'Special Report' All-Star Panel on Biden's press fallout

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McConnell keeps 'whiffing' on opportunities to state GOP agenda: Hemingway

'Special Report' All-Star panel reacts to fallout from Biden's 'minor incursion' remark regarding Russia.

This is a rush transcript of "Special Report with Bret Baier" on January 20, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think a green light is what has effectively been offered or put on the table here for Putin?

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Not at all. We will not in any way accept further use of military force against Ukraine.

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And they will be met with severe and coordinated economic response that I have discussed in detail with our allies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Well, that clean up that we talked about yesterday on the show after that statement about Russia and Ukraine continued today from the administration, and specifically from President Biden in that read statement in front of reporters.

Let's start there, bring in our panel, Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee Congressman, CEO of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital, Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at "The Federalist," syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Mollie, your thoughts on the fallout from yesterday?

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": Well, it was interesting in Mitch McConnell's interview tonight that he wanted to talk about the Russia and Ukraine dispute. He answered in response to your question, your challenge to him to say what he's for. President Biden yesterday said Mitch McConnell should say what he is for and not just what he's against. It's a challenge, but it also seems like an opportunity. And to only express a desire to arm Ukrainians to manage their border dispute seems like a missed opportunity.

Republican voters are looking for Republicans to not just be not Democrats, but to have bold agenda items, a bold plan for what to do. They are very worried about the direction of the country. And Mitch McConnell keeps whipping on this, and I think that's why you are starting to see opposition to him become an issue in Senate primaries throughout the country, but also among establishment politicians like Lindsey Graham who said he needs to get more aligned and more in sync with Republican voters if he wants to lead the party going forward. So interesting response.

BAIER: Harold, I guess the pushback to that from Republicans is that we don't control the agenda currently. We say all the time what we are for, a stronger border, lower taxes, lower regulation, fighting crime, and he mentioned inflation tonight. What should they be saying?

HAROLD FORD JR., FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: Far be it -- first, thanks for having me on. Far be it for me to try to give political policy advice to what the Republicans should and should not do. But I will take Leader McConnell at his word. He said that, look, and Mollie said it, I'm for something, and the Joe Biden that I remember is a moderate, one who can be worked with.

I think the president, last night, his presentation could have been more coherent. He could have made a better theory of the case not only with regard to Russia, and I'm glad he cleaned it up this morning, but even his domestic agenda. The character of our country, the character of America is built and defined by overcoming challenge. So this is not unusual or new for us. His numbers are down. They can rise again, but only, I think, if he focuses on the four or five things Americans want him onto. An inflation task force, give us updates every week on what's happening, what are we doing to unclog the supply chain. What are you doing to give us a clear and coherent message about COVID? Make our streets safer, you have to make a statement about crime and what D.A.s and mayors, including this mayor here in New York, my mayor, what he is attempting to do.

And four, you can't be the majority leader or Senate committee chairman. I was glad to hear the president say he wants to be president. He understands the value of that and that and the majesty and the power of that. If he is able a to do those things and reach out to not only Mitch McConnell but even Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and find ways to come together, the Amy Klobuchars of the world, I was pleased to see her this evening, then maybe can you get something done. But short of that, those numbers will remain where they are and the president will continue to swim upstream.

BAIER: Hugh?

HUGH HEWITT, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: I'm always impressed with the leader, Bret. Methodical, on message, Mitch McConnell. And he wrote in his memoir five years ago, "The Long Game" you can start too late, but you can never start too early. And tonight, you heard him start early on the fall election. Inflation and the open southern border, inflation and the open southern border, and drilling down on, of course, minor incursion.

He probably also knows about the new poll this morning, the NBC poll, that when asked are you a supporter of the Republican Party or a supporter of Donald Trump, 56 percent said the GOP, 36 percent said Donald Trump. Now, he avoided twice. You pressed him twice on the former president. He is not looking for a fight with Mar-a-Lago, but neither is he going to yield his leadership position.

And he had two big wins last night, big enough wins that Lindsey Graham, who had thrown a couple of darts at him earlier in the week was praising him on Twitter last night. So good week for the leader, a good message to you, very methodical.

BAIER: Mollie, the former president is going to be on Sean Hannity's show tonight. I don't know whether he will be asked about all of this in that exchange. But obviously it's a big part of the GOP going forward into 2022 and 24.

HEMINGWAY: Well, the GOP is slated to make really big wins in November, but it does best when it's united. And so it's important that the party be united and not try to sow division between different members. But also to be up to speed with what's appealing to the voter, which is these America first policies and willingness to fight on behalf of Americans. So that's what we should expect to see going forward.

BAIER: All right, panel, sorry for the abbreviated panel. We had two senators. Sometimes they like to talk a little bit. Thank you.

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