'Special Report' on Florida banning critical race theory in public schools

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This is a rush transcript of "Special Report with Bret Baier" on June 10, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS HOST: Florida educators are talking about Critical Race Theory tonight. Critical Race Theory links racial discrimination to America`s foundations and legal system. Now officials in that state are dismissing that as part of the public school curriculum. Correspondent Phil Keating takes a look from Miami. 

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All opposed? 

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show the motion carries. 

PHIL KEATING, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Florida become the latest state to adopt new academic standards for K through 12 public school teachers and what exactly children learn about the history of this country. The hot topic on the agenda was Critical Race Theory, which has become divisive amongst conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, and was roundly rejected by the board today. 

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unless you pass this rule, the leftist radical school board members who are just -- who just want to teach Critical Race Theory to our children, who want to indoctrinate them, they will find a way. 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The amendment is about racism. It`s about not teaching the gritty parts of our history. It`s about avoiding the hard conversation for the sake of white fragility. 

KEATING: Critical Race Theory addresses America`s history of slavery and Jim Crow and how that impacted people of color. Nationwide about 20 state boards of education have addressed the issue in establishing next year`s academic standards. Florida`s Republican governor made a surprise visit to the meeting remotely. 

GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA: We have to do history that is factual. And if you look at things that have grown out of Critical Race Theory, it`s much more about trying to craft narratives about history that are not grounded in facts. 

KEATING: The Florida Education Association, which represents the state`s teachers, criticized the governor`s position as more political than educational. 

KATHY BAIN, FLORIDA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: The job of educators is to challenge students with facts and allow them to question and think critically about information. And that`s the antithesis of indoctrination. 

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KEATING (on camera): The board also made clear today that the Holocaust will be taught, and a key point raised by both sides is exactly what constitutes indoctrination, Critical Race Theory or education in general? 

Bret? 

BAIER: Phil Keating in Miami. Phil, thank you. 

Up next, the panel on President Biden`s European trip and the fight between Jewish House Democrats and squad member Ilhan Omar. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I first was elected vice president with President Obama, the military sat us down to let us know what the greatest threats facing America were, the greatest physical threats. This is not a joke. Do you know what the Joint Chiefs told us the greatest threat facing America was? Global warming. 

GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS: Climate change is a threat, but the president is looking at it at a much broader angle than I am. I`m looking at it from a strictly military standpoint. And from a strictly military standpoint, I`m putting China, Russia up there. 

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Well, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley feeling the need, perhaps, to qualify or clarify the president`s statement on Wednesday as you heard he delivered in England. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs went on to say the number one military threat as we go forward is China, but he considers Russia a major competitor. This as, obviously, the president continues his European trip. 

Let`s bring in our panel, Ben Domenech, publisher of "The Federalist," 

Katie Pavlich, news editor at Townhall.com, and Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee Congressman, CEO of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital. Ben, your thoughts about that? 

BEN DOMENECH, PUBLISHER, "THE FEDERALIST": Well, obviously, I dispute President Biden`s notion regarding climate change. And I`m very curious to see a number of things emerging from this G-7 summit, including, of course, this meeting with Vladimir Putin, which, unfortunately, I think, is set up to be really a coup for Putin in so many different respects. He`s already got the Nord Stream pipeline. He is not going to have anything change in Belarus. Ukraine is going to continue in terms of a simmer, you`re going to continue to have Russian actors, whether government-backed or not, extract ransomware from companies around the world. 

And I think that you really are going to see a continued crackdown on any kind of domestic pushback against Putin`s regime, especially from Alexei Navalny. This is really going to a situation where after all of this talk of the Trump administration being soft on Russia, the outcome when it comes to the Biden administration is almost certainly going to be some angry language or some very stern talking to from the president. I don`t really expect anything to come out of it that is going to encourage any of us who believe that America ought to be pushing back stronger against Russian influence. 

BAIER: We talked a lot about China and Russia, a little bit about Iran and the threats Iran poses. That come up in this hearing today on Capitol Hill, Iran now docking and doing business with Venezuela. Take a listen. 

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, (D-CT): Allowing this ship to dock seems significant to me on many different levels. It would be the first time that Iranian vessels have made such a transit, and the precedent of allowing Iran to provide weapons to the region causes me grave concern. 

LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I am absolutely concerned about the proliferation of weapons, any type of weapons in our neighborhood. 

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Defense Secretary there. Katie? 

KATIE PAVLICH, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, this move by the Iranians to get even closer to the United States and to build their alliance with Venezuela and use Venezuela as a transfer point for weapons into South America certainly isn`t a gesture of goodwill while the Biden administration is still negotiating, trying to get down to the wire on some kind of agreement to get back into the Iranian nuclear deal. 

The Obama administration always made the argument that if we got back into the deal that Iran would improve their behavior on a number of different fronts. We saw that didn`t happen. In fact, Iran got more aggressive once they were in the nuclear agreement. We are now seeing that the more the Biden administration negotiates with them, the more aggressive they`ve become. Whether that`s sending ships to Venezuela for a weapons transfer or whether that`s funding Hamas to wage a war against Israel through Hamas, whether it`s finding other proxies in the region like the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. And so this concept of offering Iranians a nuclear agreement and hoping that in return they will somehow change their behavior, we have seen the opposite of that happen, and it`s happening as we speak while they are trying to negotiate some kind of agreement. 

BAIER: Harold, critics of the president have said that Iran, China, Russia, see softness so they are acting in various different ways to challenge that. At the same time, on this trip, the president has had success in the world`s eyes, at least, this vaccination effort and 500 million vaccines that was matched just before the show started of another 500 million from the G-7. Take a listen to the president. 

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America will be the arsenal of vaccines in our fight against COVID-19, just as America was the arsenal of democracy during World War II. Our vaccine donations don`t include pressure for favors or potential concessions. We`re doing this to save lives, to end this pandemic. That`s it. Period. 

We have the lowest number of daily deaths since the first day of this pandemic. Our economy is rebounding. Our vaccination program has already saved tens of thousands of lives. 

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Obviously, the White House is touting that as a global effort led by the U.S., Harold. 

HAROLD FORD JR., FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: Look, that`s an example of -- thanks for having me on. It`s an example of our soft power. This president was in a direct attack, also, I think, at China, or direct line of attack at China as he said we are not looking for concessions or favors from those nations that we seek to help. 

I have had a little different opinion. I found some of the analysis interesting with some of the other panelists, but my perspective is slightly different. I think this effort to build, to strengthen our multilateral approach, or should say strengthen relationships with allies, build even stronger ones with countries we are seeking to have a better relationship with as we enter the ending of this cold war with China I think is a very smart thing. 

The world is a messy place. It`s a dangerous place. It always has been. I`m relieved a bit by the experience this president brings, and I hope that he and Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin won`t be afraid to pull and use every lever. And you have to be encouraged here and watch him use the soft power lever as much as they are. 

Without question, the dominant organizing theme for our foreign policy over the next five, 10, 15 years, my kids` years in middle school and high school and college, will be how we compete and beat China. That`s what I heard from our military leaders today in Congress. And that`s what I continue to hear from President Biden and his team, as well. 

BAIER: We should point out there was also an attack in Baghdad on the State Department compound at the airport just last night with a drone. They are looking for the culprits there. So it`s a dangerous world, to your point. 

Up next, we`re going to talk about this back and forth with House Democrats and Ilhan Omar and where that goes with that caucus. Keep it here. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Well, storm clouds brewing on Capitol Hill and inside the House Democratic Caucus. That is because of this back and forth with House Democratic leadership and Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. It stems from this original tweet that Omar put out about Hamas and the Taliban and the U.S. Here it is, "We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crime against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban. I asked Secretary Blinken where people are supposed to go for justice." 

That prompted this response from House Democratic leadership, saying "Drawing force equivalencies between democracies like the U.S. and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban foments prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all. We welcome the clarification by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar that there is no moral equivalency between the U.S. and Israel, and Hamas and Taliban,"

which prompt add tweet from Omar which said, "It is shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for clarification and not just call. The Islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment and silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable," according to Congresswoman Omar. 

Back with the panel. Harold, let me start with you. As we head towards 2022, How do House Democrats deal with this? Not only Congresswoman Omar, but all of the squad then came to her support. But the leadership said we had to put out this statement to kind of put out this fire. 

FORD: Well, I think you have to deal with it directly. I think the seriousness of any member of Congress, this congresswoman or, for that matter, anyone is measured by how serious you conduct yourself. And I find the way this congresswoman -- the congresswoman has gone about expressing her views here to be, at best, irresponsible and reckless, and at worst, not serving her constituents well. 

But I think the leadership did what they had to do. It sounds like they are going to need not just a progressive caucus and a Congressional Black Caucus and a Hispanic caucus. They`re going to need a peacemaker caucus soon on the Democratic side. But I think leadership did the right thing releasing that statement. And it sounds like the congresswoman, I thought she clarified, but the last tweets you showed maybe I`m not totally up to speed on where this story is. 

BAIER: Yes, a little forceful on the clarification part. AOC, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley also tweeted in her response -- Rashida Tlaib saying freedom of speech doesn`t exist for Muslim women in Congress. Ben?

DOMENECH: There has been an increased rise in anti-Semitic attacks across this country in ways that should disturb all of us. In major cities we see Jewish Americans targeted in ways that are absolutely unacceptable. And I would expect that we would have more moral authority from the kind of leadership that we have seen historically from the Democratic Party in rejecting racism when it comes to this type of activity. 

And within their own caucus, within their own conference, they need to really come down on this in a very forceful way. This is putting people`s lives in danger. That`s not an exaggeration. And I think that in this instance, I`m unfortunately very disappointed in the fact that this hasn`t been stamped out earlier in this process. We have seen so much from Representative Omar that should disturb us when it comes to this type of activity, and I think that we really need to have a clamped down kind of attitude toward it.

Look, there`s all sorts of irresponsible members who are elected to Congress over the years. This is not a new thing. But, in this instance, in this moment, we are seeing this rise in anti-Semitic attacks that must be met and met forcefully in order to stop it and cut it off. 

BAIER: And I will just point out, media coverage is always something we look at through the prism of where we sit. This just doesn`t get covered other places. In fact, when Democrats talk about the anti-Semitic efforts across the country and things that are happening, to Ben`s point, former President Obama, Katie, said that that falls at the feet of former President Trump. But, yet, this part, this part where Democrats feel like they have to put out something to clarify doesn`t get picked up. 

PAVLICH: That`s absolutely true, Bret. And the big, important part of this context is that Ilhan Omar, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She is the vice chair of a subcommittee for that committee. So when it comes to making some kind of moral equivalence and comparing the alleged war crimes, as she said, of the American military, the Israeli military, with state sponsors of terror and Hamas and Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda -- she has done in the past, this is not the first time she has made these comparisons -- her words matter. It`s not that she sent out a tweet about this. She said this during an official committee hearing, and the context of her sitting on the Foreign Affairs Committee is important when you are talking about why leadership would want her to make some kind of clarification, because they are making policy, they are working with allies, they are writing legislation. 

And when it comes to the State Department having designation for these terrorist organizations, which target civilians and have very different ways of doing things, then democracies of Israel and United States, those clarifications are warranted because she has a responsibility as someone who sits on those committees to make that difference very clear. 

BAIER: Last thing, Harold. This White House has been active when it comes to anti-Asian talk or tweets. Any -- they have been responsive and put out statements. Do you think that they should put out a statement in this case? 

FORD: I suspect they may. I think the leadership in the House led by Speaker Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, I think their statement speaks volumes, and I would anticipate something coming from the White House around this. Look, if we all want what Ben and Katie, what they have shared, and I think we also all want to try to find ways in which we can achieve some more stability and bring more peace to that region, these kinds of comments don`t aid that effort at all. 

BAIER: We have asked Congresswoman Omar to come on the show, and we will continue to. 

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, a look at tomorrow`s headlines with the panel. 

Katie, first to you. 

PAVLICH: All right, law enforcement and local drug programs lose years of progress against cartels in the opioid crisis as the border continues to spin out of control. 

BAIER: Bright and cheery headline from Katie. All right, Harold? 

FORD: A play on the words the lyrics of the indefatigable LL Cool J, don`t cool it come back. Bipartisan has been here for years. I look forward to an infrastructure bill getting done, and I`m happy about the China deal that got done earlier in the week. 

BAIER: Ben? 

DOMENECH: Vladimir Putin says he looks forward to extracting as many concessions from Joe Biden as possible, admits China has set a high bar. 

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: All right, panel, thank you very much. Have a great night. 

Tomorrow on SPECIAL REPORT, an update on the president`s first foreign visit ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin. Plus, our "Whatever Happened To" segment continues every Friday. Whatever happened to Syria? 

What`s going on there right now? 

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 Tammy Bruce is so good we`re going to toss it four seconds early. 

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