Sarah Smith aims to be the next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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Sarah Smith aims to be the next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Democratic primary candidate Sarah Smith is taking on an establishment Democratic incumbent in Washington; Sarah Smith discusses her platform on 'The Story with Martha MacCallum.'

This is a rush transcript from "The Story," August 1, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BILL HEMMER, GUEST HOST: Yes, we got some breaking news looking live right now. Pearl Harbor in Hawaii where moments from now, Vice President Mike Pence receive the remains of what is believed to be the American soldiers who died in the Korean War.

We're watching that now, the process to return those remains back to their loved ones, just beginning a very long process. All of this negotiated during the Singapore summit with Chairman Kim, back in early June in Singapore. So, we'll take you there live for that historic moment as it happens a bit later this hour.

In the meantime, from New York City, good evening everyone. I'm Bill Hemmer, in for my colleague, Martha MacCallum. As we await the ceremony in Hawaii, we begin with our top story tonight. Put up or shut up, that's the message from President Trump's legal team for Bob Mueller today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We believe that the investigation should be brought to a close. We think they're at the end of it. They should render their report. Put up, I mean, I guess, we were playing poker, we're not. Put up or shut up. What do you got?

We have every reason to believe they don't have anything. The President didn't do anything wrong.

HEMMER: So, that talk now, coming on day two of the trial of President Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort. That's the case that some say has thrown the White House into a frenzy this from today in the briefing.

APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: This Manafort trial is making everyone just frantic. They don't understand, it's toxic.

CHUCK ROSENBERG, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: There are bits and pieces in the public record that suggests that it wasn't just Russians. There is enough public information in the record to see a conspiracy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: So, while many eyes are on Trump's former campaign manager, that trial flying under the radar of these reports now about investigations into a former Obama official, and a Democratic lobbyist among others. And their involvement in the same type of potential crimes that Manafort is facing.

To sort it all out tonight, Jonathan Hunt is live in our West Coast Newsroom with "The Story" this evening. Jonathan.

JONATHAN HUNT, FOX NEWS CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bill. In the cases of those Democratic operatives who are now being investigated by federal prosecutors, there are no charges yet and that is perhaps, why there is far more focus right now on President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, whose trial on bank and tax fraud charges is obviously underway.

So, we'll start there tonight with the judge in the case telling prosecutors that their focus so far on Paul Manafort's lavish lifestyle, quote, "isn't relevant". Judge T.S. Ellis, adding that it's not a crime to be wealthy.

Prosecutors were also told not to use the word oligarchs to describe the wealthy Ukrainians with whom Manafort did business because the word implied that Manafort was associating with, "despicable people, and therefore, he is despicable. That's not the American way," the judge said.

President Trump, again weighed in on the trial today tweeting, "Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, a legendary mob boss, killer and public enemy number one, or Paul Manafort, political operative and Reagan-Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement, although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian collusion?"

Now, to those other political operatives with Democrat Party ties, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has referred the cases of former lobbyist Tony Podesta, and former Obama White House Counsel Greg Craig to New York prosecutors.

And the Southern District of New York has Fox News has confirmed, opened investigations into them over potential illegal foreign lobbying. Tony Podesta is the chairman of the Podesta group, and brother of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's former presidential campaign chairman.

Tony Podesta is being investigated for failing to register his work on behalf of foreign agents. In this case, the government of the Ukraine. Craig, the former White House Counsel worked for a law firm that also did business on behalf of a Russian backed former Ukrainian president.

As I mentioned, no charges yet in those cases nor are there any charges in a similar investigation of former Republican Congressman Vin Weber. Nor for that matter in the case of President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen, a case obviously getting a lot more attention than the one against the Democrat linked operatives.

Perhaps, because it's linked to a sitting rather than former president or perhaps because it involves Playboy models rather than arcane lobbying laws.

But the investigations, Bill, show just how many names of political operatives and lobbyists are coming up in the Mueller investigation, and how a lot of people who did even a little business with or on behalf of foreign governments organizations or individuals might have reason to be worried tonight. Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jonathan. Jonathan Hunt, leading our covers therein California. Thank you, sir. With me now, Byron York. Chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner, Fox News contributor. And Philippe Reines, former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton. Gentlemen good evening to both of you.

I want to show you the tweet that happened around 9:00 this morning that really sent everything in a bit of at teasy -- tizzy, rather. Here's from the president today.

"This is a terrible situation, Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this rigged witch-hunt right now. Before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to the USA."

Well, as you can imagine, that started quite a row during the White House press conference today, and Sarah Sanders addressed it this way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's not an order, it's the president's opinion. And it's ridiculous that all of the corruption and dishonesty that's going on with the launching of the witch hunt. The president wants to -- has watched this process play out, but he also wants to see it come to an end as he stated many times. And we look forward to that happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: So, to both of you gentlemen, there were so many headlines going back and forth today, and we've been here many times before Byron, and you get to the end of the day, and you ask yourself, what's changed? Has something changed today fundamentally, or not in this case?

BYRON YORK, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: The answer is no, it hasn't, not a lot. We've heard the president say this kind of stuff a lot, and the pray -- we all know that the president kind of vents on Twitter. But he is the President of the United States, he was today talking about a subordinate that is the Attorney General of the United States.

And the more the president's tweet sounds like a directive, the crazier everybody gets about him. Which is why the Trump team came out immediately, said, "No, no, no, he's just venting. He has a First Amendment right to do it, and it doesn't. He didn't say he -- Sessions has to do this, and all of that stuff."

But it's clear, the closer the president sounds like he's ordering somebody, the more spin-off it gets everybody.

HEMMER: The word was, "should" in the tweet. I mean, if you read it word for word, it was "should". Philippe, did something changed today or not?

PHILIPPE REINES, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO HILLARY CLINTON: Well, we learned the later in the day that something did change which is that he, his lawyers, and Bob Mueller have been exchanging letters about his giving an interview which he -- I looked this up, set on January 24th, which 189 days ago that he would be happy to do.

But look, I think there's a little bit of -- you know, Groundhog Day element to this where we all wake up, or I wake up, it's almost like an alarm clock to these tweets. But then, the White House and frankly, the Republican Party at large complain all day that the media is obsessing about Mueller.

And you know, I didn't notice it too later in the day. But on Saturday was the first time that Donald Trump hasn't tweeted a long time. And it was very pleasant, I think for all of us.

HEMMER: Is that true?

REINES: Yes.

HEMMER: Well, I mean, every -- the cable nuts goes crazy. Well, I guess, some of them are nuts too. They go crazy and you -- and the viewers are wondering what's coming up next? And you get to the end of the day again and nothing's change.

Byron, the fact that he's moving some of these cases to the Southern District in New York, is there a significance in that or not?

YORK: Yes, I think there is. And the significance is these are things that the special counsel has uncovered, that he apparently believes are not in the core mission of his office that is searching for some sort of conspiracy and contacts between Russia in the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 election.

And we've seen him actually spin off a number of cases, he spin-off the Michael Cohen case very person -- very close to Donald Trump. He gave that to federal prosecutors in New York.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: And, by the way, why is that? Is that because it doesn't deal with Manafort? Or I mean, what would be the legal parameters for doing that?

YORK: Well, first of all, Mueller has not said, why. But most people, experts, and others have interpreted this as meaning. This means that whatever they've discovered about Cohen, does not involve the Trump-Russia affair.

And indeed, we've heard a lot about Cohen and Stormy Daniels or other women, and Cohen's own personal business. But we haven't heard some of the spectacular accusations we heard much earlier with the Trump dossier involving Cohen going to Europe and meeting with Russians and all of that.

Well, if all that were really true, it seems to me that Mueller would be prosecuting Cohen himself and instead, he turned this thing over.

HEMMER: That could be. Quickly, one more thing from Giuliani, he's talking a lot in the last few days. Philippe, I'll get you to the reaction to this from New Hampshire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULIANI: It isn't at all. That's what it is, just as we said on media, it is an opinion. And he used his -- he is the medium that he uses for opinions, Twitter. Then, one of the good things about using that is he's established a clear sort of practice now that he expresses his opinions on Twitter.

He used the word should, he can use the word must, and it was no presidential directive to follow it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: There it is again. And Philippe, I know the left is going to go nuts over this. But I just don't know if there's cause for that right now.

REINES: Well, it's funny what caught my eye about that was that he was in New Hampshire. It seems like Rudy is doing --

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: How come?

REINES: Well, because who goes to New Hampshire if you got running from press?

HEMMER: Well, it's OK. Rudy is always on a campaign for someone.

REINES: He seems like he's harboring -- no, but I actually, I'm an outlier when it comes to the Democratic Party in the left. On Rudy, I think he's doing a bang-up job for Donald Trump. I think, he is nuts and he is lying a lot. He's flip-flopping.

But he is basically an extension of the president by just creating so much noise, you forget what we're talking about.

HEMMER: Oh, we won't forget. That's why we got you.

REINES: (INAUDIBLE) back in a compliment.

HEMMER: No, I get it. Philippe, well done, OK. Yet to go a long way to get it, but you got there. Thank you, Philippe.

REINES: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Byron see you soon, OK?

YORK: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Byron York, as well. In a moment here this somber ceremony that begins in Hawaii with the Vice President Mike Pence, set to receive the possible remains of 55 U.S. troops from the Korean War. We will take you there live when that begins this hour. But first, there's this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH SMITH, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE, WASHINGTON: If working families are to get ahead, we need a federal jobs guarantee and healthcare as a right for everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: If that sounds familiar, get ready, there is a new socialist hoping to repeat what New York's Alexandria Ocacio-Cortes which she did in ballot box. Sarah Smith is her name and she's got a long list of ones for the American political system. Her message and her movement, coming up.

ANNOUNCER: "The Story" is brought to you by the Lincoln Summer Invitation sales event. Hurry in for a limited time offers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: I am for single payer Medicare for all. I am for that free education, I am for abolishing ICE, I am for investing in our infrastructure, and I am for getting us out of the -- what is it -- the nine to 11 different military occupations we are in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: If that sounds familiar, it is. It is just a different messenger now. That's Sarah Smith. She's running for Congress, a Democratic socialist running for Congress in the state of Washington, ninth district. She's modeling her campaign after New York Socialist Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez who shocked the country last month by knocking off the Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley. Smith is only 30 years old, a Seattle newcomer. As a similar task for next week's primary to unseat a fellow Democrat, an 11 term incumbent Adam Smith. Here now in THE STORY exclusive Sarah Smith. You're brave, Sarah. Good evening to you. We've been trying to get Ocasio-Cortez on the air for months now and getting crickets so thank you for being here, all right. I have the list. Free health care, and free college and open borders, how much does that cost?

SMITH: So right now people talk a lot about costs when it comes -- when it comes to these things though. So they talk about costs for a single-payer health care system. The system now costs taxpayers $47 trillion.

HEMMER: $14 trillion.

SMITH: And a single payer system -- yes, and a single payer system will -- would wind up change in that cost. It would reduce that cost to $33 trillion.

HEMMER: So you're actually -- yes, you're saving us money then, is that right?

SMITH: Single-payer systems save money. They allow better bargaining power. They reduce administrative costs in hospitals. They really save the taxpayers a lot of money. And then you know, with things like get free education, we talk a lot during the Presidential Election in 2016, Bernie Sanders former Presidential Candidate talked about a speculative wall street tax. And what that is its two-tenths of a percent off every dollar that's traded on Wall Street. And what that generate every single year is as projected, that's going to generate yearly $370 trillion. And the cost if you mark that --

HEMMER: OK, OK --

SMITH: -- specifically for education, education every year for college only cost $75 trillion -- $75 billion.

HEMMER: Give me a chance to get in here, just a little bit here, OK. Give me a chance here. I don't know where you got the $47 trillion figure but I'll look that up, OK, because I haven't seen that before. But you saw the -- you saw the study yesterday, right, that came out $32 trillion for free Medicare over 10 years. Do you know where you get that money? You only get it from raising taxes. And you're either going to tax the business -- I know you have worked hard climbing the ladder in different jobs. But when the businesses are taxed, they take it out on the employees or they pass it on to consumers so ultimately you'll end up paying for it in the end. And you can't get around that. And you worked and want to keep a job, right?

SMITH: Of course. I mean, that's what I have been doing. I talk all the time about what's it's like being a working-class woman. But the reality is we are already paying for Medicare, we just don't have access to it. The system is always intended to be a single payer universal system. This was always its intension. All we are doing is we're trying to push to fulfill that intention. And when we talk about paying for things, no one asked where we're going to get the multiple trillions of dollars spent in Iraq. No one is asking where you're going to get the billion dollars paid for the -- for the parade --

HEMMER: I mean, that's a debate -- that's the debate we can have also.

SMITH: Of course, we will later.

HEMMER: Why do you believe that the government can do a better job of taking care of people than people can actually do on their own?

SMITH: Because that's the point of government. It's to empower people to be able to self-determine. It's -- the point of government is to be able to make sure that people can choose their own fate and choose their own future without having to worry if they can go to doctor. It's about the government stepping in to care for the most basic needs of people, for the sick, and people that need education --

HEMMER: That sounds good but it all comes with a price tag and you just talked about health care and I don't know about that figure, but you know, free college? That's not cheap and that money has got to come from somewhere also. Do you think -- I know you're inspired by Bernie Sanders, do you think the Democratic Party had it in for Bernie Sanders in 2016?

SMITH: I think it's very, very possible that they might have. I don't want to speak to a whole lot of speculation because I'm not (INAUDIBLE) to the inner circle in the Democratic Party but from an outsider's perspective, it's what it looks like. It looks like they were trying to shoehorn him out of the entire election.

HEMMER: You can't like that. Sarah, I apologize for the interruption. Standby on that, here's the Vice-President Mike Pence live in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

(NEWSBREAK)

HEMMER: Sober moment at Pearl Harbor, a touching stories from the vice-president. All of this certainly part of a bigger story. The ongoing effort to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons away.

The human remains of 55 service members believed to be American soldiers from the forgotten war coming home. Identity will take some time certainly.

With me now Tom Rogan, commentary writer for the Washington Examiner, Mark Hannah, fellow at the Eurasia Group Foundation and worked in the Obama and Kerry presidential campaigns. Gentlemen, good evening to both of you.

Tom, I'm going to start just to reflect on what this means for the families of the fallen who have lived for decades now wondering.

TOM ROGAN, COMMENTARY WRITER, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Yes. I think Vice President Pence very eloquently outlined how important and how powerful the return of the honored dead is.

And in that sense that American diplomacy in the moment can still bring very real and significant gains from the past.

And so, as much as the vice-president spoke about the frozen chosen about people like Jesse Brown who shot down, that there are -- there are few words that the families could find comforting. But hopefully in this sense, all of those who lost someone in Korea can take pride in what has been accomplished today and hopefully what this means going forward.

That notion of hope I think is very powerful from the vice president.

HEMMER: Mark, you were watching this with me here in New York. And what are your reflections?

MARK HANNAH, RESEARCH FELLOW, EURASIA GROUP FOUNDATION: Yes, absolutely. It's a somber moment. That level of oratory coming from Vice President Pence for this occasion is something that we miss in Washington. Certainly this is going to give a sense of closure for those families a sense of goodwill.

It's a symbolic gesture from a geopolitical standpoint. This doesn't really change much. We are -- it is good to be mindful of what's happening there in ceremonially.

But at the same time, just earlier this week we learned that there are one or maybe two liquid filled -- liquid fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles being built right outside of Pyongyang.

So whether this can actually be far laid into something more permanent and more sort of objective oriented for the United States is an open question.

HEMMER: Mark and Tom, as we wait for these remains to come into view. It appears now that the flag of the United Nations has been changed to the flag of the United States of America.

Tom, that's how they came out of North Korea several days ago. And there were a lot of questions as to why there was a U.N. flag that was draped on the casket or the box of remains or however we categorize it now.

And the thinking was that, you know, there is no confirmation these are American men. But that process at least symbolically the stars and stripes has changed right before our eyes at the moment, Tom.

ROGAN: Yes, and I think whether that is forensic analysis that has been done or it is simply a reflection of the many American dead who never came home and who hopefully will begin or will come home in greater numbers now, it's obviously very special.

And I think Vice President Pence again drawing that line in terms of the continuing service of those who wear the flag of the nation. I look at that I think of my grandfather who was a Pacific marine who is gratefully still around. But I know he will be very moved by that.

And it's important to remember that as much as we do have this continuing crisis with North Korea, there are still tens of thousands of Americans standing to watch today.

HEMMER: My sense is you do this, and we do that. We do this and you do that. And Tom, that is the process I believe from what was established in Singapore?

ROGAN: Yes.

HEMMER: Do you feel the same?

ROGAN: Exactly. And again, you know, there are challenges in terms of North Korean covert development. The re-entry vehicles in terms of ICBMs continuing development at different platforms.

But I think there is a sense of urgency from the Trump administration behind the scenes, certainly putting more pressure on China very significantly to I think the actual tariffs on China are quite constructive in pressuring Beijing to take American concerns about North Korea seriously.

But I think as North Korea watches this image of how much pride America has in those who wear the flag either in life or death, there is an understanding that, you know, they better play ball here. Because America, at least some Americans are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if it is necessary.

HEMMER: Mark?

HANNAH: Yes. Play ball for sure. What that ballgame looks like and what the rules of that ballgame are is an open question. I'm looking at those flags and the caskets. We have no reason to think that North Korea is trying to trick us in this maneuver. That they are acting out of anything other than good faith with sending these remains back home.

It will take and I read reports of years to decades to determine forensic analysis and determine DNA to confirm that these are in fact American soldiers. We know one report that there were dog tags within the remains of one. But I do think--

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: But only one?

HANNAH: But only one out of 55 caskets and that's significant. Where we see this going, what the America -- what the United States' ultimate objective here is denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.

Kim Jong-un has react -- has sort of acted in a rational and predictable way in sprinting towards obtaining nuclear weapons. He's done it because he knows that's the ultimate deterrent for regime change. He knows that the only way he preserves and clinches onto power in that country is through these nuclear weapons.

So absolutely there is a, this for that. There is a quid pro quo. There is the beginning of a transactional relationship. That's a good thing. There's a dialogue. That's a good thing. Whether or not it's realistic that Kim Jong-un would give up the thing that we want him to give up, the nuclear weapons I think it's not quite clear.

HEMMER: This is quite an image, gentlemen, to watch this live out of Honolulu. This is really a remarkable time here with the vice president flying 12, 14 hours overnight to be there and to receive the remains. And I think both of you gentlemen are spot on about the message the administration is sending to North Korea. They are taking this very seriously.

And Tom, bear in mind that General James Mattis has delivered a very strong military message to North Korea that they are not messing around.

But when you get reports like we have been talking about for the last two days about the establishment of more missiles, the construction of more missiles in North Korea, you wonder whether or not that message is getting through. And you have to ask yourself at what point does Chairman Kim say, I will follow through on what you assume that I am doing to further the peace effort?

ROGAN: I think some of the constructive pieces here are the sense that the U.S. intelligence penetration of North Korea is far, far better than it was even two or three years ago. So there is an understanding of what the North Korean are doing even when they say they are not doing something.

Secondly, I do think there is an understanding as well by the North Koreans. Kim Jong-un's strategizing here even if it has been more calculating than we would have wanted it to be, hopefully reflects a rationality on his part.

And thirdly, in terms of the competencies of American military power the ability to deliver really very overwhelming force on to North Korea if necessary.

President Trump's unpredictability in some of his tweeting in terms of the force deployment that were made to South Korea and the surrounding area and the build-up to the Singapore summit. I get these things are things that the North Korean pay attention to.

And I would simply say that I think as we come towards the end of the year, it will be quite clear as to whether North Korea is willing to constructively dismantle things that would be very hard for them to rebuild or not.

And at that point President Trump as commander in chief will be able to make a determination about how to go forward.

HEMMER: But why do you say the end of the year?

ROGAN: Because when you talk about perfecting things like the re-entry vehicles in terms of targeting back to which will deliver essentially the warhead back through space back to earth, when you talk about North Korea dismantling.

And frankly, you know, at least I think over 10 sites in the country instead of just one or two missiles launch sites and talked about the factories, for example, which we know where a lot of that is. We know a lot of the scientists today.

There are measurable ways to see whether North Korea is backing away from some of that stuff. And if that is not happening by the end of the year, and yet the sanctions pressure is slowly relieving away, then I think there is an understanding there will be an understanding that North Korea is not being participating in this process.

HEMMER: OK. Very interesting analysis. Go ahead, Mark.

HANNAH: The Defense Department on its own report, though, and I don't want to turn this into a debate, has shown that the only way to know with certainty where his nuclear weapons are would require a ground invasion and that would cost tens to hundreds of thousands of American lives in the first few weeks alone.

This is not something that any peace loving American is interested in. We don't -- the intelligence is getting better. I certainly agree with Tom on that. But it's starting to visualize ground -- the ground work.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: He is arguing that the visibility into North Korea is better than it's ever been.

ROGAN: It is but it's not as good as it needs to be in order to guarantee that we are wiping out nuclear weapons with any kind of certainty near -- even near certainty.

This is a master, sort of resemble somebody who, you know, hides very well. And look, I think that this is a victory for people like Vice President Pence mentioned how Downes' son Rick Downes traveled with the vice president today to Honolulu. He has been trying to repatriate these remains going back to the Obama administration.

The Obama administration all they need to do according to Rick Downes was write a letter notifying the North Korean that this would be a humanitarian exercise. They didn't want to do that because they thought this would be a publicity win for North Korea and it would take away leverage in any kind of nuclear negotiations that might happen.

I think what we're seeing from the Trump administration is the ability to be more flexible when it comes to giving the other side a publicity win and taking a publicity win for themselves. Trying to make everybody sort of save face here. And when you're dealing with somebody like Kim Jong-un, that might not be a bad strategy.

And I think it's good frankly that he is talking to our adversaries. He just said yesterday that he is willing to talk to Hassan Rouhani in Iran. He is sending people to go talk with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

So I think that President Trump's strategy of diplomatic engagement over more neoconservative sort of regime change or preventive war is quite actually, quite a departure and quite--

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: It is a departure and a difference for commander in chief indeed on that.

You are watching to our viewers at home who may be joining us just now, the Vice President Mike Pence has flown to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. And he is now receiving the remains of 55 service members believed to be Americans who did not come home after the forgotten war in Korea between 1950 and 1953.

The president asked the vice president to participate in what you are watching now which is called an honorable carry ceremony to receive the presumed remains as you're watching now.

When they left North Korea and traveled to Japan across the Pacific into Hawaii earlier this week, all these remains were in smaller boxes. They were draped in a flag that represents the United Nations.

And what we just watched 10 minutes ago was quite remarkable. And the vice president finished his speech and we saw the remains then transferred to the caskets you see now draped in the red, white and blue. The stars and stripes in Pearl Harbor.

The vice-president said quote, "We will never forget the sacrifices these brave service members and their families made for our nation and our freedoms." And then he concluded by saying "welcome home."

There will be a long process now. DNA testing here in the U.S. mainland to ty and determine the identity of all those in these coffins that you are seeing now.

General James Mattis said the other day there were soldiers from France and soldiers from Australia who also did not have men return home. And there has been a similar process that we have watched over the past 10 or 15 years. And sometimes they were fruitful and many times they were not.

And the trust factor here to both of you, gentlemen, cannot be understated more. The trust in this relationship appears to be just beginning over the past six weeks. Where it goes, that remains to be seen.

Mike Pence was chosen for this for a reason. He had family in the Korean War. He talked emotionally about the bronze star that his father earned fighting the Korean War and also about his own son's service in the U.S. Marines.

The Korean War was brutal. It came at a time in American and world history coming out of the Second World War, where many people frankly wanted to turn an eye the other direction away from war and away from the violence that was brought to tens of thousands, if not millions of people around the world.

The Korean War fought it was brutal. It went deep into territory of what is now North Korea right along the Chinese border and it was not until the Chinese infiltrated across that border when they fought back the U.S. forces and eventually reached an armistice in 1953 at the 38 parallel.

It was brutal and it was bloody. And it is until now, it has been largely forgotten for those who have yet to return home.

And the numbers are staggering. Seven thousand seven hundred U.S. soldiers listed as missing from that war. And the remains of 5,300 U.S. soldiers still believed to be in North Korea.

The music continues so does the ceremony in Pearl Harbor. Tom Rogan is with me, and so is Mark Hannah. And Tom, back to you in Washington, as you watch this now and you try to understand what is next in the process? What does Chairman Kim do? What does President Trump do? How do you answer that?

ROGAN: Well, I think the importance for the Trump administration, and Mark says, obviously that North Korea has some positive imagery here. But the importance for the Trump administration is to remain focus on the issue, which is the ability of North Korea to deliver nuclear weapons against the U.S. homeland.

And so, there are as much as there are complexities in terms of how do you go about doing that? I think you clearly do need movement from the North Koreans in terms of taking apart the structural and the human infrastructure that creates that threat to the United States. You need that sooner rather than later as a show of positive intent more than anything else.

But when it does come to the idea of what North Korea is willing to go up - -give up. I think there are more opportunities sometimes than people think. And one example here that I've been thinking about recently is the idea that as much as North Korea relies on its nuclear war heads as a means of regime survival as a sense of insulation against threat.

Well, perhaps one thing you could do as part of the deal is get rid of the ICBM's and you also have -- but then North Korea would have those war heads held in, for example, a U.N. facility on its soil so at least there is monitoring there, at least there is a sense of something being done.

HEMMER: Yes, perhaps, the move as is now. Tom Rogan, thank you. Mark Hannah, thank you, gentlemen for being with us this evening.

HANNAH: Thank you.

HEMMER: As we watch the ceremony play out in Pearl Harbor. You are watching American history perhaps for the fallen so many decades later. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Remarkable moment at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Watching this for the past 35 minutes listening to the Vice President Mike Pence deliver a somber message about a forgotten war going back seven decades today.

The remains of 55 believed to be American service members now coming back to Hawaii and coming back here to the U.S. mainland waiting for further confirmation of their identity.

With me and my colleague, Greg Gutfeld, co-host of The Five and host of the Greg Gutfeld show. Good evening to you, Greg. We brought you to talk about something entirely different, but you know, the way cable news is, you know, events like these play out in ways that you cannot predict and no one predicted--

(CROSSTALK)

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS HOST: This is--

HEMMER: -- the images that we are seeing.

GUTFELD: I don't think you can understate the contrast of what's going on now and what went on in the fall I believe in Hawaii when that state believed that they were under missile attack and it was essentially the beginning of an apocalyptic.

And here we are, months later, in Pearl Harbor, going through a startling transformation and a negotiation. It is true, we are clear eyed, we are sober I do. We don't trust them and they don't trust us and everybody is waiting for the grand gesture to put the ring on it so we know this is real.

Well, this is part of that negotiation and this is part of that step. And if you don't -- if you want to be skeptical or cynical about this, fine. But just remember nine months ago or whenever that happened in Hawaii, nobody was cynical or skeptical, they were absolutely terrified.

My wife was in Hawaii at the time. She saw families crying and screaming. At this, what we are seeing now is a transformation.

HEMMER: It was a Saturday afternoon, right?

GUTFELD: Right.

HEMMER: The alarm went off and everybody ran as if they were under attack.

GUTFELD: Exactly.

HEMMER: Same situation for Guam further to the west. You talk about the trust and I talk repeatedly about a relationship that is just getting underway.

GUTFELD: Yes.

HEMMER: Greg, maybe this goes somewhere.

GUTFELD: Yes.

HEMMER: But we've been in a stalemate for a very long time.

GUTFELD: And you know what the things is, what are the alternatives? It's so funny how conservatives and Republicans are now the peacemakers and those who talk about peace are engaging in cold wars with so many people.

The alternative to negotiation, or conversations with enemies is only conflict. Isolation, then ultimately, annihilation and starvation if it's North Korea. So the option is to starve the people and then end up in a war or have an open channel with people we don't trust with the possibility of progress.

This is progress. It's solemn progress and I'm telling you you've got to go back in time. Our attention spans are so short. You got to remember that Saturday. You have to remember, you know.

HEMMER: Thank you, Greg. Good to be with you this evening.

GUTFELD: Thank you. Always a pleasure, Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you for being patient as we watch the images come out of Pearl Harbor. I mentioned a minute ago just how many men we lost in the Korean War. The numbers are staggering, the number of missing well over 7,000.

The number remains that never came home well over 5,000 and today we see what could be the beginning of a very, very long process. The remains of 55 believed to be Americans coming home for one final time from that war in 1953.

As we leave you tonight, we want to play the images from Pearl Harbor and let you know we'll see you again tomorrow morning. Greg will be with you at 5 o'clock.

GUTFELD: Yes.

HEMMER: And not a moment before I'll see you at 9 a.m. with Sandra Smith on "America's Newsroom." We leave you with the images and the vice president now in Hawaii. Have a good evening, everybody. We'll see you tomorrow.

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