This is a rush transcript of ‘Fox News Sunday’ on June 2, 2024. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SHANNON BREAM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Shannon Bream.
Former President Trump vows to appeal his historic guilty conviction this week in New York, calling the fight far from over.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a case that should not have been brought. We're going to be appealing this scam.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict.
BREAM (voice-over): So how is the verdict playing with voters?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a complete failure of our justice system.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it shows that our system of justice works.
BREAM: And what's next for the first former U.S. president convicted of a crime?
We'll ask our legal panel about Trump's prospects on appeal and the possibility of jail time, and get reaction from Biden surrogate, Congressman Ro Khanna. And two Trump allies, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Tim Scott.
Plus, what will the verdict mean for down ballot races come November?
AISHAH HASNIE, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Are you going to tell your candidates to talk about this?
SEN. STEVE DAINES (R-MT): Well, look, they need to be prepared, and they all agree that this has been a sham trial.
BREAM: Aishah Hasnie has an exclusive from Montana with Senator Steve Daines, head of the Republican group trying to flip control of the Senate.
And our Sunday panel on why Chief Justice Roberts declined an invitation to meet with Democrats over the Alito flag controversy.
Then, world leaders prepare to mark 80 years since Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D-Day is arguably the single most important day in the last century, not just for the United States but for Western civilization.
BREAM: All this week on "FOX News Sunday".
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BREAM (on camera): And hello from FOX News in Washington.
President Trump raising tens of millions of dollars in new donations and planning to appeal his criminal conviction, as his legal team juggles several other state and federal cases, none of them likely to be resolved before the November election.
He's speaking out this weekend in an exclusive interview with "FOX & Friends" on the FOX News Channel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I did absolutely nothing wrong. I mean, absolutely -- think of it, you know I hate when they say a bookkeeping this and that, it's not. It's called, think of it, expense. I use the word expense, legal expense.
I pay a lawyer. He wasn't a fixer. A bookkeeper without ever speaking to me because she did the right thing who's been with me for years marks it down as legal expense. In other words, I paid a legal expense. It's marked down as a legal expense. And they say that's a fraud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BREAM: In a moment, House Speaker Mike Johnson joins us with reaction to the verdict and to news that the president is expected to announce executive actions on the border by Tuesday.
But first, what what's next for President Trump and his legal team as Hunter Biden's federal gun trial is also set to kick off on Monday?
Let's break it down with George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, also a FOX News contributor, and former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tom Dupree.
Fancy meeting you here. We are back together to talk about what's happened and what is still to come.
Okay, let's start with this -- sentencing comes on July 11th. "Reuters" asked the question, could Trump go to prison? In deciding the sentence, Merchan, the judge, may weigh the underlying seriousness of the charges due to their ties to the 2016 election, as well as Trump's decision to go to trial rather than accept responsibility by pleading guilty.
Jonathan, you and I spent a lot of time in this in this courthouse watching this whole thing play out. Would anything surprise you from Judge Merchan?
JONATHAN TURLEY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No, after watching him in court, quite frankly, I would have said that the very concept of jail for something like this would be otherworldly and ridiculous. After watching him in the courtroom, I must say I have some doubts in my mind. But it would go against the overwhelming weight of past cases. You've got a nonviolent offense by a first offender, elderly defendant, I would be very surprised.
But there is a menu of other options from community service to home confinement. In my view, a conditional dismissal is what most judges would be thinking of which is basically a go out and send no more type of warning. You're still under supervision. So if you commit a new offense, then they get really tough on you.
I -- the -- if he does go with something that is like community service or confining him to Trump Tower, I think Trump probably could get a suspension pending appeal from a higher court and that may weigh into the calculation for Judge Merchan.
BREAM: So let's talk about appeal because, obviously, that's coming. "Telegraph" outlines what it says are probably some of the best bright spots for the Trump legal team on that front. Stormy Daniel's testimony, the statute itself, the vagueness of the underlying crime, the fact that defense expert witness Brad Smith, that former FEC commissioner, wasn't allowed or at least severely limited in what he would be able to say, and the issue of presidential immunity which we obviously are all waiting on that from the Supreme Court.
What do you think is the best option on appeal, Tom?
TOM DUPREE, FORMER PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think they have a number of options at their disposal. I think maybe the best one is just really challenging this notion that they took. The D.A. took this kind of collection of business fraud, misdemeanors, kind of did some legal alchemy put it in a pot, add in some election fraud and presto, they've got 34 felonies.
The jury was instructed along those lines. The jury clearly had some difficulty grappling with the instructions. They actually asked the judge to read those instructions back to them.
And so, I suspect the Trump legal team is going to come out pretty hard on the idea that there was an underlying predicate crime that was sufficient to convert this from a misdemeanor to a felony. I think they've also got arguments on the exclusion of the bulk of their experts' testimony. I think that the Trump legal team will say look the jury needed to be able to understand the ins and outs of election law in order to decide this case and the judge prevented us from putting on the testimony the jury needed to hear.
BREAM: So, everyone, it's hindsight 20/20, how the prosecution did, what the defense did. "The New York Times" says this under the headline "How Trump's team blew it". This is a guest essay, this is an opinion piece. But they write this: Instead of telling a simple story, Mr. Trump's defense was a haphazard cacophony of denials and personal attacks. It failed to focus the jury on the weaknesses in the prosecution's case and instead tried to fight everything and everyone even when it gained little by doing so.
Jonathan, your response to that?
TURLEY: Well, there's always Monday morning quarterbacking. I've talked to some members of the defense team. They feel that they did the best that they could and quite frankly, you could have been Clarence Darrow and lost this case because, you know, I was hoping for a hung jury. I viewed this is either hung jury or conviction case.
And I said we had to wait for the instructions. Once the instructions came out, I said, it looks like an almost guarantee for conviction. There was not a lot of room there.
And this is why I tell people, you shouldn't blame this jury necessarily. Those instructions were real really a poison pill instruction set. I mean they left very little room for the jury. The jury was told over and over again and the judge said nothing as the prosecutor said there were election violations in this case and they were ordered by Trump, and the defense objected to those and that Judge Merchan just overruled every one of those.
So if for the -- what they heard in that courtroom, it's not too surprising in terms of a conviction. But it did create this target rich environment for appeal. But that appeal is likely to play out after the election.
But for most Americans, we obviously are divided as we are politically. But this is something that we're not used to. For many of us, this was a political prosecution and in my view, we haven't had this type of politicalization of the criminal justice system since John Adams, and it's -- it's really been an awakening for many people looking at this and saying maybe this is where our rage is taking us and we have to look again at what we becoming if this will be the new norm.
BREAM: Yeah and there are calls we're going to talk about throughout the show today for Republicans to respond in kind, to do what they accuse Democrats of doing here, which is using the legal system for a political purpose. We'll discuss u the calls for that and where they go if that's their best strategy.
Meanwhile I want to make sure we hit on Hunter Biden's case because that gun case, unless there is a last minute deal, goes to trial starting tomorrow with jury selection. In one of the filings, the DOJ talks about what they would to include as evidence. They say this: The defendant's laptop is real. It will be introduced as a trial exhibit and it contains significant evidence of the defendant's guilt. Moreover, the evidence on his laptop is corroborated by independent sources including witnesses. It is also corroborated by the defendant's own admissions in his book.
This is both a legal and political headache now for the -- for the Biden family.
DUPREE: Oh, for sure, Shannon, and this trial is going to be fascinating to watch play out. The Justice Department is saying that Hunter Biden basically lied on these forms that he filled out when he went to go buy a firearm, and what they are going to use to prove their case is his own testimony in his own book where he talked about how he was struggling with addiction. They're going to be calling people very close to him, his friends, his family who are also going to testify that he was addicted to controlled substances at the time he filled out these forms and the time he possessed the firearm.
I've seen the defense's arguments I don't find them very persuasive. I think they're going to argue that even though he was addicted, maybe he didn't know he was addicted, or maybe he was addicted on Monday, but his addiction had ended by Tuesday when he bought the gun. I don't find them persuasive but it is going to be fascinating seeing the Justice Department move forward with this prosecution next week.
BREAM: Well and so much of what we've heard this week or this year is that the campaign would play out in courtrooms and not necessarily on the campaign trail. So we will watch this one and pick your brains again very soon on this.
Jonathan and Tom, thank you. Appreciate your time.
Okay. We turn now to the Middle East because there is news from overseas amid cautious hopes that a new Israeli proposed ceasefire plane could finally get the hostages still held in Gaza home to their loved ones.
FOX News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst is on the ground in Tel Aviv with the very latest on negotiations as that clock is ticking -- Trey.
TREY YINGST, FOX NEWS FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Shannon. Good morning.
We are closely monitoring developments out of the Middle East amid reports of a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
On Friday, President Biden laid out a plan for a proposal that if accepted would be implemented in three stages. The first stage would see a six-week pause in the fighting with Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza's major cities along with an exchange of female and wounded Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The second stage would lead to a full negotiated ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages, and then finally, a third stage would involve a major reconstruction effort for Gaza and the release of dead Israelis that are being held by Hamas.
Qatari negotiators relayed all of these details of the plan to Hamas and in a statement to FOX News, Hamas said, quote: The Islamic resistance movement positively views what was included in the speech of U.S. President Joe Biden.
The president urged Israeli hardliners to accept this agreement and bring an end to the war.
There is growing anticipation about the fate of this proposal, understanding that it is a last ditch effort amid failed diplomatic efforts.
Back to you -- Shannon.
BREAM: All right. Trey Yingst in Israel, thank you so much.
Joining me now to speak about this and much more, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
Mr. Speaker, welcome back to "FOX News Sunday".
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Hey, Shannon. Great to be with you as always.
BREAM: Okay so let's start there in the Middle East because you are trying to get something to the floor that deals with the ICC. There are a number of international bodies that are condemning Israel or the prime minister in their case asking for arrest warrants.
It seemed like the White House was interested in doing something that would push back on the ICC. Now it seems that they have changed course, that's not going to be the case.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul says this: We want something that can become law. We're not really interested in a messaging bill.
And it sounds like there is bipartisan agreement doing something to push back on the ICC, but with the signal we're getting from the White House now what could you pass that you think the president might sign?
JOHNSON: Well, we hope to actually determine that by this afternoon these negotiations have been ongoing with our Democrat colleagues and we are working very hard as Chairman McCaul indicated there, we -- we don't want this to just be a political exercise. We think it's important for Republicans and Democrats to stand together and send a message to the international community that the abuses of the International Criminal Court, the ICC, cannot be allowed to go forward.
And the idea that President Biden would backtrack on that, that would -- he would disagree with us that we should impose sanctions on ICC officials when they are threatening to arrest the prime minister of Israel and the defense minister of Israel in the midst of their war for survival is to us unconscionable.
So, look, I hope that the White House sees the light on this. We've got to do this and we need to do it next week.
And my intention is to bring that legislation to the floor. If we have to do it Republicans only, we will, but I certainly hope the Democrats will come along with us on it.
BREAM: Well, and you did get Democrats to come along now on this invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu to come speak and address Congress. You did get Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries to join when it seemed like they may not at one point.
But not everybody's excited, including Democrat or independent Senator Bernie Sanders. He says: It's a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited by leaders from both parties to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. Netanyahu, he calls him, a war criminal, says he's not going to attend.
He does in a fuller statement say Israel's got a right to defend itself but not to kill tens of thousands of civilians, destroy universities, hospitals, homes.
How do you respond to his characterization?
JOHNSON: Bernie Sanders is parroting the talking points of Hamas and the ayatollah in Iran. If that's the side he wants to choose, so be it.
The -- our Democrat colleagues have to make a choice, are they going to stand with our most important ally in the Middle East, at this most desperate time as has traditionally been the case in Washington. We've had bipartisan agreement that we have to stand in solidarity with Israel.
Or are they going to take this new side and stand with Hamas and the ayatollah? Bernie Sanders has chosen a side, I hope that our other colleagues in the Democrat Party will stand up and do the right thing. We desperately need it. Israel desperately needs it.
I spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu as recently as Wednesday about all of this and he's deeply concerned you know we did issue that invitation for the joint address to Congress. I'm really grateful it finally went out I would note that I sent the draft of the letter the joint letter back in mid-March to Chuck Schumer. It took him quite some time to agree.
But we have finally gotten that done. Prime Minister Netanyahu is anxious to come and address us, and I hope that we can get that scheduled here in the -- in the coming weeks.
BREAM: OK, I want to get to the Trump verdict and talk through that. But quickly, I want to ask you about the news this morning. We've confirmed that the White House saying the president is going to take executive action on the border.
You've been pushing him on to do that for a long time. We don't know what it is yet, but do you give him credit for at least taking that step?
JOHNSON: I don't, Shannon, it's too little too late. Now, he's trying to desperately show the American people somehow that he wants to address the issue that he himself created.
We documented 64 specific executive actions that President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas at DHS took over the -- over the course of the last three and a half years, beginning on the first day that President Biden took office, to open the border wide. They did it intentionally. And it has had catastrophic effects upon our country that we'll be living with for decades to come.
And now he wants to issue some sort of executive order, I guess, to show that, oh, no, he really does care about the issue. The only reason he's doing that is because the polls say that it's the biggest issue in America. Every state's a border state. I've traveled to over 29 states, done events in 117 cities, as of yesterday, over the last six months. There is an energy out there.
People are motivated. And the first question that comes up in almost every public forum is, what about that open border and why in the world would President Biden allow it? He did more than allow it. He engineered it. And everybody knows that.
BREAM: OK, we'll see what he spins out, we think, as early as Tuesday of this week.
Now, I want to ask you about the verdict. Clearly, you think it's a travesty, as many people do. And I think having watched the trial, there are many grounds, fertile territory, for the Trump team to use on appeal. But that's going to take time. In the meantime, there are a number of Republicans out there saying, you guys need to turn around and do this same thing.
John Yoo writing this, "Republicans have to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents. Only retaliation in kind can produce the deterrence necessary to enforce a political version of mutual assured destruction."
The other side, Peggy Noonan, writing about how high the temperature is, says this. "We have to ease up. We have to stop enjoying our hate so much. We can't go on indefinitely like this."
Are you worried that Republicans will be perceived as doing the very thing you're accusing Democrats of, of using the legal system for political purposes, if you follow, John Yoo's advice?
JOHNSON: Here's what I believe, Shannon. Listen, we are the rule of law party. Chaos is not a conservative value. And we have to fight back, and we will, with everything in our arsenal. But we do that within the confines of the rule of law. We believe in our institutions.
We are conservatives, and we are trying to conserve the greatest country in the history of the world and its institutions are an important part of that. Our system of justice is an important part of that. So what we'll do with our tools that we have in Congress, in the House, is we'll use our oversight responsibility.
We've already done that. You saw our Judiciary Chairman, Jim Jordan, issue requests for Alvin Bragg, the DA in Manhattan, and for the lead prosecutor, Colangelo, to show up for a hearing on June 13th in our select committee on the weaponization of the federal government, because that's what they've done. And the purpose of the hearing is to investigate what these prosecutors are doing at the state and federal level to use politics, you know, political retribution in the court system to go after political opponents, federal officials like Donald Trump. That's a really important thing for us to delve into.
And we're going to look at Special Counsel Jack Smith, who we believe is abusing his authority as well. We have the funding streams. We have mechanisms to try to get control of that. We'll be doing that within the confines of our jurisdiction. And I think that can have the desired effect and show the American people we're not going to tolerate this. Shannon, at the end of the day, people are losing their faith in our system of justice itself, and that's a serious threat.
BREAM: OK, we're almost out of time, but I want to quickly ask you about something that may need clarification. You said on Friday you think the Supreme Court should step in. You said, I think that the justices on the court, I know many of them personally, I think they're deeply concerned.
Now, one of your critics out there, somebody who covers the court with me, part of the Supreme Court press corps, Mark Joseph Stern, wrote this. He says, "Fascinating to hear the GOP Speaker of the House admit to having private conversations with multiple justices who expressed concern to him about Trump's conviction. I'm sure those justices will recuse from any eventual appeal to avoid sitting on a case they've prejudged."
I didn't take your comments to mean that specific conversation, but want to give you a chance to clarify.
JOHNSON: No, thank you. Of course, I haven't had conversations with the justices. I just know their character, their personality. I know what they've said in the past. They are deeply concerned, as we are, about maintaining our system of justice. If you walk into the Supreme Court building, Shannon, you and I know, chiseled on the marble above the front door is equal justice under law. They are concerned about maintaining that idea. We all are, because it's a necessary ingredient to keep a constitutional republic. That's what I was referring to.
I think they're concerned about using courtrooms for politics and political retribution. We all are. We all should be. Every American. That's what I was referring to. And I think in their -- in their heart of hearts, they're concerned about it, just like we are.
BREAM: Well, we'll see if the Trump team takes a more expedited route trying to get to the justices and see how that plays out. Mr. Speaker, thank you for your time.
JOHNSON: Thanks, Shannon. Appreciate you.
BREAM: Up next, we'll bring in both a Biden supporter, Congressman Ro Khanna, and Trump supporter Senator Tim Scott to talk polls, campaigns, and shifting political positions for both candidates. Next.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The good news is that I think we've set a record beyond all records for fundraising. That's like a poll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BREAM: Well, President Trump, from an exclusive interview with Fox & Friends this weekend on how the guilty verdict against him in the New York hush money trial has led to a flood of new contributions into the tens of millions to his presidential election campaign. Somebody's campaigning with him.
Joining us now, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. Welcome back, Senator.
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): Thank you very much. Good morning, Shannon.
BREAM: OK, so let's talk about this. The Republicans' spin on this has been it's going to motivate your base, that angry voters are motivated voters and they are angry about this verdict. But Politico adds this, saying Trump simply cannot beat President Joe Biden's relying solely on the votes of people who think his legal travails are a politically motivated scam.
"Trump's only path to victory is a coalition that includes many Republicans and independents who find him deplorable but think a second Biden term would be even more so."
So what is the plan from President Trump to reach out to people who may not love him at this point? Maybe some Nikki Haley voters, independents, others who are skeptics. Other than the grievances, what about campaigning on policy and reaching out to those folks directly?
SCOTT: Shannon, there's no doubt that this verdict has actually brought unifying our party. Without any question, what we've seen is never Trumpers calling me and saying, Tim, I'm on the bandwagon now. I've seen this two- tiered justice system working against the president of the United States. It could work against me, too. I've seen donors who've been on the sidelines this entire process now jumping in. One of the reasons why we saw more than $50 million raised in 24 hours.
But you're 100% right. The issues that are going to drive the results of this November 5th election will be, can Donald Trump close the southern border? The answer is he already has closed the southern border.
Can he bring inflation down under 2%? The answer is it was 1.4% when he left office. Can he create jobs for the poorest Americans? Good news is he created more than 7 million jobs with the highest percentage going to women, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians.
What we know about four years under Donald Trump is we had low unemployment, low inflation, high enthusiasm, law and order in our streets. And we've had the exact opposite under Joe Biden. We've had incredibly crushing inflation leading to high interest rates, crime in the poorest communities, devastating single mothers like the one that raised me.
And we've had the greatest invasion in American history across our southern border, left wide open, unsafe, because Joe Biden on day one started unraveling border security put in place by Donald Trump.
BREAM: Yeah, and we get word that he may be possibly reinstituting some of that this week given the reality of what's happening there. Now, you sound like somebody who would be campaigning with the president potentially on the ticket. The betting websites all have you in the number one slot potentially to be VP. You and Doug Burgum going back and forth this week.
But one of the issues where it seems like there may be a split with you and President Trump is this issue of abortion. Back when you were campaigning in Iowa, when you were running for the nomination, you name-checked him and others who you felt would not set a limit, some type of federal ban. President Trump has said now that he's not going to sign a federal ban. This is to be left to the states.
Mike Pence said this when that news came out. He said, "President Trump's retreat on the right to life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro- life Americans who voted for him. A majority of Americans long to see minimum national protections for the unborn in federal law. But today, too many Republican politicians are all too ready to wash their hands of the battle for life."
I know you are passionate about this, and we have talked about the fact that there are states that do not have a limit on abortion up to a due date. Are you willing to concede that position, or would you fight to push President Trump, if you're his vice president, to reconsider that federal ban that I know you care so much about?
SCOTT: Well, Shannon, you're 100% right that the Democrats -- Republicans are all pro-life, honestly. And the Democrats in the Senate have already voted to allow for abortions up until the day of birth. But it goes beyond that.
The former governor of Virginia, a pediatrician Democrat, said perhaps even infanticide is OK. I find that amoral. Without question, however, the Supreme Court has already ruled that this is a state's issue.
President Trump and Speaker Johnson have both said that this will remain a state's issue. It is consistent with the Supreme Court, and we must make sure that we allow the American people to see the absolute extreme position of insanity on the left and a state's rights issue on the right.
BREAM: But knowing that you feel that's so extreme, wouldn't you want to at least have a conversation? Do you think that President Trump, who respects you, would listen to you on this issue if you're going to say there are states out there that have no limit whatsoever? I mean, you're -- you're saying the Democrats have a terrible position, but if they do, wouldn't you want to limit it in some way?
SCOTT: I can just tell you the voters' focus. I ran for president, and they said, not now. So the voters of our party want President Trump leading the party. They have been embracing his position on the state's position of letting communities decide the issue of abortion. That is a settled issue for our party, and frankly, it is one that takes that issue off the table for the Democrats, who have the most extreme position on abortion.
BREAM: OK, well, we'll see if you join that ticket formally. If you have any news, come back and let us know. Senator, always good to see you.
SCOTT: Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Shannon.
BREAM: All right, joining us now, California Congressman and Democrat Ro Khanna. Welcome back to Fox News Sunday.
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Thank you, Shannon. Always good to be on.
BREAM: OK, so let's start here. "Politico" said this week, after a new round of polls, that Democrats are in full-blown freak-out mode over President Biden. "A pervasive sense of fear has settled in at the highest levels of the Democratic Party over his reelection prospects, even among officeholders and strategists who had previously expressed confidence about the coming battle with Donald Trump."
Are you one of the Democrats freaking out?
KHANNA: I'm not, Shannon. The last 20 years, this country, the national elections are always very close. They're usually decided by a few percent in a few states. This is going to be a very, very close election, and I think that's what Democrats recognize, that it's a hard-fought battle. We have to have a better economic vision in showing what we're going to do to improve people's lives.
BREAM: So, on the economic front, let me read you a headline from yesterday. This is an opinion piece. It said, "Trump isn't the reason why Biden is down in the polls. Inflation is." They add, "What's really killing President Biden is experienced by every voter every day. Things cost too much."
One Democratic strategist who's worked on presidential campaigns said this, "If the frame of this race is what was better, the three-and-a-half years under Biden or four years under Trump, we lose that every day of the week and twice on Sunday."
As flawed a candidate I'm sure you think President Trump is, poll after poll shows us the economic reality for people at home is swaying them in his direction.
KHANNA: I don't think the frame is who did a better job in the past. It's who's going to do a better job in the future. And, yes, the reality is that prices are high. Prices are high for eggs, for milk, for gas. But the question is, who's going to make a difference on that? President Biden has an actual plan to reduce child care costs, to reduce housing costs, to take on the concentration of large grocery stores, to reduce the price of eggs and milk.
And the question is, what is President Trump's plan? What is he actually going to do to lower inflation? That should be the argument.
BREAM: Well, it was 1.4 under him, percent, and we know that it spiked to nine percent, you know, relatively historic highs over the last few decades.
So President Biden has fought to get that back down. There is improvement. But people are still looking at their grocery bills now compared to, you know, three and a half years ago. They're 20 percent higher.
And that's a conversation that it seems isn't getting fully fleshed out because people worry that the next time they get to fill up their car or get groceries, they're, you know, they're not seeing improvement. What they're seeing is three and a half years versus the previous four.
KHANNA: Well, Shannon, there's no doubt that inflation was lower before COVID, but COVID happened and inflation started to rise under President Trump and then continued to rise under President Biden.
There was bipartisan spending under both presidents. And much of a good that led to the vaccines that led to America, having the record lowest unemployment in the world that has led to America having the best recovery from inflation in the Western world.
And so the question now is, how do we continue to get inflation down? And what are we going to do on housing and childcare on taking on monopolies? The president has a clear vision.
And I guess what I would love to see for President Trump is, what is he going to do in the future? How is he going to get prices down?
BREAM: Well, OK. I would say he will want to take credit for the vaccine getting done on his watch on Operation Warp Speed.
But let me turn to this. You've spent the weekend with a lot of big tech folks and some of them have been quietly, some of them are openly, talking about throwing support and money over to President Trump or to possible third-party spoiler, RFK, Jr.
"Puck" says this, "An election cycle ago, Silicon Valley Republicans had to go into witness protection to support Trump. Now an influential cohort of billionaires and quasi-billionaires are getting ready to write checks for 45."
Also "Axios" quoting tech investor, David Sacks, says, "I have -- I'd say at this point, bigger disagreements with Biden than with Trump."
He, by the way, is supposed to host a big dollar fundraiser in Silicon Valley this week for President Trump.
What is your message to him about whether he has a better deal with Biden or Trump when it comes to tech issues?
KHANNA: Well, look, Silicon Valley folks are independent. They wouldn't be entrepreneurs if they weren't contrarian and independent.
And our party needs to make a case that we're going to have a better vision for entrepreneurship, for investment and things like the CHIPS Act to bring semiconductors back for investments and advanced manufacturing, for wealth generation in a modern economy across the country. And that's what this convening was.
I still believe that 70, 80 -- to 80 percent of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are for President Biden.
But you're right. It's not 95 or 100 percent. And that's why we need to do work to show that we still are the party of entrepreneurship and innovation.
BREAM: Well, I know that's kept you busy this weekend, Congressman. So thanks for making time for us. Good to see you.
KHANNA: Thank you, Shannon.
BREAM: Up next, first, Senate Republican campaign chair, Senator Steve Daines, talks strategy at his Montana home with our Aishah Hasnie, as the GOP tries to win back control of the Senate in 2024.
Then, our Sunday panel, weighs in on the partisan clash over demands that Justice Alito recuse from key cases. And the Chief Justice tells Democrat senators thanks, but no thanks to a one party invitation.
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BREAM: Tuesday is Election Day in a handful of states with New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Montana, all holding presidential and state primaries.
Republicans see Montana as one of their best opportunities to try to pick up a Senate seat this November and flip the balance of power here in Washington.
Fox News congressional correspondent, Aishah Hasnie, sat down with the Senate GOP's campaign chair, Senator Steve Daines, at his Montana home to discuss the odds.
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AISHAH HASNIE, FOX NEWS CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Montana Senator, Steve Daines, always has his eye on the target.
That passion is why he is in charge of winning back the Senate for Republicans. And for the first time ever --
SEN. STEVE DAINES (R-MT): You got it.
HASNIE: The NRSC chairman exclusively invited us to his home --
DAINES: There's a mountain lion up there.
HASNIE: -- to talk strategy.
Do you think you'll win this year?
DAINES: Well, we -- we'll get to 51.
HASNIE: As a GOP victory could run right through his backyard.
Montana is one of three toss-up states in a highly favorable map for Republicans. With West Virginia poised to turn red, Daines only needs to pick up one more state.
So 2022 was a bust for Senate Republicans.
So what makes 2024 different?
DAINES: Number one, we've got to find candidates. They can win that just primary elections, but general elections have a broader appeal.
Number two, we've got a change from moving from Election Day to election month.
We are putting way too much voter turnout on Election Day.
HASNIE: Daines is also counting on former president Trump to turn out voters, despite the conviction in the New York hush money trial.
DAINES: We talk frequently.
Again, we work very, very closely together.
HASNIE: But Trump's legal drama is now spilling down the ballot.
Maryland Senate candidate, Larry Hogan, told his followers on X to respect the verdict. That hit a nerve with a Trump campaign senior advisor who shot back, "You just ended your campaign."
DAINES: I still think Larry Hogan can flip Maryland, but Larry Hogan's going to run his campaign. He'll run his race. And president Trump will run his race.
I thought, you know, the trial was a complete sham.
HASNIE: Daines' toughest battle, however, may be the dramatic fundraising gap with Democrats.
DAINES: It's building out that grassroots kind of digital fundraising effort that's going to be very important for us in '24.
HASNIE: And this year's prize, he says, is personal.
DAINES: So many Montanans are very, very worried about the future of their grandkids. I am.
The future of this country is going to be decided in '24.
HASNIE: And, Shannon, there's already talk about what's next for Steve Daines, if he does win the Senate.
President Trump has encouraged him to replace GOP leader, Mitch McConnell. Daines tells me, though, he doesn't have aspirations for that. Not a flat out no, but he says he likes to spend as much time as possible here at home.
Shannon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BREAM: All right. Aisha Hasnie in Montana. Thank you very much.
It is time now for our Sunday group to break that down. "The Hill" national political reporter, Julia Manchester. Fox News Senior Political Analyst, Juan Williams. Resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, "Washington Post" columnist and Fox News contributor, Marc Thiessen. And the Ronald Reagan Institute Director, Roger Zakheim.
Great to have all of you here with us. There's a lot to pick apart in that piece. But let's start about -- talking about the Larry Hogan situation because he tweeted out that people should respect the legal process and the verdict and immediately got slammed by a Trump campaign official who said, your campaign's over.
Roger, they know that if they want to try to pick up that seat, Larry Hogan's going to have to be as independent and broadly appealing as he can be.
ROGER ZAKHEIM, DIRECTOR, THE RONALD REAGAN INSTITUTE: It might have helped Larry Hogan in Maryland when that tweet came out. And I think Larry Hogan knows how to win in Maryland and it's not following the Republican National Committee.
He's got to be independent. He's got to draw over Democrats. And it's very local or state focused campaign.
And if you look at his commercials out, it's all about Republicans won't rely in my vote. Democrats can't rely on my vote. I'm an independent. It's worth twice in Maryland. And it's a great opportunity to win in a third time. And Republicans know that's how you get a majority in the Senate.
BREAM: I mean, it helped him in the past in Maryland.
By the way, Marc, you've got a piece out with Steve Daines who's got --
MARC THIESSEN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: He's really trying to -- it's a good year for Republicans when you look at the map, but still a heavy lift.
THIESSEN: Yeah. No. One of the things points he makes to me in the -- in the interview is that if we don't do -- if Republicans don't take back the Senate this year, they won't take it for the next decade.
Because right now, Republicans have eight pickup opportunities, nine if you can't, Larry Hogan, which was no one had -- no one had Larry Hogan on this -- on their dance card as he pointed out Maryland on their dance card.
But in the next two cycles, there are no nobody running in red and state. And Biden's Republican -- pickup opportunities in Biden's states, states that Biden lost. So there's no red states to pick up.
So if they don't take it now, they're going to -- whoever takes the Senate, this time, will hold it for a decade.
BREAM: Well, and so now we look at how this guilty verdict is going to play out for president Trump because he's raised tens of millions of dollars.
"Politico" or excuse me, it's Punchbowl that said an, "Angry voter is a motivated voter. That's the GOP argument. Trump and his supporters are very angry following the blockbuster verdict.
Juan, you worry that it turns them out the same way that overturning Roe v. Way has turned out Democrats?
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No. Boy. No.
You know, the Trump base is not moving away from Donald Trump. I must say it was regard to the Senate races. I think a lot of those Democratic incumbents, in fact, are looking at abortion as an issue, are looking at corporate excesses as an issue. China.
They are -- those got -- those Senate -- Democratic Senate candidates see Trump as divisive as we just discussed in Maryland. It's a problem for Hogan.
But in terms of the general stuff, you would think with any ordinary politician, Shannon, a conviction, a felon -- 34 felony convictions.
People will be saying, maybe we should remove this guy from the ballot going into the Republican Convention. We're not seeing any of that.
But that's not even a point of discussion. Republicans are standing strong behind Donald Trump. He is their hero.
And I mean, you know, it's now a civil conviction on business fraud. Convicted. He lost the defamation case for sexual assault. And now the 34.
So the reality is, for Democrats, you have a different set of incentives. And the different set of incentives for the Democrats is that the verdict brings them together.
I don't know how many Democrats said to me this week. Wow. Finally, finally. You know, this -- all the lies, the bullying, finally, he got caught. Finally, someone held this man accountable.
They're energized on the other side of the equation. Up in the air, you know, the people who've been voting for Haley and Democratic primaries, the kind of swing voters.
And I think this verdict penetrated anybody's media bubble. And everybody knows what happened.
BREAM: Well, and now the White House and the Biden-Harris campaign has to think about how they manage this because Hunter Biden is going to trial potentially tomorrow without a deal and could end up a convicted felon. Potentially.
He's got a September trial that could lead to the same result if convicted there.
"Wall Street Journal" editorial board has this advice. "Mr Biden has advised better to say nothing. If he tries to exploit a convention -- conviction as a campaign theme, voters will have even more reason to believe Mr Trump when he says the prosecution was political from the start."
JULIA MANCHESTER, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Yes. Look, Shannon, we've seen really before this verdict came out, Biden trying to skirt this as much as possible. He was not talking about Trump's legal issues.
And I think that was probably a smart move because we know that when voters are going to the polls, they're not thinking about Trump's trial. They're not thinking about Hunter Biden's trial. They're thinking about inflation, the situation of their pocketbook. Even foreign policy, to some extent. This just isn't on their radar in the same type of way.
However, that all changed this week, starting with the courthouse, Robert De Niro, that certainly had some -- maybe some mixed results, to put the way --
BREAM: Maybe not the way they had hoped it would turn out.
MANCHESTER: Yes, didn't really hit the right note.
But then I thought it was notable on Friday when President Biden was asked about it. He addressed it. And then as he's walking out of a room at the White House he's asked again. Turns around, smiles, doesn't say anything. So, he's walking an incredibly fine line here.
But I think it would behoove the Biden campaign, and also the Trump campaign, it's a little more difficult for the Trump campaign because Trump is the center of this, but to focus - you know, to campaign and talk about the economy, to really create that split screen. And what's - that's what they did on Friday.
BREAM: OK. Panel, stick around. We've got to take a quick break.
Up next, the partisan battle over Justice Alito. Democrats demanding he recuse from key cases amid accusations of bias.
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SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): What Justice Alito is doing, in fact, is dragging down the credibility of the court, destroying the American people's trust in the court by these kinds of flimsy excuses.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): They are threatening the Supreme Court. They are trying to undermine its independence. Not just undermine it, they're trying to end its independence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BREAM: So, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, Republican Senator Josh Hawley this week discussing the controversy surrounding flags that once flew outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's homes.
Chief Justice Roberts, by the way, on Thursday declining an invitation to meet with Democrats over their concerns.
We are back now with the panel.
All right, Julia, where do we go from here because we've got some really big cases coming from the Supreme Court -
MANCHESTER: Yes.
BREAM: And supporters of Justice Alito feel like this is political and nothing more.
MANCHESTER: Well, I'm curious to see what Justice John Roberts does going from here. I mean he is in a very, very difficult, you know, situation. He has said he won't take, you know, that meeting with Democrats, talking about wanting to keep the branches of government separates, not wanting to become too partisan.
But on the partisanship front, I mean it's so hard not to look at the Supreme Court and not see, unfortunately, a partisan institutions now, whether it is liberal or Republican. This is not supposed to be a political - a political, you know, branch of government, but it has turned into that. And I think that's why you're seeing this lack of trust really from Americans.
BREAM: And I think the last thing the court wants, no matter which justice of the nine it is, is to have that perception.
I want to read just a little bit of Justice Alito's letter talking about the situations with the flags. He says, "I'm confident that a reasonable person who's not motivated by political or ideological considerations or a desire to affect the outcome of Supreme Court cases would conclude that these events do not meet the stand for recusal. I am therefore required to reject your request."
Juan.
WILLIAMS: Well, he thinks that the Senate Democrats just don't like his rulings, that's why they want him to get - get out of the cases.
BREAM: They don't like his rulings, Juan.
WILLIAMS: Right. But I think the reality - so, you have to go to the facts, then. Let's go to the facts, you know. It is a fact that the flags flew over his homes. And it is a fact that the flags suggest, or signal, solidarity with people who were trying to subvert the constitutional process and - and transfer -
THIESSEN: That's not a fact.
WILLIAMS: Yes, they were - they -
THIESSEN: That's not a fact. That's not a (INAUDIBLE) fact.
WILLIAMS: They were trying to block the transfer of government.
BREAM: Wait, wait, wait. But let's also remember, San Francisco had the appeal to have a flag flying until -
WILLIAMS: No, that's the separate - that's a separate flag. And - but that - but that was adopted by the insurrectionists later and then so - OK.
But the point is that 61 percent, picking up on Julia's point, 61 percent of Americans in a Marquette poll last week said that Supreme Court decisions are now based on politics. So, recent decisions about abortion rights, gun rights, vote - I can go on.
BREAM: OK.
WILLIAMS: People now think this is a conservative bloc appointed by Trump.
BREAM: And - and big decisions to come that will upset half of America.
THIESSEN: So, Juan, so you would be OK with two Republican senators demanding to meet with the Justice in the Trump case because of his daughter's political activities?
WILLIAMS: No.
THIESSEN: No. I mean this is ridiculous. Joe Biden said the - after the Trump verdict, It is reckless, it is dangerous, it is irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict. It's the same - now do the Supreme Court, because that's all the Democrats have been doing about the Supreme Court is questioning it's objectivity, its integrity.
BREAM: Five seconds.
ZAKHEIM: Let's keep the Supreme Court out of this Senate Judiciary Committee. Americans will support the Supreme Court. That's the (INAUDIBLE).
BREAM: OK, panel, thank you very much.
Up next, as we approach the 80th anniversary of the D-day landing in Normandy this week, we want to take you inside the effort to preserve major historic and sacred battle monuments for fallen Americans around the world. We'll do that next.
But first, a look at honoring the heroes who paid the ultimate price this year's annual remembrance in Arlington National Cemetery this Memorial Day.
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BREAM: President Biden will join world leaders this week in Normandy, France, to mark the allied landings that signified the beginning of the end of World War II 80 years ago.
Ahead of that visit, we sat down with Charles Djou, the man charged with overseeing American's battle monuments and cemeteries all over the world. It's today's Sunday special.
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BREAM: We're coming up on the 80th anniversary of D-day. And that is a moments that is stated in our history books. But do you worry that generations now, future generations, understand the full import of what that day was when it comes to sacrifice?
CHARLES DJOU, SECRETARY, AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION: D-day and coming up on the 80th anniversary of D-day is arguably the single most important day in the last century. Not just for the United States, but for western civilization. How America turned out, how Europe turned out, could have been very, very different had D-day turned out very differently.
And the success at D-day is again testimony to the goodness of America, that we fought - we fought for the right reasons.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT (June 6, 1984): Today, as 40 years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose, to protect and defend democracy.
DJOU: We fought for - for our American values, not to further some furor, not to expand the lands of America. To make sure, instead, that freedom continues to ring free in this land and this world.
BREAM: You're a very humble guy yourself. But you've served in Congress. You wear the uniform as well. You served our country in that way.
Are you hopeful that by establishing these memorials, these monuments, that the next generation will take a look and say, I want to step up to that call as well.
DJOU: Yes, I am. And I'm very optimistic about our nation.
There's a lot of division going on here in our country, but I believe in my heart of hearts and America is a good nation and we are a good people.
And these American cemeteries, and these American memorials, are more than just remembering our history. All those soldiers, buried under all those crosses and those Stars of David, they are not just part of history. They continue to serve to this day representing the finest of America's values.
BREAM: Washington is a place filled with monuments and memorials. But really what you oversee is all over the world. What is your sense of responsibility and feeling like we need to have these things to remember the people who have sacrificed so much?
DJOU: Yes, the ABMC, the American Battle Monuments Commission. We are charged with the humble mission of remembering the service and sacrifice of America's armed forces all around the world. We maintain 26 American cemeteries and 31 battlefield memorials in 17 countries around the world. And it is - each of these sites are a testimony to America's goodness and our nation and what our nation's values are all about here. That our country doesn't go abroad to plunder, doesn't go abroad for conquest.
BREAM: Do you think that Americans realize how many of these special places are all over the globe?
DJOU: I'm humbled that we invest so much and put such effort into making sure these places are pristine and they are beautiful. But I wish more Americans would realize and come to see and come to understand what American sacrifice has been and what it has been around the world.
BREAM: And it's very interesting too, I mean the beautiful 360-degree views and all of the things that you have on the website allow people to take the trip if they're not physically able to do it as well.
DJOU: Yes, yes, yes.
BREAM: So, it's a great place for them to see what you have out there.
So, when moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, whoever it is, take young children and they see these monuments and memorials, what do you hope the child takes away from that?
DJOU: What I hope they take away and that they understand is that, first, the United States stands for its values. But I also hope that they - young people come to understand that we're very fortunate to live in a nation that is free. But this freedom, it comes at a cost. And it comes at a cost of a people willing to fight for that freedom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BREAM: You can find out much more about the American Battle Monuments Commission by going to abmc.gov.
That is it for today. Thank you for joining us. I'm Shannon Bream. Have a wonderful week. We'll see you next FOX NEWS SUNDAY.
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