REPORT-WI-01
Veiled Attack; Partial Transcripts Cause Controversy; Afghanistan Strategy
under Question; Gun Control Debate; Judge Hears Arguments in Lawsuit
against Gun Manufacturers; Donald Trump Fires Campaign Manager; Senate
Votes on Gun Control Legislation Amendments - Part 1>
James Rosen, Jennifer Griffin, Steve Harrigan, Brit Hume, Kevin Corke>
Terrorism; Justice; Military; Defense; Congress; Guns>
SHANNON BREAM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Donald Trump's unpredictable campaign lives up to its reputation with a big shake up just four weeks ahead of the GOP convention.
This is SPECIAL REPORT.
Good evening. Welcome to Washington. I'm Shannon Bream in for Bret Baier.
It's only Monday and already there have been plenty of fireworks for the GOP's presumptive nominee. As Donald Trump doubles down on his controversial immigration policy, clears up a gun control statement and then says, you're fired to his campaign manager.
Senior national correspondent John Roberts with the campaign twist just a month out from the convention.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With just a month until the convention and his poll numbers going sharply the wrong way, Donald Trump today took the remarkable step of firing his long-time campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: With Corey I'm really proud of him. But we're going to go a little bit of a different route.
ROBERTS: A campaign source tells Fox News it came to a showdown between Lewandowski and Trump's Washington campaign chief Paul Manafort. Manafort, according to the source, let it be known that he couldn't work with Lewandowski anymore and that if things didn't change he would be gone in 48 hours.
Trump's children and son-in-law Jared Kushner were said to be very concerned that losing Manafort who they saw him as the more experienced had could be fatal to the campaign after participating at the daily morning strategy call upon which participants said they're seeing nothing amiss. Lewandowski was told by Trump that his services were no longer needed.
After being escorted from the building Lewandowski today tried to deflect any criticism of his management style saying, quote, "Paul Manafort has been in operational control of the campaign since April 7. That's a fact."
COREY LEWANDOWSKI, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: It's been amazing. And I wouldn't change one second of my time with Mr. Trump other than to say thank you. It's been a great privilege and honor.
TRUMP: Wow what a group.
ROBERTS: The move clears the way for experienced Washington hands to try to guide Trump toward a more traditional campaign, one less consumed with daily controversies of the candidate's own making.
Today, Trump had to clarify remarks he made in the wake of the Orlando shooting when he said if people inside had guns, the carnage may have been contained.
TRUMP: If one of the people in that room happened to have and goes boom, boom, you know what, that would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight -- folks.
ROBERTS: After being criticized for appearing to advocate party goers getting into gunfights Trump today tweeted quote, "I was obviously talking about additional guards or employees."
Trump also raised eyebrows over the weekend doubling down in the statement he first made after the San Bernardino shooting in December that law enforcement may need to resort to profiling to combat terrorism.
TRUMP: Other countries do it. And it's not the worst thing to do. I hate the concept of profiling but we have to use common sense. We are not using common sense.
ROBERTS: While Trump supporters have no issue with such pronouncements Republican leaders get awfully queasy. House Speaker Paul Ryan says he won't abandon Trump insisting it would cause a chasm in the party though he does wish Trump would change his ways.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI) HOUSE SPEAKER: Yes, there are things that he has said that I don't agree with. There are policies he's pursuing that I don't agree with. And in the legislative branch, a separate but equal branch of government, we will litigate those things in the future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Trump is in urgent need of a reboot if he hopes to set his campaign back on course. He even said over the weekend that he plans to campaign in Utah where polls show a very close race with Hillary Clinton. Utah hasn't voted for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. And most Republicans have won the state with margins of between 30 percent and 50 percent -- Shannon.
BREAM: We will break it down with the panel. John Roberts -- thank you.
There's probably no group of people more encouraged to hear about the big shake up at the Trump campaign than the folks who populate the Never Trump movement.
Chief Washington correspondent James Rosen has a status update and something of a reality check on this determined band of party activists.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: People that have said the worst things about me --
JAMES ROSEN, FOX NEWS CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: In the 48 days since Indiana made Donald Trump the Republican Party's presidential nominee, the so-called Never Trump movement that had a hashtag before, by the way, has #neverfullygoneaway.
Sunday night saw a conference call into which one thousand people reportedly dialed in to plot some more about how to block the winner of almost 14 million primary votes from becoming the GOP standard bearer.
NEVER TRUMP MOVEMENT: After the words you hear from Donald Trump day in and day out and the effort that I'm seeing in the movement that's growing that Donald Trump will not be the nominee of the Republican Party.
ROSEN: To many eyes the Never Trump movement always carried an air of unreality as when "Weekly Standard" editor Bill Kristol promoted a candidacy by "National Review" writer David French.
BILL KRISTOL, "WEEKLY STANDARD": I didn't want to make comments about a particular candidate until that was absolutely necessary.
ROSEN: And when Mitt Romney, the Party's last nominee intervened in a way that mostly served to remind the disaffected Republican base of why they decided to back Trump in the first place.
CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS, REAL CLEAR POLITICS: It's really kind of a disorganized movement. I mean there's no clear goal. There isn't an alternative that has emerged. There hasn't been a clear alternative to emerge someone wanting to get involved in this race. And a lot of this is because they, you know, started a little too late.
ROSEN: The latest machinations hinge on altering the rules governing next month's Republican convention. Yet historians see the Never Trump movement as a response to more than just the candidate himself also contributing to the volatility and uncertainty. The rumor-mongering surrounding this cycle are the FBI probe that's loomed over the presumptive Democratic nominee and the anxiety over terrorism, the economy and the digital revolution.
Arthur Herman is the author of "How the Scots invented the Modern World", "The Idea of Decline in Western History" and most recently "Douglas MacArthur, American Warrior".
ARTHUR HERMAN, AUTHOR: The old system of gatekeeping -- ideological gatekeeping -- for both political parties have now been shaken to their foundations through the spread of social media. We are in a post ideological age in American politics where the old ideologies of conservatism, of progressive liberalism are beginning to crack at the seams.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSEN: Talk of denying Donald Trump the nomination he won however improbable, focuses less these days on an independent candidacy. The passage of key filing deadlines has all but killed that idea and more on the Republican convention. But the fervor of these activists is such that it is easy to imagine the Never Trump movement persisting even if the man wins in November all the way to inauguration day -- Shannon.
BREAM: We shall see. James Rosen -- thank you.
ROSEN: You bet.
BREAM: A man arrested Saturday at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas over the weekend may have been trying to kill the candidate. Michael Sanford was arrested at the rally after police say tried to grab an officer's gun. A complaint filed in court today says Sanford told officers he drove from California to kill Trump.
Hillary Clinton is sticking close to home today, relishing in the joy of a new grandchild and attending several fundraisers in her home state.
While she's staying out of the media today, Vice President Joe Biden is filling the void unleashing a veiled attack on the GOP's presumptive nominee.
Correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports from New York tonight on the VP's assault on Donald Trump, without naming names.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary. Hillary.
JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The Clinton's accompanied their daughter Chelsea as she left the hospital today with their new grandson. Over the weekend, the campaign tweeted photos of them celebrating the birth of Chelsea's son, Aiden. A family moment revealed before Clinton begins campaigning this week attacking Donald Trump on his business practices and economic policies.
She got a little help from Vice President Joe Biden, who warned about the danger of alienating 1.5 billion Muslims around the world should Trump become president. In a speech in Washington, he never used the Republican presumptive nominee's name.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's what has always been America's greatest capability, not empty bluster. Not a sense of entitlement that fundamentally disrespects our partners. Not an attitude and insecurity of a bully.
GRIFFIN: A new poll by Monmouth University in New Jersey shows Clinton leading Trump by seven points. Eight points in terms of likely voters. In eight battleground states today, a new Clinton ad questions whether Trump is presidential.
TRUMP: I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.
GRIFFIN: The campaign put out a fund raising appeal on Sunday, quote, "Trump may be a thin-skinned bully who goes through life in a moral vacuum, but he's not stupid. He's using his 24/7 media coverage to attack Hillary and this team, all day, every day, for free."
Clinton is attending three fund-raisers in New York Monday, one at the home of wealthy hedge fund manager Marc Lasry, Wall Street venture capitalist Alan Patricof and a dinner hosted by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein co- hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.
The campaign sent out video of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren visiting Clinton headquarters Friday adding to rumors that she is still in the running for vice president.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: So I just have one message for you, don't screw this up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BREAM: That was Jennifer Griffin reporting from Clinton headquarters in New York.
One week after a shooter killed 49 people and wounded 53 others at an Orlando nightclub, the FBI created a firestorm when it released partial transcripts of the calls between the shooter and negotiators during the three-hour stand off that early Sunday morning. But after uproar from conservatives who blasted the bureau's decision of a political move the Justice Department reversed its position decision and released the entire call.
Correspondent Steve Harrigan has the story from Orlando.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Partial transcripts released by the FBI give a detailed time line of phone conversations between the killer and authorities during the massacre. The first call to 911 comes 30 minutes after shots are fired.
"I let you know, I'm in Orlando and I did the shootings."
Ten minutes later, there are three calls between the killer and police crisis managers. The calls last nine minutes, 16 minutes and then three minutes. They reveal a part of the killer's motivations.
He claims to be an Islamic soldier and calls on the U.S. to stop bombing Iraq and Syria. Authorities have refused to release audio from the calls but they do describe the killer's tone.
RON HOPPER, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: The killer made these murderous statements. He did so in a chilling, calm and deliberate manner.
HARRIGAN: The FBI initially redacted parts of the transcript where the killer swears support to the Islamic state. But officials later changed their mind citing an unnecessary distraction from the criticism.
Now the shooter's motivation is fully identified. "I pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, may God protect him."
The FBI's initial decision had drawn criticism. House Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted "It was preposterous. We know the shooter was a radical Islamist extremist inspired by ISIS."
Later Defense Secretary Ash Carter invoked the Orlando tragedy when talking about the ongoing coalition fight against ISIS.
Finally, local police have also had to answer the question of why they waited three hours to breach the nightclub wall, whether some of the wounded could have been saved if they entered sooner.
JOHN MINA, ORLANDO POLICE CHIEF: I think there is this misconception that we didn't do anything for three hours. And I'm just trying to clarify that that's absolutely not true. Our officers were in the club within minutes, exchanged gunfire with the suspect, forced him to stop shooting and retreat into the bathroom. From there, we let our negotiator take over and try and negotiate this to a peaceful resolution.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIGAN: The killer told police that he had put suicide bomb vests around several of the hostages, making a forced entry even more risky -- Shannon?
BREAM: Steve Harrigan, live for us in Florida. Thank you -- Steve.
What was left out of the three call transcripts released by the FBI today angered many conservatives who believe the move was more political than anything else. Within hours of the outrage, the Justice Department backtracked releasing the full transcript.
Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume joins me now with his thoughts on the Justice Department's reversal. Good evening -- Brit.
BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi -- Shannon.
The Attorney General claims that her department initially planned to sensor all mentions of ISIS and its leaders from the transcript of Omar Mateen's phone calls was to avoid spreading his propaganda. That may be true, but it is also true that it dove-tailed perfectly with the Obama approach to ISIS and Islamic terrorism going back.
That approach has been to deny or minimize the threat at every turn and to pretend to the extent possible, that it had nothing to do with Islam. Not only does Mr. Obama refuse to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism". He even went so far in a nationwide address two years ago to say ISIS is not Islamic at all. And he famously once compared the terrorist organization, as now everybody remembers, to a JV team.
If you look hard enough, it is possible to discern a strategy of sorts in all this. It is to avoid insulting and alienating Muslims in general and to avoid giving terrorists more glory and attention than they deserve. Thus the President claimed ISIS had been contained and the next day it pulled off the Paris massacre.
He claimed after Orlando that ISIS was losing ground and under more pressure than ever. Two days later, his CIA director testified that the ISIS threat is undiminished. Thus the President's approach is overtaken again and again by events, which is another way of saying what seems true, it simply doesn't work -- Shannon.
BREAM: Ok. So Brit -- this morning, we have the redacted transcripts. By afternoon, we had what we believe are the full transcripts now, at least of the calls that we have. Why the quick pivot and do you think the administration didn't see it coming?
HUME: Apparently someone in the Justice Department, including obviously the Attorney General since she's the one who first announced this decision on Sunday television, thought that this was, in keeping I think, she must have believed with the administration's approach.
Unfortunately, in this case, the toothpaste was already out of the tube and it was really impossible to put it back even when a transcript in which anybody who had paid any attention to all of this could read through the transcript, see what was left out and figure out what the words would have been. So the thing began to border on the ridiculous and I think that's why they backtracked although I think the impulse that gave rise to the original ideal of centering it is pretty clear.
BREAM: Yes. We'll talk about that with the panel as well. Thanks -- Brit.
HUME: You bet. Thank you -- Shannon.
Up next, the fresh controversy over an old war.
First, here is what some of our Fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. Fox 8 in Cleveland where the city celebrates its first NBA championship in 52 years. Thousands of fans gathered at the airport to welcome home the Cavs today. As the team got off the plane Lebron James, you see holding up the Larry O'Brien championship trophy for all to see.
Fox 45 in Baltimore where lawyers made closing arguments today in the trial of Officer Cesar Goodson. He is the third of six Baltimore officers to go on trial in the arrest and death of Freddy Gray. Goodson faces the most serious charges of all the officers. The judge is expected to rule on his case Thursday.
This is a live look at Los Angeles County, California. The big story there tonight excessive heat hindering the battle against wildfires across the west. Firefighters are battling several fires in southern California, Arizona and New Mexico where temperatures in many spots top 100 degrees.
That is tonight's live look outside the Beltway from SPECIAL REPORT.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BREAM: 65 million people have been forced from their homes in the past year. That's the word from a new global trends report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The report says this is the first time since World War II that refugee levels have crossed the 60 million mark. The United Nations refugee agency blames the continued conflicts in places like Afghanistan and Syria for the increase in numbers.
Iraqi Security Forces say they are in the final stages of clearing ISIS out of Fallujah. They commander tells the Associated Press that the remaining terrorists are holed up in houses and buildings in the northern part of the city. ISIS controlled much of Fallujah until late May when a U.S.-backed offensive to retake the city began.
The President's plan to get out of Afghanistan seems to be falling apart as violence in the country grows. The Pentagon says Taliban attacks have increased in the past six months with Afghan forces and innocent civilians getting caught in the cross fire.
Tonight correspondent Kevin Corke reports from the White House on whether America's longest-fought war needs a new strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN CORKE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Tonight the number of dead following separate attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan has reached nearly two dozen with more than 20 people killed including a minibus carrying Nepali security guards working at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, evidence, say U.S. military officials, of the resurgent power of the terror group, which is perpetrating violence at levels not seen since 9/11.
In a report delivered to congress Friday, the Pentagon said the rise in violence has been especially acute in the past six months noting that the fighting and suicide attacks have increased in more populated areas and that the number of women and children included among civilian casualties has also increased.
LT. COL. TONY SHAFFER, FORMER ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: The White House, for the past seven years, going on eight has driven the Afghan policy through the lens of politics not of reality.
CORKE: Col. Tony Shaffer who served in Afghanistan maintains that the Obama administration's plan to get the Afghan government to fend for itself has backfired renewing calls for an overhaul of White House policy in the war-torn country.
SHAFFER: After over 12 years and billions of dollars, we are still at risk of allowing Afghanistan to slip back into chaos, after a large investment.
CORKE: An investment in manpower. While troop levels in Afghanistan had decreased from nearly 100,000 back in 2011 to fewer than 10,000 today, the administration intends to cut that number in half by the time the President leaves office, a plan that's under review.
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I don't think anybody can be satisfied with the ongoing violence that we see there. And the good news is that we have seen Afghan security forces be quite resilient.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CORKE: Now Shannon -- I want to be clear. That number that you just heard about just slightly less than 10,000 American forces in Afghanistan is somewhat skewed to be completely clear because there are more than 26,000 American civilian contractors that are also operating in that theater. And it's that large force that has a number of people concerned now that it could ultimately erode the skill set and even the cohesion of the forces that are officially there -- Shannon.
BREAM: All right. Kevin Corke, live at the White House. Thank you -- Kevin.
Predictions are looming large over the effects of Thursday's vote on whether Britain should stay or leave the European Union. Some say a Brexit would have minimal effect on the global economy, mostly hurting just the country itself while others like the International Monetary Fund warn that international trade and investment globally would shrink. But if an EU exit is imminent the White House seems unconcerned. Press Secretary Josh Earnest saying today he's sure somebody, somewhere in the government is working on a contingency plan.
The Dow finished today 130 points in the green. The S&P 500 was up 12. Nasdaq closed up 37. Real progress or just a political show -- next. The latest on today's debate over gun control in the senate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BREAM: One week after the shooting in Orlando, the Senate brings four different gun control options to the floor but already tonight two of those measures have failed.
Correspondent Doug McKelway is live on Capitol Hill with the latest on the continuing votes. Good evening -- Doug.
DOUG MCKELWAY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening -- Shannon. The last time the Senate passed major gun control legislation it was back in the Clinton administration. Since then there has been none and today's vote is shaping up as no exception.
The lack of centrists from either party coupled with the very high procedural vote threshold 60 votes to end debate appears to be on the cusp now of dooming all four amendments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KELLY AYOTTE (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: By all accounts, these proposals are likely to fail again and we will be right back where we started, no safer, no smarter, no more successful in protecting our citizens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKELWAY: And here is a look now at the breakdown of these four amendments. We are right in the midst of the vote.
The Grassley amendment failed -- 53 to 47 -- about a half an hour ago. It would have provided funding for the NICS, the national instant background check and would have given incentive to share mental health record.
The Senator Chris Murphy amendment also failed just moments ago -- 44 to 56. It would have increased background checks and closed the so-called "gun show loophole".
Senator John Cornyn's amendment is coming up next. It would have allowed the DOJ to delay suspected terrorists from getting a gun for up to 72 hours. And if then at that point, if the feds could not prove in that time frame that the suspect was a threat, the ban would expire.
Last up this evening, probably about 6:35 or 6:40, Senator Feinstein's amendment. We are awaiting that. It would have permitted the attorney general to deny the purchase of firearms to anyone on the terrorism watch list.
Now these intractable differences on both left and right has left both parties leveling charges. Senator Cornyn describing one amendment, the Feinstein amendment, as a denial of a bedrock constitutional right -- due process; while Feinstein fired back about Cornyn's noting that federal law bans felons, fugitives, drug users and ten categories of people from buying weapons them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: How about to the Fourth Amendment or the Fifth Amendment -- how many more provisions of the Bill of Rights do our Democratic friends believe can be denied, absent due process of law?
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: One group that cannot be blocked from buying guns are those who are known or suspected terrorists on the FBI's consolidated terrorist watch list. They can buy guns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKELWAY: So expect all four amendments to go down in defeat tonight. There is one more option. Senator Susan Collins of Maine is offering another amendment. It is not being taken up tonight. She claims to have broad bipartisan support. But Shannon, we have heard that before. Back to you.
BREAM: We will check back on that, Doug. Thank you so much.
The Supreme Court today turned away a challenge to assault weapons in Connecticut and New York. The justices left in place a lower court ruling that upheld laws passed following the shootings of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut. The families of nine of those victims in Newtown are also suing the rifle company that made the gun used in that shooting. A judge heard arguments in that case today. Correspondent David Lee Miller reports on what's at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID LEE MILLER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Relatives of some of the victim who died at the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting spent the day in court. They are suing Remington, the manufacturer of the AR-15 semi- automatic rifle that Adam Lanza used to kill 20 children and six adults. In court papers their attorneys described the rifle as a military weapon built for, quote, "mass casualty assaults." Matt Soto lost his 27-year-old sister, Victoria, a first grade teacher at Sandy Hook.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our actions here are meant to bring about change.
MILLER: Remington, along with other defendants in the case, the distributor and dealer, have filed motions with the court arguing the lawsuit against them shouldn't be allowed to move forward, citing a 2005 federal law that broadly shields gun makers and dealers from litigation if a weapon is used to commit a crime. Remington's attorney told the judge, lawmakers, not the courts, should set the policy.
JAMES VOGTS, REMINGTON ARMS ATTORNEY: A personal injury case in front of a jury is not the place for a new policy to emerge on who should own firearms and what type of firearms should be owned.
MILLER: Attorneys for the Newtown families say the case should be allowed to proceed because the federal law banning lawsuits against lawmakers contains an exemption in the event of negligence. They argue selling an AR-15 to any civilian is negligence because of the gun's fire power.
JAMES KOSKOFF, FAMILIES OF VICTIMS ATTORNEY: An AR-15 is the most dangerous, most lethal instrument readily available to the civilian population. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be the military's weapon of choice.
