>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW!
FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST IS THE CHIEF POLITICAL ANCHOR FOR FOX
NEWS.
FROM "SPECIAL REPORT WITH BRET BAIER," PLEASE WELCOME BRET
BAIER!
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ BRET BAIER ♪ >> HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> Stephen: I'M GOOD.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW ARE YOU?
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE YOU ON TWO, THREE WEEKS AGO, SOMETHING
LIKE THAT?
AND WE GOT A REPORT THE DAY BEFORE-- I THINK I MIGHT HAVE
BROKEN THE NEWS FOR SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE-- THAT YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY WERE IN A PRETTY BAD CAR ACCIDENT IN MONTANA, AND YOU HAD
TO CANCEL THE NEXT DAY.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT HAPPENED?
>> WE WERE COMING BACK FROM A SKI TRIP AND I WAS DRIVING AND
IT WAS PURE ICE.
WE WERE ABOUT A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT, SLIPPED THROUGH AN
INTERSECTION, GOT HIT BY A PICKUP TRUCK, TURNED AND
FLIPPED.
>> Stephen: ASK YOU YOUR FAMILY, YOUR WIFE AND KIDS?
>> YEAH, TWO KIDS AND MY WIFE.
AIR BAG GOES OFF, WINDSHIELD BREAKS.
GOOD SAMARITAN STOPS.
ZACH BLACK-- THANK YOU, ZACH.
GETS US OUT--
OF THE PASSENGER SIDE.
>> Stephen: PULLS YOU OUT.
PULLS YOU OUT.
>> FIRST RESPONDERS WERE UNBELIEVABLE.
MONTANA HIGHWAY PATROL, E.M.S.
WE GOT AWAY WITH A CONCUSSION, SPRAINED ANKLE, 14 STITCHES ON A
CHIN, AND MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD LOST A TOOTH, BUT HE'S A HOCKEY
PLAYER, SO HE REALLY LIKES THAT.
HE LOOKS LIKE OVECHKIN.
>> Stephen: THAT'S LEVELING OFF.
THEY CALL IT LEVELING OFF.
>> BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT I REALIZE THE REACH OF YOUR SHOW.
IN THE NEXT DAY -- >> Stephen: WE SAID SOMETHING
ON THE AIR ABOUT IT.
>> THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE E-MAILED OR TEXTED.
I HAD PEOPLE FROM GRAMMAR SCHOOL SAYING, "ARE YOU IN A COMA?"
I'M LIKE, "IF I WAS, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO GET BACK
TO YOU."
BUT-- SO IF I DIDN'T ANSWER, EVERYBODY'S OKAY.
WE ARE VERY BLESSED.
THANK GOD.
PLEASE WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT S.
>> Stephen: SURE, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
>> AND THANKS TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS?
RESPONDERS.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
GOOD TO HEAR IT.
YOU JUST CELEBRATED YOUR TENTH YEARS HOSTING "SPECIAL REPORT."
>> YUP.
>> Stephen: AFTER 10 YEARS, ARE THE REPORTS STILL AS
SPECIAL?
IS IT HARD TO KEEP THE SPARK ALIVE 10 YEARS SPECIAL
REPORTING?
>> EVERY DAY IS SPECIAL, SPECIAL SAUCE.
NOW, WE'VE GOT-- I TOOK OVER FOR BRIT HUME 10 YEARS AGO.
A LOT HAS HAPPENED.
>> Stephen: NEWS HAS CHANGED.
FOX NEWS HAS CHANGED.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST 10 YEARS?
>> FIRST OF ALL, NEWS HAS CHANGED SO FAST.
THERE ARE SIX OR SEVEN NEWS CYCLES IN A DAY.
I SAY I'M ONE TWEET AWAY FROM CHANGING THE WHOLE SHOW.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE IN D.C.
FOR THE STATE OF THE UNION.
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THIS YEAR'S SPEECH?
BECAUSE THERE ARE-- THEY COME AND THEY GO.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT EACH ONE HAS A DIFFERENT CHARACTER.
HOW WOULD YOU SAY THIS SPEECH WAS?
>> SO, FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS LONG.
>> Stephen: CLINTONNESQUE.
>> ORS THE PRESIDENT WOULD SAY HUGE!
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
>> I DON'T GET TO DO THAT ON THE SHOW THAT MUCH.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T.
>> I TWEETED OUT I THOUGHT FOR HIM SUFFICIENCY A SOLID SPEECH
BECAUSE STATE OF THE UNIONS, AS YOU MENTIONED, ARE KIND OF LIKE
A SHOPPING LIST FOR PRESIDENTS.
THEY JUST KIND OF PUT A LIST OF WHAT THEY WANT POLICY AND
POLITICS-WISE.
THIS HAD SOME NARRATIVE, THE HAT TIPS TO THE WORLD WAR II
VETERANS, BUZZ ALDRIN, THE WOMAN WHO GETS OUT OF JAIL.
THERE WERE EMOTIONAL MOMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SPEECH THAT I
THINK THIS PRESIDENT DID PRETTY WELL.
IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR NE NE NETWOR POLL, 76% OF THE CBS PEOPLE
POLLED SAID THEY APPROVED OF THE SPEECH.
SO I THINK THAT WE ARE STILL ONE TWEET AWAY FROM THAT ALL GOING
AWAY.
>> Stephen: THAT'S AVERAGE.
LAST YEAR IT WAS 75%, THE YEAR BEFORE THAT IT WAS 76%.
BOTH BUSH AND OBAMA REGULARLY HIT THE 80s.
THE PEOPLE WHO WATCH ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE PERSON.
SO 76, WHILE NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT, IS AVERAGE.
>> ACCORDING TO YOUR POLL -- >> Stephen: NOT MY POLL.
I DON'T TRUST THOSE PEOPLE.
>> WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS STATE OF THE UNIONS ARE BIG
MOMENT S.
>> Stephen: THEY SEEM LIKE EMOTIONAL MOMENTS FOR PRESIDENTS
BECAUSE YOU GET THE STATUS OF THE MOMENT.
AND I'M SURE THE PRESIDENT LOVES THAT.
HE LOVES BEING BIG MAN ON CAMPUS.
>> OF COURSE,.
>> Stephen: AND HE GETS TO WALK INTO SOMEBODY'S HOME AND
TAKE IT OVER FOR A COUPLE HOURS.
I'D GIVE A LONG SPEECH TOO,.
>> IT'S A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
HALF OF THE CHAMBER ARE FROM THE OTHER PARTY AND THEY'RE NOW
CONTROLLING A CHAMBER AND IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE IN
WASHINGTON
>> Stephen: IT IS, YEAH.
WE BROUGHT IN--
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: JUST-- JUST FOR--
JUST FOR THIS INTERVIEW, WE BROUGHT IN ALL THE REPUBLICANS
WHO KEPT STANDING UP AND CLAPPING LAST NIGHT.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT HANDLED SORT OF THE REALITY OF
THE CHANGING POLITICAL SITUATION?
BECAUSE PRESIDENT BUSH, PRESIDENT OBAMA HAVE HAD TO FACE
A SHELLACKING, LIKE TRUMP JUST FACED.
DO YOU THINK HE WAS ACTING COGNIZANT OF THE CHANGED
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT?
OR IS HE JUST SORT OF KIND OF WHIST LING PAST THE GRAVEYARD?
>> LISTEN, I THINK THERE WERE MOMENTS OF OUTREACH IN THE
SPEECH.
BUT WHETHER THEY DEVELOP.
>> Stephen: WHAT WERE THOSE MOMENTS...
>> TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
>> Stephen: BUT IT'S ALWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK.
>> OF COURSE,.
>> Stephen: HE SAID INFRASTRUCTURE $1 TRILLION TWO
YEARS AGO, A TRILLION AND A HALF LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR HE SAID, "JUST GENERALLY INFRASTRUCTURE."
>> YOURS IS MUCH BETTER THAN MINE.
>> Stephen: I DON'T THINK SO.
>> I THINK PROGRESS IS POTENTIAL.
THIS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE-- I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GET A
DEAL.
>> Stephen: THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I, DO YOU THINK THE VIBE YOU'RE GETTING
FROM THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW REPORTING ON THE HILL WILL GET
TO SOMETHING.
THERE WON'T BE ANOTHER SHUTDOWN?
>> I THINK SO.
I THINK THE SHUTDOWN WAS HEINOUS FOR WASHINGTON.
IT WAS HEINOUS FOR THE COUNTRY.
AND BOTH SIDES--
I THINK ARE SAYING WE DON'T WANT TO GET THERE AGAIN.
THE PRESIDENT IS -- >> Stephen: THE PRESIDENT'S
WILLING TO GO THERE.
>> HE'S STAYING OUT OF THIS, SO FAR.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> AND I THINK THESE 17 LAWMAKERS FROM BOTH SIDES MAY
ACTUALLY GET TO A DEAL.
WE'LL SEE.
WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT PROBABLY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
>> Stephen: THAT WOULD BE LOVELY.
BRET, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
SO GLAD THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE WELL.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: "SPECIAL REPORT WITH BRET BAIER" AIRS WEEKDAYS ON FOX
NEWS.
THE MAN IS BRET BAIER.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY SASHA SLOAN.