- 6 months ago
SPECIAL REPORT with Bret Baier (FULL EPISODE) | OCTOBER 16, 2025
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening. Welcome to Washington. I'm Brett Baier. Breaking tonight, we are following two
00:05big stories. A member of President Trump's first administration is indicted by a federal grand
00:10jury, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, facing charges of mishandling classified
00:15information. We have all the breaking details in just a moment. But first, President Trump says he
00:20will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Hungary to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
00:26The two leaders spoke by phone today. This comes just one day before Ukraine's president
00:31visits the White House again, looking for additional support heading into another winter of war.
00:37Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy starts us off tonight live from the North Long. Good
00:40evening, Peter. Good evening, Brett. President Trump has been really frustrated with Vladimir Putin
00:45lately, but today he set aside those frustrations to take another crack at mediating the end of
00:51the Ukraine war. So he and Putin spoke for two hours. I set a call, as you know, with President
00:58Putin. I thought it was a very good call. Today's Putin call before tomorrow's Zelensky meeting.
01:03Ukraine's president posting, already in Washington, today I am having meetings with representatives of
01:08defense companies, producers of powerful weapons that can definitely strengthen our protection.
01:13The weapon Zelensky wants most, Tomahawk cruise missiles, which came up on the two-hour-long Trump-Putin
01:21call today. We talked about it a little bit, didn't say much, but I do say to you, you know,
01:26we need Tomahawks for the United States of America, too. Zelensky is hoping for President Trump's help
01:33with two big issues. We have already prepared our part of the homework before the meeting with
01:40President Trump. The military part and also our economic part. All the details, everything is
01:46there. President Trump is already planning a summit with Zelensky and Putin within two weeks.
01:51We may do something where we're separate, but separate but equal. The host, Hungary,
01:57whose president, Viktor Orban, posted preparations for the USA-Russia peace summit are underway.
02:03Hungary is the island of peace. Orban got a shout-out from President Trump on Monday in Egypt.
02:09Viktor, I call him. You know, I put the little accent on it. You are fantastic, all right? I know
02:15a lot of people don't agree with me, but I'm the only one that matters. The president's on-camera
02:20event today addressed efforts to cut costs for fertility treatments. We'll dramatically slash
02:25the cost of IVF and the treatment. Getting less attention today, another hotspot 2,300 miles from the
02:34Oval Office, as U.S. Special Forces have been spotted off the coast of Venezuela, according to
02:39The Washington Post. President Trump believes that Nicolas Maduro is an illegitimate president
02:44leading an illegitimate regime that has been trafficking drugs to the United States of America
02:48for far too long, and we're not going to tolerate it. And officials here say they have been seeing fewer
02:54boats packed with drugs leaving Venezuela ever since President Trump authorized the Department of War
02:59to start carrying out airstrikes. Strikes that are going to continue because the president points
03:03out that cartel boats are not as fast as missiles. Brett. Peter Ducey, live in the North Lawn. Peter,
03:09thanks. Our other top story tonight, former Trump administration national security advisor John
03:14Bolton is facing federal charges over alleged mishandling of classified information. The indictment
03:20was handed down a short time ago. Correspondent David Spunt has breaking details tonight. Good evening,
03:25David. John, good evening. Brett, good evening. The former ambassador, John Bolton, that's why I said
03:30John, facing these 18 counts in this indictment after a Maryland grand jury decided he should face
03:36charges related to his alleged retention and transmission of classified documents. His own
03:41attorney, Brett, admitted that he kept some of these classified documents. Bolton charged not only
03:46with keeping top secret classified information, but sharing it with family members. The Justice
03:51Department says Bolton sent diary-like entries about his work days at the White House and shared
03:56information classified up to the top secret SEI level, the highest level, and share them on messaging
04:01apps and personal AOL and Google email accounts. Prosecutors, Brett, seen leaving the federal court after
04:08the indictment, have been probing Bolton since the Biden administration. President Trump reacting in real
04:13time to the indictment from the Oval Office, where Bolton used to frequent.
04:16I think he's a bad guy. Yeah, he's a bad guy. He's too bad, but that's the way it goes.
04:25He's against us? That's the way it goes, right? That's the way it goes.
04:28We were there as FBI agents raided Bolton's Maryland home and Washington, D.C. office in
04:33August. Agents were looking for classified documents. His attorney, Abby Lowell, telling Fox News the
04:38following. Just within the last half an hour, these charges stem from portions of Bolton's personal
04:42diaries over his 45-year career. Records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family
04:47and known to the FBI as far back as 2021. Like many public officials throughout history, Bolton
04:52kept diaries. That is not a crime. We look forward to proving that once again, Ambassador Bolton did
04:57not unlawfully share or store any information. Here's Bolton, though, Brett, in 2023, responding to
05:03a question about FBI raids on former President Trump's property and President Biden's Delaware home
05:08with classified documents. Watch. It sets a bad example for the thousands of other people in the
05:15federal bureaucracy who have security clearances, because if the people at the top can be casual
05:21about it and then get away with it, that is not a good lesson to teach. Bolton, almost three years
05:27ago, no word yet, Brett, on his first court appearance. Okay, we'll follow it, David. Thanks. Thanks.
05:32Democratic senators defeat a Republican bill to temporarily fund the government for a tenth time. The
05:37government shutdown continues on as Democrats struggle to unite behind a unified message or
05:42a messenger following their 2024 defeat. Senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram tells
05:48us where things stand at this hour on Capitol Hill. Chuck Schumer is Senate Minority Leader.
05:54I yield the floor. But progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This is what we're talking about.
06:01And Bernie Sanders. I have a country that is falling apart. Snag most of the attention. The first
06:06socialist town hall. Those are the real leaders of the Democrat party. We all know it. AOC and
06:12Bernie. Good luck with that. Republicans claim Schumer heard AOC's political footsteps and derailed the
06:19GOP government funding bill catering to his party's base. Are you saying that Senator Schumer should not
06:25be worried about a primary challenge from you? I mean, no. Let me jump in on this one. Nobody cares.
06:31But those who want younger blood in the party do care. Something the Democratic leadership
06:36is well aware of. Do they perceive people like that, that new generation, as the true leaders of
06:42the party, despite your name on the door, your title on the door? Yeah, I think we have leaders
06:47throughout our caucus that some that have very fancy titles and others that don't. Alex is one of the
06:56great political communicators of our time. But it's unclear if Ocasio-Cortez is the party's best
07:02messenger, especially on if illegal immigrants should get health care. Do you believe that the
07:07federal law should be changed? I don't. I believe in a single payer health care system where if you go
07:12in and you need a doctor, you can get the medical attention that you need. And when it comes to a youth
07:17movement, the House Democrat charged with getting members in line says age is just a number.
07:22This is not the defining issue of the Democratic Party. Fighting for health care is our defining
07:29issue. Still no movement toward ending the government shutdown.
07:33We're not making much headway this week. Both sides think that there is political advantage
07:38for them sticking with the positions that they have.
07:41The Senate blocked a bill to fund the government for a 10th time today. The Senate even blocked a
07:47bipartisan bill to fund the military. Brett?
07:51Chad Program, live on Capitol Hill. Chad, thanks.
07:54President Trump issuing a new warning to Hamas today, threatening severe consequences if the terror
08:00group continues to kill people. This comes as mourners observe Israel's official Memorial Day
08:06for the October 7th, 2023 massacre.
08:08Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yanks is in Tel Aviv again tonight.
08:13The body of Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodhi is carried to his gravesite. The 18-year-old was
08:20kidnapped on October 7th and later killed by an Israeli airstrike. His family waited more than
08:25two years for his remains to be returned by Hamas.
08:29I am standing today the closest to you I've been in two years, but there is no hug, no healing and
08:36no relief. Tired from lack of sleep, my eyes are burning from the crying.
08:42Tamir was one of nine hostages whose remains were released this week as part of the American-led
08:46ceasefire. Hamas says they've handed over all of the bodies they can locate, leaving the fate of 19
08:53others in question. Israelis held ceremonies across the country on Thursday to mark two years since
08:59October 7th on the Jewish calendar. With the ceasefire holding, Israeli officials reflect on the day the
09:06war began. Despite the events of October the 7th being another chapter in the long war for national
09:12existence, these events also represent one of the peaks of barbarism that humanity has known in the
09:19modern era. Inside Gaza, more aid is being delivered to Palestinian civilians who gather at central
09:25kitchens to receive a hot meal. There is fear among much of the population, with Hamas gunmen roaming
09:31the streets and executing people it claims are working with Israel. President Trump posted a true
09:37social this afternoon, saying, quote, if Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal,
09:43we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. When asked about that post, President Trump made clear
09:49that it would not be U.S. soldiers going into Gaza. Brett? Trey Yanks in Tel Aviv. Trey, thank you.
09:55Up next, we talk with a former Federal Reserve governor on the short list to become the next Fed chairman
09:59about the state of the U.S. economy and the government shutdown.
10:02The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is challenging the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on H-1B visa
10:16petitions. The chamber's lawsuit argues the fee is illegal and overrides the requirement that fees be
10:22based on the costs incurred by the government in processing applications. The H-1B visa program allows
10:28employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require specific knowledge as
10:33well as the attainment of at least a bachelor's degree. Stocks slumped today, the day after another
10:39turbulent day of trading. The Dow lost $301, the S&P 500 was off $42, the Nasdaq fell $108.
10:47If we move too quickly, then we may leave the inflation job unfinished and have to come back
10:54later and finish it. If we move too slowly, there may be unnecessary losses. The labor market has
10:59actually softened pretty considerably and puts us in a situation where the two risks are closer to
11:04being in balance. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, tonight we take a look at how the U.S. economy is holding up.
11:10Amid the partial government shutdown, we welcome in former Federal Reserve Board Governor Kevin Warsh.
11:14She has been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace the current Fed Chairman. Kevin, thanks
11:19for being here. Hey, Brett, great to be back on the show. Before we get to the international bankers
11:22meeting here in D.C., what do you think about the market drop today and over the couple days?
11:29Many people are saying it's because of nervousness about regional banks and loans. Should we be more
11:36broadly concerned about what we're seeing? So the world's moving faster. It's a lot for the markets to
11:42interpret. Markets have been on a heck of a run for a long time. Some of those markets just need a
11:47little time to digest news. There are huge amounts of negotiations going on around the world that have
11:53a huge effect on the U.S. economy. The Chinese negotiations, the finalizing the trade deals with
11:58Korea and Japan for the present goes to Asia. A lot of big news on the government shutdown. Markets need
12:05to take some time. But the bank stocks generally have been on a good run. Smaller stocks have been
12:11on a good run inside the market. That's telling you that the economy is actually accelerating. That's
12:16my view. Doesn't happen to be the view of the IMF, the World Bank or the Federal Reserve. Right. So
12:21more generally, how do you see the world as we sit here specifically as it relates to what central
12:26bankers and economic policy makers are thinking? Are they concerned about this government shutdown?
12:31Yeah, they are. The IMF World Bank meetings, they came out with a set of forecasts. If you wanted
12:38to characterize their forecasts, they sounded a lot like the Fed forecasts that sound very
12:43stagflationary. I think the global economy and the U.S. economy, they think, is weakening. They
12:48think prices and inflation are moving up. I think they've got that mostly wrong. I think the U.S.
12:54economy is going to be stronger in 25 than 24, stronger again in 26. And I think broadly speaking,
13:02the president's economic policies, they take a little time to work their way through the system.
13:06But as tax policies, deregulatory policies, this massive amount of capital expenditures is very good
13:13for growth. So my best guess is that the U.S. economy will chronically outperform these forecasts
13:19relative to the rest of the world.
13:20And that's basically the message from Secretary Besson, Treasury Secretary, based on the Treasury
13:24Department data. He tweeted out, today's monthly Treasury statement reflects what I've been saying.
13:28Strong private sector-led growth alongside constrained federal spending means the deficit
13:32to GDP will take care of itself. He goes on to the specifics. He says that basically the largest
13:39surplus in the September on record, 174 percent higher than last year. You know, as you get ready
13:45for the Fed to continue to meet, you have the look at the Fed Reserve rate decisions. And we put up all
13:52of the decisions. And obviously, this last one was a quarter point. How many rate cuts do you think
13:58the Fed will do before the end of the year? How much should they do?
14:01So I think they've got two more rate cuts in them. But they basically told us that. That doesn't require
14:06a lot of crystal ball. They believe in telling the world not just what they're doing today, but what
14:10they're going to do forever, no matter what the facts are. So I think they pretty much locked themselves
14:15in. But the question isn't, what are they going to do? The real question is, what are the results
14:21in the economy? And I think the Powell Fed's big problem is their track record. Their track record
14:26shows that they have been comfortable with higher prices that have been quite bad for our hardworking
14:32Americans the last five or six years. So they might say they're going to bring inflation down,
14:37but their forecasts say that inflation is going to be closer to 3 percent than 2 percent the next
14:40couple of years. And what do households and businesses think? Households and businesses
14:44are starting to think that they want higher prices. The reality, Brett, is the economy can
14:49be stronger than they're letting on. Prices can be lower, but it's going to require regime change
14:55at the Fed, just like we had regime change at the Treasury Department.
14:58Yeah. The latest economic figures, 22,000 jobs entered. These are back in August, 4.3 percent.
15:04CPI inflation at 2.9 percent. What are you most encouraged or optimistic about relating to our
15:12markets and the U.S. economy? So peace and prosperity go hand in hand.
15:17You like this Middle East news? You like what's coming out of the president's decision making?
15:21I sure do. It's been a tough week for the president's detractors, Brett.
15:26The truth is some people are calling this the miracle in the Middle East. Well, the miracle in the
15:30Middle East happened a couple thousand years ago. This is the work of a leader. I've always believed
15:35in the great man theory of history. Great leaders, whether it be overseas like Churchill or here in
15:42the U.S. like Washington or Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt, which you might know something about.
15:47Thank you. Ronald Reagan. They changed the course of history. History books are going to look at this
15:52week and they're going to be incredibly impressed. Why do I care about it? Because success leads to
15:58success. It's contagious. The president's got to negotiate with the Chinese, with Putin.
16:03If he can keep the success going, it's very good for the U.S. economy. And last thing, very quickly,
16:08you've been a Fed governor. This is not there's a lot of mystique when it comes to the Federal Reserve.
16:12It's not just the Fed chairman. You have other people. You've got to get them. You've got to sway
16:16them. You've got to get the votes. There's like an institutional knowledge there. Yeah, there sure is.
16:21Listen, I feel quite blessed that I was there for five and a half and six years. I know what's working and
16:26what's not. In the event that I end up going back, which is not up to me, it's up to the president.
16:31It's time to hit the ground running and do it. The faster we can change policies and frameworks
16:36of the Fed means lower prices a year from now and a stronger economy. And they haven't told you
16:41anything yet. Like you're still on the list. They haven't said, get ready. I know. I know
16:46preciously little that you haven't reported. Okay. Kevin, thank you so much. Thanks,
16:50Brett. Great to be with you. A crucial debate in Virginia, plus new Fox polling on the New York
16:54mayor's race and the New Jersey governor's contest. We have team Fox coverage on these
16:58key races next. First, here's what some of our Fox affiliates around this country are
17:02covering tonight. Fox 32 in Chicago, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement says, an illegal immigrant
17:07who had been working as a police officer in Hanover Park, Illinois, has been arrested.
17:13Government says Rajulej Bojevic was encountered during a targeted enforcement action as part of
17:19Operation Midway Bliss. Ice says he has been living illegally in the country for 10 years. The
17:25government says it's a felony to allow illegal immigrants to possess a firearm, let alone be
17:30police officers. Fox 4 in Anchorage has approximately 300 victims of this week's devastating flooding in
17:35western Alaska arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. Powerful typhoon slammed the region with
17:42record flooding. One person was killed. Two others remain missing. And this is a live look at Miami
17:47from WSVN, our affiliate down there. There it is. One of the big stories there tonight, the world
17:52governing body for soccer says more than a million tickets have already been sold for next year's
17:58World Cup, which you can see on Fox. Tickets officially went on sale earlier this month. The
18:03highest demand is from buyers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Those are the three nations that will play
18:08host to the tournament. That's tonight's live look outside the Beltway from Special Report.
18:26This is a big week for candidates and some of November's crucial elections. We're covering
18:35three major races tonight. The nominees for Attorney General in Virginia are holding a debate as we
18:41speak. And we're getting a better idea where things stand in the New York mayor's race as the contest
18:46for New Jersey's governor is also heating up. We have Fox team coverage. Alexis McAdams is in the
18:51Big Apple. Brian Yannis examines the New Jersey race. We begin with senior national correspondent Rich
18:56Edson in Richmond, Virginia tonight. Good evening, Rich.
19:01Hi, good evening, Brett. Democrat Jay Jones is finally facing his opponent after we learned of those
19:06violent text messages that he sent about a Republican lawmaker and his family in 2022.
19:12The issue came up in just the first couple of minutes of this ongoing debate here at the
19:16University of Richmond with the incumbent Attorney General Jason Muiris.
19:21We have seen a window to who Jay Jones is and the way he thinks of people that disagree with him.
19:26Abraham Lincoln said the character is what you do in the dark when no one is watching. But now we know
19:32what he was doing in the dark. Let me be very clear. I am ashamed. I am embarrassed. And I'm
19:40sorry. I cannot take back what I said. But you have my word that I will always be accountable for my
19:46mistakes. Now, they're still getting into it here. Jones's texts are also a major issue in the
19:53governor's race. Democrat nominee Abigail Spanberger has condemned the text but has refused to call on
19:59Jones to drop out of the race and is still selling campaign gear with Jones name on it. Spanberger is pushing
20:05her Republican opponent winsome Earl Sears on a different scandal demanding Earl Sears call for leaders in the
20:11young Republicans organizations involved in leaked racist text to step down from their roles. Earl Sears responded
20:18saying easy. They absolutely must step down. Now it's your turn, Abigail. Instead, Spanberger is highlighting an
20:24endorsement today from former President Barack Obama, who's now featured in two ads for her.
20:30Spanberger's campaign also used the opportunity to point out that she has gotten Obama's endorsement,
20:34whereas Earl Sears has not yet gotten one from President Trump. Back to you, Brett.
20:39Rich Edson in Richmond. Rich, thanks. Now to our new polling on two crucial November races in the
20:44Northeast. In New York City, self-described Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani widens his lead on
20:51former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Correspondent Alexis McAdams takes a
20:58closer look from New York. Good evening, Alexis. Brett, good evening. This brand new Fox News poll
21:02shows Zoran Mamdani is gaining momentum in New York City as all eyes are on the Big Apple. Polling
21:08shows this. Most voters have their minds made up at this point, but a quarter of Cuomo supporters say
21:13they might still change their vote. That's the most of any candidate listed there. So meanwhile,
21:1988% of Mamdani supporters say they are voting for him rather than against his opponents. They like
21:25them. Whereas 40% of Cuomo's backers say their vote for him is against the other candidates.
21:31Zoran Mamdani could soon be the leader of the city that has the largest Jewish population outside of
21:37Israel, Brett. But in that exclusive interview with Martha on Fox, he still would not call for the
21:42Hamas terrorists to disarm in Gaza. Now, the White House says the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist
21:49views provide another example of how much the left has changed.
21:54This interview proved that the Democrat Party's main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists,
22:00illegal aliens, and violent criminals. That is who the Democrat Party is catering to.
22:05So what's the biggest problem in New York City? Well, voters tell Fox it's still crime,
22:10followed by cost of living and lack of affordable housing. All of these are topics that we expect
22:16to hear more about tonight when the candidates take the debate stage in less than an hour, Brett.
22:21One to watch. Alexis, thanks. And now to the governor's race in neighboring New Jersey,
22:25our latest Fox poll has Democrat Mikey Sherrill holding a five-point lead over Republican Jack
22:31Cittarelli. That is down from eight points last month and is reigniting Republicans' hopes of
22:36flipping the state red this November. National correspondent Brian Yenis is following that tonight.
22:41Good evening, Brian.
22:43Brett, good evening. This race has tightened and is now within the Fox News poll's margin of error.
22:49Among registered voters, Democratic Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill now leads Republican Jack Cittarelli
22:54by just four points. That's down from seven points three weeks ago. The number of voters who view
23:01Sherrill as honest and trustworthy has dropped significantly. While a majority see Sherrill as honest,
23:08her net positive rating is significantly down from three weeks ago. And while the shift isn't as
23:15drastic for Cittarelli, today, more voters than not think he is not honest and trustworthy.
23:22Sherrill continues to refuse to release her disciplinary records from her time at the U.S. Naval Academy.
23:28Cittarelli is demanding the veteran be more transparent about her involvement in the Academy's
23:341994 massive cheating scandal. Listen, I'm very transparent about who I am and what I've done
23:41in my career. She's got a pattern that speaks to character. She was punished while at the Naval Academy.
23:48Meantime, Sherrill said today Cittarelli is, quote, acting like a total baby for pursuing a defamation
23:55lawsuit against her. Cittarelli says Sherrill is lying, accusing him of killing tens of thousands
24:00of New Jerseyans from opioids. I think we've laid out the case that Jack is complicit with these opioid
24:08in league with these opioid companies. It appears these bruising campaign attacks
24:14are working, according to our poll. Brett. All right. Well, watch that. Brian, thanks.
24:22Breaking just in the past few minutes, the Navy Admiral who oversees military operations in the
24:26region where the U.S. forces have been attacking alleged drug boats off Venezuela will retire in
24:33December. Admiral Alvin Halsey and the war secretary making the announcement today. Halsey became the
24:39leader of the U.S. Southern Command last November. The news of Halsey's upcoming early retirement comes
24:44two days after the U.S. military's fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean against a small boat accused of
24:50carrying drugs. Up next, our Common Ground segment on the bipartisan effort to give prospective first-time
24:56homeowners some help.
25:08Affordable homeownership is a fundamental part of the American dream,
25:13and we're working every day to make that dream a reality for millions and millions of Americans.
25:19The Trump tariffs are adding thousands of dollars of additional expenses
25:23to everyday Americans. Right now, rents out of control. Right now, housing prices out of control.
25:32Welcome back to Special Report. In tonight's Common Ground segment,
25:36an effort to help first-time homebuyers around the country. Joining us, two senators, Arizona Democratic
25:43Senator Ruben Gallego and Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young, co-sponsors of this bill.
25:49Senator, thanks for being here. The Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act, why is this important?
25:54Senator Gallego? Well, in Arizona, the average first-time
25:57house is about $450,000 to $500,000. The average age of a homeowner now in this country is around 38.
26:05So young people can't buy homes largely because they just don't have any ability to actually put that
26:09first down payment. A lot of them will have access to IRAs, but they can't access that money for
26:14the down payment without having a huge freaking penalty. So what we're trying to do is say, listen,
26:19you can tap that money, take $50,000 out without any penalty, and use that towards a down payment.
26:24And hopefully that starts circulating so these men and women can buy their first home.
26:28You see a first-time homebuyers decrease, so I mean, it's going down.
26:32Yes. I hear about this every time I travel around the state. We hold a lot of roundtables on kitchen
26:38table issues, and consistently here that the federal policies aren't crafted to address this
26:46problem. So this has been since 1997 that we've adjust the IRA withdrawal penalty. So it's at 10%
26:54and it applies to $10,000 or more that you take out of your IRA. That hasn't been adjusted for
27:01inflation. In the meantime, the cost of a house, a median cost, was $115,000. 30 years later,
27:09it's about five times that. So it's time we adjust the amount you can take out without penalty.
27:14Yeah, the U.S. housing market right now, 6.27% on a 30-year fix. $425,000 is the medium list price.
27:21Right. And this is really starting to affect America. We have kids or kids, young adults that
27:26aren't getting married, young adults that are really feeling depressed because they're literally living
27:30either with roommates, with family. And I think when Todd and I grew up, it was pretty well expected.
27:35If you had a decent job, you could buy a home and start your family. That's not happening in America
27:39anymore. And this is why we're so urgently trying to get this done. Is there opposition to it? I mean,
27:45it seems like it's... I think it's going to be very well received by Republicans and Democrats alike.
27:50I think a natural question folks might have is, how much does this cost taxpayers? And actually,
27:56this brings money into the federal treasury because we anticipate more people pulling money
28:01out of their IRAs in order to purchase that first-time home or buy one for their children
28:05or grandchildren or elderly parents. And that's going to actually bring revenue into the federal
28:11government. So this is a win-win situation. Most importantly, though, a house of your own has
28:19long been regarded as one of the cornerstones to the American dream. 100%. People need to be able
28:25to get into a house early, though, to realize the benefits of generational wealth and asset
28:30appreciation. And as someone that comes from a big family, being able to have kids, you know,
28:34it's just, it helps a lot. Yeah. You guys have worked together before. You both
28:37co-sponsored the Halt Fentanyl Act. You've done other things together. Is this happening up there,
28:44despite the big pull on the partisan side? You know, there are quiet efforts like this. I think
28:51Ruben and I, both being U.S. Marines, it's easy for us to sort of connect on different issues. But
28:58there's this. I'm working with Senator Mark Kelly on the shipbuilding initiative that I know we've
29:03talked about, Brett. And I know Ruben could cite other issues. I've worked with Senator McCormick on
29:09other housing issues. I mean, there's a lot of stuff. I mean, you know, Todd and I,
29:13a lot of times where we're talking, we're talking about the bills in the gym, right? That's where
29:16we actually have a lot of conversations. You could tell it actually works. He works out.
29:20I'm getting there. But that's where we have actually kicked out on a lot of legislation
29:24and just really have frank conversations. And I think, you know, you see a lot of,
29:27you know, conflict. What you don't see are these quiet conversations and friendships that really do
29:31exist. All right. There is a push and pull here happening now with the government shutdown.
29:36The American people are in a crisis in health care. The American people are seeing that we are on
29:42their side doing everything we can to get the Republicans to negotiate and address this crisis.
29:49The progress we made on appropriations and the conversations that were underway
29:55on the COVID era Obamacare subsidies and all those issues, all that sits at a standstill
30:00until Democrats reopen the government. This seems like it's going on forever.
30:06Do you all foresee a way to get to a conclusion? You know, I think what's likely to happen here,
30:12to be fair to my colleague and since we're talking about this other issue, the lines of
30:20demarcation are drawn. We know what Republicans want. We want to open the government without making
30:26any policy changes. The Democrats are pushing for some policy changes. I think what is likely to happen is
30:32we'll see what happens with the polls, see who the American people are more persuaded by. And then
30:36we're likely to see some movement from one side or the other after a number of weeks. In the meantime,
30:41I think it's really important we continue to do the people's work. So that's why we're here.
30:45We're focused on other issues. We're focused on finding common ground. And I think this is one issue
30:50that is really going to resonate with the American people. And we'll get it across the line in coming
30:55months. So maybe the House should be the same way. I think it should. I should. I know you've made that
30:59argument. Yeah. Well, what about on your side? Is there give? Is there a give? Yeah, look,
31:03we've had, you know, unofficial conversations with our Senate colleagues, our friends. And we
31:08understand that in this world, we're not going to get everything we want. You know, Obamacare,
31:12the Affordable Care Act, and the premiums of how they exist are not going to be exactly what we get,
31:17what we've had in the past, right? It's divided government. We have to negotiate. And I think there's
31:21ways for us to do that that could get these guys to come along and join us. They don't want to
31:25increase premiums. They have, they represent the same Americans that we do. But there is,
31:30there is room to grow together. And we all want to land this plane, both for our constituents,
31:35but, you know, the country as a whole. And we do need to talk about that. But I would,
31:40since we're veering over that line, you know, we'll wait until after the government's open to
31:45negotiate on that. So there's the split. There we are. We'll see you in the parking lot.
31:50Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, we held common ground for a while. Senators, thank you so much.
31:54Thanks so much. Thank you, thank you. Thanks, buddy.
31:55Everybody, I can see you. You can see all the common ground segments on my podcast,
31:58Common Ground. Find that and also our panel podcast under the Brett Baer podcast at foxnewspodcast.com,
32:04Spotify, or wherever you download podcasts. You can also see this on the Fox News YouTube page.
32:10Up next, the panel on the John Bolton indictment and President Trump's push to end the war
32:15in Ukraine and then a dramatic water rescue.
32:25John Bolton was just indicted by a grand jury in Maryland. Do you have a reaction to that?
32:29I didn't know that. You tell me for the first time, but I think he's, you know, a bad person.
32:34I think he's a bad guy. Yeah, he's a bad guy. He's too bad, but that's the way it goes.
32:41That's the way it goes, right? That's the way it goes. Will I what?
32:44Have you reviewed the case against him? No, I haven't. I haven't, but I just think he's a bad person.
32:50John Bolton, the former national security advisor in the first Trump administration,
32:55indicted today for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Bolton put out a statement
33:00a short time ago, in part saying, I've devoted my life to America's foreign policy and national
33:04security. I would never compromise those goals. I tried to do that during my tenure in the first Trump
33:10administration, but resigned when it became impossible to do so. Donald Trump's retribution
33:14against me began then. These charges are not just about his focus or me or my diaries,
33:21but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents. By the way, this is John Bolton back
33:26in January 23 about handling classified documents. It sets a bad example for the thousands of other
33:34people in the federal bureaucracy who have security clearances, because if the people at the top
33:39can be casual about it and then get away with it, that is not a good lesson to teach.
33:44All right, let's start there with our panel. Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee congressman,
33:48co-host of The Five. Fox News contributor Ben Dominich hosted the Big Ben podcast and Axios political
33:53reporter Steph Kite. Harold, thanks for being on. Thanks for having me.
33:58What do you think? John Bolton. This is going to be an interesting next few weeks with Ambassador
34:06Bolton. There's clearly bad blood between he and the president. How much of that will come out,
34:12we'll see. But it's still unclear to me the exact charge. I want to read the read the indictment of
34:17the later 18 count. It seems like their transmissions of several things that he should not or the government
34:22is saying he should not have transmitted. And you got to think it's high stakes for both he and the
34:27president because they know each other well. Steph, you know, critics of the administration
34:32are saying this goes to, you know, the Comey, Letitia James, Bolton. These are all critics of
34:40President Trump. And obviously, the supporters of the president are saying they're going after legal
34:48issues here. Well, yeah, and I think those are two separate issues. There is, we'll have to see what
34:52the facts bear out as we learn more about the, you know, the exact charges and what evidence there
34:57is and as this moves forward through the process. But there is now a trend, right? We have seen
35:02critics of the president being targets of the Justice Department, some of them who the president
35:08himself has directly named, as you pointed out, James Comey, Letitia James, now Bolton. And, you
35:13know, we've heard the president suggest that Jack Smith and Adam Schiff are others that he would like
35:19to see the Justice Department go after. And so, you know, there is something to be said for the facts of
35:24each individual case. But at the same time, this is clearly a pattern that the White House is taking.
35:28Yeah. And the president says, look at the pattern they took against me is basically where we are.
35:33I think that this is just a situation where if you if you look at the actual issue when it comes to
35:38the handling of classified documents across the government, I think this has actually been a
35:43bipartisan failure in terms of its treatment. We saw that and learned that after the raid on Mar-a-Lago
35:48when it came to Joe Biden's own handling of information and classified documents that went back
35:54to well before his tenure as president. And so I think this is a situation where, look,
35:59John Bolton is going to try to turn this into some kind of targeting and certainly on one level it is.
36:04At the same time, if you hadn't mishandled that classified information, this wouldn't be an issue
36:08in the first place. All right, let's turn to foreign policy. The president had a big phone call today
36:12with Vladimir Putin. Take a listen. The president feels like great progress was made on this call.
36:18They also agreed to have a high level senior staff meeting convened as early as next week,
36:25which will then be followed by a meeting very likely between President Trump and President Putin as
36:30well. Tomorrow I'm meeting with President Zelensky and I'll be telling him about the call.
36:36I mean, we have a problem. They don't get along too well, those two. And it's sometimes tough to have
36:41meetings. He said he just concluded this telephone conversation with President Putin of Russia,
36:46and it was a very productive one. He said at the conclusion of the call,
36:50we agreed that there will be a meeting of high level advisors next week. President Putin and I
36:54will then meet an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, if we can see if we can bring this
36:59inglorious war between Russia and Ukraine to an end. You know, it seems like he's he's bending over
37:06backwards. But every time he's talked to Vladimir Putin and came came away from a call before,
37:11it then led to big attacks inside Ukraine that seemed to undercut the effort to get peace.
37:19It seems like it was longer than two months ago you flew with the president to Alaska.
37:23The president said it'd be a few weeks after that we'd have progress. Two, the best army and best
37:29military in Europe are the Ukrainians. The question is, will we give them the missiles they need or
37:34the weaponry they need to bring what they believe would bring a faster end to this war? This conversation
37:40need not be long between President Trump and President Putin. We all know what's at stake.
37:44We all know that he wants it to end the president and we all know that Mr. Zelensky does not want
37:49to give up any of his country. The question we will have as a country and Congress, I think we'll have
37:54to grapple with Brett, is how willing are we to take the risk of giving them this weaponry?
37:59Can this expedite the end of the war or will it will it expand the war? I'm one that thinks we should
38:04give them the weaponry because Putin only understands one thing and that's strength and force.
38:09You know, you wonder in the wake of this call if it changes the dynamic with that meeting with
38:13Zelensky tomorrow. I do think that the White House feels like they have some wind at their back when
38:17it comes to foreign policy after what happened in Israel with the release of the hostages.
38:21Oh, definitely. And Trump even directly mentions, you know, the wind in the Middle East as part of
38:27wanting to move forward with this. And I think tomorrow is going to be a very important meeting.
38:30My colleague, Barack Ravid, spoke with Zelensky's chief of staff and they are hoping to get clarity on
38:36on these long range missiles and whether the U.S. is going to give them. Trump mentioned that he,
38:41I guess, offhandedly raised this issue with Putin and that he didn't really weigh in clearly one way
38:47or the other, but it's clearly top of mind for Trump. And we know that Zelensky is going to want
38:51a commitment, especially ahead of this summit between Putin and Trump.
38:55Let me do one local politics. So if we get the new New York City poll, Zoran Mandani increasing his
39:02lead. There's a big debate in New York tonight, but he is now up over Cuomo and Sliwa. And then you
39:11look at the New Jersey race. That is tightening. The Republican Cittarelli is really closing the gap.
39:17And then you look at the Virginia race and that's getting pretty tight, too. Ben, for races that
39:23at the beginning didn't look like it was going to be that tight, they're starting to get tight.
39:28Every political bone in your body, if you are a Virginia Democrat, tells you that Abigail Spanberger
39:33should cut the trash when it comes to Jay Jones and say, this is not someone who I want to be
39:40aligned with. And yet the reason that she hasn't is because of the dynamic that Donald Trump has made
39:45in Virginia, where it took a state that went from more than double digits for Joe Biden in terms of
39:52the presidential to less than six points for Kamala Harris. And the reason for that was an increase
39:57among primarily the black vote in Virginia. That's why she's not cutting Jay Jones off. And it's what
40:03I think is making this race actually interesting as opposed to being the sleeper that it was supposed
40:08to be. We'll see as it closes to election day panel. Thanks.
40:16Breaking tonight, the original lead guitarist for the iconic rock band Kiss has died. Ace Frehley
40:22was a founding member of the group. He really died peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown,
40:27New Jersey, following a recent fall, according to his agent. Ace Frehley was 74.
40:33Tomorrow on Special Report, as we mentioned, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky meets with
40:37President Trump at the White House. Remember, if you can't catch us live, search your DVR,
40:406 p.m. in the East, 3 p.m. on the West Coast. And you can follow me on TikTok,
40:44X and Instagram at Brett Baer for exclusive behind the scenes contact. Did we get a Kiss song?
40:49Maybe we should. Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this Special Report.
40:53Fair, balanced, and unafraid. Laura's up next.
Comments