Sen. Paul assesses president's first 100 days in office: 'It's Biden's way or the highway'
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., argues Biden has not held up to his word to unify the country, calling the president out for refusing to work in a bipartisan manner.
This is a rush transcript from "Sunday Morning Futures," April 25, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning, everyone. Welcome to "Sunday Morning Futures." I'm Maria Bartiromo.
The first 100 days, Joe Biden's radical policies on full display this upcoming week, as he gears up for his first joint address to Congress and his 100th day in office.
Coming up: grading his agenda. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul on open borders, higher taxes and the administration's Green New Deal. Will the Democrats be able to push Biden's progressive plans through the Senate?
Plus: the last line of defense, the attorney generals across the country's suing the administration over President Biden's sweeping executive orders. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron this morning on the Democrats' constant race-baiting, why any policy they don't like becomes a civil rights issue.
Then: Sherlock Holmes to the rescue. Kamala Harris tells us that poverty, perhaps brought on by climate change, is the root cause of the immigration crisis, with hundreds of thousands surging to the U.S. border every month, as if poverty changed with the handoff in administrations. Will the vice president admit that it's her administration's policies, open borders, that are the real reason so many are taking this dangerous and sometimes fatal trek to America?
Ohio Congressman Mike Turner on what our foreign adversaries make of all of this and why the U.S. is cutting its defense spending now, as the threats are rising.
Plus: social media's cancel culture. The founder of Project Veritas, James O'Keefe, on exposing the fraudsters and fighting back against the radical left.
All that and more right now, as we look ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures."
And first up this morning: Biden's radical agenda, with his first joint address to Congress and the 100th day in office, both happening this week, on Wednesday and Thursday.
Biden has made no secret of his plans to become the most progressive U.S. president in history. He's already well on his way, with 40 radical executive orders in the can and a big thumbs-up from Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, who said this week he's definitely exceeded expectations that progressives had.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz believes this is all part of a broader power grab. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): What are Senate Democrats trying to do? They're trying to add new senators to the Senate, so they keep control forever. They're trying to change voting in America, so Democrats can never lose.
And they want to pack the U.S. Supreme Court with four left-wing radicals. This is an assault fundamentally on the independence of the judiciary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: Joining me right now with his take is Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. He is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He also sits on the Foreign Relations 'and Homeland Security committees.
Senator, good morning to you. Thanks very much for being here.
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): Good morning.
BARTIROMO: We're on the doorstep of 100 days. Assess the agenda.
PAUL: Well, you know, just a couple months ago, we were hearing from President Biden, the newly inaugurated President Biden, that he was going to unify the country, and then we were going to work together and have bipartisanship.
I'm still waiting, Mr. President. I haven't seen any of that. I think what I have seen so far is, it's Biden's way or the highway. So, right off the bat, instead of working together on anything to do with COVID or vaccines, they put together a massive $2 trillion bill where less than 10 percent of it had anything to do with vaccines.
Now they're doing the same thing on infrastructure. Apparently, reparations are infrastructure. Apparently, childcare is infrastructure, health care. They have got a climate police force they're going to put out, youth force.
But I don't see anything that looks like they want to work together. Now, there are those of us who are saying we could be for some bipartisan infrastructure bill, if it had to do with real infrastructure, like roads and bridges and if it was paid for.
But so far, I don't see any of that coming from Biden. And I predict they're going to ram through something with only Democrat votes and no Republican participation again, to the tune of a couple trillion dollars.
BARTIROMO: Well, how do you justify ramming all of this through, through reconciliation, through executive orders, when he keeps saying unity, unity?
For example, let's talk about this upcoming week. We will hear details on the economic plan. How high will taxes go? What's the impact of all of this? And many of your colleagues have complained that this -- quote, unquote -- infrastructure package is really a Green New Deal.
PAUL: Well, and the markets are jittery. They are jittery about doubling the capital gains tax, and then some. They are jittery about raising the corporate income tax.
One of the best things we did in the Republican years under Trump was lower the corporate income tax. And it brought hundreds of millions of dollars to the U.S. Just in my town, Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Corvette plant added 400 jobs because General Motors had hundreds of millions of dollars returned to them by having lower corporate income tax.
So, when you raise this, the opposite happens. We will have more jobs go overseas, more corporations go overseas. But I think even more worrisome than raising the corporate tax is actually doubling the capital gains tax. If you make capital gains tax upwards of 40 percent, there's a real risk that you're going to see a significant market reaction to this.
The other thing is, we're printing up so much money that there's going to be real inflation, and I think there's going to be a day in which people wake up and say, oh, my goodness, what have we done to our country?
And, sometimes, this happens gradually. But, sometimes, as you know, the market can react in remarkable ways, such that we could have never predicted. That's the kind of thing I'm worried about with all this money being printed up.
BARTIROMO: Oh, yes.
And the highest rate on capital gains is for the highest earners. It's going to go all the way up to 43.4 percent, we understand. And, of course, logic tells you, if you have made money on the sale of your home, if you have made money in your portfolio, you obviously are going to sell that in 2021 and get a 20 percent cap gains tax vs. 2022, where you could be facing upwards of 43 percent giving to the government.
So, you make a great point. It's something I have been covering a lot on FOX Business on "Mornings With Maria" as well.
But, Senator, I want to talk about you being the last line of defense in the Senate. These things have to get through the Senate in order to become law. I'm talking about killing the filibuster, getting H.R.1 through, packing the Supreme Court.
You have spoken extensively about election reform. Tell me about H.R.1. Why aren't we seeing corporate CEOs react to that, the way they are reacting to the Georgia voting law?
PAUL: You know, I still am having trouble fathoming the hysteria that came from Coca-Cola and Delta and Major League Baseball over the Georgia bill.
We passed virtually the same bill in Kentucky. It was signed by a Democrat governor and was lauded as actually expanding access, because we expanded early voting, the same way they did in Georgia.
But to hear all these Democrats shouting Jim Crow, Jim Crow, do they not realize the history of the Democrat Party was Jim Crow, that not any God- fearing Republican voted for Jim Crow, that Jim Crow throughout the South was done by Democrat legislators, that the people who were beating up John Lewis and pummeling him on the bridge in Selma were all Democrats?
In my state, we have a proud history. William Warley was a black Republican, founder of the NAACP. He fought the first case all the way to the Supreme Court to get rid of forced segregation that came from Democrats.
So, I'll tell you, I'm, for one, sick and tired of Democrats. They need to apologize for their history. They need to apologize for foisting Jim Crow on the country. And they need to read the bill in Georgia and realize that it has nothing to do with keeping people from voting.
BARTIROMO: Well, words matter. Should Joe Biden apologize?
He was among the first to come out and say these Jim Crow laws in Georgia.
PAUL: Well, he should apologize not only for mischaracterizing it, but lying about the bill.
But Delta and Coca-Cola and Major League Baseball need to realize that about half the country is Republicans. And we're not very happy with them right now. So, if they don't want Republicans at the baseball games, they don't want us to tune in to their baseball games on television, just keep behaving this way.
This is terrible. I have always been a baseball fan. I grew up playing baseball, still play in the congressional baseball charity game. But people like me who love baseball don't like being called a racist by Major League Baseball, don't like Delta and Coca-Cola calling us that. And we're going to object to it. We're going to push back.
And if they continue in this direction, fine. Maybe Republicans don't have to drink Coca-Cola anymore.
BARTIROMO: The Wall Street Journal wrote about the one Democrat that is fighting H.R.1. And we have got him on tape here as he testified, as you know, the New Hampshire secretary of state, Bill Gardner.
Let's listen to this. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): It's my understanding that you oppose H.R.1 and the Senate equivalent. Is that correct?
BILL GARDNER (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE SECRETARY OF STATE: Yes.
GRAHAM: In 30 seconds or less, why?
GARDNER: Well, first of all, we don't have any early voting in New Hampshire.
And for all the studies that show that early voting actually helps turnout, I can show you plenty of academic studies that show the opposite.
GRAHAM: It would be a power grab when it came to New Hampshire voting, is that fair to say, by the federal government?
GARDNER: Yes, and the same thing with no-fault absentee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: That was Bill Gardner there testifying.
And let me just say that the secretary of state of New Hampshire will be my special guest tomorrow morning on "Mornings With Maria" on FOX Business. I hope you will join me then to hear more from Bill Gardner.
But your thoughts there, Senator? And I also want to get your take on what we're seeing in terms of the COVID response at this point. This past week, President Biden had a climate summit. I thought it was really ironic that Xi Jinping was one of the featured speakers, since China is, of course, the world's biggest polluter.
But look at this shot that we have of the virtual summit. This was a virtual summit led by the White House. The only one wearing a mask is Joe Biden. You have got leaders from across the world sitting there virtually. And he's got a mask on.
What do you make of this?
PAUL: You know, I guess this means that Dr. Fauci has now determined that you can get COVID, you can catch it through your Webcam. That's the only thing I can conclude.
But, really, it's silly. It's silly. And this type of theater really is distracting to people who need to go out and get the vaccine. We have a lot of people, particularly those over age 40 and those who are overweight, who all need to get the vaccine, and that all of the vaccines, the risks of the vaccines are less than the risk of the disease, particularly if you're over 40 and overweight.
But when Biden goes on the computer screen to a Zoom call and wears a mask, he's making a mockery of the science. And this is dissuading people who are skeptical anyway.
So, if you want to convince people who are skeptical that the vaccine works, show them that we have protection after we have been vaccinated. Show them, after we have had the disease naturally, that we have protection and have to -- don't be excoriating people to keep wearing masks after they already have immunity. Let people live again.
But by doing this sort of fake science and wearing a mask while you're on a Zoom call, it shows great ignorance of science. But it also tells the people that you're really being dishonest with them. And they tend not to believe the other things that you will tell them.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
By the way, in that shot, I think it's really also interesting to point out that President Biden is the only leader without a flag behind him. Everybody has their flag. We don't have the American flag behind Joe Biden, interestingly.
Real quick, before you go, Senator, Josh Hawley and Mike Braun introducing a bill that would force the administration to declassify the intelligence related to the origin of COVID.
I mean, COVID-19 has killed millions across the world, more than half-a- million here in the United States. And every opportunity that President Biden has had in terms of speaking with Xi Jinping, the subject never comes up.
Can you explain this, why he has a private phone call with Xi Jinping, and he never asks him why the Chinese Communist Party hid this to the world, cornered us in terms of the PPE, and, of course, allowed this virus to escape its borders? Not a word from anybody on the origins of COVID.
I thought this was the priority.
PAUL: There's a huge ethical question about the origins of the virus.
The ethical question is, should we be doing gain of function? Should we be upgrading animal viruses in the lab to make them more susceptible to humans? I can't tell you for certain that this escaped the lab. I think it's a reasonable question to ask.
But what you have to ask Dr. Fauci is, why did he, in overseeing these labs, allow gain of function? Why is he allowing labs to get government money to upgrade animal viruses so they can infect humans? We got worried about this two or three years ago. We closed down about half of them.
But then Dr. Fauci and his committees opened them back up. We need to ask him, why are we doing this in China? But are we doing this in the U.S.? Are we giving viruses the ability to invade the human species, and then potentially letting them out of the lab?
I know we don't want them out. So it might be inadvertent in China or here. But I think we should be discussing the danger of increasing the potency of a virus and allowing it to escape animals in humans because we doctored the virus. Maybe we shouldn't be doing that.
BARTIROMO: Yes, I love to get your medical expertise.
And I also am very interested in your bill to ensure that the federal government stops spying on regular Americans. That's a subject for another time.
Senator, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks very much, sir.
PAUL: Thank you. Thank you.
BARTIROMO: Senator Rand Paul.
Coming up, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is here, a rising star in the GOP -- how he's fighting back against the Democrats' radical agenda, also his reaction to the Derek Chauvin verdict and if President Biden put his political thumb on the scales of justice.
All that and more right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The systemic racism is a stain on our nation's soul, the knee on the neck of justice for black Americans, profound fear and trauma, the pain, the exhaustion that black and brown Americans experience every single day.
The murder of George Floyd launched a summer of protest we hadn't seen since the civil rights era in the '60s, protests that unified people of every race and generation in peace and with purpose to say enough, enough, enough of the senseless killings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: That was President Biden on Tuesday reacting to Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict, as he and the vice president, instead of trying to unite us and lift us up on such an emotional day, told us how terrible and systemically racist this country is just minutes after the verdict came down.
My next guest was a unique -- has a unique perspective on race and criminal justice in America. Not only is Daniel Cameron Kentucky's first black attorney general. He's also the first Republican to hold the office in over 70 years.
And we are honored this morning to have him with us.
A.G. Daniel Cameron, thanks very much for being here.
DANIEL CAMERON (R), KENTUCKY ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thanks for having me, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Do you believe this country is systemically racist?
CAMERON: Well, no, I don't believe this country is systemically racist.
What I believe is that this country has always tried from the very beginning to become a more perfect union. And, certainly, we have had our challenges throughout this nation's history, and there's no hiding from that.
But when you hear comments like you heard from President Biden and others that throw fuel on the fire, that explode the tensions that we have in this country, that's not good for hoping to unify this country.
And so, in my part, I try to stay away from hyperbolic terms. I try to make sure that I reflect love and -- in Christ in my comments and try not to be caustic. So I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to continue to reach out to folks that have different views from me.
Of course, again, as I stated earlier, we have challenges in this country. But the promise of a more perfect union is always one step away, always one step closer. And I think that, together, we can get there if we put aside these hyperbolic terms, if we put aside casting aspersions on one another, and if we hold hands and walk together into our future.
BARTIROMO: Yes, I agree.
And what do you do in the face of all of this rhetoric, then, General? I mean, last weekend, Maxine Waters called on rioters to stay on the street, get in their faces, get more confrontational if Chauvin was acquitted.
Leader Kevin McCarthy tried to censure her. But the Democrats stopped it. They tabled it. Even Nancy Pelosi said that Waters has nothing to apologize for.
So, what are we left to think and to do in the face of this?
CAMERON: Well, I think it's important that Republicans make sure that we show a strong vision and alternative for how this country can look.
That's why I'm excited that, after President Biden tells us what he's going to do in terms of taxing and spending and what have you, that we're going to hear a very positive, a very forward-looking vision from Senator Tim Scott. He's a personal friend of mine. I'm excited about what he's going to have to say about the vision of this country and how Republicans can align with that vision for the working men and women of this country.
I think that's incredibly important as we move forward.
When I talk about the working men and women of this country, I'm talking about folks that look like me, folks, Maria, that look like you that -- folks that are the rainbow, if you will, of this country.
And so it's important for Republicans to make sure that we're tapping into that renewed spirit of reaching out and working with the working men and women of this country to make sure that they have good-paying jobs, to make sure that they're able to take care of the issues that are of the focus of the dinner table at night.
And so I'm excited about what he has to say.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
CAMERON: Things like what Maxine Waters and, again, President Biden have said, those things really hurt the unification of this country going forward.
BARTIROMO: You're right, yes.
I want to get into the issues, General. Let's take a break and come back and talk about the issues that you're pushing back on this administration.
We will be right back with Daniel Cameron.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Well, welcome back.
We're back with Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
General Cameron, I want to ask you about the actions that you have taken against this administration, particularly as it relates to taxes and your ability to cut taxes, as well as the cancellation of the XL Pipeline.
But, first, let's talk voting rights.
Here is Stacey Abrams with Senator John Cornyn. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): So, voter I.D., sometimes, it's racist, sometimes, it's not racist?
STACEY ABRAMS, FOUNDER, FAIR FIGHT: The intent always matter, sir. And that is the point of this conversation.
That is the point of the Jim Crow narrative, that Jim Crow did not simply look at the activities. It looked at the intent. It looked at the behaviors, and it targeted behaviors that were disproportionately used by people of color.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: As you know, A.G. Cameron, the Democrats are making election integrity a civil rights issue.
This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that his state will sue if H.R.1 is passed, probably win. What can you do in Kentucky, given you have a Democrat governor?
CAMERON: Well, Maria, I think it's sad and unfortunate that you hear those sorts of comments from Ms. Abrams as it relates to the bill that was passed in Georgia.
Georgia has done what any state, I think, has the responsibility and the important job of doing, which is secure their elections. For instance, here in Kentucky, our secretary of state, Michael Adams, along with Republicans and Democrats, put together an election law bill that makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat.
That's all that they're trying to do in Georgia. So, again, when you have these caustic and hyperbolic terms that cast everything in racism, it does nothing for continuing a fruitful and productive conversation about the big issues in our country.
And when I see those sorts of things, it's disheartening. But all I can say is that, in Kentucky, we have struck the right balance between allowing people to vote, as Senator Paul just so eloquently stated earlier, but also making it harder to cheat at the same time.
I think that's a model that needs to be taken across the country. I think Georgia tried to do that. It's unfortunate that some folks have allowed this narrative to sink in as it relates to racism in the Georgia law.
BARTIROMO: Yes, it is.
Let me get your take on the impact of all of these policies. You are leading a lawsuit to stop the administration from enforcing a mandate in the American Rescue Plan act, which will prevent your state, prevent you and others from cutting taxes.
Tell me what your argument is.
CAMERON: Well, our argument is quite simple, in the sense that the federal government, and the Treasury Department in particular, cannot tell a state what to do in terms of their tax-and-spend policies.
But that's exactly what they have tried to do with this most recent version of COVID relief spending. And so what I have done, along with my colleague Herb Slatery from Tennessee, is sued in federal court to say that Kentucky has a right to determine its own tax-and-spend policies.
You cannot take away COVID funding based on what we intend to do with our tax-and-spend policies. For instance, we have got a project that we're working on in a minority district here in Kentucky that changes some of the tax policies for that minority district.
If what the Treasury Department and the Biden administration have done is to take away money based on those tax-and-spend changes that we have made here in Kentucky, that will -- that will hurt that minority district. It's unfair. And we're going to stand up to those sorts of intrusions and that federal overreach into the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
BARTIROMO: Well, I mean, it's taking away your ability to govern the way you want to govern, right?
You have got a plan in place in terms of the taxes, and that removes it, if you have that mandate.
CAMERON: That's precisely right. Yes, ma'am, that's precisely right.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
CAMERON: It blows up the concept of federalism that -- and state sovereignty that I think all of us across this country appreciate and respect.
BARTIROMO: And then there's the XL Pipeline, sir. Tell me the impact on Kentucky, given that Joe Biden came in and blew off law and just canceled the XL Pipeline, killing jobs while doing so.
CAMERON: Well, that's exactly right.
Let me take a step back and say, as a Republican A.G. -- and I know my Republican attorneys general across the country agree with this -- we have got a responsibility to make sure that we defend the rule of law, that we're the last line of defense as it relates to the rule of law, and then as we -- I noted earlier that we are there to stand up for the working men and women of this country.
The Keystone pipeline and what the president's administration has done there is completely disregard process as it relates to revoking that permit. So, it's our job to stand up for the rule of law as it relates to that revoking of the permit.
On the other side, the flip side, as it relates to the working men and women in this country, the rescinding of that pipeline permit has destroyed countless jobs in this country.
And here in Kentucky, what has happened is, that pipeline is obliterated, if it's taken away, it will increase transportation costs for agricultural commodities that we have here in Kentucky. Our farmers, our producers here cannot afford those increased transportation costs.
So we're doing our part, again, to stand up for the rule of law, but also to stand up for the working men and women of this country, and, in particular, the farmers and producers that we have here in the commonwealth. It's important that, as Republican A.G.s, we stand up to any overreach by any administration, particularly this one, that has made it a priority to change the climate agenda of this country and to change the tax-and-spend policies of this country as well.
So, we're going to be doing our job over the next four years to stand up to these sorts of activities by the Biden administration.
BARTIROMO: Yes, I mean, it's pretty extraordinary that we're spending so much money, $8 trillion thrown at this economy, and yet we're cutting defense spending.
And now the Biden administration wants to use taxpayer dollars to promote critical race theory in schools. Can you fight back on that?
CAMERON: Well, it is a an awful notion in terms of critical race theory and the other things that are coming out as edicts of this administration.
And so we are going to continue to fight back on a whole host of challenges that have been presented by this administration, but we're going to do it in a way, like I said earlier, that is based on the law, that's not based on any sort of personal animus.
BARTIROMO: Right. OK.
CAMERON: Our responsibility is to the Constitution and to defending the rights of our working-class men and women here in Kentucky and across this country.
BARTIROMO: A.G., we cannot thank you enough, our audience, for your leadership.
Thank you, sir, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
CAMERON: Thank you, Maria.
BARTIROMO: We appreciate it.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
Now the threat of big tech censorship on our fundamental liberties.
Last week, Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe became the latest victim of cancel culture, when Twitter permanently suspended his account after he exposed hypocrisy and fraud at CNN.
Social media giants have been helping to drive the Biden radical agenda by canceling anyone who does not agree with it.
Joining me right now is the man himself. The founder of Project Veritas is here, James O'Keefe.
James, thanks very much for joining us. We appreciate your time this morning.
Tell us what happened last week, and what you're intending to do tomorrow.
JAMES O'KEEFE, FOUNDER, PROJECT VERITAS: Well, Maria, we were banned from Twitter. I was banned from Twitter. Twitter said I -- quote -- "operated fake accounts."
I have never operated a fake account in my life. So, I sued Twitter for defamation in New York. This comes off the heels of our win in New York state, the Supreme Court of New York state, for defamation. We got past motion to dismiss, a landmark win in that libel lawsuit from Project Veritas vs. The New York Times. More on that in a minute.
But we released these series of videos on CNN showing the CNN director calling the network propaganda, saying they're trying to help paint Biden in a certain way to hurt Trump and get Trump out of office, help Black Lives Matter.
So, those CNN videos were trending number two globally on Twitter. And then, in the third videotape released, they yanked my Twitter account down and said that I was -- quote -- "operating fake accounts." They also banned Project Veritas a month earlier, talking about Project Veritas was violating people's privacy rights for interviewing them in the street, while people who do impersonate me still remain on Twitter.
So we're suing Twitter for defamation, Maria. And it's time to go on offense. It's time to use libel lawsuits to hold them accountable.
BARTIROMO: Well, it's interesting, because you have on tape Twitter saying that they wanted to get involved and affect an election.
You also have that from Google, right? Do you actually have people at Google telling you on camera, we allowed Trump to win in 2016, we won't allow it again?
O'KEEFE: Yes, that was an individual, Jen Gennai, from 2019 we recorded, an executive high up in Google talking about the -- talking about Trump, getting Trump out of office, making those statements. We use hidden cameras. We go undercover to expose these things, also talking about algorithmic unfairness, which sounds like an Orwellian term.
And this CNN director was saying things that does not surprise you. But those videos were doing the thing that Twitter was designed to do, which is empower citizen journalists. I was quoting CNN director Charlie Chester, and I was relaying to people what he told me, so the right of me to relay what I heard and accurately quote him.
And they banned me for doing so. And they manufactured this reason, I -- quote -- "operated fake accounts." All of this is in a lawsuit that we have filed in New York state. And, again, for those of you who think I'm bluffing or these lawsuits don't matter, Project Veritas has never lost a lawsuit in our corporate history, because we don't settle.
We fight all the way to a jury verdict. And we have never lost. And we have gotten past this motion to dismiss, which is a terrible burden to meet in a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. We're one of only a few plaintiffs in modern history to accomplish that.
And we want to know what -- we want to depose Jack Dorsey under oath. We want to put these people through depositions and understand exactly what was going through their mind when they maliciously lied about me, saying I operate fake accounts.
BARTIROMO: Well, we know that, right before the election, they banned The New York Post from reporting on the Hunter Biden story, which we all knew to be true. And we watched them ban The New York Post and the reporter on it.
Look, we have a statement from Twitter. Let me call for that right now, so that we can at least show what they're saying in the face of all of this, because a Twitter spokesperson said that: "We permanently suspended him for violating the Twitter rules on platform manipulation and spam, as outlined in our policy on platform manipulation and spam."
Your thoughts on the Twitter statement on the banning of you? You can't mislead others on Twitter, they say, by operating fake accounts, and you can't artificially amplify or disrupt conversations through the use of multiple accounts. So, they're sticking with their multiple accounts that you were operating.
O'KEEFE: Well, my response is that Drew Griffin from CNN confronted a private resident on her lawn, did not blur the number on the house, and Drew Griffin at CNN still remains on Twitter.
And Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, you banned Project Veritas for confronting the Facebook vice president in the street. That's what reporters do. So, it's a double standard. That's in our defamation lawsuit. And you manufactured this reason -- quote -- "operating fake accounts."
There are people on Twitter who are impersonating me, who still remain on Twitter. Under any standard, under any -- under your own standard, you have double standards. If there wasn't more double standards, you would have no standards at all.
And I will depose you under oath. I will get past this motion to dismiss in this libel lawsuit against you. And, tomorrow, I will sue CNN for defamation because of what Ana Cabrera said on the air about Project Veritas a month ago, CNN host, saying that we spread disinformation and we were banned for that.
Not even Twitter alleges that I was banned or Project Veritas was banned for disinformation. So, people -- every day in this country, people are defamed and lied about constantly, and they don't have the will, the money, the resources to fight back.
So, Veritas is going to be the tip of that spear. And, again, The New York Times lawsuit is a big deal, because Facebook banned our voter fraud videos in Minneapolis because The New York Times said that I was deceptive and part of a disinformation campaign.
Now a justice, a judge in New York state said The New York Times was engaging in deception by reporting an opinion in a news article. And the implications of this for tech, since Facebook and Twitter partner with CNN and The New York Times, the implications are staggering.
And it's very important a lot of people start suing these people for libel. And you will see that CNN lawsuit filed tomorrow.
BARTIROMO: Well, it's extraordinary, because the Democrats set the narrative. And then what has been the case is the media, the mainstream media anyway, picks up the mantle and runs with it.
We talked about this with Stephen Miller on this program last week. Do you think that government is more powerful or big tech is more powerful? It feels like big tech has become more powerful and dominant than anyone expected when Section 230 was first put into the Telecom Act of 1996.
Here's what Stephen Miller says should be done while the Republicans are still in the minority to be ready for when they take the majority, he expects, in 2022.
Listen to Stephen Miller on Section 230.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN MILLER, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: We need to modernize regulations to say that those social media entities are public utilities for general use, and they cannot discriminate against Americans, based on their religion, based on their political views, based on what they believe.
That is a fundamental reform that we should campaign on and, the moment we have the chance, pass it into law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: James, Justice Clarence Thomas really set the tone for big tech. He says it needs to be regulated like public utilities. You can't just exclude people from your services.
You said you're suing CNN tomorrow?
O'KEEFE: Yes. Yes, I'm suing them for defamation.
And Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, there's really no legal theory in the United States to hold or to sue Twitter because of that exemption.
But, Maria, this is a different issue. This is what Twitter and CNN said publicly about me. There are -- there are libel laws. And they're difficult to win in a lawsuit. But going back to New York Times vs. Sullivan in 1964, I have to prove actual malice, because I'm a public figure, that they knowingly lied about me.
And I will meet that burden. I don't know what the solution is for 230, per se. But I think a lot of people need to unite here and understand just the fundamental principles here, that I was -- I was quoting somebody and relaying what it was they told me, and I was banned for that.
And Twitter manufactured a reason. So, Section 230 may have protected Twitter before. It will not protect them from me. You cannot have a reckless disregard for the truth and defame people. And the media gets away with it. And I would consider Twitter getting away with it in this case.
But I will sue them, and we will win, just like we have won every other lawsuit. And people need to stick together. We need to have distribution by proxy. You need to go on Telegram, follow me, download the clips, and put them into your Twitter.
BARTIROMO: All right, James, we will be watching all of this.
Thanks very much for walking us through it this morning. We will see you soon.
O'KEEFE: Thank you.
BARTIROMO: James O'Keefe is the founder of Project Veritas.
Coming up, an "SMF" exclusive next. Don't miss it.
Plus: Biden's White House parrots the Chinese Communist Party's talking points. Wait until you see this.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
Now a "Sunday Morning Futures" exclusive, Biden's woke State Department, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken reacting to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict in an internal staff memo. This memo was obtained exclusively by "Sunday Morning Futures."
He writes that the death of George Floyd "brought even more urgency to a long overdue reckoning here in the United States with systemic racism, police accountability and the unequal treatment of black people throughout our history."
Blinken continues: "Let's recommit, as public servants, to lead by the power of our example in working toward a better, fairer, safer, and more equitable world."
Now, if these talking points sound familiar to you, you are right. It is exactly what Beijing's top diplomat told Blinken at the U.S.-China summit in Alaska last month in March. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YANG JIECHI, DIRECTOR, CHINESE FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translator): And the challenges faced in the United States in human rights are deep-seated. They did not just emerge over the past four years, such as Black Lives Matter.
It did not come up only recently. So, we do hope that, for our two countries, it's important that we manage our respective affairs well, instead of deflecting the blame on somebody else in this world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: Yes, that is when we were schooled in Alaska.
Joining me right now to react is Ohio Congressman Mike Turner. He sits on the House Intel and Armed Services committees.
Good to see you, Congressman. Thanks very much for joining us.
REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): Good morning, Maria. Thank you.
BARTIROMO: This is what our State Department is working on right now. Your reaction?
TURNER: Yes, this is of grave concern.
In that same meeting in Alaska, top Chinese diplomats also said to Secretary of State Blinken that they wanted America to stop promoting democracy around the world. Obviously, they see democracy as a threat to the Chinese Communist Party.
And so any criticism that they can place upon America and our efforts to promote democracy, they see as advancing their goals. Secretary of State Blinken should be very concerned about Chinese criticism of democracy, because any time we play into their narrative, we weaken America and we strengthen them.
BARTIROMO: I totally agree.
But, Congressman, let's face it. While the Democrats and Joe Biden are race-baiting, our enemies and adversaries are ramping up. This week, Putin has amassed 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, threatened that anybody who crosses Moscow's red line on territorial or other issues will regret their deeds.
What's going on with Russia right now?
TURNER: Well, you know, this is of grave concern.
We had top generals and admirals on Capitol Hill last week sounding the alarm of both what China and Russia are doing. They're modernizing their militaries, modernizing their nuclear weapons.
And they were on Capitol Hill sounding the alarm, not just because they're concerned as to what our adversaries are doing, that, over the next five years, they could have capabilities that exceed those of the United States, but because they see growing opposition among the Democrats and among the Biden administration for funding the military and for funding the modernization that will keep us safe and our allies safe.
BARTIROMO: So, everybody's ramping up nuclear capabilities, and what are we doing? We're cutting defense spending.
Congressman, let's take a short break. We have got to get into that. I want to ask you about also the opportunity Biden has created for terrorists at our Southern border. That's next.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. CHARLES RICHARD, COMMANDER, U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND: And I cannot deter with the leftovers of the Cold War forever into the future.
That is a '70 eras weapon system that I'm going to have to employ against 2030 level threats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: That was Admiral Richard.
We are back with Ohio Congressman Mike Turner, who sits on the House Intel and Armed Services committees.
And, Congressman, the admiral testified in front of your committee. He's the head of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, warning you that, for the first time in history, the U.S. is facing two nuclear powers, and we're not ready.
TURNER: Correct.
So, Maria, China's doubling their nuclear weapons. Russia has modernized its nuclear weapons and is fielding new capabilities. And Admiral Richard is looking at an aging stockpile and a Congress that may be unwilling to fund what needs to be to be done.
He's sounding the alarm, so that, as we go forward in this budget process, with Biden having asked for zero increase in defense, that we fight for nuclear modernization to make certain that we can deter our adversaries.
BARTIROMO: Well, that's true.
But if you're not increasing defense spending, when you consider inflation, you're actually cutting it.
TURNER: Absolutely.
BARTIROMO: And that's what The Wall Street Journal reported this past week.
So, in terms of readiness, Jack Keane has been on this program, says, we're outgunned when it comes to China. And then you have got Democrats, led by Elizabeth Warren, reintroducing a bill to block the U.S. from using nuclear weapons first.
What's the logic?
TURNER: Well, you know, there really isn't any that's for our security.
The Biden administration is proposing 60 percent increases everywhere else but in defense. Elizabeth Warren obviously wants to tie the hands of our generals, so that they cannot defend against our adversaries. We need to make certain that America stays strong, that we build a strong military, that we rise to the occasion against the modernization of China and Russia.
And, with that, we will be able to keep our allies and the United States safe.
BARTIROMO: Congressman, we're also pulling out of Afghanistan by September.
TURNER: Right.
And this is certainly a tragedy. I was talking to General Petraeus.
BARTIROMO: OK.
TURNER: And he was saying, you know, part of the concern we have is the ability to be able to continue our terrorism -- counterterrorism efforts there.
BARTIROMO: Congressman, thank you so much for joining me this morning.
TURNER: Thank you.
BARTIROMO: Mike Turner.
That will do it for us. Have a great Sunday, everybody.
I will see you tomorrow on FOX Business.
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