Select Special Report with Bret Baier 8/23/24 Full End Show | Fox Breaking News August 23 2024 Special Report with Bret Baier 8/24/24 Full End Show | Fox Breaking News August 24 2024
Transcript
00:00Hey, I'm Brad bear reporting live from Fox News World headquarters in New York. We begin tonight
00:04with the presidential campaign former president Donald Trump beginning his day at Arlington
00:10National Cemetery honoring the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives three years ago
00:16today in that Kabul airport attack during President Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan.
00:22The former president then traveled to battleground Michigan highlighting what he says are the Biden
00:27Harris foreign policy failures and we have new details tonight over the debate over debates
00:33presidential debates. Correspondent Aisha Hasni joins us now from Detroit with the latest. Good
00:38evening Aisha. A very busy Monday good evening to you Brett that's right on the campaign trail
00:45the former president picking up yet another head-turning endorsement today here in Detroit
00:51Michigan while also turning heads of his own by these comments about the upcoming presidential
00:57debate. We agreed to the same rules I don't know it doesn't matter to me I'd rather have it probably
01:02on. Former president Trump seeming open to leaving the microphones on during the first presidential
01:08debate with Vice President Kamala Harris next month appearing to undercut his campaign stands
01:14to stick to the rules they previously agreed to with the Biden campaign keeping them muted when
01:20the other candidate was speaking a last-minute request by the Harris campaign. One campaign
01:25senior advisor saying our understanding is that Trump's handlers prefer the muted microphone
01:31because they don't think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own. I think
01:36they'll do anything they can to try to get out of a debate with President Trump. A day ago Trump
01:40questioned whether he should show up at all as he criticized host network ABC for what he called a
01:46biased interview with Republican Senator Tom Cotton. The former president is ramping up campaign
01:52stops in swing states showing up in person to the National Guard Association conference in Detroit
01:57this afternoon while President Biden sent in pre-recorded remarks. Trump paid tribute to the
02:03guardsman who tried to save fallen firefighter Corey Comptor who was killed during the assassination
02:09attempt against the former president. The Pennsylvania guardsman did not shy away he did
02:15not run for cover he ran toward the gunshots took off his tie to use as a tourniquet and cradle
02:23Corey's head in his hands. He also raked in a new endorsement from Democrat turned independent Tulsi
02:28Gabbard. I'm committed to doing all that I can to send President Trump back to the White House.
02:35Earlier in the day he took part in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery
02:40to mark the three-year anniversary of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate.
02:45These are people that should have never been killed.
02:51And Brett the battle for the battleground states is heating up both Trump and his running mate
02:56J.D. Vance will be spending a lot more time here in Michigan later on in the week. In the meantime
03:01Vice President Kamala Harris has not had a single campaign event since the DNC
03:07wrapped up last week but she will do a bus tour in battleground Georgia later on in the week.
03:13Brett. Aisha Hosni live in Detroit. Aisha thanks. The Harris campaign is promising this week the
03:19vice president will sit down for her first interview since becoming the democratic nominee
03:25that comes as criticism grows louder over a lack of access and clear policy positions or at least
03:31articulating how she has changed from where she was when she first ran for president
03:36in 2019. Senior White House correspondent Jackie Heinrich has the latest details tonight live from
03:41the North Lawn. Good evening Jackie. Good evening Brett. In the last 24 hours congressional democrats
03:46have both claimed there's nothing vague about the vice president's policy positions and also
03:51expressed hope that she will detail what they are. She's got just five days left to hammer it all out
03:57ahead of her promised interview by the month's end and also that face-off with Trump slated for
04:02less than two weeks later. Donald Trump will be on that debate stage and he'll interject he'll rant
04:08he'll rave. The Harris campaign is aiming to tee up a repeat of this 2020 highlight. Mr. Vice President
04:13I'm speaking. I'm speaking. Mr. Vice President I'm speaking. I'm speaking. If you don't mind
04:20letting me finish we can then have a conversation okay. Style over substance is shaping up to be
04:26part of the cell. Harris still hasn't explained policy reversals on fracking, medicare-for-all
04:31and assault weapons buybacks. So the truth of the matter is yes she's come to the middle. Democrats
04:36say she'll handle issues like Israel differently than Biden has. Of course she will be distinct
04:40she's a different person a different leader with different experiences. But asked for specifics
04:45repeated Biden's lines. On immigration campaign surrogates say Harris wants to re-up the border
04:50plan Congress couldn't pass under Biden. Kamala Harris has a very specific plan to fix the problem
04:55with the border. But her campaign's showing ads highlighting Trump's border wall and fellow Dems
05:00have questions. I would like to see her come out with a different immigration policy for example
05:05to say here are the things I agreed with President Biden on here's things I would have done differently.
05:11Even plans Harris has explained have been quietly redlined by her allies. Politico reports
05:16congressional Democrats have been telling critics proposed grocery price caps aren't viable and quote
05:21rather they've argued it's a messaging tactic. A way to show that she understands food prices
05:25remain an economic burden for many Americans and to redirect voters anger about inflation
05:30to corporations. Meantime things are quiet at the White House Biden leaving one vacation in
05:35California for another in Delaware. Who is running the country? President Joe Biden.
05:41Is he a ceremonial figure in some sense at this point? Now you know better than that.
05:46The vice president spent the day in Washington behind closed doors no public events on her
05:50schedule as time dwindles to prepare for those two big public tests. As Ayesha mentioned two
05:57days this week are already committed to a bus tour in Georgia capitalizing on momentum from the DNC
06:03where the campaign and its allies affiliates brought in 82 million dollars in donations Brett.
06:10Jack Henrich live in the North Lawn. Jackie thanks.
06:13Breaking tonight special counsel Jack Smith is asking a federal appeals court to revive the
06:19criminal case accusing Donald Trump of illegally retaining classified documents. A lower court
06:24dismissed the indictment last month. Senior national correspondent Kevin Cork has details
06:29tonight from Washington. Good evening Kevin. Evening Brett. You'll recall federal judge Eileen
06:33Cannon last month threw out the classified documents case against the former president.
06:38The judge concluded that the attorney general lacked the constitutional authority to appoint
06:43Jack Smith as special counsel and that his office therefore was being unlawfully funded.
06:48Today Smith's office appealed to a federal appeals court saying in a filing the district
06:53court's novel conclusions lack merit. The district court's rationale would likely
06:58or likewise raise questions about hundreds of appointments throughout the executive branch
07:03hundreds of appointments throughout the executive branch including in the departments of defense,
07:07state, treasury, and labor. The former president as you know is facing criminal
07:12charges over his alleged mishandling of sensitive government material which had
07:16been transported from the White House and stored at his Florida estate once he left office. He also
07:22faces obstruction charges over alleged efforts to hinder a federal probe that led to an FBI raid on
07:29two years ago this month. Mr. Trump and two co-defendants have pleaded not guilty and now
07:34have one month to respond to the government's appeal. His campaign Brett just responded in a
07:40statement saying quote not only should the dismissal of the lawless indictment in Florida
07:44be affirmed but be joined immediately joined by a dismissal of all the witch hunts. The Democrat
07:51Justice Department coordinated all these political attacks which are an election interference
07:57conspiracy. And this is the key here Brett tonight all this means the issue will not be
08:01resolved by election day in November but could ultimately reach the Supreme Court sometime next
08:06year. But that case and the separate federal prosecution over alleged 2020 election interference
08:13could then be dismissed by Mr. Trump himself were he to retake office in January. Brett.
08:20We'll follow it Kevin thanks. A bipartisan delegation on former president Trump's
08:24assassination attempt is doing their own investigative work this evening. The task
08:29force was on the ground in Butler Pennsylvania today hoping to piece together what went wrong
08:36on July 13th and what led up to it. Correspondent C.B. Cotton is in Butler Pennsylvania with the
08:42latest. It's the difference between day and night when you're actually here on this surface.
08:48A bipartisan congressional task force searching for answers in Butler Pennsylvania. Members
08:54walking the area where former president Donald Trump was nearly assassinated and getting up on
09:00the unsecured roof used by the 20 year old suspected gunman. Six weeks later and there's
09:05still no motive. Lawmakers won't say whether Crook's family may have the answers. We're not
09:11going to comment right now about specifically who we are going to talk to. So far at least
09:16five Secret Service agents have been removed from protective detail and placed on administrative
09:21duties. Lawmakers demand further accountability but chairman Mike Kelly and ranking member Jason
09:26Crow stopped short today of saying exactly who should be held accountable. None of us are looking
09:33at it as we have to get a quick answer. We're looking at we have to get the right answer.
09:36Other Republicans who are not part of today's visit say they're doing their own digging. I think
09:42that criminal gross negligence and purposeful intent will be indistinguishable. There's a lot
09:48of things that we can point to as critical failures. But the house task force is reminding
09:53the public it's the go-to for the investigation. This is the committee that will have the ability
09:58to subpoena records if there is any moment where we feel we are not getting full and
10:02complete transparency that is exactly what we will do. The task force is expected to produce
10:09a report on its own findings by December 13th but right now the group is weighing whether to create
10:14interim reports. The FBI's separate probe could bring criminal charges in this case. Brett.
10:21Okay CB thank you. Stocks were mixed today. The Dow gained 65 finishing ahead at a new record
10:28close. The S&P 500 lost 18. The Nasdaq fell 152. Up next remembering the Abbeygate terrorist attack
10:36and questions over Vice President Harris's role in the withdrawal from Afghanistan. First here's
10:41what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. KRQE in Albuquerque
10:47as NASA decides it's too risky to bring two astronauts back to earth in Boeing's troubled
10:52new capsule. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will come back in a SpaceX craft in February.
10:58Their empty Starliner capsule will undock next month and attempt to return on autopilot
11:04to the New Mexico desert. Fox 25 in Boston as Massachusetts-based grocery retailer Stop and
11:10Shop will stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products at all of its 360 locations. The grocer
11:17plans to end all sales by August 31st. And this is a live look at Orlando from our affiliate Fox 35.
11:24One of the big stories there tonight a celebration of champions as the Lake Mary All-Stars make
11:30history becoming the first Florida team to win the Little League World Series. The team defeated
11:36Chinese Taipei two to one in extra innings. It was some kind of game. Lake Mary will host a
11:42celebratory parade on Saturday. That's tonight's live look outside the Bellway from Special Report.
11:50We have new details and reaction in the hunt for accountability over the tragic Abbeygate
11:55bombing. Correspondent Mark Meredith shows us from Washington.
12:00Former President Trump stood shoulder to shoulder with families of U.S. service members killed in
12:08Kabul three years ago today. The attack carried out by a lone suicide bomber with ties to
12:15terrorist group ISIS-K killed 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members. 18 Americans were also
12:22hurt in the attack. U.S. soldiers were racing to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies as the
12:27Taliban quickly regained control of the country. Shanna Chappell is the mother of Lance Corporal
12:32Kareem Nakooi. Kareem was doing his job. He was wanting to help people get to freedom, get to
12:38safety. A review of the Abbeygate attack conducted this year by U.S. Central Command found the
12:43bombing was quote not preventable at the tactical level. But lawmakers say a lack of planning from
12:49the White House on down fueled the chaos. House Speaker Mike Johnson says in September Congress
12:54will award the service members families the Congressional Gold Medal. The American people
12:58owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be fully paid. Today both President Biden and Vice
13:03President Harris released statements honoring the fallen. Biden writing quote together we must never
13:08stop striving to be worthy of their ultimate sacrifice. Republicans say it's now Harris who
13:14needs to explain her role in the withdrawal decision after these comments made months
13:18before the attack. Afghanistan. Yes. Were you the last person in the room? Yes. And you feel
13:24comfortable? I do. Harris supporters say finger pointing won't help. We've got to stop assigning
13:30partisan blame on fundamental things like our national security. The threat of future attacks
13:37from ISIS-K terrorists remains including here at home. The FBI director told Congress earlier this
13:43summer that he is quote increasingly concerned about the potential for a coordinated attack
13:48within the United States. Brett. Mark, thank you. Mediators are working to bridge gaps in the
13:54Middle East peace talks after high-level ceasefire and hostage negotiations over the Israel-Hamas war
14:00ended without agreement. Lower level conversations are coming but as Lebanese terror group Hezbollah
14:07trades heavy fire with Israel there are fears time is running out. National correspondent
14:13Jeff Paul reports tonight from Tel Aviv. It was a moment weeks in the making. Israel ordering
14:21preemptive airstrikes in Lebanon after intelligence revealed a massive attack from Hezbollah was
14:27imminent. Moments later air raid sirens in northern Israel with Hezbollah launching hundreds of drones
14:33and rockets. Israel says 100 fighter jets destroyed nearly all of what the Iranian-backed group was
14:39about to fire with the Iron Dome taking out the bulk of what was launched. We are very determined
14:45to continue degrading Hezbollah's capabilities, eliminating all commanders and denying them assets
14:51and capabilities. We are not stopping. Three Hezbollah militants were killed as was one
14:57Israeli soldier but it appears the situation between both sides has eased. During a televised
15:02address Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said if the results of the operation in retaliation for
15:08the killing of a top commander were satisfactory they were done but he warned there could be more
15:13attacks while downplaying Israel's strike. What happened was an aggression not a preemptive action.
15:21The clash with Hezbollah comes as Israel and Hamas remain at odds over a ceasefire deal.
15:27Talks ended in Cairo Egypt without an agreement but low-level negotiations will continue.
15:32The White House remains hopeful mediators can bridge remaining gaps.
15:36What I believe now is that it is incumbent on all parties in the region to work towards
15:44de-escalation and stability. Now despite the apparent easing of tensions in the region the
15:53U.S. Navy currently has a lot of assets still stationed in the region somewhere around 17
15:59warships and one submarine are here in the Middle East sending a very strong
16:03message of deterrence to Iran and its proxies. Brett. Jeff Paul live in Tel Aviv. Jeff thanks.
16:10Up next our political experts Alex Castellanos and Mark Penn on presidential polling following
16:15the DNC and former President Trump's new endorsements. First beyond our borders tonight
16:21gunmen in southwestern Pakistan kill at least 38 people in three separate attacks.
16:26The military says security forces killed 21 insurgents marking one of the deadliest days
16:31of violence in that province with other reports of other shootings and destruction in that area
16:37as well. And this is a live look at Edmonton. One of the big stories there out of Canada tonight
16:42the Canadian government announces it is imposing a 100 percent tariff on imports of Chinese made
16:48electric vehicles matching U.S. tariffs and following similar plans announced by the European
16:54Commission. The announcement comes after U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with
16:59Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and cabinet ministers. What you saw out of Chicago was not just
17:05Democrats united in their support for the vice president but you saw the full diversity of
17:10America behind the vice president. We have just seen such energy such enthusiasm such
17:17true joy and optimism. The Democrats are on a sugar high. She's stuck to the teleprompters
17:22pretty carefully as you've noticed and she was coronated but she can't do that for the next 70
17:26days. Speaker Johnson there at the end as we take a look at the Real Clear Politics average of the
17:32national race going on right now. Vice President Harris slight lead over former President Trump
17:38and the average of recent polls. What about the post DNC and where we stand right now? Let's
17:44discuss the state of the Harris Trump campaigns and what the polls are showing. With 71 days
17:49until the election joining me tonight political consultant Alex Castellanos along with pollster
17:53and political strategist Mark Penn. Gentlemen good evening. Mark what's your sense of post DNC
18:00post RFK Jr. endorsement today Tulsi Gabbard endorsement. Where do you think this race stands
18:06as of tonight? Well I think that the race stands consistent with the Real Clear Politics average. I
18:13think that that Harris has had about a spectacular consolidation of the Democratic Party
18:20launch picture perfect convention as you could possibly get under the circumstances. And the
18:27question is can she continue to do that? I mean I think she's probably reached the top of what
18:32she's going to get out of all of these things until there's until there's a debate. But there's
18:38no question that she's established herself as a presidential contender. Alex there's obviously a
18:43lot of talk about sitting down for this interview. They say they're going to do it this week.
18:48Don't know where that's going. We'd like like her to be on special report. But what about the
18:54non defining of Vice President Harris after that convention and it's almost a generic Democrat.
19:02That's right. If she wants to remain a blank slate upon which the nation can project their
19:08hopes and desires because I think the Harris campaign is afraid that if we get to know her
19:14we'll see that there's not enough there there to be president and that she's kind of been
19:19way too far to the left to match up with America. And I think that was her big mistake at the
19:26convention. If she loses in November it's not going to be because of what she did at the
19:32convention but what she didn't do. She didn't really tell us how she evolved how she came to
19:38these new positions how she came to reject everything she's been and oh I'm a new person now.
19:44You know if your husband goes off to work in the morning and comes back with hair plugs a nose job
19:48and different colored eyes you kind of want to know what happened to you. And she just did not
19:54do that which I think means that people are going to be reluctant to accept her transformation as
20:00authentic. That makes her a politician and who likes those. Well hopefully some of those questions
20:06are answered in this debate whatever it looks like. But also in this interview whatever it
20:10looks like. Speaking of the debate Mark a lot of back and forth about open mics muted mics.
20:15Here's the former president. We agreed to the same rules. I don't know. It doesn't matter to me. I'd
20:21rather have it probably on. But I think it's very unfair. The single worst network for
20:27unfairness. I think ABC is a disgrace. It doesn't matter to him whether or not the mics are hot and
20:32frankly that he would prefer if they were hot. So I think this issue is resolved. We'll have
20:37a fulsome debate between the two candidates with live microphones. We don't have to get into all
20:42the process but they agreed to the same originally the same rules as the CNN debate with the muted
20:49mics and everything. It sounds like Vice President Harris wants that moment to say I'm talking.
20:56You know I think there's no question about that. I think Harris wants to unnerve Trump and I think
21:04that she's proven that that's kind of her style in the debate. You know she's going to say things
21:09about the Trump administration that Trump is going to consider vastly untrue. Get under his skin
21:15and hope to throw him into a tirade. I think that's the that's the clear strategy. And so they
21:20want open mics. Look Trump is right. They agree to those rules. I think it's crazy that there's only
21:25one debate scheduled. The American public should have three debates. They should have regular press
21:30conferences with their candidates and they should have position papers in order to make intelligent
21:35votes. So I think Trump's in the right here but right as you know it's not the same as good
21:40politics. Well we're hoping there's at least one more that Harris campaign did put out a statement
21:45saying you would see the two of them on a stage somewhere in October. We hope it's on a stage with
21:49us. Pew Research Center. This is about the Kennedy supporters Alex. Bobby Kennedy and party
21:56identification 14 percent Republican lean Republican 40 percent. Do you think that around the margins
22:03this endorsement and then Tulsi Gabbard not as much a surprise today makes any difference in
22:09some of those swing states which are super super tight. I think it will because one you're right
22:13there. There are super tight but the data isn't where the story started. It's where the story ends.
22:18The narrative drives the data. And what's the narrative. What is it that RFK is bringing to
22:24the campaign. He's talking about health for children. He's talking about a cleaner world.
22:29He's talking about change in Washington. He's an outsider like Trump. What does that make Kamala
22:35Harris an establishment candidate. So we've got the story is ramping up for Trump and this gets
22:42him across the 50 yard line maybe only inches but in a race this close. I think it's a better story.
22:50Yeah. And does it affect women. Mark if you look at the view among women and you see the breakdown
22:5652 39 favorable for Harris and favorable for Trump is at 39. Does something like that
23:04is focusing on health and that outcome just those numbers at all.
23:08I don't really think that Kennedy has a big appeal to women. I do think he's worth about a point.
23:16I do think half his people may stay home. Most of his people don't like either either candidate.
23:22You know I think Trump is going to do very well with young men and he's got to get as many of
23:27those out as possible. And I think Harris is going to do really well with women. And I don't think
23:33Trump's got anything so far gender dynamic that we really see emerging in this campaign.
23:39Well it's fascinating. Love having you guys on to start the week. Thanks guys. Coming up California
23:44considers expanding an affordable housing program to illegal immigrants. But first the controversial
23:51arrest of a high profile tech executive that could have major major repercussions in the digital
23:57major repercussions in the digital world.
24:02This is deciding what to host and what not to host. That's their right. But when the government
24:07forces them to say something I want to say or to block something they don't want to block.
24:12That's where we all need to just stand up and draw the line.
24:18Overseas now much of Ukraine is recovering after Russia battered different parts of the country
24:22killing four people injuring more than a dozen damaging energy facilities inside Ukraine. The
24:28barrage of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones began around midnight and
24:33continued through daybreak in what appears to be Russia's biggest onslaught in weeks.
24:40The founder and CEO of the messaging service Telegram is reportedly in French custody tonight
24:46over allegations his platform is being used for illegal activity. Fox Business correspondent
24:51Grady Trimble joins us now with the latest on this story. Good evening Grady.
24:55Brett good evening. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is accused of failing to cooperate over cyber
25:00and financial crimes committed on the encrypted messaging app. Authorities in France arrested
25:06Durov Saturday evening. We didn't hear from French President Emmanuel Macron until this morning.
25:12Here's what he says. The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of
25:17an ongoing judicial investigation. He says it's independent and adds it is in no way a political
25:24decision. The Russian born French citizen Durov is still being detained after being taken into
25:30custody at an airport outside of Paris. The prosecutor there says the arrest is part of
25:35a broader investigation opened last month related to trafficking drugs distributing
25:41child pornography and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement. Durov has not yet been
25:47charged. Telegram says and Ukrainians including members of the Russian military and Ukrainian
25:53president Volodymyr Zelensky who use it to send secure communications during the war.
25:59Telegram's critics say the company more loosely moderates what's posted on the app compared to
26:03other social media platforms and that that allows misinformation and illegal content to spread
26:09online. But free speech advocates argue this arrest is a slippery slope to more government
26:15censorship of online speech. Do not think that those bad ideas will not be imported into the
26:22United States. This is the type of authoritarian actions we see out of rogue nations like Iran
26:30or Turkey, not Western democracies in Europe and not the United States of America. Other tech
26:36executives like Elon Musk and the head of the video sharing platform Rumble are voicing their
26:41support for Durov. Musk agreed with a post on X suggesting his platform X could be the next target.
26:48Brett.
26:49Grady, thank you.
26:58There's growing criticism tonight over a California measure that could expand a
27:03taxpayer-funded program on home ownership. The proposal would allow illegal immigrants
27:10to become eligible to receive interest-free loans on homes. Here's national correspondent
27:16William Lajeunesse. We will end America's housing shortage. By doing that Vice President Kamala
27:23Harris hopes to make housing more affordable. In California fellow Democrats are trying
27:28not just for U.S. citizens, but illegal immigrants. The social and economic benefits
27:34of homeownership should be accessible to everyone regardless of immigration status.
27:39Initially only low-income citizens or legal residents were eligible for the taxpayer subsidy.
27:45But last week Democrats overrode Republican opposition changing the law to say quote
27:51an applicant who meets the requirements for a loan under the home purchase assistance program
27:56shall not be disqualified by the agency solely based on the applicant's immigration status.
28:02It's taking money away from people that are here in California legally.
28:07The lottery program provides some first-time buyers with zero interest loans up to 20 percent.
28:12That's up to $150,000 in cash to use for down payment and closing costs. So far this year
28:19the state paid out $255 million to roughly 2,000 buyers. Chirla is proud to sponsor AB1840.
28:26The bill's sponsor is a Latino advocacy group with close ties to Harris who gave Chirla her
28:32first meeting after becoming senator in 2016. The group also supports her presidential run.
28:38What the rest of America needs to be worried about is the Kamala Harris-Waltz administration
28:44taking these crazy California ideas and nationalizing them and taking them to the
28:48rest of the country. The state is repaid when the home is sold plus a small percentage of any
28:53appreciation. Analysts expect the bill to pass the legislature this week. No word on if Governor
28:59Newsom will sign it. Brett? William, thanks. Customs and Border Protection has informed Fox
29:05that it is denying our appeal regarding a Freedom of Information Act request seeking the nationalities
29:11of suspects on the terror watch list arrested at the southern border over the last few years.
29:17CPB cites privacy and law enforcement sensitivity concerns claiming terrorist organizations would
29:23benefit by releasing that data. Up next, the panel with the latest from the campaign trail,
29:29the debate over debating plus the three-year anniversary of the tragedy at Abbeygate in
29:34Afghanistan, and later...
32:34you