'Special Report' All-Star Panel's Jan. 6 reflections

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The dividing Dems: Biden remarks on Jan. 6 anniversary and schools return to remote learning

Panel guests Mollie Hemingway, Trey Gowdy, and Jeff Mason discuss Biden and Kamala’s comparisons regarding Jan. 6 and the closing of Chicago schools on ‘Special Report.’

This is a rush transcript of "Special Report with Bret Baier" on January 6, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The former president and his supporters have decided the only way for them to win is to suppress your vote. So now let's step up, write the next chapter in American history, where January 6th marks not the end of democracy but the beginning of a renaissance of liberty and fair play.

NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE SPEAKER: There had been continued assaults on our democracy, undermining the sanctity of the vote and the integrity of our elections.

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must pass voting rights bills that are now before the Senate. We cannot sit on the sideline.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: One year ago, January 6th, the Capitol riot happened up on Capitol Hill. There you heard the president, the speaker, and the vice president.

Let's bring in our panel, Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at "The Federalist," Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters, and Trey Gowdy, former Congressman from South Carolina.

Trey, let me start with you, the reflection on this day after you heard those speeches and what has come out of it moving forward?

TREY GOWDY, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE: Yes, I thought a year ago today I heard a speech that some might find inciting, and the one I heard today was pretty inciting. I think his goal was to get under President Trump's skin. This is a guy that talked about unity more than any president has ever talked about it in his inaugural address, and this was just another political speech, which is why I'm convinced, Bret, if we are ever going to have unity in this country, it's not going to come from the top down. It's not going to come from a speech from Statuary Hall or Mar-a- Lago. It will be when the people decide they are sick and tired of the conflict. But this speech is not getting us there.

BAIER: Jeff, you were in Statuary Hall today. It was pretty remarkable, at some points in that speech how aggressive President Biden went, mentioning the former president numerous times.

JEFF MASON, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "REUTERS": He was. He was very aggressive against the former president. And some progressives and other Democrats were thinking he should have done this a lot earlier. And there were some questions about that in the briefing room today. But it certainly came across as a strong statement from this president, putting full responsibility for the January 6th riots and attack of the capitol on the former president, and doing so in a way that, though he has said so before, today really came across very strongly from him.

BAIER: Meantime, the January 6th committee continues, Mollie. You heard the interview with Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Your take?

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": I thought it was interesting, I say as a former resident of Wyoming, how much she trashed the people of Wyoming in her interview with you. But even more interesting was that she said something that was not true, and it has serious implications. She falsely told you she's the ranking member on the committee. Ranking member means the top minority party appointed person, that means that, who the Republicans appointed to the committee. She was actually hand-selected by Nancy Pelosi and is not the ranking member.

And the reason why that's important is because the rules for this committee require consultation with the ranking member, with the top Republican appointed person on the committee when you are subpoenaing people, or when you are bringing people in for testimony. And they know they are not doing that because Nancy Pelosi, of course, kicked the ranking member, appointed by the Republicans, Jim Banks, off the committee back in July.

And so this is something that -- I was very surprised she said something that was not true, falsely claiming that she represents the Republican Conference on that committee. That is simply not true, and she needs to stop saying that. And I have reported actually in November she was falsely presenting herself this way. She confirmed it tonight. And that's a major problem for the committee.

BAIER: And we'll follow up on that. Meantime, she did say she had a problem with the comparison the vice president made in her speech. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Certain dates echo throughout history -- December 7th, 1941, September 11th, 2001, and January 6th, 2021.

REP. STEVE SCALISE, (R-LA) HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: They're trying to compare it to the thousands who died on Pearl Harbor, on September 11th, just it's very clear they want this to be politicized today.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Instead of focusing on or analyzing comparisons of moments in history, I would suggest that they be a part of solving the threats to democracy that occurs today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Trey, can you look back at January 6th, 2021, and say that was really bad, a dark day in history, but is that kind of jumping the shark there in that comparison?

GOWDY: Yes, Bret. I thought what happened a year ago today was really, really bad. And it is unnecessary and actually non-persuasive to compare it to two of the seminal things that have happened in this country's history. She did leave out the civil war. I will give her credit for that, she left out World War II and the civil war. Actually, she didn't leave out World War II. You're right. She mentioned Pearl Harbor. How she was successful in a courtroom, I thought her delivery was poor and the words she chose were just not persuasive.

BAIER: Last thing on this. Jeff, clearly Democrats are using this moment to really push voting rights bill -- bills, I should say. And the vice president mentioned that, the president mentioned that. The White House seems to be really pushing forward on that. But it doesn't seem like they have the numbers, at least not yet, right?

MASON: No, it doesn't seem like they have the numbers, and that includes within their own party, with Senator Manchin. I do think you are going to see more of a push. We saw maybe a little bit of that starting today, and the White House has said that President Biden and Vice President Harris will be speaking in Georgia next week about voting rights. So expect to see more. But the broader issue that you raised, Bret, is spot on. They can talk about it and push for it as much as they want, and they clearly are wanting to move it forward. But they don't have the numbers in Congress.

BAIER: I want to turn topics here, Mollie. This Chicago school battle seems to be really front and center, at least there, definitely for the families who have kids staying at home. But in school districts around the country, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE SHARKEY, CHICAGO TEACHERS' UNION PRESIDENT: We want to teach, and we want to do what's right for our students, and we are prepared to do that remotely.

MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT, (D) CHICAGO: They get to try to flex their power, but they do it at the expense of our children. Our schools in person are the best place for our students to be. So we're drawing a line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Tomorrow we are going to hear from the CDC director apparently in a solo news conference. We haven't heard all the details of that, but there is some confusing messaging here that is politically dangerous potentially for Democrats.

HEMINGWAY: It's a really big problem for Democrats. They are beholden to teachers' unions which spend like $700 million a year to help Democrats be elected. But teachers' unions are keeping schools closed and keeping children out of school, and it is a political problem as it was in Virginia when Republicans were elected.

But even more than that, we have a situation where our elites are out of touch. The American people are losing confidence in their institutions, in the election system. They see -- people aren't stupid. They see that people are weaponizing these systems against, whether it's with COVID closures or the hysteria surrounding today's events. And what we really need is an establishment and a regime that returns again to caring about the people doing things in their best interest. And until they do that, we have major problems as a country.

BAIER: I've got 15 second, Trey, but if you are a family and your kids are home in Chicago, that's probably driving the day.

GOWDY: Yes, the bars are open and the schools are closed. Good luck selling that in November. I do enjoy the Democrat against Democrat violence that we're watching. But for a party that claims to be about kids, leaving the bars open and keeping the schools closed at great harm to the children, good luck in November with that.

BAIER: All right, panel, thank you.

When we come back, good karma rewards a selfless act in a time of crisis.

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