Transcripts For FOXNEWSW Special Report With Bret Baier 20191113

I do not know the identity of the whistleblower. Speak with first public hearing opened with public squabbling over the person who brought the complaint over the call with the ukrainian president. The witnesses, top diplomat to ukraine, bill taylor, sitting sidebyside with secretary of state george kent. In a new disclosure, taylor said he was told last week about a colleague who overheard President Trump on a july 26 phone call with the u. S. Ambassador to the e. U. A member of my staff could hear President Trump on the phone asking ambassador sondland about the investigations. Mr. Sondland told President Trump, the ukrainians were ready to move forward. Ohio republican jim jordan, who was added to the intelligence committee, challenged taylors understanding of facts. You are their star witness. I have seen Church Prayer changes that are easier to understand in this. I dont consider myself a star witness. Im not here to take one side or the other or to advocate a particular outcome. Taylor, a west point graduate, referred to his very detailed notes of events. Republicans countered, taylor and kent do not have direct knowledge and never spoke to President Trump about ukraine. Officials alarm at the president s actions was typically based on a secondhandn fourth hand rumors. Democrats pushed back. The white house is fronting those who have spoken with the president from testifying about it. I suspect if you have a problem with hearsay, you have a lot more direct testimony and direct evidence if you werent blocking that ability. Taylor said he was concerned about the allegation of withholding security funding in exchange for help with President Trumps political campaign. It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was a logical. It could not be explained. It was crazy. Texas republican John Ratcliffe asked if president zelensky was lying when he said repeatedly that he had no knowledge of u. S. Military aid being withheld. Ambassador taylor, do you have any of evidence to us or the president zelensky was lying to the world press when he said . I have no reason to doubt what the president said. Schiff responded saying the ukrainian president wouldnt dare cross President Trump. If you were to contradict President Trump directly, they would be sophisticated enough to know that they may pay a very heavy price with this president. Were they not . Thats a fair assessment. Republicans bush to have a whistleblower testify. No surprise, democrats have a different view. I would be glad to have a person who started it all come in and testify President Trump is welcome to take a seat right there. Next up, ambassador marie jovanovich, recalled from ukraine from a public hearing on friday. Next, if our witnesses, including three, jim morrison,n the hill. Thanks. President trump says he did not budge a minute of that hearing today but he says he was told everything presented was thirdhand information. Chief White House Correspondent john roberts has that part of the story tonight. Introduced conference late this afternoon with turkish president erewhon, President Trump said he knew nothing about the july 26th telephone call ambassador bill taylor recalled in his testimony today. Taylor saying and eight overheard the president ask Ambassador Gordon Sondland what the status of the ukraine investigations were. I know nothing about that. First time i have heard it. The one thing ive seen that sondland said was that he did speak to me for a brief moment and i said, no quid pro quo under any circumstances. That is true. I have never heard this in any event, it is more secondhand information but have never heard it. Do you recall any conversations . I dont recall, not at all, not even a little bit. The only thing and i guess sondland has stayed with his testimony, there was no quid pro quo. Pure and simple. The white house just missed taylors new as hearsay of hearsay with no evidence of a quid pro quo come a pointing out the president mentioned the investigations in his july 26 phone call with president zelensky and that of course he would mention it today after. The method from the white house, the democrats have based this entire sham on what amounts to a game of telephone. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeting, dems star witnesses can provide any firsthand knowledge of any wrongdoing by the president. Their own testimony contradicts the dems false quid pro quo narrative. These are essentially two bureaucrats with a Foreign Policy gripe. President trump did not see much, if any, of the hearings, spending a large part of the day with erdogan. In bilateral meetings, leader with five republican senators, trying to find a way to get through some serious disagreements with turkey. No, i do not watch it. I am too busy to watch it. Its a witch hunt. Its a hoax. Im too busy to watch it. The white houses Rapid Response organization was buzzing today, pushing back against every piece of evidence the democrats extracted from their witnesses. Criticizing taylor for relying on hearsay and conjecture, some 17 times during his opening statement, insisting that Deputy Assistant secretary of state george kent contradicted the democrats assertion that there was a quid pro quo. President trump also took aim at the Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson for bringing the whistleblower complaint to congress. Yesterday, fox news confirmed that the president had vented his frustrations with atkinson, at one point saying something to the effect of can we get rid of him. I want to find out why the ig, why would he have presented that, when in fact all he had to do was check the call itself and he would have seen it. At the news conference, President Trump also said that tomorrow, he will release a memorandum of his first call with the ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky. That was the one that took place on april 21st, right after zelensky was elected president. Even one of the democrats made witnesses, Lieutenant Colonel alexander big men, the birth of a National Security council, said he found nothing wrong with that call. Bret . Bret john roberts come alive on the north lawn thank you. New indications tonight that the Justice Department Inspector General is preparing to release his report on the origins of the fbis Russia Collusion Investigation imminently. Correspondent kevin corke with the latest on that. Good evening, kevin. Good evening. The reports release could be imminent, which would cap a 20 month long process. It has been quite a while. Michael horowitz announces investigation, you may remember, back in march of 2018. He was charged with examining possible fisa court abuses by either the doj or the fbi. The attorney general has called inspectors be 5 feet fiercely independent and he said again today that when the report comes out, it will be a credit to the department. It is my understanding that it is imminent. A number of people who were mentioned in the report have had the opportunity right now to comment on how they are quoted in the report. After that process is over, which should be very short, the report will be issued. In addition to examining the doj, the fbis compliance with fisa rules, horowitz is expected to review the relationship and communications with an alleged source related to fisa applications. Horowitzs findings could be useful for u. S. Attorney john durham, who it is also conducting an investigation into the origins of the russia probe, examining the conduct of the doj, the fbi, and the Intelligence Community. You may recall just last month we learned that doron shifted his administrative review to a criminal inquiry, giving his team the power to not only impanel a grand jury, but also handout indictments. Again, we expect the ig report to be released soon. Just how soon remains anyones guess. Bret . Bret kevin, thank you. Closing arguments today in the federal trial of former Trump Confidant Roger Stone for you tomorrow, that will be up to the jury, what his fate is, tonight, correspondent david spunt with white jurors heard during testimony and closing arguments. After a week of testimony, the jury will soon have control over roger stones feet the selfdescribed dirty trickster is accused of what has tampering lying to congress about his alleged role in the wikileaks release of hacked emails to bolster the Trump Campaign in 2016. Several cleats, key witnesses painted a cozy relationship between stone and with wikileaks. On tuesday, former trump official rick gates, who struck a plea deal with robert mueller, testified that he witnessed a july 2016 phone call between then candidate trump and roger stone. Gates told jurors he did not hear the call word for word, but after it ended, trump said more information gates believed to be from wikileaks would be coming. Trump has denied that claim. Gates also said stone texted him in june 2016 asking for Jared Kushners Contact Information to brief the president s soninlaw on wikileaks. Kushner has not publicly responded. Friday, former campaign chief executive yves bannon told the jury that stone was an access point to wikileaks, and while they kept in touch during the campaign, he says stone never bragged about access to nonpublic documents. He said leading up to the campaign, stone implied he could use his wikileaks contacts to obtain information about hillary clinton. Also testifying in front of the jury, a new york radio host and former stone confidant named randy credito. Stones team tried to paint him as a middleman for access to wikileaks head Julian Assange. He met with Julian Assange and said he was not a middleman and of stone, he told jurors, i cant work on his level, he plays hardball, he throws a lot of jobs, and he did not want to get it. The judge told jurors not to watch any of the godfather films as characters were mentioned. They will be back in federal court. Those deliberations will start tomorrow morning. Roger stone, if convicted, could face after 20 years behind bars. According to sentencing guidelines, it is likely that could be reduced. Bret . Bret david spunt outside the federal courthouse. Thank you. Hong kong media are reporting chief executive carrie lam met today with members of her executive council amid growing violence on the streets. They were thought to be discussing enhanced security measures, such as a curfew and postponement of local elections. Authorities have canceled school ween services and streets and rallied in the Central Business district for the third day in a row. Fice in hong kong says the semiautonomous territoryterrori. Israels Prime Minister says his military will keep pounding Islamic Jihad targets without mercy. Until militants stop firing rockets into his country. The fighting has intensified, since it targeted israeli strike earlier this week killed a senior terror leader. Correspondent trey yingst is inside gaza and has a report tonight. The i Israeli Military is target the rocket launching unit of Islamic Jihad today in gaza. Many injuries being brought to the hospital in gaza city. You can see emotions are extremely high as family members are unsure about the fate of their loved ones. Is really f16s the gaza strip wednesday as the Islamic Jihad fired more than 200 rockets into southern israel. Many of the rockets were intercepted by israels defense system, the iron dome. Some slipped through, slamming into houses like this one, wounding an elderly woman. Sirens blared throughout the day in israel as the sounds of funeral processions pierced the air in gaza. Since this new round of conflict began, at least 24 palestinians have been killed and more than 70 injured. What appears from the outside to be a war is just the beginning of violence some analysts warn. So far, the fighting has been only between Islamic Jihad and israel. Hamas, who controlled gaza, it is considering joining the fight. If they do so, the rocket attacks on israel will intensify, and the chances of achieving a ceasefire will be far more difficult. Translator if air strikes and the aggression continue, hamas and the resistance groups will have to morally respond and protect the palestinian people. Ceasefire efforts do appear to be stalled for now as rocket fire continues into southern israel. In the distance w can hear the buzz of israeli drones. The Israeli Military picking out their next targets inside the gaza strip. Bret . Trae youngs live in gaza city thank you. Fx, what democrats on the campaign trail are doing and saying as the impeachment herricks begin first, but here is what some of our fox affiliates are covering. Fox five jenna new york has an arctic blast that caused recordsetting hold in the midwest, now spreading shivers across the eastern u. S. Temperature is dipping to Single Digits early today across parts of the northeast on the heels of an early season snow storm project even lower temperatures or late tonight and early thursday. Some locations in new england and upstate new york. Fox 13 in memphis were attorney general bill barr announces a new Law Enforcement initiative to reduce gun violence across the u. S. Project guardian aims to better enforce the gun background check system, coordinate state and federal gun cases, and ensure prosecutors quickly update databases to show when a defendant cannot possess a firearm because of Mental Health issues. And this is a live look at seattle from our affiliate, q13 fox. The big story they are today, tonight, Tacoma City Council voted unanimously to approve new taxes on guns and ammunition. The taxable at 25 to all firearms purchases. It will also add to 0. 02 for around two purchases of small caliber bullets, 0. 05 per round to all other ammunitions. That is tonights live look outside the beltway from special report. Well be right back. Month after month im doing it all. The supplements. The veggies. The water. But i still have recurring constipation, belly pain, straining and bloating. My doctor said i could have a real medical condition called ibsc. For my recurring constipation and belly pain from ibsc. I said yes to linzess. Linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation. Linzess is not a laxative. It works differently. It helps relieve belly pain and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements. Do not give to children less than six. And it should not be given to children six to less than 18. It may harm them. Do not take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. Get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain. Especially with bloody or black stools. The most common side effect is diarrhea. Sometimes severe. If its severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. Other side effects include gas, stomach area pain and swelling. Im doing it all. And i said yes to linzess. Ask your doctor about linzess. Hi honey, we got in early. Yeah, and we brought steve and mark. Experience the power of sanctuary at the lincoln wish list sales event. Sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down, zero due at signing, and a complimentary first months payment. Bret Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell told congress he expect that the u. S. Economy will continue growing at a solid pace even in the face of Slower Growth overseas antitrade tensions. He warned lawmakers the federal budget is an unsustainable path with high and rising debt. He says the fed is likely to keep its Interest Rates unchanged in coming months. This afternoon, the Treasury Department announced a 134 and a half billion dollar deficit for the first month of fiscal year. That is a 34 increase from last year by the 2020 deficit is projected to top a trillion dollars for the First Time Since 2012. The dow closed at another record high today, gaining 92. The s p 500 was up 2, to a new record close. The 20th of 2019. The nasdaq lost 4. And tonights democracy 2020 report, democratic president ial candidates try to line up a spot on the ballot to replace President Trump next fall. While their colleagues in the house are using the impeachment process to try to remove the president , even sooner, of course. Correspondent peter doocy in New Hampshire again tonight shows us how the two elements fit together. Elizabeth warren, the president ial candidate, becomes elizabeth warren, the senate if the house votes to to impeach President Trump. But shes not following the developments in real time. Im sorry, i havent. I just have not been able to catch up with it. Even though all eyes on your impeachment hearing, warren has two. Some eyes and cross mts to get on the ballot in New Hampshire im officially an. Only one candidates name came up during the impeachment hearings, biden, who spent the day blocks from the capital interesting Union Leaders at a close press event. Have you watched the hearings today, sir . During the down day, he got a boost from a former rival, who said, i think biden is declining. I dont think he is the energy. You see it almost daily and i love the guy. Just decided to endorse the former vp. Regardless of where you live is about who can beat donald trump. The key to that is who can beat donald trump in michigan and wisconsin and western pennsylvania, and ohio, and i am convinced that that is joe biden. Bernie sanders disagrees. He just pulled out a rare grassroots fundraiser in washington more tickets ranged from 27 to the max, 2800. Is unprecedented in that, of course, we want to win the democratic nomination. By the way, dont tell anybody, we are going to win the democratic nomination warrants strategy is heavy on selfies. I have done over 75,000 sulfates. That number could soon freeze because she is promising to stay in d. C. For a potential senate trial no matter how close it comes to iowa or New Hampshire. I have constitutional responsibility if the house goes forward and sends an impeachment over to the senate. I will be there for the trial. As you can see, quite a bit of fanfare for senator warren on her filing day here in New Hampshire. However, if she has to leave the trail for a trial in the senate, its unclear how she keeps this going because whether candidates are in New Hampshire or not, the date of the primary is not going to move. Bret . Bret peter doocy in New Hampshire. Their multiple reports of former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has in fact decided to get in the 2020 race for president. We will follow that development. The Supreme Court says dressed as Ruth Bader Ginsburg most arguments at the court today because she was home sick with a stomach bug. The 86yearold ginsberg has had two separate bouts of cancer in the past year. Her recovery from lung cancer surgery caused her to miss Court Sessions in january. Up next, the troubled relationship between nato and turkey as the turkish president is at the white house. First, beyond our borders tonight. The mayor of venice is blaming Climate Change for flooding the historic italian canal city that has reached the second highest level ever recorded. The high water marks hit 74 inches late tuesday, meaning more than 85 of the city was flooded. Waters inundated the famous st. Marks basilica and damage to local hotels is said to be enormous. One death is already being blamed on not flooding. A car bomb detonated in the Afghan Capital during todays morning commute. Officials say 12 people were killed. At least 20 others wounded. No one immediately claimed responsibility for that bombing. North koreas supreme decisionmaking body is lashing out at planned military drills involving south korea and the u. S. North state Affairs Commission says the u. S. Will face what it calls a bigger threat and harsh suffering if it ignores north Korean Leader kim jong uns end of year deadline to salvage nuclear talks. The state Department Says President Trump remains committed to making progress and dress relations, lasting peace, and complete denuclearization. Just some of the other stories beyond our borders tonight. Well be right back. Managing lipids like very high triglycerides, can be tough. You diet. Exercise. But if youre also taking fish oil supplements, you should know, they are not fdaapproved, they may have saturated fat and may even raise bad cholesterol. To treat very high triglycerides, discover the science of prescription vascepa. Proven in multiple clinical trials, vascepa, along with diet, is the only prescription epa treatment, approved by the fda to lower very high triglycerides by 33 , without raising bad cholesterol. Look. Its clear. Theres only one prescription epa vascepa. Vascepa is not right for everyone. Do not take vascepa if you are allergic to icosapent ethyl or any inactive ingredient in vascepa. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to fish or shellfish, have liver problems or other medical conditions and about any medications you take, especially those that may affect blood clotting. 2. 3 of patients reported joint pain. Ask your doctor about vascepa. Prescription power. Proven to work. Bret we told you earlier a little about President Trumps visit with turkish leader erdogan at the white house. Tonight, a closer look at the strained relationship between turkey and its nato ally, the u. S. Here is state Department Correspondent rich edson. Behind as handshake, a relationship with significant problems. Weve assured each other that turkey will continue to uphold what its supposed to uphold. Translator turkey remains, or it should become of the most reliable partner of the United States in this region. While President Trump and turkish president erdogan meet in the white house, bipartisan scrutiny in congress grows over turkeys invasion of Northern Syria and its decision as a nato ally to buy a Russian Air Defense system. We do want to remain very strong allies in nato. You are very important to us. So we want to bring it back into that bold. The resolution is adopted. For a speaker the house voted last month to sanction turkey over the syria invasion. A Bipartisan Group in the Senate Introduced a similar effort. The u. S. Partnered with Kurdish Forces in syria to us all sizes , but in a surprise move, the Trump Administration pulled troops from the area, and turkey, who calls those same fighters terrace, attacked them in northeastern syria. Democratic senator chris murphy says there is no evidence of turkeys proxy forces committing war crimes in syria. Just as an increasingly authoritarian erdogan is poised to walk into the west wing for a big bear hug. A Senior State Department official from the white house session has two leaders addressing issues requiring the highest level of consultation. The two president s is that it will be better to do this oneonone. Bulk of these things as rewards they are the execution of diplomacy. In part of an International Relationship subject to the bond between two leaders. He is a hell of a leader. Hes a tough man, strong man. Turkey is a friend of ours, a neighbor of ours, a member of nato. Two weeks after the president threatened if turkey does anything that i considered to be off limits, i will totally destroy and obliterate the economy of turkey. Sr. State Department Officials as turkeys daily close u. S. Partner. Especially as both partners have forces operating in syria. They worked to implement a ceasefire in Northern Syria despite reports of violations, the secretary of defense says it generally seems to be holding up. Bret thank you. Bolivias dealing with a political crisis tonight for the newly declared interim president there in the latin American Country is facing an enormous challenge in the wake of the forced departure of the countrys first indigenous leader who has now fled to mexico. National correspondent william la jeunesse takes a look tonight. Chaos continued wednesday in bolivia as officials struggled to form a government after protests forced president evo morales into exile. A political bible stunned the country by declaring herself commander in chief. Translator i immediately assumed the presidency of the state as put forth constitutionally and i promise to take all of the measures necessary to pacify the country. Patrolled the streets as a senator took control with support from bolivias high court. But no mandate from a fractured national assembly. Translator it appears to me that she is in fact we have to do is support her. We have no other choice. The former president is not giving up. After receiving asylum in mexico, the leftwing firebrand clamped he was forced out in a coup translator a member of the army informed me and made me read messages and telephone calls one day prior to our resignation. Elected 14 years ago on a socialist agenda, and october, morales ignored constitutional term limits. After weeks of unrest, police cited with protesters. She assumed power, promising elections in 90 days. We salute the courage and strength of the bolivian people who have protested against the government trying to steal an election. Shared by the right, morales departure was condemned by the left. Democratic president ial candidate tweeted im very concerned about what appears to be a coup in bolivia, while President Trump called morales resignation, a significant moment for democracy. What happens next is uncertain as lawmakers loyal to morales by far the assembly, claiming his resignation was forced, while she tries to unite the country and form a new government. Bret thank you. Scores of wildfires continue to rage across vast tracts of australias drought stricken east coast. Hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes, some for the second time this week. The most intense fires are concentrated in the northeastern states of New South Wales and queensland. New south wales has lost more than 200 homes since friday, while 14 homes have been destroyed in southeast queensland. The first public impeachment hearing it in the books against President Trump. Well get reaction from the panel when we come back. And this is how it made me feel. It was like that feeling when you go to taco night at your favorite restaurant. And theyre the besttasting tacos in the entire world. And just when you think it couldnt get any better, they bring you out another taco. Cuz they made an extra one. Extra taco geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Billions of problems. Dry mouth . Parched mouth . 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But only after congress began an investigation. Have you ever seen another example of foreign aid conditioned on the personal or political interests of the president of the United States . No, i have not. Didnt listen into the call . I do not. You never talked with chief of staff Mick Mulvaney . I did not. You never met the president . You had three meetings with zelensky. Two of those they never heard about as far as i go. President zelensky never made an announcement. This is what i cant believe. You are their star witness. Bret five and half hours of testimony first public hearing impeachment inquiry, what about it . Lets bring in the panel. Publisher of the federalist. Jonathan swan, National Political reporter for axios, and tom bevan, realclearpolitics cofounder and president. Okay, thoughts of the day . I feel like this whole day is kind of pointless. We know the ending of this movie. Its not going to be a surprise for us, and from my perspective, if i am a democrat interested in advancing a political challenge to the president today, i dont feel very good about what i saw. There wasnt anything sexy about it, there is not some big new piece of information that i could see zonta, and im looking down the barrel of an Impeachment Vote that might happen by christmas, we might not, and then 68 weeks of a senate trial that is going to remove several of my most significant candidates from the 2020 nomination against this president from the field. I dont feel very good about that. Bret there was one new revelation, at least for folks who follow the inside baseball here about a phone call that ambassador taylor talks about a aide talking to him about. Take a lesson. Last friday, a member of my staff told me of events that occurred on july 26. Ambassador sondland called President Trump and told him of his meetings in kiev. The member of my staff could hear President Trump on the phone asking ambassador sondland about the investigations. The member of my staff asked ambassador sondland what President Trump thought about ukraine. Mr. Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of biden. Bret it goes on but jonathan, point being, that will be a direct tie to President Trump if true. Obviously, a bank shot of somebody hearing a phone call by the president said he doesnt have any recollection of that call. It doesnt matter because we have a transcript of President Trump bringing up joe biden, talking about joe biden with the president of ukraine. So we know the president wanted him to investigate joe biden and hunter biden pray the question is, is that impeachable . That is a question that is being asked right now. Again, i basically agree with ben. Democrats, going into this, house democrats, the quota was, we need a blockbuster. We want a blockbuster opening hearing. Bret did they get it . Bill taylor with her best witness. Now, they did not get it. There was tiny slivers of new information but no new major piece that is going to move this on prayed to look at it cynically, democrats are hoping this is going to be moving publc opinion such that those Senate Democrats will move to convict him. We saw nothing today that would do that. Bret one of the big push back from several republicans, including jim jordan, was how this is all hearsay. What i can do here for you today is tell you what i heard from people. Ambassador taylor recalled that mr. Morrison that i conveyed this message in connection with Vice President visit to warsaw. We have six people having four conversation in one sentence, and you just told me this is where you got your clear understanding. I have seen Church Prayer chains that are easier to understand than this. Bret congressman jordan and congressman ratcliffe, perhaps most effective lawmakers on the questioning. The democrats response was this from Eric Swalwell. Both of you have testified that you are not direct witnesses who have spoken with President Trump. However, you are witnesses to a shakedown scheme that others participated in who spoke with President Trump. However, ambassador bolton and Mick Mulvaney both spoke directly to President Trump and unlike you, they have refused to honor our request for them to be a part of these proceedings. Bret thats a good response for the democrats. Thoughts on the day . How smart of it was good for republicans to put jim jordan on the committee . He was the star. He made the most effective points on the republicans side. So that was turned out to be a very, very smart move. I agree with these guys. This is not a blockbuster, more like the first installment of a longrunning miniseries on the Hallmark Channel or something, that will progressively fewer and fewer people will either tune into or be able to follow as we call more and more witnesses and they go around and round. I dont think it is going to be move the needle on public opinion. I dont think you change any minds whatsoever. Bret adam schiff says he does not know the identity of the whistleblower. Dont believe it. I mean, come on. We cant believe this. This is inconceivable. To toms point, i actually think the Hallmark Channel does pretty good ratings. [laughs] i think i would disagree a little bit on that front. Again, we know the way that this is going to go and we know the way it is going to end. Bret what is the political fallout . You hang the albatross of an impeachment from the house around candidatepresident donald trump so that reelection is harder . That is the calculation but it is being mismanaged, and its been make wow mismanaged since day one. It took too long, they started too late. Now its going to define the entire election next year. I think that the president likes those odds and believes that he can overcome the challenge of running for reelection. I dont know that he is right but i do think that democrats should have done a much better job with putting your hand. Bret wrote is that feeling inside the white house . They feel great about today. The white house was dirty disorganized and dysfunctional until pretty recently on this. They have only just started to assemble a team. But they are in a strong position. They know that republicans are in lockstep. That vote of the house, was able republicans defecting bret that was a big moment. They were two democrats voted against the inquiry. Correct. That is when they breathed a big sigh of relief because they had been watching a few of these House Republicans going around and saying things and they were quite nervous that there was going to be a substantial defection in the senate. All signs they have at the moment are thats not going to happen. I think the vote in the house is done. It is going to wreak havoc on the 2020 primary system but there is a Silver Lining for democrats. There will be a trial in the senate and you will have those vulnerable republican incumbents, susan collins, cory gardner, others, who have to go on the record and make a vote. Bret the question for house democrats, 20 plus of them from districts that trump won, does that vote get tougher, considering that may be the case is a little tougher to make over the next week and a half . Absolutely. I think that will be one of those things. We dont know how the politics of impeachment is going to play out in 2020. It will cut a variety of different ways in the house and the senate. Obviously, the president ial race. Bret harold ford was on with me the other day on the 3 00 show, and the former democratic policeman from tennessee. He said if things are going south, nancy pelosi could yank this thing. I think i do still very much a possibility. I also think that you have to keep in mind bret arent they too far down that road . Look, i think that this is a situation where if you had a blockbuster today, i think you would feel a lot more confident about the whole approach and about letting us define the 2020 cycle. If you are not confident about that, if you think its damaging the people who might end up being our nominee, do you really want to put them in that position particularly if you have a much higher likelihood of a bipartisan vote against removal . Bret today, doesnt it set up sondland as your key guy that you will question after the testimony about that phone call, and all that taylor essentially said, sondland told him . No. I think the way democrats see it, theyve already got the facts there, they will make the biggest argument they can pray they are helping people have very powerful testimonies. I think many of them are resigned to the fact that its going to be a house impeachment and the senate acquittal. They will do their best to try and shape public opinion. I dont think there is a chance i just dont see any world in which pelosi pulls this. Shes now going down this path. It is going to be challenging for some of these democrats. But i think shes going to, no matter what, keep the conference together and get the votes to impeach. I just i dont see as an arrow and which she doesnt. Bret heard the cats. No offense to cat lovers out there. Next up, smoothing over hard feelings between the u. S. And turkey. 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With the xfi gateway, devices connected to your homes wifi are protected. Which helps keep people outside from accessing your passwords, credit cards and cameras. And people inside from accidentally visiting sites that arent secure. And if someone trys well let you know. Xfi advanced security. If its connected, its protected. Call, click, or visit a store today. I hear its a joke. I havent watched i havent watch for one minute because ive been with the president , which is much more a part far as im concerned. This is a sham. It should not be allowed. It was a situation that was caused by people that shouldnt have allowed it to happen. I want to find out who is the whistleblower. Reporter do you recall any conversations . No, not even a little bit. I know nothing about that. First time i heard it. The first time i saw that sondland said was that he did speak to me for a brief moment, and i said, no quid pro quo under any circumstances and that is true. Never heard this. In any event, it is more secondhand information. Bret President Trump with reaction, and the question from john roberts about that sondland call we referenced in the first panel. The big moment at the white house today is the turkish president arrived there. Obviously, has its own controversy around it with what turkey did inside syria and the kurds. We are back with a panel. Tom, for some republicans, up on capitol hill, who have been hawks and really concerned about turkey, to see the turkish president there was a little tough to stomach i think. I think you are right. For better or worse, this is how trump conducts Foreign Policy. One of the interesting questions that president erdogan god was, why did you disregard the letter that trump sent . Calling him a fool, i will avert a obliterate your economy if you dont do what i want, then turns around and gives them a white house visit. This is for better or worse, how trump drugs Foreign Policy , oneonone, lots of sticks and some carrots as well. For traditional Foreign Policy establishment folks in the public and party, it is a little hard to take. I have talked to a couple of sources who have information about this meeting. Apparently President Trump played traffic cop in the meeting and most of the talking was done by the senators. Quite an interesting move by the president. Bret a group of g. O. P. Senators. Not just g. O. P. Senators, but g. O. P. Senators who are some of the toughest critics of turkey. Bret mike Lindsey Graham. Lindsey graha rick scott. This is a pretty interesting move. I am told that Lindsey Graham got into it a little bit with erdogan. There was a pretty tense moments. The senators were not only giving him grief about syria and the kurds come but also about purchasing russian the as 400. What i understand from talking to the white house official about this, President Trump President Trump wanted erdogan to see with his own eyes the prt he has in washington. This is really real. If he doesnt back off, he is going to face sanctions and this is not just a president ial the pressure from congress is overwhelming against turkey. Bret here is Lindsey Graham on this. The purpose of this meeting is to have an american question for our friends in turkey. There is a pony in there somewhere if we can find it. My colleagues, president erdogan honored senator whitehouse. I would urge this body to remain clear about our nations vital interests in the middle east and the fact that advancing them will mean strengthening our relationship with this nato ally. Not weakening it further. Bret the question, ben, is there a pony in there somewhere . There is not a pony in there. It is useful as a negotiating tactic for the president to bring me senators and, to allow them to say that witticisms that he wants a end to make clear, as jonathan said, the kind of pressure that he bases in washington, which is this impeachment inquiry in a sense that there is a tension between the president and a number of members of the bureaucracy of the administration. Many of them experienced people who find his way of doing things very unorthodox and think that it goes afoul of what they believe we ought to do. That is fine to adjudicate, i think, and the court of public opinion. It is not something that plays out well when it goes on behind the scenes. Bret i interviewed erdogan at the United Nations about a month ago, and you have to remember, to nato ally, but also a country that jails journalist. Its got a spotty record. That is the tension created as is a nato ally. As Mitch Mcconnell said, that carries with it, unless we will kick them out of nato, which i dont think anyone is suggesting, that carries with it certain obligations and we want to try to balance those while keeping pressure on them, on the human rights front. Bret panel, thank you. When we come back from a young man for whom every day. What drew me to Capital Allocation in Health Sciences was the potential to help many people through investments that help fund medical innovation. My team and i often choose to invest at the very early stages of human trials. Investing lets me use everything ive learned as a doctor to help make a positive impact. So thats why i go beyond the numbers. employee half a millionar sales preowned vehicles,er most with tech features like blind spot detection, back up camera. [kristen gasps] employee because you never know what might be behind you. kristen bell does the sloth come standard . kristen bell vo looking to buy . Enterprise makes it easy. 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He then donates them to a local funeral home so that any veteran who is cremated will receive the same military honor as those who are buried. Put them right there on the casket. Johnson has already collected 250 flags. His goal is 500. A great story. For dog and cat lovers. Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. Thats it for this special report. Fair, balanced, and unafraid. The story hosted by Martha Maccallum starts right now. The outpouring of commentary on my cat comment has been martha [laughs] i feel like we are meeting all over the place. Thank you, bret. Good to see you. We cover the impeachment hearings, they will continue on friday but you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Democrats said that they were putting their strongest witnesses out front today to make their case for the impeachment of President Trump to the american public. Good evening, everybody. Im Martha Maccallum in new york, and this is the story. Congressman Eric Swalwell is here. He was asking questions of bill taylor and george kent today. Plus, the president s son, eric trump with his First Response to the case being made about the president. We will also get reaction