'Special Report' All-Star panel on Trump's visit to the border

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report with Bret Baier," June 30, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What is happening here in El Paso really is, in many ways, highlights many of the facets on the issues of immigration.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We are going over to the border right now, but we're going to the real part of the border where there's real problems, not a part where you look around and you don't see anybody.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Former President Trump today touring the southern border with Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, talking about illegal immigration and the difference, he says, between his administration and the current one and what's happening there.

We'll start there with our panel, Morgan Ortagus, former State Department spokesperson, Leslie Marshall, Democratic strategist, and Jonah Goldberg, editor in chief of "The Dispatch." Jonah, what about this? Obviously, the immigration is something Republicans think there is a lot of political power, but it's also something that this former president says he was a part of.

JONAH GOLDBERG, "THE DISPATCH": Yes. I think the Kamala Harris border trip was basically a substance-free photo-op. And I don't think this was much different, it was just going in a different direction. This very much had the feel, if you watched any of the event during the day, had very much the feel of a Greg Abbott election event. And that's -- I guess that's fine. Former presidents don't normally do this kind of thing, but there is just a lot of hot air being blown in both directions about all of this, because I think at the end of the day both parties would rather have the issue than solve the problem, because the problem is really hard to solve.

BAIER: Morgan, one of the things before the former president got there, he released a statement saying that current chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Milley, should resign. There's a book that's coming out that says there was a shouting match between Milley and the president about how to handle protesters. And the statement said that.

Now, obviously, the former president appointed Milley to that job. The former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who was a Trump appointee, said in Twitter just a minute ago, "General Milley is a decorated veteran who has served our country for four decades. His patriotism and commitment to the Constitution are without question. Any attempts to denigrate him and politicize our military are wrong. I will always stand with, for him, and for the U.S. military." What do you make of that?

MORGAN ORTAGUS, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Well, I don't think it's any surprise that President Trump, who hired and fired a lot of people, is going to have an issue with the general's comments based off what reportedly what is coming out of the book.

I will tell you, Bret, and you covered the Pentagon for a long time, I will tell you what's scarier to me is that we keep losing institutions in Washington that used to not be political, that used to not be politicized. We keep losing these institutions. Now it's the Supreme Court where we are trying -- that's trying to be packed. The intelligence agencies have been politicized for the past five years. And now we are seeing a politicization of the military with Critical Race Theory and various things that General Milley was testifying about that is really troubling to a lot of Americans.

And so, for me, the big issue isn't whether former President Trump disagrees with Milley and his approach and what was said in this book. The bigger issue is that I feel that there is a strong push from the left to politicize the military, and it's one of the last vestiges, one of the last institutions that hasn't been politicized, and now we are losing that, too.

BAIER: I guess, yes, you're right to point those concerns out and criticisms out, but, obviously, General Milley has a 39-year military career. He has had four Bronze Stars, a whole list of awards. He has served all kinds of things, and that service should be recognized and appreciated along the way.

The -- I want to turn to climate change, Leslie, because we don't have that much time. But take a listen to the pitch from administration officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER GRANHOLM, ENERGY SECRETARY: There is so much investment that we need to do to protect ourselves from climate change.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Making sure that roads and bridges and dams are resilient when it comes to climate change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Climate change impacts all of us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are really laser focused on these climate change impacts.

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because of climate change, and I know you all know it, I hope your constituents know it, there is climate change.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The problem with the open borders is that --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: There's a lot here. There is a lot over the past few days about climate change. And, yet, from the left, there is real criticism of President Biden, calling him a coward even. Leslie?

LESLIE MARSHALL, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, and as a centrist moderate Democrat, Bret, I would not agree with that calling of the president, because if you look at what Joe Biden has done and has always said, I wouldn't underestimate this man when it comes to climate change. Look, we have a bipartisan agreement going forth with infrastructure potentially, and in addition to that, he has always tried and always said that he was going to tie climate change to revitalizing the American economy.

So if you look at this bill going forward, it may not give those on the left, far left of my party what they want exactly with climate change, but when you get to the bigger reconciliation package that will follow inevitably, that will have more or most of the funding that they're looking for.

And quite frankly, if you look at the money that is out there for other areas with infrastructure, such as the electric grid, union jobs, this should satisfy both the Joe Manchins and Bernie Sanders that need to vote this up, and I think that will go forward, and that they will apologize, if you will, for calling the president a coward, because I don't think what he is doing is cowardly. I think it's the opposite. I think it's quite brave.

BAIER: Jonah?

GOLDBERG: Yes, look, I think there is a fundamental political problem. The Democrats want to say Bernie Sanders says this, the entire Democratic camp that ran for president in 2020 said this, that climate change is an existential threat to humanity, we only have a limited amount of time to save the planet. And then the response to that is to pitch all these programs as jobs programs. If a meteor were heading to planet earth, you wouldn't say, look, we have got to get program to stop that meteor because it will create jobs. It's just a sign of the weakness of the where the politics is on this that they can't sell it for what they claim it is. They have to sell it as a jobs program.

BAIER: All right, panel. Stand by, when we come back, tomorrow's headlines with you all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, a look at tomorrow's headlines with the panel. Start with Morgan.

ORTAGUS: I have China launches massive propaganda blitz for 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. That will be happening overnight, and it will be a big deal in China, Bret.

BAIER: There you go. Leslie?

MARSHALL: Trump's border visit in Texas wreaks havoc as more migrants come to the border to see the former president and Border Patrol finds the Republican publicity stunt makes it harder to do their job.

BAIER: All right, Jonah?

GOLDBERG: With copious free time, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani offers to help board the New York Board of Elections straighten out their election integrity issues.

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: It is quite something. I don't think we're going to know until July. All right, panel, thank you.

Tomorrow on SPECIAL REPORT, we will talk with West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. He factors into a few pieces of legislation up there on Capitol Hill.

Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That is it for this SPECIAL REPORT, fair, balanced, and still unafraid. 

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