Secretary Betsy DeVos advocates for school choice in letter to America's parents
Renewed focus on school choice amid COVID pandemic; Education Secretary Betsy DeVos shares insight with Martha MacCallum on 'The Story.'
This is a rush transcript from "The Story," September 1, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: We sure will, it looks great out there. Bret. Great show tonight.
Here we go, folks. 63 days until the election. So, how many news cycles does 2020 have in store for us between now and Election Day? It's anybody's guess because in January, this remember was going to be the deciding factor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CA, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: So today, we will make history. When we walked down - when the managers walked down the hall, we cross a threshold in history delivering articles of impeachment against the President of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, who can forget that procession down the hall? Remember that. But then with the economy taking off like a rocket post impeachment, it started to blur the past and made victory look very likely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How often have we seen a president in office who has a strong economy, who has a hard time getting a second term.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: But then came the virus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We have it very much under control in this country. I am officially declaring a national emergency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Then the violence that it spawned with almost 30 million people out of work, the killing of George Floyd, all of that creating a tinderbox that then exploded across the streets of cities in America, Portland, Seattle, New York, D.C. But something shifted when it came to Kenosha, Kenosha, Wisconsin.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
Salena Zito, a Washington Examiner writing this, that Kenosha could change this election because it represents every men of America's mid-sized cities. When people see Kenosha, they see their hometown, their suburb, their schools, their middle America, and they wonder by the grace of God, there goes the country, she writes.
President Trump spent the day there today. Joe Biden says that he hopes that he will visit soon. When you see the wide shot of that picture that was in there, it is a bunch of burned out buildings on the streets of Kenosha. We're going to pull up that in just a second, so you can get a real look at the president there today.
In 16 days, absentee ballots are going to hit the crucial swing state of Wisconsin, where President Trump trails right now by over three points. Hogan Gidley is the Trump Campaign's National Press Secretary. Hogan, good to see you tonight, as always. So, you have that that image today, which we're going to put up of the president standing before the people whose businesses are burned out. It looks like he's standing in the middle of Beirut.
But as Salena Zito writes, this is unbelievably happening in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It's also true that according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, the president is down there by 3.5.
HOGAN GIDLEY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Again, we take issue with the polling for sure. But I would tell you that the politics of this has really shifted things for the Democrats and the Biden campaign. It's not about politics for this president. It's about the American people.
Donald Trump cares about their safety and security. 90 days, this has been going on, Martha. Death, destruction, looting, rioting, assaults on innocent Americans. The Democrats had a convention for four days, said nothing about it. Democrat convention, Democrat controlled cities, not a word. Joe Biden called them peaceful protests again this weekend. And then that politics started to shift. Turns out the American people don't like it when their cities are set ablaze by rioters and protesters and looters and all the like.
And what happened? Biden had to come out and say there was a little violence sprinkled in with all the mostly peaceful protesters. And then the media jumped right in with them and said, yes, not only is there violence, it's Donald Trump's fault. Who do they think they're kidding? You're playing video right now--
MACCALLUM: Let me plat that. I want to play that video, Hogan.
GIDLEY: There's not a single Donald Trump T-shirt in any of the video you're playing. It's all pro-Biden supporters are doing this to our America.
MACCALLUM: This is Joe Biden. This is what Hogan Gidley is referring to here. This is Joe Biden in Pittsburgh. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is a sitting president of the United States of America. He's supposed to be protecting his country, but instead he's rooting for chaos and violence. The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America. So, now he's trying to scare America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, in Kenosha, one of the things that set this off obviously was the death of Jacob Blake. His uncle came out today. He said, we don't want to hear anything from - he called him the orange man. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have any words for the orange man. All I ask is that he keep his disrespect, his foul language, far away from my family. We need a president that's going to unite our country and take us in a different direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, what do you say to both of those, Hogan?
GIDLEY: Look, Joe Biden has been in office for half of a century and nothing has improved. He has nothing to point to as any type of substantial victory for the American people at all. And to hear him talk right now, I mean, who does he think he's fooling, for that matter? He hasn't said a word about this for this entire time period, 90 days, three months this has been going on. He pops up out of the hidey hole every once in a while, to say, let's defund the police and blame the police, calling them the instigators of some of this violence.
And what did they think was going to happen? Democrats now for years, Maxine Waters, saying if you see someone in the administration get in their face, tell them they're not welcome here, cause a scene. You had Kamala Harris, the vice-presidential nominee, the pick by Joe Biden, saying this is not going to stop. It shouldn't stop. It should keep going. They want the chaos. They are rooting for chaos because they think it falls back on the president.
But again, this vice presidential, this Vice President Joe Biden is completely oblivious to where the American people are on this. They want safety, security. They demand it. The government is supposed to provide safety and security for those who can't provide it themselves.
And by the way, when you're talking about these cities, the president has offered help at every turn to try and squash this violence--
MACCALLUM: Yes, he's made that very clear--
(CROSSTALK)
GIDLEY: And then when he doesn't come in, they say it's all his fault. You can't have it both ways.
MACCALLUM: What's your response to Jacob Blake's uncle?
GIDLEY: Which part?
MACCALLUM: He said he doesn't want to hear anything from President Trump and to keep his divisiveness where it is, that's what he just said.
GIDLEY: Look, the President of the United States is the only one trying to unify people behind an uplifting, patriotic message. This country is a great place. It's Democrats who say it's inherently evil, that it's the cause of the world's problems. And we fundamentally disagree.
Of course, this country has challenges, but what's unique about America is that we get through them together. We come out stronger. After all, all of the issues we face. The president is not only the consoler in chief, which you saw today in Wisconsin, but he also understands the American people deserve law and order. They deserve safety and security. He's been for that his entire time in office. He'll be there for the American people for the next one as well.
MACCALLUM: I want to try to get in two quick questions if I can. Kyle Rittenhouse, a couple of pieces written today that by Republican supporters who say that they're concerned that the president opening the door to being supportive of that young man walking down the street with his rifle and how things ended up. And we don't know. We're waiting for the investigation. But the president sort of opened up the door to that, to being supportive to him. Was that a mistake? Some Republicans saying today that they concerned that it might have been a mistake in Wisconsin to voters there.
GIDLEY: Well, a couple of things. And you hit on one of them. Look, we want to wait for the investigation. The president was very clear about that. He also said that citizens should not take matters into their own hands. He wants the brave men and women of the law enforcement to handle this. The problem is these Democrat mayors, Democrat governors have said, don't do your job. You can't use non-lethal means; you can't use lethal means. And the police are standing down. We saw a blue out in Atlanta where everyone just didn't show up for work. That's unacceptable.
So, the president wants just--
MACCALLUM: So, the president does not want people, does not want civilians to take this into their own hands, is what I'm hearing you say today. I'm not sure he said it as clearly as you did just there.
GIDLEY: He said it last night on Laura. He sure did. He said he wants the law enforcement to handle this. Absolutely.
MACCALLUM: OK. Last question. The Walter Reed visit that has been written about in this new book, you were there in the White House at the time. Why did the president go to Walter Reed that day?
GIDLEY: I'm not sure which instance you're talking about, the one where they tried to claim that he had some type of ailment?
MACCALLUM: Yes, that's what I'm referring to.
GIDLEY: Well, I'm with the president a lot. He's the healthiest man I know. And you saw the doctor, Sean Conley come out. He's one of the best physicians on the planet say that this is absolutely ludicrous. For someone in the media to make such a dangerous, ridiculous, irresponsible claim and see no ramification at all. No fallout from CNN. Joe Lockhart, what a despicable human being to try and float this out there. A rumor about the president's health.
You see him every single day. He's out for hours at a time. Joe Biden is sitting down in a basement somewhere, pops up every so often to say a couple of words here and there, takes no questions. If anyone has an issue, it's obviously Joe Biden because he won't face the music with the media. But for someone to make that type of allegation against this president I think is quite frankly disgusting. He owes the president, this country an apology. And quite frankly, he should be fired.
MACCALLUM: And I would direct people to Sean Conley's statement, which was pretty emphatic. Hogan Gidley, thank you very much. Always good to have you here.
GIDLEY: Absolutely.
MACCALLUM: So, coming up next, President Trump's push to put power into the hands of parents when it comes to their children's education. We're going to speak with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos exclusively tonight when “The Story” continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: It is September 1st. Can you believe it? It's back to school time, and this year it's fraught with a huge desire to get back to normal, to have kids in school and a battle with some teacher's unions that are pushing back. In an open letter to America's parents, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos writes, no one is suggesting that every single child must be behind a desk in a classroom or that health realities on the ground won't cause temporary disruptions.
We do, however, believe as the rule, schools must be open for in-person learning as an option for the families who want it or who need it, your child, your school, your way. Education Secretary Betsy Davos joins me now. Secretary, good to have you with us this evening. Thank you for being here.
BETSY DEVOS, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION: Thanks, Martha.
MACCALLUM: So, school choice is getting a lot of attention right now for a number of reasons, I think because COVID-19 has made people aware of the choices that they could potentially have to go to different schools. And I know that you and the president want to make those dollars portable. Joe Biden does not want those dollars to be portable. Here is what he had to say about your program. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: If I'm president, Betsy DeVos' whole notion from charter schools to this are gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, what do you say to him about that? And are you in favor of letting people use their tax dollars that they've paid into education to go to private school or to go to religious school?
DEVOS: Well, Martha, Joe Biden probably doesn't remember it, but in 1997, he gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor in favor of school choice. Today, he's turned his back on the kids that we're talking about and he's turned his face in favor of the teacher's union and what they have to say and what they have to demand. And it's really shameful.
Parents are demanding more choices today as their schools across the country are not serving them and the needs of their students. And we're seeing parents forming learning pods, micro schools, doing home schooling, trying to access schools for which they have to pay tuition in small faith- based schools and other things, other schools. And so, the demand for school choice and giving parents the control about their - for their kids' future is continuing to grow. And it's a really important point in time.
MACCALLUM: Yes, I think a lot of people are waking up to all of this and wanting more options. The 1997 speech that you talked about. He said, you know, I'm only asking if public education is still the only answer when he talked about what the other options might be out there. But here's Randi Weingarten. New York City, they've just delayed the opening for 10 days to prevent a strike. I don't know what 10 more days is going to do in terms of the education of the kids here in New York City or them getting what they want, the teachers, but they're going to get 10 more days. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI WEINGARTEN, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: The Democrats actually came to the table with the 400 billion that was needed. They didn't - the president walked away from doing schools in his executive order. He didn't do anything about schools.
MACCALLUM: All right.
WEINGARTEN: We know that schools need the money and we know that kids need it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: They can help, and they need the money, Betsy.
DEVOS: Well, the president and this administration have been in favor of the resources needed to ensure kids can get back to school, and the reality is that there were $13 billion in the CARES Act that have gone primarily, largely unspent so far. And that can certainly be applied to getting kids back to school. It's an excuse for the most part. And again, the reality is that parents and their kids are being held hostage and captive in too many places by the teacher's unions fears and their own agendas.
MACCALLUM: So, the other big issue is content that people are becoming more aware of what their kids are learning in school and what they're not learning in school, because a lot of times they're teaching them themselves and getting an up close look at the curriculum.
We put this up yesterday, but it really struck me in the Wall Street Journal editorial and a teacher in Philadelphia said that he tweeted out his concern that conservative parents listening in are my chief concern to his lessons. Here's what the president had to say about something that is kind of a new idea. I mean, in a way, he's coining it patriotic education. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The only path to unity is to rebuild a shared national identity focused on common American values and virtues of which we have plenty. This includes restoring patriotic education in our nation's schools where they're trying to change everything that we have learned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: How are you going to do that, Secretary DeVos?
DEVOS: Again, giving parents the control over where their kids learn and what they're learning. It's been revealed to more and more parents today what kids are - what's actually going on in their schools or in many cases not going on. And its even greater argument for giving parents those choices and for promoting and advancing school choice in a meaningful way today.
MACCALLUM: So, I mean, right now it looks like school choice is impossible. A lot of efforts have been put forth. So, it looks like the only way to achieve that would be to get some different - for people to vote for people who are in favor of that, I would imagine. Right.
DEVOS: Well, we're very hopeful that all of those members of Congress are going to see the need for parents to have the choices and the control for their kids' education. And I'm very hopeful that when they come back to the table, they're going to do what's right for parents and kids and ensure that we're investing in the future of all of the kids in this country and allowing them to learn in the places, in the ways that are going to work for them.
MACCALLUM: I think parents have seen a lot of new options out there and a lot of ways to craft their education the way that they see fit. We will see where this goes. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, thank you very much. September 1st.
DEVOS: Thanks, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Back to school time. All right. So, Joe Biden lays into President Trump for unrest in America, calling for peace, but he doesn't mention Black Lives Matter or ANTIFA who are largely responsible for the violence that we have seen on the streets so far. There are other groups, but they are the main groups out there. Deroy Murdock and Juan Williams debate coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Joe Biden changed his tune considerably on violence when he spoke in Pittsburgh, when he talked about the United States cities that are on fire, but his comments did draw some scrutiny for what the former vice president failed to mention. The Wall Street Journal editorial board today writes this.
Surely Mr. Biden knows that the protests and riots this Memorial Day are overwhelmingly led by Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA. Mr. Biden didn't mention those groups in his prepared remarks, and he never used the words Left-wing to describe those who are burning businesses and attacking police precincts. Here's some of what Mr. Biden did say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: He's got no problem with Right-wing militia, white supremacists, and vigilantes with assault weapons often better armed than the police, often in the middle of the violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Here now, Deroy Murdock, contributing editor to National Review Online and a Fox News Contributor and Juan Williams, co-host of The Five and a Fox News political analyst. Deroy, let me start with you. What did you make of what was in his statement and what was left out?
DEROY MURDOCK, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I was struck by the fact that he blamed this, I didn't point any blame at Black Lives Matter, at Antifa, any of these Left-wing groups. They claim that these are Right-wing groups doing it. Are these Right-wing groups burning the American flag? Maybe the American Legion doing so. We've seen churches attack. We've seen statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ decapitated. Is that the focus of the family doing this? This is absolute sort of bizarre. I mean, it's one thing for him not to speak up over these last three months, but then finally to speak up as he has yesterday, and then turn around and blame it on President Trump and his supporters. I think it's astonishing.
And one of the things he completely forgot to mention is how President Trump repeatedly has said things that are designed to try to soothe the situation and calm people down. For example, May 30th, just after these riots started, he said in Cape Canaveral, I quote, the memory of George Floyd being dishonored by rioters, looters, and anarchists. Healing, not hatred, justice, not chaos is the mission at hand. And he's repeatedly said things like this, trying to lower the temperature and get people to be unified.
Unfortunately, most of the media don't cover this. They do cover, of course, the riots on the other side will claim that they're peaceful or mostly peaceful, even though so many of these incidents end up with graffiti, broken windows, burned buildings. And just a couple of nights ago in Portland, with the Trump supporter being shot dead in the streets by Antifa activist, by the way.
MACCALLUM: Juan, he said in that same speech, Joe Biden, I'm not a radical socialist. Do I look like a radical socialist? He said. So then why would it be difficult to talk about these groups? It ought to be natural for someone who portrays himself that way to be able to say, I am not the radical formers of Black Lives Matter and I am not Antifa, and these people are burning down buildings and ruining people's lives and they need to stop. Why not just say it?
JUAN WILLIAMS, “THE FIVE” CO-HOST: Well, first of all, he did say that looting, rioting, setting buildings on fire is wrong and it's a crime, and the people who do it ought to be not only arrested, but prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He said that quite plainly. But I think that what you're saying is curious to me, because I read in the newspaper today that the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported that it's like 90 percent, 90 percent, Martha, of the incidence of crime and the rioting, the violence are responsibility of Right-wing militia groups in this country.
And it's just to me astonishing that President Trump is the one who is quick to say, oh--
MACCALLUM: Those numbers are not referring to what's happening in the cities. Yes, there's numbers are not referring to these incidents on what we're watching and what we're covering for the last three months.
WILLIAMS: I'm telling you this country is really experiencing a wave of Right-wing violence. We saw two men killed, two men killed in Kenosha by a young man, 17, who identified himself as part of a militia pro police.
MACCALLUM: And he's under investigation - that's a heinous situation. And nobody is--
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Martha, has President Trump once said that that young man did something wrong? He's been given every opportunity--
MACCALLUM: He said, it's under investigation. I just questioned Hogan Gidley about exactly that question, but I do want to get to one of the thing with both of you, because I think these comments are interesting, because during the RNC, we heard from Nikki Haley, we heard from Tim Scott, we heard from Jack Brewer saying that there is not systemic racism in the United States, but that notion has become overblown, that it is not true of this country on the whole.
And now, there's some pushback on that idea. And one of the - a piece of it comes from a podcast that was just a casual conversation between Michelle Obama and her friends and another one from Kamala Harris that we have for you to listen to and respond to. Let's play those.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: What white folks don't understand is that -- that is so telling of how white America views people who are not like them. You know, we don't exist. And when we do exist, we exist as a threat. That, that's exhausting.
KAMALA HARRIS, DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The reality is that the life of a black person in America has never been treated as fully human. And we have yet to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Never been treated as fully human, and Michelle Obama was referred to -- referred to -- you know, she and her friends being -- someone cut in front of them in line at an ice cream score, and that was what prompted that comment. Deroy?
DEROY MURDOCK, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I just find it astonishing that this woman was the first lady of the United States, as deeply racist, bigoted country, elected her husband president of the United States in 2008 and reelected in 2012 comfortably, the same racist nation elected Kamala Harris, the attorney general of California and now the U.S. senator from California, now she's the V.P. nominee.
So somehow despite this racism they make it, I wish they would encourage other folks who are black, that there are possibilities you can make in this country, rather than whine and moan about systemic racism that they pick, that they dent.
MACCALLUM: Quick comment, Juan, before we go.
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS CO-HOST & POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I mean, we live in a troubled time here, obviously, if we think about George Floyd, if you think about Jacob Blake, if you think about Breonna Taylor, these people were killed, and it's shocking to me.
This -- I just saw a baseball player for the Mets, and he said it feels like they are hunting us. You know, LeBron James, the famous basketball player, said this is -- this racism in this country is out of control. Why won't white people acknowledge it?
MACCALLUM: All right. You know, I think that people are seeing things in very different ways, and I think that's part of what is going on in the country, and we all have to really listen to each other here.
I'm going to have to leave it there, but we'll pick it up next time. Juan Williams and Deroy Murdock, gentlemen, thank you very much for being here today.
Coming up, Portland police reportedly investigating a person of interest who self-described as 100 percent antifa in connection with the killing of a protester there who lost his life.
DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec on the attorney general's vow to quell the violence and the new rules rolled out -- rolled out today to make it tougher for the FBI to surveil politicians and American citizens and their campaigns, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: When we are able to identify people who have committed crimes in these riots going all the way back to the beginning, whether they are burning police cars or throwing rocks at people, which are deadly, they will be prosecuted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Attorney General Bill Barr vowing to hold these perpetrators accountable. Just last night in Portland, police declared a riot as protests stretched into the 96th night there. Rioters gathered outside the mayor's home, Ted Wheeler, who basically had supported them since day one. They were calling for his resignation, and it was a birthday party, of sorts.
The rioters also set fires two bundles of newspapers, they threw them into the ground floor of a residential building, in the act, they torched a minority owned business called Pearl District Dental. They broke the windows, they looted the stores in the area, so what started out as a peaceful protest became something quite different in the evening there.
Meanwhile, police are reportedly investigating this man, an antifa supporter, Michael Reinoehl, as a person of interest in the killing of Patriot Prayer member Aaron Danielson this weekend.
DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec joins us now. Kerri, good to have you here tonight.
KERRI KUPEC, SPOKESPERSON, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Good to be with you.
MACCALLUM: You know, what can you tell us about these ongoing investigations into the murders, the Kyle Rittenhouse situation is also under investigation, as well, and the efforts to figure out who is behind all of this?
KUPEC: The Department of Justice is assisting in those investigations and we are investigating coordinated criminal activity related to riots, destruction of federal property, assault of federal law enforcement officers.
We obviously don't prosecute ideology or groups, but we certainly prosecute and certainly investigate criminal activity.
And, Martha, part of this is following the money. So, what does that mean? That means examining the financial transactions related to this coordinated criminal activity.
For instance, some of the materials that have been used in these riots, how are they purchased? Where is this money coming from? Who is behind that? And working our way up. And the Department of Justice is aggressively pursuing all of the avenues with respect to these investigations.
MACCALLUM: So, the president talked about people dressed in black that were seen on airplanes traveling from one location to the other. What is the DOJ know about that? And do you think that there are, sort of, you know, nationwide funding organizations behind these groups?
KUPEC: We're certainly, as I said, tracing the money and following the money as an integral part of examining coordinated criminal activity, the likes of which we've seen in Portland, and we've made over 100 arrests in Portland. We've charge 76 individuals. More charges are coming this week.
This is part of 300 arrests, over 300 arrests nationally, over 300 defendants charged, as well, and so the Department of Justice, the FBI, ATF, and all of our components are committed to aggressively pursuing, investigating --
MACCALLUM: Yes.
KUPEC: -- and prosecuting this violence, because it's unacceptable.
MACCALLUM: So, if you find out that somebody is buying them tickets and paying for their hotel rooms and all of that kind of thing, is there criminal charges that can be brought against the person who is doing that, though?
KUPEC: Well, yes, and we look at crimes and the federal crimes is being committed, and federal crimes include, you know, assault in federal law enforcement officers, arson. We have a number of arson investigations, particularly in Kenosha, and so that's something that we look at.
But again, the materials, and you show these videos on your show, Martha, as have other networks as well, we've seen some of these materials that have been used in these riots, and it's not just that a pallet of bricks magically appear on a street corner, right? Somebody has had to purchase those.
MACCALLUM: Right.
KUPEC: It indicates coordinated activity, and so the FBI continues to watch video footage of what has happened in Portland and other places in order to thoroughly investigate what's going on and who is behind it.
MACCALLUM: A lot of questions out there about who is behind it, exactly. Before I let you go, the FBI came out today with sort of new guidelines in terms of FISA applications and the like. And, you know, tightening the ability to surveil American citizens, members of campaigns. Any thoughts on that, that guidance, and does that in any way indicate that the Durham report is going to be close behind?
KUPEC: Yes. So, a couple thoughts on that. So in addition to the inspector general's review, in addition to the 40 plus reforms that Director Wray has already enacted and is implementing, in addition to John Durham's investigation, the attorney general determined it was necessary to implement additional reforms at the FBI to make sure that what happened to President Trump and his campaign never happens again.
This includes the creation of an audit office within the FBI, and what that office will be doing is conducting oversight of national security activities, FISA applications, and the like. The inspector general will be reviewing the activities of that office after eight months to make sure it's properly functioning.
And in addition, on the FISA piece of things, if the FBI seeks a FISA warrant on an elected official on member of a campaign or a candidate, they will need to get permission from the attorney general to do so.
MACCALLUM: Kerri Kupec, thank you. Always good to see you, Kerri.
KUPEC: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Officer Tamaris Bohanon, 29 years old, shot in the head and killed in the line of duty this week. He left behind a wife and three young children. So where is the protest for T., as he was known to his family?
Former St. Louis County Police Chief, Ron Battelle on the legacy that Officer Bohanon leaves behind, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: St. Louis Police Officer Tamaris Bohanon was responding to a call of a shooting on Saturday evening when he was shot in the head and killed. Twenty-year-old officer leaves behind a grieving family who shared a handwritten message, reading in part, he is a hero to many, but most importantly, to his loving wife and three incredible children. They are under the age of 10.
A suspect with a lengthy criminal record believed to be on the run from Florida has been charged with his murder.
Here now former St. Louis County Police Chief, Ron Battelle, executive director of The Backstoppers, a non-profit working to help Officer Bohanon's family. Chief Patel, good to have you here this evening. Your thoughts on this perpetrator and what happened here?
RON BATTELLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE BACKSTOPPERS INC.: Well, the perpetrator should never have been out there to begin with, that's my number one thought, and my second thought is he killed one of our St. Louis police officers. And Officer Bohannon, he was called T by his family, he was called Bo by his fellow officers, but he was a committed officer who was dedicated to the community and tried to make it better, loved his family, three kids, just a tragic deal.
MACCALLUM: Beautiful family. We're just looking at pictures of them now, it's unbelievable.
BATTELLE: Yes.
MACCALLUM: This is Steve Haag who owns the home that this perpetrator ran into you and these homeowners ran out the back. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE HAAG, HOMEOWNER TARGETED BY GUNMAN: He left us alone. I can only say he wanted to draw the police's attention. And once the police came, then he went after the main agenda, which was the officers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: The police association says that he was a difference maker, he was a serve -- a public servant who will be mourned by all, because his life mattered. Just a final thought, sir, on, you know, what you see happening out there with blue lives matter and black lives matter, what do you think about all of this?
BATTELLE: Well, my focus is on the Backstoppers and having resources to take care of police fire, and these officers are killed in the line of duty. But certainly, it's a dangerous era out there. Where it's going to end up, I don't know. It's very dangerous. You've got to give credit to these first responders. They put their life on the line every day, they are brave, they have a lot of courage, and Officer Bohannon performed with honor and courage here, and we lost him.
MACCALLUM: He certainly did. And Backstoppers is a wonderful organization that supports these families, I encourage everybody to check it out, donate if you can. Beautiful, beautiful family --
BATTELLE: Absolutely.
MACCALLUM: -- now trying to find their way forward without their dad and husband. Thank you very much, Chief Battelle. Good to have you here tonight.
BATTELLE: Yes. And Backstoppers will be working with this.
MACCALLUM: Thank you very much, sir.
Coming up, World War II veteran Jack Holder, a survivor of Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, and Guadalcanal, was supposed to be in Hawaii to celebrate the victory over Japan Day, but COVID-19 had other plans. His brave story, next.
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MACCALLUM: We have been remembering the 75th anniversary since the Japanese boarded the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay and signed the surrender documents, ending World War II, and beginning a great period of peace in American history.
Dozens of World War II veterans were set to be in Pearl Harbor to commemorate this huge event, and they will now have to remain home due to COVID concerns. That includes my next guest, 98-year-old Pearl Harbor and Battle of Midway survivor Jack Holder, who wrote to the commemoration committee saying this. Many remaining vets like me traverse our nation from New York to Pearl Harbor to meet with young people, telling our stories, promoting the importance of resilience and optimism, courage and commitment in the face of challenge and loss.
We want our message and experience about the challenges we faced back then to help remind everyone today that an adversary like COVID-19 will ultimately be no match for our spirit to fight and win.
Jack Holder joins me now. Sir, thank you so much for all of your service to the country and for joining me today, it's great to speak with you.
JACK HOLDER, 98-YEAR-OLD PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR: Thank you, Martha.
MACCALLUM: So, tell me a little bit -- you were in some of the most major moments of World War II, at Pearl Harbor, at Midway, at Guadalcanal, give us a sense of what your military role was when you were at Midway.
HOLDER: Well, I had been in Pearl Harbor six days short of one year prior to December the 7th. I had a duty that day, which means you stay aboard and stand watch. And when I fill in for our master, I heard a terrible explosion, we run outside. And seen the first bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor.
Several of our aircraft were on fire. We've seen aircraft in the sky with the rising sun and say, you know, we knew immediately what had happened. And so many people have asked me what my thoughts were at that time, and I guess the thoughts were so many and it's hard to relate, but surprise, anger, everything else, but I've seen the devastation that I'll never forget, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Yes
HOLDER: I looked down the battleship row and seen the Arizona, Nevada, West Virginia, Tennessee, California, Utah, and the Oklahoma. I've seen the Oklahoma turned turtle up. I've seen a gentleman sliding from the ship with burning oil and water. Some of them died in the water, some of them died on (Inaudible), and some of them died on the beach.
I've been (Inaudible) machine gun feet, along my shipmates for three days and nights, and on the fourth day, we were allowed to return to our barracks. All of the lockers had been broken open to retrieve white clothing for bandages, and at that time, we were each given a postcard with two inscriptions.
The first said - excuse me -- I've been wounded, and the second said I'm OK, don't worry. And believe it or not, my mother received this card 11 days later.
Everything turned back to normal after that, we've been to (Inaudible) over all around Hawaii and the surrounding islands. I was in the second aircraft to spot the Japanese fleet coming to Midway, and I actually (Inaudible) recorded the report.
August 3 or July the 2nd, I was in Guadalcanal from 48 over Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands. In early 1943, I received orders to travel to San Diego, supposedly to help commission a new (Inaudible) and return to the South Pacific. When I reached San Diego, my orders had been changed. I started training in the beach (Inaudible) liberators.
MACCALLUM: And you went to Europe. Your story is so remarkable. And I encourage people to go to your web site and learn more about it. But before I let you go, Mr. Holder, I just want to ask you about your -- you had expected to be at Pearl Harbor, and then they sort of turn that off, in terms of everybody coming there. Were you concerned about going there, or did you want to go?
HOLDER: Well, I desperately wanted to go. I had thoughts about it, you know, but I was willing to forego all those stuff because I wanted that trip.
MACCALLUM: Well, Jack Holder, we are so grateful to you for being here and your message to young people and how much you have worked your whole life to keep these stories alive and to remember the men who were lost. You are a living testament to the history of World War II, having been in some of the most monumental battles of that war.
And we are grateful to you for your time and for your service tonight, and we will think of you as we remember this 75th anniversary. Thank you so much, sir.
HOLDER: Well, thank you, Martha. I certainly appreciate the conversation with you. Thank you again for the invitation to be with you. Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. Jack Holder. All the best. A real hero, that man. Amazing. You can read more about World War II heroes like Jack Holder in my best-selling book "Unknown Valor: Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima."
That is “The Story” of September 1st, 2020. But as always, The story continues. So, we'll be back here tomorrow night for a special celebration of victory over Japan Day tomorrow. Have a good night.
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