country, where we want to go as a country and to be known for and how he want history to remember us, our nation as been tested many times we fought a civil war, we have fought in world wars, had presidents and presidential candidates assassinated. attacks on congress and members of congress, periods of pain as our brothers and sisters fall to be equal, full participants in this experiment calls america, many of us lived through the attacks of september 11, and octobers of terror -- acts of terror, domestic and otherwise. here we are the united states of america. tonight i want us to to what great nations do, what great people do, look at where we have been, look at where we are, and most importantly look at where we want to go as we seek a more perfect union. we begin with chuck hagel former secretary of defense of the great state of nebraska. mr. secretary, you represented the united states on the world stage. when you look at that stage today, what givens you cause for optimism and concern? >> trey, thank you for having me on. as for the question, i'm a realistic. but an optimist. i have always been an optimist. with that said the realism of my years of experience, who i am and what i believe, tells me we have some problems there are serious warning signs out there. i think they are reflected in many ways in our culture, our society. but as you look in the world, i think this is a time it is defining. a defining time. i think historians who write about this period will probably reference it that way. i think your country off and balance, i think that the world is off balance, when the united states is off balances word is off balance, we're politically divide like i've never seen in my lifetime, we're polarized as a nation. we have had 20 difficult years of two wars that not ended well. a lot of mistakes. a lot of stumbling, yet we are as ronald reagan once said, the shiny city on the hill. the question is do americans truly believe that and do our allies, friends and adversaries believe that, as they have since world war ii. this is a time of testing. trey: mr. secretary, you mentioned balance, you served in the highest levels of government, things were not fantastic when i was in congress, but they were better than they are now, how to we restore some semblance of balance, as you use the word. >> it starts like we all start with our family respect for one another, respect for the law. believing that we can do better, recognizing our mistakes, the fact is the strength of our country, i think it probably three-legged. a constitution that is living, we have 27 amendments to constitution, we didn't get it all right the first time, we can self correct. we have done this in our history, because we're a nation of law we follow laws some, need to be changed, amended. yes, it is not perfect. the quality of our people, we were form, founded in a way like no other country. i think americans across board, they are fair, i think they are descent. and i think they are honest. that is where we go back to that time. go back to your communities, your communities that shaped you and raised you that gave you values, your family, i think that is where we have to go back to, to get ourselves straightened out, i do believe we will, i don't think it will be quick. i think we'll go through in bumpy years ahead. but we will self-correct. the difference now is the immediacy of our world, the world we're in. we live in a inner connected world, we don't have the luxury of time like we had. that is a concern. for us to get back on our feet, self-correct, back on a track that we can recognize as americans. and the world can recognize that and have confidence in us. trey: mr. secretary, thank you for your service to our country in every way it manifest itself, i hope you and your family and your community have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. >> thank you, you too, trey. trey: we're joined by another former secretary of defense leon panetta, also served cia director, white house chief of staff, he now serves as cofounder of panetta institute of public policy, i had secretary hagel oi want to be fair, ask you both kind of the same question, what gives you cause for optimism or concern as you assess the world today? >> i think there is a lot of danger points, in the world that we're facing, a lot of flash points probably more since world war ii. if you look at the fact that we're continues to confront terrorism in the world. if you look at the fact that there are failed states in the middle east which breed terrorism and you look at china and the threat that china represents to the united states and to the world. russia new era of the cold war. north korea, expanding its nuclear weapon stock pile. and iran which is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, then look at cyber and cyberattacks that have taken place across the world. there are a lot of danger points that i worry about. and the question is, whether or not the united states can provide the world leadership working with our allies to confront those danger points. i'm optimistic if we can develop those alliances. trey: mr. secretary, sometimes politics likes to dumb things down to simple choices, for people who want to be open to either but they want wisdom to know which is appropriate when, what a good rule or a good test to evacuate whether the united states should -- to evaluate whether the united states should get involved or something. >> i felt our responsibility, my responsibility, was to protect the american people. and to protect our national security. and i think that is kind of the critical formula that will is essential as we deal with the challenges, which is. is there a threat out there? that could impact on our national security? and therefore, what steps should we take in order to make sure we protect our national security and the american people. i think that we do need to be a world leader. i think it is important that reach out in a global world, and try to be able to build the kind of relationship with other countries that can provide strength through alliances. i think that china and russia, the one thing they hate the most is is a alliances, i think that is power greatest strength. in to doing that we're also protecting our national interest our country, america needs to be strong, economic like morally and terms of our values. important thing is we need to take our values and show the rest of the world what it means to be a democracy, and what it means to be respect our freedoms. trey: mr. secretary, you and i did not serve together, you had gone on to bigger and better things by the time i got to the house, i did see you, i saw you in the member gym, you could not tell whether you were speaking to republicans or democrats, you haded same optimism, you were jovial no matter who you were talking to. we're not in any more, i'm not in any more. it does not look like that any more, among our streaks, it used to be a political cohesion when we needed one, how concerned are you with the state of politics in the body we used to serve in. >> we talked about threat to our national security, one of the worst threat is the disfunction that we see in washington in terps of the inability of both parties to be willing to work together and try to resolve the issues that face our nation, i have said in my 50 years in public life, i have seen washington at its best and washington at its worst, i have seen washington work, i have seen republicans and democrats willing to work together on issues. we have our political differences but there was a will to confront major issues and work together. today, there is a deep partisanship, an anger, frustration, between the parties. that makes both sides unable to try to find that common ground. that is essential if we're going to govern, that, i worry about that. i think if we have a strong democracy, we have to get back to governing. >> mr. secretary, thank you for your service, to our country and the various ways that manifest itself, and i hope and you your family had a wonderful christmas and have a wonderful 2022. >> thank you, trey, i wish and you your family happy holidays and a happy new year. trey: yes, sir, thank you. >> coming up learns from history means knowing history, who gets to write it next, next on "sunday night in america." knowing where you came from, it gives you a sense of “this is who i am”. oh my goodness... wow, look at all those! you get hungry for more and then you're just like, “wow, i'm learning about my family.” yeah, yep. which one, what'd you find? lorraine banks, look, county of macomb, michigan? look at grandma... hey grandma! unbelievable. everybody deserves to know who they are and where they came from. ohhh...cool. this whole journey has been such a huge gift for our family. - [narrator] gift yourself a hairclub consultation and get 20% off your personalized hair solution. head into the new year with life-changing hair solutions. not forgettable resolutions. hairclub. love your hair. live your life. ♪♪ the only thing a disaster can't destroy is hope. ♪♪ donate now at redcross.org trey: history, who writes it. trey: what is highlights? what is ignored? is it possible to recognize and remember our history even our painful parts without -- sizing it? joining us now dr. bill bennett, served as secretary of education under president ronald reagan. and nation's 50 drug czar under president george h.w. bush, fox news contributor, author of more than 20 books, including set of history books, entitled, "america: our last best." dr. bennett, welcome and why it is important to study history. >> we remain unknown to ourselves in a culture if we don't know where we came from and where we were born and how we were born as a country, we are strangers in our own land. we have obligations at citizens, there is a story to be told about that. the real blessing is to have been born in america. it is the best winning lottery in the world to have been born here with all of the advantages of this country. it is the greatest story ever told in history. maybe the second greatest story ever told of all-time. birth of christ is the most important. but, that story has to be told it has to be told accurately, it can be told accurately, but lately not having so much luck teaching it accurately. trey: dr. bennett, you are a smart guy, a guy that is a deep thinker to me. i'll pose this question to you, they say hindsight is 2020, what is the right way to evaluate the actions and decisions of those who came before us? we know what our own sense of morality and truth is. what is the right way to view the decisions of those who came 200 or 400 years before us? >> well, i think we view them with realism, with understanding. we don't want to be guilty of presentism, that is importing our understanding and at attitudes of people two00 years okay take them as they were, flaws and all. when we think about the founders, that is how we should take them, never the less, whatever flaws or warts or failings, they gave to us the greatest country in the history of the world, you take men, women and totality of their actions and in that, they come across well. the point here is you do about founders who owned slaves, you say that is too bad, they should not have, a lot of the founders understood there was something wrong in owning slaves, men of the great men at that time freed their slaves and wrote about the eventual freedom for all. trey: dr. bennett, imagine you get to teach a 60 minute class to all of america. and it is mandatory attendance, you have everyone's attention, what are stories of history that you think are under appreciated or under known you would stress? >> i think i would stress the importance of knowing how unique and special this country is. we're the most generous country in the world, the most formidable, we used to be, i'm worried it may not be any more. i would stress, if are living in a terrible poor, feeling god forsaken. you see a group of soldiers come over a hill, they are carrying a flag. what flag do you want it to be? do you want it to be flag of the united states of america, that remains try no matter what people say about the country. when i was secretary, i used to teach classes over 120 schools, i remember a young lady in high school in san diego, said you rail love this country how come, i said, you know it is really interesting but people love this country and want to come to this country. and i believe that there is something called gates test, everyone country has gates when you raise the gates, which way do people run, do they run in our out. i said, we raise the our gates here people run in and even when we don't raise the gates people run in, what is it about this country that makes it possible, i would tell the stories of freedom, and stories of opportunity and stories of resolve. and aspiration. we talk about the american dream, the really interesting thing about the american dream, it has a way of coming true. it has come true for many, many people. and those people amassed at the border, and we need to do something about that for sure. they want to be a part of the american dream, that is understandable. trey: wisdom of dr. bill bennett, thank you for your service to our country in every way it has manifest itself, have the joyous holiday season. >> thank you, merry christmas, and happy new year. trey: yes, sir. >> from medicine to physics, and space travel and autos. what is next. "sunday night in america." trey: from life saving vaccines to robots on march, research inovation saved lives and prolonged lives, here to help us work to next 50 years of innovation. doctor thank you for joining us, i have watched a lot of your interviews, you make science exciting. what has you most evited about the innovations in science yet to come? >> well, we're now entering fourth stage of technology. the first stage was the machine age. the industrial revolution. and second stage was electric revolution. which gave us light bulb and radio and television, third was computer revolution. now we're entering fourth stage, artificial intelligence. future of your internet will be in your contact lens, you will blink, and you will be on-line, if i see you in the future, i will see your biography printed out, if you speak to me in greek or chinese or contact lens will translate to english. and if talk to your dr., -- doctor, you look at your wrist watch and talk to robobot. if you want to talk to your car, you will talk to your wrist watch, car, pick me up and park yourself, cars will become intelligent, you will talk to your cars, you will argue with your car to find out best route. artificial intelligence will be everywhere. and nowhere. hidden in the environment, meaning all our need -- meeting our needs just by asking for it. trey: doctor this is a little bit of a philosophical question, technology and innovation to me, seems benign, what we do with it what makes it good or not, drugs can relief pain, make us better or leave us addicted. how do we make sure that the technological advances make society better and not used for bad? >> well, all technologies are a double edge sword, one side can cut against ignorance, poverty and disease, and the other side can caught against you, we have to make sure that democrats rule the sword of technology, make sure that democratic input, that people have a say in how this technology is being used. now, some people fear artificial intelligence they watch hollywood movies, we have been brain wash by hollywood, our most advanced robots don't know they are robots, they are that stupid, compared to animal, most advance military robot in the forest would be comparable to a mouse or a cockroach. we have nothing to fear from that aspect of artificial intelligence. still maybe a hundred years in the future when robots become self aware, at that point we should put a chip in their brain to shut them off if they have murderious thoughts. trey: all right, ien to top don't want to live on mars because they don't have golf courses, i hear a lot of talk about living on other planets. do you think that will ever really happen? >> i think that the cost of space travel is dropping to the point that one day mom and dad could go into outer space. i would not be surprised whether some day people will honeymoon on the moon. space travel is becoming very cheap it used to cost 10,000 to put a pound of anything into orbit. that is your weight in goal, gold. think of an astronaut made out of solid gold, but costs are dropping, rockets are now reusable, we use them over and over. your car, if you use your car once, and you junk it, how much would a car cost? cars would cost millions of dollars if you used them just once, that is what situation is with rockets, we use rockets only once then junk them, that is why they are so expensive, now rockets are reusable. prices are dropping. billionaires are opening their checkpoints to subsidize a lot of very expensive ventures, what remember the train was evented and airplane, first it was use forward cargo, for troops for commerce, second, millionaires began to say, i could use the train, i could use the airplane. and then we had designer airplanes flying rich people around. stage 3, we're in, mom and dad can get on an airplane and get on a train. same thing with strays travel, at first it was only nation states that could go into outer space. now billionaires are going into outer space, but evenly mom and dad will go. trey: i am glad you did well in physics, i appreciate you coming on putting it to where i can understand it. i know our viewers, can thank you, happy holidays. >> my pleasure happy holidays. trey: yes, sir. >> america's political environment is not very inspiring right now, but maybe there is hope for tomorrow. maybe there are elected officials trying to broaden the audience for their ideas. we'll look at it next on "sunday night in america." with directv stream i can get live tv and on demand anywhere. look, serena williams... matrix... serena... matrix... serena... matrix... ♪ ♪ ♪ get your tv together with the best of live and on demand. introducing directv stream. - [narrator] this holiday season, gift yourself something miraculous. - [woman 1] oh my god! - [woman 2] wow. - [woman 3] best gift ever. - [announcer] gift yourself a hairclub consultation and get 20% off your personalized hair solution. love your hair. live your life. trey: welcome back to sunday night in, president barack obama, candidate hillary clinton and president joe biden all won hispanic vote, but margins have been tightening. "wall street journal" poll shows hispanic voters are evenly split between republican and democrat parties tied at 37%, what has changed? for years so-called expert say that republican party would be doomed if it did not support some form of amnesty for those here unlawfully, nothing really has happened on the immigration front beyond the reality that it continues to be a political issue. so what explains the narrowing of the gap between the parties? if this poll is correct, what explains the two parties now being essentially tied in the eyes of hispanic voters? joining us now, florida congresswoman maria salazar, great to have you back, what do you make of this new data? >> well, thank you for the opportunity, few things, we share -- we hispanics, the brown, latinos, largest minority in u.s., 20% of population, we share this same value that are entrenched in the republican party, god-fearing, law-abiding tax paying, we're americans, we're socialists, we want to come and contribute. what is happening is the economy. what do you think we come here for, we want to contribute, not go to disney world or shop at saks' fifth avenue, we want to contribute, we know american exceptionality is waiting for us, the promised land. and the economic policies that were established in the last administration, helped everyone's pocket, i am he happy that new numbers show it we're here because we know we want to be republicans. and we have realized in the last 30 years, political -- democratic party has been playing political football with us. i say that in 2008, president obama promised my community and immigration reform law. within the first 100 days of his president see, nothing, he invested his political capital no obamacare, and president biden said at beginning of this year, within the first 100 days of my presidency, i will do an immigration reform law. what happened, he ditched us, now time for g.o.p. to welcome my people, and we will do an i'm fraction an immigration reform law god permits next year. trey: for 8 years i was there they would bring in so-called immigration experts, all of whom looked like me. and said you need to do the following things or you will never appeal to hispanic voters, whether rightfully or wrongfully republican party did not do any of those remember were the experts wrong or what explains this evolution within the hispanic community toward the republican party. >> -- what i just said, realized after 30 years after ronald reagan, the last president who game this community some type was legality for 30 years the democratic party has been playing political football. what i said to my community, you have to be with whom ever serves your values and fixes your problem, we come because we know this is the promised land we want to share the fruits, and we want to have a better economy. we want to be able to go from rags to riches, that is what this american exceptionality promises, i am the cube daughter of cuban refugees, 60 years ago, they came to the promise land because democratic socialism destroyed their country, look at my, i am a brown girl from the hood with an accent, serving my community on u.s. congress, that only happens in united states, my people know about it i am happy, we welcome them to g.o.p. we share the same value, god fear, law abiding tax paying, we want to contribute and be welcomed by g.o.p., so for doing 8 a great job, we need to send message we want to take care of those hispanics, we will seal the border, we, my community we don't want what is happening, the disarray we see at the border, no, we want to come in legally, contribute and live the american dream. and i am the best example of what that is, i am the american dream. we are americans, we're not socialists. trey: congresswoman, i for one, wish that we had the chance to hear you while i was there instead of the so-called political experts who told us all the other things because you make a very. >> case. >> >> i want to say something. let me say, we know that unfortunately democratic party has been infiltrated by the democratic socialist at end they are marxists, we're recognizing from the mexicans to cubans to hon -- we want to save our children, and future generations, from that ideology. that is another element, that is why we're moving to the g.o.p. trey: we will give you the last word. and we're delighted you are in what you call the promise land, have a great 2022. >> merry christmas? s. >> you too. trey: there are still reasons to be hopeful we look at some of them together next on sunday night in america. look! oh my god... oh wow. ♪ i want my daughter riley to know about her ancestors and how important it is to know who you are and to know where you came from. doesn't that look like your papa? that's your great grandfather. it's like opening a whole 'nother world that we did not know existed. ♪ you finally have a face to a name. when you give the gift of ancestry®, you give the gift of family. ♪ ♪♪ the only thing a disaster can't destroy is hope. ♪♪ donate now at redcross.org ♪ ♪ deck the halls ♪ ♪ trey: welcome back to "sunday night in america," we enjoy hearing from you, e-mail and social media, learning what is on your mine each week. tonight, adrianna with our first question. >> hey, trey, what is your favorite kind of music? trey: well, if you were to hack to iphone you would hear glen campbell, and led zeppelin and leona louis. if i had to pick one it would be country, my wife listening to contemporary christian. i listen to country music. >> fatima from arizona. >> i'm planning on a vacation, what country should go i next? trey: to israel. that is where i want to go next. take my wife terry, so much history for pier itial people like terry. and i think you should go to south america if you have not. i would love to go back there. >> kristy from oklahoma. >> my son graduated from ou, 25 and looking for a job, how do i get him motivated. >> it is hard to motivate other people, they have to do that themselves, my mom can get me to do things no one else can get me to do, i'm sure health listen to you. -- sure he will listen to you evenly, i would tell him, he needs to do something even if not hisper -- the perfect job. most of us did not start with a dream job, getzlaf get used to working with others, find whatever in life is session significant to and for him. to me moms are there for love, and dads say go get a job. joan from richmond, virginia. >> what brings happiness to your day, and how are you overcoming the impact of covid on your life? trey: happiness is routine, i eat the same thing every morning, i follow the same pattern each day unless i'm traveling. i am an inpro vert -- introvert. happiness, live playing golf with my son, and listening to our daughter at the end of her day, see how law school is going, as far as covid. i've been lucky, covid not nearly had impact on my life as had with others. with very few exceptions family and friends are healthy. >> our final question from steve. >> do you have any new year's resolutions? trey: i do like new year's day. you have a different take on resolutions and goals. if i need to change something, i should do it in april or june or october or whenever my wife tells me i need to change something. if my suits down fit -- don't fit, i need to deal with this immediately, i don't like the sun to go down with unresolved issues, i'm not waiting on a calendar to change. i believe in goals, i believe in change, i don't believe in waiting until january the 1 to do what needs to be done today. that said, i think my wife terry is working on a list of things that i need to do better. she just said something about going to the store to get more pens and paper, to finish her list, i'll let you know when she lits me know. if you have a question or new year's resolution you would like to share, send us a video or message on-line. >> this say magical season we're in. season of meractets and kindness and hope. i have always had a complicated relationship with hope. on the one hand i am surrounded by people who practice it, on the other hand it was hard to find much hope in a criminal courtroom or really even in congress. you do find this notion of hope at houses of worship, and at weddings, it is literally impossible to go to a wedding without hearing a bible verse, these things remain, love wins. faith and hope must be pretty powerful to be mentioned in the same sentence. hope is powerful when we see it. hope is powerful when we receive. hope is most powerful when we give it. it is all around us, if we look in the right places. somewhere in america over the holidays, a community is taking care of those who are cold and hungry and lonely. it likely will not make the news. we might not ever hear about it but we know it is happening. it should give us hope. somewhere in america believes are buying presents for children whose parents are in prison, likely not make the news we might not ever hear about it, but we know if is happening that should give us hope. somewhere in america people of different races and faith and political beliefs are gathering to fight the enemy of loneliness, inviting people to join our families so they have someone to be with over the holidays, it wouldn't make the news but we continue is happening. that some give us hope. somewhere in america, there was a break in, and christmas presents were stolen, but you found out about it and you replaced those christmas presents for children who are not your own, that should give us hope. somewhere in america, men and women are splitting fire wood and dropping it off for people who need it. and that should give us hope. somewhere in america, a widow is putting more money in to a salvation army kettle then she can afford, she knows it is better to give than to receive. that should give us hope. i do not know where our culture and media are focused on the negative. i'm not smart enough to figure out whether it supply issue or a demand issue. what i do know is most people are good. anonymously good. as we close one year and stand on the doorstep of a new one, there are stories of hope and love and faith around us. and that is enough to make even's cynic hopeful. faith, hope and love. it is uncanny how often we find them in close proximity to one another, roommates living in the say the same apartment. the kindness of american people that gives me hope. it is there. even when we don't hear or read about it. it is there. these these things remain. when all else fades, faith, hope and love. thank you for spending part of your sunday with us, i hope you have a great week ahead, good night in from south carolina and happy new year. plan ♪ ♪ ♪ mike: president biden speaks to fears over the rapid spread of omicron, but his pandemic response faces rising criticism. >> this is not marge, of 2020. we are prepared. we know more. mike: the white house rolls out its plan to get at home at rapid tests into the hands of all americans while many scrambled to get tested for holiday gatherings and travel. >> we have been delayed 120 minutes. mike: and as covid concerns