Stirewalt: Biden has lost a ton of support to Bloomberg

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Stirewalt: Biden has lost a ton of support to Bloomberg

Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt shares his expectations for the Nevada caucuses.

This is a rush transcript from "The Story with Martha MacCallum," February 21, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boom, boom. Whatever the question is, the answer is boom.

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BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Whatever the question is, it's boom. That's one week. Stick with Fox News tomorrow night for coverage of the Nevada caucuses 4 to 6 PM tomorrow on Fox News. Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this Special Report. Fair, balanced and unafraid. Harris Faulkner, here I took eight of your seconds, but you start right now.

HARRIS FAULKNER, FOX NEWS HOST: Come on, you're my friend. You can do that. Have a great weekend.

President Trump, a short time ago wrapping up a trifecta. Three rallies out west and three days to be exact with a final stop in Nevada. 2020 Democratic candidates are also on the ground there making their last pitches to voters now just hours away from the state's caucuses. And the President no doubt was looking to steal a bit of their thunder. Watch.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mini Mike so far, he's spent almost $500 million in order to get embarrassed by Pocahontas. She took mini Mike to the cleaners. But it's not going to be him. It can't be Buttigieg. It can't be, I don't know. Alfred E. Newman. Bernie is too emotionally, he's screaming, going crazy. Biden is angry. Biden is angry. Everything is anger Tom Steyer, Mr. impeachment, how did that work out, Tom? They all said, who won the debate, Trump.

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FAULKNER: Good evening. I'm Harris Faulkner in primetime. And in for Martha MacCallum This is THE STORY. In moments, we'll go live to what's unfolding at this hour in Las Vegas in about 18 hours, what some call the first real preview of what Democratic voters will want in 2020, given the state's diverse population, cultural, racial, age et cetera.

And tonight, we'll dig deeper into those issues with a democracy 2020 panel of minority voters. All that, plus Devin Nunes, top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee on breaking news that Russia is trying to aid the Bernie Sanders campaign.

And an exclusive look tonight at the Harvey Weinstein case from a reporter inside the courtroom as the jury says, it is now split on the most serious charges against him. We'll begin tonight with Fox News Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich rare live on the ground in Nevada. Jacqui.

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Harris, Democrats are swarming Nevada for a last push before tomorrow's caucuses. And President Trump wasn't going to let them hog the spotlight. Earlier today, he held a Keep America Great rally. It's the same strategy he used in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of their nominating contests, a chance to grab headlines and show voters, there's another choice come November.

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TRUMP: They say they're going to have a lot of problems tomorrow. I hate to tell you this, I don't know. Have you heard? I hear their computers are all messed up just like they were in Iowa. They're not going to be able to count their vote. They're going to tell you about health care. They're going to tell you about our military and the jet fighters and the missiles and rockets, but they can't count votes.

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HEINRICH: Nevada Democrats scrambling to avoid caucus chaos that happened in Iowa after their reporting app botched results. Nevada Dems abandoned a similar app instead opting to use Google software. But tonight, the state party sent a memo to campaigns saying they're ditching that plan too and instead relying on a phone-based system.

The DNC trying to manage expectations, not committing to release any results on the day of the vote and saying, accuracy is more important than speed. This year they also have to factor in 75,000 early votes is the first time in history a caucus state has allowed early voting. Tomorrow's make-or-break for Democratic candidates who underperformed in the first two voting states and their hope is Nevada's diverse electorate will produce different results.

Latinos make up nearly a third of the population and all the candidates are courting their support especially after the powerful Culinary Union, whose membership is more than 50 percent Latino declined to endorse a candidate.

Today, Elizabeth Warren is hosting an event at a popular Las Vegas taco shop. Meantime, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg trying to shake off criticism following a shaky debate performance where he declined to release women who accused him of sexism from nondisclosure agreements. Today, he agreed to release three women.

And Senator Bernie Sanders is hosting a rally in a couple of hours after he slammed reports of Russian efforts to help his campaign. But the candidate who stands to gain or lose the most is former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been relying on a firewall of black voters in South Carolina to bring his campaign back to life. But if he doesn't perform well here in Nevada, it could shake that support. Harris.

FAULKNER: And I'm going to get into that part right away. Jacqui, thank you very much. Joining me now Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus, a surrogate for the Joe Biden campaign.

Good to see you this evening. Thanks for being with me. Let's go right there. I'm curious with Joe Biden right now as he tries to walk into Nevada and South Carolina and scoop up a more diverse electorate and hopefully get people of color behind him. What is his pitch to people of color? Why should they vote for him?

REP. DINA TITUS (D-NV): Well, he has a long record of being for civil liberties and civil rights. And let's not forget that Barack Obama picked him pf all of the people to be his Vice President, because of that record. And so, I don't think he has much to say. I think it's pretty clear and he's also going for a diverse population like we have here in my district, not just Hispanics, but Asia Pacific Islanders, black voters, labor unions, seniors, a lot of people here are supporting Joe Biden.

FAULKNER: You know Congresswoman, if we could just hit two points. One, let's start with the diversity issue and the tightening in some of the polling that shows that Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are only running a couple of points behind or between each other. Joe Biden with about 31 percent, Sanders is about 29 percent, support of some black and Latino voters. How do you account for the speed and kind of the growth in popularity in that demographic for Bernie Sanders and what should Joe Biden do about it?

TITUS: Well, he's doing everything here in this day, meeting with people, going to events, holding rallies himself. I was at Abby Debbie (ph) last night, a lot of people I was in Chinatown, 500 people at a restaurant at the door. Those are just poll numbers and polling in Nevada has never been very accurate. So, let's see how the vote turns out.

FAULKNER: OK. I like that. Wit for the people to decide. One quick one too. You know Biden's legislation that he was part of, in the 1990s with Bill Clinton that crime bill getting criticism as well as he is talking about what he can do with criminal justice reform. President Trump already gaining some ground on that. What are your thoughts?

TITUS: Well, let's remember that the criminal justice bill that passed the Congress was nothing like when the President put forward, that was championed in the House by Democrats and was much revised version that came out, but it was a good step forward. And you can look at the stop and frisk issue for Bloomberg. That was a big issue in the debate. And he apologized, but--

FAULKNER: I'm going to step in just one second. The act that Biden was part of that 1994 crime bill contributed to the mass incarceration and imprisonment and prison overcrowding that became a legacy point for that. One last one for you, Congresswoman.

Vice President Joe Biden tonight talking about an arrest that happened in South Africa as he was trying to help win the freedom as others were as well of Nelson Mandela giving a lot of backlash on that this evening. Why do you think that is? Does he need to say that he was arrested trying to get a South African leader out of prison?

TITUS: Well, he wants to make his record clear and it goes back a long way of what he has done for African Americans and I just go back to the point that his record was such that Barack Obama, the first African American President, he was accused by Donald Trump of not even being a citizen chose him of all the senators, all the governors to run with him and he trusted him as his Vice President gave him the Medal of Freedom and said, it was the best decision he ever made.

FAULKNER: All right.

TITUS: So, that's hard to argue with those credentials.

FAULKNER: I would just point out; Nelson Mandela was South African. He's not African American. But I understand what you're saying. Congresswoman Titus, thank you very much for your time this evening.

TITUS: Thank you.

FAULKNER: Also, here tonight, Chris Stirewalt, Fox News Politics Editor. Chris, always good to talk with you. A lot happened since the last few hours that we met at 1 PM Eastern today on overtime. So, let's get into it for Joe Biden. This - and you and I said it earlier, this is a big moment as we head into the Nevada caucuses for him, because he'll face an electorate now that he thinks he can connect with more. You heard me talking with the congresswoman. He's pulling out. I was arrested trying to get Nelson Mandela freed. I'm not sure if that's a one-on-one match for African Americans.

CHRIS STIREWALT, FOX NEWS POLITICS EDITOR: Well look, so the deal for Biden, he's lost a ton of his support to Mike Bloomberg. It's been--

FAULKNER: And Bernie Sanders apparently.

STIREWALT: A little but that's not his problem. His problem is that Klobuchar, Buttigieg and most of all Bloomberg have hovered up this support from Biden who's been a weak front runner the whole time. Then he says, I'm going to deliver because I'm going to connect in these states with large minority populations and Nevada has much as the Democrats across the country do, a 40 percent nonwhite population in their electorate. That's about the expectation.

This is a bad time to be involved in a controversy around a claim that's unsubstantiated that he was arrested trying to get Nelson Mandela freed from prison in South Africa. He never mentioned it in his books about it. He never talked about it before.

FAULKNER: Yes, 2007 memoir. I mean we were searching for it this evening, currently. Maybe it's there, we missed it, but we couldn't find it.

STIREWALT: This is not a good look, because it goes to two things. One seems like maybe there's some fudging going on here. But number two, then it's a question about recall and it brings up issues about, are you on your A game? Do you still have your fastball? That's not what Biden needs going into this and then the South Carolina contest.

FAULKNER: Real quickly, you brought up Michael Bloomberg is stealing some of the thunder. Does he come out of that Democratic debate wounded in any way with diverse populations, I mean he really didn't do well on the questions about stop and frisk.

STIREWALT: He got just absolutely caned. He got absolutely stomped on a number of things. First half of that debate--

FAULKNER: That's a lot of verbs.

STIREWALT: Which was the most, most watched of any debates so far for the Democrats. The first half of that debate was a slaughter for Bloomberg. And not just that, but a bunch of other things. Flipside for Bloomberg, the emphasis comes off of him for a minute, it's on Bernie Sanders, it's on Joe Biden, they're both having a hard time - Bernie Sanders especially with now the revelation that Russia is rooting for him in this process. So that's good news for Bloomberg. Go home, pack an ice for a while and then see how these guys do.

FAULKNER: Yes. And come out maybe listen to your debate team because there are going to be more of those coming up when he eventually gets on a ballot. Chris Stirewalt, the Stire is on fire on this Friday night. Thank you.

STIREWALT: Happy Friday.

FAULKNER: All right. So, you heard Chris just mentioning this next topic. Ranking Intelligence Committee member Devin Nunes was inside a classified briefing when lawmakers were briefed about Russia's alleged efforts to interfere and 2020 on behalf of President Trump. And now says, he's not buying it. He'll explain it all next. And then the nugget about Bernie Sanders.

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TRUMP: I see these phonies. These the do-nothing Democrats. They said today that Putin wants to be sure that Trump gets elected. Here we go. I was told a week ago, they said you know they're trying to start a rumor, it's disinformation. That's the only thing they're good at.

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FAULKNER: That's President Trump going after an intelligence report claiming Vladimir Putin wants him to win the election saying Democrats are pushing another Russia disinformation campaign.

My next guest within that classified briefing and says no one is going to believe this garbage. Congressman Devin Nunes, Ranking Member of the House Intel Committee is with me now. Good to see you.

Let start with what happened inside that meeting and what we now know was this narrative that the President apparently would benefit from a Russia push, but then now late tonight so would Bernie Sanders.

REP. DEVIN NUNES (R-CA): Yes. So, look, the most concerning part about all this is that we can't talk about what happened in that meeting. So, if anything in the Washington Post story or the New York Times story is true about either Bernie Sanders or Putin's plans and intentions or anything else, nobody that's on the committee or that seen this classified information should be talking about it.

Now it gets worse when you have The Washington Post claim that I went to the White House. Remember this story, didn't we hear this like three years ago that I was you know sneaking into the White House. I went to the White House to tell the President really bad things to get him to fire Maguire.

Now look, I don't know what planet The Washington Post is on, but they'll have an opportunity in federal court in the next couple of weeks to explain who their sources are because I'm going to have to take them to court, because I didn't go to the White House. I didn't talk to President Trump, Harris.

So, this is the same garbage. And the only way to get these guys to stop, I don't know where they build a narrative. They plant the narrative. They write fake stories about it of things that shouldn't even be talked about. You know this classified information and then they run these stories. Who the hell is leaking this if indeed it is true?

FAULKNER: It is interesting.

NUNES: But I can tell you--

FAULKNER: What you say about and I just want to step in here, the Director of National Intelligence, the acting Joe Maguire is actually leaving because he's up against the 200 or so days that he can serve. So, the President now putting in the Ambassador to Germany Rick Grenell in that position. That's the Joe Maguire that you're talking about. I'm just catching everybody up Congressman. So, wait a minute. You're suing the Washington Post.

NUNES: Yes, that's right. I don't have any choice because how do you make up a story like this. How do you say that I went to the White House? I didn't go to the White House. I didn't - Maguire was leaving anyway as you just said.

FAULKNER: Yes.

NUNES: Let's walk everybody back. How do we end up here? John Ratcliffe was nominated. The press went after him, so John Ratcliffe said, hey forget this. Maguire was put in temporarily.

FAULKNER: Acting, sure.

NUNES: His time is coming up and he's acting. Now, they're bringing the German Ambassador or our Ambassador to Germany back, Mr. Grenell to be in that position.

FAULKNER: Temporarily.

NUNES: So, how on earth number one are people that are getting classified briefings. How does this end up in the pages of The Washington Post, The New York Times?

FAULKNER: I understand--

NUNES: And all I can tell you is that it's total garbage and demonstrably false. I didn't talk to the President. OK, but you have CNN, Washington Post, all the usual suspects claiming that I went somewhere that I didn't go.

FAULKNER: Well, you are breaking news tonight.

NUNES: And this is got to stop. And that's why the courts, the courts have to step in.

FAULKNER: You're going to sue the Washington Post and I understand two lanes there, you've got leaking going on and you say that a story has been made up with you at the center of it. You're going to sue over that, but there's also this idea that Russia is getting involved in our elections again and that's the umbrella to all of this, because that would not be a good thing. Here's Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, I want to get your reaction to what she's saying.

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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): We are again vigilant. The evidence is clear that the Russians are up to their old, same old, same old.

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FAULKNER: And you say what?

NUNES: Well, I would just remind everybody that facts are very important here. The very first person to warn of Putin's problems and our intelligence capabilities being an adequate was me. In 2014, 2015 and even the spring of 2016 when I warned about and that was at the same time that the whole Russia gate started, and they started illegally spying on the Trump campaign in the spring of 2016. I was the one who warned about the Russia problem.

Now, the Republican report that came out two years ago now, the Republican report was very clear. The Russians and before them the Soviets clearly always look for opportunities to sow discord in our election process. That's always going to happen and don't forget other countries will try it too.

FAULKNER: Are we prepared?

NUNES: If they can be successful. Well, look, clearly the Democrats are not prepared because one of the things that we said in our report is stay off the Internet, stay off the web. Don't use things that can be corrupted and what did they do. They build an app that fails in Iowa.

FAULKNER: Yes.

NUNES: So, they don't even - they mock our report but then they don't listen to the report. And now they can't even count their votes properly.

FAULKNER: Real quickly because I've got to let you go. Bernie Sanders being looked at possibly by getting help, he's been briefed reportedly that the Russians are trying to help him through the process. So, it's him at the end of the nomination for the Democrats. Your quick thought.

NUNES: Look, I think this is very dangerous when we go down the road of that countries are trying to help one candidate or another. I think it's very, very dangerous and you have very high-level people that are doing this.

Look, what it looks like to me is, is that the establishment Democrats don't want Bernie Sanders. And look, I understand that, Bernie Sanders is a socialist, spent time with the Soviet Union. I don't want him either. But the fact of the matter is we shouldn't be talking about this information if indeed it is true, it's classified and there should be an investigation into it.

FAULKNER: Well, you put a fine point on that and of course you know our enemies love when this sort of thing happens. If in fact things are being leaked like this, they like to see it, it helps their cause. Congressman Nunes, you broke news tonight as you sue the Washington Post. We'll follow that part of the story. Appreciate your time. Thank you.

NUNES: Thank you.

FAULKNER: Byron York, Andy Puzder on the 2020 Democrats. Who want Mike Bloomberg to get out of the race, next?

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TRUMP: Mini Mike so far has spent $500 million in order to get embarrassed by Pocahontas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mike Bloomberg drop out of the race. Keep putting your money in to help Democrats beat Donald Trump and just take your ego out of this.

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FAULKNER: Well, Mike Bloomberg isn't even on the ballot in Nevada. But that's not stopping 2020 Democrats from sharpening their attacks against him. Pete Buttigieg now joining Warren's call for the billionaire to drop out saying, If Bloomberg remains in the race despite showing he cannot offer a viable alternative to Bernie Sanders, he will propel Sanders to a seemingly insurmountable delegate lead siphoning votes away from Pete, the current leader in delegates.

Here now Andy Puzder, author of The Capitalist Comeback and former CEO of CKE Restaurants. And Byron York, Chief Political Correspondent for The Washington Examiner and Fox News Contributor.

Byron, I'm going to start with you, Michael Bloomberg making some news tonight saying that he's going to release some of the women from NDA. He's starting with three. We still don't have a full count of how many women have accused him or his companies and hashtag MeToo fashion with discrimination. What does that say? I mean he really took some incoming the other night on this issue of women and discrimination.

BYRON YORK, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the keyword there are some of and we don't really know how many. And the same candidates who were criticizing him on the debate stage about this nondisclosure agreements are now saying that wasn't enough. What he's done is not enough. Elizabeth Warren has said no, not enough.

And Joe Biden has just released a statement saying, no, not enough. So, it's not going to make anybody happy. And one of the things is - what you were introducing about the calls for Bloomberg to quit the race, Bloomberg brought all this on himself on the morning of the debate, his strategist released a memo calling on Biden and Buttigieg and Klobuchar all to just drop out of the race, just leave it to Mike. And people thought wow that's kind of arrogant sounding. He better do really well in this debate tonight and of course he did not do really well. And now they're getting back at him.

FAULKNER: So, Andy I know you like to break things down and look at the economics of things. What is Michael Bloomberg able to sell at this point? I mean we know the opposition between him and Bernie Sanders. But for the rest of the field, what can he argue?

ANDY PUZDER, AUTHOR, THE CAPITALIST COMEBACK: Well you know the only point in the debates where Michael Bloomberg actually started to shine was in the second half when he actually started to defend himself a little bit, when he talked about - went after Bernie Sanders for being a socialist, but a multimillionaire owning three houses or when he talked about how he earned the money that he made at Bloomberg.

You know, the man came up with a high-tech method of providing financial information that people wanted. He provided a benefit to people. He benefited others tremendously, he benefited tremendously.

If he can get out there and start defending free markets and say, look, I'm a liberal who understands the economy. I want to defend free markets. He can distinguish himself from the part of the pack. But if he tries to be like them, I think his candidacy is doomed.

HARRIS FAULKNER, FOX NEWS HOST: Really quickly, I talked with Doug Schoen who was his pollster and was with his three terms as mayor. Here's what he had to say after that debate performance the other night when Elizabeth Warren went after Mike Bloomberg.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS SCHOEN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I feel that he should drop out because Elizabeth Warren attacked him and the rest of the field attacked him to be as outrageous. I mean, we are a political party, we are not a, you know, an exclusionary society based on individual candidates' judgment about who is right and who is wrong.

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FAULKNER: Byron, quick response?

YORK: Of course, he's not going to drop out. He has all the money in the world but we are in a weird situation in which where Bloomberg was in a debate in Nevada and was not on the ballot in Nevada. And next Tuesday he's going to be in a debate in South Carolina and is not on the ballot in South Carolina.

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: It's practice, I suppose.

YORK: A weird situation.

FAULKNER: Yes. Gentlemen, I'm going let you go but I thank you so very much for your time. Andy, Byron, thank you.

PUZDER: Thanks, Harris.

YORK: Thank you.

FAULKNER: Our reporter inside Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes trial here with new details amid a jury deadlock now on two of the most serious charges against him, next.

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FAULKNER: The jurors in the Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes trial reaching a unanimous decision today on three of five counts against the disgraced Hollywood producer. But deadlock tonight on two of the most serious charges including predatory sexual assault, pushing deliberations now into next week.

Variety senior correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister has been covering the case from inside the courtroom. And Elizabeth, you're with me here now. Why are they stuck?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, VARIETY: This is a very complicated case to prove. You know, most rape cases do not end up in a conviction because it is largely he said, she said.

Well, when you have women who are taking the stand and then the defense is showing that there are e-mails, that they had continued communication. Then you've 12 strangers who get together on this jury, that is going to become complicated.

But what happened today is after chaos in the courtroom, everybody thought that the verdict was not going to come then they thought it was going to come, the jury sent a note to the judge and what the note said was basically asking for more information. Hypothetically, should we be hung on two of the most serious counts, then can we be unanimous on the other three counts?

FAULKNER: You know, it's interesting. People look at this case, there are some big Hollywood names in it, Annabella Sciorra, the actress, they want to re-read parts of her testimony today.

WAGMEISTER: Yes.

FAULKNER: Harvey Weinstein, you know, formerly a huge name in Hollywood. How is that playing out inside the courtroom?

WAGMEISTER: It's interesting. Because it's ironic that Harvey Weinstein was one of the biggest movie producers of all time.

FAULKNER: Yes.

WAGMEISTER: Because I sit in the courtroom and I think you couldn't write this. This seems like it is a movie script with what you're seeing happening in this courtroom.

And as you said, today the jury, they asked to be re-read testimony from Annabella Sciorra. Now she is accusing Weinstein of rape in the early 1990s. She was the first witness to take the stand, she testified for about five hours.

Today the jury spent about two hours listening to her testimony, that of course indicates that they are not clear, that they are stuck on her testimony. Do they believe her, do they not?

FAULKNER: Well, and I was reading there were some inconsistencies in her story. She at that time said she lived in a pretty high security building with a doorman, so on and so forth. They are trying to figure out how Harvey Weinstein got in, how he got up to her apartment. She says he pushed through the door and forced himself on her.

So, there are some details that I know that I read that they were -- they were looking for. At the end of all of this, what is he facing?

WAGMEISTER: He is facing potentially life in prison. Now here is where it's complicated. The two most serious charges that as of now, as, you know, a few hours ago in court the jury seems to be hung on, those two charges rest on the other three.

So, if they do not convict him on the other three, then the other two don't matter. That is why the jury we think was asking what happens if it cannot come to --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: Predatory sexual assault --

WAGMEISTER: Correct.

FAULKNER: -- being the big one.

WAGMEISTER: yes.

FAULKNER: Yes.

WAGMEISTER: And that is why they brought on not just Annabella but three other witnesses to help prove that Harvey Weinstein did have a pattern of predatory sexual assault. But the other two charges each of them alone carries five to 25 years in prison.

FAULKNER: OK. So, we are talking about a lot of time on paper.

WAGMEISTER: Absolutely.

FAULKNER: All right.

WAGMEISTER: And he has the L.A. charges as well.

FAULKNER: More to come.

WAGMEISTER: More to come.

FAULKNER: Elizabeth, thank you very, very much.

WAGMEISTER: Thanks for having me.

FAULKNER: I appreciate your time.

Joe Biden's support amongst black voters is dropping nationally and about to be put to the test in Nevada first and then South Carolina. Twenty- twenty voters will join me, next. You don't want to miss this, we'll hear from them, the people who will actually take part. Their vote, their voice counts. Keep watching.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The reason why we are here is because, you know, 99 percent of the African-American vote hasn't spoken yet, and 99 percent of the Latino vote hasn't spoken yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Look, this campaign is really just getting started. We're finally in a place where there are folks that represent the country, it looks like the country. And by the good folks in Iowa and New Hampshire, but this looks like America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FAULKNER: And of course, tomorrow's racially diverse Nevada caucuses are expected to test Joe Biden's strength among black voters. The former vice president is banking on support among that demographic group to propel him ahead of this race.

But a new national poll from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal shows Bernie Sanders is quickly gaining ground. It finds Biden has the support of 31 percent of black Democratic primary voters, Sanders is capturing the backing of 29 percent.

Let's bring in a group of bipartisan voters. They are ones with all the power, you know. Yusef Rhymer, Jose Franco, Christina Bennett, and Marqweesha Guthrie on the candidate they are supporting in the race? All right. Let's just get started. Marqweesha, I'm going to come to you first. Who do you support and just maybe a couple of lines on why?

MARQWEESHA GUTHRIE, BIDEN SUPPORTER: I currently support Vice President Joe Biden. I believe that his experience under the Obama administration definitely puts him in a position where he can lead our country as a united country forward, and I believe that he has what it takes to take on President Trump and successfully win in this November.

FAULKNER: Christina, who do you support and why?

CHRISTINA BENNETT, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I support the current president, Donald Trump, and first and foremost, it's because he's so strong on the pro-life position.

My mother walked out of an abortion clinic appointment. I was scheduled to be aborted and she walked out and when I discover that in my 20s, I thought this is the greatest human rights issue of my day and I'm very proud of all the president have done for this cause.

FAULKNER: And we're all glad you're here.

BENNETT: Thank you.

FAULKNER: Absolutely. Let's get to you, Jose on exactly who you support and why. And I want to tell everybody a little nugget that you told us. Because you have been in New York City your entire life, you've seen it all.

JOSE FRANCO, BLOOMBERG SUPPORTER: Yes.

FAULKNER: All right. Who do you support?

FRANCO: I support Michael Bloomberg for president. He's a businessman, I'm a small business owner. He -- he is someone that really doesn't want to be president but he's sort of, forced to run for president.

FAULKNER: Well, he spends money like he wants to be president.

FRANCO: Well, he, you know, it's easy, it's easy to kick someone with money, but he's -- I just -- I just think he's a person. He's flawed like the rest of us, but I think at the end of the day there is more virtue than vice when you think of Michael Bloomberg.

FAULKNER: All right, we'll come to that, that flaw of stop and frisk and it's getting some heat tonight even. But I want give you, Yusef, an opportunity to tell us who you are supporting and why.

YUSEF RHYMER, SANDERS SUPPORTER: I'm supporting Bernie Sanders. And I'm a big believer in the political revolution. I think that money in politics is corrupting our Congress and I feel that we should overturn Citizens United move towards public funding of elections, and I think we should flip the Congress and have people who represent Americans a little closer than our current.

FAULKNER: When you mean money in politics, I know that you mean outside money. We have a couple of candidates right now though, with what I would call inside money. Tom Steyer, Mike Bloomberg whom you're supporting. But you also have a phenomenon with Bernie Sanders, Yusef, where he raised $25 million in a month in January.

RHYMER: Yes.

FAULKNER: Small increments. So, he can continue to go back to those donors, kind of the Barack Obama model.

RHYMER: I was part of that.

FAULKNER: How is the money different? Because these are all huge sums. And if you can't do that and you can't bring your own, are you just out?

RHYMER: Well, I think like if we move towards public funding, then it would come through taxes. But I support Bernie Sanders' way of doing it and others because there are seven million people contributing to his campaign as opposed to a few donors or a couple hundred thousand who are giving the max. I think unbalancing the system. So.

FAULKNER: I'm going to reverse go back this way. I gave a little bit of your biography because I thought it was interesting. You support a man who everybody at this table, brown and black, were part of the statistics or at least touched, at least I should say, by the statistics. You grew up seeing what stop and frisk looked like.

FRANCO: Yes. I know it firsthand. The history of stop and frisk it was like he said when he apologized, it was something that was handed to him. And the --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: Handed yes, but he then changed the rules so he could be here for three terms.

FRANCO: No. That, yes. And at the time he justified that by saying it was the crash of the market, the 2008 crisis.

FAULKNER: Right.

FRANCO: And the stop -- back to stop and frisk, stop and frisk is something that I grew up in the New York of the '70s and the '80s, where I used to live there, I used to be a heroin spot across the street. So, if -- everything is relative. So this was -- this was Giuliani's baby, and Giuliani fell apart with the lease officer police officer that was head -- the commissioner of police. So, he came back, he apologized. And yes, there were --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: All right.

FRANCO: Go ahead.

FAULKNER: Let me just pick some numbers out there and then I want to broaden up the conversation. At the height of stop and frisk in 2011 under the Bloomberg organization, more than 685,000 people were stopped. Nearly nine out of 10 stop and frisks were found to be completely innocent. And almost that many in the 80s, upper 80s percent were people of color, either black or Latino.

It is interesting to hear that you still support him and that it's OK that he's apologized. It apparently is a problem for him though, because at the Democratic debate he wasn't ready for that question.

FRANCO: Of course.

FAULKNER: All right. I want to come over here.

BENNETT: Sure.

FAULKNER: First of all, Christina, I know you're supporting President Trump. On this issue of criminal justice reform where do you see the differences now under President Trump? Because the Democratic candidates are going to have to go against somebody who's already addressing it.

BENNETT: Absolutely. So, as I mentioned, I started supporting President Trump because of his pro-life policies, but now I also support him because of the work he's doing with criminal justice reform. The First Step Act, releasing people.

We saw in the Super Bowl Alice Johnson and how she was able to come out of --

FAULKNER: Yes.

BENNETT: -- prison. Just yesterday or the day before Angela Stanton was pardoned.

FAULKNER: Crystal Munoz.

BENNETT: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: Exclusively interviewed yesterday.

BENNETT: Yes.

FAULKNER: Yes.

BENNETT: I think she was put in jail for 20 years for something related to marijuana.

FAULKNER: That's exactly right.

BENNETT: That's just insane. And so.

FAULKNER: She gave birth in prison, they shackled her.

BENNETT: Yes.

FAULKNER: And as part of President Trump's First Step Act, they can no longer do that to women in prison.

BENNETT: Yes. And that's the same thing that happened to Angela as well. She was shackled in prison. And I'm so grateful that the president no longer allows for that. And 90 percent of those who have been released connected the First Step Act have been people of color, African-Americans. And so, I'm really proud of what he's doing with that.

FAULKNER: When you hear that, Maqweesha, what do you think about your candidate versus if he gets that far to face President Trump on this particular issue?

GUTHRIE: I mean, I feel like personally it really, for me doesn't make much of a difference because when you look at President Trump, yes, the First Step Act has change the lives of some Americans but we also have to remember that President Trump supported stop and frisk when it was implemented by Mayor Bloomberg. And he also --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: And has not denied that.

GUTHRIE: And has not denied that.

FAULKNER: Bloomberg is the only one who is trying to do the walk back.

GUTHRIE: Right. However --

(CROSSTALK)

FRANC: Or apologize.

GUTHRIE: For me, an apology isn't enough.

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: He says he regrets it.

GUTHRIE: Because as the commander in chief, I feel like as a black woman, I'm not looking for someone who will go with the status quo and then apologize later. I need a leader who is going to stand firm in their decisions and represent everyone who voted for them and those who didn't represent Americans. Not say, OK, well Congress wants this, so I'm going to go for it and if it doesn't work, I'll apologize when it's over.

FRANCO: So that's, that's how you see it or that's how it is?

GUTHRIE: That's the reality of what it is.

FRANCO: That's based on what you're saying?

GUTHRIE: But it's no different than when the exonerated five were arrested, and President Trump admitted that he took out a full-page ad saying they deserve the death penalty. And when they were exonerated, what was his response? Well, then I didn't know.

FRANCO: Right. No, no, I get that.

FAULKNER: Go ahead.

BENNETT: I also think it's important to add that President Trump did say that although he initially supported stop and frisk, he did not support it with these extreme numbers. And so, there is a difference --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: Once he started to fold in with the facts.

RHYMER: I want to --

FAULKNER: Bloomberg have the information --

(CROSSTALK)

FRANCO: To walk back, to walk back doesn't apply to Donald Trump.

BENNETT; Well, all I'm saying is that these numbers are extreme. And so it was a police tactic but under Bloomberg, it was just exploitive.

RHYMER: It was excessive and with somebody --

(CROSSTALK)

BENNETT: Excessive, yes.

FAULKNER: Would you say that this is kind of the key issue for black and brown voters as it comes to these candidates? I know you each had individually. But this is an important issue, Yusef.

RHYMER: I think criminal justice reform is a very important issue --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: Can Bloomberg go forward with what we know?

RHYMER: I don't think so. And I think from my own perspective, I was stopped --

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: You think he can't.

RHYMER: -- I was stopped and frisked four times when I was in college. I had a foot bug coming from school, I parked after going to a night class in (Inaudible) back the Bronx, I'm from the Bronx also.

FRANCO: Yes.

RHYMER: Just being, you know, kind of put against the wall and having to sit there for 15 minutes being humiliated. Actually, it's one of the main reasons that I moved to Kew Gardens, Queens after I graduated where it didn't happen so much. So, and that's the main reason why I can't see myself supporting Mike Bloomberg for the primary.

FAULKNER: Really quickly, who is your second choice behind Biden?

GUTHRIE: Elizabeth Warren.

FAULKNER: Who is your second choice?

BENNETT: I don't have a second choice --

FAULKNER: No?

BENNETT: -- because all the Democrats are so extreme on abortion. They are willing to support it all the way up to nine months and remove the Hyde Amendment which would equal taxpayer funded abortions. And so, I made a covenant with God that I can't vote for that kind of discrimination with people.

(CROSSTALK)

FAULKNER: So, you're with President Trump all the way?

BENNETT: Yes.

FAULKNER: Who's your second choice?

FRANCO: My second choice?

FAULKNER: Behind Bloomberg.

FRANCO: Any Democrat other than Trump.

RHYMER: My far second choice is Elizabeth Warren.

FAULKNER: Wow.

RHYMER: Especially after her debate performance the other day.

FAULKNER: I didn't hear Pete Buttigieg, I didn't hear Amy Klobuchar, a lot of names I didn't hear who were on that debate stage. Guys, thank you. Ladies, thank you for being here.

FRANCO: You're welcome.

FAULKNER: Great to meet you all.

RHYMER: Thank you.

FAULKNER: The Story continues next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAULKNER: This week marks 75 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, a grueling 36-day World War II fight in which nearly 75,000 U.S. marines died, including Martha's uncle, Harry Gray.

His story and the story of seven other young men who served with him are the inspiration behind her new book, "Unknown Valor." Now the subject of a documentary airing on Fox this Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: In the 34th replacement draft, is this, is this someone that you recognized?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That was my buddy. I think his name is Gray.

MACCALLUM: He was my uncle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was my buddy. My foxhole buddy. He'd always calling me pup.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FAULKNER: For a limited time, you can get a free copy of Martha's book by signing up for any Fox Nation yearly plan by February 27th. Fox Nation viewers can also watch a bonus edition of her special minutes to Hiroshima detailing the development construction and deployment of the weapon that would bring an end to the war in the Pacific.

That is The Story of Friday, February 21st, 2020. It's been an honor to be here and sit in for my friend Martha. As always, The Story continues. I'll see you again on Monday at noon Eastern with Outnumbered, and then at 1 p.m. Eastern for Outnumbered over time.

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