when you as a television anchor throw your own personal interest in a story the tail becomes the tale and becomes richer. >> dana: the tail was wagging the story. did you have a run-in with barney? >> i saw him being walked every day. >> dana: harris faulkner is up next with "the faulkner focus." here she is. >> harris: we begin with this fox news alert. nikki haley set to hold her first official presidential campaign if her home state of south carolina at any moment. she announced by video her run for the white house yesterday and reports say the twice elected governor and former ambassador to the united states under president trump is expected today to say that americans deserve to feel proud of their country. they don't now. it is time for a new generation of leadership. also this hour veteran pollster and former top advisor to president trump kellyanne

conway. the silence continues after the u.s. military shot down those three mystery objects flying over north america. three since friday. however, americans still are waiting to hear directly from the president exactly what they were and why they needed to shoot them down. i'm not talking about the china spy craft. i mean the three things floating about us since then. lawmakers are losing patience on both sides of the political aisle. i'm harris faulkner. it has been several days since the united states fighter jets shot down those objects over alaska, canada and lake huron. while the white house says those objects have yet to be identified, they say there is forplan for the president to address the nation. >> the president clearly has been briefed on a regular basis on this, on a daily basis on what has occurred in the last ten days or so. but i just don't have anything

to preview as to if the president is going to be speaking on this in the upcoming days. >> harris: i wonder if she even asked him? "the washington examiner" editorial board says president biden's silence on these shoot downs is unacceptable. republicans say the president's silence needs to end. >> we had another classified briefing where we learned nothing that i didn't already know. >> the american people deserve to hear more from the president. >> they need to see it and hear it. i have no confidence he is in charge. >> i think joe biden needs to come clean and speak directly to the american people about this. >> harris: gillian turner at the white house. i know the senate is due to have another classified briefing today. so far none of them that we talked to feel like any of this is making much of a difference. >> as you laid out so far the white house has deployed homeland security advisor, national security council and

top military brass to try to explain what is going on in u.s. airspace. the real problem for the administration now is this drumbeat from lawmakers on capitol hill saying the president now needs to address this himself directly and head on. >> the thing that we learned yesterday is that we're actually very unsure what these objects actually are. what purpose they have, where they are coming from or what they are. that suggests to me the biden administration needs to level with the american people. people are scared of this. >> we have to have more answers from the administration and certainly our constituents are demanding answers. >> the president needs to find the courage to get in front of the american public and tell them what he knows. >> the homeland security advisor had a call with governors across the nation yesterday to try to talk them through the administrations thinking and said this, there are no ufos, this is not an invasion of the

aliens. representative crenshaw said they learned this at a briefing for military officials on capitol hill. newer technologies allow for more detection if recent years. uaps weren't detected before because our radars were adjusted for slow-moving objects. the white house yesterday. john kirby seemed to undercut the homeland security advisor's claims saying essentially look, these really are actually ufos. listen. >> these very well could be balloons of a completely benign nature, perhaps commercial or scientific research sort of focus there. >> the chinese foreign ministry responded to all of this saying the way the u.s. handled the chinese spy balloon last week was not calm or professional. the soonest we could by contrast hear from the president would be 2:30 today slated to give public

remarks from maryland. the white house has not given us any indication he will address the chrrisis in the sky. >> harris: the chinese government wants us to be more polite as they have hostile movement across our country. had the thing gone down and we didn't make the choice to shoot it down when we did it would have blown up. they don't care about that. i'm hoping the president apologizes to the american people for waiting so long before he capitulates to an enemy. pete hegseth in "focus." you heard my thoughts. i want to gather yours, pete. >> you are right. all of this uncertainty, frustration of these last three unidentified flying objects at this point are predicated on the abject failure that was allowing a balloon which we were monitoring the minute it left

china to cross our entire country and look at our most sensitive nuclear sites as if it was a test run. you could see it with the naked eye. military was told to shoot it down and they didn't. the whole thing made us look foolish. now we look at multiple objects. get varying descriptions, they're shot down with missiles even though they are small. they might be balloons but we're not sure and then we're told none of the aircraft is recoverable but it fell in the case of alaska on frozen ice. in the case of michigan it -- you would think it would be recoverable. all of this leads to questions and speculation and theories. none of which makes average people or anyone feel good or safe about whether or not our skies are secure in a world where you don't need a chinese spy balloon to drop a nuclear payload. it can be something the size of a car that drops something that has devastating effect on people

across our country. so speculation is borne of a lack of information. when our senators can't even get it, you know we're not getting a straight shot on what these are. we deserve to know. maybe it is we're finally looking in a way we weren't looking before. tell us that. that we reoriented our radar. when you shoot them down with side winder missiles you it leads you believe it might be something more. >> harris: one thing i pointed out yesterday with one of the missiles it missed and on the floor of lake huron. the military assured us it's not armed. congressman stewart of utah who has been all over this since the beginning and everybody is being briefed. that's helpful. says there is a whole lot of classified information, though, on those missiles. so you might want to go get that. >> makes sense. also speculation as to if the

side winder missile heat seeking missile wasn't able to hit a stationary balloon. why? one pilot noted some of his systems were jammed when approaching one of those objects. it is speculation. we might want to get that technology and get whatever is at the bottom of lake huron. it will tell us things we deserve to know as the american people. >> harris: the vice president not at the border we would point out. she is the border czar and a lot of stuff down there obviously. kamala harris said the recent u.s. downing of the spy flight from china should not have an impact on diplomatic relations between the super powers. in a phone interview she said i don't think so, no. and when asked to describe the administration's approach to china, she said we seek competition but not conflict or confrontation. we sound scared, pete. >> it is so -- how do i choose

my words wisely here? she is not a smart person who is stuck in the old consensus group think of how we engage with china. she is about 20 years behind the curve in understanding the devastating way in which china seeks to invade every aspect of our culture, economy, supply line and military capabilities and social media companies and they want to defeat us. the communist chinese are at war with us whether we recognize it or not. it is not a shooting war right now. when you have joe biden who you heard senator hawley say i don't know if he knows what's going on. then you have kamala harris who is willfully blind to the reality and in a vp scenario living in her own world. you wonder who is in charge. how do we fight in a confrontation? we aren't fighting it now and

why you feel the anxiety that average people feel about objects in the air or tiktok taking over our kids' minds because she is asleep to the threat and says things like that which -- >> harris: the pat on the head we get from the white house right now from the people that they have trotted out and you heard gillian turner's wonderful reporting giving us a list of the people, none of them including the president, obviously, the pat on the head is more than just insulting. i want to know if it's a national security issue. is the pat on the head dangerous? is there something we should be knowing? a u.s. citizen was the first person to tell us about what was flying over the state of montana near a ballistic weapons site of ours, a u.s. citizen did that. >> they knew, harris. this administration knew. they didn't want us to know. they wanted antony blinken to go

back for more climate change deals with china. they build a new coal plant every few weeks. they didn't want us to know because there are a lot of people in washington who are invested in the council on foreign relations globalist view of a world with china and want it to continue to enrich themselves and seem sophisticated and interconnect our economies so we can't go to war with each other. that's what china wants to do to us in many different ways. it is unserious and scary in serious times. that's why that pat on the head to us is condescending. >> harris: pete. thank you for that. hours after three students were killed at michigan state university president biden again renewing calls for a ban on assault weapons despite the fact that they don't want -- they don't know, actually, what type of weapon was used yet by the shooter. at least we haven't been told.

>> president biden: there is no rationale for assault weapons and magazines that hold 50, 70 bullets. [applause] >> harris: here are some facts. surveillance photos appear to show the shooter holding a pistol and learning more about anthony mcrae's past criminal record. he walls arrested in 2019 on a felony firearms charges. if he had been convicted, if he had been convicted that would have prevented him from being able to buy a gun of any kind. but prosecutors allowed him to plead down to a miss demeanor gun possession charge. he served 18 months probation and remained eligible to buy and own guns. police identified three victims killed. a sophomore, and the two others

were juniors. the facts about the gun. nothing public on that yet. yet the president goes off on what we shouldn't have in this country before knowing. >> yeah, of course. it's a handgun assault rifle. a hunting rifle, assault rifle. a bb gun, assault riffle. they don't know what an assault rifle is. it looks big and scary and people use it in military capacities at times. but it is their go-to lead you believe not about the facts of each individual case but the emotion and passions of taking guns away from law abiding citizens. the shooter in this case had a criminal record. you enforce the laws on the books, he doesn't have that gun because he has foresake en the ability to have that gun. it is law abiding citizens whose guns are taken away and criminals will continue to find

ways to get guns and no one is safer because of that. >> harris: great to have you in "focus" always. thank you. 2024 presidential candidate nikki haley is making a speech for the first time since announcing her white house bid. they are in the warm-ups for that before we hear from the former ambassador and when we do, we'll dip in. kellyanne conway will be in "focus" to react. plus the white house praising president biden's skills as a communicator. do they watch this guy? >> i will tell you this the president is the best communicator we have in the white house. >> harris: after watching her last week that might be more fair than you know. ist is struggle for them. another poll finds very few democrats want biden to be the leader of their party. the president is expected to announce a run soon. his own political party seems ready for him to take a seat, several seats.

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all across the country, people are working hard to build a better future. so we're hard at work, helping them achieve financial freedom. we're investing for our clients in the projects that power our economy. from the plains to the coasts, we help americans invest for their future. and help communities thrive. >> harris: that rendition of the star-spangled banner will bring tears to your eyes. it's beautiful. the ramp up for former u.n. ambassador and south carolina governor nikki haley holding her very first official event since announcing a 2024 presidential run on video yesterday. the second republican to launch a campaign so far. kellyanne conway fox news

contributor, former senior counselor to president trump. we were able to see that during a commercial break. if we could have taken it a few seconds earlier it was amazing. your first thoughts as we hear from the former ambassador for the first time if her presidential run. >> the credit goes to those who jump into the ring and she is doing that with both feet. she has a wonderful american dream story to tell. she has told it many times. we're familiar with it. the problem for nikki haley in running for president in 2024 she refuses to mention donald trump's name. her governorship she lift to take a position he offered her as the united states ambassador to the u.n. she did very well there. i don't know her bio is saying she kept america safe is completely accurate. that is done at the pentagon, state department and nsa and folks in washington. she did -- i think the issue a lot of folks who otherwise would vote for donald trump will have

with nikki haley. she played hamlet about her support for him and whether or not she would oppose him for the presidency. free country and welcome to do it. she has gone back and forth on that. i'm suspicious of her she left the post at the u.n. in october of 2018. i was in the oval office when she was there and saying goodbye. that's great we'll have nikki haley out on the campaign circuit for the next month with vice president pence trying to get republicans over the finish line. she sat on corporate boards and made $2 hundred thousand a peach speech. i talked to many people in the room where she was speaking. a lot about diversity and inclusion, not much about president trump. it will be hard. usually people in the administration run against each other and the boss is not there. this time the boss is there. >> harris: when she walks up to the lectern we'll go to her live. is it necessary to talk about

the former president when you possibly in your mind know you will run for the white house? why is that important for republican voters in your mind? >> i think it is important you can't ignore him. the democrats and press are not afraid of him and they can't complete a sentence without crime, border without saying trump 50 times. if she talks about her time at the u.n. it will come out how she got that position. again, i have always had a great relationship with her. we share a birthday and i am glad she is running. i think nikki haley represents what is happening in the republican party. more voters, candidates and elected officials starting to look more like america. >> harris: i want to get to the "wall street journal" editorial board. i may interrupt myself as she comes out. here is what the board wrote. she brings personal charisma to the presidential race but no clear rationale for candidacy. it strophesed a belief in america.

the seriousness of global threats and follies of the left. is there a republican presidential candidate who believes something different? >> that's my entire point here. of course everyone will be running on some form of the america first agenda they will have to have their market distinction to voters in either their style, biography, vision for the future. nikki haley is making the case for a change of generational leadership. there was the same claim at sarah sander's event and rebuttal to biden's state of the union. there is something in the air about generational change. but the policies, trump gets to say i'm the one who accomplished all that. thanks for the free commercial. >> harris: that's the most delicate way i've heard anyone talk about change with her age. they don't know how to put it quite like you did, kellyanne.

look, i do want to ask you this. if you are running as a gop candidate, do you need former president trump's rubber stamp? he is in the race, too. so it's worth -- what i hear you saying it's more than just the recognition of donald trump. do you need his support? his voters vote for him. >> running against him? she won't have support against him that's for sure. >> harris: what would she say now? he is an opponent. >> so far she hasn't responded to him. he did come out yesterday and make the point about the corporate boards and that she left early. she will have to introduce herself to the voters. she can say i'm taking the high road and not reply to slights but eventually on the debate stage with donald trump less than six months away he will be able to say to each of them look, that is a wonderful rendition of everything i accomplished as

commander-in-chief and president and you had a bit part but how will you convince the public that you can do that. if you were in the big chair behind the desk all this would have happened? she has a great american story to tell. i will dismiss people who say women always run to be vice president. we aren't running for the second chair. people will be salivating thinking about nikki haley debating kamala harris. any of us would love to have that role. how to feel smart in two seconds. >> harris: the interview i would get but simply be because we don't know much about what the current vice president really thinks about these issues. such as objects in the sky and all of that. it is very generic. but that's a good point. look, senator tim scott of south carolina could very well be an opponent, too. she could face him for the potential gop primary collision as it has been called if he gets

into the race. what is your thought on that? these are two people whose politics are very close to each other obviously. scott will be in charleston tomorrow delivering a speech on black history month. he then heads to iowa for another event. it sounds like maybe sticking a toe in the water. >> sure. saying nikki haley were my governor in the house and senate but i am tim scott and will run also. i have a lot to add to the conversation. whether it's nikki haley or tim scott great for the republican party and growth and opportunity showing the world, showing the nation that our party's candidates and voters and elected officials are looking more like america. tim scott is a great representation of that. i saw him last week in a meeting and i know he has a very vibrant story to tell of his own and wants to share it. i think it will be a crowded field. i think if one person runs

against him 5 or 6 will. let's talk about south carolina. a winner take all delegate process in 2016. donald trump won all 50 delegates and got 32 1/2% of the vote. ted cruz and one other marco rubio split 45% of the vote. they came in second and third 0 delegates. something to think about, too. if joe biden will make south carolina the first primary of note, there by showing his hand against iowa and new hampshire tim scott and nikki haley have something to say about south carolina going first. >> harris: it is interesting because those two candidates would know that state better than joe biden. not better than clyburn who got biden over the hump. arguably why democrats want south carolina to go first so he can get some wind beneath his wings. not easy for biden whether it's

the gop opponent or those within his own party. as you delicately put it about the generational surge. it is on. we'll bring you back. i still don't see nikki haley at the lectern yet. people who live in eastern ohio have serious health concerns after that train derailment released toxic chemicals into the air. >> it is not a small thing. it is going to affect more people than just this area. it is very scary that we don't have the answers that we really need for peace of mind. >> harris: health officials are saying it's safe for people to go back to their homes. the governor of ohio is begging for an investigation in congress saying the train carrying the chemicals wasn't even a chemical-carrying train. dr. marc siegel is in "focus" for what those people and

livestock and livelihoods are going through now to break it all down. first february is black history month and to celebrate fox news is highlighting the lives of history-making black americans. it is our country together. our christina coleman brings us the life and legacy of justice thurgood marshall. >> he was the first black justice on the supreme court. in 1930 rejected from the university of maryland school of law because he was black. and then he attended howard university law school. as a practicing attorney, marshall worked on brown versus board of education. the landmark case that integrated public schools. 1934 he began a 25-year affiliation with the naacp later serving on the national staff and representing the organization in many cases. in 1967 president lyndon b. johnson successfully nominated

marshall as associate justice to the supreme court. marshall retired during the administration of george h.w. bush and succeeded by clarence thomas. he argued 32 cases before the high court. more than anyone in history and ultimately won 29 of them. america together celebrating supreme court justice thurgood marshall.

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>> harris: people of eastern ohio seriously concerned about their health after a train derailment forced officials to release toxic chemicals into the air to avoid an explosion. the crash happened february 3rd. people were told to evacuate the next day. now they say it's safe to return. garrett tenney is there. we are handling breaking news this hour and take you there with nikki haley. let's get right to garrett. the governor wants an investigation because he says that those train cars should never have been carrying chemical toxins. what are you learning on the ground? >> it's also interesting that we now have surveillance video raising questions about how this disaster happened in the first place and why train operators didn't know there was a problem until it was too late. this video is from the town of salem 20 miles northwest of east

palestine and you can see the undercarriage of one of the train cars glowing and creating sparks on the tracks. they believe that's what caused the derailment an overheated wheel bearing but it was taken 45 minutes before the train eventually derailed to east palestine. one thing the ntsb is looking at is why the operators and sensors on the train didn't detect that problem sooner. we talked to a bunch of folks last night and a handful said they had no complaints with how norfolk southern responded but most people are extremely frustrated and don't have any confidence the railway will stick around for the long haul to make sure their small town is fully cleaned up. >> i think the people in norfolk and southern right now i thank them for what i've seen. they've stepped up to the plate. >> don't play us. the railroad covered up nasty

dirt to get those trains running. it is about the almighty train and that last bottom buck for them, not us. they are not about us. >> there will be a lot of heated questions at a town hall meeting that had to be moved to the high school because of how many people are expected to come. we just learned the format of the town hall is being changed as well to booths around the gym because if they did the traditional q and a format the meeting with take too much time. >> harris: they don't have time to take concerned questions from people? that's really sad. garrett tenney, not acceptable. great report. dr. marc siegel is here, fox news contributor and professor of medicine. get the most important out first. people need to know what will happen now. >> 150 cars, 50 cars compromised, 38 derailed carrying chemicals i'm wore eft

about. vinyl chloride can get into the oil and water. it's killing animals and killing fish already. breaks down to hydrogen color filed, a toxic gas and eyes are burning and can cause respiratory problems. another gas that was in world war i and used as a poison. the other one no one is talking about is another toxic gas that's causing headaches, the irritation in the eyes, getting into the skin. i am worried, though, i told you this before we came on once this comes down i don't know how long it will take. you just heard one of the people in the area saying they aren't telling us everything. the epa comes in and we had an epa official on air this morning saying i go into a home and test and the air quality is fine in that home. what about thousands of other homes? what about the soil? harris, i'm worried about down the line vinyl chloride, small amounts in the environment leads

to cancer. >> harris: how long do you think this will stick around? what you are saying and what we talked about just so the audience knows transparently off air so let's infuse it into the show now. they have decades in front of them. >> no question about that. very small amounts can lead to liver disease, chronic liver disease, liver cancer, lung cancer, blood cancers, bone cancers. i can go on. it is something that will have to be monitored really carefully. they also let them come back so soon. i wonder about that. that's the initial concern. long-term it is very hard to clean this up. >> harris: what would have been in your estimation a more realistic look at this before you let people go home. everybody keeps mentioning time. we have to put the town hall in booths because we don't have time to take everybody's questions. what time should they have taken before they opened it back for everybody to go back to houses? >> when you see chemicals in the

ohio river and the governor of ohio saying i will drink bottled water it ain't time yet. it will be weeks until they figure this out. where is the epa? more boots on the ground than they are. >> harris: this is supposed to be the democrats' area of focus, the inflation reduction bill was mostly money for climate change and mostly money for the issues far to the left. the epa, one of those concerns. the environment in general. but this is explosive in all sorts of ways right now because the president -- nobody is talking about this. you watch this -- i did on "america's newsroom" with the epa. i didn't get from that director much urgency. >> he was covering a base. another thing that we're bringing out today. how many other parts of the country where a disaster occurred are there chemicals in the environment with long-term risks of cancer? how many? there are many. that's what the focus on

environment should be. what risks are we at? >> harris: let's talk about the release of the chemicals into the air to avoid an explosion. you are not with the ntsb but there were things that happened suddenly to people. they were having reactions suddenly. >> you saw the smoke cloud. you can't do a controlled burn. i understand what they were trying to do. they wanted to do a controlled burn so you didn't have a huge explosion. it backfired. the plume of smoke was toxic gas. >> harris: reproductive issues for years to come is what you told me during the break. what does that mean? we've seen that the movies and the books that have been written about chemical spills in the past. you were talking about one, i mentioned erin brokovich and that whole situation and breaking open what we should know about companies and their level of responsibility. what does it look like for women going forward with reproduction? >> i don't like the look.

vinyl chloride is used for plastic and small amounts can effect fertility for generations to come. it is not the only one but one we're talking about now. >> harris: what would you like to see happen next for these people? >> i want more of an investigation into what the risk is. >> harris: do you evacuate them? >> i would get them out of there. where is the funding, the big outcry? we're covering it. >> is it late to move them? there is no way they'll go house to house to house. we aren't quite ans th -- >> animals dying i want them out of there. fish dying, i want them out of there. water is contaminated being shown. i want them out of there. i am worried about the long-term risks but we aren't out of the short-term woods yet. >> harris: those livestock are

their livelihood. this is -- this hurts. thank you for all the medical perspective and information. let's see what congress and the president do. >> they have to move. >> harris: thank you, doctor. another poll shows trouble for president biden and critics are raising the alarm. >> the president is seen by a majority of voters as too old and too incompetent and surrounded by equally incompetent people. >> harris: many americans want another leader but the white house is laying out its defense of the president calling him the best communicator. you can't make it up. right now congressman ralph norman is speaking before nikki haley is set to get up on the stage at the lectern and hold her very first presidential run campaign event. we will take it. stay close. stay close.

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[cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause] ♪

[cheers and applause] >> wow, this is fantastic. thank you so much. it's a great day in south carolina! [cheers and applause] thank you all for being here. you know, i have to say before i start i've got to give a shout-out to the people who took

the podium before me to pastor eegge, candace glover you are a star and force ever pride for south carolina. that was amazing. [cheers and applause] katin dalton the best party chairman south carolina has ever had. to cindy and fred warmbier and their family you'll always have my heart. [applause] otto is so proud of you today. i know that. to ralph norman, you know i would have been right there with you in congress holding them accountable. god bless you, i love you. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] i'm so glad to be with the people i love in the state i love to talk about saving the

country i love. [applause] i have always had a deep belief in america, but i know america is better than all the division and distraction that we have today. i'm confident that the american people agree. we're ready. ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past and we are more than ready for a new generation to lead us into the future [cheers and applause] i come here today with a vision of that future. i see a strong america full of opportunity that lifts up everyone, not just the select few. i see a proud america, confident in who we are and what we stand for.

and i see america leading the world in freedom and in peace. but this vision isn't just mine. it is the core of our nation's history and it called to my parents over 50 years ago. i am the proud daughter of indian immigrants and i am blessed that they are here today. [cheers and applause] my parents left india in search of a better life. they found it in van berg, south carolina. population 2500. [cheers and applause] our little town came to love us. our little town came to love us but it wasn't always easy.

we were the only indian family. nobody knew who we were, what we were or why we were there. but my parents knew and every day they reminded my brothers and my sister that even on our worst day, we are blessed to live in america. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting usa] they were right then and they are right now. my parents came to a country that was gaining strength and growing in confidence. but that was then. now america is falling behind. our future is slipping.

our leaders are failing us. and no one embodies that failure more than joe biden. [cheers and applause] right now in the greatest country in human history, we have too many families paying too much for groceries. too many mothers searching frantically for baby formula and too many children who are so far behind in the classroom they may never get ahead. we have too many small businesses who can't afford rent and too many big businesses getting taxpayer bail-outs. we have too much crime on our streets, too many drugs flooding our cities and too few police and border patrol. [cheers and applause] from joe biden on down, our leaders put too much trust in big government and too little

trust in the american people. [cheers and applause] they have us spiraling toward socialism with a new trillion dollar spending bill every few months and national debt over $30 trillion. this is not the america that called to my parents. and make no mistake, this is not the america i will leave to my children. [cheers and applause] we must stop socialism before it is too late. it is weakening america from within. but there is something else that is eating away at our national core. on biden and harris's watch a self-loathing has swept our country. it is in the classroom, the boardroom, the back rooms of government. every day we're told america is

flawed, rotten, full of hate. joe and kamala say america is racist. nothing could be further from the truth. [cheers and applause] the american people know better. my immigrant parents know better. and take it from me, the first minority female governor in history, america is not a racist country. [cheers and applause] this self-loathing is a virus more dangerous than any pandemic. it is a system of a lack of pride in our country. a lack of trust in our leaders. and it ignores the values that have sustained america since our

founding. i have traveled around the world and back. i have seen what else is out there. america isn't perfect but the principles at america's core are perfect. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting usa, usa] and the american people are not full of hate. we are full of love and we are sustained by faith. i always go back to the book of joshua, be strong and courageous, do not be afraid. do not be discouraged, for god will be with you wherever you go. [cheers and applause] strengthening america, believing once again in america is the

only way to defend ourselves from those who want to destroy us. when america is distracted, the world is less safe. and today our enemies think that the american era has passed. they are wrong. america is not past our prime, it is just that our politicians are past theirs. [cheers and applause] joe biden isn't leading from behind. he is not leading at all. on his watch a terrorist mob conquered afghanistan and killed our troops. iran is on the brink of getting the bomb. north korea is launching more missiles than ever. russia started the biggest war

in europe in 75 years and in communist china, we face the strongest and most disciplined enemy in history. it is unthinkable that americans would look at the sky and see a chinese spy balloon looking back at us. china's dictators want to cover the world in communist tyranny. we are the only ones who can stop them. let me be clear. we won't win the fight for the 21st century if we keep trusting politicians from the 20th century. [cheers and applause] america is on a path of doubt, division and self-destruction. a path of fading patriotism and weakening power. the stakes are nothing less than

our survival. and you and i and every american is being summoned to bold action. and so i have an announcement to make. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting nikki, nikki] >> bill: i -- >> i stand before you as the child of immigrants and i've served as governor of the great state of south carolina. [applause] and as america's ambassador to the united nations. [cheers and applause] and above all else, i'm a

grateful american citizen who knows our best days are yet to come if we unite and fight to save our country. [cheers and applause] i have devoted my life to this fight and i'm just getting started. [cheers and applause] for a strong america, for a proud america, i am running for president of the united states [cheering] [crowd chanting nikki, nikki, nikki]