Sanders campaign on support from DNC

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Sanders campaign on support from DNC

Sanders campaign national co-chair Rep. Ro Khanna weighs in on Bernie's momentum after New Hampshire win.

This is a rush transcript from “The Story with Martha MacCallum," February 12, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS HOST: I'm very happy about it. Happy Valentine's Day. Major White, thank you for your service. We will hear more from him in the next hour on "THE STORY" with Martha MacCallum. Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for the SPECIAL REPORT. Fair, balanced, unafraid.

Martha, I miss you. I mean, will have to spend 20 hours.

MACCALLUM: Everybody has to go home for a few hours, right? Yes, we're going to talk to Major White. He is just a terrific man and he is going to come up later in the show. Good to see you, Bret.

BAIER: See you Martha.

MACCALLUM: Have a good night. All right, everybody. So of course the focus on last night's Presidential primary was on the Democrats who are in a battle to choose a candidate to run against President Trump and President Trump, like most incumbents, cruised to victory among New Hampshire voters, but it's the size of the win that's getting some attention tonight because the President amassed more votes in the granite state than any incumbent in history.

Brad Parscale, President Trump's Campaign Manager of course is happy about that and he is here to react to that and he also has some brand-new numbers of reactions among independents after the State of the Union that we are going to look at as well.

Also, Congressman Ro Khanna National Co- Chair for the Sanders Presidential Campaign on his candidates wins last night and whether this might be an issue for his campaign. Listen to this from Van Jones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN JONES, CNN HOST: Bernie Sanders is a phenomenon. He is - he gets attention, people talk about him, he's appealing to young people and people of color, increasingly, and women. If anybody else had all that, you'd be saying this guy is our guy. Whatever reason, we continue to talk about anybody but Bernie Sanders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Very true. So we're going to talk about. Also tonight, Trey Gowdy is here with his take on this big story today insisting that Roger Stone is owed an apology by prosecutors. The President said that and Congressman Dan Crenshaw also going to be here tonight with the Republican alternative that he's coming up with for the Green New Deal. Stick around for that.

Wednesday with waters is back too, we're back in town tonight and Jesse is here with us and that's coming up. So we begin tonight with Brad Parscale of the Trump Campaign leading the Trump Campaign. Good to see you, Brad. Thanks for being here tonight.

BRAD PARSCALE, TRUMP 2020 CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Thanks for having me on.

MACCALLUM: First of all, your reaction to these numbers big numbers in terms of turnout last night in New Hampshire?

PARSCALE: Well, I think it shows how wrong the Democrats were on impeachment. The enthusiasm building from the campaign the President is - we were on the ground there. The enthusiasm people had - and we don't really have anybody running against, we were only against 16 just no names.

And the President just crushed it. People are showing up because they want to be, they are so excited for November though they are already to come out today.

MACCALLUM: I mean, it is interesting, I talked to a lot of voters on the ground just randomly asking who they are voting for and the people who said they were voting for President Trump were unequivocal. They were very determined and that was interesting of course the Democrats that we spoke to have a lot of people to pick from and they're figuring it all out. But and a few things were driven by impeachment.

PARSCALE: Well, I think it is just driven this. Look at the last few weeks, the last few years for the President was attacked, attacked, attacked and all of a sudden he wins, win, win. And the people are no they're excited. I don't think they understood the Democrats, just how much they were building up - people across this country saw what the President is doing and his policies are working.

MACCALLUM: So let's take a look at the new data from the State of the Union. Now these are internal numbers, these are your polling, what you are putting out there? So we just want to put that out front. You say that the State of the Union speech that you pulled suburban persuadable voters who lean against the President and that you see these moves 15-point improvement on image, 14-point improvement on policies, 12-point improvement on ballot scores and 56 percentage say that the President is moving the U.S. forward.

PARSCALE: What's so important about this is people keep saying that these voters are not winnable, they moved away from the President. But what's really amazing was when you remove the media filter, you hear the President speaking, talking what happened? And what he is going to do? They move in large distances towards the President.

This is because when the President now gives speeches, they see the success. They finally see the truth. The media filters who does it. Sometimes we see a 50, 60, 70 point difference between somebody is actually watches the President gives the speech and after they see it reporting from other outlets.

MACCALLUM: You know there was one voter that Bret spoke to when we were in New Hampshire and she went on and on about how much she doesn't like the way the President behaves. She doesn't like the way he acts. She doesn't like the tweets. She is uncomfortable with it. She said she voted for him last time. She's a hockey mom. At the end, who are you going to vote for? I guess I'm going to vote for President Trump. You hear a lot of that? People who are not moved?

PARSCALE: I hear a lot of people that love him this really. So I mean, I don't think. Look are there people in 2016, there were 15 percent of people that voted for the President that didn't approve they voted for him, but when they see the policies of what the President has done, the success of this country, they vote.

When they get in the voting booth, policies matter, what successes he's had matters. Look, there is also going to be a - also something across the other side that policies are going to be very bad and very bad for these economy, very bad for this country and so when you put that the contrast, we're not there yet and that's going to be a big deal.

MACCALLUM: Working towards that process is going to find it up where President is going to be. Here is President Trump today talking about who he might run against watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Frankly I grab that run against Bloomberg then Bernie Sanders, because Sanders has real followers, whether you like him or not whether you agree with him or not. I happen to think it's terrible what he says, but he has followers. Bloomberg is just buying his way in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: What do you think?

PARSCALE: First of all I love. I still love that. But look, I think that he's going to have his choice of who he thinks he is going to run against. I think the policies of Bernie Sanders are going to be a bad contrast. Let's be real. Bernie lost 80,000 votes from 2016 to 2020 in the primary? I said you know--

MACCALLUM: --won against a lot more people.

PARSCALE: I get that, but that's 80,000 people who decided to vote for him. If that was any other flip model that would be very bad. So look, they are very split on that side. I don't know I don't think Bloomberg and what's happened lately is going to be pretty devastating to him, the video.

MACCALLUM: I mean we've played that video several times. I'm not going to play that again but here's Bloomberg reacting to it and here's what he said today because he says he's got a lot of support in the black community watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They say that those words don't reflect Michael Bloomberg's, the way he governed in New York City, the way he runs his company, the way his philanthropy works. I think we'll do very well in the African-American community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PARSCALE: So he just said Michael Bloomberg does not represent Michael Bloomberg. Look I think what he said the way he says it, the way you know was just horribly you know just - he was just so degrading to that community. Xerox copies thrown against the wall. The comments he said were just - I mean it wasn't the policy. It's how he talked about these communities.

MACCALLUM: Well, here is what he talked about this Brad. The President has been supportive of stop and frisk and he said and I understand this he said about Michael Bloomberg he should have stood by it, he should explain why he things that it worked.

But now you have #bloombergisaracist on your Twitter feed. Is that fair in this society where everyone sort of instantly gets termed a racist and when you breakdown what he said, he's talking about a situation and numbers that are valid in many ways regardless of how we came across.

PARSCALE: I think calling young black children Xerox copies of other criminals is a pretty horrible and racist comment. So I stand by my tweet and I think the President's--

MACCALLUM: He took down a tweet that was saying--

PARSCALE: --policies in what he thinks, and there is one way to have a policy that's better for the community and there is a way to do a policy that's very and talk about the people in which we're trying to protect in a horrible way and I think that's what happened here. I think Bloomberg can have all the money in the world can't get them away on this problem.

MACCALLUM: Are you worried about running against him?

PARSCALE: No, look I regret any of them. I think it's a weak field, they are all separated. I'll be surprised if we have an actual candidate by convention. I think they're going to have to duke it out.

MACCALLUM: But I do have people look how hard you all came against his comments on stop and frisk, which really do line up in many ways with thinks that the President said about stop and frisk as well in terms of it is effectiveness and why it was an institutive policy and they say, oh, I've got things they might be concerned about this guy.

PARSCALE: I'll say that people love to do that. But we have to fight multiple things. We also fight a media filter and we have our own way to get messages out. Sometimes these stories won't get out there. What Bloomberg's news is going to put it out? What is CNN going to say? We don't know for sure. And so we had to push that.

MACCALLUM: All right. We'll see where it goes? Thanks for being here Brad. Good to see you.

PARSCALE: Always good to be on your show.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. So also here tonight, Congressman Ro Khanna National Co-Chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign. Representative Congresswoman excuses me Congressman thank you so much for being here. Good to have you here tonight.

REP. RO KHANNA, (D-CA): Thanks for having me on.

MACCALLUM: So you know in the introduction, we played this sound bite from Van Jones and he was saying that Bernie Sanders is a phenomenon, he is appealing to people across all different parts of society. Why isn't anybody talking about him?

Tom Perez the DNC Chair did a whole interview this morning and your candidate who has now essentially won Iowa and New Hampshire - I mean, they are re-canvassing some of Iowa, but very strong showing in both places wasn't even - didn't even come up in a conversation with the DNC Chair. What do you say about that?

KHANNA: I agree with Van Jones. Look at the coalition that Senator Sanders is building. He won working-class whites without a college degree in New Hampshire. He won rural voters, he won independents, he won young voters, he won Latino voters. So he's building the type of coalition that can really defeat Donald Trump.

And Trump actually understands it. I mean, Trump understands the power of crowds, he understands the power of having an online following, and he's right to recognize that Bernie Sanders is the person on the other side who is building that.

MACCALLUM: So are you concerned that the DNC is going to sort of work against the Sanders campaign like we saw last time? I mean, I remember standing on the convention floor and all the Bernie Sanders supporters had their backs turned physically to Hillary Clinton when she came out to accept that nomination. There was a lot of anger and do you think they might go back to having super delegates coming in on the first ballot?

KHANNA: I don't think so. I think this time it's going to be so clear that the energy is behind Bernie Sanders. He is going to go in to the convection with a lead. And hopefully we're the majority. I'm confident we are going to do well in Nevada. I think we're going to win California. So it's very different and I think more and more people are coming on board and we are seeing this coalition expand.

MACCALLUM: So we've seen some backlash today from some of the unions in Nevada. They are concerned about the plan to take away their health care plans that they really like, and instead have Medicare for all, single payer program in this country. How is Senator Sanders going to work with that opinion when it gets to Nevada?

KHANNA: We have to listen to those Union Leaders and assure them that the contracts that they negotiated aren't going to be effective because the transition in Senator Sanders plan is four years, many of those contracts are three years, and those will be grandfathered in. So I do think--

MACCALLUM: So you are saying to them that if you're going to keep working there for the next ten years or your children are going to be in this union after you, you are not to have this plan. I mean that's going to be a tough sell for a lot of them?

KHANNA: Well, look what you are saying is you're going to keep everything you've bargained for. Next time you are going to get health care, you won't have deductibles, premiums, or co-pays, and by the way you're going get a wage increase because you're going to get that health care but you're not going to lose anything.

But I have a lot of respect for the culinary union. I think we have to sit down with them, listen to them, engage and make sure that their concerns are being addressed in any plan that the President Sanders candidate Sanders would sign.

MACCALLUM: So you know in terms of the economy, there is a restructuring of the economy essentially in the Bernie Sanders plan and you look at the Gallup poll and you've got 61 percent say that they are better off than they were three years ago when President Trump took office. How do you campaign against that when people feel 61 percent that is going in the right direction?

KHANNA: When I go into rural communities, when I go into towns in Ohio in Pennsylvania and Michigan, people still feel that jobs are going offshore, they still feel that their wages aren't going up high enough, that these towns have seen their kids leaving, and they want to build more infrastructure, more manufacturing. They want us to be investing in the heartland of this country and minority communities.

MACCALLUM: Do you think there is going to be more manufacturing in the country under Bernie Sanders?

KHANNA: I do actually you know if you look at the manufacturing index, its downs at the lowest point since 2008. And the reason I think there will be more is Bernie Sanders has a clear message: he said we will not give federal contract to any company that offshore its jobs. I saw in Burlington Iowa people 50 and 60-year-old blue-collar workers stand up and applaud when he stood up and said that.

Why should we be giving federal contract when they're shipping our jobs overseas? His message actually relates and appeals most of the voters who went from Obama to Trump and I think Donald Trump knows that, he can compete in Wisconsin and Michigan in Western Pennsylvania.

MACCALLUM: All right. We've got to leave it there. Thank you very much Representative Ro Khanna.

KHANNA: Thank you. I appreciate it.

MACCALLUM: Good to speak with you. Thanks for being here. Attorney General William Barr set to face lawmakers on Capitol Hill as critics slam his Department's push for a more lenient sentence for Trump ally Roger Stone Trey Gowdy coming up on that next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've been criticized to this whole process as being partisan? Eric Holder has said that you were nakedly partisan? So what do you say to those people who say those things?

WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, I don't lose sleep over what Eric Holder has to say about being a nonpartisan Attorney General. But I think those are long - those comments that have been made are long on rhetoric and they're short on facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I want to thank the Justice Department for seeing this horrible thing and I didn't speak to him, by the way, just say you understand. They saw it a horrible to say a nine year sentence for doing nothing!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: President Trump lashing out at critics today who say that the DOJ was wrong to intervene and undercut federal prosecutors by recommending a shorter prison sentence for Roger Stone?

The move prompting calls for Bill Barr's resignation as we learn the Attorney General will soon face lawmakers on Capitol Hill, that's going to happen on March 31st, who are concerned with "Improper influence over the criminal justice system". White House Correspondent Kevin Corke has a story tonight from Washington. Hi Kevin.

KEVIN CORKE, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening Martha. The President's comments clearly showing his frustration because after all there have been those who have pointed out rightly that the sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone nine years was actually longer than for some who have committed violent crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The fact is that Roger Stone was treated horribly. A man leaks classified information, highly classified. They give him two months to Roger Stone, nobody knows what he did. They put him in for nine years? It's a disgrace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORKE: Still some Democrats over on Capitol Hill are furious, accusing the President and the Attorney General of subverting the law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, (D-CT): The President of the United States is shattering any pretense through independence and integrity on this part of the Department of Justice. Attorney General William Barr ought to be ashamed and embarrassed and resign as a result of the facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORKE: Rickard Blumenthal of Connecticut now all of this was happening, Martha, following Tuesday's resignation of four federal prosecutors who were working on the obstruction and perjury case. After the DOJ overruled their sentencing recommendation but some of the GOP rejects this idea, this notion that Stone is getting a break because he's a friend of the Presidents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R-SC): I do not think anybody is getting preferential. I think it would have been over zealous use of the enhancing guard lines to charge a seventy-year-old man with this. But haven't said I don't think the President should have tweeted about an ongoing case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORKE: The President of course really setting off a firestorm by tweeting firestorm by tweeting congratulations to AG Bill Barr for "Taking charge of a case that was totally out of control." Be sure to check the calendars. We certainly will. February 20th, that's when Judge Amy Berman Jackson is scheduled to sentence Roger Stone. It will be very interesting to see how that all plays out Martha back to you.

MACCALLUM: Everybody is going to be watching that very closely now. Kevin thank you very much.

CORKE: You bet.

MACCALLUM: So joining me now Trey Gowdy, Former House Oversight Committee Chairman and now a Fox News Contributor. Trey good to see you as always. What's your take on this story?

TREY GOWDY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: That, um, the prosecutors wanted nine years. Bill Barr things that two or three years is more proportional and the only difference between the two is whether or not you count this eight level enhancement for actively threatening a witness.

If you didn't have that enhancement, then everyone would agree that Bill Barr's view of the guidelines is accurate. So the judge is going to decide whether or not that enhancement is appropriate supported by the facts. Martha, this was a trial.

She presided over the trial, she listened to the witnesses she is uniquely well-positioned to decide whether or not that enhancement should be in play, but the notion - prosecutors don't sentence people. Presidents don't sentence people, fox news commentators don't sentence people, judges do.

We give them life tenure so they can make these calls. But the notion that Bill Barr should resign is about the dumbest damn thing I've ever heard. If the United States Senator really believe if the head of Department of Justice cannot weigh in on what a proportional sentence is, I mean there are child pornographers who do not get nine years Martha there are people who rob banks and do not get nine years. Let the judge decide. I think two or three years is about right.

MACCALLUM: All right. So I mean that process, you know, should take place, right? This was a recommendation and that it was, there was input in terms of what is appropriate given by the head of the Department of Justice. But then the President sent out that tweet which has sent a lot of people into an uproar in terms of believing that he's trying to manipulate the situation.

He says he isn't, the Department of Justice as he isn't. But as Lindsey Graham who is a very supporter of the President said, he shouldn't have done it. What do you say?

GOWDY: I have the same position whether it was Barack Obama or Donald Trump; I do not think the Chief Executive should be weighing in on ongoing investigations or criminal prosecutions. That was my position with President Obama when he weighed in on the not a smidgen of corruption. It's my position now.

I can tell you this, Bill Barr was aware of this recommendation before President Trump ever tweeted a single syllable, a single character. So the notion that Bill Barr was somehow motivated to move because of this tweet is just factually wrong.

MACCALLUM: You know and I mean people have raised a comparison of Loretta Lynch talking to Bill Clinton on the tarmac and conservatives were outraged by that. Saw that as you know sort of inserting himself in a place where he should not be. So talk to me about that comparison. This is what happened.

Now you've got Democrats saying, no, we are going to start a whole new investigation and I think we all knew that as soon as the Ukraine situation was behind the contrary that there would be something else. Is this likely to turn into something else that's sizable?

GOWDY: I don't think so because the President has the power to commute Roger Stone's sentence if he wants to. He has the power to pardon him, can pardon him right now if he wants to. He could do it by tweet tonight. He's the Head of the Executive Branch and people have a chance in November if they want a different one. I am being consistent. I do not think Presidents should weigh in an ongoing investigations or prosecutions.

MACCALLUM: Better to away stay and steer clear. Trey, thank you very much. Good to see you tonight. So the Bloomberg campaign behind the scenes strategy to forge a path directly to the Democratic nomination very interesting plan coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: 2020 Democrats set their sights on Nevada and South Carolina now. Michael Bloomberg is forging ahead with an unconventional bid for the White House reportedly according key Democratic leaders behind the scenes and kicking off a two day swing through Tennessee, North Carolina, and Texas three Super Tuesday states.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLOOMBERG: Donald Trump is the world's biggest school yard bully with no respect for civility decency or the facts. Our party needs the candidate who can go toe-to-toe with him and take the fight to him and I'm going to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Here now Charlie Hurt, Opinion Editor at "The Washington Times"," and Doug Schoen Bloomberg 2020 Presidential Campaign Pollster both are Fox News Contributors. Good to have both of you with us.

So talk to me a little bit about this coalition, Doug, that he's building and he's talking to Congressional black caucus members, he got three endorsements for members there Blue Dog Coalition, Hispanic Caucus kind of keeping everyone in the loop. How that going to is - is he sort of building a coalition? I'm sure you are going to say yes, he's building a coalition.

DOUG SCHOEN, BLOOMBERG 2020 CAMPAIGN POLLSTER: He's certainly trying. He's not been in a debate or primary yet so I cannot say here, sit here and say oh it is gone swimmingly well. It's all done. It's all done but the counting.

But he is doing what the party needs to do, trying to unite African- Americans, Hispanics, whites, some progressives, some elites so that it's much more than the establishment wing because if we are going to beat Donald Trump as Democrats we need to unify the party.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

SCHOEN: And that's what Mike is going to do as well as taking the fight, as he said, to Donald Trump.

MACCALLUM: So, Charlie, you're not convinced that Mike Bloomberg is a people person?

CHARLIE HURT, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No, he's really not. he's -- and you know, this is obviously a good week for Bloomberg's plan for winning this nomination, but it does also look like he's trying to buy the nomination.

And people who buy nominations, they are bypassing the part that good politicians love, which is dealing the people and winning over voters with ideas. And he's not doing that. He wants to be sort of, the functionaries, the stable functionary that winds up with the nomination that people are not necessarily enthused about.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: But it seems to me -- no, I got you. And respond to that criticism --

SCHOEN: Sure.

MACCALLUM: Because it's been said a lot, he is not, you know, super magnetic in front of a camera.

SCHOEN: Well, I thought the clip you played was a compelling one. He is certainly getting better on the stump.

MACCALLUM: Is he working on that?

SCHOEN: He is. And I think you can see it in his appearances in his commercials. And frankly, he's not taking money from any special interests as some of the Democrats are. And I think that that helps and gives him a - -

MACCALLUM: Yes.

SCHOEN: -- patina of independence and clarity that is arguably unique.

MACCALLUM: So, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

HURT: But that's not something that is learned. That is something an ate - - innate -- innate -- whatever the word is -- characteristic of somebody like --

MACCALLUM: Yes.

HURT: -- Bill Clinton or Donald Trump.

MACCALLUM: Well, that's --

(CROSSTALK)

HURT: They love people. They drive --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: There's a lot to be said. I think that's a very true point.

HURT: And --

MACCALLUM: I mean, I think, you know, when you look at the superstar politicians, they just have it. The question is, can you --

(CROSSTALK)

HURT: Yes. And while Bernie Sanders kind of comes as a grumpy old man and he kind of he's a grumpy old man, he does connect with people in a way that I don't fully understand but there is that connection. And if -- and there is nothing Bernie Sanders loves more than running in a primary against the billionaire.

MACCALLUM: Against the billionaire.

HURT: It's the perfect foil.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHOEN: But when did becoming a billionaire become a personal --

(CROSSTALK)

HURT: Ask Bernie Sanders. I'm --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Bernie Sanders thinks it is, I'm not saying that.

SCHOEN: I would say Mike is one of our successes of our modern era.

HURT: I love that.

SCHOEN: He was a progressive mayor of New York. And you know what, I'm proud that somebody like Mike is spending his money, spending his time, and his energy to try to bring America together.

MACCALLUM: So, it looks like there is a lane open to reach African- American voters in America because Joe Biden had a really rough Iowa and New Hampshire caucus.

SCHOEN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: And he was going to be very strong in South Carolina partly for that reason. Here's -- take a look at this Quinnipiac poll. And it shows support among African-American, black -- black -- primary voters -- excuse me. And here are the numbers. Biden at 27, Bloomberg at 22 percent. And Sanders at 19 percent. Charlie, what do you make of that?

HURT: I think one of the reasons that that -- that that tape, the leak taped is so devastating for my Bloomberg.

MACCALLUM: The stop and frisk tape which we have played.

HURT: Yes, the stop and frisk. Again, it's not -- I don't -- he's not racist. I don't think that. But he -- but it's the way he spoke about the people. It's really -- it's kind of jarring almost. And that in an ad would be very, very powerful.

And I think the Democrats -- what we saw -- Donald Trump's ability to connect outside of the demographic framework that Democrats and Republicans have lived by for, you know, 30 years now, and it's pretty disgusting.

No other industry slices and dices customers or voters by race, gender, and creed and then pit them all against each other with different messages. It's a very -- it's a very, very harmful thing that politicians do. And Donald Trump has done more than anybody that we've ever seen to break that down and go and try to appeal to black voters.

MACCALLUM: All right. The conversation continues about Mike Bloomberg and how that's going to go. We'll see how the Nevada debate goes.

SCHOEN: We will.

MACCALLUM: That's going to be up in the stage. I'm looking forward to that. Thanks to you, guys.

SCHOEN: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: Good to see you.

So, Congressman Dan Crenshaw with the Republican alternative to the Green New Deal. So, what does that look like?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unlike Donald Trump, we know that climate change is very real and an existential crisis for our planet. We are prepared to tell the fossil fuel industry that their short- term profits are not more important than the future of our planet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Bernie Sanders using his victory speech last night to draw a clear divide with the president on climate change. The Vermont senator has been a vocal proponent of the Green New Deal which comes with an attached estimated price tag of $16 trillion by some estimates, but my next guest argues that there is a better alternative and he thinks it's time for Republicans to get on board.

Joining me now, Congressman Dan Crenshaw, a member of the Budget Committee who has just introduced the new energy frontier. The answer to the Green New Deal. Congressman, good to see you as always. Thanks for being here. So, what is --

(CROSSTALK)

REP. DAN CRENSHAW (R-TX): Thanks, Martha. Great to be here.

MACCALLUM: Tell, you know, everybody at home in words that, you know, make sense to all of us what this is and how it would work?

CRENSHAW: Yes, absolutely. Now the president talked about environmentalism at the State of Union, and recently Leader McCarthy along with a variety of Republicans, Representative Garret Graves, Greg Walden, we've all ruled -- we've all rolled out this new plan that shows that, yes, of course, we do care about reducing emissions.

My -- I have a small part of that, the new energy frontier, which deals with carbon captures specifically. And it has two parts to it. So, one part is simply using existing funds at the Department of Energy to invest in research and development and pilot programs for carbon capture within the natural gas sectors.

And this isn't science fiction. This already exists. There's a plant outside of Houston that powers 5,000 homes, taking natural -- takes in natural gas, recirculate CO2 through the facility and has zero emissions.

So, we can look at ways to actually scale that out. So, these are real solutions.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

CRENSHAW: What Bernie Sanders is talking about. He's talking about a socialist takeover of the economy. He doesn't actually care or have any solutions. Nobody. None of these Green New Dealers do. And that's an important to note. They care about virtue signaling. They care about yelling and screaming, they care about scaring children.

We actually have solutions and it's based on technological innovations that we can export to the world and actually focus on global omissions.

MACCALLUM: Well, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez obviously is very passionate on this issue. She went so far in February as to say this. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): There is scientific contentedness that the lives of children are going to be very difficult and it does lead, I think young people to have a legitimate question. You know, should -- is it OK to still have children?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: That is just striking.

CRENSHAW: Yes.

MACCALLUM: I mean.

CRENSHAW: It is, right.

MACCALLUM: That is not a hopeful outlook on life or the country or the world.

CRENSHAW: Yes. Passion doesn't equal substance. And radicalism is not a substitute for sophistication. So, it's kind of plans that we're talking about. They are sophisticated in nature, that they are based in science, they're based in innovation.

The kind of things that they are talking about is based on fearmongering. And again, you read the Green New Deal, most of it has nothing to do with environments, that the environment at all and it's a dogmatic approach to only wind and solar energy grid which is simply physically impossible.

MACCALLUM: Congress Crenshaw, thank you. Always good to see you, sir.

CRENSHAW: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: So, coming up, Wednesdays with Watters on those who say Joe Biden should do the country a favor and drop out of the presidential race. We're going to show who is saying that. We'll talk about it coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, when you hear all these pundits and experts cable TV talkers about the race, tell them, it is not over, man. We're just getting started.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: So, the Joe Biden campaign in a bit of a tailspin following disappointing finishes in Iowa and in New Hampshire. Both places he said he would win. And now the former V.P. is facing calls from some including this editorial to display patriotism by exiting the race and letting somebody else move forward.

Saying, "Here's the deal as Biden is fond of saying. If Joe is really to be Joe, will he again demonstrate his love of country and party by yielding to a younger candidate with a less encumbered prospect for beating Trump?"

Back now after a four-week hiatus. I know that we've been missing this, right? Jesse Watters, host of Watters' World.

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Good to be back.

MACCALLUM: And co-host of The Five. Hi, Jesse.

WATTERS: Hi, Martha.

MACCALLUM: How are you doing?

WATTERS: Good. How are you?

MACCALLUM: Good.

WATTERS: Did you miss me?

MACCALLUM: We did. I did. I did. We.

WATTERS: Wednesdays are not same without Watters.

MACCALLUM: Wednesdays are not the same. I'm like, it can't be Wednesday. Jesse is not around.

WATTERS: Right.

MACCALLUM: So, what do you think about the Biden campaign and that editorial call for him to step aside?

WATTERS: Well, on the one hand, I want him to stay until the end so it creates chaos and everybody gets broken and battered. But I also want him to drop out because I want to see Trump's tweet about it. Couldn't you see the farewell tweet now? Sleepy Joe ran out of money, where is Hunter with his millions from Ukraine?

MACCALLUM: But maybe if he drops out, the president would tweet something sort of nice.

WATTERS: You --

MACCALLUM: Maybe he would say, you know what?

WATTERS: Martha, you are predicting Trump is going to tweet something nice about sleepy Joe?

MACCALLUM: There's always hope. There's always hope.

WATTERS: I don't -- I don't think so. Listen, if I were Biden I would stay in the race, your last stand is in South Carolina to see how much black support you have. You have to finish top three. If you don't do top three there, you have to bow out and save face.

But if I'm a black voter in South Carolina I'm thinking, this guy can't even win the white vote. I mean, how am I going to throw my support around him? He's not going to put together a coalition.

MACCALLUM: Look at this from the Washington Post op-ed. The Democrats talking for the past year about Biden's electability and his front runner status have reminded me of grown-ups discussing Santa Claus in front of children. They knew the illusion; it wouldn't last forever but nobody wanted to be the one spoiling it.

You know, it is -- it is like they wanted it to be true, right? That Joe Biden would be the perfect person and the whole argument for Joe Biden has been, yes, but, you know, he's the one who can continue the Obama legacy and he's the one who can beat Trump. And he didn't measure up to that --

WATTERS: No.

MACCALLUM: -- out on the campaign trail or in the debates. But he says he's not done. So, we're certainly not going to write --

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: Well, he's --

MACCALLUM: -- until he decided to leave.

WATTERS: Right. He's great on paper, but he's terrible on the campaign trail. The guy is a terrible debater, he got microscopic crowds, he couldn't raise money, he's got no ground game, he got pounded during impeachment, never really fought back.

And now he finished, what was it, fifth, in New Hampshire --

MACCALLUM: Yes.

WATTERS: -- after guaranteeing a victory there. So, the electability argument is out the window and I think donors are probably burning up the phone line saying I'm throwing my support behind Mayor Pete.

MACCALLUM: So, we just had Doug Schoen here who is a pollster for Michael Blomberg, and I was asking him, you know, who is Mike Bloomberg working with people because he's going to have a debate. And all the ads and all the money and all of that leads to that, when you actually see the person on stage and you watch how they interact and you watch how they do that debate because you are just sort of super equal when you walk out on that stage.

WATTERS: Well --

MACCALLUM: Everyone has got the podium --

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: We don't know if he's equal.

MACCALLUM: Everyone has got the --

WATTERS: he might step up on that little box and that's very unfair, Martha. Why should he get a box if no one else gets a box?

MACCALLUM: It's not fair of President Trump to say that. Because, you know, he's going to need -- if he needs -- if he wants to stand on a box, he should be able to stand on a box.

WATTERS: OK.

MACCALLUM: So, everybody gets a box.

MACCALLUM: I mean, but not it doesn't matter.

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: If they want to.

MACCALLUM: Because he's made perfectly clear that he's --

WATTERS: Right.

MACCALLUM: -- shorter than other people and President Trump eliminated probably --

WATTERS: Yes.

MACCALLUM: -- the potential for Mike Bloomberg to ever get on a box now.

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: No. He can never get on a box now and Pete can have a box.

But here's the thing, Bloomberg has no base. He just has millions of dollars. If he comes and robs Bernie from the nomination, do you think the Bernie bros are going to go out and vote for a billionaire?

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Yes, they are not going to support. They won't support him.

WATTERS: I mean, do you think any gun owning Democrat is going to vote for Mr. gun grabbing mayor, or blacks are now having second thoughts about him after stop and frisk?

I just don't see it. He's almost like, the Biden phenomenon, this guy, they build you up and build you up and then the minute you hit the campaign trail, no one shows up to see.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: We'll see. No, I think it's going to be fascinating.

One of the things that's fascinating is, because we always like to talk a little bit football --

WATTERS: Yes.

MACCALLUM: -- when Jesse is here. Play the sound bite from a former Patriot who says he's a 100 percent sure Tom Brady is leaving the team. Watch.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

CHRISTIAN FAURIA, FORMER PATRIOTS PLAYER: I think the Patriots knew they weren't signing him before the season started. I believe the Patriots are 100 percent done. I think the Patriots are OK and ready to move on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one is saying that up.

FAURIA: I don't think they want Brady for $13 million. I don't think they want him, period. And I think that Brady knows it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Former teammate.

WATTERS: I -- why would he leave the Patriots system and go to a whole another system, learn a whole another offense. Tee with all new coaches.

MACCALLUM: Yes, I don't know.

WATTERS: They have all the pieces set up there for him to win. It doesn't makes sense.

MACCALLUM: I got to go.

WATTERS: Pay him the money.

MACCALLUM: I mean, who remembers that Brett Favre played for the Jets? Right? I mean, that's not what people think of.

WATTERS: It didn't go too well, did it?

MACCALLUM: It didn't go too well.

WATTERS: No.

MACCALLUM: All right, Jesse, good to see you.

WATTERS: Bye, Martha.

MACCALLUM: A World War II hero who asked for his love letters for Valentine's Day is here with an update on the hundreds of thousands that he received, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Major Bill White is a marine veteran of World War II. He earned a Purple Heart for surviving the battle at Iwo Jima. At 104 years old, he decided to invite a little love into his life this Valentine's Day by asking the public to send him Valentines cards. He has received more than 200,000 love letters and each says it is a personal part of his new history.

So Major Bill White joins me now. Major White, thank you so much for being with us. Happy almost Valentine's Day.

BILL WHITE, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: It is my pleasure.

MACCALLUM: Thank you so much. So, tell me a little bit about what inspired you to do this. I know that you've been keeping scrapbooks of special moments of your life for years and years, right?

WHITE: Yes.

MACCALLUM: Tell me a little bit about that. Why did you want people to send you these cards?

WHITE: I have really no reason -- no personal reason. It's just that saving cards, I guess, is part of my life.

MACCALLUM: So, tell me a little bit about your service. I know that you served at Iwo Jima, and it's almost the 75th anniversary of that battle. I know that you were wounded there and that you received the Purple Heart on Iwo Jima. We thank you for your service in that battle.

WHITE: Yes.

MACCALLUM: Talk to me a little bit about the cards that you have received and the letters that you have received. What stands out to you among them?

WHITE: I can't express anyone in particular. I have received, as you said, 200,000, and I -- it just floors me. This is something that has never happened to me before in my life and I doubt if it will ever happen again.

MACCALLUM: So, what will -- what will you do with all of them? We are looking at pictures of them and all the different -- and all of the different envelopes addressed to you. We have some of those on the screen. What will you do with all of those Valentines, Major White?

WHITE: Well, first thing I will do, is I'll get together with some of the top people who have been instrumental in my doing what I am doing, and we'll make a selection of each one of them have ideas of what they want to do with -- would like to do with them, and then we will do whatever we can, hopefully make everybody happy.

MACCALLUM: Well, they are beautiful. So many people responded to your request to receive these Valentines. I know somebody there thought this would be a fun thing to have for you. What do you think of -- any thoughts on being 104, Major White? That's very impressive.

WHITE: You just go from year to year, one year after the other, right now after 104 working on 105. Just the same as a lot of other people do. Right now, I am considered to be the oldest living marine in the Marine Corps. About the other services, I don't know. I know that I am theoretically the oldest member of the United States Marine Corps.

MACCALLUM: Well, it is our pleasure to spend a few minutes with you tonight, and we thank you so much for being with us, and we wish you a happy Valentine's Day. And to enjoy all of those special letters that were sent to our way. Major White, thank you very much for your service. Good evening, sir.

WHITE: Good evening and thank you.

MACCALLUM: So that is THE STORY of Wednesday, February 12th, 2020. But as always, THE STORY continues. We'll see you back here tomorrow night at seven. Good night, everybody.

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