'Special Report' All-Star panel on Liz Cheney's Fox News interview, mask relief for fully-vaccinated Americans

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Harold Ford: New CDC mask guidelines is a win for everyone

'Special Report' All-Star panel on CDC lifting restrictions for fully vaccinated people

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," May 13, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. LIZ CHENEY, (R-WY): It's really important for us to be as strong as possible in defeating the Biden policies. We cannot do that if we enable a lie. We cannot do that if we fail to learn the lessons from the 2020 election.

I believe that President Trump's policies, which I supported 93 percent of the time, were much better for America. Now, that isn't the issue, though. The issue is whether or not we abide by the rule of law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRET BAIER, HOST: Congresswoman Liz Cheney, we appreciate her coming on, taking tough questions.

Let's bring in our panel, Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at "The Federalist," Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee Congressman, CEO of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital, Trey Gowdy, former Congressman from South Carolina. Trey, let me start with you, just reaction to that interview.

TREY GOWDY, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE: Bret, you are a tough questioner. And those of us in Congress know that before we come on your show. So I think Liz deserves credit for going to an environment where you are going to be asked tough questions. I think the one that stumped her the most is why do you want to be the leader of a conference that you are out of sync with. And I didn't hear an answer for that, but you asked the questions people want to hear. You were tough. I also think she deserves credit for answering them. There are easier venues than coming on with Bret Baier.

BAIER: Mollie?

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": Liz Cheney seems obsessed with Donald Trump and she is very passionate about this. I think a lot of Republicans are wondering, where was that fire in the belly for the last four years when Democrats were questioning the 2016 legitimacy, when they were says the election was stolen and that Donald Trump wasn't legitimate? Hillary Clinton and former president Carter, one out of three House members on the Democratic side refused to go Trump's inauguration because they said he was illegitimate.

So it would have been nice, I think a lot of Republicans wish that if she really, genuinely cared about these issues, that she would have been there fighting for them over the last four years.

It's also not good that she is taking part in this sort of systematic effort to shut down any conversation. You can and should say that Joe Biden is the president of the United States, and also have problems with how that election was conducted. I don't think she is really making that conversation better. She is kind of making it more difficult for us to come to peace on that.

BAIER: Harold?

HAROLD FORD JR., FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: I agree with just about everything that's been said, including Trey's point. It's a tough venue to come and take the straightforward questions. But she deserves credit for doing it.

Her grievances, though, seem to be with President Trump, and it seems like she is going to have some consternation with the powers had that be in the party that Mollie's comments represent even going forward. It's going to interesting to watch if when she loses this, she is no longer in the leadership, how after this week if she continues to get airtime to make her case.

I did find it very interesting, Bret, when you pointed out how big of a supporter she was of President Trump's versus the person that looks like may get the post and seemed to support the president a little less.

BAIER: Elise Stefanik.

OK, take a listen. Unmasking, here we go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing.

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you have been vaccinated, you don't have to wear your mask and you can shake hands. You can even give each other a hug.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R-TX): It's about damn time. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been playing politics with COVID-19, and they have been playing politics by keeping schools shut down. The science is absolutely clear, kids should be in school, in person today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Well, there is Senator Cruz, it's about time, but, Trey, it is about time. This is a great announcement today for the folks who are vaccinated, but really a relief for folks.

GOWDY: It is, Bret. It just makes me wonder why science was so slow. I know the science -- we have been told to follow the science. You mean to tell me you just figured out today that fully vaccinated people don't have to wear a mask outside? We just figured that out? I have said it before, I'm going to say it again. I think one of the great casualties of this pandemic has been our ability to rely on what people call science.

BAIER: Mollie?

HEMINGWAY: Well, people knew that they -- people knew that they could be outside -- or be living without masks if they were vaccinated because they understand how vaccinations work. I don't think people understand just how devastating it was to the vaccination effort to have people fully vaccinated, you know they are vaccinated, then you'd see them on TV with masks. That did so much to harm acceptance, so this is good.

BAIER: Harold, does this change the dynamic?

FORD: Look, I don't know why it's so hard to take good news. This is a win for President Trump with Operation Warp Speed, and it's a win for President Biden politically, if you want to politicize it, for the massive vaccine distribution. Ultimately it's a win for us who are vaccinated, want to encourage others to get vaccinated, and now we don't have to wear our masks outside based on what the CDC says. I'm happy about it.

BAIER: You don't even have to wear them inside if you are vaccinated.

FORD: That means can I go home now without wearing a mask.

BAIER: That's right. That's pretty good. I'm not wearing a mask tonight, full on, not.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, a look at tomorrow's headlines tonight. Mollie?

HEMINGWAY: My headline is that the misery index soars as Biden policy failures mount. We have increased inflation, increased unemployment, and we need some things to turn around.

BAIER: Harold?

FORD: Well, for us NFL fans, Sunday night, October 3rd, Tom Brady returns to New England as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. I know what I will be doing that night.

BAIER: That's pretty good. That's a good preview. I like that one.

All right, Trey?

GOWDY: Bret, mine is the CDC announces it has reached a tentative agreement in part with the coronavirus not to impact fully vaccinated people outside.

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: Tentative agreement, there you go. All right, panel, thank you very much.

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