This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," July 3, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS HOST: Good evening, welcome to Washington. I'm Mike Emanuel in for Bret Baier.
President Trump is taking a quick trip to Mount Rushmore to watch some July third fireworks along with thousands of people. The event comes despite the U.S. reporting another record high in new coronavirus cases today.
In his speech tonight, President Trump is expected to speak about the history of America and warned against those he sees trying to divide the country. We will have life coverage of the big event tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
The president will return to Washington well past midnight to prepare for tomorrow's festivities back home at the White House. That's where we begin tonight with Correspondent Mark Meredith on the North Lawn. Good evening, Mark.
MARK MEREDITH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Mike. At this hour, the president and first lady, they are in the air making their way to Mount Rushmore for that fireworks as you also mentioned, they'll be having a remarks tonight. While they are there in South Dakota, we expect the president is going to call out cancel culture and also criticize those that want to tear down monuments in the name of rewriting American history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to Mount Rushmore.
MEREDITH: President Trump is kicking off his holiday weekend with a trip to South Dakota's Mount Rushmore where at least 75,000 people are expected to watch a fireworks extravaganza.
TRUMP: I'll be seeing a lot of people, a lot of different people. And I think it will be a fantastic evening.
MEREDITH: Organizers say masks will be provided but people won't be required to wear them. Meantime, some Native American tribes who calls South Dakota home are protesting the visit, they want Mount Rushmore torn down.
The leader of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe writing, we are the ones who live under the stare of those who have wronged us.
On Saturday, the president will host a salute to America event. The White House inviting front-line workers including doctors and nurses to the celebration while tens of thousands are expected to gather on the National Mall for a military flyover and fireworks. Mall goers are encouraged to practice social distancing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CDC says larger gatherings are a higher risk. You have to take that into account again with whether or not you're at risk, whether you live with someone who is vulnerable and then you have to take measures to say safe.
MEREDITH: As several states experience a surging COVID cases, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the virus itself may be mutating, essentially allowing it to spread more easily. But he says more research is needed to know for sure.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: It just seems that the virus replicates better and may be more transmissible, but this is still at the stage of trying to confirm that.
MEREDITH: President Trump tweeted Thursday, the increase in cases is easy to explain, writing, quote, there's a rising coronavirus cases because our testing is so massive and so good. Far bigger and better than any other country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden can't fix our economy.
MEREDITH: The president's campaign is focused elsewhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trade deals that let China and Mexico steal our jobs.
MEREDITH: The Trump campaign released this new T.V. ad today only hours after the June jobs report showed 4.8 million jobs were added last month. The ad maybe the most clear sign yet the Trump campaign hopes to win voters over by appealing directly to people's pocketbooks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MEREDITH: In his remarks tonight, the president expected to call America a great and virtuous country but he's also going to say some of the chaos that we've seen these last couple of weeks is a responsibility of a left- wing mob, Mike.
EMANUEL: Mark Meredith leading us off on the North Lawn. Mark, many thanks.
The way that spikes started in the South moved West, but now at least 40 states are seeing climbing new coronavirus cases. Governors have ordered the wearing of masks in public and families are being urged to celebrate Independence Day at home.
Correspondent Jonathan Serrie is in Atlanta looking at the concerning coronavirus trends across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERRENCE REIDY, UNDERSECRETARY, MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC SAFETY: The virus isn't taking a holiday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feel pain anywhere?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
JONATHAN SERRIE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: As the U.S. grapples with a new spike in COVID-19 cases, this July 4th promises to be like no other. With many cities canceling or scaring back fireworks displays, authorities are trying to discourage amateurs from filling the vacuum.
REIDY: I word to anyone who's thinking about a backyard firework show, don't. Fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts and dangerous in untrained hands.
SERRIE: To discourage crowds in Florida, the Blue Angels announced they will not fly at the Pensacola Beach Air Show and Airbnb announced its banning parties in regions with public health mandates against large gatherings including the Sunshine State which set a new state record for new COVID cases on Thursday.
BREN BREIT, SPOKESMAN, AIRBNB: What we and the Florida surgeon general really want -- you know, potential travelers to know is that we need to be prioritizing safe and responsible travel and that really means no parties.
SERRIE: Public health officials are trying to discourage a repeat of large Memorial Day gatherings which they say contributed to a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases that appeared in the following weeks.
Even in the great outdoors, officials urged caution as larger than usual numbers are expected a popular natural attractions such as the American River in California.
SGT. RANDY BICKEL, PARK RANGER, SACRAMENTO COUNTY: We're going to do our best to keep educating people. Please ask them to wear masks, ask them to social distance and try to respect to other people's space.
SERRIE: In North Carolina which today reported its highest number of hospitalizations in new cases. Officials are framing mask wearing as more than just an issue of public health.
DR. MANDY COHEN, SECRETARY, NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Wear a face covering because you want to reignite the economy and support businesses. Wear a face covering so our children can be back at school.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERRIE: And today Kansas and Texas began requiring people to wear face masks in public joining 20 states with similar mandates. But other states such as Georgia are hoping that voluntary appeals will be enough to encourage people to do the right thing, Mike.
EMANUEL: Jonathan Serrie live in Atlanta. Jonathan, thanks a lot.
For more on the coronavirus pandemic, joining me now is Fox News Contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. Doctor, it's great to have you.
DR. JANETTE NESHEIWAT, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.
EMANUEL: We've seen some of the COVID-19 hot spots closed down, beaches and parks this Independence Day weekend, is that wise?
NESHEIWAT: Well, yes, there's an area of an outbreak for example in Miami, certain parts of Arizona, certain parts of Texas because the concern is close people in high density crowd clusters, they can transmit the virus from one person to another.
Now, the ocean or pools, they're safe, it's just that the condensed crowd is what -- is the concern for transmission of this virus.
And you know, this Fourth of July holiday weekend has the potential for a perfect storm and with over 50,000 new cases daily and some hospitals maxing out their ICU capacity really need to take aggressive action and try to celebrate this holiday weekend at home so that we minimize person to person interaction with new people outside of your family. Really important of course in addition to that physical distancing.
And if you are going to go out and celebrate, try to keep six to 10 feet and try to socialize outdoors and of course wear your masks. That's really important because the mask can help the transmission reduction from about 17 down to about three percent which can really save thousands of lives over the next few months.
EMANUEL: As much of the country has reopened, there's been a real emphasis on those masks for Americans who have quarantined fatigue. How much of a difference does wearing a mask make when you're out and about?
NESHEIWAT: Well, so, wearing a mask does not mean you should not practice physical distancing. The latest data that we have actually shows you're not only protecting others but you can actually be protecting yourself. And it also showed that by October, 33,000 lives would be saved.
So it certainly helps, it's not 100 percent, that's why in addition to wearing your mask, physical distancing, hand hygiene, trying to avoid clusters crowds, areas with high density like bars and restaurants are really really important, especially because this virus potentially could be mutating to the point where it's three to nine times more transmissible, three to nine times more contagious. So that's really a big issue.
So we have the tools and the knowledge and the power to fight and combat this virus, it's just a matter of compliance, being attentive and adhering to these CDC guidelines.
EMANUEL: Doctor, in our final moments here, as you know young people think they're invincible. A final message to them heading into this Independence Day holiday weekend.
NESHEIWAT: Be safe, be smart, we want to open up sooner than later. Remember, this virus can affect anyone from newborns, from children to senior citizens. And together we can all -- you know, protect one another and open up sooner than later. So really important to galvanize one another to do the right thing so that we could get back on our feet again.
And remember, sometimes it's just safer to act as if we are all asymptomatic carriers and get back on our feet again.
EMANUEL: And finally, is it smart to watch the fireworks from home? Perhaps look up in the sky or perhaps even on T.V.?
NESHEIWAT: Yes, definitely a safer alternative because of your outdoors in close contact with one another, talking, shouting, screaming, you can transmit the virus, it can aerosolize and get into the nose, the mouth and the eyes of other people and definitely you can acquire the virus that way.
So any opportunity we have to protect ourselves, to protect one another, we should certainly take that opportunity.
EMANUEL: Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, wishing you a safe and healthy Independence Day weekend. Thanks for your time.
NESHEIWAT: Thank you. Thank you, Mike, you too.
EMANUEL: The Washington Redskins announced a thorough review of their name amid public pressure from major sponsors like Nike and FedEx. Correspondent David Spunt is following that story. Good evening, David.
DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi Mike, good evening to you. Even talk of a name change has been a long time coming when it comes to this team as you mentioned, the top draft with the Washington Redskins just conducting a review. No final decisions have been made at this point but the wheel started really moving yesterday when fed out -- FedEx, excuse me, put out an incredibly direct statement to all of the fans across the country and to the team management.
I want to read it to you, it says, we have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.
Mike, that single sentence got Redskins owner Daniel Snyder's attention. FedEx owns the naming rights for the team's stadium. Now this request comes just a day after Adweek reported that 87 investment firms and shareholders sent a letter urging Nike, Pepsi, and FedEx to stop doing business with the team until that team name changes.
Now, go to the Nike site if you want to try to buy something Redskins related, you can't. The company took all Redskins merchandise off the site until there is a name change.
The name change isn't just important to people who are fans of the team last October when the Redskins played the Vikings' demonstrators in Minneapolis marched against the team name. Owner Dan Snyder released a statement this week quote, this process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community. It is proud to represent on and off the field.
Quite a far cry Mike, from Snyder's comments to USA Today seven years ago where he said, quote, we'll never change the name. It's that simple. Never. You can use caps.
The new head coach, Ron Rivera who was previously in Charlotte said, quote, this issue is of personal importance to me and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting our -- supporting Native Americans and our military.
Now, online like a lot of people are talking about different names, suggesting different names to the team. One of those names you can expect not to see, the Braves, that's the original name for the team but NFL leader Roger Goodell said he is supportive if the team wants to change its name, Mike.
EMANUEL: David Spunt reporting live. David, thanks a lot.
In our Democracy 2020 report, former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce his own V.P. choice in early August. Biden has narrowed the list by saying it will be a woman. Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich looks at some of the candidates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Conventional wisdom among people who study gender and politics says former Vice President Joe Biden will likely pick a woman of color as his running mate, most likely a black woman.
The country's demanding diversity at the table but also that move may motivate a key voting black, black woman who voted at the highest rates of any racial and gender group in the 2008 and 2012 elections.
LORI COX HAN, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY: Normally running mates, we don't help that much. I mean, there's no real political science data that says that they do, but then 2020 is a whole different ball game.
HEINRICH: Experts consider Senator Kamala Harris the top pick vetted on a national stage. In her own presidential campaign, she brings legislative and law enforcement experience despite progressive criticism of her record as attorney general.
(INAUDIBLE) Florida Congresswoman Val Demings, a former police chief from a swing state also drew national attention during the Black Lives Matter protest and in her roles in impeachment manager.
Other picks like Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Stacey Abrams, lack federal experience but California Congresswoman Karen Bass has it, past praise of Fidel Castro could hurt her with Florida voters.
And Susan Rice, Obama's former national security advisor would add to Biden's foreign policy know-how.
Biden has not committed to choosing a black woman but experts say the choice will reflect the future of the party. There's a chance Progressives get left behind.
Senator Elizabeth Warren's in the running, but she's white and older.
KELLY DITTMAR, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: I don't think she would lose a lot of voters but I think there would be also a level of disappointment and concern about, OK, where Joe Biden are you going to make sure our voices are at this table?
HEINRICH: With other woman of color offering perspective and experience like Senator Tammy Duckworth an Asian-American combat veteran, experts think it's unlikely white woman on the short list will make the cut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEINRICH: Experts believe the main driver in Biden's choice is unifying the Democratic Party, Mike.
EMANUEL: Jacqui Heinrich in New York. Jackie, thanks a lot.
Ghislaine Maxwell is behind bars in charge with helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls.
One woman says when she was 14 years old, Maxwell recruited and raped her. The victim who has asked remain anonymous spoke with Fox News. Correspondent Bryan Llenas has this report that you may find disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is just as evil as Jeffrey Epstein.
BRYAN LLENAS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, a woman who wishes to conceal her identity is speaking publicly alleging Ghislaine Maxwell begins sexually abusing her in 1991 when she was just 14 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She did rape me. I would say it's more than 20 or 30 times. She is a rapist. Destroyed my what was supposed to be the best years of my life being a teenager, being a cheerleader.
LLENAS: She claims Maxwell would abuse her with Epstein and sometimes alone coaching her, have her to have sex with men.
The abuse stopped when she was 16, after became pregnant with Epstein's baby, and had to have an abortion. Her attacker grew fearful she would tell her grandparents or the authorities, but for good measure, she says she was gang-raped one last time as punishment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ghislaine was a part of it and Jeffrey Epstein's a part of it, and I was drugged. Gang-raped and left on the lawn and they put a gun to me. And the man that drove me home said I would never be (INAUDIBLE), I never come back alive if I spoke about it.
LLENAS: Jane Doe's legal team is researching whether she can pursue criminal charges, but she is willing to serve as a witness against Maxwell in her upcoming trial.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely, I would definitely take a stand and testify.
JORDAN MERSON, ATTORNEY FOR MAXWELL'S ALLEGED VICTIM: People felt, you know, cheated when Mr. Epstein committed suicide in prison and they didn't get a chance to sit in the courtroom and see the judicial system play out. And they're hoping that there's a different result here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LLENAS: According to her attorney, Jane Doe's grandparents have corroborated her claims. When asked about these specific allegations, an attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, said, "no comment." Mike?
EMANUEL: Bryan Llenas, thanks very much.
Up next, to look back at lessons learned from racial tensions in the 1960s, and why they were rejected by the Democratic president.
First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. FOX 10 in Phoenix, where police say a man robbing a gas station convenience store fatally shot a bystander.
The robber turned shooter, then was killed in a Wild West shootout with another bystander who was injured in the exchange of gunfire. None of those involved was immediately identified.
FOX 29 in Philadelphia, reporting on Major League Baseball announcing they've had 38 positive COVID-19 tests as training resumes. 31 players and seven staff are infected, spread across 19 teams. Opening day has been rescheduled for July 23rd.
And this is a live look at Denver from Fox 31. One of the big stories there tonight, Colorado joins New Jersey and New Hampshire in allowing legal betting on Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest for the first time in the event's history.
The July 4th tradition will take place at an undisclosed private location with social distancing measures in place rather than Coney Island, New York.
That's tonight's live look "OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY" from SPECIAL REPORT. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
EMANUEL: In the mid to late 1960s, riders rampaged through many American cities. At that time, the Kerner Commission comprised of blacks and whites, Liberals and Conservatives was established to look into the unrest.
The group's conclusions were roundly rejected by the country's Democratic president. Since then, history has repeated itself time and again. Correspondent Douglas Kennedy, reports on the Commission's predictions and talks to its last surviving member.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOUGLAS KENNEDY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: This is all really familiar.
JOHN KOSKINEN, FORMER COMMISSIONER, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: Yes, this is a scene that, unfortunately, has been repeated many times in the past.
KENNEDY: Detroit 1967, Los Angeles 1992, Ferguson 2014, everywhere 2020. For some, it's the same thing all over again. John Koskinen doesn't want to say I told you so. But back in 1968, he worked for a commission that predicted it all.
So, the Kerner Commission was actually the first time the U.S. government identified racial inequality and institutionalized racism as the root cause of urban social unrest.
KOSKINEN: That's right and that's why it was so controversial at the time.
KENNEDY: It's most famous passage warned, "Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal." They were conclusions that irritated then-President Lyndon Johnson, who wanted the commission to conclude that outside groups were the problem, organizing protests for nefarious political purpose.
FRED HARRIS, FORMER SENATOR OF OKLAHOMA: President Johnson himself, unfortunately, believed that there was some conspiracy behind these riots or disorders. He thought that they were organized. And we found that, that was simply not true.
KENNEDY: Former Oklahoma senator, Fred Harris is the last surviving member of the actual commission.
HARRIS: Now, that police have become more and more militarized, more and more separated from the community where they're supposed to protect and serve.
KENNEDY: The Kerner Commission concluded that racism was everyone's problem and that racial inequality would never be solved unless everyone came together to solve it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No peace!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No peace!
KENNEDY: It's a sentiment, Koskinen, says is apparent as much today as it was back then.
But today's protests are actually giving you a little bit of hope.
KOSKINEN: Well, yes. Because I think what people have been able to see is visible representations of the difficulties African Americans have in a day to day basis in their relationship with the white superstructure but certainly with the police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I want?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
KENNEDY: Both he and Harris say we have a chance now to finally address these generation's old problems. And they say we better take advantage of it.
Just outside Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., Douglas Kennedy, Fox News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
EMANUEL: Up next, we hear from some World War II veterans ahead of the Independence Day weekend.
First, "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. At least four people are dead and nearly 100 injured after an explosion at a fireworks factory in northwestern Turkey. At least three people are unaccounted for, efforts to control the fire were hampered by continuing explosions. The cause is unknown at this point.
Botswana is launching an investigation after 275 elephant carcasses have been found in recent weeks. Poaching which is a problem and the country has been ruled out as the cause. Wildlife officials are using aircraft to better understand the mysterious loss of life.
COVID-19 is considered an unlikely candidate, but for now, nothing including poison has been ruled out.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has now spent 169 straight days at sea, a record for an American warship. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is currently in the Arabian Sea.
Just some of the other stories "BEYOND OUR BORDERS" tonight. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
EMANUEL: The Fourth of July marks one moment of independence for America, but the fight for freedom did not end in the 1700s. Through many wars, political debates, and centuries, the fight is continued.
With assistance from National Geographic, my colleague Brett Baier, looks back at the greatest generation who helped win World War II, 75 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: They are among the last surviving voices of the Second World War.
HARRY STEWART, VETERAN, WORLD WAR II: I never thought that I'd have the chance to actually train and become a pilot. But World War II came along.
VICTOR GREGG, VETERAN, WORLD WAR II: Every word I'm going to tell you, there's no make-believe or anything. And whether you acknowledge it or not, it's going to be the truth.
BAIER: The stories of these two veterans and others are chronicled in National Geographic's coverage of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, in their June 2020 issue.
That quarter-century milestone is being celebrated across the globe. From a military parade in Moscow's Red Square to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany to multiple commemorations this year at D.C.'s memorial to the war on the National Mall.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that about 300,000 American World War II veterans are still alive, yet with that number declining every year, capturing their stories is more critical than ever.
Harry Stewart served with the Tuskegee Airman. Just 10 of the famed Tuskegee Airman remain today.
STEWART: I just felt as though I was meant to be in an airplane. I got so if felt as though the aircraft was an extension of my body. I felt as though my arms were the wings.
BAIER: He says he wants the Tuskegee Airmen to be remembered as good citizens who helped protect their country during a time of need, even in the face of discrimination.
STEWART: It was quite a thing because people wondered, well, these guys had been segregated all the time. And how do they fly? Are they good pilots? The answer is, yes.
BAIER: After postwar budget cuts forced Stewart out of the Air Force, he was denied a position as a commercial pilot with Pan American and Transworld Airlines because of his race.
STEWART: When I got out of the service, I applied with a couple of airlines as a pilot, and I was denied being accepted because of my color. So I went back to school, and I got my degree in mechanical engineering. As the years passed, I would go to the airport there, and I'd look in the cockpit, and lo and behold there's an African-Americans sitting behind the controls there ready to fly the aircraft. And the one that truly brought tears to my face was when not one, but there were two African-Americans sitting in the cockpit theare. They were both women. So, that was quite a thing.
BAIER: For Victor Gregg, an offer of a hot of tea lured him to a recruiting office in London where he signed up for the British Army on his 18th birthday. Serving as a rifleman, his name was pulled out of a hat to join a parachute brigade. He says they received their training for that task while on the job.
VICTOR GREGG, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: Consequently, when we jumped, we lost more people on the descent in the first hour that we lost through the six days of the fight. Out of the 460 who jumped, there's only about 180, I think. All the rest were dead. And they was jumping on the dead bodies of the blokes who had jumped the day before.
BAIER: Both men say they served out of a sense of duty to their countries.
GREGG: My attitude of the war was that's what we're supposed to do. If the Colonel told us to do anything, we done it. If he says we're here to stay, that's it. We made the best of it.
STEWART: I'm a strong patriot. I feel this is nothing like the Constitution that we have of the United States, which is the most beautiful document anybody could ever read. The practice of it is not perfect, it's not perfect today, it may not be perfect tomorrow, but it keeps getting closer and closer and closer right on out to infinity.
BAIER: In Washington, Bret Baier, FOX News.
(END VIDEOTAPE) MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: President Trump pushes ahead with July 4th festivities despite spiking virus numbers and a warning from health officials. The panel is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to Mount Rushmore, Mount Rushmore is in great shape, and it's going to be in great shape for centuries to come. We are looking forward to it. I'll be making a speech there. I'll be seeing a lot of people, a lot of different people. If you look at what's going on, if you look at the numbers all over, I think we're going to have a very strong V-shape.
DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Every single person has to make up their own mind. There are going to be people going to beaches, going to barbecues, going to different environments, and they have to look at their individual risk. As you mentioned, CDC says larger gatherings are a higher risk. The most important thing I would say to people as if you do go out to a gathering or in public, please weare a face covering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: President Trump making his way to Mount Rushmore. We can give you a live look there courtesy of the White House of the scene, folks waiting for the arrival of Air Force One, and President Trump and senior administration officials are telling us the president is going to talk about on the anniversary of America's founding, he will tell the truth about America's histories and tell the truth about those trying to tear it down and divide our country. Key points the president is expected to make, America is a great and virtuous country. If we tear down our history we will not be able to understand ourselves or America's destiny. And they add he will say the leftwing mob and those practicing cancel culture are engaging in totalitarian behavior that is completely alien to American life, and we must not accept it.
With that, let's bring in our panel, Byron York, chief political correspondent for the "Washington Examiner," Julie Pace is the Washington Bureau Chief for the Associated Press, and "Washington Post" columnist Marc Thiessen. Panel, welcome. Byron, your thoughts and the themes the president is going to strike tonight.
BRYON YORK, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "WASHINGTON EXAMINER": Well, one of the themes he's apparently going to talk about essentially is law and order in this time of unrest. And he's been inconsistent in the way he has dealt with that disorder across the country and really needs to develop a consistent position.
How many people have watched as crowds tried to tear down or tore down a statue in a number of cities across the country, and their first thought was, where at the police? And the president himself almost allowed a mob to take down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park right in front of the White House. The president actually needs to get a stronger, more consistent position on that, and make clear where he stands on all of this.
EMANUEL: Julie, we are four months to the day from Election Day. Obviously, President Trump misses the opportunity to get out and speak to his crowds. He's going to Mount Rushmore tonight. Your thoughts?
JULIE PACE, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, ASSOCIATED PRESS: In talking to a lot of Republicans this week, there was a hope that the president four months from Election Day would be trying to reach out to some of those disaffected Republicans, some of those independents who don't necessarily see the president reflecting their views, their concerns about the public health crisis, about the economy.
And instead, I think what we're going to see tonight is a president who is really meaning into the message that his base wants to hear. He sees this election as one where he can win if his base turns out in really large numbers, and I think he is signaling to those, again, Republicans who I've talked to this week who would like to see him just ever so slightly reach out to those independents that this is, again, going to be a campaign that is really targeted toward that base.
EMANUEL: We have the luxury of having a former White House speech writer on the panel tonight, so Marc, your thoughts on the themes going into tonight's big event?
MARC THIESSEN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: If I was advising the president, what I would tell him to do is quote Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. Martin Luther King actually rejected the principles of the 1619 project and the idea that America's founding was inherently racist. And I would encourage him and, quite frankly, anyone today over the a Fourth of July weekend to go back and read the "I have a Dream" speech, because Martin Luther King embraced the principles of the American founding. He said that we need to live up to those principles. I want to give you a section of it. He said, "In a sense, we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. That note was a promise to all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And we've come to cash that check."
This is the opposite message of the Black Lives Matter movement. What Martin Luther King was saying was not that just racism was unfair, racism is un-American. The Black Lives Matter movement is saying that the opposite of it, that basically racism is as American as apple pie, that it's baked into our system, and that is a message that Martin Luther King absolutely rejected.
EMANUEL: A big difference form last Fourth of July to this year when we had massive crowds on the National Mall in the rain to hear the president speak, as of course, COVID-19. Here is Dr. Anthony Fauci sounding the alarm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I think the data is showing that there is a single mutation that actually makes the virus be able to replicate better and maybe have high viral loads. It just seems that the virus replicates better and may be more transmissible. But this is still at the stage of trying to confirm that. But some very good viral geneticists are working on that right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: Four months out from Election Day, Byron, what are the COVID-19 concerns?
YORK: They're real, and they're growing, although there's a different characteristic to this wave of the disease in the sense that there are better treatments for it, no doubt about that. Politically, part of the big problem of the president's rally in Tulsa was that he held a large gathering indoors. And that is really the highest risk of transmission. The think about the Mount Rushmore event is that perhaps there won't be a lot of social distancing, perhaps not everybody will wear a mask, but it will be outdoors, which is a much better idea. And the president took a lot of criticism for that, holding the rally indoors in Tulsa. Now, it would be perhaps comparable to a lot of the protests that we've seen across the country, most of which were also outdoors.
EMANUEL: Julie, from the White House video, it looks like a great crowd there at Mount Rushmore. Your thoughts heading into the event tonight with the COVID-19 concerns?
PACE: I think one of the challenges for the president right now is he so clearly wants to move past the pandemic. He really wants to focus on the economy. He wants this to be behind us, but it's not. And so he has this challenge as he addresses that crowd, as he talks to the nation over the next several months is to not look as though he is ignoring what is happening in a lot states. A lot of the states that we are talking about right now where we do see cases on the rise are battleground states, states where the president has to win if he wants a second term. And I do think that he has a lot of advisors around him who want him to address what's happening there.
EMANUEL: Next up, the Friday Lightning Round, the debate over renaming the Washington Redskins, vice presidential Candidate Casino, and this week's Winners and Losers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: In the same way Redskins has evolved, and despite its history, it is now considered a slut. It's nothing to do with the sensitivities of a mass of people. It has to do with a decent, simple, elementary respect. You don't use that word if you can avoid it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: That was the late great Charles Krauthammer opining on the Redskins name change. Nearly seven years later the debate continues, and we're back with our panel, Byron, Julie, and Marc. Byron, so Daniel Snyder has gone from heck no, never, ever, to some major sponsors saying we are pulling our money, so now it's a maybe?
YORK: Listen, it's going to happen. The idea of holding and making a study of this change is just a prelude to actually doing it. And the difference between now and what happened in the past is a change in corporate America. Not only is the NFL a giant business that is opposed to the name, by FedEx, the company which purchased the naming rights to the Redskins stadium now has made it very clear it wants the name changed. It would lose other sponsorships as well, so this is going to happen.
EMANUEL: Julie, your thoughts?
PACE: This isn't just public sentiment changing. There's been a lot of pressure on the Redskins for a lot of years to take this step. I think a lot of this is about money. When you start to lose sponsors, including the naming sponsor of your stadium, when they start to say we are not comfortable with this name, the ownership really, I don't think, has any choice moving forward.
EMANUEL: And Marc, it sounds like a new name could be new merchandise and old gear could be retro, and so probably a lot of money to be made if you change, right?
THIESSEN: Yes, well, this is being done for the woke mob, not for the Native-Americans. The "Washington Post" had a poll in 2016, 90 percent of Native-Americans are not offended by the Redskins name, 80 percent wouldn't be offended if you came up and called them a redskin to their face even if you were not a Native-American. So this is not being done for the Native- American. It's being done for the mob that is tearing down the statues and terrorizing the entire country. And you know what, they're coming after the Chicago Blackhawks and they're coming after the Atlanta Braves and they're coming after the Kansas City Chiefs next. So this is only the beginning.
EMANUEL: Sorry, I got a little excited about Candidate Casino. Let's go there. All right, the Joe Biden Veep-stakes. Byron where is your money going?
YORK: Look, I think the big question is whether the Democratic base will be happy with all-white ticket. My guess is they will not, so I'm still high on Kamala Harris with $40. If they're OK with that, Elizabeth Warren next with $20. Val Demings and Keisha Lance Bottoms with $15, and Tammy Duckworth, a possibility at $10.
EMANUEL: Julie, where's your money going?
PACE: I'm with Byron that I think there's a lot of focus on some of the African-American women who are in contention. I've got $40 on Kamala Harris who seems to be leading the pack right now, $20 on Val Demings, and $20 on Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, $20 on Elizabeth Warren, though, still really hanging on and a favorite of a lot of liberals in the Democratic Party.
EMANUEL: And Marc?
THIESSEN: So I'm also agreeing with everybody it's probably going to be an African-American woman. I put 50 on the person who I think it should be, which is Val Demings because Joe Biden needs to reach both the base and the swing voters and get them both excited. Val Demings was an impeachment manager, she's an African-American, she's popular with the police, but she's also a former police chief, and that would strengthen Joe Biden's message that he's a moderate who is not for dismantling the police. I also put down $20 on Kamala Harris, $20 on Susan Rice, and $10 on Keisha Lance Bottoms.
EMANUEL: All right, if it's Friday, that means it's time for Winners and Losers. Byron, you go.
YORK: Winner is Janis Shinwari who for eight years was a translator for American troops in Afghanistan, credited with saving at least five American lives, all while being targeted by the Taliban, became a U.S. citizen this week, a very happy even for everyone involved.
The loser is Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend, procurer, close associate for years. Now she's been arrested, and we might finally learn more about what Epstein did with some of his very rich and very powerful friends.
EMANUEL: Let's go to Julie, winners and losers?
PACE: So my winner this week is the Biden campaign. All the polls are moving in the direction, big fundraising week. Of course, you don't want to be the winner in July. You want to be the winner in November, so a lot of time to go in that race. My loser, fireworks. I love fireworks. Cancelled across so much of the country this holiday weekend.
EMANUEL: Marc, take it away.
THIESSEN: My winner is the U.S. economy, creating 4.8 million jobs in the last month. That's 20 times -- that's not only a record. That's 20 times the normal rate in an expansion. We're going to have 20 to 30 percent economic growth. Donald Trump is going to be riding a big economic wave into the reelection campaign.
And my loser Joe Biden because he was downplaying the good economic news. America has been through so much. We've been through race riots, we've been through a pandemic, we've been through the worst economy since the Great Depression, and we get some good news, and Joe Biden says don't celebrate. Give me a break.
EMANUEL: All right, panel, thanks very much, an action-packed week.
When we come back, this week's "Notable Quotables."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
EMANUEL: Finally tonight, it is Friday, so that means this week's "Notable Quotables."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you don't have confidence, you're not going to do very well.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The vast majority of New Yorkers want safety, and they want respect from NYPD officers. They don't want to see any bias, and we're going to strike that balance, and I think this budget helps us do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's mark the date on the calendar and how long it's going to be before we'll have that conversation about New Yorkers crying out for more police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we announced the arrest of one of the villains in this investigation. She had slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The numbers speak for themselves. I'n very concerned and I'm not satisfied which what's going because we are going on the wrong direction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People need to treat this like a hurricane, a hurricane is coming to my community.
TRUMP: I had asked a mask on, I sort of liked the way I looked. I looked like the Lone Ranger.
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of the man I'm running against.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This president, I'll tell you, is the most informed person on planet earth when it comes to the threats that we face.
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: There are many folks using the Taliban or who have used the Taliban over years and years and years as proxy forces.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right? It don't smell right.
TRUMP: Nobody is going to shatter the American dream. God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: Amen. Another wild week in the world of news, and it's not over yet. President Trump will speak tonight from Mount Rushmore and 10:00 p.m. eastern time. We will of course have complete live coverage. Following that I will be back for "FOX News at Night." Tomorrow, starting at 6:00 p.m. eastern right here on FOX News we will bring you President Trump's "Salute to American" celebration. And be sure to join me this Sunday when I sit in for Chris Wallace on "FOX News Sunday." Among our guests, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia. I'll also speak about the spike in coronavirus cases across the country with the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, Dr. Ashish Jha.
Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. Make it a great and safe holiday weekend. "The Story" hosted by Jon Scott. Good evening to you, Jon. Have a great show.
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