'Special Report' All-Stars' winners and losers of the week
'Special Report' All Star panel discusses their top picks for winner and losers of the week
This is a rush transcript from "Special Report" September 17, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have what's called over- the-horizon capabilities, which means we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground. We struck ISIS-K remotely days after they murdered 13 of our servicemembers and dozens of innocent Afghans.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Our over-the-horizon capacity can work and has worked in going after ISIS targets and killing people who went after our troops.
GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS: At least one of those people that were killed was an ISIS facilitator. So were there others killed? Yes, there were others killed. Who they are we don't know.
GEN. KENNETH "FRANK" MCKENZIE, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that strike. It is unlikely that the vehicle and those died were associated with ISIS-K or were a direct threat to U.S. forces. It was a mistake, and I offer my sincere apology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: A tragic mistake, no ISIS terrorists killed despite all of the statements by the administration and the president himself in the wake of the dead 13 American servicemembers around the Kabul airport.
We'll start there. Let's bring in our panel, Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee Congressman, CEO of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital, Trey Gowdy, former Congressman from South Carolina, and Byron York, chief political correspondent of "The Washington Examiner."
Trey, I covered the Pentagon for years. Tragic things happen. They happen in dangerous situations where the military is trying to protect its open people and civilian populations. Nobody wants to see civilians die. However, when the administration came out touting this as an example of over-the-horizon and going after ISIS terrorists in the day after that, and then to find out what happened today, your reaction?
TREY GOWDY, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE: Yes, "over-the-horizon" apparently is a euphemism for infanticide. I want to know the layer of review before this country, the world's greatest country, decides to kill seven children. Who gets to approve it? Who reviews it? What's the quantum of evidence?
And it's not lost on me, Bret, that Joe Biden was slow to pull the trigger on Usama bin Laden but quick to pull the trigger on this drone strike while he was having really bad press that resulted in the death of seven children. So, Trump gets criticized for killing the right people. Let's see what happens to Biden for killing seven children.
BAIER: I will say, Harold, it was interesting to see this announcement come on a Friday afternoon. The president had already left for vacation for the weekend. The White House had pretty much shut down because of the -- there were no briefings after that, and we got this announcement from the Central Command general.
HAROLD FORD JR., FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: There's no question our prayers and thoughts go to the family and families that lost loved ones. This is tragic. I give the White House credit for being transparent. Questions can be asked, Bret, about whether the timing of the announcement of this, of the admission of this had to do with the fact it was Friday evening.
I do think Trey raises an important point about the process has to be evaluated about how they reached this decision, and try to ensure it doesn't happen again. I would caution us although to remember the intentions of our -- of any U.S. government, U.S. military is to protect us. They made a mistake here, and I hope they learn from it.
BAIER: Byron?
BYRON YORK, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER": Well, the over-the-horizon idea was really the foundation of the Biden administration's post withdrawal strategy in Afghanistan. Remember, the president explained that the United States does fight terrorism in many countries in which it does not have a military presence. And so the first run of this over-the-horizon capability in Afghanistan is just an absolute disaster.
And the other thing is, as the president just said in that clip you played, clearly this was seen as vengeance for, or a strike back after this bombing that killed -- suicide bombing killed 13 Americans. So now we strike back afterwards, and we hit the wrong person. We hit 10 of the wrong people. So, it's just absolutely wrong all around. And I heard in Trey Gowdy's voice the sound of a former congressional overseer. There are going to be a lot of people in Congress, hopefully Democrats and Republicans, who are going to want a detailed accounting of this.
BAIER: Yes, again, chairman of the Joint Chiefs facing a lot of questions on a lot of different fronts September 28th up on Capitol Hill, and we'll carry that live.
Next up, the booster back and forth. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We bought enough boosters, enough booster shots, and the distribution system is ready to administer them. As soon as they are authorized. Those eligible will be able to get a booster right away.
DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Our goals were to stay ahead of the virus, to lay out an additional plan based on our clinical judgment, and to ultimately ensure that the final plan would be based on the independent assessment and recommendation of the FDA and CDC.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This vote did not pass since the majority voted no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: It wasn't even the majority, Trey. It was 16 to two against a broad booster shot for the Pfizer vaccine for the three shots, at least not yet. They did say if you are 65 and over or immunocompromised you should get it. But clearly the administration, the president was ahead on this, ahead of the science.
GOWDY: Yes. We were told to follow the science. We weren't told to kind of predict it and be off by an overwhelming vote. I was surprised at the vote. I thought that I would be in line for a booster. This is what vexes people, though, Bret. I'm not a scientist. I have to rely on people to tell me whether or not the risks outweigh the reward when it comes to boosters. And they say, if you are 65 and above or immunosuppressed, go ahead and do it. But if you are looking for a job, fact checking Joe Biden's COVID press conferences would be a really good place to start looking, because there's a lot of information.
BAIER: Again, Harold, we did not hear from the COVID team today on this decision. But it is frustrating for some people, we get told again and again and again follow the science, and then it's kind of murky on the messaging. I know some of this is evolving as we learn more, but that's where people's heads are as they're waiting for what to do.
FORD: Look, if you had told me a year ago today that we would have a vaccine, two shots on two of them and one shot on another, that would pretty much immunize and protect us from hospitalizations, not all together, and certainly death, and that only 54 percent of Americans would have taken it, I would have probably taken the other side of the bet, saying there is no way with President Trump leading this effort that every American, in spite of what some Democrats may have said, we all would have gotten this. And we didn't.
The science and FDA can guide us on the third shot, but ultimately everyone has to get the first and second shot, and we should follow the science, too. I know I will.
BAIER: OK, a lot to talk about with this in coming days. Up next, the Friday Lightning Round. It will be lightning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY MCAULIFFE, (D) VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You said you want to give the it 2.6 back in tax cuts. Let me tell you how Virginia law works.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I understand how it works.
MCAULIFFE: Half of it has to go into a rainy day fund.
YOUNGKIN: I understand that theory.
MCAULIFFE: It's not your money to give back. You should learn the law.
YOUNGKIN: The $2.6 billion would --
MCAULIFFE: Excuse, it's my turn.
YOUNGKIN: You were talking when I was talking.
MCAULIFFE: This isn't a --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Well, you can get a feel there for the debate in Virginia, Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin. If you look at the latest Real Clear Politics average of politics in this governor's race, which is really an interesting race when it comes to races setting the table for 2022, you can see it's pretty tight, margin of error, that sort of thing.
We're back with the panel. Harold, this really will be an interesting race that will tell you where a lot of people maybe stand, because Virginia is pretty purple, bluish-purple, but purple.
FORD: Look, Terry McAuliffe, I think, is the best retail politician in politics, certainly, in the Democratic Party, I would argue in politics. But this Virginia Republican is a strong opponent. Terry has got to continue to focus on the economy. I think he has been given a good, good issue here as the abortion issue has come to the forefront to subordinate some of the others, but this will be a tight race. And I think Virginians are going to have to tell, they're going to have to determine, do they want to go forward with the economy or not.
BAIER: Glenn Youngkin is arguing that the history is not there, Byron, as far as the economic success, and that's part of the squabbling back and forth. But it really will be a test. And there's a number of issues like Critical Race Theory and the Biden administration, all kinds of things.
YORK: And over it all looms Donald Trump. I think it's going to be a test of whether the Democrat McAuliffe can accuse credibly Glenn Youngkin of wanting to be a Trump wannabe or an imitator. And it's also about COVID. Their first fight last night was about COVID, with McAuliffe kind of implying that Youngkin might be a vaccine denier or something, and Youngkin came out with a strong statement in support of vaccines. So it's really going to be really interesting to see whether that label can stick.
BAIER: Trey, I wanted to turn to this French response to this U.S.- Australia-U.K. deal on nuclear subs. They pulled the ambassador. It's kind of a strong letter to follow here.
GOWDY: Well, you can argue there would not be a United States if it were not for France, so I'm sure they got their feelings hurt. I'm not sure if their feelings were hurt mainly at the result or the fact that they had to hear it on the radio. What struck me as weird, Bret, is Joe Biden was supposed to repair all of these relationships and Tony Blinken was supposed to be a Francophile. France has been a great ally to us. We've got to get this fixed, and we can't communicate over radio and television with our allies.
BAIER: Some lightning winners and losers. Here we go, Harold, winner and loser?
FORD: My winner is the U.S. Our strategic national interest are advancing because of what you and Trey just talked about. This agreement between the U.K. and Australia will help us counter China.
And my loser is anyone who protests violently tomorrow. You can protest on any issue you want, but just be nonviolent in how you do it.
BAIER: Byron, winner and loser?
YORK: Loser, San Francisco Mayor London Breed. The city has a mask mandate, but that did not stop her from partying in a nightclub without a mask on Wednesday night.
Winner is Daniil Medvedev. The Russian tennis player won the U.S. Open, but more importantly, he stopped the Grand Slam of Novak Djokovic. That's a historic thing.
BAIER: There you go. Winner and Loser, Trey?
GOWDY: Winner, U.S. women's tennis who outdrew the match with Djokovic and whoever Byron just mentioned, because I wasn't watching either. Loser is the FBI for botching yet another serious investigation.
BAIER: All right, guys, make it a great weekend. We will see you next week.
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