>> bill: i'm bill hemmer. >> dana: we have news that's come on that. i'm dana perino. the 49-year-old suspect is not eligible for bail under the new york criminal justice system. a flurry of new charges including misdemeanor arson. >> bill: we're told in order for a judge to set bail, that charge would have to be elevated to a felony arson. well here under the new rules in new york -- we're also hearing from the suspect's father saying his son as a history of destructive behavior and mentally not all there and never been able to control his son. >> bill: his father lives in hawaii. the point of all this is to tell you at home despite what cnn is saying about us in the last hour is that new york state changed its bail laws in 2019. then they came back and amended them again during covid. ever since that time, april of 2019, crime has only gotten higher in cities like new york and other places around the country that we've been covering. >> dana: it does hit close to home. we report on the news all the time of people dealing with these crimes. thankfully nobody was hurt in this scenario and then we have a little news because we will not be kept down. >> bill: listen, there was a half million dollars in damage here. i don't know you he goes free. judges are working in the guidelines of the laws before them. eric adams is the new mayor of new york and there is hope he can bring reform. he is willing to allow these judges to have a dangerous standard where the judge he or she on the stand would be able to use their own judgment whether or not the law fits the crime. >> dana: which makes more sense. it's why they are in those positions in the first place. a judge is to use their judgment. >> bill: maybe in the new year it comes our way. however, as you mentioned we shall rise again hours away from unveiling the all american christmas tree. it will rise again. tune in for "the five" for the tree lighting ceremony. dana will be there and a cast of thousands. >> dana: a lot of people will be there. we are looking very much forward to that. cardinal dolan will also be there. it's already underway. nobody has stopped working to get this organized for us to do this a day after the arson. meantime los angeles district attorney george gascon facing heat over surging crime. he defended his policies even though murders are up from last year. jonathan hunt is live from the los angeles newsroom. it comes about as a recall petition is underway for him. >> yes, it does, dana. the first thing i asked the d.a. at a press conference he called to celebrate his accomplishments as he put it in his first year in office is how much responsible -- responsibility do he and his policies bear for the spike in murders, the recent spate of smash and grab robberies and the robberies and assaults of l.a. residents on their door steps. here is that exchange. listen. >> what do you and -- >> none. i know you hear a lot of misinformation concerning the -- this particular wave of crime. number one, actually most crime is down, but for homicides. >> i also talked to the l.a. county sheriff who is on the front lines of the crime fight and says the d.a. has been a disaster for l.a. the sheriff predicts d.a. gascon will soon be thrown out by voters. >> he will be recalled. and that's the change we need. i cannot see him doing a 180 and saying that was a bad idea. no, he will double down on stupid. >> i asked the d.a. to respond to that comment. here is what he said. >> my dad used to say that when you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it and that's not pig in terms of you seeing the term of law enforcement. >> there is a complete disconnect between those on the streets making arrests and the man deciding how criminals are prosecuted here. right now the people caught in the middle of that are the residents of l.a. who continue to face robbery, assault, and murder in growing numbers. >> dana: jonathan hunt in los angeles. thank you. >> bill: the senate voting to repeal president biden's vaccine mandate for private companies. two moderate democrats join republicans in passing it after four separate courts ruled against the mandate. peter doocy live from the north lawn has the coverage from there today. hello. >> good morning. one of the two democrats who voted against that vaccine mandate for private businesses is senator john tester. >> the state of montana, folks are saying business people are saying even though the owners think it is a good idea to get vaccinated they are saying it puts me in a bind. the mandate issue for the private sector does become problematic for business. >> the other no is senator joe manchin who ex klains it is not the place of the federal government to tell private business owners to operate their businesses. we should incentivize, not penalize private employers to encourage vaccination among their employees. president biden has long said he thinks the only way to get rid of covid ultimately is to vaccinate the whole world and there is no real opposition to that plan or to that idea in congress. the bipartisan group instead worries about the idea of government interfering with private business owners that could require them to fire staffers who choose not to get vaccinated. >> they really have gone too far. i say that as somebody who like some of my colleagues is pro-vaccine. i'm vaccinated and encourage people to get vaccinated but i don't believe that that's something the federal government can mandate for businesses around this country. >> joe biden told me last december that he was not going to mandate the vaccine but in the months that followed he has tried to do that everywhere he could. now he has not only been told by the courts but congress you can't do that everywhere. bill. >> bill: apparently not. >> dana: a whole bunch of new polls out that are very interesting. one gallup on socialism. democrats voters positive view of socialism 65%. that's plus 12 since 2010. that is something else, huh? want to put that up there? monmouth poll actions of the federal government. have helped or hurt? this is something i think that the white house is going to pay attention to. hurt at 46%, helped 25%. i think this is driving some of the things you'll see. we don't have it today but get it for you. it came out, the maris poll, a lot of people getting extra payments don't think it's helping and they also think that they don't give credit to biden. >> bill: interesting. they asked what concerns are facing your family right now. biggest concerns everyday bills, food and groceries at 17%. then inflation was 14%. two of the top three issues are right there in your pocketbook with covid sandwiched in between with 15%. making private companies get the mandate. the whole deal that went down in the senate will not fly in the house in all likelihood but here in new york the mayor says december 27th private companies must prove that you have been vaccinated. i would expect a court challenge on that coming up. >> dana: might not be fair to the incoming mayor of new york, eric adams, for deblasio to put it out there for his own political gain. >> bill: he suggested that already. nine minutes past. border patrol agents returning to mexico. the first asylum seekers the administration sent migrants back is one thing. deterring others from trying to enter the country is another. bill back on the border in la joya, texas, with more coverage from there today. >> good morning to you. the deterrent is not working. take a live look what we're seeing now. another very busy morning in the rio grande valley in la jolla. how many times have we shown you this before. a broken clock every day. what you are seeing here is a bunch of family units being apprehended as well as runners and more keep showing up here by the minute. we've shown this almost every morning for the past 8 or 9 months now. this is something that happens out here every day as the federal government just the same situation every day here. it looks like a group of runners being put on the bus right here. we have the family units to the right. talk about how busy a morning it has been. look at the live fox drone in -- you see the pickup truck in a mud. it flew by us earlier this morning and dps and border patrol chasing it. the driver was arrested and seven illegal immigrants in the vehicle. take a look at this piece of video. a border patrol processing center for people who will be title 42. the ones who will be returned back to mexico. hundreds of people in this processing center almost all single adults usually single adult men. one border patrol agent telling us just in his shift alone more than 500 people who came through that facility and we talk about the runners, those are usually the people who get title 42. take a look at this piece of video. we've been seeing all sorts of runners. not as many families anymore. a lot of the runners coming across now and those are the guys who do not want to be caught by law enforcement. willing to do whatever it takes to get away. the second piece of video here also here same area, entirely different group of runners here. border patrols agents telling us some of the group they've appear remended gang members before. this is what is happening every day. you get a mixture of families and runners. we all remember the white house and kamala harris have said that v.p. harris is dealing with the root causes of immigration. in an interview with john roberts the guatemalan president said he hasn't heard from biden or harris since kamala harris met with him in june. take a listen. >> is the biden administration not speeng with you? >> we had the visit of vice president harris. aside from that direct communication no, we haven't had it. >> and then the risk with the runners is always going to be the criminal element. border patrol just here in the rio grande valley reporting that just this week alone so far they've apprehended a member of the columbian gorilla group as well as four ms-13 gang members. you never know who is trying to make it across the border. >> bill: bill down there on the border. watched the interview yesterday with john roberts. the roots run deep since you haven't talked about it since june. >> dana: remarkable. ignoring the problem like it would go away is dereliction of duty. >> bill: and it was gotten worse. ballot box in new york city on the verge. they want to give non-citizens the right to vote. 800,000 non-citizens. there is pushback. we'll tell you about coming up. >> dana: crime wave in chicago getting worse by the day. a democrat is angry over the mayor's approach. >> bill: we're on verdict watch in the jussie smollett case. they will begin their second day of deliberations coming up next hour. we're live in chicago on that coming up. stand by. ♪♪ helping them discover their dreams is one of the best parts of being a parent. one of the most important is giving them 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>> it is the most weak crime strategy i've heard today. the christmas season we'll tell our businesses they cannot be open because we are no longer able to keep them safe is a complete abdication of lori light foot's duties as mayor to protect the citizens of chicago. she is a failure period. >> bill: "chicago tribune" don't let the holiday smash and grabbers get away with it. they write the more that property crimes like retail theft are moved to the back burner of police priorities the less likely thieves feel they will be punished and city life goes downhill and we all get punished. we're feeling like that in new york, sir. >> as you guys well know, you saw what they did to your christmas tree on the plaza and they downplayed it as just property. it isn't just property. it is a matter of our values. whether or not we respect each other and the laws of civil society. and clearly many on the left, many progressive politicians, many in my own party feel that cherry picking facts to say that crime is down it fits their narrative. when we know on the street is that we are a society in turmoil. in chicago for example when you downplay the significance of looting and downplay the significance of carjacking it only inspires people to do it more frequently. younger and younger ages. and we see the impact of that every day where people just randomly commit crimes. just the other day a 71-year-old man walking on his own block was executed for no apparent reason simply because an individual with a gun thought it would be a good idea. >> bill: you make so many great points in that answer there. and when you don't crack down when they steal the car they do something beyond that and it continues to go downhill. >> dana: you mentioned the mayor. i was stunned by her decision to go public and she planned to to blame the retailers. just listen to her once again. >> some of the retailers downtown on michigan avenue i will tell you i am disappointed they aren't doing more to take safety and make it a priority. we still have retailers that won't institute plans like having security officers in their stores, making sure that they've got cameras that are actually operational. >> dana: you are closer to the business community. what have you heard from the retailers in chicago? >> everyone is stunned by those comments blaming the victim. blaming the proper pry tors and the individuals who have put their blood, sweat and tears to pursue the american dream by opening business as a problem and not chastising the criminals. it's outrageous. if you carry that logic flurry she would blame the citizens of the chicago for the crime befalling them because they're becoming victims themselves. outrageous and east owe to do. >> dana: are people getting fed up, raymond? >> absolutely. just last night i was with a group of individuals who were counting the days until her term ends. i think all of chicago will join me in saying the next 15 months can't end soon enough. >> bill: 15 months is a ways to go. raymond, thank you for coming back today. good to get your perspective. parents across the country left scrambling again as many schools announce the classroom will be closed on fridays. details from a new study that the threat of virtual learning to your child's education. we'll build back better. all american christmas tree rising again by the hour. they've made progress already since we came on. the lighting is live on "the five" at 5:00 and we're back in a moment right here. ♪♪♪ veteran homeowners- have you been spending more time at home? 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>> it is very hard. working in my profession and then having my daughter home trying to help her with school has become almost impossible. my work is very demanding and i have meetings, i have upwards of 60 clients on my caseload and so trying to help my daughter with distance learning when they close the schools or quarantine her for exposure to covid has just become impossible and she is missing out so much. >> dana: you notice in her learning trying to teach hers wasn't working for her. she got the vaccine. 13. she goes back to school but what i thought was remarkable is you say every time there might have been exposed to covid, even if they're vaccinated they get sent home. there is no way for them to improve. the other thing is you said she has a cold, that happens. and it is hard in your neck of the woods where it's damp to get over a broncall situation and they won't let her back in if she has a cough, even though she doesn't have covid. it must be maddening. >> it is. she has missed between the quarantine she missed up to 30 days of school and then that was a sunday when we were getting ready for her to go back on monday and we got notification that the school was going to be closing down in two days for two weeks. so we just said never mind, just stay home. there is no point of you trying to go for just two days. so now today is her first day back. >> dana: then we'll have the holiday vacation. >> bill: i think a whole virtual classroom, you thought it was in the rearview mirror and it is not. here is what we found on remote learning how they hurt test scores. math is down 14%, language arts down 6. and that doesn't even measure the emotional toll, missy. >> uh-huh. sophia when she started this year going back to school in person, she was getting great grades. she was getting as and bs and one c. as soon as she got sent back to distance learning and i got her report card recently it was all failing. >> dana: what would she like to do when she grow us up? >> she has talked about multiple different things. a hairdresser or -- she doesn't really know yet. she loves animals, you know. >> dana: i tell you what she has a wonderful mom and champion for her and we hope that maybe get this christmas break behind us and get everyone back in school so that you can do the important work that you do. >> thank you. >> bill: good luck. we need a new year, we need 22, thank you. good luck. >> dana: hundreds of college professors sounding off against the woke math movement believe it or not. as school districts across the country slowly discontinued advanced math classes as a way to alleviate achievement gaps. the letter reads such reforms seem successful ace reducing despair at the high school level they kick the can to college. the u.s. k-12 has to improve but the current trends will take us further back. i remind everybody glenn youngkin, one of his applause lines was he would make sure advanced math was available at every high school in virginia. and the parents applauded and then voted him in. >> bill: he won, that's right. kim potter a cop on trial in minneapolis accused of killing a black man during a traffic stop when she grabbed her gun instead of a taser. protestors marching last night after day one of testimony. the latest from inside the courtroom and non-citizens may soon allowed to vote in new york city. a lot of them. nearly a million and not everyone is happy about it. listen. >> this radical bill being pushed by this leftist caucus in the city council is unconditionally unconstitutional. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ you are my sunshine ♪ ♪ my only sunshine... ♪ rybelsus® is a pill that lowers blood sugar in three ways. increases insulin when you need it... decreases sugar... and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ please don't take my sunshine away ♪ you may pay as little as $10 per prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. as a dj, i know all about customization. that's why i love liberty mutual. they customize my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. how about a throwback? ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ earn about covid-19, the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today. >> bill: follow up on the ceo of online mortgage lender better.com. he apologizes after laying off 900 employees over a zoom call last week. in his apology he said he owns the decision for the layoffs but admits he botched the communication. at least three top executives resigned over the controversy. nothing says christmas quite like that. i saw a little bit of it. >> dana: he said sorry. the ceo. he was so rude and mean to them. >> bill: during covid. the company has to go on and you aren't bringing everybody back to the office. >> dana: i don't blame him but i don't think i would have apologized if i made that decision, right? be the boss, be the mean boss. i don't know, what am i talking about? major change could be coming to new york city voting. city council set to vote on a bill to let some 800,000 non-citizens vote in local elections. we are live at a new york city hall with more on this. hi, alexis. >> good morning. the bill is expected to pass this afternoon's vote. there is a legal battle here in new york city that is brewing over this. let's get to it. our city our vote bill would allow anyone who has been a lawful permanent resident of the city for 30 days or authorized to work in the united states to cast ballots in local city elections picking the mayor and city council. those people would not have the right to vote for president or any federal or state races at this point. right now there is not much standing in the way of the bill turning into law. take a listen. >> people pay taxes, people should have the right to decide who are the mayor, controller, public advocates, council member that we'll be deciding how the taxpayer dollars are used. >> opponents are calling this bill unconstitutional at this point and not everyone is on board. the legal battle could be brewing in new york. people saying it devalues citizenship. >> the right to vote is a pillar of american democracy and reserved for citizens of the united states of america. it is against federal law for non-citizens to vote. >> now there are a handful of jurisdictions in the united states right now that allow non-citizens to vote including maryland, vermont and california. but new york city would be the largest. if this proposal does go through. now opponents are preparing for these legal battles. new york city mayor bill deblasio is questioning if this measure can survive past his desk. >> i think there are still some outstanding legal questions about the city's authority verse yours the state's in this matter. but i respect the city council. >> deblasio said he will not veto if it does get on his desk. we're saying it is expected to pass this afternoon. non-citizens if it does pass would not be allowed to vote until elections starting in 2023. >> dana: it is stunning. thank you so much. >> bill: a few american cities but nowhere near the size of new york. you are trying to get an immigration system do it the right way? what kind of message does it send to them. we are a city of immigrants. so many from all different parts of the world come here. what's the message you are sending? >> dana: i this i the value of citizenship was well put by the man there. we'll see. it looks like it will pass. >> bill: we'll take you now to a moment on capitol hill that we do not see very often. the casket of the late senate majority leader bob dole has arrived at the eastern entrance to the capitol building. in a moment he will lie in state in the capitol rotunda. only the 33rd american citizen to have such an honor. he passed away on sunday at the age of 98. >> dana: he was best known for his political work but he had done a lot of charitable work as well. a wonderful husband to senator elizabeth dole, his widow. she will speak today. in addition you will hear from president biden and also a long-term friend of his mitch mcconnell and then of course he knew chuck schumer and nancy pelosi very well. so you will hear from all of them and then there will be a wreath laying and there is going to be a viewing but the viewing because of covid, bill, is going to be restricted to members of congress and former members of congress, congressional staff and other v.i.p.s and family. >> bill: we are oef about to see a moment where the casket will be carried on the steps and rest atop the crude wooden platform built for president abraham lincoln's funeral. chad pergram tells us it is only brought out of storage for a state funeral such as this and this will be quite a moment. we have some guests lined up to take us through it. let's drop in for a second on the hill and try and hear what we can. [silence] >> ready, set, march. [silence] [silence] >> ready, step, ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. ready, step. forward, march. [silence] >> bill: that is quite a sight from that camera shot. >> dana: it is gorgeous. senator bowl, of course, one of the greatest generation who fought against german fascism and japanese imperialism and helped the united states and allies win the cold war. >> bill: trent lot in the picture did a lot of work with him during his time in the senate. rob portman behind him. josh holmes is with us now. good morning to you. you had a recent conversation with senator dole a few weeks ago, i believe. how did that go? >> bill, it was incredible. we were lucky enough to have an interview with senator dole a few weeks ago for a veterans day episode we were doing on the ruthless variety program. he chose to do it. we knew he was feeling ill and not up to his usual snuff but i have to tell you, we went in there and asked him a few questions and as sharp as he ever was. body was clearly failing but he had a few messages he wanted to get to the american people at the end. we are very fortunate to be the conduit for that. >> dana: one of those messages is that he felt optimistic for the future of the country. can you tell us more on that? >> yeah, dana. the thing about bob dole, everything that he has gone through, the grievous war wounds, the entire career, disappointments and ups and downs and being able to have a good sense of humor through it all got the sense he is an optimist and represented the best of a generation. he thinks our greatest days are beyond us. he said we're a strong people. i this i that's what bob dole believes in his heart of hearts and what he would like to pass on to future generations is this idea that americans are just strong people and we'll get through anything that the world throws at us. >> bill: a great message. really strong. i told dana the other day. the last time i saw bob dole was at the republican convention in cleveland, ohio in 2016. i walked up to him synth there in the front row off the main stage. i said how are you doing? he said i'm thinking about running again i feel so good. i said i don't know how many times he has used that line. it reminded me of the level of humor he brought to his job and to his life, josh. >> he was absolutely hilarious, bill. if it was poking fun at friends around him or self-deprecating. just months after he was defeated in the 1996 election, he was joking around giving an address in the white house a couple of months later and self-deprecating fashion. somebody who became a pop culture icon after his departure from politics in large part because of his ability to have fun and have a good sense of humor, which i don't need to tell you guys we're lacking a little bit of that in today's politics. >> dana: two thoughts. josh, like you, i was a capitol hill staffer for a long time but on the house side. you are on the senate side. what was maybe a memory that you have? i always found him to be quite solicitous and encouraging of young staffers on the hill. >> so i got there right after he had left. a few years after he had left but i remember my first day i was working for then senator norm coleman in the basement in a transition suite but he made time to come in and visit with the young staff who he knew had just gotten to capitol hill for the first time and probably pretty starry eyed about everything and met with each of us individually and talked with us. i will never forget it. an incredible thing to have a man of that stature dedicate time to 23-year-olds ushered into a new congress. >> dana: the other thing i was going to mention in my experience i thought bob dole was very supportive also of women. women working on capitol hill, women in politics, women running for office, including his own wife, who became senator as well. >> he had famously said at one of our confirmation hearings, i think it was for the department of transportation, his only regret was he had but one wife to give to our nation's infrastructure which basically highlighted a couple of things. one is his sense of humor but two what you just said, his view that everybody on capitol hill is absolutely equal, men, women, no matter what you look like. and he lived that and carried it out in his staff and staff honestly that is still there today. yeah, he led by example. >> bill: jo, i thought one of the most impressive stories i read about bob dole last night and again this morning is when he was wounded. in april of 1945. you imagine the theater in europe is about to conclude, what, a month later and he gets grievously injured in the army test 10th mountain division, a german shell strikes his upper back and right arm. shatters his collarbone and part of his spine. his quote is this. i lay face down in the dirt. i could not see or move my arms. i thought they were missing. he was paralyzed from the neck down, transported later to a military hospital in kansas, went through physical therapy, dana, in chicago and in michigan and just on and on. he was basically left for dead and it was the sheer strength of this man from russell, kansas, that got him through all of this. i don't know how often he talked about that in his political professional life, josh. >> well, it is so interesting, bill, i asked nim our final interview, i asked him you've got an incredible body of work. you have lived a life that very few americans can even hope to achieve. you have been a vice presidential nominee, presidential nominee, senate majority leader, sort of the pinnacle of american politics. what is your greatest accomplishment? what he said is what you just outlined. recovery from war wounds. his ability to not give up, to not quit, to know what his life is never going to be the same but do the very best he could do with what he had. and he considered that his greatest accomplishment. holy smokes, is it ever. >> bill: indeed. i should point out this was an accomplished athlete. at kansas university he was on the basketball team, on the track team, on the football team and yet he was left to deal and manage and recover to continue living what he called his second life. >> dana: russell, kansas, raised him right. josh holmes will stay with us for the next hour. i want to bring in karl rove. i would love to know more about your reflections about senator dole because since you were president of college republicans and then all the way through, you must have known him very well. >> well, i was the 20-year-old executive director of the college republicans when i met chairman robert dole of kansas, the chairman of the republican national committee. i want to pick up on something josh talked about. he had a terrific sense of humor, very sar doneic and it was mostly aimed at himself. i remember meeting him the first time. he thrust out his hand. he had a pen in it so you couldn't shake his hand and realized that that war wound had left him unable to literally shake your hand and he had to literally teach himself how to write with his left hand. he had been brought up as a righty and had to teach himself to write with the left hand but weighs an imposing figure and a deep partisan who nonetheless had deep relationships with democrats and worked in common cause on great issues. >> bill: he learned to write with his left hand after that injury. >> yeah. >> bill: many times encountering him in washington, d.c. and elsewhere i saw the pen in his right hand as well. your story is well taken. what did it mean to him to be a proponent of the american with disabilities act that was passed in 1990? you see a concrete ramp outside of a building in any town in america today. it is there because of people like bob dole, karl. >> dana: and george hw bush. >> that's right. one of his great accomplishments. think about the big things he worked on. the americans for disability act in 1990 because he knew firsthand the challenges that they faced. he was a big part of the effort that saved social security. ronald reagan in his effort to save social security with a grand compromise in 1983 which reforms were made but taxes had to be raised. dole did it. he led the effort to do that because he grew up in russell, kansas, devastated by the depression and knew how many people depended upon social security for the final years of their life. he also was very involved with food stamps and wanted to make certain that poor kids had a good lunch at school and that we had adequate funding for food stamp program, work requirements absolutely. cut down on the fraud and abuse but there were people he recognized in our society who couldn't get access to a good meal. >> dana: vice president kamala harris and her husband are entering the building and now the president and first lady. president biden and dr. jill biden have arrived as well. you will hear from him as well. before they get underway with speeches i wondered what your reflections are about how he dealt with losing the presidential election in 1996. >> you know, in 1996 i was the political aide to the young governor of texas george w. bush. in the final stage of the dole campaign they became concerned they were in trouble in texas. we told them they would be okay but insisted on coming to texas and had a rally in houston. i went down with governor bush and driving out an i-10 towards the shopping center on the west side of town and literally miles before we got to the shopping center where the rally was going to be held there were cars on the frontage road and people walking miles to get to the rally. we arrived, dole arrived during the famous period where he was campaigning around the clock. he was completely exhausted and could barely speak. goupt and gave a rousing speech to this crowd. the crowd was going wild. you could just tell he was pushing every nerve, stretching every fiber of his body to get this done. we rode back in the car to the airport and with us was a supporter of dole's talking. i hear you are closing in california and looking great in ohio and critical battleground states are coming your way and so excited and dole, bone tired in a quiet voice said they don't need to lie to me. i'm a fighter. he knew he was going to lose but you know what? he was going to give it his all. after he gave it his all he then turned his life to the service of others in things like building the world war ii memorial literally greeting veterans personally when they came to visit the mall, the new monument on the mall. veterans causes left and right. speaking out for civility in politics, for willingness to work across party lines on big issues. but it was remarkable to me. i will never forget that moment. i knew what a great spirit he had in him he would fight on even in the face of defeat. >> bill: well said. let's pause for a moment for this. [silence] >> bill: as his wife elizabeth dole is seated want to get one more comment from karl about what inspired bob dole for his life and you think about the time he spent in chicago. he talked about a doctor telling him he taught me how to focus on what i had left and what i could do with it rather than complaining what had been lost. that was reflective of his entire career. here is the chaplain now. >> with deep gratitude for the life and legacy of senator robert joseph dole. we are grateful that in his selfless devotion to you and to these united states, he has revealed to us what moral and faithful service should be. as we honor his 79 years of standing up for what's right, we stand before you to offer our heartfelt prayers. we ask that the influence senator dole has had on countless people, leaders, neighbors, and strangers alike would not be without long-lasting fruit. in ex willing to senator dole's integrity, disarming humor, and deep compassion, may we be inspired to reach into the depths of our own small town virtues, or our big city bravado, to emulate this plain spoken statesman, this decorated war hero, this your humble servant. we commend this tribute to you that you would enable us to find just the right words to honor this righteous man. that you would encourage us to imitate this inspiring servant. that you would equip us to carry forth with the faith of this faithful leader. we pray this in the strengths of your name, amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. ladies and gentlemen, the honorable mitch mcconnell, republican leader of the united states senate. >> on april 14th, 1969, senator bob dole delivered his first floor speech. he said quote, the task ahead is monumental. and this was before bob knew he would end up leading a conference of 53 senators. years later after he had become leader, bob described his senate management challenges with his trademark wit. if i had known we would win control of the center we would have run better candidates. i swear bob could have made it as a stand-up comic. but in that maiden speech, bob was earnest. he was already championing a signature cause helping americans with disabilities. the task ahead is monumental, he said, but i'm confident there are forces in america ready and willing to meet the challenge. bob dole himself was certainly proof of that. that maiden speech came 24 years to the day after he sustained his combat wounds in italy. bob had already risen to a monumental task. he had taken the fight to the nazis and he had nearly paid for it with his life. through all his decades in public service, bob dole knew exactly where he came from. a son of dust bowl hardship who was laser focused on food security and rural issues. a warrior who spent decades carrying fellow veterans and americans with disabilities on his shoulders. bob was the last of the greatest generation to run for president. but he was never stuck in the past. his roots ran deep. but he was always looking to new horizons. from that first speech through his years in leadership, through bob's incredibly active retirement in name only, he built brighter futures for millions. bob was blessed with long life to watch this legacy take effect. that was no accident. bob liked to joke that he planned for longevity by closely studying our most senior colleagues. he had a whole comedy routine about how he tried to copy strom thurmond's eating habits, strom takes a shrimp, i take a shrimp. if he eats a banana, i eat a banana. but it was his love, his love for elizabeth and for robin, for public service, for kansas, and for america. today we honor the amazing life that love created and we thank god, the source of all love, both for bob's incredible journey here in this life and for the fact that he has entered his eternal reward in the next. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable charles e. schumer, majority leader of the united states senate. >> mr. president, madam vice president, madam speaker, leader mcconnell and leader mccarthy, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and most importantly elizabeth dole and robin. the scriptures say we should rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. today we pay tribute to a remarkable leader over the course of his life knew more than his fair share of suffering. who turned that suffering into endurance, whose endurance became central to his character, and whose character whose essential goodness leaves us with hope. hope that we will continue to see good men and women in this country like the one to whom we say goodbye today. to pay tribute to senator bob dole is to honor someone who redefined and elevated what it means to serve country. by 21, bob had given more of himself than most of us give in a lifetime, and then he kept going for 77 years after that. and my god, it was 77 years well spent. at 27 he was elected to state politics. decade later he came to congress followed promptly with an election to the senate. 16 years later bob dole was majority leader, remaining in party leadership until his final run for president in 1966 -- 1996. the years were well spent, however, not because of his titles, but because of what he accomplished. today tens of millions of americans, veterans, elderly, disabled and millions of kids across the country are better off because of bob dole. he never lost his roots as a principled republican and never hesitated to work with democrats to get things done. from joining senator mcgovern on federal nutrition programs, to working with my former colleague senator moynihan to protect social security. to helping pass the americans with disability act with senators kennedy and harkin. bob dole was a champion of those whose lives were marred by struggle. who came not from citadels of privilege but from humble origins like his own. in his memoir he said supporters were surprised to hear of all his accomplishments in the senate, reforming social security was his greatest pride along with passing the ada. i'm sure that surprises a few of us here today but i doubt those who knew the bob dole of russell, kansas, the man whose family lived for years in their own basement so they could rent out their house, who was county attorney, had to approve his grandfather's welfare checks each month, whose recovery from war was made possible only after his hometown pooled money to pay for surgery. i imagine that those who knew this side of bob dole understood that no matter how high he climbed up the ranks, he never forgot the reason he entered public service. and, of course, he did it all with unmistakable wit, honed and refined over the years as he worked as a soda jerk in the local drugstore. bob and i never worked together in the senate but i was not spared his famous ribbing. don't worry, bob, it's safe to be between me and the cameras today. in closing, i want to bring back an enduring image of bob that took place nine years ago as we said goodbye to another colleague lying in this same rotunda. none of us will ever forget the strength and honor of bob with elizabeth at his side standing and saluting danny one last time. bob used to tell the story of him and danny recovering from war wounds at percy jones army hospital in battle creek, michigan. as they recuperated they discussed their futures with bob telling danny he planned to run for local office and eventually the united states senate. at the time danny had a different path in mind for himself but like bob's plan, ran for office and eventually was actually elected to the senate before bob. after danny was sworn in one of the first things he did was call his old friend and said bob, i'm here in the senate. where are you? now as bob approaches the pearly gates let us take comfort he can reunite with his old friend once again. in the meantime, let the rest of us carry on in thanksgiving and unending celebration of the life of this incredible american statesman. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives. >> good morning. mr. president, it is a sad and official honor to join our colleagues in the leadership in welcoming you and first lady and the vice president to the united states capitol. you come as senator dole's long time colleague, personal friend, and as president. and we as we recognize the life and service of the honorable robert j. dole. thanks to the leaders and members of our congressional community here with us this morning, we all come to pay tribute and on their behalf i extend a special welcome to senator dole's wife and dedicated in service senator elizabeth dole and his dear daughter, robin. it is sad for all of us. as speaker of the house it is a special source of pride for us in the house that senator dole began his congressional career in the house of representatives. and is fitting that as we gather in the capitol rotunda, home to american heroes memorialized in marble and bronze to pay tribute to an extraordinary patriot. once before we gathered here in the rotunda in his name in 2018, it was my personal and official honor to join our colleagues and the leadership to help bestow upon him the congressional gold medal, the highest honor congress can bestow. on that day as we do on this sad day, we recognize senator dole among the patriots honoring his duty, he always talked about duty to our nation with courage, dignity and integrity. as i stand here and see his coffin on the catapult built for lincoln with that flag draped over it, i'm sure many of you here will agree it is hard to think of anyone who was more worthy to have a flag draped over his coffin because of his great patriotism to our country. on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the capitol, across the country, senator dole was widely respected for his legendary service on the battlefields of world war ii, his inspiring resilience after recovering from grievous war wounds and principled leadership in the hallowed halls of congress, house and senate and his tireless advocacy as an elder statesman. over the course of his storied career he earned a reputation as a fighter for hard working american families, a leader who could be trusted as a man of his word. working in a bipartisan way senator dole addressed hunger in america by expanding food stamps, fought for respect for people with disabilities by enshrining protections into the law with the ada in a bipartisan way. he taught us over time and all the time to respect people for what they can do and not judge them for what they cannot. he advocated for our troops, veterans and hidden heroes who care for them, especially alongside his beloved wife, elizabeth. indeed, the love partnership and prayerfulness that senators bob and elizabeth dole shared was a joy to behold and a blessing to all of us who know them. in recognition of his legendary career senator dole received the 1997 presidential medal of freedom bestowed upon him by president clinton, his electoral rival but certainly his fan. upon receiving this medal, senator dole challenged us in his words not to question american ideals or replace them, but to act worthy of them. senator dole lived up to this challenge devoting his entire life and service to the country he loved and to our cherished national values for which he fought. i remember when we were gathered here honoring president herbert walker bush and how moved the whole nation was to see senator dole salute president bush. so generous he was. so as we honor his life this morning let us resolve to meet his challenge, what he said to act worthy of our ideals and carry on his mission. when we in congress gave senator dole the congressional gold medal, he brought luster to the award in receiving it just as his service and sacrifice brought luster to the congress and to the country. may it be a comfort to you, robin, to elizabeth and all who love them that so many people across the congress, the country, his beloved state of kansas that a grateful nation mourns with them and are praying for you at this sad time. may senator dole rest in the peace that he deserves. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable joseph r. biden junior, president of the united states. >> vice president harris, speaker pelosi, majority leader schumer and leader mcconnell, members of congress, distinguished guests, but most importantly, elizabeth and robin. i know this is not easy. thank you for letting us do this. we meet here at the very heart of american democracy, the capitol of the united states of america, to receive a hero of that democracy for a final time. robert joseph dole belongs here in this place, in this temple of liberty, to liberty and a temple to possibilities. bob dole loved this capitol. before he served the nation, shaped by the figures that surround us. washington, jefferson, who set us on our path. abraham lincoln, another man who from the heartland of the country from where he came. bob's hero, dwight david eisenhower. martin luther king junior who he helped honor the civil rights leader with a holiday. bob stood up and got that done. gerald ford, who served here and with whom bob sought the vice president of the united states. in a sense bob belongs here. he, too, was a giant of our history and that's real. of wit and grace, principle and persistence, of courage and conviction, i had a great honor of serving with bob, as many of you around this casket have, i served with him for 25 years. he did have great wit. they once asked him why in god's name did he vote to continue to fund amtrak. he said because if he didn't biden would stay overnight and cause more trouble. i commuted every day. true story. he was the deciding vote. well, you know, bob and i, like many of us today, we disagreed on a number of things but not on any of the fundamental things. we still found a way to work together. we genuinely respected one another as colleagues and as fellow americans. it was real. it wasn't fake. and we became great friends because bob deserves a final word, i like to read a portion of his final message that he left to the country and i hope we all listen to it in the days and weeks and months to come. and i quote bob dole. i cannot pretend that i have not been a loyal champion of my party but have always served my country best when i did it so first and foremost as an american. prioritized principles over party, humanity over personal legacy. when we do that we accomplish far more as a nation. by leading we shared faith in each other, we become america at its best. he went on to say a beacon of hope, a source of comfort in crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom, our nation has certainly faced periods of division, but at the end of the day we have always found ways to come together. we can find that unity again and the message said, end of message. my fellow americans, america has lost one of our greatest patriots. we may follow his wisdom, i hope, and the timeless truth that the truth of the matter is as divided as we are the only way forward for democracy is unity, consensus, the only way. may we follow his wisdom and his timeless truth and reach consensus, the basic fundamental principles we all agree on. may god bless bob dole, and god bless america. may god protect our troops. >> ladies and gentlemen, staff sergeant ethan green, u.s. army chorus, accompanied by by mrs. green. [piano playing] ♪ great is thy faithfulness, o god my father ♪ ♪ there is no shadow of turning with thee ♪ ♪ thou changeest not, thy compassions they fail not ♪ ♪ as thou has been thou forever wilt be ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness ♪ ♪ morning by morning new mercies i see ♪ ♪ all i have needed thy hand hath provided ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness, lord unto me ♪ ♪ pardon for sin and a peace that endureeth ♪ ♪ thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide ♪ ♪ strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow ♪ ♪ blessings all mine with 10,000 besides ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness ♪ ♪ morning by morning new mercies i see ♪ ♪ all i have needed, thy hand hath provided ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness, lord unto me ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness ♪ ♪ morning by morning new mercies i see ♪ ♪ all i have needed, thy hand hath provided ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, lord unto me ♪ [silence] [silence] >> ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the benediction delivered by senate chaplain black. >> let us pray. great is your faithfulness, o god our father. so help us to see death as you see it, not at the end, but the beginning. not a wall, but a doorway. not a dark road, but a path that leads to eternal light and life. lord, we will miss the honorable robert joseph dole. but we thank you for the blessed gift of memory. may our minds and hearts be filled with the wonderful recollections of his patriotism, courage, integrity, and wit. continue to be for his beloved elizabeth and precious robin a refuge and strength. now bless us all and keep us. make your face shine upon us and be gracious to us. lift the light of your countenance upon us and give us your shalom, your peace. we pray in the name of the one who said i am the resurrection and the life. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain at your seats until escorted to pay your respects by the sergeants at arms staff. >> dana: and that was a beautiful ceremony. you just heard the benediction by the senate blackman barry black and karl rove you've been listening and watching along with us. a fitting tribute today? >> absolutely. and let's be certain what this moment is. it's not merely to mark the end of the life of robert dole, but to mark also the end of the greatest generation and their involvement in the politics of our country. this moment began to draw to a close a few short years ago with the death of george h.w. bush and that moment where bob dole got to his feet and saluted his veteran colleague. this is the last of the greatest generation who played a role in the political life in our country and shaped the modern america where we live. the men and women between the end of world war ii and the end of the 20th century defeated communism, made america the dominant power in the world, improved our society and sought to do right. >> bill: that was a powerful moment with elizabeth dole putting her head and hands on his casket. >> dana: quite a love story between the two of them. >> bill: josh holmes is still with us as well. did you get the sense when you spoke to him a few days ago that he was coming to the end of his time here? >> yeah, actually, bill, we have kind of a funny throwaway question that we do at the end of every interview with every guest we've ever had. if you can plan your last meal on ert, what would it be. >> he said biscuits and gravy and i've been having it every night for quite some time. something that betrays both wit and humor and also a reality his end was coming sometime soon. he was very well aware of that. >> dana: josh, maybe just one other comment here about the bipartisan nature of these events. we do know how to do this well, to grieve and salute and to have a moment together to recognize a wonderful life such as bob dole's. >> he is an impossible man not to respect and really to love what he has done for our country and done as a young man, as a soldier, throughout his career as a politician, both in the senate and ultimately running for president and vice president but also sort of a stable spokesperson for a country that i think karl aptly referred to as the generation who helped this country build into what it is today and he certainly is a face of that and was a face of that in his post political career and helped us get along with good humor in a way that not many people in miss line of work could do. so i think it's a moving, very important tribute for members of both parties to be there. but i have think he is somebody who is uniquely able to do that easily for most people. >> bill: outside in the chilly morning air is chad pergram at the top of the 34 steps we saw with the casket being carried up a short time ago and carried out later tomorrow for the funeral. chad, he gave excellent information earlier today and i want to point out the headline for bob dole's recognition here makes him only the 33rd american citizen to be awarded this honor upon passing. >> sacred temple in the american political experience, the capitol rotunda and why so few people have laid in state there. we talked about george h.w. bush and daniel laying in state there. that's what this is all about. the difference is during a pandemic, much like the situation last summer with john lewis, the late democratic congress from georgia, the public could not file through and circulate and pay their last respects to bob dole. but the thing that always gets me when we have these ceremonies where someone lays in state you have the honor guard that stands vigil through the night hour by hour switching every 15 minutes or so. the capitol is completely silent and all you hear are the clicking of their heels and echoes throughout this building behind me. the other thing i wanted to talk about here was the humor of bob dole. he was a pitch man in his post senate life. a pitch man in the senate and maybe why he was good with advertising later in his career because he was selling legislative proposals, ideas to voters and fellow senators. later he did ads for visa, viagra, pepsi, britney spears and this shows dole's humor. as you know, bill, i taught for many years in washington for our common alma mater miami of ohio and i took a group of students to see bob dole in 2001 right after they released the britney spears pepsi ad bob dole appears it. i had a student named britney buck lynn and she said my name is britney. he said i know a britney, too, everybody laughed. it was kind of bob dole's humor there. when the history books are written, one of the 10 most legendary senators to serve. of course, tomorrow he will be honored at the national cathedral. later in the afternoon the motorcade will drive by the world war ii memorial here on the national mall and we talk about him being a pitchman. he raised hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars to get that built. this was a piece of legislation that was introduced first in the late 1980s by marcy, a democratic congresswoman from northern ohio. it never went anywhere. strom thurmond signed on. it was bob dole soliciting private donations to get this built. here is the other thing interesting about dole. he would often go down there on the weekends just to meet with people, world war 2, veterans coming in and shake a hand and all over washington the stories legend there is bob dole. not just there but here in washington he was washington's other celebrity and we all seemed to know his hometown russell, kansas, everybody knew where that was. everybody knew he was from russell, kansas. he would talk about it in that flat -- you know, drawl there that was as flat as the kansas prairie but everybody knew about russell, kansas. >> bill: great stories. thank you for sharing that with our audience today. chad pergram and josh knowles and karl rove. >> dana: let's listen in again. [silence] >> bill: as we watched the change of the guard. there will be a funeral tomorrow at the national cathedral and we'll have coverage remembering the life of bob development it was back in february this year dole revealed he had stage 4 lung cancer and starting treatment. the sunday at the age of 98 he died in his sleep. bob dole, we remember him and the life of service he has given to america today. you know, he gave it a shot to run for the highest office in the land in 1976. he failed in undercard. the vice president's nominee with gerald ford, jimmy carter winning that election. came back again at the top of the ticket in 1996 and chose jack kemp to be his running mate. what i remember from that time, jack kemp was a football player and really put a laser focus on budgets and deficits and government spending and living within your means and based on my recollection that's what that campaign was all about in 1996. >> dana: i really feel i cut my teeth in politics during that time and had the dole camp t-shirt, still got it. karl, those ideals and that idea of that dole/kemp wanted to pursue for america, are those in the rearview mirror of the republican party or still remnants of it exist? >> i hope they are not in the rearview mirror. it was a strong belief in free markets and the actions of free men and women in determining the course of their lives. in limited government and strong defense and personal responsibility and i hope all of those things are still at the heart and a big part of the fiber of the republican party. bob dole was a political animal. he could tell you what was going on in every one of the 105 counties in kansas at any given time. he kept touch with people back home. he literally visited every one of the 105 counties every two years he made certain he had visited every single one of them and it was because he drew his inspiration and his ideals from the common sense values of the people of kansas that he represented. >> dana: as we see here, the senators continue to file past. many of them who worked with bob dole. the senator from oklahoma there. josh, a lot of these people have served for a long time together but there are new senators and there is a new feeling and vibe in the senate, even maybe since you have left the chamber. any final reactions on that? >> everybody has a story about bob dole. he was an omnipresent figure. he visited with new staff and senators from kansas all the tips and more. as karl mentioned this is somebody who never lost touch where he was from in russell, kansas and never lost touch of where he worked in the united states senate. so i think there is great reverence for him there today. >> bill: i thought the story chad pergram gave us a moment ago, karl, was quite touching. the fact that he worked so hard for that memorial for the second world war and would go down there. >> dana: what a legacy. >> bill: without cameras, just go there and wait for veterans across the country to arrive at a monument that clearly shaped the lives of these men and women for a lifetime. >> i went there one saturday at elizabeth dole's request. we had an apartment at the watergate and she mentioned she saw me and said you ought to come and i did. and for many veterans, it was a powerful or emotional experience seeing a monument to the bright young years that they spent saving western civilization itself but you could tell a high point was to see their comrade in arms, bob dole and to go over to him seated in his wheelchair and receive a hearty hello and exchange a quiet moment together and pose for a picture and there are broad smiles on every one of those faces as they put their hand on his shoulder as he looked up at them. it meant a great deal to him and it should. this was a pivotal moment in the history of our civilization that men and women like bob dole and george h.w. bush and strom thurmond and many, many others, that they stood up in a moment of danger and went into combat, went into the fire to save the values that we hold so dear. it was a crucible that created their lives in the years to come whether it was jack kennedy, dick nixon or bob dole. this was a seminole experience of their lives and how important it was to stand up for freedom. >> bill: 79 years of commitment out of a total 98. that's something else. thank you. >> dana: thank you all. >> bill: thank you all and thank you, senator robert dole, russell, kansas. >> dana: hair >> harris: fox news alert. american cities under siege by criminals. at least 12 american cities have hit record high homicide numbers now and it turns out democratic mayors lead every single one of those cities. i'm harris faulkner and you are in "the faulkner