US, Taliban take step toward ending America's longest war
The United States and the Taliban agree to a temporary truce that could pave the way for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan; national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports from the Pentagon.
This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," February 14, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
EMILY COMPAGNO, FOX NEWS HOST: No, in the sink -- he was in the sink (INAUDIBLE) the dishes.
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS HOST: In the sink!
COMPAGNO: Yes, yes, yes. That is in with -- that's --
DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS HOST: That's not a hot tub in Wendy's, Juan. All right, oh my God. That's it for us.
GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS HOST: Absolutely.
PERINO: Have a great weekend, everybody. We're going to regroup and we'll see you back here on Monday.
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Good evening, welcome to Washington. I'm Bret Baier. "BREAKING TONIGHT", we are following two major stories. President Trump is, for now, keeping his own counsel after a big decision by federal prosecutors to drop an investigation into former FBI director -- Acting director Andrew McCabe over allegations he lied to federal officials about his involvement in a leaked to the media, and the start of an investigation into the guilty plea of the president's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Plus, there is word of an agreement that could be a large step toward ending America's longest war. A deal has been struck between the U.S. and the Taliban that might precede the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
National Security correspondent Jennifer Griffin starts us off tonight live from the Pentagon. Good evening, Jennifer.
JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bret. It's not clear when next week the clock begins on the seven-day reduction of violence, a prerequisite for a signing ceremony that many hope will be the beginning of the end of the Afghan War.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlemen, are you optimistic about the (INAUDIBLE)?
GRIFFIN: The announcement came on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference where Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, agreeing to the terms of the peace plan hammered out with the Taliban by President Trump Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
No suicide bombings, rocket attacks or roadside bombs for seven days. Then, if all goes well, a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar on February 29th, which would trigger peace talks among Afghan parties starting March 10th In Norway or Germany,
Fox News has learned the Afghan government is willing to discuss the release of three to 5,000 Taliban prisoners. It's not clear whether the Taliban would accept a small presence of U.S. forces attached to the U.S. Embassy that could be used to jointly target ISIS.
Most believe some U.S. troops will need to stay in Afghanistan. But the agreement is a step toward allowing President Trump to make good on a campaign promise to bring U.S. troops home.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Time to bring them home.
GRIFFIN: Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, a former Ranger who served in Afghanistan reacted to the announcement.
RYAN MCCARTHY, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: This is a first step in the -- in the process to reach a political solution. So, it's going to take several weeks for this to unfold. But it's very encouraging that we're heading down the path to a political solution.
GRIFFIN: Even the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network, a violent faction of the Taliban that has killed more American troops than any other says it supports a deal. A.P. reporter Kathy Gannon, based in Pakistan, has covered the Afghan war since the 1980s.
KATHY GANNON, JOURNALIST, "ASSOCIATED PRESS": The Taliban are united. I think that's one thing that most people maybe don't understand. Once they've signed on to this, I think they do have a degree of ability to enforce it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: It's no worthy that President Trump has not tweeted about the deal, a sign of how fragile it is, and how a single suicide bomber could blow it up. Bret.
BAIER: Jennifer Griffin, live at the Pentagon. Jennifer, thank you.
President Trump did not mention the McCabe decision publicly during a couple of opportunities with the press today. But the silence comes as the drama unfolds over his reaction to another Justice Department move regarding the sentence recommendation for Roger Stone earlier this week.
Chief White House correspondent John Roberts has that part of the story tonight live from the North Lawn. Good evening, John.
JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Bret, good evening to you. President Trump is at known for keeping his thoughts to himself particularly on something that he has been so vocal about in the past. So, by that measure, today was pretty unusual.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: On his way to Mar-a-Lago this afternoon, President Trump holding fire on the DOJ decision to not pursue criminal charges against Andrew McCabe, despite McCabe insisting he was the target of a political vendetta by the president.
ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: The pursuit of political enemies and the use of the criminal justice system and criminal investigations to exact some sort of revenge on those political enemies is not something that should be happening in the United States of America.
ROBERTS: President Trump has made no secret of his desire to see McCabe ad other players in the Russia investigation put in jail. But the president uncharacteristically restrained today, after his attorney general implored him to stop tweeting or otherwise commenting on cases before the DOJ.
WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: To have public statements and tweets made about the department, make it impossible for me to do my job.
ROBERTS: Sources tell Fox News, Barr had complained privately for weeks to President Trump about his tweets and criticism. But after the president tweeted his outrage at the recommended sentence for Roger Stone early Tuesday morning, it became clear Barr felt he had to do it publicly.
The White House, says the president was not bothered by Barr's admonition. Pointing out, the attorney general also said he has never been told by the president to do anything about any criminal case.
But the president also left no question today as to who the boss is. Tweeting this morning. "‘The President has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case', A.G. Barr. This doesn't mean that I do not have, as president the legal right to do so. I do, but I have so far chosen not to."
Democrats are keeping up the pressure on the attorney general to step down. A group of Democratic senators sending Barr a letter today, urging him to resign for breaching trust with the American people.
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, writing, "Bill Barr has repeatedly betrayed that trust by politicizing the Department of Justice in service of Donald Trump. It is long past time for his resignation.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal also signed on to the letter.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): What the attorney general's really saying is, I know what President Trump wants. I'm going to do exactly what Trump wants. I just wish he wouldn't tweet about it because it is so embarrassing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: The attorney general is also taking heat from Democrats for appointing an outside prosecutor to review the Michael Flynn case. Attorney General Barr has tapped a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's Office in St. Louis Jeff Jensen, to look into how the DOJ and the FBI handled the Flynn case.
And just in late this afternoon, Roger Stone's attorneys have filed a motion for a new trial. They say that there is bias on the part of the jury foreperson, in the last trial that convicted Roger Stone.
Tomeka Hart ran as a candidate for Congress on the Democratic ticket back in 2012. The parties have been told to have motions before the court on Tuesday. Bret.
BAIER: We'll follow it. John, thank you.
"BREAKING TONIGHT" as well, he insisted that President Trump would never serve out his term. Then, he openly considered four to eight years in the White House himself. But tonight, celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti is looking at up to 42 years in the big house.
Avenatti became a household name by bashing President Trump. He was convicted today of trying to extort sportswear giant Nike. Correspondent David Lee Miller has details from New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID LEE MILLER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The jury deliberated for almost three days, before convicting high profile lawyer Michael Avenatti on three criminal charges, including extortion and wire fraud.
Avenatti, who did not testify said he was unfairly targeted because of his representation of adult entertainer Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Trump. Prior to his recent legal problems, Avenatti considered a run for the White House, becoming a regular on the T.V. talk circuit, appearing over 250 times on cable and broadcast networks.
ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: To me, you're like the Holy Spirit. You are all places at all times.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN ANCHOR: Looking at the 2021, one reason why I'm taking you seriously as a contender is because of your presence on cable news. I wrote about this saying you're currently leading the pack among 2020 contenders on the Democratic side.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: Look, I can think you're doing a hell of a job. I don't think you're in this for money.
MILLER: Prosecutors told the jury, Avenatti demanded that athletic shoe company, Nike, pay him as much as $25 million to conduct an internal investigation of the company, or he would hold a damaging news conference, alleging Nike made improper payouts to high school athletes.
On the eve of Nike's quarterly financial report, Nike called in the feds, who secretly recorded Avenatti, making his demand.
MICHAEL AVENATTI, FORMER LAWYER OF STORMY DANIELS: A few million dollars doesn't move the needle for me. If that's what is being contemplated -- And I'll proceed with my press conference tomorrow, and I'll go take $10 billion off your client's market cap. But I'm not -- around.
MILLER: Avenatti's lawyer tried to portray him as an aggressive attorney, who was representing a client upset with Nike's cancellation of sponsorship of a youth basketball program.
HOWARD SREBNICK, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL AVENATTI: We're very disappointed, as you can imagine. Thankfully, we have appellate rights that we're going to exercise. So, you should expect an appeal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MILLER: Avenatti, who predicted back in 2018 that President Trump would be indicted, still has other legal problems. He faces two more criminal federal trials and a slew of charges, including embezzlement and tax fraud.
Prosecutor, say Avenatti is more than $15 million in debt. Bret.
BAIER: David Lee Miller, live in New York. David Lee, thanks.
The final act in the rape trial of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein begins next week with jury deliberations. Prosecutors wrapped up their closing argument today. Correspondent Alex Hogan has an update from New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX HOGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Harvey Weinstein leaving court one more time before a jury deliberates his fate.
GLORIA ALLRED, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: I'm very proud of this prosecution. No matter what the result is, in this case.
HOGAN: As the disgraced movie mogul sexual assault case nears the end, the prosecution got the final word calling the former producer the master of his universe and witnesses merely ants he could step on.
Assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi, breaking down the weeks' long trial into three themes: power, manipulation, and abuse.
Since the beginning of this milestone in the MeToo movement, 28 witnesses took the stand for the prosecution including six accusers, two of them the focus of this case. Mimi Haley, a production assistant, says the powerful producer sexually assaulted her in 2006. Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress accuses him of rape back in 2013.
In court, Illuzzi argued, they sacrifice their dignity, privacy and peace for the prospect to their voice would be enough for justice. The defense countered, the relationships were consensual, even providing evidence that some of the accusers kept in touch with Weinstein after the alleged abuse.
DONNA ROTUNNO, ATTORNEY FOR HARVEY WEINSTEIN: You have to look at each individual situation for what it is and evaluate that evidence. I don't think the totality of the circumstances matters.
HOGAN: Defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, told the jurors they don't have to like Weinstein, but that doesn't make him guilty. In final arguments, Royunno said the prosecution humiliated Weinstein, showing the jury naked pictures of him in court.
Those images came up after one accuser testified about deformities on Weinstein's body.
The 67-year-old never took the stand but spoke outside court praising his team's closing arguments.
HARVEY WEINSTEIN, FORMER FILM PRODUCER: I made the case (INAUDIBLE).
HOGAN: Weinstein faces five criminal counts, including rape and predatory assault. If convicted, he could spend life in prison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOGAN: The seven men and five women will begin to liberation on Tuesday. Regardless of what the jury finds, Weinstein will face more counts in a case in California. Bret?
BAIER: Alex, thank you.
A senior Chinese health official says 1,700 medical workers are now infected with the coronavirus. This comes as the infection rate near 64,000. In China, the death count approaches 1,400 -- public numbers.
In the capital, Beijing, authorities are imposing a 14-day self-quarantine on people returning to the city. Correspondent Benjamin Hall has the latest tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BENJAMIN HALL, FOX NEWS FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Streets of Wuhan lie empty as the coronavirus continues to spread. In the last 48 hours alone, 20,000 new cases taking the worldwide total to 65,000 and over 1,300 dead.
China, says this dramatic leap is because of a new way of diagnosing the virus. But others doubt this.
LARRY KUDLOW, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL ECONOMIC DIRECTOR: We thought there was better transparency coming out of China, but it doesn't appear to be. I know they revised their numbers up a bit. They say it's a different method of counting. We just don't know it's the great unknown.
HALL: The outbreak has become a serious political challenge for Premier Xi Jinping, who has been making rare public appearances. At least, two high- level officials have been fired, but many are still angry at the government.
Earlier today, the World Health Organization finally announced, a team will be going to China. U.S. experts believe to be among them.
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: I'm glad to say that the WHO-led joint mission with China on COVID-19 is moving forward. We expect the full team to touch down over the weekend.
HALL: In the U.S., hundreds of Americans evacuated from China also remain under federal quarantine. Most saying they understand the need for containment.
DAISY ROTH, UNDER QUARANTINE: We're trying to do the best that we can stay here. Make sure we're OK, not carrying any virus out.
HALL: So far, 15 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. and health officials from the CDC say they are preparing for the virus to take a foothold in the country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HALL: It's important to put this into perspective. The CDC estimates that 26 million Americans got sick with the flu this past fall in winter. There were 250,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths. Bret.
BAIER: Important context. Benjamin, thank you.
Stocks were mixed today. The Dow lost 25. The S&P 500 was up six. The NASDAQ gained 19. Both had record closes. For the week, the Dow gained one percentage point. The S&P 500 was up more than 1-1/2. The NASDAQ gained 2- 1/5.
Up next, is added security for -- from technology worth the possible invasion of your privacy? We'll take a look. First, what some are other Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight.
Fox 32 in Chicago as United Airlines says it is removing the grounded Boeing 737 MAX from its schedule until early September. That will force the cancellation of thousands more flights. United Southwest and American are bracing for a second straight summer without their MAX planes. The jets have been grounded since last March after two crashes killed 346 people.
WSVN in Miami with the second anniversary of the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that killed 17 people. Authorities say a gun law enacted after the shootings that allows judges to bar anyone deemed dangerous from possessing firearms, has been used 3,500 times already
And this is a live look at Sacramento from our affiliate Fox 14. The big story there tonight. California voters will be able to change their party affiliation at polling stations on Election Day, under a new law approved in time for the March 3rd Super Tuesday Democratic primary.
It will allow the states' 5-1/2 million independent voters to register with a party by signing off on only one form on Election Day. That's tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from SPECIAL REPORT. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: The maker of cutting edge facial recognition software used by law enforcement is facing a new lawsuit tonight. Clearview A.I. is accused of willful reckless or negligent violations of biometric laws in Illinois. Plaintiffs are seeking class-action status.
Tonight, we look at how the new software works and whether the security benefits it provides are worth the possible invasion of your privacy. Here is correspondent Bryan Llenas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOAN TON-THAT, FOUNDER, CLEARVIEW A.I.: Clearview A.I. is simply a search engine for faces.
BRYAN LLENAS, FOX NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hoan Ton-That is the founder of Clearview A.I., a new facial recognition app which claims it can identify anyone with just a single image. It's designed just for law enforcement.
The Chicago Police Department has signed up for a two-year trial. In fact, Ton-That claims some 600 law enforcement agencies nationwide are already using it in thousands of cases, identifying shoplifters, murderers, and pedophiles.
TON-THAT: There have been cases where we've helped to identify children who have been the victim of child sex trafficking.
LLENAS: Ton-That, claims his app is 99.6 percent accurate. We put it to the test. First, we uploaded an image of me and instantly 103 of my photos appeared with links from all over the Internet.
Wow. So, this is an A.P. photo.
Then, I covered half of my face, and it still worked.
24 matches with my hand over my face.
Clearview A.I. claims it has a database of more than 3 billion Internet photos taken from various web sites like Google and the world's largest social media companies like Facebook. Companies which have sent cease and desist letters to shut down the app, claiming scraping people's information violated their terms of service.
A charged Ton-That says is hypocritical.
TON-THAT: We're not taking any personal data. This is things that are out there on the Internet. Google has a lot of personal and private info as well. They trapped where you go around the web.
LLENAS: In a letter, Senator Ed Markey, expressed his fears, this technology could be made available to the public. Writing, "Clearview's product appears to pose particularly chilling privacy risks.
BRENDA LEONG, SENIOR COUNSEL, FUTURE OF PRIVACY FORUM: There could be concerns about stalkers or of people who are victims of domestic violence, or people who just want a certain amount of privacy.
LLENAS: Ton-That, says he has no plans to make this app available to the public, and he welcomes regulation.
TON-THAT: Think that for law enforcement, it's a great use case. But for everybody on the street to use it, what's the point?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LLENAS: Well, the point is, despite Ton-That's intentions, critics point out that the app is already available to some banks, and Investors of Clearview A.I. are reportedly interested in making it available to everyone. Bret?
BAIER: Brian, thank you. Fascinating story. What do you think about it? What do you think about this app? What do you think about this whole deal in privacy? Let me know @BretBaier on Twitter and Facebook. Drop me a line.
Up next, a new poll in Nevada gives Bernie Sanders even more reason to be cheerful and the new endorsement tonight just confirmed. First, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS". Hundreds of Iraqi women took to the streets of Central Baghdad and Southern Iraq Thursday in defiance of a radical clerics calls for gender segregation at anti-government protests sites.
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, issued an 18-point code of conduct Sunday, in which he cautioned against the mixing of men and women at sit-in areas.
A Syrian military official says government helicopter was shot down and its crew killed Friday. It happened in Syria's northwest where military offensive against opposition fighters is unfolding.
Turkey-backed opposition fighters claimed responsibility for downing that gunship. It's the second time this week a government helicopter has been shot down in that area.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, plans to throw his support behind international reforms that would require Silicon Valley tech giants to pay more tax in Europe. The billionaire social network founder is due to meet members of the European Union's executive Commission in Brussels and speak at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Just some of the other stories "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Breaking tonight in "DEMOCRACY 2020", New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is endorsing Bernie Sanders for president. De Blasio ran his own ill-fated campaign for the Democratic nomination bowed out early due to lack of support. De Blasio calls Sanders, a true progressive leader, who will fight for working New Yorkers and families across the country.
Meantime, Sanders and other Democratic presidential hopefuls are focusing on Nevada tonight ahead of next Saturday's caucuses there. Chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt is in Las Vegas this evening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN HUNT, FOX NEWS CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Senator Bernie Sanders holds a solid lead ahead of the Nevada caucus according to a new poll published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and conducted by Republican-leaning WPA Intelligence.
Sanders goes 25 percent among likely caucus-goers, a seven-point lead over Joe Biden, with Elizabeth Warren running third.
But it is Mike Bloomberg, not even on the Nevada ballot who's getting a lot of attention from his fellow Democrats, worried about Bloomberg national surge and seemingly unlimited funds.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Michael Bloomberg came in on the -- on the billionaire plan, just by yourself a nomination.
HUNT: Bloomberg has been forced this week to apologize for prior comments on the racially sensitive policy of stop and frisk and mortgage lending discrimination. But he has largely ignored criticism from fellow Democrats and kept his fire aimed squarely at President Trump.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: President Trump is an existential threat to our country and our values. He is a disgrace to the Oval Office.
HUNT: The candidates who are on the ballot in Nevada, meantime, are doing their level best to cope the potentially decisive union vote. Senator Amy Klobuchar touring a union health center today.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I literally am running for president because of unions, because people stood up for my family.
HUNT: The powerful Culinary Union has decided against endorsing any particular candidate, a move that could be seen as a blow to Joe Biden. Generally considered the most likely to have been the beneficiary of an endorsement had it come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNT: Bernie Sanders has clashed with unions here over his Medicare-for-all proposal. But some Democrats, even some of his allies, such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, believe union members shouldn't worry too much because there is very little likelihood of single-payer legislation ever being passed by Congress. Bret.
BAIER: Jonathan Hunt, live in Las Vegas. Jonathan, thank you.
The prospect of having Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders at the top of the ticket in November has some moderate Democrats up on Capitol Hill uncomfortable tonight. Chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel tells us why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's on to Nevada, it's on to South Carolina, it's on to win the Democratic nomination.
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that prospect is making a lot of swing district House Democrats anxious. South Carolina's Joe Cunningham is very blunt about it, quote, "South Carolinians don't want socialism." New York's Anthony Brindisi told the "Syracuse Post- Standard" it would be exceedingly difficult for Sanders or Elizabeth Warren to win. And California's Scott Peters says Sanders as a nominee would be an electoral disaster that could put the Democrats' majority in jeopardy. Others suggest it's too soon to sound the alarm.
REP. JAHANA HAYES (D-CT): As we go through more states and really have a much broader swath of the American people, I think that's when we can start to have that conversation.
EMANUEL: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the media.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I hear you all say we're all in a panic, the establishment Democrats. I'm like, is there some establishment that I don't know about around here? Who are we talking about here?
EMANUEL: House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy is taunting the Democrats by suggesting members of the so-called Squad would join a Sanders administration.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Bernie Sanders, think about what would be his cabinet? AOC, Tlaib, Omar? They are those who are backing him. Those are ones who gave Bernie Sanders a rise in the polls.
EMANUEL: Senate Democrats have also been hoping to win back the majority on election day, but Senator and former presidential candidate Michael Bennet says Sanders is a tough sell in battleground states.
SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it can be challenging in parts of the country that we have to win in order to win the presidency and win a majority in the Senate. I think that we should be running on an agenda that can get us 55 votes in the Senate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
EMANUEL: Moderate Democrats will also be asked to defend the House voting to impeach President Trump, and legislation like the Green New Deal. Adding Sanders' progressive proposals into the mix may not play well in those swing districts. Bret?
BAIER: Mike Emanuel live on the Hill. Mike, thanks.
A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt of Microsoft's work on a $10 billion military cloud contract. That's because Amazon is suing, saying it lost the contract bidding competition because President Trump is biased against the company. Microsoft contends it won the contract fairly.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says border security is national security. He's pushing back on criticism over the diverting of billions of dollars from the Pentagon budget to fund the president's border wall. Esper has approved shifting $3.8 billion that Congress had previously authorized for F-35 fighter aircraft and other military programs to the wall effort.
A peace deal with the Taliban appears to be happening, plus, the president reacting to Andrew McCabe case being dropped is not happening. We will talk about all of that with the panel when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlemen, are you optimistic about a peace deal?
RYAN MCCARTHY, ARMY SECRETARY: This is a first step in the process to reach a political solution, so it's going to take several weeks for this to unfold. But it's very encouraging that we're heading down the path to a political solution.
TRUMP: I think we're very close. I think there's a good chance that we'll have a deal. That doesn't mean we have one, but we'll know over the next two weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: May have a deal, the U.S. and the Taliban for a ceasing of violence, at least for a short period of time. They're calling that a start. In Afghanistan 12,000 U.S. troops currently. There have been since 2001 more than 2,300 killed there, more than 20,000 wounded in the two operations. The total Afghanistan war-related economic costs estimated at $892 billion. And there's not a ton of control under Afghan government control even after all this time, America's longest war.
We will start there, day of news. Let's bring in our panel, Charles Hurt, opinion editor for "The Washington Times," former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr., and Steve Hayes, editor of "The Dispatch." Steve, you've been skeptical of a deal with the Taliban. We've seen multiple attacks just in the weeks as this was being negotiated. What about this prospect?
STEVE HAYES, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "THE WEEKLY STANDARD": I remain skeptical of a deal with the Taliban. I think the emergence of some kind of deal shouldn't be a surprise to anybody because I think both President Trump and the Taliban want U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. So if you start with that as a view point that they have in common, you can see that they will do a lot to get there.
The problem is what they will have to do to get there. It's inconceivable to me that the Taliban will allow significant numbers of U.S. troops to remain in the country, which is part of the reporting that we have seen about this deal, this emerging deal. We have insisted that the Taliban formally and publicly renounce Al Qaeda. They have never done that. We've asked them to do this repeatedly. They've never done that. And it's problematic for them because they are comingled with Al Qaeda at the leadership level, so it would be hard for them to renounce some of their own leadership.
The Taliban has also said that the current Afghan government is not a legitimate government and would never be a legitimate government, so it's hard to imagine how they could get together and find a path to peace. I think we are likely to see a lot of touting of a deal, a lot of discussion of a deal, but as a practical matter, I didn't think we'll see a successful one.
BAIER: Politically, Harold, you've got Democrats and Republicans pushing to the same point, for the most part, which is after a long period of time, getting troops home however we can.
HAROLD FORD JR. (D), FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: I won't quarrel at all with the narrative you laid out about the challenges there, but politically, this is a homerun for the president. He is not going to find a lot of opposition from Democrats on this presidential trail, offering a narrative that would be a contrast for him. He promised this. This is what he wanted to do, and he's going about doing it.
And finally, I was a believer. I served in Congress when this war started. And it's been a long time. So I think there's an appetite in the country, even if there is something we are not comfortable doing four years ago, I think you may find this Congress led by this Democratic leadership open to some sort of agreement.
I remember when Bill Frist offered this idea I was still in Congress, and I said why would we even consider negotiating with the Taliban? Because you have to. And they are a strong unit. They are a unit that's going to be there five years from now, two years from now, maybe 50. So if we can figure out a way to get some deal that will allow a small present that they can stomach, I think the president wins here, and again, I think Democrats will support him.
BAIER: There's not a lot of opposition on the campaign trail on this issue.
STEVE HILTON, HOST, "THE NEXT REVOLUTION": And I agree with the skepticism. And even if it is successful, it's going to be pretty ugly along the way. That said, if President Trump manages to get some sort of agreement and brings troops home, it probably might be the biggest success of his administration. And he's not only keeping his promise, he's keeping President Obama's promise that he wasn't ever able to.
BAIER: Meantime, other news today, Andrew McCabe and the decision by the DOJ. Take a listen to Andrew McCabe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCABE: Were I removed quickly or reassigned or fired that the case could not be closed, or vanish in the night without a trace. I wanted to make sure that our case was on solid ground, and if somebody came in behind me and closed it and tried to walk away from it, they would not be able to do that without creating a record of why they'd made that decision.
It is an absolute disgrace that they took two years and put my family through this experience for two years before they finally drew the obvious conclusion, and one they could've drawn a long, long time ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: This is obviously the DOJ's decision not to go forward, pursue criminal charges against Andrew McCabe, despite McCabe insisting he was the target of this political vendetta of the president. There's a lot of things to say here, Charlie. One of them is Carter Page and what happened to him. McCabe was not saying the same thing about all of that and the FISA abuse. But the president has not weighed in on this decision as of yet. He may still.
HURT: He might. He really might. That's definitely significant, I think. If Michael Flynn and Roger Stone did not want to get charged with lying to the FBI, apparently a good way to do that would be to be a member of the FBI.
That said, and I think it's kind of amusing to listen to any McCabe talk about political persecution when you step back and you look at the larger picture. I would argue that the entire investigation into the Trump administration and Russian collusion was a political investigation, and at the very least, even in the case of Paul Manafort, but certainly in the case of Roger Stone, and Michael Flynn, those are by definition political persecutions because the only reason any of them were prosecuted is because they got involved with a guy who wound up becoming president.
BAIER: So this move happens, plus the attorney general and the DOJ announced a reinvestigation into Michael Flynn and the guilty plea that he makes, the former national security adviser. So a lot of stuff is happening this week at the DOJ, and the attorney general speaking out about the president's tweets.
FORD: I'm going to make a declaration about Mr. Barr a little later in the show. I think if there are those who are worried about fairness of this institution and this department under this president, they can have a little relief this week. You've got McCabe, you've got Flynn, you've got the attorney general coming out and saying, hey, ease up on the tweet so I can do my job. I think it raises the level of confident in the Justice Department, particularly for Democrats who had been worried that perhaps Mr. Barr was the personal attorney for the president. I think he has shown this week he has never believed that, but he has certainly demonstrated this week or at least given Democrats some points of data that suggests that that is not true.
HURT: I wish you were back in Congress.
BAIER: There's a number of people --
FORD: I had a chance, and I --
BAIER: Swalwell is saying impeach Barr. There's a bunch of others up there saying different things.
FORD: I didn't understand. I didn't understand that from some of the senators. I thought that was a lot of line. And he won't resign, obviously. So we don't have to worry about that.
BAIER: Your thoughts on the week encapsulated?
HAYES: I guess I have an old-fashioned view of lying to federal investigators. If you do it, you should be in big trouble. Listening to Andy McCabe defend himself there, he omits the fact that Michael Horowitz found that he misled investigators. He pretends that he's just been persecuted because he ran the FBI. He did. What he was accused of doing, they will say he misremembered, it wasn't deliberate. And the reason I think he ended up not being prosecuted is because there were problems with some witnesses. If you look into the case a little bit more, there were problems there, but he is somebody who is not, I think, innocent of misleading federal investigators.
BAIER: As we head to break, Palm Beach International Airport, Air Force One has touched down, the president down in Florida for the weekend. Valentine's Day at Mar-a-Lago tonight. He'll be down there all weekend long.
Next, up the Friday lightning round, moderate Democrats not feeling the Bern so much, winners and losers, and, oh, yes, Candidate Casino.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KLOBUCHAR: I was the only one on that stage that raised my hand and say that I didn't think we should have a socialist leading the Democratic ticket. I don't not think that is where our party is.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER COONS (D-DE): Someone who has met with and spoken to most of the incumbents who face tough races and the challengers who we need to win to take back the Senate, they are concerned about who is at the top of the ticket.
PELOSI: We are calm, cool, and collected. This is not -- just because some people may be speaking out about not liking one candidate or another, that's the democratic way. That's politics. It's a messy business.
SANDERS: I think all of you know that we are getting the establishment just a little bit nervous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: We can confirm that. Up on Capitol Hill, that's the case. In delegate count, Bernie Sanders is trailing by one. However, popular vote if you look at the two contests so far, he's winning that contest. As you look forward now, the RCP average has Bernie Sanders on top nationally, also leading in Nevada, and Biden dropping in South Carolina, Sanders rising in South Carolina. We're back with the panel. We'll start there. Harold your thoughts on where we stand as of tonight?
FORD: You look at the national poll you showed, the moderates are beating the Warren and Sanders piece there.
BAIER: There's a lot of them.
FORD: There are a lot of them, and if you consolidate, and there is the belief that Mike Bloomberg may emerge as that person that can do that because of the money, the experience, and when he gets in the race. Sanders has to be careful as we get going. You saw de Blasio endorsed him. AOC is with him. Now they're starting to moderate his message, modify it. They're saying maybe Medicare for won't be the health care plan. Could be smart --
BAIER: In part because the culinary union says we want to keep our plan.
FORD: They're not alone. There are a number of people across the country, including many, many Democrats, who are worried that the Medicare for all poses challenges not only for their coverage but for their pocketbooks.
So the next week or two we'll get a good sense here. And I think Bloomberg still has, everything he need to have happened has happened. The question is can he execute on all the things that need to be executed on. And one thing he has going in his favor, he will certainly have the resources to do that.
BAIER: He also has everyone versus Mike Bloomberg. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: I understand that some of our opponents are billionaires and they are buying the airwaves.
WARREN: Michael Bloomberg came in on the billionaire plan, just buy yourself a nomination.
KLOBUCHAR: I think he should be on the debate stage, because I can't beat him on the airways, but I can beat him on the debate stage.
BLOOMBERG: You've all heard the slogan Mike will get it done, and if you haven't, I've been spending an lot of money to get it out.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: So how does that play, Charlie?
HURT: How disingenuous is it to run on a campaign platform that you're also running on, saying that it's never going to happen, like Medicare for all. It seems dishonest from the get-go.
We have an interesting thing going on right now. Bernie Sanders is emerging as the clear frontrunner in part because all, as Harold was pointing out, all of the so-called moderates who are not really moderate, there's just not, nobody is getting -- everybody coalescing around one yet. So this is going to give Bernie a big running path for at least a couple more weeks. The problem with that at the same time is there is also clear evidence that Bernie Sanders is losing enthusiastic from four years ago, and that is I think an even bigger problem.
BAIER: Number of people, yes. So let's take a run down to Candidate Casino. You've got $100 in chips, you've got to bet. Let's make it quick so we can get Winners and Losers.
HAYES: I'll go fast. I've got Buttigieg at $35, Sanders at $25, Bloomberg at $25, and Klobuchar at $15. I think there is no clear frontrunner. This is a pretty muddled field.
BAIER: Harold?
FORD: I've got Bloomberg with the most chips at $35. I've got Sanders at $35, and Biden at $30. Bloomberg, Sanders, it coalescing to be between the two of them. The question becomes I think South Carolina where black voters weigh in, who will they stick with. That's why Biden is at $30.
BAIER: Not really out on a limb there.
FORD: But the black voters are the key here.
BAIER: No, no, with the bets.
FORD: With the bets, right, right, right.
HURT: Then there is me. Bernie or bust, $75 on Bernie, $25 on brokered convention.
BAIER: There's a bet. There's a betting man right there.
Winners and Losers, you first.
HAYES: So stick with Democrats, my winner was Amy Klobuchar who four months ago was at one percent in the Real Clear Politics average and is now climbing as he has portrayed herself as a real moderate, says she would not run a socialist on the ticket, says she would accept pro-lifers into the Democratic Party, and I think it's working for her.
My loser is Elizabeth Warren. Former registered Republican, then a crusading leftist, now running as a unity candidate. She seems confused.
BAIER: Winner and loser?
FORD: Barr restored a sense and reclaimed a sense of equity.
BAIER: Winner is Barr.
FORD: He's my winner and he's give some hope and confidence to layers and Democrats and rule of law.
My losers are the 2020 baseball season. I think there are a lot of worries, a lot of concerns. I don't think the Astros did themselves and they certainly didn't do fans any favor with the way they described what happened three years ago.
BAIER: Totally agree. Winner and loser?
HAYES: Winner, Donald Trump. Bernie Sanders, you've got Democrats not only worried about the White House but their majority in the House. Loser Michael Avenatti. The reels showing all of the praise heaped on this guy just a year ago is amazing.
BAIER: Winner, the panel for making it around. Thank you very much. Have a good weekend. I'm not going to wish you a happy Valentine's Day. Come on.
(LAUGHTER)
BAIER: When we get back, "Notable Quotables."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: It is Friday. You know what that means -- "Notable Quotables."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Projected, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will win the New Hampshire Democratic primary.
SANDERS: Thank you, New Hampshire.
PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Vote blue no matter who.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: I've seen what socialism is like. I don't like it. It's not only not free, it doesn't freaking work.
KLOBUCHAR: I'm Amy Klobuchar, and I will beat Donald Trump.
(APPLAUSE)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You are a lying dog-faced pony soldier.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is going to be my Mike Pence?
WARREN: I already have a dog.
(LAUGHTER)
WARREN: You've got to watch these feisty women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, Bret.
BAIER: Greg, will you be my valentine?
TRUMP: The virus. They are working hard. Looks like by April -- you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer it miraculously goes away. I hope that's true.
RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: How do you think all those oligarchs become oligarchs? They take up foreign aid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you considering a pardon for Roger Stone.
TRUMP: I don't want to say that yet.
BARR: I'm not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody, whether it's Congress, a newspaper, editorial boards, or the president.
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.
TRUMP: Man, look at all that television back there. That's bigger than those terrible Academy Awards, I've got to tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will drink until next morning. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
BAIER: That's one week.
Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this SPECIAL REPORT, fair, balanced, and still unafraid.
Content and Programming Copyright 2020 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2020 ASC Services II Media, LLC. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox