Holiday travelers juggle risks, rewards amid COVID-19 infection spike

close

Video

Holiday travelers juggle risks, rewards amid COVID-19 infection spike

Fox News correspondent Charles Watson has the latest from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

This is a rush transcript from “Special Report” November 25, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS HOST (on camera): Good evening, welcome to
Washington. I'm Michael Emanuel in for Bret Baier.

Breaking tonight, President Trump pardons former National Security Adviser
Michael Flynn. We will have details shortly.

Right now, millions of Americans are taking planes, trains and automobiles
to Thanksgiving holiday destinations. That travel comes despite pleas from
the government to stay at home and limit gatherings in order to minimize
the spread of the coronavirus. We will have complete coverage of that in a
moment.

But we will begin with the Flynn pardon, the retired Army Lieutenant
General was a central figure in the Trump transition in 2016 and his
prosecution was key to years of trouble for President Trump. Correspondent
Kristin Fisher starts us off tonight from the White House. Good evening,
Kristin.

KRISTIN FISHER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Evening, Mike.
Well, we knew that President Trump was planning to do this. We just didn't
know when. And about two hours ago, he made it official as he often does on
Twitter. The President said "It is my great honor to announce that General
Michael Flynn has been granted a full pardon. Congratulations to General
Flynn and his wonderful family. I know you will now have a truly fantastic
Thanksgiving."

Well, Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts
with then Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. It was one of the first major
courtroom victories for special counsel Robert Mueller.

But about a year ago, Flynn tried to withdraw that guilty plea. His
attorneys argued that he'd been entrapped by people like fired FBI agent
Peter Strzok.

And then this spring, Attorney General Bill Barr tried to have the case
against Flynn dismissed. Barr accused Strzok of setting up a perjury trap.
It was a charge that Strzok at the time dismissed as ludicrous.

Well, that request to get the case dismissed was still pending when
President Trump granted the full pardon this afternoon.

Now, Democrats are furious. Congressman Adam Schiff said in response,
"Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and
protect those who covered up for him. This time he pardons Michael Flynn
who lied to hide his dealings with the Russians. It's no surprise that
Trump would go out as he came in, crooked to the end."

So, today's pardon brings to an end a years long battle for the retired
lieutenant general. He was one of the people identified as a potential
threat way back in the summer of 2016 when the FBI first open that
counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign, which was
codenamed Crossfire Hurricane.

Another one of those people, Paul Manafort, who's also talked about
potentially receiving a pardon before the president leaves office. And so
is Roger Stone, who was granted clemency but not a full part in over the
summer.

Now, while President Trump was tweeting about this part and his legal team
has been in Pennsylvania. Now the state certified the election results just
yesterday, but today, a judge issued an ordering that that certification,
the fulfillment of that certification be delayed until another hearing on
Friday.

But Pennsylvania's Democratic Attorney General says it is a done deal and
he put out a statement that reads in part "Today's order does not impact
yesterday's appointment of electors for Joe Biden", Mike.

EMANUEL: Kristin Fisher starting us off on the North Lawn. Kristin, many
thanks.

Let's get more on the pardon of former National Security Adviser Michael
Flynn and reaction from the Justice Department. Correspondent David Spunt
joins us this evening. Good evening, David.

DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Mike, good evening
to you. The Justice Department all the way up to Attorney General Bill Barr
wanted the Michael Flynn case dropped out it was very unique in that
instance. Fox News just received a statement from a DOJ official not long
ago, I want to read it in part. It's about this pardon and it's separated
into three different parts.

It says first, the Department was not consulted. We were given a heads up
today.

Second, we would have preferred to see if Judge Sullivan would act and for
the matter to be resolved in court. We were confident in the likelihood of
our success in the case.

Number three. That being said, this is obviously an appropriate use of the
president's pardon power.

Mike, until the pardon this was an active case. Judge Emmett Sullivan heard
from the Department of Justice and Flynn's attorneys about why they wanted
to drop the case of someone who pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI.
Sullivan was set to rule any day now.

And we've heard a lot about Sidney Powell from the election, but she's been
with Michael Flynn after he fired his first attorney. Earlier this fall,
Miss Powell said an open court to Judge Sullivan, she personally asked
President Trump not to pardon General Flynn. Hoping that he would get off
on his own.

Well, a pardon it is, this is a power that the president will only have for
a few more months as he is in office. But Mike, what has always made this
case so unique is the fact that you had the prosecution and the defense on
the same side saying they want to drop this case.

The Department of Justice said they wanted to go through the process with
the judge. But ultimately, they got their wish granted tonight. This case
is now over, Mike.

EMANUEL: Fascinating developments. David Spunt, thanks a lot.

Also breaking tonight, we are experiencing anything but a normal
Thanksgiving holiday this year. The death toll in the U.S. from the
coronavirus is now more than 260,000 with almost 12.7 million infections.

But even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged
Americans not to travel, millions are disregarding that recommendation.
That means the biggest crowds at airports since the pandemic began.
Correspondent Charles Watson is at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta
tonight. Good evening, Charles.

CHARLES WATSON, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good evening,
Mike. Overall, airlines are expected to see about 50 percent less traffic
this year compared to last year. Fewer people, but still alarming for
public health officials who are pleading with Americans to stay home as
coronavirus infections continue to skyrocket out of control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON (Voice over): More than 4 million people have filed through TSA
airport checkpoints across the nation since Friday. For some, it's the
first time on a plane since the pandemic began.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen my stepmom in two years since my dad
passed away, so I just thought I would go get away for seven days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it was definitely a scary thing at first. And
now that, you know, the pandemics around what, 10 months later that its
people are starting to care less about it.

WATSON: But as more Americans choose to travel despite CDC guidance to stay
home, some cities and states are ramping up efforts to control the viruses
spread.

In Los Angeles, everyone coming through an airport will have to sign a form
acknowledging California's recommended 14-day quarantine.

L.A.'s mayor says it's necessary because if the current rate of COVID-19
cases hold steady, the nation's second largest city will be out of hospital
beds by Christmas.

ERIC GARCETTI (D), MAYOR, LOS ANGELES: Emergencies and essential work
travel should be the only excuse why we get on a plane anywhere.

WATSON: The New York sheriff's office is adding checkpoints at bridges to
enforce its quarantine.

BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: We're going to be constantly
monitoring people that are not in quarantine when they're supposed to be,
we have to apply penalties.

WATSON: Oregon Governor Kate Brown posted a video on Twitter urging
Oregonians to simply uninvite some of their Thanksgiving guests, while the
governors of Maryland and Pennsylvania promised a more visible police
presence, plus citations and fines in an effort to clamp down on potential
super spreader gatherings.

GOV. TOM WOLF (D-PA): If we all do this together, we're going to defeat
this virus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON (on camera): And Vermont's governor warns students not to attend to
any Thanksgiving events this weekend with people outside of their immediate
family. If they do, it will be mandatory remote learning for at least a
week when schools back in session, Mike.

EMANUEL: Charles Watson, thanks a lot.

The Democratic mayor of Denver is taking heavy criticism tonight. Michael
Hancock flew to Mississippi to spend the holiday with family after telling
his constituents to stay home.

There is also major controversy tonight in Southern California over a
policy that could cost countless jobs. Correspondent Jeff Paul shows us
tonight from Santa Monica, California. Hello, Jeff.

JEFF PAUL, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes Mike, after
urging people of Denver not to fly for the Thanksgiving holiday, it appears
the mayor there did just that. Mayor Michael Hancock took a flight this
morning from Denver to Mississippi to be with his family for the
Thanksgiving holiday.

A communications director didn't respond to Fox when we reached out for an
explanation. A spokesperson did however confirmed a trip and said the mayor
will quarantine once he's back. But it was just on Friday when the mayor
told folks in Denver to do and not do what he just did.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HANCOCK (D) MAYOR OF DENVER: I'm asking, I'm urging, I'm pleading
with everyone, please stay home. Please only go out for essential services.
Stay home, maybe put up holiday decorations but stay at home.

PAUL (Voice over): The mayor even tweeting earlier today to "Stay at home
as much as you can" and to "avoid travel".

Meanwhile, here in Los Angeles County, citing a surging COVID cases, the
Health Department's ban on outdoor dining goes into effect tonight at 10:00
p.m. They still can do to go orders but businesses say they don't make as
much money. Therefore, a lot of people will likely lose hours or some might
lose their jobs entirely.

One restaurant manager we spoke with says they could be forced to lay off
as much as 50 percent of their staff.

ROMAN KOSHEVOI, RESTAURANT OWNER: I don't know what to do because we were
following all of their safety protocols from the city all this time and we
were trying to do all of our best to keep the place like open and running.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL (on camera): Now, a lawsuit was filed to keep all of this outdoor
seating up and running. A judge denied that request to overturn the ban but
did tell the plaintiffs that if they brought forth some substantial
evidence, he would look at the case again, Mike.

EMANUEL: Already extremely tough times for the restaurant industry. Jeff
Paul, thanks a lot.

Joe Biden says his presidency will not be a third Obama term. The
president-elect is also saying he will not use the Justice Department to go
after his predecessor. Correspondent Peter Doocy reports tonight from
Wilmington, Delaware where Biden made his Thanksgiving address. Good
evening, Peter.

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Mike, good
evening. Right now, the president-elect his motorcade to Rehoboth Beach
where he says he plans to forego family traditions and celebrate a socially
distanced Thanksgiving with just three other people as he looks ahead and
tries to figure out ways to make the U.S. government a lot more hands on
fighting COVID-19.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: More testing will find
people with cases and get them away from one another, slowing the number of
infections.

DOOCY (Voice over): Warnings for weeks about the dangers of a delayed
transition --

YOHANNES ABRAHAM, BIDEN TRANSITION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Lack of access to
current classified operations or back channel conversations that are
happening, really put the American people's interest as it relates to their
national security at risk.

DOOCY: -- are no more. Officials now say that presidential daily briefing
can wait.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We expect the first briefing to take place on Monday.

DOOCY: And even though his Cabinet will be filled with Obama White House
alumni.

BIDEN: This is not a third Obama term.

DOOCY: Obama's book promo included this criticism of Hispanics who voted
for Trump.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The fact that Trump
says racist things about Mexicans, they think that's less important than
the fact that, you know, he supports their views on, you know, gay marriage
or abortion, right?

DOOCY: Immigration reform is something Biden plans to address in his first
100 days.

BIDEN: I will send a immigration bill to the United States Senate with a
pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people in America.

DOOCY: Biden is also now hinting Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are
long shots for Cabinet spots.

BIDEN: Taking someone out of the Senate, taking someone out of the House,
particularly a personal consequence, is really a difficult decision would
have to be made.

DOOCY: His more immediate goal is to try to get people to take personal
responsibility this holiday.

BIDEN: We're at war with the virus, not with one another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOOCY (on camera): Joe Biden barely ever spoke about Michael Flynn as a
candidate. But remember earlier this year, he claimed that while in office,
he had no knowledge of a criminal investigation into Flynn. Even though we
found out that on Trump's inauguration day, Susan Rice wrote a memo
detailing a meeting she was in where President Obama said he wanted the
Flynn matter handled by law enforcement agencies by the book and she listed
one of the participants in that meeting as being Joe Biden, Mike.

EMANUEL: Peter Doocy live in Wilmington. Peter, thanks a lot.

There are still nine uncalled races in the House. One of those is in New
York's 22nd district where Republican candidate Claudia Tenney is blaming
Governor Andrew Cuomo for the slow pace of the count. A judge has paused
the process until next week.

Republicans lead in all the undecided races so far, including five in New
York, two in California, which would give the GOP four flips in that state
and one each in Louisiana and Iowa. The balance of power right now has
Democrats with 222 and Republicans with 204. The second recount of
Georgia's presidential vote is underway tonight.

Also this evening, an unusual invitation from one of the Republicans
fighting to stay in the Senate. Correspondent Steve Harrigan has tonight's
update from Atlanta. Good evening, Steve.

STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good evening,
Mike. That presidential recount is underway in Georgia. It's a machine
recap scheduled to be finished by December 2nd. This is actually the third
time that the presidential votes, five million of them will be counted in
Georgia. Officials say they don't expect any changes from a Joe Biden lead
of about 12,000 votes. That vote has already been certified by Georgia's
governor.

Keep in mind, the two Senate runoff elections are scheduled for January
5th, they could determine who controls the Senate. In the U.S. we've seen a
string of high-profile visitors here in Georgia to campaign for each side.
Republican Senator David Perdue said he welcomes the presence of liberal
Democrats campaigning for his opponent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DAVID PERDUE (R-GA): Oh, I want to buy her ticket. I want her to come
(INAUDIBLE) absolutely. Listen, what she says is just profound. She said
look, we have to win those two seats in Georgia because we do not want to
negotiate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN: Jon Ossoff said the only thing Republicans have to offer are
negative attack ads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON OSSOFF (D), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE FOR GEORGIA: The two Republican
incumbents aren't even running any positive ads. The GOP has no leader, has
no vision and has no agenda except spreading fear and ensuring that Joe
Biden fails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN (on camera): More than $270 million have already spent on T.V. ads
here for that -- those runoff races, and more than 700,000 people have
requested absentee ballots. That is three times as many requests as just
two years ago. Mike, back to you.

EMANUEL: Steve Harrigan, live in a hot spot of American politics, Atlanta,
Georgia. Steve, many thanks.

Stocks were mixed, the Dow lost 174, the S&P 500 fell six, NASDAQ gained
57.

Up next, how Facebook may have been manipulating its own rules to control
the information you see on your news feed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

EMANUEL: "BREAKING TONIGHT", Denver's democrat mayor is apologizing for his
decision to travel for the holiday after urging his constituents to stay
home. We told you about Mayor Michael Hancock's trip to Mississippi a bit
earlier. Now, he has issued a statement asking for forgiveness and
recognizing he disappointed a lot of people.

In Maryland, Baltimore County Public Schools have been the victim of a
ransomware cyberattacks. Schools and offices were closed today. the local
teachers association advised its members not to connect to the district
network or access district e-mail from cell phones.

The NFL is moving tomorrow's scheduled game between Pittsburgh and
Baltimore to Sunday because of positive coronavirus tests on the Ravens.
Two other games are still on the Thanksgiving schedule as is SPECIAL
REPORT.

We are learning more tonight about how Facebook may have changed its
operating procedures right after the election to control which news sources
were featured on its platform. Correspondent Gillian Turner takes a look
tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GILLIAN TURNER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the days
immediately following the November third election, Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg reportedly green-lit an emergency change to the platform's news
feed algorithm. The mechanism that determines which news stories billions
of people around the world see and with Senate Democrats in a recent
hearing applauded Facebook's effort to tame online chatter about ballot
irregularities and claims of fraud. At least some of it, clearly
misinformation.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): You've tried to slow its insidious spread.
That's not censorship, that's moral and civic responsibility.

TURNER: Now, a new report reveals how Facebook execs searched for a quick
fix to the swirling claims of voter fraud and irregularities online. They
laser in on the so-called NEQ score, short for News, Ecosystem, Quality,
which according to the New York Times is a secret internal ranking it
assigns to news publishers based on signals about the quality of their
journalism.

According to Facebook sources, Zuckerberg agreed to increase the weight the
algorithm gives to these scores in order to make authoritative reporting
and stories more prominent.

The outlets they reportedly chose to highlight: CNN, The New York Times,
and NPR. While posts from outlets like Breitbart became less visible.

Prominent Republican social media hawk, Senator Josh Hawley, tweeted, "Big
tech wants to control all news in America and soon will if we don't stop
them."

This echoing his views that social media titans do indeed censor voices
they disagree with.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): It is time we took action against these modern-day
robber barons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: The head of Facebook's integrity division says all these changes
are temporary, they were never meant to be permanent. So, now, the big
question is whether senate regulators will step in and actually start to
rein in the big tech platform. Something that so far, they've declined to
do. Mike.

EMANUEL: Gillian, thanks a lot.

President-elect Biden is getting criticism from progressives over some of
his administration's staffing selections when he announced his national
security team there was one glaring omission, his defense secretary.

National security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has details tonight. Good
evening, Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CHANNEL NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on
camera): Mike, the odds-on favorite has long been Michele Flournoy, a well-
known establishment defense policy expert known for her hard-nosed realism
and bipartisan support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN (voice over): Flournoy would break the ultimate glass ceiling,
becoming the first female secretary of defense. Biden clearly likes her. In
2016, as she introduced him, he addressed the rumor that Hillary Clinton
planned to pick her for the top Pentagon job.

MICHELE FLOURNOY, FORMER DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY: These traits make him the
ideal candidate or keynote for us to hear from today -- sorry.

BIDEN: Well, Madam Secretary, I mean, I don't know. I'm writing a
recommendation for you though.

GRIFFIN: Flournoy held the number three spot at the Pentagon during the
Obama administration, and has been described as instrumental in pushing
then-defense secretary Robert Gates to support the Osama bin Laden raid
when he preferred an airstrike.

In 2012, on the eve of talks with Iran, she hinted at plans to strike
Iran's nuclear program.

FLOURNOY: And I can assure you, the Pentagon planning for this is
incredibly robust.

GRIFFIN: And when asked what President Trump got right on foreign policy --

FLOURNOY: I do think we needed to open our eyes to a more competitive
situation with a rising China.

GRIFFIN: Her ties to the defense industry having established a consulting
firm with Antony Blinken, Biden's choice for secretary of state has put her
in the crosshairs of progressives and members of the Congressional Black
Caucus who want a more diverse pick.

Also on Biden's shortlist is Jeh Johnson, President Obama's former DHS
secretary. He was the Pentagon's general counsel during the bin Laden raid
and led the task force that recommended the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't
Tell.

He recently spoke at Liberty University and outlined what America should
expect from its leaders. "Too often politicians pay no price for a lie, or
even a crime. Instead, we conveniently overlook the bad behavior by saying,
but I like his policies, or the economy is doing great."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN (on camera): Johnson, like Flournoy, has defense industry ties
having served on the board of Lockheed Martin. President-elect Biden has
indicated he will announce his choice next Tuesday. Mike?

EMANUEL: Jennifer Griffin, thanks very much.

Up next, "FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND" co-host Pete Hegseth on his new book about
modern warriors.

First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are
covering tonight. Fox 26 in Houston as the U.S. Border Patrol temporarily
closes a converted warehouse in McAllen that the Obama administration
opened in 2014 to hold unaccompanied children who crossed the border
illegally.

According to Associated Press reports at the time, the border patrol was
overwhelmed by 52,000 unaccompanied minors who were arrested during the
Obama administration. The facility will now be closed for renovation and
will reopen in 2022.

Fox 2 in Detroit as Kalkaska County in northern Michigan throws its support
behind an impeachment resolution against Democrat Governor Gretchen
Whitmer. She has come under fire for her restrictions on businesses during
the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican Speaker of the Michigan House
calls the impeachment effort a distraction.

And this is a live look at New York from Fox 5. One of the big stories
there tonight, preparations for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It will go on tomorrow with changes for safety. The usual 2-1/2-mile route
through crowded Manhattan has been scrapped in favor of concentrating
events to a one-block stretch of 34th Street.

That's tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from SPECIAL REPORT. We'll
be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

EMANUEL: We are going to spend some time tonight talking about American
heroes who happen to be modern warriors. Pete Hegseth is co-host of "FOX &
FRIENDS WEEKEND", and author of the new book, Modern Warriors. It is the
first in a series of books in the Fox News imprint, featuring many of the
people you see on this very channel. Pete joins us this evening. Pete,
welcome.

PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Hey, Mike. Thanks for having me.
Appreciate it.

EMANUEL:  An excerpt from retired Army Ranger Captain Sean Parnell, quote,
"Half of my life we've been at war. That's all we've known. And yet most of
America has no concept of what it means to fight in a war or to defend
freedom at all. And to me that's very, very problematic." Your thoughts on
that point, Pete?

HEGSETH:  Absolutely. We want to bring people inside war and the human side
of it, and these 15 individuals are a perfect example of that. Mike, we do,
on TV we might do a three-and a-half minute segment with a Green Beret or
Army Ranger, and it just doesn't do it justice. And so on FOX Nation,
"Modern Warriors," where we do long form conversations, grab a beer, let's
talk real about combat, and they get candid and raw and politically
incorrect, and there's always some humor.

That's what's in this book, too. I sat down with them, and said talk to me
when the bullets are flying. Talk to me about when that helicopter is about
to land. What are your fears? What are your hopes? What are your anxieties?
How do you manage sacrifice, coming home? And the disconnect between how
the country might feel back here versus what that brotherhood is there is a
tension that you just alluded to within the book. And these guys speak very
honestly it, and I think folks will be motivated. What you are watching
right now is part of our series on FOX Nation. Sometimes we go out and
shoot guns, too, just to get a little --

(LAUGHTER)

EMANUEL:  Fascinating stuff. Take a listener to this Army sergeant major
who served three tours in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEANT MAJOR ERIC GERESSY, FEATURED IN "MODERN WARRIORS":  We were
attacked within about 48 hours of being on the ground. The outpost was
attacked from three different directions at once. And the thing I could say
the most, I couldn't be any more proud of how my soldiers performed that
day, taking care of each other during a very difficult situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  Pete, what about that bond of service members who are asked to
carry out these very dangerous missions, putting their lives on the line?

HEGSETH:  It's the deepest brotherhood I've ever seen. In fact, Eric
Geressy was my first sergeant in Iraq when I was a platoon leader. An
amazing warrior, I knew he had to be a part of this book. On the next tour
he got a Silver Star for his actions in that moment he's talking to -- 200
Al Qaeda attacked his base.

He made sure his men at breakneck speed fortified that base and they were
able to repel it. He exposed himself to the enemy. He is beloved by every
single one of them because they're convinced they would not have come home
without First Sergeant Eric Geressy. It's stories like that and men like
that. We talk a lot about one percent in politics. These guys are the real
one percent, the ones who said I will write a check in full for my life,
because I love this nation and these brothers so much. And I think people
will be motivated by hearing direct stories from them as they do in modern
warriors.

EMANUEL:  Awesome, American heroes.

From Texas, Congressman Dan Crenshaw, a retired Navy Seal, quote, "Living
with duty means having a duty to those who aren't able to complete their
mission because they would want you to keep going. They would want you to
live with a purpose. That's a message for civilians. That's a message for
veterans." What about that burden of living your life when your military
brother or sister didn't get to come home?

HEGSETH:  It's what they always talk about, Mike, are the men that never
came home. And they live with the burden, we live with the burden of living
worthy of that sacrifice, finding that next chapter of purpose. These are
purposeful men. They joined for a reason, because they love this country.
Transition is hard, and they talk about the dark moments of coming back to
the civilian world, and then being able to fulfill that next chapter of
purpose. Obviously, Congressman Crenshaw has done that, but a lot of these
guys have in different ways. They are improving their communities. They are
continuing to fight for our republic. These are fascinating, fascinating
men and women. You'll meet them in these pages.

EMANUEL:  No doubt. From former Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel
Scott Mann, "When you take the meaning out of a human's life, we die. And
we just cannot operate without purpose. And I worry about that today. I see
so many warriors coming home, and our family members that are just
disconnected from their purpose, and their disconnected from their own
personal narrative, which is just as bad." What about life after combat,
life after service for these warriors?

HEGSETH:  It's amazing how often it came up in the book. Yes, they reflect
on those split-second moments on the battlefield. But they quickly move to,
and I had no idea how to bring it home. Another guy in the book is Nick
Irving. He was a sniper in the Army Rangers. He was nicknamed "The Reaper"
because he so proficient at killing the enemy. Everybody wanted him to
cover their position. He came home and said, how do I put the Reaper away?
That was an important part of my life. Now I want to do more. He is, and
you will read about that transition in the book.

EMANUEL:  Pete, sounds like a fascinating read. I look forward to getting
through the whole book. Many thanks, and happy Thanksgiving.

HEGSETH:  Mike, thanks so much for the time. Happy Thanksgiving to you.

EMANUEL:  Thank you.

Up next, coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions, we will discuss with the
panel. First beyond our borders tonight, a World Health Organization expert
says he would like to go back to wholesale food markets in Wuhan, China, to
follow up on initial cases of COVID-19 which emerged in the city. Peter Ben
Embarek says he would like to reinterview initial COVID-19 cases and find
others who may have important information on where they may have picked up
the virus.

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulates Joe Biden on winning the
presidential election. China's official news agency says Xi voiced hope the
two countries could promote a healthy and stable development of bilateral
ties.

Soccer legend Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine was among the best
players ever. He led his country to the World Cup title in 1986. Maradona
died two weeks after being released from a Buenos Aires hospital following
brain surgery. Diego Maradona was 60 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF, (D-CA) CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE:  If you
lie on his behalf, if you cover up for him, he will reward you. He will
protect you. But only if he thinks it's in his interest. There are others
that lied for him that he's not going to extend that kind of service to.
But it's just, frankly, reflects so ill on our democracy, on the United
States. I imagine what people around the world think when we have a
president who is acting like an organized crime figure.

KARL ROVE, FORMER GEORGE W. BUSH SENIOR ADVISER:  A useful end to an ugly
moment, and the only person I think is going to be angry about this justice
is Judge Sullivan, who for some reason or another was not following the
dictates of the Justice Department that said we want to withdraw the action
all together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  So we knew former national security adviser Michael Flynn was
going to get a pardon, that's what our sources were telling us. The
question was the timing. The timing was this afternoon.

Let's bring in our panel, Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for
"Reuters," Susan Ferrechio, Chief Congressional Correspondent for the
"Washington Examiner," and Jason Riley, "Wall Street Journal" columnist and
senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. So right off the bat, Susan, your
thoughts?

SUSAN FERRECHIO, "WASHINGTON EXAMINER":  Yes. I think what Karl Rove said
was spot on. The behavior by Judge Emmet Sullivan in this case was
bordering on bizarre, where he absolutely refused to dismiss the case
despite the fact that the Justice Department was refusing to prosecute it
because there wasn't any evidence that Flynn did anything wrong. The case
from the get-go was so utterly questionable. He pled guilty to lying for
something that wasn't even a crime. The FBI appeared to be highly
politically motivated in going after General Flynn. If anything, the
wrongdoing was on the part of the government.

So, this was a case where others may find objectionable reasons to complain
about Trump's pardons. This is a case where I think it was clear cut that
Flynn was targeted, perhaps politically, and that there was never a real
case against him.

EMANUEL:  Jeff, your thoughts as someone who covered Flynn as the national
security adviser? And are we looking at a lot more pardons in the final
days of this administration?

JEFF MASON, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, REUTERS:  Well, Mike, to your second
question, I think the answer to that is yes. I was in touch with a couple
former White House officials today who said they absolutely expected to see
more pardons, that this is one unfettered power of the president, or
presidential power, rather, that this president, and not the only
president, enjoys using. And so he has got a couple months to do. Expect to
probably see more.

Broadly on the decision about Michael Flynn, and the reaction to it, it
just continues to show the divide over that issue and over the Russia
probe. You have Democrats, of course, saying that this is an abuse of power
by President Trump, and you have the White House and its allies saying
Michael Flynn should never have been prosecuted in the first place.

EMANUEL:  OK, we have some handy-dandy stats we can put on the screen for
you. Let's start with President Trump and clemency, clemencies granted.
There you see it on your screen, 45 overall, 29 pardons, 16 commutations.
President Barack Obama over eight years, 1,927 clemencies granted, 212
pardons, 1,715 commutations. And then President George W. Bush granting
clemency 200 times, 189 pardons, 11 communications. Jason, your thoughts?

JASON RILEY, "WALL STREET JOURNAL" COLUMNIST:  I would agree with what has
been said. You can find a lot of fault with President Trump on some of the
other uses of his pardon power, clemency power. But this, I think, is a
clear example of someone getting railroaded. And it was the right thing to
do, regardless of what you think of President Trump or Michael Flynn. I
think they were caught up in something bigger than both of them in this
case. The FBI was duped into -- by Russian disinformation into
investigating a presidential campaign. That is the big picture here. And I
think this is absolutely the right thing for President Trump to do in the
case of Michael Flynn.

EMANUEL:  OK, it's also Thanksgiving eve, usually when everybody and their
brother is on the roads or on a plane or whatever going to mom's,
grandma's, et cetera. You've also got some Democratic officials, including
the mayor of Denver, taking some heat for basically telling folks to stay
home. Meanwhile, he got on a plane and went to Mississippi. Tonight, the
mayor of Denver has issued an apology, let's put it on the screen, saying,
quote, "As a public official whose conduct is rightly scrutinized for the
message it sends to others, I apologize to the residents of Denver who see
my decision as conflicting with the guidance to stay at home for all but
essential travel. I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those
who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive my decisions
that are born of my heart and not my head." Susan, your thoughts?

FERRECHIO:  Sure, as long as they forgive other people who are doing the
exact same thing he's doing right now. That's the problem. The government
looks terrible in this situation. It's similar to what happened in
California when Gavin Newsom was out at a $225 a plate gathering without
wearing masks with hospital lobbyists, while telling everybody else they
needed to go home at 10:00. It doesn't sell.

And right now you are calling it lockdown fever. People are tired of it
all. Luckily, there are three American made vaccines with greater than 90
percent effectiveness, readily available, about to be distributed. So this
is all going to end soon. The virus is weakening. These virus outbreaks are
peaking. They are going to decrease. Hospitalizations are far less than
they were in the spring. There is good news around the corner.

EMANUEL:  Jeff, my relatives were going to come down from New York. They
are not. Your thoughts on this travel-gate, if you will?

MASON:  It's a really tough time for lots of people and families making
decisions about what's right for them and how to handle this with obviously
growing risk of coronavirus at this time. And you get some mixed messages.
You have some leaders who are pushing people not to get together, and
others who are making decisions to do so themselves. So the mixed messages
has also been a part of this pandemic for the last 10 months. You see a
difference between what President Trump is saying and what President-elect
Biden is saying. That's just kind of part of the narrative right now.

EMANUEL:  Jason, we are up against the clock. Quick comment from you on
this issue?

RILEY:  Yes, a lot of people talk about the hypocrisy. But what's
noteworthy to me is how you see a lot of liberal Democrats in blue states
and blue areas of blue states also saying I don't care what the CDC says. I
can take precautions, do this safely, I can weigh the costs and the
benefits and the risks and do this safely. And I'm tired of this nanny
statism. We knew conservatives were there already. What's interesting is
that a lot of people on the left seem to be fed up with this paternalism
going on, and I don't blame them.

EMANUEL:  All right, promise more time for you after the break. We will
talk with the panel about President-elect Biden's first interview since the
election.  

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:  The Obama administration did fail to deliver
immigration reform, which had a been a key promise during the
administration. It also presided over record deportations as well as family
detentions at the border before changing course. So why should voters trust
you with an immigration overhaul now?

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE:  Because we made a mistake. It took
too long to get it right, took too long to get it right. I will be
president of the United States, not vice president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  Joe Biden says his president will not be a third Obama term.
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama is expressing some frustration
with Latino voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT:  There are a lot of evangelical
Hispanics who, the fact that Trump says racist things about Mexicans or
puts detainees, undocumented workers in cages, they think that's less
important than the fact that he supports their views on gay marriage or
abortion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  And we're back with our panel, Susan, Jeff, and Jason. Jason,
since we cut you a little short on the other side, let's lead off with you.

RILEY:  Well, immigration reform is tough. I think it's going to need buy-
in from both parties, and that will be Joe Biden's problem. The American
people seem to have on Election Day given Democrats the White House, but
wanted Congress to check him both in the House by increasing Republican
representation there and possibly in the Senate depending on how these
Georgia runoff seats turn out. So I don't know that we can have an amnesty
alone that is going to sail through Congress. That seems to be a bit of
wishful thinking on the part of Joe Biden.

In terms of Obama's comments about Hispanics, I think Obama seems a little
bit upset that Hispanic Americans aren't prioritizing what Obama wants them
to prioritize. And so we have to remember that Hispanic Americans are not
this monolithic group. There is no racial, ethnic determinism among them.
Whether the Venezuelans or Cubans in Florida are different from Mexicans in
south Texas and so forth. And we saw different voting patterns there, and
that's something that Democrats are going to have to deal with. This is not
a monolithic group. They have different priorities. And they are going to
have to go out and work for this vote.

EMANUEL:  Jeff, in addition to covering every day of the Trump
administration, I also remember you were there for every day of the Obama
administration. Your thoughts on President Obama's comments there, and on
president-elect Biden basically saying he is going to be his own guy?

MASON:  Well, a couple things. Of course, former vice president and
President-elect Biden is going to be his own guy. Of course he is. He won
the election with his running mate Harris, and he gets to set the agenda
when he's living in this house that's right behind me.

As far as what President Obama said, I think it reflects some frustration
among Democrats that they didn't have more support from some parts of the
Hispanic electorate. I think one of the big learning points from 2020 among
many was, as my colleague was just saying, that the Latino, Latina vote is
very diverse, and one party does not have a hold on it.

EMANUEL:  Meanwhile, a lawmaker who wants to lead the DCCC, the campaign
arm of the House Democrats, says it's time for a change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  I would like to see the DCCC change overnight literally
to make sure that we have culturally competent, diverse staff, diverse
vendors, diverse campaign consultants, diverse candidates all across the
board, and let them know this is your house, esta es su casa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  Susan, we are up against the clock, but your thoughts on what he
is saying and on this broader topic.

FERRECHIO:  The problem with reaching out to Hispanic voters is not who
works at the DCCC, which most people in America don't even know what that
stands for. So I won't say what the acronym means. What Trump won more
Hispanics for this time around even than last time was that he had
antisocialist message. He had a pro-jobs message, pro-economy message.
Hispanics all over the country voted for him for different reasons. People
in Texas who worked in the oil and gas industry supported the president.
People in Florida supported him because of the anti-communist message.
These are reasons why the DCCC needs to go out and work on their Hispanic
vote. It's about the message, not about who works at their organization.

EMANUEL:  And with that, we're out of time. Panelists, happy Thanksgiving.
When we come back, getting in the Christmas holiday spirit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

EMANUEL:  Finally tonight, with Thanksgiving kicking off the holiday
season, it is never too early to start spreading some cheer. Today the
White House started its decorating process, hanging wreathes in windows, on
windows and lights around the building. The White House Christmas tree
arrived earlier this week, and will be officially lit next Thursday.

Because of the pandemic there will be no live audience for this year's
event. The national Christmas tree lighting ceremony are a tradition dating
back to 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit the first national tree.

Thank you so much for watching SPECIAL REPORT.

END

<Copy: Content and Programming Copyright 2020 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2020 ASC Services II Media, LLC. All materials
herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be
reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast
without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may
not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of
the content.>