongdoing in terms of conspiracy with Russia, but it found Russia did interfere, that Donald Trump welcomed the help, and took various measures to try to cover up his campaign's contacts with Russians, maybe not Russian intelligence officials. So those findings are still true.
Whether the Senate investigation can continue to come up with things that undermine the basic premise that lead to a conclusion that the investigation, Mueller's investigations should never have been begun, that remains to be seen.
BAIER: Yes. I think there's a lot of questions here that we have yet to answer. Here is Senator Lindsey Graham.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R-SC) SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: How could it be that they continued to use the dossier in April and June of 2017 knowing that in January the dossier was completely discredited by the person who put it together? Here's the question for me. Did the intel analyst who wrote the memo tell anybody up the chain, oh, by the way, our case just fell apart. I find it almost impossible to believe that the senior people at the FBI were not told that in January, 2017, the case fell apart against Carter Page.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Now, Guy, we are literally the only network covering any of this because it's just nowhere, even though think about how much oxygen was spent covering Russia and collusion for years and years.
BENSON: That's exactly the point I was going to make. Three years this was a singular obsession among many in the media. Bombshell-o'clock almost every night, every twist and turn. And now it's kind of unraveling in a very serious way, and these developments are nowhere, crickets among many of our competitors. And I think that is very revealing.
BAIER: It is very revealing. We'll continue to cover it, and we will see if the Durham report comes out. And Kimberley, you think it well?
STRASSEL: Yes, I do think it will. But watch more immediately for there to maybe be some indictments. That's really what he's there to do.
BAIER: Yes, and whether a grand jury is involved. We'll follow all of it. Panel, as always, thank you.
When we come back, the brighter side of things, some good news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Finally tonight, a few acts of kindness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know what else to say other than you are angels.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Christina Reynolds was robbed of her rent money at a Glendale, Arizona, gas station. Officers who responded didn't catch the guy yet, but they did collect enough money to not only help Christina pay her rent, they gave Christina gift cards to help her with groceries. Police officers doing great things.
And workers at a company in Tennessee went the extra mile to surprise a new dog owner. Top This Construction company teamed up with an animal shelter to pay for a dog's adoption fees. Staff at the shelter surprised the owner with the good news when she arrived to meet a new friend. It's just good things, we can do them.
I'll speak with Dr. Deborah Birx -- reminder, tomorrow here on SPECIAL REPORT about all things coronavirus.
That's it for SPECIAL REPORT. Fair, balanced, and unafraid. Here's Martha
Hey, Martha.
Content and Programming Copyright 2020 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2020 ASC Services II Media, LLC. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
