This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," May 14, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Thanks, Dana.
Good evening, I'm Bret Baier. "BREAKING TONIGHT", President Trump is touting his administration's reaction to the coronavirus tonight, lauding workers at a Pennsylvania equipment plant and marking what he says is the 10 millionth virus test in this country.
But it's another number in the millions that's troubling many Americans tonight, the almost 3 million workers applying for help after losing their jobs.
In a few minutes, I'll ask Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about the future of a possible new round of funds coming from Congress. But we start off with chief White House correspondent John Roberts on the North Lawn. Good evening, John.
JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Bret, good evening to you. You know, it's become that this Thursday -- every Thursday of every week is bad news day because of the job losses from coronavirus, though in recent weeks, the news has been a little less bad, which the White House now sees as good news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Another week, another nearly 3 million Americans filing first-time unemployment claims. The total number now topping a dizzying 36 million. The president off to Pennsylvania, the state for the most part still locked down.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to Pennsylvania, and they ought to start thinking about opening it up. You have a lot of people want their freedom, and they'll get their freedom very soon.
ROBERTS: Despite the massive unemployment and warnings from the Fed chair that a recovery will be much slower and less robust than President Trump is predicting, the markets were up today. White House officials saying, limited reopening are having a mitigating effect.
KEVIN HASSETT, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: The fact that we came in and these claims came in below 3 million, I think that that's a key marker. It suggests that the gradual opening up of the economy is beginning to slow the decline.
TRUMP: Most of this equipment is made in the USA.
ROBERTS: In Allentown, Pennsylvania today, President Trump visiting a company helping to replenish the national stockpile of medical and protective equipment to respond to infections.
More and more though, experts say, a full reopening will depend on a vaccine. Tomorrow, President Trump will officially kick off the private sector military partnership to develop a vaccine, Operation Warp Speed.
TRUMP: We got to have a vaccine by the end of the year. And I think, distribution will take place almost simultaneously because we've geared up the military, and you'll see that tomorrow.
ROBERTS: The White House, also weighing in today on the list of Obama administration officials who requested to unmask the identity of General Michael Flynn from intelligence intercepts during the presidential transition.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Why were political official -- officials like the former vice president requesting his identity be revealed? Why was the secretary of treasury? Why was the chief of staff? Why was the U.N. ambassador? This is extremely alarming --
ROBERTS: Obama's director of national intelligence, today saying, what was alarming was the frequent contact the transition team had with Russian officials.
LT. GEN. JAMES CLAPPER (RET.), FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: There were numerous engagements by representatives of the Trump camp with Russians. So, that I think is what attracted the attention of me and other then-serving national security officials.
ROBERTS: Some Republicans suggesting, the unmasking issue could play in November.
REP. TREY GOWDY, FORMER CONGRESSMAN OF SOUTH CAROLINA: The voters provide oversight. Sandra, I mean, if this is the country you want to live in where you can target your political opponents and their family members up to the day they take the oath of office, that's just not the country I want to live in.
ROBERTS: Democrats, on the other hand, chiding Republicans for even bringing it up.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): We're in the middle of a public health and economic crisis, and Senate Republicans are diving headfirst into the muck.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: On that health crisis, the Centers for Disease Control today, added to their web site new guidelines to help individuals, employers, and others begin the process of reopening.
Included in the guidelines are so-called decision trees which individuals, schools, nursing homes, daycare centers, and other businesses like that can go through on a step by step basis to figure out how its best done and when it's safe to do it. Bret.
BAIER: John Roberts, live on the North Lawn. John, thanks.
As just John just reported, stocks were up today. The Dow surging 377. The S&P 500 gained 32-1/2. The NASDAQ finished ahead 81.
More and more Americans are rebelling tonight against government lockdown orders. Hundreds of protesters braved heavy rain in Michigan's capitol today, protesting the governor's virus restrictions. They have plenty of company all across the U.S.
Senior correspondent Mike Tobin shows us tonight from Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE TOBIN, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: With Governor Gretchen Whitmer extending Michigan's state of emergency by executive order, demonstrators were back at the Capitol, in part, protesting her order that hits Detroit with the same restrictions as rural parts of the state.
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): We drop our guard now, all of our sacrifices will have been in vain, and we'll be right back where we were.
TOBIN: Bars filled up in Wisconsin after the state Supreme Court struck down the stay-at-home order from Democrat Governor Tony Evers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If people want to quarantine, quarantine. If you don't want to quarantine, don't quarantine.
TOBIN: And a four to three ruling, justices determined that Evers overstepped his authority when he bypassed the legislature and extended by executive order.
GOV. TONY EVERS (D-WI): The Supreme Court may have changed the rules for how we operate, but it sure the heck didn't change of how the -- how the viruses operate.
TOBIN: A Republican legislator, say it's now imperative they work with the governor to address any spike in cases.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're absolutely going to see some type of flare-up at some point, I'm sure.
TOBIN: Colorado is taking a dynamic approach based on geography, data, and personal responsibility. Democratic Governor Jared Polis, who met with the president Wednesday is giving a great deal of the decision-making to local governments for phased reopening.
GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): People are being responsible. I mean, you know, and it's that individual responsibility that's going to make sure that we can stay on this trajectory.
TOBIN: California Governor Gavin Newsom is doing something similar, allowing counties there to reopen at their own phases within his guidelines. But as some rural areas begin to open up, more populated areas are being more cautious.
MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D-CA), LOS ANGELES: As long as you're not doing a solitary activity or with your own household, put that mask on always.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TOBIN: New York statewide stay-at-home order expires on Friday. Governor Andrew Cuomo, says five regions are ready to reopen. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, says beaches on the Jersey Shore will be open in time for Memorial Day weekend. Bret, back to you.
BAIER: Mike Tobin in Chicago. Mike, thanks.
The CDC is issuing an advisory concerning several cases of a recently reported Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in children, associated with coronavirus. It's recommending health care providers report any patient who meets the case definition to the local state and territorial health departments, to help officials learn more about the risk factors and treatment.
The darkest winter in modern history. That's what a demoted government scientist turned whistleblower is predicting for the country if leaders do not act decisively to deal with this pandemic.
Also tonight on Capitol Hill, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee stepping down during an investigation into an insider trading allegation connected to the virus. And he isn't the only lawmaker answering questions overstock sales. Chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel reports on a nosey day on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. RICK BRIGHT, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Americans deserve the truth.
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dr. Rick Bright, the whistleblower removed as head of a federal agency overseeing vaccines sounded the alarm about a lack of COVID-19 federal coordination.
BRIGHT: But time is running out because the virus is still spreading everywhere. Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history.
EMANUEL: Leading Democrats, including one from a California district that's received hundreds of millions of dollars from Bright's former office, were quick to defend his complaint.
REP. ANNA ESHOO (D-CA): Dr. Bright has filed one of the most specific and troubling whistleblower complaints I've ever seen. He was not only ignored, he was fired for being right.
EMANUEL: Republicans called the hearing political, noting there are much bigger issues related to COVID-19.
REP. RICHARD HUDSON (R-NC): This hearing is not about a whistleblower complaint. It's about undermining the administration during a national and global crisis.
EMANUEL: President Trump weighed in on Bright as he was leaving the White House.
TRUMP: I don't know him, I never met him, I don't want to meet him, but I watch him, and he looks like an angry disgruntled employee, who frankly, according to some people, didn't do a very good job.
EMANUEL: The Health and Human Services secretary criticized bright, saying, others in the administration had similar concerns that were addressed.
ALEX AZAR, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: So, this is like somebody who was in a choir and is now trying to say he was a soloist back then.
EMANUEL: Also today, Republican Senator Richard Burr, announced he's stepping down as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after the FBI seized his cell phone in an investigation of his stock sales before a COVID-19 hammered the market.
SEN. RICHARD BURR (R-NC): And this is a distraction to the hard work of the committee and the members, and I think, the security of the country is too important to have a distraction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
EMANUEL: Fox News has confirmed, Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein was also questioned by the FBI about financial transactions. Her spokesman says she handed over paperwork to show she had no involvement in her husband's trades. Bret.
BAIER: Mike, thank you.
The legal limbo for former national security adviser Michael Flynn is even murkier tonight. There is now a second federal judge involved in the evaluation process of the government's decision to drop charges against Flynn.
Correspondent David Spunt is at the Justice Department again tonight with an explanation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Former national security adviser Michael Flynn's wait for freedom just got extended. A week after Attorney General Bill Barr announced his intent to drop the case. Despite the prosecution and the defense now on agreement, Judge Emmet Sullivan has the final say and he's in no rush to rule.
Yesterday, Sullivan appointed former Federal Judge John Gleeson to argue against dismissing the case. Two days before, Gleeson penned a Washington Post op-ed. "There has been nothing regular about the department's effort to dismiss the Flynn case. The record reeks of improper political influence."
But in a 2013 court document obtained by Fox News, Gleeson wrote in part, "The government has near-absolute power to extinguish a case that it has brought." Judge Sullivan wants to hear why Flynn should not be held in contempt for perjury. He lied to an FBI agent, pleaded guilty twice, but announced his intention to withdraw the latest plea.
But Sullivan's latest move could actually help Flynn with a presidential pardon, especially if the president loses re-election.
SOLOMON WISENBERG, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: It is still within the statute of limitations for that administration to charge General Flynn with perjury for the -- for the statements he made under oath in his plea hearing. So, the most protection for General Flynn is a pardon. And you know, I think we might as well get it over with fairly soon.
SPUNT: As one judge prolongs the Flynn case, in another case, a federal appeals court threw the president to set back. It revived a lawsuit from Maryland and D.C., accusing President Trump of profiting off the presidency through his Washington, D.C. hotel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SPUNT: The president's personal attorney and a Department of Justice spokeswoman said, they'll take the case to the Supreme Court. Bret.
BAIER: David Spunt, outside DOJ. David, thanks.
A bill to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, also known as FISA has passed the Senate with bipartisan support. The measure renews some of its provisions but includes reforms to deal with concerns about surveillance abuse.
The bill has the backing of President Trump, Attorney General Barr, and the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Up next, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the pandemic, the economy, and the November election. First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight.
WSVN in Miami, as brought fires and smoky conditions, caused officials to shut down a section of Interstate 75, known as Alligator Alley. In Southwest Florida this morning, motorists are advised to proceed with caution.
Fox 2 in St. Louis as Missouri moves ahead with plans to execute a man next week, despite new concerns about key evidence that led to his conviction. 64-year-old, Walter Barton is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday for killing an 81-year-old trailer park operator in 1991.
Three jurors from his 2006 trial are now expressing misgivings based on new blood spatter evidence.
Fox 53 in Pittsburgh as Zoom video communications says it plans to hire 500 software engineers for research and development in Pittsburgh and Phoenix over the next two years. That would expand its engineering workforce by about 60 percent. A lot of people zooming.
And this is a live look at Detroit from our affiliate Fox 2 one of the big stories there tonight, the state of Michigan announces a settlement in a lawsuit over poor reading skills that was filed on behalf of Detroit schoolchildren.
The 2016 lawsuit, alleged the city's public schools were in slum-like conditions and functionally incapable of delivering access to literacy.
That's tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY", from SPECIAL REPORT. We'll be right back with the Senate majority leader.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Welcome back. Joining us now to talk about coronavirus recovery, all the latest news, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Capitol Hill. Senator, thanks for being here.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Yes, good evening.
BAIER: You spent some time on the -- on the Senate floor today, lambasting the House Speakers' efforts on this latest $3 trillion bill and what's inside it. I wanted to ask you about the messaging that you're sending about pumping the brakes on a phase four as of yet.
You had the Fed chair, Powell, say that this is a financial situation without modern precedent --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: Additional fiscal support could be costly but worth it, if it helps avoid long-term damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Essentially saying, lawmakers may need to do more. How do you reconcile those two things?
MCCONNELL: Easily, I think the chairman of the Fed is correct and we do anticipate having to act again at some point. I do think though in terms of timing. The chairman of the Fed didn't say how quickly and we need to verify how we've done so far. Make sure we know whatever mistakes we've made, we don't want to repeat.
So, I'm certainly not ruling out another fiscal package. And I would say, the chairman of the Fed and I and the administration are not necessarily in different places.
BAIER: You called the Speaker's efforts just a political marker. Why not take that as the first in a -- first serve, and volley back and forth as you all have done before?
MCCONNELL: Well, it's an 1800-page liberal wish list. It strikes me, it's hardly salvageable. Just to give you an example of some of the absurdity, there is money in there for illegal immigrants, it mentions the word, cannabis, of all things, 68 times more than the word jobs, or hire, or mentioned in the entire bill. It's a parade -- the parade of absurdities that can hardly be taken seriously.
Let me tell you what I will predict, Bret. Bret, I think that president and Senate Republican majorities will be on the same page when we get to the point where we need to do another bill. And our red line is going to be liability and protections for those who are brave enough to begin to open up the economy again in the wake of the trial lawyers who are descending already, on hospitals, and doctors, and businesses.
As of about a week and a half ago, 771 lawsuits already been filed. So, we're working on a narrowly crafted protection from liability for things directly related to the coronavirus, and that will have to be a part of any package. Because if we really going to get the economy up and going again, people have to be brave enough to begin to engage in economic activity.
How about the presence of universities? Are they willing to open up with a fall or are we going to have another period of time, where not only K through 12 students but potentially college students are still at home?
All of those questions need to be answered by the fall, liability, and protection will help provide the answer.
BAIER: What triggers that negotiation start? I mean, the PPP, the next tranche is going to be up at some point? What will trigger the action of legislation?
MCCONNELL: Yes. Well, as I said, the president and Senate Republicans are going to be in the same place. We all let you know when we think the time is right to begin to move again.
I think there's a high likelihood we'll do another bill, and I've just indicated what will need to be a part of any bill that actually gets a presidential signature and is brought up and passed by a Republican majority in the Senate.
BAIER: You said wait to get word, but is word soon?
MCCONNELL: Look, I think we're all talking about this. I talked to the secretary of the Treasury about it yesterday, to the president's chief of staff, and to the president recently about this.
I think we all believe that another bill probably isn't going to be necessary. But I'm not prepared today to put a precise date on when that will be. What I can tell you as I told you earlier that it's going to include the liability protections in order to get through the Senate and in order to be signed by the president, and we'll look at what the conditions are in the near future and decide how that ought to be crafted.
But it was not going to be a $3 trillion left-wing wish list, like the Speaker is apparently going to try to jam down the throats of her majority either later this week or early next week.
BAIER: You mentioned schools, you think the University of Louisville should open up this fall?
MCCONNELL: I want them to feel comfortable to be able to open up this fall. And I think answering this liability questions a big part of that. Look, we -- the country is yearning to begin to get back to normal. We want to do it consistent with phase one and two of the coronavirus task force that the administration set up, the White House Task Force.
More and more people believe that we can begin to safely engage again, practicing social distancing, wearing masks, which I had on until I stood here in front of the camera. We're doing that in the Senate. We're up and running, we've been in session the last two weeks. I'm not sure where the House is, but they're not here.
BAIER: Did you get different medical advice than the House did?
MCCONNELL: We asked the Capitol physician how we could safely re-engage. We took his advice and we're practicing it. We're following the advice we've been given.
BAIER: Have you been tested?
MCCONNELL: I visited the White House last week, and the answer to that is yes.
BAIER: Dr. Bright is up testifying in the House today, saying that the administration was woefully prepared, says it's still not prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGHT: Those plans have been in place, and it's disappointing they were not pulled out in January of this year and followed. They were not put on the table with a strong leader indicating, these are our plans, everyone fall in line, and follow through with this plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: You said that the previous administration didn't leave a plan, they push back against that.
MCCONNELL: I was wrong they did leave behind a plan. So, I clearly made a mistake in that regard. As to whether or not the plan was followed, and who's the critic and all the rest, I don't have any observation about that because I don't know enough about the details of that, Bret, to commented on it in any detail.
BAIER: Senator Burr pulled himself off the chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee today. There's an investigation, FBI investigation, Dianne Feinstein, a senator from California. Also being investigated for what her husband did with stocks.
Your thoughts on that and have you made a decision about replacing Senator Burr's chair of that committee.
MCCONNELL: Well, Chairman Burr and I had a chance to talk about that this morning. I think he did the right thing for the committee and for our Republican conference. I thank him for doing that and, at some point, obviously, I'll be naming a new chair.
BAIER: Senator Rubio, Senator Risch?
MCCONNELL: I'll be naming a new chair sometime soon.
BAIER: OK. Let me get your thoughts on the Michael Flynn situation and the news about this unmasking. What do you make of it and is it important in your mind?
MCCONNELL: Well, if there were, in fact, misbehavior surrounding the Flynn case, the American public needs to know. And clearly, that was the view of the attorney general. I gather it's now in a rather unusual procedure being reviewed by the district judge before whom the case was. I think we're just anxious to get the facts.
What actually happened, the American public needs to know, all of us would like to know. And one thing about Washington, you guys are so good at your job. The truth always comes out. Sometimes it takes a little longer than other times, but we'll find out what, in fact, did happen.
BAIER: I want to ask you about the election. You've called it a challenging environment. If scale of one to 10, 10 being the most confident. Where do you think Republicans are at holding the Senate?
MCCONNELL: Well, I'm never totally confident in any race, but I can say with regard to this question, I've said the same thing from the beginning of this cycle and to right now. Excuse me.
We have 23 members up, we have a really big class. And the reason we have a really big class is this is the class that took our majority back in 2014. So, we have a lot of people up.
23 up and the Democrats only have 12. This was a challenging cycle from the beginning to the middle, to now. And I think the majority in the Senate is very much in question as it has been for year and a half.
BAIER: Are you trying to get Secretary of State Pompeo to run in Kansas?
MCCONNELL: That's been my hope. You can see how well I've done so far.
BAIER: Are you still hopeful on that front?
MCCONNELL: Well, the filing deadline is June 1st, so I guess, this is best won't last much longer.
BAIER: What do you tell vulnerable Republicans in tough races? Whether they should be embracing the president fully or providing some distance from the president? Do you think that this will be a referendum about how this administration handles the health crisis and the economic crisis?
MCCONNELL: Look, every state is different, and I'd far be it for me to give advice to a candidate in Montana versus Colorado versus Maine. I think each of our candidates are very sharp, they got elected six years ago. They know their state's best, and I don't have any kind of universal recommendation about how to run in a given state.
BAIER: You think there'll be an in-person Republican convention?
MCCONNELL: I have no idea. That's a very interesting question. And I think that's the current game plan, but I think we have to see what the status of the pandemic is in late summer and make the call then.
BAIER: What's your biggest worry right now?
MCCONNELL: Right now? In getting the economy open, getting this coronavirus beginning to recede in all parts of the country, and helping America stage a comeback. We had a fabulous economy as late as February of this year, and we'd like for the American people to begin to benefit from a comeback as soon as possible.
Look, we can't borrow enough money to prop this economy up indefinitely. We have to begin to engage the economy again. I'm convinced, Bret, that we can do that safely.
BAIER: The president tweeted out that he thinks President Obama should be called up to a hearing in the Senate. He calls it Obamagate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Obamagate, it's been going on for a long time. It's been going on from before I even get elected, and it's a disgrace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Do you call it that and what do you think about that, that call to have him testify?
MCCONNELL: Look, that will be up to Chairman Graham to make those kind of decisions. I think he may have addressed that already, I'm not certain.
BAIER: Yes, he said he would be uncomfortable with it and likely wouldn't happen. Well, where do you think this investigation goes?
MCCONNELL: Look, I'd be up to Chairman Graham to determine how to handle this. I have a lot of confidence in him and he knows what he's doing and I'm going to follow his lead.
BAIER: Finally, if you're talking to somebody in Kentucky, you're up for re-election as well. What do you tell them this race is about?
MCCONNELL: Well, in the Kentucky race, it's a little different from others. What I tell my constituents is, I'm one of four congressional leaders, I'm the only one not from California or New York, and that I'm uniquely situated to look out for Middle America, and in particular, Kentucky.
So, consistent with my responsibilities as majority leader, I try to do the best I can for Kentucky. I think it's been a real benefit to our state to have the majority leader of the Senate, and really that's the core argument in my reelection.
BAIER: Senator McConnell, we appreciate the time.
MCCONNELL: Thank you, Bret.
BAIER: Up next, learning life-saving medical treatments in real-time. How the coronavirus is forcing even experienced doctors to develop new skills.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: The coronavirus pandemic is shining a bright spotlight on our heroes in the health care industry. Tonight correspondent Matt Finn shows us just how difficult some of their work can be, and why many are having to learn new skills on the fly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT FINN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Doctors say placing a ventilator tube down an infectious COVID-19 patient's throat is one of the most dangerous procedures.
DR. THOMAS SWEDER, FAMILY MEDICINE SPECIALIST: Sick people get intubated, so they've got a lot of virus in them to start.
FINN: If a patient suddenly needs a life-saving ventilator, even some of them most highly trained doctors aren't qualified to apply it.
SWEDER: It's about 15 years since I've done an intubation. So yes, I've done it, but it's not something I would feel comfortable doing right now off the bat.
FINN: Critical care workers who are trained to intubate have been working grueling shifts for months now. If they get sick or need time off, general physicians or family doctors could get called in. In Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, just had its deadliest 24-hour period with 192 deaths. Johns Hopkins currently lists Cook County as the nation's fourth deadliest and second-highest, with more than 55,000 confirmed cases.
SWEDER: Got to go right in there between the vocal cords.
FINN: The county's hospital system is rapidly training hundreds of health care workers.
DR. MICHELLE SERGEL, EMERGENCY MEDICINE SPECIALIST: There is also this group that is being asked to move to the front line, and that group is feeling very ill-equipped.
FINN: Trainees tell us practicing with real ventilators on lifelike dummies is preparing them for the real deal.
SWEDER: Now that I have intubated a dummy probably 100 times in the past month, I feel more comfortable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FINN: The American Medical Association and doctors tell us there's a nationwide, even global demand for this type of training, and any facility that can conduct it is expected to do so. Bret?
BAIER: Matt Finn in Chicago. Matt, thanks.
We all know about the serious public health and economic effects of the virus. We are living it every day. Tonight from across the pond, how the outbreak is threatening culture and history as well. Here is correspondent Benjamin Hall in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BENJAMIN HALL, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The British pub that stayed open through two world wars is in danger, harder hit by coronavirus than almost any other injury. Now owners must adapt to survive. The Duchess Pub in Hammersmith, West London, has reopened as a convenience store and garden store, sourcing products from local suppliers while also offering take away. It's not only to stay afloat but a way to keep staff employed.
JAMES FITZGERALD, THE DUCHESS PUB OWNER: If you're not able to adapt and you're not able to change your focus, it will be devastating.
HALL: In east London, one publican is putting pints on people's doorsteps. He doesn't sell as much beer, but says the look of joy customers' faces is worth it. An estimated 50 million plans could be thrown away if not drunk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The men is a hero, simple as that.
HALL: Pubs had been closing before the virus. There are almost 20 percent, or 11,000 fewer since 2,000, as drinking habits changed. This latest crisis could see many more shuttered.
The government classifies pubs as crowded by the design, so there is no plan to let them reopen yet. The unknown is whether customers will return once life gets back to normal.
FITZGERALD: I kind of worry about when we do reopen. Are people going to be afraid to come to the pub? Or is it going to be like a huge big party. You're just unsure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HALL: According to the British beer and pub association, 40 percent of pubs won't survive if the lockdown is extended. That rises to 70 percent if it continues to the end of the year. It's those pubs, like this one, who learn to adapt who stand a chance. Bret?
BAIER: Benjamin, cheers.
President Trump goes to what Joe Biden considers his home turf. We will hear from Joe Biden and what he has to say about all that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: In tonight's Democracy 2020 Report, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden taking more swings tonight at President Trump. Part of the reason for that is that the president spent part of the day on what Biden considers his home turf, an essentially territory come November. Here is correspondent Peter Doocy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It's not a secret how important Pennsylvania is to Joe Biden. He launched his campaign there, he had his first event there, his headquarters are there.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Allentown, Pennsylvania.
DOOCY: But President Trump is there today, and he's not. So Biden is trying to get his shots in with the statement almost identical to what he wrote in "The Washington Post" this week, quote, "At a time when we should be uniting our country, President Trump is trying to split Pennsylvanians into dueling camps, casting Democrats as doomsayers hoping to keep America grounded, and Republicans as freedom fighters trying to liberate the economy. This is a false choice."
Biden enjoys a five-point national lead over Trump in a new CNN poll that also finds Biden trailing Trump in critical battleground states. Now he's looking for help -- a running mate. At a virtual fundraiser, he said it will take five to eight weeks to find a woman to join the ticket, and the quote, "there's about a dozen of them. We're keeping the names quiet because if anyone isn't chosen, I don't want anybody to think it's because there was something that was some liability that existed." Tonight he'll give a joint interview with Stacey Abrams after zooming with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You'd expect me to say this, I know, because I think you're such a good governor, but I think you have done one hell of a job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOOCY: In the last day there have been statements from the former vice president about the president's trip to PA, unemployment insurance, and health care coverage. But with the exception of a statement from a spokesman, nothing from Biden about unmasking. Bret?
BAIER: Peter, thanks.
Up next, the panel on the whistleblower's testimony today on Capitol Hill, my interview with Senator Mitch McConnell.
First, Beyond our Borders tonight. A suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan kills five civilians, wounds at least 29 others. Officials say the attack was aimed at a military compound, but the bomb exploded prematurely. The Taliban is claiming responsibility for that attack.
The planned swearing-in ceremony for Israel's new government was postponed today, reportedly because of a dispute over cabinet appointments. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to begin a historic fifth term in office thanks to a controversial power-sharing deal with rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz.
The two cooling towers of a former nuclear power plant in southwestern Germany are demolished in a pair of early morning explosions there. The timing of the event was kept under wraps to prevent crowds from gathering during the coronavirus pandemic.
Just some of the other stories Beyond our Borders tonight. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICK BRIGHT, FEDERAL VACCINE EXPERT: Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history.
We still do not have a standard, centralized, coordinated plan to take our nation through this response.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He looks like an angry, disgruntled employee, who, frankly, according to some people, didn't do a very good job.
REP. ANNA ESHOO (D-CA): Dr. Bright has filed one of the most specific and troubling whistleblower complaints I have ever seen.
ALEX AZAR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Everything he is complaining about was achieved. Everything he talked about was done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Dr. Rick Bright testifying, whistleblower status, up on Capitol Hill. What about that testimony, also my interview with the Senate Majority Leader? Let's bring in our panel, Jason Riley, "Wall Street Journal" columnist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Susan Page, Washington bureau chief at "USA Today," and "Washington Post" columnist Marc Thiessen. Susan, your thoughts on Dr. Bright's testimony and what came out of it?
SUSAN PAGE, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "USA TODAY": It was really the second testimony we had this week by a scientist raising questions about how the Trump administration has handled this terrible pandemic. And I thought the most alarming thing, at a time when we are seeing some progress, he was warning about the dangers of a big rebound toward the end of the year. That's troublesome, troubling at a time when we are trying to get the country opened up.
BAIER: Marc, the pushback by Secretary Azar was pretty firm.
MARC THIESSEN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: It was. I don't see how this testimony helped anybody. He was complaining that we hadn't done more in January. Even Dr. Fauci was saying in late January that this wasn't going to affect most people. Into February, there were plenty of people saying this wasn't going to affect the whole country. Nobody saw this coming, once in a generation pathogen. All the public health experts thought they had seen this rodeo before. This was going to be like SARS, like avian flu, like swine flu, like Ebola, a serious public health challenge, but not a once-in-a-lifetime pathogen that shuts down our entire country. And so the president is trying to do something very difficult, which is handle a once- in-a-generation challenge, and we should be all finding ways to support him and move it forward, not criticize him from the sidelines.
BAIER: Meantime, Jason, Thursday is usually a bad day lately because you get the weekly jobless claims. Another 3 million Americans filed for unemployment last week. That's the eight-week total to 36.5 million. It's an astonishing number. And that's why a lot of these governors are trying to figure out how to open safely.
JASON RILEY, COLUMNIST, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Yes, and I think it's going to be a rolling process, Bret. And I don't think the places in the country where the virus has hit hardest should be determining when the rest of the country opens up. This is something that's going to be determined locally. I think it's best that it's a decentralized process.
And I also think that people are going to feel more comfortable or less comfortable given where they live in the country, and in some places, not until there is no vaccine or at least an antiviral drug available are people going to be comfortable going back to work or sending their kids back to school or resuming their economic activities. But that should be done on a state and city and local level. Washington can offer some guidance, but this can't be a one-size-fits-all plan to reopen.
BAIER: Susan, the Senate Majority Leader saying this House Speaker, Democrat House bill is essentially a nonstarter, but saying that there will likely be other legislation, not saying when, but liability protection is his redline, and the president's as well.
PAGE: It's interesting he didn't close the door on it. He suggested he was likely to agree to another spending bill. That was significant, I thought. But the idea of liability protection is one that really divides the Republicans from the Democrats. Democrats worry that liability protection means that you're not going to take of workers, that it's a get-out-of- jail-free card for big business. So that may be the subject of some really intense negotiation if they're going to reach a deal.
BAIER: Marc, what did you take from the interview?
THIESSEN: I think he's absolutely right on liability protection. We need it. We need to help these businesses reopen. We are asking them to do something inherently risky, which is restart their operations and help us restart the economy before the pandemic has been defeated. That has massive risks to all of them. When we asked them to shut down, we helped them mitigate the economic risk by providing $2.6 trillion in aid. Now we need to help them mitigate the legal risk by providing them with limited, targeted, temporary protections that will expire when the COVID emergency is over. It seems perfectly reasonable.
BAIER: Jason, the other thing, what's interesting was the politics, I think. He is obviously concerned about the map for the Senate, 23 Republicans up for reelection. And they have got some races that are really kind of going the other way to the point where he is still trying to recruit Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to run in that Kansas Senate race, not to much avail, yet.
RILEY: Yes, it is about the map, Bret, but on both sides. I think Nancy Pelosi and the House put forward this document with that map in mind as well. And I don't really see it as a serious piece of legislation. I see it as a campaign document, and something they want to use to go after Republicans with in the fall. They want to say if Republicans aren't for this, they are heartless, they don't care, they are mean-spirited, and so forth. And I think they are trying to bait McConnell and the Republicans into going along instead of facing that sort of criticism.
But I'm glad that McConnell is pushing back. There's a lot of stuff in here, particularly things that they are doubling down on that we know don't work from the first two or three iterations of this legislation, like the bonus in unemployment insurance, which we now know is paying more money to stay home than their employers can pay them to come back to work. That's completely counterproductive. It's set to phase out, and the Democrats want to extend it.
They also want a bailout states that have been behaving very irresponsibly in terms of funding their pensions and so forth, for years, and now want to say that all their financial problems are due to this virus. That is not something McConnell should go along with.
BAIER: Quickly, Susan, do you think that there could be a possibility that some of the angst about getting back to work and the shutdown, moving the goalposts, if you will, from flattening the curved of finding a cure, as we've heard on social media, that that is going to be an electoral issue that really fires up some population that could potentially go for Trump?
PAGE: Yes, absolutely. I think this has turned out to be a red versus blue kind of issue, which is not something I would've predicted before we got to this point. And we saw protests in the three most crucial states, today, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
BAIER: All right, panel, thank you very much. When we come back, the brighter side of things, some good news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAIER: Finally tonight, some good news from around the globe. A mayor in New Zealand did his first bungee jump in 10 years to celebrate the easing of most of the country's lockdown restrictions. That country moved to stage two of COVID-19 restrictions today. Most gatherings there will be limited to 10 people, social distancing guidelines will remain, so bungee away.
And an operations manager at a cleaning company in Belgium wanted to put his unused cranes to work. He saw it in other countries being used, so he put his cranes at nursing homes in several Belgium towns so people can visit their relatives at the windows. I love that.
Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this SPECIAL REPORT.
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.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.