US ambassador to France on US-French relations ahead of Trump's visit

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US ambassador to France on US-French relations ahead of Trump's visit

Trump to attend ceremonies to mark 75th anniversary of D-Day; U.S. ambassador to France Jamie McCourt speaks out on 'The Story.'

This is a rush transcript from "The Story," June 4, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, ANCHOR: That is right. Good evening, Bret. Thank you very much.

All right. Good evening, everybody. I'm Martha MacCallum, “The Story,” live tonight from the American cemetery in Normandy, France.

Perched on the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach. These waves of white crosses are where nearly 10,000 American heroes rest. They are the husbands, and brothers, and sons who gave all on D-Day and beyond, 75 years ago this week.

The Allied invasion marked the beginning of the end of Hitler's dream of world domination. They were sent off on that mission with these words of encouragement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, FORMER PRESIDENT: Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force, you are about to embark upon the Great Crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'd landed in the first wave at 6:30 in the morning. And, of course, this whole coastline was controlled by Germans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This boy, you done a lot. I said not by myself. I had a lot to help and a lot of them aren't here.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: On that day, and on many occasions since, the armed forces of both our countries fought side-by-side to defend cherished values of liberty and democracy.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: The bonds of friendship forged here and sealed in blood on those hallowed beaches will endure forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: So, that was President Trump on a three-day visit to the United Kingdom. Marking D-Day and attempting to echo those days when the U.K.- U.S. alliance on all fronts was really unbreakable.

As is his policy, he seeks to do that with security and economic ties hand- in-hand. The president making headlines today across the channel on a potential U.S.-U.K. trade deal if and when Britain does decide that they will leave the European Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There is tremendous potential in that trade deal. I say probably two, and even three times of what we're doing right now -- tremendous potential.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, that's really a 180 from the former president's approach which was a warning to England not to dare to go it alone. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: Were focus is in negotiating with a big block of the European Union to get a trade agreement done. And U.K. is going to be in the back of the queue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So, now President Trump is basically working to reshape this relationship. And if British media has any indication, he seems to have scored a few points herein the U.K. So, where does that special relationship stand tonight?

Here now, Brit Hume, Fox News senior political analyst who has covered it for decades. Brit, good evening to you, from Normandy France, from this breathtaking spot. We walked in here tonight, you know, a little before 1:00 a.m. in the morning. It's pitch dark, so silent and peaceful. And I know that you were here many times, and found it an equally moving place.

BRIT HUME, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I was there 25 years ago, Martha, for the 50th-anniversary observances. And I will never forget the experience of gazing for the first time in my life, at least, into that American military cemetery that you showed earlier in the broadcast.

And the rows and rows of those American gravestones, and it was -- it had a very powerful effect on me, personally. And, you know, some of the veterans who had fought were there, and they were kind of wandering through and their sort of humble way, and it was quite a powerful experience.

And, of course, when you remember what they did there, what a difficult thing it was to assault those beaches with the Germans entrenched on the bluffs high above, raining down withering gunfire with the -- with the tide in places running red with the blood of these Yanks who were coming -- trying to come ashore and fight their way inland.

It was a near thing, Martha, as you know, it almost failed but its success was crucial. And it paves a way not just for the liberation of France, but for the ultimate liberation of Europe. So, it was -- it was one of the most momentous and consequential battles in modern military history. And you were there at the sight of it and quiet -- and quiet a place it is.

MACCALLUM: Yes, it really is. And I know you talked about you know getting choked up when you watch these veterans as they come through, because they are looking for specific people who they knew and who they fought alongside to pay their respects, and we're going to see a lot of that over the next several days.

It also strikes me Brit that the president is following the path of D-Day. Tomorrow, he will be in Portsmouth, which is where the troops gather. They were there for three months in some cases before they made that move across the channel.

HUME: Right.

MACCALLUM: And then, he will come here to speak with Emmanuel Macron and to pay his respects to those who lay to rest here. How do you think the trip is going so far for him? Because I know you spoke about the fact that he's kind of reshaping -- they were attempting to reshape the U.S.-U.K. relationship once again.

HUME: Well, I'm so glad you played that sound clip from Barack Obama, from near the end of his term when he was urging the Brits to reject the Brexit. Reject (INAUDIBLE), reject Brexit.

And warning them that if they did so, and that -- you know, the U.S. would be negotiating with what's -- the remaining E.U. And Britain would be at the back of the queue for a trading with America. Well, Trump has turned that upside down. He is encouraging a Brexit without a deal, and saying, "Look, you come to us. Come on over with us, the water's fine over here, we got great potential."

And I don't think that while a lot of you're a lot of Europe -- a lot of British may not have gone very much to Donald Trump, I don't think that official Britain has forgotten what Barack Obama said there at the end. And I think that Trump's warming up to them in the way he has is appreciated in official circles there.

But the paramount event here, I think really, Martha is the unity of these two countries and the -- and the alliance that was in place before World War II, but certainly strengthened then, and it has remained so very strong ever since. It really is, I mean, I know it's a cliche, and everybody says it all the time. But it really is a special relationship.

And the president seems to have fitted himself in his role into it quite ably on this trip and it seems to have gone rather smoothly with the protests being less than, than some anticipated. And the welcome from the royal family and others being warmer perhaps and was expected.

MACCALLUM: Yes, it seemed -- it seemed like he had a pretty good rapport with the queen. That was interesting watching them chatting. And, of course, we'd all have to know exactly what they were talking about. I don't think we ever well if history is any guide in terms of her sharing her political feelings.

But you know, with regard to the -- to the tariff issue and the way that the president handles these relationships. He always looks at security and the economics of these relationships hand-in-hand.

He's getting pushed back now on the deal that he wants to -- the tariff deal that he wants to put in place on Mexico. He's got Republicans who are pushing back on that. He's about to come to France where no doubt the whole issue of tariffs on Europe are also going to come into play. What do you think about how that part of this is going for him, Bret?

HUME: Well, he will -- he really has made a kind of dramatic departure from what had been contemporary American conservative thought about trade, which had -- where tariffs were considered anathema. And people look back to the -- to the tariffs that were imposed during the Great Depression and the damage they did. And said, "This is folly, if you go there, you can't help but you're going to fail and you're going to cause more harm than, than you could possibly -- anything you could possibly achieve.

And he is simply rejected that, rejected it outright. And calls himself tariff man. And he's wielding tariffs now as his tool of choice in all kinds of ways. He's trying to help solve his immigration crisis at the border with the -- with the tariffs threatened against Mexico. He's obviously using them and to accomplish trades concessions from China and, of course, you know, economic sanctions are a critical part of his effort with North Korea. So, he's got them in play everywhere, or, at least, a number of major places.

And, you know, one begins to wonder -- I mean, you do have this might work, Martha. And if he gets trade deals out of all this and concessions from Mexico, it will be a huge victory. But it is risky. Because a big trade war that doesn't result in a deal, and sometimes soon could the thing that derails the recovery we've had going on now for 10 years, that's in -- for the United States, that's the longest -- perhaps, the longest will be the longest ever.

And you know, recoveries and economic expenses don't go away on their own, something has to happen.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

HUME: A trade war that stunts trade could cause that.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: I think you, you put it, I think, exactly right. It is the biggest gamble that he has on the table right now. And he's basically broken down these trade relationships with China, with Mexico, potentially with the E.U. And it's either going to pay off for him big time or in some places, it's going to really blow up in his face potentially.

I thought it was interesting tonight, Brit that the White House said that there would be no sort of -- they wouldn't -- they wouldn't let G.M. off the hook with the -- with the China tariff. So, they've got companies and -- you know, company to company going to them, saying, you don't really mean us, right? When you're talking about this tariff.

HUME: Yes.

MACCALLUM: And they are putting down that marker and saying, yes, actually, we mean you too. It's a very, very bold approach.

HUME: It is bold and if it works out, we'll but we'll all have saying it was brave. If it doesn't work out very well, people will have another view. But you got to give him a credit in this sense. He certainly has been gutsy about it, and willing to stick to his views about it, and not waver. Because -- you know, the pressure is tremendous. I mean -- you know, the future of this economic recovery is in the balance, you know.

MACCALLUM: Absolutely.

HUME: If he gets a deal with China, the rewards could be enormous. If he gets a deal with North Korea, the rewards could be enormous. Wilding trade policy as a weapon in both cases. And if -- and if we end up in a big trade war with Mexico, you know, the risks are terrible there. But suppose they help out more on the border, well, that would be a big win as well.

MACCALLUM: Brit, thank you very much. Great to talk to you tonight. We'll see you soon.

HUME: Thank you, Martha.

MACCALLUM: You bet. And this Fox News alert tonight. Prosecutors say that the Florida deputy who failed to confront the gunman during the Parkland school shooting is now facing criminal charges. You remember his name, Scot Peterson. He was arrested on 11 charges, including child neglect -- negligence, and perjury for essentially standing down in the middle of that horrific event.

Peterson was a Broward County deputy on duty during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He never went inside. He could face almost 100 years in prison if he is convicted.

And still ahead tonight, live coverage from Normandy. I will speak with the U.S. ambassador to France as the president prepares to come across the channel and meet with President Macron.

And we are finally hearing from the campaign trail from former Vice President Joe Biden, 2020 candidate, of course. He says that he will go further than President Obama.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: On June 6th, 1944 tens of thousands of young warriors left the shores by the sea and air to begin the invasion of Normandy and the liberation of Europe and the brutal Nazi occupation. Through their valor and sacrifice, they secured our homelands and saved freedom for the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: So after England and a stop at his Golf Course in Ireland, President Trump will travel here to France with about a million others who are making this their destination this week as we marked the 75th anniversary of D-day.

Earlier today, I sat down with the U.S. Ambassador to France Jamie McCourt about this important moment and what she expects when the president arrives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCCOURT, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE: I think that it's such an important anniversary celebration. First of all, the relationship between France and America is stellar and of course since they're our oldest ally. I think it's a real tribute to understand how much they appreciate America and how much we appreciate their friendship as well.

MACCALLUM: You know, obviously, it's been a complicated relationship between President Trump and President Macron. And the president even made a comment the last time he was here about you know, that France needed our help sort of in bailing them out in the two world wars. How do you expect the two presidents to get along now?

MCCOURT: Famously, I think --

MACCALLUM: As a diplomat, that's when you'd love to see right?

MCCOURT: I think that that's their style. I think they're both trying to do things for their country to make their countries better. I think they may have different perspectives but they have very open conversations and they are very comfortable agreeing and disagreeing. And so I think that's exactly how it will continue to be. And they seem to always work things out.

MACCALLUM: So the president is obviously in the United Kingdom right now and today he said I think the Paris Climate Accord has turned out to be something that I made absolutely the right decision on. Look at what is going on in referring to the yellow vest protests that have been going on now for some time. What do you think about that?

MCCOURT: Well, I think they're two separate things, frankly. But in terms of the Climate Accord which of course is a big subject for everyone, I think that this was not about whether he thinks there's climate change, doesn't think there's climate change, he just did not like this agreement.

And I think there's plenty of instances, he would be better at explaining what bothers him the most, but by way of example the idea that America is paying for China by way of example, as a developing nation when in fact it's fully developed and so consequently they have different way of paying and a different scheme bothered him. So he's calling it the task and he said enough is enough. We need to do what we need to do.

MACCALLUM: A recent studies show that none of the signatories are actually living up to the -- to the Climate Accord agreement at this point.

MCCOURT: Well, you know we're not in it now so I can't really speak to who exactly is doing what. But you know, America does it differently. We address climate change through research, through private-public partnerships, through new companies, through startups, you know the emissions in California for so many years were down. So I think there's you know, a different way of approaching things.

I drive Tesla. My children drive Teslas. You know, America just does it differently.

MACCALLUM: Talk to me a little bit about the political situation here right now because it's very interesting and there's a really dynamic change that appears to be happening. In the recent election, you had Marine Le Pen's party, the conservative -- more conservative party winning I think just slightly more than Macron's party in that election.

You know, she says she wants to make France great again essentially and that she wants to improve the economy here. I mean, those obviously are things that line up very much with what the president seems to want. He in the U.K., he was very supportive of Boris Johnson. Do you think that he would support Marine Le Pen over Macron in -- when he comes to France?

MCCOURT: I can't even imagine that happening because of his relationship with President Macron. But I think actually President Macron is in the process of transforming the country and he has a whole agenda that he wants to implement. So hopefully he'll be able to implement his agenda.

MACCALLUM: What would you say to the president as he gets here about you know, what you should say or not say. You know, he's always stirring it up and he continued to do so in the United Kingdom over the past couple of days. Although I think you know, overall it seemed to have gone very well. What would you say to him about any of -- about what he should talk about when he's here?

MCCOURT: I don't think there's ever telling our president what he should or shouldn't say. I think he knows exactly what he wants to say. The only thing that I would say is that we should always keep in the back of our minds that France is our oldest ally. And I as a business angel always like to say that when we were just to start up, France was our first investor.

MACCALLUM: Ambassador McCourt, thank you very much. Good to talk to you today.

MCCOURT: Great to see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: Very much enjoyed sitting down with the ambassador there. And live coverage from Normandy continues. But up next, the 2020 story back in America. Joe Biden comes out with a surprisingly big plan. Marc Thiessen and Richard Goodstein coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: Breaking tonight, new details emerging in the search for the missing mother of five in Connecticut. We are learning a little bit more about the showy affair between the two suspects. Police are now asking residents also or business owners in the area to turn over any surveillance video from around the time that Jennifer Dulos disappeared more than a week ago now.

Today, investigators turned their attention to a Hartford garbage dump after surveillance footage captured a man throwing out bloody garbage bags. Dulos' estranged husband and his girlfriend have both been charged in connection with this case.

Jennifer Dulos had told friends that their flagrant affair had her fearful about the impact on her children. And today the mother of Jennifer Dulos filed for custody of her daughter's five children. More to come on that.

$5 trillion, that is the price tag for former Vice President Joe Biden's new climate plan. The 2020 Democratic frontrunner announcing that plan today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to invest $1.7 trillion in securing our future so that by 2050 the United States will be 100 percent clean energy economy with net zero emissions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Biden says that the 1.7 trillion will come from federal spending, the rest of the five trillion is going to come from private investors according to his plan. But his proposal is just one of many climate change ideas that are floating in the very crowded 2020 field. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But the point is all of us need to be part of a national project to deal with climate.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL, D-CALIF., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first thing I'll do is host in the United States a new climate accord.

BETO O'ROURKE, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is not caused by God. This is not an act of Mother Nature. This is due to our own emissions, our own excesses, and our own inaction in the face of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Joining me now Marc Thiessen, American Enterprise Institute scholar and Fox News Contributor and Richard Goodstein former adviser to the Bill and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns. Gentlemen, thank you very much for being here tonight.

MARC THIESSEN, CONTRIBUTOR: Good to be with you, Martha.

MACCALLUM: Marc, let's start with you on this. Good -- yes, good to have you both with us. When you look at this, you know, Joe Biden has been relatively quiet on the campaign trail you know, by his own choice. I think he feels like they -- he might as well let a lot of these candidates kind of scrap it out while he is ahead in the polls, but a pretty big announcement from him today on this program, Marc.

THIESSEN: Very big announcement. And look, I was -- when I heard the news that he had a climate plan, I didn't know that Neil Kinnock had come up with a climate plan because it sounds like Joe Biden plagiarized a lot of it cutting and pasting from all these different climate groups into his -- into his plan.

So you know, he -- I don't know how quite original it is. But what -- he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't because he's caught in a pincer. The -- if he doesn't go for a full green new deal, then he's going to alienate the far left of the Democratic Party that is controls a nominating process. But if he does go full green new deal, then he's going to alienate the swing voters, working-class swing voters in the industrialized Midwest that he has to win back to win -- to win back the presidency.

The whole premise of Joe Biden's presidential campaign is that he's the guy who can win back those Obama-Biden voters in swing states like Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and Michigan, and Wisconsin that switch to Donald Trump in 2016. Green New Deal is like political kryptonite to those people. They don't want anything to do with the Green New Deal.

So, he is splitting the difference, he's got Green New Deal promises without Green New Deal funding. It's only 1.7 trillion in federal spending which is a lot of money but to the left today, that's a piton. They want World War II level mobilization.

You're in Normandy. If they want to spend 40 to 50 percent of GDP on this problem and Joe Biden isn't going anywhere near that. So, he is trying to assuage the left but not do it in a way that alienate those voters.

MACCALLUM: All right. So, I guess, the question is --

(CROSSTALK)

RICHARD GOODSTEIN, FORMER ADVISOR, CLINTON CAMPAIGN: I would say what he - -

MACCALLUM: -- why politically, right? So, when you look at where he is right now, he is ahead in almost all of the polls, doing very well in the heads to head with President Trump as well. But what's on the horizon is the debate cycle that's going to kick in later this month.

So, is this, Richard Goodstein, you know, sort of a way to stake out when the question on climate change comes, yes, I have a plan and I've rolled it out just a couple of weeks ago. Is that what's going on?

GOODSTEIN: Well, I think what's going on is that Joe Biden and frankly, every other Democratic presidential candidate sees climate change as an issue in a way that's different in a way that Marc sees it. They see it as something that really has the future of the planet at stake. It's not 12 years.

The planet is not going to fizzle up and burn up in 12 years, but every community, look at the corn belt now which they can't plant their seed. Look at the droughts and the fires and the hurricanes in Puerto Rico, in Houston, and Florida. This is not a joking issue especially to millennials.

So, he is taking this out not because of where it gives him the opportunity to speak about it in a debate, he is doing it because of what he believes in as he did back when he was a senator in the 80s.

He's took --his take out ground on the climate issue before it was fashionable. And Obama and he and the White House had a very aggressive plan which frankly reduced emissions quite substantially and at the same time that the U.S. became an exporter of fossil fuels.

So, you can actually have it both ways but they see this as an existential issue and I do think it will be -- it's like guns, years ago Democrats wouldn't touch the gun control issue and now they do because they see that the public has shifted a little bit. And I think we'll see next year whether the climate change is an issue like that.

MACCALLUM: You know, Marc, I think that's an interesting point. And you know, you can look at the fact that we haven't really gotten anywhere on that issue as well, you know, it's very tough to get that to Congress and I wonder what it would really be like to get climate change to Congress especially in this electoral environment when you've got the presidential election around the corner, Marc.

THIESSEN: Yes. Well, number one, where our emissions are going down dramatically and the reason is not because of government, is because of the private sectors, because of technology and innovation. So, you know, we are moving forward with addressing climate change through innovation which is the way we should be doing it.

But the problem, you know, you are right, Richard, that the Obama administration, Obama-Biden administration did a lot and what happened was in the industrial Midwest 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost on their watch. But Donald Trump has come into office and there are half a million in manufacturing jobs have been added.

So, these voters in these key swing states are looking at Biden's plan and they're thinking, do we want to go back to the war on fossil fuels? To the tax increases, to the regulations that drove our jobs away when Donald Trump has lifted all of those and all of a sudden manufacturing jobs are coming back. People without a high school education or at the lowest employment rate in history.

Do we want to go back to Obama-Biden and exactly what you're describing? Or, quite frankly, what Obama is proposing -- what Biden is proposing is even more dramatic, so I think this is electorally very bad for Joe Biden in a general election if he gets the nomination.

MACCALLUM: Very quick thought, Richard, I got to go.

GOODSTEIN: We will see -- yes. Look, I think we are losing manufacturing jobs because robots and machines are taking over for human --

(CROSSTALK)

THIESSEN: We are not losing the manufacturing jobs, we are gaining them.

GOODSTEIN: If you recall -- OK, but I'm just saying that's what's happening during the time. And this will be a test.

(CROSSTALK)

THIESSEN: And do we get them back?

GOODSTEIN: I agree, this will be a test as to whether one party is standing up to deal with the issue of climate change and the other is headed by a person who says climate change is a hoax. Not that we are going to do it in a different way. He calls it a hoax and that's a pretty clear difference. And we'll see. Maybe Donald Trump is right and the public believes it's a hoax.

MACCALLUM: We will see.

GOODSTEIN: The polling suggests otherwise.

MACCALLUM: All right. Guys, thank you very much. March and Richard, good to see you both tonight.

THIESSEN: Thanks, Martha.

GOODSTEIN: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: We'll have live coverage from Normandy when we come back. Chances are if you have seen a World War II movie that you have seen the war through the eyes of Captain Dale Dye. The marine veteran and top military consultant to Hollywood has worked with everyone from Tom Hanks to Steven Spielberg. Why? He's going to tell us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab some cover. And put some fire on that crew. Davis, Leonardo, Young, Bob, get ready. Fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Many of Hollywood's greatest war movies including the one that you just saw have one thing in common. Captain Dale Dye, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War and then took his experience over the years into his writing and his producing and onto the big screen.

He worked as a technical director on projects like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" and is one of the top military consultants in the industry, even putting his actors through World War II boot camps to keep things as realistic as possible as they gear up to play soldiers.

And Dye is no stranger to the Silverstream himself, appearing in many of the films that he works in, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALE DYE, RETIRED U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN: Right now, I need every man in the field and you two will cease fire.

Be advise, we got tips in the wire down here.

He is 20 god damn years old and you are going to ruin his life. He saved yours.

This drops all over Normandy. Now assuming Private Ryan even survive the jump, he could be anywhere. In fact, he is probably KIA. You did a damn fine job on a tough mission last night. I wish you good luck tonight because I'd be expecting more of the same.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Here now live in Normandy this evening, Captain Dale Dye, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, actor, technical director. Great to meet you, sir.

DYE: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: And I am such an admirer of your body of work.

DYE: Thank you.

MACCALLUM: It's really an extraordinary achievement and I think it's done so much in this generation to help people appreciate the sacrifices of those who've come before us. Why did you decide to get into the side of the business after all those years in the military?

DYE: Well, it was a mission. I felt for a long time that Hollywood and the popular media and general television and so on and so forth, really hadn't done our American veterans of all generations very well.

Sometimes they get the technical details right and that's fine and that's important and so on and so forth, but what I thought that was missing was the spirit of the warrior, the heart and the soul and the way we think and the way we relate to each other. And what our emotions are really like.

I was just convinced that a flaw and most of the war movies I saw was that very thing, a lack of understanding. So being a marine I decided well, the answer of this of course is to immerse them and hurt them until all of the civilian crap all it goes away and then the next thing you know I can pour in the appropriate stuff and make them understand the concepts like service and sacrifice.

MACCALLUM: That's a fascinating thing that you just said. And I think it's something that exist in acting anyway. Because you want to break down, you know, sort of the actor to get them to a point of vulnerability where they start to feel what the character is actually going through.

(CROSSTALK)

DYE: I do feel vulnerable.

MACCALLUM: So how do you take these -- how do you take these Hollywood actors and you put them through what you call World War II boot camp. What is that like?

DYE: Well, it is much like what young men and women went through when they joined the service back in 1944. It starts with some intense physical stuff, long runs, running and formations, (Inaudible) that sort of thing.

And what that does is get their mind right. It focuses them on what they need to do. And the need thing I think about it is that at that point you can begin to teach. And as you teach not only do you do the physicality, you know, how do I handle a weapon and how do I reload a weapon and how do I wear my uniform? That's fine.

But what you really need to do is put them in a situation where they can perceive the emotions. They can perceive that they have to rely on the guy to the right and the guy to the left and all their lines, and how their hair looks doesn't make any difference because I'm going to put a helmet on in anyway.

And when you can get them to that point and you spend time with them personally and you talk to them and you answer the actorly questions, what you find is that they have an entirely new concept, they see things in a much different fashion. What I think it is that they see things the way these young men did when they join the army or the Marine Corps or the navy or the army air corps back in the 1940s.

MACCALLUM: That's an amazing opportunity really that you provide these young actors with because they probably have an appreciation for the sacrifice. And I saw in the event that you all did on Sunday night, listening to them and seeing them with the World War II veterans. They get it and it sounds like that was your mission all along.

You are working on a new project. "No Better Place to Die."

DYE: Yes.

MACCALLUM: With Tom Hanks. It's something that you wrote yourself.

DYE: It is.

MACCALLUM: And the title, where does that come from, Dale?

DYE: Well, "No better Place to Die" if you had to do a log line would be the prequel to "Saving Private Ryan," it's actually the airborne assault that happened before the beach landings took place.

And the title comes from a note that the commanding officer, Lieutenant Red Dog Dolan of the Able Company first to the 508th Parachute Infantry sent to one of his NCOs. The NCOs said the Germans are pressing us too hard, we can't hold here at La Fiere Bridge. We need to pull back. And Lieutenant Dolan sent a note back that said, "we hold here, there is no better place to die." And that's Martha, I mean, how could you not use that?

MACCALLUM: And when you think about it holding those bridges or blocking those bridges was crucial --

DYE: Crucial.

MACCALLUM: And that's what the paratroopers did the night before. They were clearing the way for the guys to come on to the beach. That once they got up here where we are sitting now, they'd be able to start the push of the towns. Thanks to those guys, right?

DYE: Yes. But more importantly, they could keep the Germans from counterattacking and driving us out of the beach, had they not held those bridges and the vital crossings and vital crossroads. The Germans could have reinforced those beach defenses and perhaps on Omaha and Utah just driven us back into the sea.

MACCALLUM: Yes. And of course, they had sort of different notions about where they thought where we're going to be coming in --

DYE: They did.

MACCALLUM: -- and that's fascinating too.

Dale, thank you very much.

DYE: My pleasure.

MACCALLUM: It's really an honor to be meeting you. Thank you so much for coming out so late at night here.

DYE: Yes. Thanks very much.

MACCALLUM: It's beautiful out here actually.

DYE: It's beautiful.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much, sir. Still ahead tonight, a new fallout this evening. Back to American politics from the Russia probe and the origins of it. The former British spy behind the Trump dossier has now reportedly finally agreed to seek to U.S. officials and that should be interesting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: There is some intrigue tonight as a former British spy reportedly agrees to questioning by U.S. officials. Trump dossier author Christopher Steele struck a deal to talk to the Justice Department inspector general's team about his dealings with the FBI. The idea is conducting an investigation into alleged FISA abuse.

So, what we could -- what could be learned from Steele's questioning?

Joining us now, Kayleigh McEnany, 2020 Trump campaign national press secretary, and Chris Hahn, former aide to Senator Chuck Schumer and syndicated radio host. Welcome to both of you. Good to have you here tonight.

You know, Christopher Steele has been this elusive --

(CROSSTALK)

CHRIS HAHN, FORMER AIDE TO CHUCK SCHUMER: Great to be here.

MACCALLUM: -- mysterious character in all of this. Everybody would like to know who his sources were, who, how he felt about the client in this case which was the Clinton campaign ultimately and what he thought that they wanted from him in terms of what he was getting paid to do.

Kayleigh, what questions are in your mind about what we need to know about Christopher Steele in the FISA abuse issue and you know, the origins of all of this, I should say?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, 2020 TRUMP CAMPAIGN NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Yes. Well, there is a lot. I want to know did he lie to the FBI? It appears he did to the FBI about whether he leaked to the media this salacious and unverified dossier that would violate 18 USC 1001, same statute Michael Flynn was convicted under.

I want to know why he was so nervous before Comey's testimony. That he sent frantic text to Bruce Ohr, saying are the firewalls going to hold up. There is a lot to be interested in here. And I assume Chris is interested in the same transparency I am.

We have transparency from President Trump and no collusion and no obstruction, but we have to get to the bottom of the civil liberty violations and how this all began and spying on the Trump campaign which we know did occur per A.G. Barr.

MACCALLUM: So, I guess that, let's just go back to the beginning questionnaire, Chris.

(CROSSTALK)

HAHN: Yes obstruction, yes collusion.

MACCALLUM: Chris, what -- what, Chris, hold on. What do you want to know? Like what would you want to ask Christopher Steele about the origins of this whole investigation, who he was working for and what he thought the client wanted? All of that.

HAHN: Yes. I'd like to know who the Republican was who initially hired him so we could see those fireworks play out because I'm sure President Trump will be very kind to the Republican who originally hired him.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: But he wasn't --

HAHN: That's what I would like to really see.

MACCALLUM: The dossier was not part of that and you know that, Chris. No, you know that.

HAHN: Or it was. And on the substance --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: You know that there is --

HAHN: And on the substance --

MACCALLUM: -- there's two different sections to that story so don't just say things that aren't true because that's not true.

HAHN: OK.

MACCALLUM: So, go ahead.

HAHN: Well, I think it is true. I'm almost always proven true. But let's - - what I would really like to find out is what he learned about Trump's finances and what foreign governments may be financing the Trump organization and how that might influence the president. I think the American people would like to know that.

So, I'm hoping that Steele not only testifies before the I.G. but also comes to Congress and answers questions in front of the cameras so we could all see what he says.

MACCALLUM: Yes. I mean, just to clarify for folks at home. There were -- during when they were about 17 candidates, the Washington Free Beacon paid for some initial research that was done and that was separate from Steele and the dossier which was taken up --

HAHN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: -- after the Democrats began to pay for the research. I just want to make sure that everyone is clear on the facts and how that all worked.

HAHN: OK.

MACCALLUM: Now the Steele, the questions for Christopher Steele, you know, which he laid out he did get very panicky when he thought that this whole thing was, you know, sort of coming out. And I think it would be very interesting to know what he -- you know, how he went about it, and also who were his sources in Russia and if he was being paid by a Democratic campaign, is that a form of collusion with a foreign entity.

Those are all relevant questions that I think anyone who cares about this whole issue would want to know either side of.

HAHN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: I want to ask you about Bill Barr and let me start with you on, Chris Hahn. Because there is an indication that House Democrats feel that the subpoenas that they've laid out are overly broad and that they want to --

HAHN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: -- whittle them down a bit and maybe in hopes that they will actually get some of these folks to come testify. What do you think?

HAHN: Well, look, I think that is the House can't negotiate with the attorney general for him to come testify and he continues to not support the subpoena that they put in front of him they should impeach him at most. And maybe sanction him at least.

Look, if you are a member of the House of Representatives and you are not jealously guard your power to oversee the president and provide a check to him, I don't know what you are doing in Congress. That is your job. That is what the Constitution gives to you. It is your solemn duty. Are you there for the pins and the government salary? I hope not.

MACCALLUM: All right, 15 seconds, Kayleigh for your response to that and then I got to go.

MCENANY: Yes. Here's what Chris and Democrats want. They want Bill Barr to break the law. We know he is barred from releasing grand jury information, that's a -- that is law passed by Congress. They want him to violate that law.

HAHN: Nope.

MCENANY: If you have any doubt that this was political, any doubts, look at the days, 19 days after the subpoena, the overly broad subpoena, they issued the first vote --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: All right. We got to leave it there.

MCENANY: -- for contempt.

HAHN: Because he was asked to come and talk ad he didn't.

MCENANY: At 232 days for --

(CROSSTALK)

HAHN: He is a coward and so is the president.

MACCALLUM: All right. We'll be watching, guys. We've got to go. Thank you very much, Chris and Kayleigh. Good to see you both.

HAHN: Bye.

MACCALLUM: More from “The Story” live from Normandy when we come back after this. Thank you, guys.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACCALLUM: So, before it was history, this was “The Story” on June 4th, 1944, today. Just two days before the allies stormed the beaches at Normandy Americans overrun hill south of Rome, city's fall near. Allied command says bombers against pound at invasion coast.

Rome was the first major capital to be freed from Nazi control during World War II. Members of the fifth army reaching the center of the city late at night after encountering dog and resistance from German forces on the outskirts of town.

Soon after, German troops were ordered to withdraw. And the people of Rome were finally liberated. They celebrated in the streets, shops had been closed and huge crowds were seen cheering, waving and hurling bundles of flowers at the passing army vehicles.

Tonight's quote of the tonight from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on this very night, 75 years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, FMR. PRESIDENT: The first of the access capitals is now in our hands. One up and two to go. We shall have to push through a longer period of greater effort and forceful fighting before we get into Germany itself.

Therefore, the victory still lies some distance ahead. That distance will be covered in due time. Have no fear of that. But it will be tough and it will be costly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Seventy-five years ago tonight. We'll see you back here live from Normandy tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. Tucker Carlson standing by in Washington, D.C., coming up next. Good night, everybody.

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