>> "special report" is up next. >> joe says no. vice president biden announces he will not run for the top job. this is "special report." good evening i'm chris wallace, in for brett baier. vice president joe biden says his window to run for president has closed. citing the period of mourning over the death of his son. biden said he and his family could not come to a decision in time to make a presidential campaign work. the move seems to smooth the path for hillary clinton, who face as crucial test of her own, tomorrow. chief white house correspondent ed henry has tonight's top

story. >> beau is our inspiration. unfortunately i believe we're out of time. the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination. >> in the end, the gut-check for vice president joe biden was simple -- advisers say he wanted to jump in, but by the time he had gotten through the early stages of grieving his son, beau, death, co-not see a path to win the democratic nomination. >> i've concluded it has closed. >> it clears much of the field for front-runner hillary clinton. especially just 24 hours after moderate democrat jim webb left the race. clinton, with an eye on wooing biden supporters, immediately declared quote, like millions of others, i admire his devotion to family, his grace in grief, his grit and determination on behalf of the middle class. it's telling that biden is not offering an endorsement of clinton. >> i don't believe like some do, that it's naive to talk to republicans. i don't think we should look at republicans as our enemies.

>> a senior administration official said biden made the final decision on tuesday night. then decided to tell the world wednesday with his wife, jill, and president obama at his side. on monday, fox news reported three people close to biden believed, based on conversations with the vice president, he was expected to announce he was in. but the biden had not yet made a final decision to do so. and biden sent a signal he was running in multiple phone calls with harold shcheifberger and said this morning his troops were gearing up to elected bien. >> our union is preparing as if the vice president is going to announce his candidacy. >> democratic socialist candidate bernie sanders is the only alternative to clinton. >> strong differences of opinion. opponents, i wouldn't use the word enemy. >> biden said he would not be silent, as if to leave the door

slightly ajar to be drafted if clinton gets in trouble in the benghazi hearings. >> i'm confident we'll learn more to get to truth of what happened. >> democrats call it a circus, especially after house majority leader kevin mccarthy's gaffe. >> i think she's very disciplined and capable, and will come off well and if the gop members go too far. i think it could end up back-firing on them. >> clinton is not taking any chances, she's been off the campaign trail for the last weekend, she's spent days behind closed doors prepping for the testimony. >> more of this with the panel. from the presidential race to the contest to be speaker of the house, it's been lk a month since john boehner announced he will step down and leave congress and we still don't know who his successor will be. ways and means committee chair paul ryan says he will accept the nomination, but only if the

fractious gop caucus unites behind it. chief congressional correspondent mike emmanuel is on capitol hill tonight. >> a day after congressman paul ryan told his colleagues he was open to being speaker of the house. if they see him as a unifying candidate and on his own terms. retiring speaker john boehner offered this endorsement. >> we all know paul ryan, right? he's a very good member. he works hard, he's very bright. and he has a good relationship, so i think with all the wings of the party. that's why i think he'll be doing fine. >> boehner set a vote in kmps for a week before today. ryan said he'll decide if he will run by this friday, and laid out his vision last night. >> people we serve, they do not feel that we are delivering on the job they hired us to do. we have become the problem. if my colleagues entrust me to be the speaker, i want us to become the solution. >> ryan's terms are the next

speaker needs to be a visionary. for the next speaker to be successful, the house gop must unify now. he's open to changing rules and procedures, and there needs to be a change in the ability to fire the speaker, the motion to vacate the chair. >> paul ryan said look the speaker can't operate with the proverbial gun do his head all the time. >> he's not asking to be anointed. >> the former vice presidential nominee says family still comes first. woe like to spend less time on the road than boehner has, several weekends per month. despite a call for unity. some members of the conservative house freedom caucus have their reservations. >> the only concern i have is that it appeared he's asking for more power to be in the speaker's office instead of less power. >> i don't think the speakership is a 9-to-5 family. i've got family and that's why i'm not running for speaker or any other position like that you've got to work on the weekends. >> florida's daniel webster says he is still running. >> i am surely interested in

being speaker because i'm fighting against the way the process is. >> in terms of addressing concerns of conservatives, the senate's top democrat probably didn't do ryan any favors. >> he appears to be to me to be one of the people over there that would be reasonable. i mean look at some of the other people. i'm a paul ryan fan. >> many establishment members i've spoken with predict there will be intense pressure on the freedom caucus to at least give ryan a shot. after all he was the last vice presidential nominee of the republican party. >> mike emmanuel, thanks. this is a fox news alert. "reuters" is reporting the u.s., france, germany and great britain say they hope the u.n. sanctions committee will take what they call quote appropriate action. in response to iran's most recent ballistic missile test. also tonight, iran supreme leader has endorsed his

country's nuclear deal with the u.s. and its allies. ayatollah kmhamenei is calling for vigilance, saying the u.s. cannot be trusted. his approval is essentially the final word in iran on the issue. while the bombs continue to fall in syria, diplomatic efforts to end that country's civil war are accelerating tonight. syria's embattled leader took a rare trip to moscow, while america's top diplomat is scheduled to meet with his russian counterpart on friday. correspondent kevin corke has the latest from the white house. >> it was a long-awaited meeting between long-time allies, as syrian president bashar al assad and russian president vladimir putin greeted each other tuesday in moscow. assad's first trip outside of his war-torn country since 2011. >> i thank you for standing up for syria's unity and its independence. >> for putin, the meeting comes at a crucial moment at the war in syria armed with the syrian government's approval to launch

air stris against both isis and rebel forces, the russian leader's aggressive campaign burnishes moscow's growing role in the region. >> translator: following your request, we made a decision and provided effective assistance to the syrian people in fighting international terrorism which had started a real war against syria. >> puting claims part of the reasoning for being in syria is because at least 4,000 islamist militants from the former soviet union are fighting there. and left unchecked, they could foment instability back in russia. but the obama administration quickly criticized the meeting, traveling aboard air force one. whoeks spokesman eric schultz said the red carpet treatment for assad in russia is at odds with moscow's stated goal of a political transition in syria. >> i don't see how assad could ever unite and govern the country. no more than the terrorists could ever unite and govern that country. >> the kremlin's warm welcome happened on the very same day the pentagon and russian officials signed a memorandum of

understanding. to avoid an inadvertent clash over syria, as u.s. forces continue to target isis. the agreement calls for the two sides to keep a safe distance in the air and establish a communications hotline. there would be no shared intelligence and the details of the deal would remain secret at the russian's request. meanwhile on capitol hill, with the syrians and even the iraqis now soliciting help from the kremlin to fight isis, doubts about russia's true intentions in the region abound. >> in the back of putin's head as he sees opportunities, if he also has the opportunity to poke the united states in the eye, he will never miss that opportunity. >> thank god there will not be a mid air collision between a u.s. and russian airplane and we would really be able to observe carefully, the killing of these young men we trained and equipped and sent in. this is shameful. >> chris, secretary kerry will meet with benjamin netanyahu tomorrow as the conversation continues with how best to deal with the growing threat of isis. and speaking of, the u.s.

coalition of bombing isis in syria and iraq is one country smaller. canada's prime minister-designate justin trudeau telling president obama that his country will no longer take part. chris? >> kevin corke, thanks. up next, you don't have to crawl under or jump over a fence to get into this country illegally. we'll look at how others try and succeed in doing it. first, here's what some of the our fox affiliates around the country are covering tonight. fox 2 in san francisco, where the board of supervisors unanimously supports the sanctuary city policy. the refusal to cooperate with federal immigration law, came under scrutiny after the death of a young woman allegedly shot by an illegal immigrant who was released by local law enforcement. fox 2 in st. louis, where officials are asking for the public's help in catching whoever is responsible for a half-dozen fires at african-american churches. federal investigators say the person setting the fires is trying to send a message of fear. they are not saying if the

motive is racial. and this is live look at chicago from fox 32, the big story there tonight? the cubs try to hang on in the national league championship series, the cubbies are down three games to none to the new york mets entering tonight's fourth and what could be final game. the cubs of course have not won the world series since 1908. this is tonight's live look outside the beltway from "special report."

the pilot of a marine corps fighter jet was killed today when his plane crashed near a british air base. the jet was an f-18-c hornet from a squad ron based in california. had it had taken off from eastern england and crashed in a farm about seven miles away. as we mentioned in the first segment, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu will meet

with secretary of state kerry tomorrow in berlin. in the latest effort to restore calm amid protests by palestinians. kerry will then talk with palestinian leader mahmoud abbas and jordan's king abdullah this weekend. near jerusalem, a palestinian woman stabbed a female israeli soldier critically wounding her. before being shot and killed. tonight, we conclude our series on securing the border with a look at people who try to sneak into this country illegally through a legitimate checkpoint. correspondent william longiness reports from san ysidro, california. >> not everyone in the u.s. illegally comes over a fence. 40% arrive through an airport or port of entry. where most come face to face with an immigration officer. san ysidro is the busiest land border in the world, handling more than 80,000 visit ars day. some immigrants hide wedged in a box, a door, a seat. under a bench.

even multiple cans of paint. others travel on counterfeit documents, forcing agents to decide in seconds if they are who they claim to be. >> you have to determine whether that person presenting the document is the actual person. >> officer an jell ka gave me a test. do the photos match, are they imposters. >> i would say that's the same guy. >> no. >> you're looking at the shape of the nose, the mouth, the face. >> my failure rate 50%, allowing in ten illegal immigrants in ten minutes. >> how often do you find a person trying to pass themselves off as someone else. >> here at the san ysidro port, we find people doing that on a daily basis? >> do you have anybody telling you what you missed? >> we don't have that metric. i've seen ranging of we catch 1.5% to 20%. of what's coming across. >> others enter legally, but never leave. the u.s. does not currently track visitors who overstay their visa.

some argue a better solution is e-verify, a government database for employers to insure a legal workforce. >> that's where the enforcement effort has to take place, not at the border, not on entry and not on departure. >> but like e-verify, the tracking system mandated by congress to detect visa overstays remain as work in progress. tonight we continue our background reports on benghazi and libya aherd of hillary clinton's congressional testimony tomorrow. ironically, it was thought american policy in libya would help her in her run for president. but that hasn't gone as planned. and not just in benghazi. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge has that part of the story tonight. >> at the height of the arab spring, the obama administration threw its support behind the libyan opposition and turned its back on dictator moammar gadhafi, reversing a decade of u.s. policy. last month, president obama conceded to missteps and

miscalculations. >> our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind. >> critics say that loosely-knit opposition included former al qaeda members and sympathizers. >> for the first time america allied with radical jihadists, because this administration thought that we could manage them. that we could trust them. >> in march 2011, "reuters" reports mr. obama signed a secret order authorizing support for the libyan revels. the following month, secretary clinton's email shows she was interested in using contractors to arm the opposition. that same spring, the fox was the first to report that the signed off on weapons contracts. brett baier pressed house speaker john boehner on what he knew. >> was the gang of eight briefed on a covert operation in libya? >> i don't recall that. >> you don't recall that in. >> i don't recall that. the former chairman of the house

intelligence committee, pretty much debunked that whole idea. >> the house committee found quote no evidence that the c.i.a. conducted unauthorized activities in benghazi and no evidence the intelligence community shipped arms to syria. >> are you saying categorically that the u.s. government and the c.i.a. played no role whatsoever in the movement of weapons from libya to syria? >> we played no role. now whether we were watching other people do it, i can't talk about it. >> libya's central government collapsed and the power vacuum created a safe haven for terrorist groups like isis. >> the irony is the same folks who were so critical president bush, for not having a plan, on what to do after we got rid of saddam hussein, had no plan at all in terms of what to do after we got rid of moammar gadhafi. >> at the democratic debate, mrs. clinton emphasized the first free election since 1951, not the current chaos. >> they voted with the hope of democracy. because of the arab spring, because of a lot of other

things, there was turmoil to be followed. >> expect more questions about the administration's libya policy. whether it was a contributing factor to the violence that killed four americans on september 11th, 2012 and if america's top diplomat, secretary of state hillary clinton, missed fuentes to avoid war. chris? still ahead, the media coming around to the idea that donald trump could be elected president. first, another new york city police officer is gunned down on the increasingly mean streets.

violence against law enforcement has become an almost daily story in the news. tonight an officer in kentucky is set to be recovering. and a police officer in new york

city is dead. correspondent laura engel tells us from what happened from east harlem. >> it never gets easier. >> new york city police in mourning once again. after a fourth officer is gunned down and killed in the line of duty over the past 11 months. neighbors in east harlem say they heard arguing, gunshots, then shell casings hitting the pavement. when the chaos was over, 33-year-old officer randolph holder, a five-year veteran of the nypd was on the ground, shot in the forehead by a fleeing gunman who had allegedly been involved in a rival gang gunfight just moments before. the gang members scattered and led officers on a chase. tyrone howard, a career criminal with 23 prior arrests, is accused of being the triggerman who shot and killed officer holder. howard was shot in the leg during the confrontation with police. he was treated and released and is now in police custody. at a press conference hours ago, nypd police commissioner bill

bratton spoke about the hostility that police officers face on the streets daily. >> while we do have problematic officers in our ranks among 800,000, the vast majority of the 800,000 like the officers last night continually on behalf of the citizens of this city and this country, go toward the danger. >> meanwhile in kentucky another officer was shot when police in prestonberg attempted to pull 0 over a 28-year-old at a traffic stop. the suspect fled, allegedly shot officer adam dixen in the chest. dixon is expected to survive. today in east harlem. community members expressed their anger and grief over what they call another senseless killing of a police officer. city leaders say they will continue their work to get illegal guns off the streets and keep career criminals behind bars. and officers holder's father, a former police officer himself, went to the hospital immediately, not only to grieve, but also to console his son's colleagues and friends, and

chris we've just learned in the last few moments that the funeral has been set for officer holder and that will be held next tuesday. one week from the day he was shot and killed. back to you. >> laura engel reporting from new york city, thank you for that. toyota is recalling 6.5 million vehicles worldwide. including almost three million in the u.s. for a defective power window switch that can overheat. and lead to fires. the recall covers ten models built from 2006 to 2011. there's been just one minor injury reported from the defect here in the u.s. stocks were down, the dow lost 48.5. the s&p 500 was off 12. nasdaq slid 41. like donald trump needs any more money. but his presidential campaign may be getting it, anyway. that's next on "special report."

. lots of numbers to tell you about tonight. in america's election headquarters. they have to do with two of the most important issues. at this stage of the presidential race. and that's money and polls. chief political correspondent carl cameron tells us more. >> donald trump's billionaire buddy, investor carl icahn who has endorsed trump is creating a

super pac to push congress on one of his and the front-runner's priorities, ending corporate inversion so the u.s. can bring home trillions of dollars parked overseas without huge taxes. >> we need a president that can move congress and i think donald trump could do it. >> there are four pro trump super pacs now, they've yet to spend significant money. trump is in the 30s in the new "washington post" poll. 42% of republicans now expect trump will win the gop nomination. instead of satisfied and optimistic that their candidates will do a good job in the white house. republicans are more pessimistic and uncertain. in a "wall street journal" poll, carson fares best. rubio and fiorina are second and third and by a two to one margin, bush ted cruz and trump are seen with the most uncertainty and pessimism. in nevada, bush proposed moving the interior department out of washington to nevada or utah so

government can be closer to the impact of its actions and inactions. trump called in to "good morning america" to dismiss bush's attacks on his fitness for office. >> he's embarrassed by what's happening. so he has to attack me to try to get his numbers up. i don't think it's going to work. the last thing we need is another bush. >> trump's spending report shows no purchase of a database. tv and radio ads for bush are increasing in his must-win state of new hampshire. where trump is more than doubling him. the bloomberg poll shows trump at 24, carson with 17 and bush at 10. >> the problem is people already think they know jeb bush. maybe they don't. but they know the family name. they've had 12 years of bush president denicies. so it is going to be very difficult, not impossible. but very difficult for jeb bush to turn the situation around. >> trump's biggest lead is in massachusetts, the most liberal state in the nation where democrats outnumber republicans, 10-1. a runaway with half of all state

republicans backing trump. gop establishment types have been whispering for months about an ad blitz to cripple trump's campaign. in a month or two the early voting states will be so flooded with political ads most folks will already be tuning them out. chris? >> carl, thank you. some are starting to come around to the idea that donald trump is not going away any time soon. if at all. tonight fox news media analyst and host of fox's media buzz, howard kurtz look into candidate few took seriously not that long ago. good evening, hourie. >> the media have dismissed donald trump for months, as a side show and a summer fling and then a candidate bound to implode. now national view says the establishment is thinking the unthinkable. >> the republican establishment for the first time saying off the record, this guy could win. >> i don't hear anybody saying he can't win the nomination any more. >> i know all of us dismiss trump. early on. all of us, the so-called

experts. i am beginning to believe he could be elect president of the united states. >> the upbeat assessments fuelled by trump expanding his lead as we heard in a spate of recent polls from cnn, nbc, "wall street journal," abc, "washington post" and in early states as iowa and new hampshire. many journalists had mocked trump as a nativist clown, such as one who said he was way too incredibly serious high-minded to showing himself before writing about trump before profiling him for "the new york times" magazine. the bombastic millionaire has mounted the most relentless media blitz in campaign history. pushing his message on the morning shows, evening shows, sunday shows, late-night shows, even "60 minutes." when trump says something controversial about illegal immigrants, john mccain, that anti-muslim questioner. many commentators predict his imminent demise. he's had great success punching back against the unpopular press and can make news with a single insulting tweet against his

rivals or his media detractors. what most of the news business miss is how trump's supposed liabilities, no political experience, vague policy pronouncements and in your face style, would resonate with a fed-up republican electorate. now there's no certainty that trump will win the nomination. but the media are no longer in denial that he could. chris? >> howie, thank you. the website, wikileaks is posting documents it says are from the personal email account of c.i.a. director john brennan. the first batch documents about torture policy and analysis of political figures in iran, and biographical form filled out by brennan himself. the material was taken in a compromise of brennan's email account by a hacker who says he's a high school student protesting american foreign policy. well, joe biden is out, the vice president says he will not go after the top job. we'll get reaction from the panel after this quick break.

as my family and i have worked through the grieving process, i've said all along, what i've said time and again to others, that it may very well be that that process by the time we get through it, closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign. for president. that it might close. i've concluded it has closed. >> well, vice president biden ending the suspense today in a rose garden appearance announcing he will not seek the democratic nomination for president. let's bring in our panel. steve hayes, of the "weekly standard," karen tumelty from the "washington post" and syndicated columnist charles

krauthammer. >> he seems to have been sending out so many signals, especially in the last week that he was leaning towards running. any sense of what happened, what changed his mind? >> i think he definitely wanted to be president. he's wanted to be president since the early 1970s. i think quite frankly as he was pretty clear about it he said the window has closed on me. the fact is that hillary clinton has been resurgent since that debate. she has regained in our poll, more than half the territory she lost over the summer. and i think he looked at his chances of winning and realized there just was not a path there. >> steve, i think you'll agree, it was one of the most unusual events of this sort that i've ever seen. statements of noncandidacy. take out the first pay graph. and it could have been a campaign speech. with biden expressing why, how he would have run for president. and he also couldn't resist taking one final shot at hillary

clinton. here it is. >> i don't believe like some do, that it's naive to talk to republicans. i don't think we should look at republicans as our enemy. they are opposition. they're not our enemies. >> steven, it also seemed as if biden represented the fact that yes, i'm not going to run, but i really don't like the fact that i've decided i'm not going to run. >> no question about it. the most important word in a number of words that he spoke, was "unfortunately." i've decided i can't move forward. he clearly wanted to do this. and i think sent a message that if something catastrophic were to happen to hillary clinton's campaign, that he is still interested. in being president of the united states. >> so you think he very much left a plan b out there if something were to happen, either from the testimony tomorrow or for the fbi investigation. i've in effect given you the kind of candidacy i would run. >> signaling that he would want

to be president. gave a speech that was basically an announcement speech. it was quintessential joe biden, right? it was at times i thought quite moving. it was at times sort of preachy and a lecture. and at other times it felt like the scene from "meet the parents" when ben stiller is saying the prayer and it he keeps going and doesn't quite know when to stop with the prayer. he just kept going and going. >> when you said a scene from "meet the parents" i'm glad it was that scene you were talking about. >> i saw you looked perplexed. look, i think karen is right about one thing in particular. you know there's the conventional wisdom polls that debates don't really matter much. think this is an instance where the debate may have been determinative. if hillary clinton had bombed in that debate if bernie sanders had decided to go after her, we could be looking at an entirely different scenario. not only the "washington post" polls and other national polls and early state polls. >> why not wait until tomorrow, which could be a big deal? why not wait to see what happens

in the benghazi committee testimony? >> because i think there may have been a concern if he got out after that, that it would look opportunistic. if he decided to go after that, it would look opportunistic. >> charles? what do you make of the biden speech? what do you make of his decision? >> i agree with you completely. it was a two-part speech with two parts, totally unconnected. i'm not running and then he gave what was obviously an announcement speech. so there are two explanations. either like most journalists, he hates to throw away a work product. he had already written an announcement speech and said well i mighting a well use it. the other explanation i think is right. what he did with that speech. which was essentially an announcement speech was to say i'm ready. i'm tanned, i'm rested. and if lightning strikes hillary, meaning if the department of justice indicts her or something really out of the ordinary happens, and somehow she disappears, i just

bought myself a stand-by ticket on air force one. so he's first in line. there's nothing he could have done as a candidate to depose her. particularly after the debate. it was a 13-point swing in her standing against sanders. but right now he's waiting in line, if something happens, he's just announced that he's ready. and i think he would be the logical candidate. so he's got the best of both worlds. >> in the time we have left, how do you think his getting out now the next big event is the testimony, how do you think this sets clinton up for her testimony before the benghazi committee? >> i don't think it's going to make any difference. think she has the nomination. i think the race ended in the debate when bernie sanders said -- we're tired of hearing about your damn emails. that was a concession speech. he handed over his sword, it was over. it remains over. and biden understood that. he's not a dummy. he understands how, how the forces here were and he knew he had zero chance. i think this is all in the hands

of the department of justice. it's not in the hands of the of the benghazi committee. they will determine the one in 100 chance that she follows. >> karen, we agree with that, not to expect much from the testimony tomorrow? >> i think the bigger event come saturday night in iowa. where she's going to be up against bernie sanders. this is a quadrennial dinner 2007 it was the first sign that she was in big trouble against barack obama and seeing the two of them, having to spell out their visions side by side, think is going to tell us a lot about how this democratic primary is going to be framed. >> we got about a minute left. you're our resident benghazi expert, steve. if anybody has a sense, does the committee have ammunition to go after hillary clinton tomorrow or not? >> yeah, i think they've uncovered new information on all three aspects of the benghazi investigation. what happened before, what happened during and after. i think they'll focus on before and in particular on the security questions.

and among the questions they'll raise is, you said that you, this was sort of below your pay grade to be working on the security issues that you had other people to handle it. and yet we've now seen through emails from sidney blumenthal and other documents that have been produced that you spent quite a bit of time focusing on other things, why did you spend so much time with this adviser, who was not allowed to work at the state department, taking in his shoddy intelligence, and didn't spend time working on these issues that people were screaming about. down in the bowels of the state department bureaucracy. >> panel we have to take a break. next up, paul ryan says yes -- with conditions.

the people we serve, they do not feel that we are

delivering on the job that they hired us to do we have become the problem if we colleagues entrust me to come the speaker, i want us to become the solution. >> the only concern that i have right now it appears that he is asking more power to be be in the speaker's office instead of less power. >> i don't think the speakership is is a 9 to 5 job. i got family that's why i'm not running for speaker or any other position like that. you have got to work on the weekends. >> paul ryan announcing he will will run for speaker if, if house republicans unite behind him and two of the g.o.p. insurgents there indicating that's not a done deal. we are back now with the panel. steve, any sense today and there hasn't been much talk bulbly of how the talks are going as paul ryan goes to the various factions within the g.o.p. house membership and asks them for that kind of support. >> we know that the house freedom caucus is going to take its vote tonight. we may have a very good idea of what ryan's fate is as the potential speaker by the

end of the evening. >> 80%. >> right. >> to endorse somebody. >> the the rule is that they need 80% to endorse somebody. there has been talk of suspending that rule or setting it aside for this vote. we don't know what the ultimate determination of that is there are conflicting reports coming out of those meetings. you had mo brooks on fox business about an hour ago saying he thought it would be very difficult. >> republican from alabama. >> republican from alabama. member of the house freedom caucus saying he thought it would be very difficult for ryan to get that requisite 80% if, in fact, that rule is not suspended. and then you have had others come out and say from the house freedom caucus come out and say we are ready to get behind him. is he a unifying element. we are ready to move forward. >> karen, i thought it was interesting that john boehner scheduled votes for speaker next wednesday, not so long from now among republicans and next thursday on the full house floor. for him to do that and maybe i'm reading too much into it, it would seem like he thinks that ryan is going to be able to seal this deal

within a week. >> yeah, and i think he also knows in this process speed kills. that basically the longer this question hangs out there in some ways the harder it's going to become for paul ryan because too many things can come up. there will be questions raised about his position on immigration among other issues. we saw with kevin mccarthy time was not his friend. >> your thoughts about this whole spectacle. >> look, if i were ryan, what i would have done is to demand that freedom caucus sign a written contract in secret. written in blood, witness withed by. >> i'm glad you are not overstating here. >> witnessed by a corlioni brother just to make sure it's going to be enforced and support you we're not going it undermine you on a, b, c, and d on the debt ceiling and continuing resolution, et cetera. on a whole host of issues. i think ryan actually is doing it in a slightly more logical way. it's not behind closed

doors. it's open. he came out there and said i don't want the job but i think i should do it. but i will only do it under certain conditions and he spelled them out openly which essentially said you don't try to bring me down. you are going to have to stick with me. i think what he has done successful is to put it all in the court of the freedom caucus can. if they say no, they will not have a speaker on wednesday. that's not the end of the world but it certainly as karen indicates the longer it goes on the weaker it makes republicans look. so i think he did the right thing. he doesn't want the job. he wants to be a chairman of house ways and means. he was born to be the chairman of that committee and to do stuff on entitlements and tax reform. that's what he loves. that's what he is good at. that's what what he wants to do. he will will do it. he is doing it exactly right. if you want me to do it, i will do it. you have to be behind me otherwise why would i do it? >> the point you made about signing the oath in blood, yeah. >> even if they pledge we

are going to support you, how much is that commitment worth in the first time you get into an issue, and the insurgents don't like where he is going? >> well, that's where the corlionis come in. look, you can't hold a person to a contract and he obviously isn't doing it that way. but is he going to get a commitment, i assume some honor on the part of members. especially among your own party, thieves among themselves, and in the end i think if they pledge, he is, i think, would be smart to go ahead and to do it. if he gets betrayed, then we have a lot of good stories on "special report." >> that's good and maybe on "fox news sunday": let me ask you about the point that charles just made about this there is a lot more riding here than just paul ryan. there is also the question of just the image and the standing of the republican party. it seems to me this is important for the 2016 presidential race as well because if republicans can't get together behind paul ryan, if they remain in

disarray, doesn't that raise questions about whether you want to turn the keys over to this party? >> i think it does. i think it could have that kind of a long-term effect. people who disagree would say well, look, there was a shutdown and they recovered from the shutdown it could have that kind of an effect in particular because you are seeing sort of a nasty campaign being waged against paul ryan. not necessarily by members of the house freedom caucus who seem to be most concerned with unterm congressional rules but by outsider who's are maybe feculent arguments about paul ryan not being a conservative. support for more liberal immigration. that kind of campaign, i think, is potentially destructive particularly when you look at somebody like paul ryan's work in the conservative movement for 20 years as one of the leading reformers among conservatives. >> that's it for the panel. stay tuned to see how canada's political commentators are analyzing their new prime minister. need to hire fast?

go to ziprecruiter.com and post your job to over one hundred of the web's leading job boards with a single click. then simply select the best candidates from one easy to review list. and now you can use zip recruiter for free. go to ziprecruiter.com. heritage as the son of a former prime minister. but you would be wrong. >> he is 43 years old. he is he a very good looking young man. >> he is undeniably a good looking guy.

>> very handsome man. >> he is very, very good looking. i think in america he might just win the election on his looks alone. >> his looks alone could win him the u.s. election because looks are everything in u.s. politics. if you want to even become considered for president you have to be smoking hot. [ laughter ] >> and that's "special report" for tonight. i'm chris wallace in washington. no online show tonight but "on the record" with greta van susteren comes up next. ♪ ♪ z

. and good morning to you. you are watching "fox & friends" first on this thursday morning. i'm heather. >> and i'm ainsliey. thanks so much for waking up this early with us. we begin with a fox news alert. just hours from now, hillary clinton will make her highly anticipated appearance before

the benghazi select committee. >> she will try to avoid an outburst like this one from 20 13. >> the fact is, we had four dead americans. was it because of a protest or because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they would go kill some americans? what difference at this point does it make? >> clinton will be questioned about her actions during the 2012 attack in libya, which left four americans dead. testimony expected to last all day. the focal point is going to be what did she know? what were the facts on the ground? what was going on as the deteriorating situation was apparent on the ground in libya. why wasn't it apparent at the state department? why didn't it break through to those officials responsible to their safety? these are questions that i think the american people have a right to know and particularly moving forward. how do we make sure this never happens again? because this was a disaster and four people were