'Special Report' All-Star panel on COVID resurgence, new restrictions

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Guy Benson: Fauci is not a helpful messenger

'Special Report' All-Star panel on the Pentagon to require vaccines for US service members

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report with Bret Baier," August 9, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: I do believe they can make a difference. I understand how that can sometimes set off all kinds of resistance, but isn't that a shame. Why is it a mandate about vaccine or about wearing a mask suddenly becomes a statement of your political party?

SEN. RICK SCOTT, (R-FL): Since COVID started, it's been all political. Just give us good information. Americans are smart. They will make good decisions for their families.

This is not a country where we need people telling us what to do. I love my mom. I hate her telling me what to do. Give me good information. I will make a good decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Well, the information coming out now is that the coronavirus, the Delta variant specifically, is about 100,000 cases per day. U.S. total stats, cases 35,916,000. Adults with at least one vaccination, 71 percent. And there you see the deaths. An important stat, though, is that 99.99 percent of fully vaccinated people have not had a breakthrough case of COVID-19 resulting in going into the hospital or dying. That's just an important context in this big picture.

Let's bring in our panel, Guy Benson, political editor at Townhall.com, host of "The Guy Benson Show" on FOX News Radio, Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee Congressman, CEO of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital, and Trey Gowdy, former Congressman from South Carolina, and has great show on the weekend.

Trey, let me start with you. Perspective is key, but officials are saying different things about the importance of mask and vaccine mandates, and the battle is going to continue with states.

TREY GOWDY, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE: Yes. Bret. I know people are tired of me saying this, but I think one of the great casualties of this pandemic is our ability to rely on science. I am happy to do anything my physician tells me to do. But the science has taken lots of U-turns and otherwise getting lost. This is what I advise -- find out who is unvaccinated, find out the source of their apprehension, and then do what you can to assuage that apprehension. If we get the vaccination numbers up. But I'm vaccinated. I assume all four of us. Find out who is not and assuage their concerns.

BAIER: Well, I am, too. And also today, we heard that the military mandate is going into effect. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: I have seen some reporting out there that that means that all the troops have to be vaccinated by mid-September. That's not accurate. He will make the request by mid-September, unless or until FDA licensure occurs before that time. At which point, the secretary has the authority he needs upon FDA licensure to make whatever vaccine is then given that license mandatory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: OK, so just to be clear, Harold, the FDA is still on emergency authorization for these vaccines, but they are said to be close. And once that happens, it goes from a request to a mandate.

HAROLD FORD JR., FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: And that's probably good. Thanks for having me on. I think Trey, as usual, put this thing in the right frame. You have a number of people who are not vaccinated. It's 90 million Americans whom are not. And they seem to have a variety of reasons.

I think your point, Bret, that the FDA approval is coming here shortly is an important one. Hopefully that will allow us to surmount some of the concerns, or one of the concerns that people have. But the numbers are what is so staggering here -- 90 million unvaccinated, 99.99 percent if you are fully vaccinated to not have to go to the hospital for a serious illness. Only 15 percent of the world, just as a context also, is vaccinated. And you have more than 100 countries where less than five percent of the people are vaccinated. Here in our own country we have access to these vaccines. We should take advantage of it.

Another fact, children are now getting sick from this virus. We were told last summer, last fall, last winter that that was very unlikely to happen. You now see children's hospitals in many states including Florida filling up because they are not vaccinated, and probably people in their households are not vaccinated.

We have to figure out how not we meet people in a mean way or violent way, but figure out how we meet people where they are, answer their questions and let them know if you believe it was a lab leak in China get the vaccination, that's how you get back at China. If you believe there is a health reason, hopefully the FDA approves this quickly, and we can begin to address the concerns that clearly 90 million Americans have.

BAIER: Guy, I guess the frustration for some people is the messaging from the beginning, how it's evolved. Here is Dr. Fauci over the weekend talking about Sturgis in South Dakota.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER: I'm very concerned, Chuck, that we're going to see another surge related to that rally. It's understandable that people want to do the kind of things they want to do. They want their freedom to do that. But there comes a time when you are dealing with a public health crisis that could involve you, your family, and everyone else.

JOE CONCHA, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Fauci went off on the biker rally but didn't bring up the former president's mask-less mega-party. So it may lead to an increasing number of people starting to think that the doctor is seeing things through a political prism than a scientific one. Either way, our so-called leaders are not leading by example.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Joe talking there about former President Obama's birthday bash at Martha's Vineyard. Guy?

GUY BENSON, POLITICAL EDITOR, TOWNHALL.COM: Yes, I think people look at optics. They see what events are spurring concern from the experts and which ones are not so much. That's been a double standard that we have seen now going back for many months all the way to last summer, as a matter of fact.

I think Dr. Fauci, for all of his credits and flaws, is not a terribly helpful messenger anymore for people who might be on the fence or reluctant to get the vaccine. And to the congressman's point, both of them, actually, you need to figure out who is unvaccinated. Some of them will never come around on it, some of them might. But constantly making the exact same argument over and over again and expecting that to change their mind I think is the definition of insanity. You have to think a little bit differently, approach things differently, respectfully, meeting people where they are, and message them in a way that is not just cookie cutter, because the cookie cutter folks are already vaccinated.

BAIER: Yes, quickly, a map of Afghanistan. The Taliban now controls 229 districts. The government controls 66. There are contested things happening. Trey, this looks bad, and it's getting worse. Trey?

GOWDY: Yes, sir. Well, I need to apologize to your viewers. I thought things would go to Hades when we left. I didn't realize they would go to Hades while we are still there. It's the most predictable thing in a long time. Afghanistan is going to Hades because the U.S. is pulling out.

BAIER: All right, quickly. Literally one word answer -- resign or not resign, Andrew Cuomo, Harold, first. Is it going to happen?

FORD: His days are numbered. His days are numbered.

BAIER: How many numbers?

FORD: It could be less than two weeks according to the Speaker of the House.

BAIER: Trey?

GOWDY: It will be prison if the last accusers account is accurate because what she describes is a crime.

BAIER: Guy?

BENSON: He is shameless and will shameless his way through this as long as he can until someone forces his hand.

BAIER: All right, panel, stand by. When we come back, tomorrow's headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, a look at tomorrow's headlines with the panel. Guy?

BENSON: My headline is media attacks DeSantis, which might feel like an evergreen headline because it is. But the governor in Florida has a lot of incoming right now. He is being elevated by the White House. He is being tested, and he knows it.

BAIER: Harold?

FORD: In basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and track and field, American women lead America to 39 gold medals in Tokyo. A summer in Paris awaits their arrival in three years.

BAIER: Nice. Trey?

GOWDY: 2022 Sturgis motorcycle rally moves to Martha's Vineyard to avoid criticism.

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: Now that, that would be something. Just the ferry alone would be really good to see.

All right, thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this SPECIAL REPORT, fair, balanced, and still unafraid. FOX NEWS PRIMETIME hosted this week by Lawrence Jones starts right now. Hey, Lawrence.

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