>> IF YOU THINK THE COUNTRY IS POLITICALLY DIVIDED NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK 17 87 MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE COLLECTION OF LOOSELY CONNECTED STATES AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER AND A GROUP OF FIGHTERS THAT AGAINST ALL ODDS FOUND COMMON GROUND LED BY GEORGE WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON IS THE SUBJECT OF THE NEW BOOK TO RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, AND THE FRAGILE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT.

IT'S THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF PRESIDENTIAL BOOKS WRITTEN BY THE CHIEF POLITICAL ANCHOR AT FOX NEWS.

BRET, THERE.

SOME WHO COVERS THE MAJOR ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THAT THE NATION'S DEMOCRACY FACES TODAY, WE SPOKE WITH BEAR AROUND HIS APPEARANCE AT THE CHICAGO HUMANITIES FESTIVAL.

THIS PAST WEEKEND.

AND WE BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION WITH A CLIP FROM BEARS LATEST INTERVIEW WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONDUCTED BACK IN JUNE.

>> YOU TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE STUFF BALLOTS.

YOU TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE THINGS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE THE 51 INTELLIGENCE AGENT RECOUNTS IN ALL THE SWING STATES.

THERE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY MONEY TRYING TO GET A RECOUNT.

REAL RING CAMERAS, NOT NUMBERS WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION.

THAT WAS NOT A SENSE OF THAT.

THERE WERE LAWSUITS MORE THAN 50 OF THEM BY YOUR LAWYERS.

SOME IN FRONT OF >> JUDGES THAT YOU POINT TO LOOK AT WISCONSIN CAME UP WITH WISCONSIN IS PRACTICALLY ADMITTED IT WAS RIGGED.

>> AND BRET BAIER JOINS US NOW.

THANKS SO SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US CHICAGO TONIGHT.

BEFORE WE GET TO THE BOOK, I JUST WONDERED IF YOU COULD GIVE OUR VIEWERS A GLIMPSE INTO HOW YOU APPROACH INTERVIEW WITH SOMEONE LIKE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING IT'S A CHALLENGE.

IT'S SOMETIMES A, YOU KNOW, THE FORMER PRESIDENT, ESPECIALLY IS A TOUGH PERSON TO TO INTERVIEW.

KIND OF LIKE NAILING JELLO TO THE WALL, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S ABOUT RESEARCH HAVE A GREAT STAFF WE LOOK INTO HOW HE'S INTO THINGS BEFORE HOUSE TALKED ABOUT THINGS BEFORE THAT LEADS TO THE NEXT QUESTION.

AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT I ASSUME IN THE DEPOSITION YOU WOULD THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE TO IN THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS.

AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I LET OUT LAYOUT TO THE PRESIDENT'S FORMER PRESIDENTS CREDIT.

HE DID THE INTERVIEW ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS >> AND, KNOW, WE HAD THAT BACK AND FORTH AND EVENTUALLY LED TO ME JUST FLAT OUT SAYING YOU DID NOT WIN.

>> THE 2020 ELECTION, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS AND LIKE I SAID TO HIS CREDIT, HE TOOK THE QUESTION AND DID THE INTERVIEW AND THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN SOME POLITICIANS WHO DECIDE THAT.

WELL, AND I WOULD SAY TO YOUR CREDIT, YOU VERY METICULOUSLY AND DISPASSIONATELY FACT, CHECK HIM OR FOLLOW UP IN THE MOMENT.

AND WE KNOW IN JOURNALISM TODAY.

>> SOME ANCHORS OR WANT TO PUT THEIR OWN AGENDA INTO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

SO THAT'S TO YOUR CREDIT.

OF COURSE, YOU ALSO CO-MODERATE THE FIRST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DEBATE TO SO MANY CANDIDATES ON THAT STAGE.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MODERATING LOTS OF CANDIDATES IN THE MAYORAL DEBATE, BUT SEEMS LIKE THE ATTENTION SEEKING IS AMPLIFIED TO A NEW LEVEL AND AN EVENT LIKE TELL OUR VIEWERS HOW YOU APPROACH ISSUE IS.

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE HERDING CATS.

A IT IS EASY TO >> DEAL WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE ON STAGE.

IT'S ALL MAKING SURE YOU HAVE THE VIN TIME IN MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, FAIR QUESTIONING TO EVERYBODY.

SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE AN EQUAL SHOT BUT WITH THAT MANY CANDIDATES ON THE STAGE, IT'S REALLY ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT.

AND AGAIN, WE TRY TO LAY OUT AND THE CHANGES.

IT'S IT'S KIND OF A REAL-TIME THING.

PRODUCERS IN OUR YEARS SAYING WE NEED TO GIVE MORE TIME TO THIS CANDIDATE TIME THAT THIS CANDIDATE.

SO IT'S A JUGGLING MATCH.

AND THEN THAT PARTICULAR DEBATE, THE FIRST DEBATE.

IT ALSO DEALT WITH THE CROWD THAT WAS VERY RAMBUNCTIOUS IN MILWAUKEE.

ESSENTIALLY WAS ABOUT 6,000 STRONG.

AND WE MENTIONED THAT IF WE THINK THAT TODAY'S POLITICAL DIVISIONS ARE STARK, WHAT ABOUT THE SETTING OF YOUR THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION?

17 87 AGRARIAN STORIES, HOW DID THIS SINGULAR AS YOU POSE IN THE TITLE, RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION?

IT DIDN'T MULTIPLE TIMES ACTUALLY.

AND HE WAS THE THING ABOUT WASHINGTON AND YOU LOOK AT HIS LIFE, IT'S ALWAYS LIFTED AND ALMOST GOD-LIKE.

HE WAS A NORMAL GUY.

HE REALLY JUST WANTED TO GET HOME TO MOUNT VERNON AND BE WITH HIS WIFE.

BUT HE WAS CALLED TO SERVE AND HE WAS CALLED TO SERVE MANY TIMES AND ANSWERED THAT CALL EACH TIME IN THE ARMY AND THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY AS A COMMANDER WINNING AGAINST THE BRITISH.

BUT THEN THAT TIME FROM THE END OF THAT VICTORY TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IS REALLY CHAOTIC.

AND I DON'T THINK WE TRULY APPRECIATE THAT.

THE COUNTRY ALMOST NEVER CAME TO BE THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION WERE VOTED ON AND LOOSELY HELD THE COLONIES TOGETHER.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF DOUBT AND IT WAS STARTED TO BE FRACTURED.

A LOT OF FIGHTS ACTUALLY, IN FACT, THERE WAS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DURING THAT TIME THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT BE EASIER JUST TO GO BACK UNDER BRITISH RULE.

THAT'S THE SODA STRONG.

LOOK AT THAT MOMENT WHEN THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION COMES AND GEORGE WASHINGTON IS RECRUITED AGAIN.

HE ANSWERS THE CALL AND IS THE HEAD OF THIS CONVENTION WITH DISSENTING VOICES ON EVERY THING THAT YOU THINK ABOUT STARTING A COUNTRY AND MANAGES THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS TO COME UP WITH THIS LIVING BREATHING DOCUMENT THAT HE REALLY EMBODIES THE U.S. CONSTITUTION THAT HE HAS TO GET IT RATIFIED.

THEY HAVE TO GET IT RATIFIED.

HE CALLS IT A MIRACLE AND THEN HE BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

SO WITHOUT WASHINGTON, THE NARRATIVE HERE AND YOU GET TO SEE THESE CHARACTERS REALLY YOU KNOW, REAL NARRATIVE WAY.

WITHOUT WASHINGTON.

WE WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CONVINCED AS YOU MENTION IN THE BOOK AND HAS BEEN SAID MANY TIMES ABOUT HIM, HE WARNED ABOUT A POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTISANSHIP.

ONE OF THE LESSONS SAID THAT YOU DISCOVERED RESEARCHING THIS BOOK THAT.

PERHAPS SHAPES.

YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW.

>> WELL, NUMBER ONE IS THAT WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT THIS TIME THAT ABOUT THIS TIME THAT IT IS.

SO PARTISAN AND IT IS AND WE'RE DIVIDED AS A COUNTRY, BUT THAT IT'S SO BAD THAT IT'S FALLING APART.

BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK AT OUR HISTORY AND THIS TIME IN PARTICULAR WE WERE FALLING APART.

BACK THEM.

WE WERE FALLING APART ULYSSES S GRANT RESIDENCY AT THE END OF THAT ONE.

ELECTION THERE IN 18, 76 ALMOST GOES BACK INTO A SECOND CIVIL WAR.

WE'VE HAD MOMENTS IN OUR HISTORY THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY DARK AND IT GIVES US PERSPECTIVE MAYBE IS NOT AS BAD AS WE THINK IT IT.

THE OTHER THING TO LEARN IS THAT HE WAS ALWAYS STRIVING FOR COMMON GROUND BETWEEN PEOPLE AND LET PEOPLE DISSENT.

DISSENT IS BAKED INTO THE CAKE AND OUR DEMOCRACY ARE REPRESENTATIVE FOR PUBLIC.

LET IT HAPPEN.

DON'T FEAR IT.

BUT THEN EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT TOGETHER.

ONE OF THE MANY THINGS YOU ADDRESS ABOUT HIS LIFE AND THE BOOK.

I WANT BRING IT BACK TO CURRENT DAY BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS.

>> I KNOW YOU'RE BOUND BY CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT.

YOU CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE 787 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT WITH A DOMINION, THE VOTING COMPANY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CASE, THE AND PRODUCE EVIDENCE THAT TOP FOX NEWS OFFICIALS AND PERSONALITIES DID NOT BELIEVE THE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD ARE STILL AN ELECTION, EVEN THOUGH THEY ALLOW THOSE CLAIMS SOMETIMES TO GO UNCHECKED ON THE AIR.

EVEN THAT CEO RUPERT MURDOCH TESTIFIED UNDER OATH THAT JOE BIDEN HAD WON THE ELECTION FAIR AND SQUARE.

SO AGAIN, CONFIDENTIALITY RULES YOU CAN ADDRESS THIS.

BUT OVERALL, YOU'RE KNOWN AS A SCRUPULOUS AND FAIR-MINDED AND TOUGH OBJECTIVE REPORTER.

HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, MANY ELEMENTS OF YOUR COMPANY FALL SHORT OF THOSE STANDARDS.

>> DALLAS, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT THE DOMINION CASE.

IT'S KIND OF BEHIND I ALWAYS LOOK THROUGH MY HORSE BLINDERS ABOUT WHAT I WAS PUTTING ON THE AIR AND WHAT I WAS DOING.

WE'RE ALWAYS DO IN FACT CHECKS ABOUT THE ELECTION.

WE'RE ALWAYS DOING STORIES ABOUT HOW THESE THESE THINGS THAT WERE POPPING UP, WE WOULD FACT CHECK AND FIND OUT WHAT THE TRUTH WAS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I RECITING THE FORMER PRESIDENT THERE.

BUT THERE'S MUCH MORE THAT WE DID ON THE AIR ON MY SHOW AND OTHERS.

SO WHAT I CAN TALK ABOUT IS MY SHOW.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS BEHIND US.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE LEGAL DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE OR NOT MADE ALL I KNOW IS THAT.

YOU KNOW, THE NEWS HERE AT FOX WERE TRYING TO DIG UP STORIES RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS AND THE MIDDLE EAST NOT GOT REPORTERS THAT ARE ON THE GROUND RISKING THEIR LIVES TO GIVE THE STORY TO AMERICA.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

I HAVE A REPORTER IN UKRAINE.

A STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT BENJAMIN HALL WHO LOST A LEG AND A FOOT.

AND THEN I I'M REPORTING TRYING TO GET THE STORY.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS WITH FOX AND FOX IS THE FOCUS OF A LOT OF MEDIA WHO COVER MEDIA.

BUT I KNOW FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MY VANTAGE POINT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DIG ON THE NEW SITE EVERY DAY PROVIDE THE AFFAIR SO YOU'RE IN CHICAGO FOR THE HUMANITIES AT FESTIVAL ON ANOTHER TOPIC THAT CAN GET COVERED A LOT ON ON FOX NEWS GIVEN THE HIGH MURDERS, ALTHOUGH WE SHOULD QUALIFY THAT.

>> PER CAPITA CHICAGO'S NOT ONE OF THE HIGHER CITIES WHEN IT COMES TO HOMICIDES.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF OF THE WAY CHICAGO IS PORTRAYED ON FOX NEWS FROM TIME TO TIME.

>> YEAH, I LISTEN.

I THINK IT'S CLEAR THERE'S A CRIME PROBLEM THERE AND THERE'S A CRIME PROBLEM IN A LOT OF BIG CITIES AND IT IS NOT A FOX NEWS PHENOMENON.

YOU KNOW, YOUR OWN RESIDENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT CONCERN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND AND THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE.

AND I THINK WE DEAL WITH REALITY.

IT'S NOT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

IT'S NOT REPUBLICAN CITY OR DEMOCRATIC YEARS HAPPENS TO BE DEMOCRATIC CITY RUN.

BUT IT IS A PROBLEM THAT WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WE AS A COUNTRY SHOULD TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW DEAL WITH IT.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BIG ISSUES, ECONOMY.

EVERYBODY FEELS IT.

HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT YOU KNOW, HOW THE MONEY IS AT HOME THE KITCHEN TABLE.

THIS CONCERN ABOUT OUR SECURITY AND THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

THAT'S REAL.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SAID THAT THAT WAS A FOX NEWS STORY.

GUESS WHAT?

IT'S IT'S STORY THAT'S AFFECTING OUR NATION AND ITS I THINK THAT THESE ARE ALL THINGS SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE AS A NETWORK COVER