- [John] Tonight!
The 2020 election nowbeing fought in the courts,
as President Trump makes bold claims
of mail-in fraud and stolen votes.
Meanwhile...
- That's why today I've named the COVID-19
Transition Advisory Board.
- [John] Joe Biden movesforward, putting together a plan
to combat the pandemic as theinfection rate accelerates
across the country.
- It's not gonna help us this winter,
but it could be a real game changer.
- And stocks surge onthe promising results
of a Coronavirus vaccine and an election
that ushered in an eraof divided government.
Plus, the role of Christiansand the proper way to respond
in these divided times.
All this and more,tonight on Faith Nation.
(upbeat music)
The leader at the top post at the Pentagon
out of a job tonight.
Welcome to Faith Nation.
I'm John Jessup.
Well a surprise move todayfrom President Trump,
when he fired DefenseSecretary, Mark Esper.
The President made the announcement
on Twitter this afternoon.
And during his time at the Pentagon,
Esper occasionally made statements
clashing with the Commander in Chief.
Senior WashingtonCorrespondent, Tara Mergener,
is here now with more.
Tara?
- John, well some insiders have speculated
that President Trump wouldeventually take action on Esper.
The big surprise is the timing,
given it's just a week after election day
and the nation faces atransition of government.
Among the disagreements between the two,
the withdrawal of U.S.forces from key bases abroad
and using active duty troopsto calm violent protests
here at home.
Esper was Army Secretarywhen the President picked him
last year to replace actingSecretary, Patrick Shanahan.
The biggest clash with the President came
during this summer's unrest,which led to a debate
over the proper role of the military
in addressing potential violence.
Esper's opposition tousing active duty troops
to restore calm, includingin Washington, D.C.,
led to wide speculationthat he was prepared to quit
if the issue resurfaced.
He also differed with President Trump over
controversial Confederateissues in the military.
While the President calleddisplays of the Confederate flag
a matter of free speech, Esper disagreed
and also supportedrenaming 10 military bases
named after Confederate generals.
The President has namedChristopher Miller,
the Director of the NationalCounter-Terrorism Center
as acting Defense Secretary.
Now there is some concernthe move could unsettle
U.S. allies and partners.
Conventional wisdom is thatstability at the Pentagon
and the military be maintainedduring a possible transition
to a new administration.
John.
- All right.CBN's Tara Mergener.
Thank you, Tara.
Well, Joe Biden is notwaiting for vote certification
or Inauguration Day to get to work.
Today he tackled hisfirst order of business.
CBN White HouseCorrespondent, Ben Kennedy,
joins us now with more on that.
Ben, Coronavirus was atop tier talking point
all throughout the campaign,and it's still a priority now
as Biden prepares to lead the nation.
- Yeah, John, you're right.
Biden's focus is now on the pandemic.
In fact, today he created aCoronavirus working group.
Leading that advisory councilis former Surgeon General,
Dr. Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug
AdministrationCommissioner, David Kessler,
and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith of Yale.
Now Biden's plan includesdoubling the number
of COVID testing sitesand boosting tracing.
It calls on governors to mandate masks
and for the task force tolook at racial disparities.
- The challenge before us right now
is still immense and growing.
And although we are not in office yet,
I'm just laying out what we expect to do
and hope it can be done, some of it,
between now and the time we're sworn in.
- Now, President Trumphas not conceded the race.
In fact, his campaignreleased a statement in part
saying "This election is far from over,"
as they continue to mount a legal battle.
John?
- The election drama continues.
Thanks, Ben.
Well a potential Bidenadministration could have
enormous implications on America'sforeign policy trajectory
over the next four years.
Here to assess some ofthe major issues abroad
is CBN Senior InternationalCorrespondent, George Thomas.
George, Iran is at the top of the list.
How are Iranians reacting
to a potential Biden administration?
And how differently will hehandle the mullahs in Tehran
than President Trump?
- Yeah, well the AssociatedPress took their cameras
to the streets of Tehran overthe weekend to ask people
what they thought about it.
Initially, obviously, anycomments that would be affirming
to the current Presidentof the United States
would get you in trouble.
Clearly there is a segmentof the Iranian population
that feels that Trump was bad for Iran,
bad for the Middle East becauseof the economic sanctions.
But folks that I havespoken to, Iranian experts,
those who watch thecountry inside and outside,
overwhelmingly say thatTrump was very good for Iran.
That the maximum pressureover the last four years,
even though it has beencrippling for their economy
and for the basic life in Iran,they believed that it would
bring the eventual downfallof the Mullahs in Tehran.
Biden potentially comesinto the White House
with a diametricallyopposite point of view.
He was, along with the formerPresident, President Obama,
the architect of thiscontroversial Iranian Nuclear Deal,
which the President pulledthe United States out of
four years ago.
Biden says that if he is elected,
this is during thecampaign, he would resign,
rejoin that agreement and bring along
the international coalition.
So you'll definitely see adiametrically opposite approach
as it deals with Iran.
- George, zooming out a littleto the wider Middle East.
It's undergoing dramaticreshaping with several Arab
countries, making peace with Israel.
Does that shift come to anend with a President Biden?
- We're not quite sure.
You know, today in the UAEthe first Israeli flight
leaving Tel-Aviv landed in the UAE,
bringing with it Israeli citizens
for the very first time.
Something that has nothappened for decades
in this part of the region.
Clearly, as you mentioned,Israel has been making
these deals with various Arab countries.
Biden has supported the Trumpadministration's outreach
in terms of bringing thesevarious countries together.
I think the reality is thatfor the last four years
the Middle East has been changing.
And the Sunni countries haveappreciated that the Trump
administration has been tryingto isolate and put all this
pressure on Iran, which is a Shia country.
Now with Biden potentially, you know,
getting back on the Iranian Nuclear Deal
and maybe siding with Iranor trying to get Iran to the
negotiating table could changethe dynamics, absolutely.
But clearly, the UnitedStates potentially under a
Biden administration will haveto contend with Saudi Arabia
and Israel, two countriesthat are vehemently opposed
to the mullahs in Tehran.
- George, in the few seconds we have left,
how will the Biden administration,
or a potential Biden administration,
handle a crisis on the Koreanpeninsula with North Korea?
- Yeah, absolutely.
Again, diametrically oppositefor the last four years,
President Trump and KimJong-un have exchanged
love letters.
As you know, the two leaders have met,
which have been absolutelyunorthodox and unprecedented.
Well from exchanginglove letters in the Trump
administration, the Biden administration,
a potential Biden administrationhas called Kim Jong-un
that you see there on the screen, a thug.
And Biden has said he willnot meet with Kim Jong-un
and will take more of ainternationalist point of view
and approach when dealingwith these crisis.
The bottom line hereis that the President's
America First Policy onthe international stage
will be completely replaced byan internationalist approach
by a potential Biden administrationin the next four years.
- All right, George, CBNInternational Correspondent.
Thanks so much, George Thomas.
- You're welcome, buddy.
- Well, Republican AttorneysGeneral are raising a red flag
this afternoon, hopingto get the attention
of the Supreme Court, to weigh in
on the election decision in Pennsylvania.
CBN's Eric Philips joinsus now with more on that.
Eric, they're saying theKeystone state's highest court
overstepped its bounds?
- Well that's right.
The Attorney Generals fromLouisiana, Oklahoma, and Missouri
are laying out why the U.S.Supreme Court should weigh in
in this situation.
They say the PennsylvaniaSupreme Court overstepped
its bounds and really sidesteppedthe law when it extended
the deadline and reallywhen mail-in ballots
should be received or evenpostmarked by Pennsylvania.
And they claim in doingso, Pennsylvania's election
was opened up to all sortsof possible tampering
where these mail-inballots were concerned.
The filings by the RepublicanAttorneys General Association
support other similarlawsuits that have been filed
by the Trump camp, where Pennsylvania
is concerned specifically.
But in addition to that, we'relearning that there may be
an organized warfare plan on the ground
in other places like Arizona and Georgia,
where recounts will likely get underway.
Now there are reportedlyefforts to get more GOP staffers
on the ground in those areas,
so they can have more eyes watching.
Also reports from theTrump camp that evidence
of voter fraud has beenfound, including obituaries
of those who allegedly votedin last week's election.
We're keeping an eye out tosee how all of that plays out.
We're told many in Republicanleadership have concerns
that all of these efforts willreally not be that effective
and that they havecommunicated those concerns
to President Trump.
Still, these efforts willcontinue to move forward
at the Commander in Chief's behest.
John, Jenna?
- All right.
CBN's Eric Philips.
Thanks so much, Eric.
(swooshing)
New hope in the fightagainst the Coronavirus
and just how close drug companies are
to creating a vaccine.
Next on Faith Nation.
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- [Narrator] As the worldwatches from the outside.
- It's a big diplomatic tug ofwar here in the Middle East.
- [Narrator] Go inside thestory with Jerusalem Dateline.
- Israeli archeologists aretalking about a discovery
that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.
- [Narrator] Join CBNJerusalem Bureau Chief,
Chris Mitchell, and getthe Biblical perspective
on the events shaping the world.
- What starts in Israel thenends up going to other places.
- [Narrator] Watch Jerusalem Dateline,
Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.
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Jesus said it.
"I came to give you life,life to the fullest."
Life in your family.
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Life in your every day.
At cbn.com, we're takingwhat Jesus said seriously.
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- Welcome back.
The Supreme Court will hearits third major legal challenge
to the Affordable Care Act, Tuesday.
More than 20 millionAmericans depend on the ACA,
also known as Obamacare,for health coverage.
Challengers say it should be struck down
because the individualmandate is no longer required.
Justices will decide whetherthat makes the entire law
unconstitutional and ifit should be repealed.
The Supreme Court firstupheld the law in 2012
and then again in 2015.
A final ruling is expected next June.
Well stock markets skyrocketedMonday after drug maker,
Pfizer said it's COVIDvaccine was 90% effective
at preventing the virus.
Markets already were sharplyhigher as media outlets
called Biden the winnerof the presidential race.
Dow futures spiked 4% higher,
while the S&P 500 jumped up 3%.
The economy has continued torecover from earlier shutdowns,
despite rising infections anddeath rates from the pandemic.
Well Pfizer's findingsstill need to be verified
by other health officials,but the company says
the early data from thetrials shows its COVID-19
vaccine is more effectivethan the flu vaccine.
CBN Medical Reporter,Lorie Johnson joins us now
with more details.
Lorie, how close is Pfizerto getting this vaccine
approved, and what does that news mean
to the average American?
- Well, Pfizer still has toclear some hurdles, John.
This new data shows in Phase Three trials,
consisting of 40,000 volunteers,
that the vaccine is 90%effective in preventing people
from being infectedwith the COVID-19 virus.
Earlier the FDA said they'dsettled for anything better
than 50%, so this is a lotbetter than 50% efficacy.
The annual flu shot isusually around 60% effective.
This Pfizer data wasverified by an unbiased
independent board, a committee of experts,
such as scientists and doctors.
The next steps involvefurther peer reviews and the
most critical one is FDAEmergency Use Authorization.
Once that EUA is granted,then people can start
getting their shots.
Pfizer says they couldapply to the FDA for that
Emergency Use Authorizationlater this month, John.
- So Lorie, if it doesget the authorization,
how long before people can actually
start getting their shots?
Well it could be within weeksof the EUA being granted.
So maybe before the end of this year.
Pfizer reportedly will haveabout 20 million doses by then.
And that's really not thatmuch, John, when you consider
the American populationis about 350 million.
So 20 million, 350 million.
The first people who willreceive the vaccine are the
frontline healthcareworkers, then other people
at high risk, like peoplewho live in nursing homes.
The Pfizer vaccine consists of two shots;
one and then a booster a month later.
We don't know yet how longthe vaccine protects a person,
how many months or yearsa person is immune.
- So a lot more to find out.
Well, what about someof the other vaccines
beside the Pfizer vaccine?
Could they also be getting approval?
- Absolutely.
There are three other vaccinesin their final trials.
And these other vaccines thatare in their final trials
are in the United States.
It looks like the Modernavaccine is very close
to finishing and it looks very promising.
The Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine
are actually very similar.
They both use the sametechnology for development.
So it's very likely there will be more
than one vaccine approved.
The two other vaccines aremade by Johnson and Johnson
and AstraZeneca.
John.
- Lorie, this of course is great news.
You know, you've beencovering this crisis for us.
Does this give us hope evenas we see the number of cases
rising, even as we're hearingmore about a potential spike?
Well that's a greatpoint that you brought up
because we need to notget too excited too soon,
because this vaccine isnot going to be available
to the general public tillJanuary, February, March.
And we have to get throughthe holidays first.
So think about it.
We've got Thanksgiving,two and a half weeks,
and then of course,Christmas and New Year's.
We've got families who aregoing to be getting together.
They're probably not goingto be social distancing,
unless people have huge houses.
Wearing a mask might be very problematic.
When you think about peopleeating Thanksgiving dinner,
and eating all these otherthings, and you know,
people inside for long periods of time.
This could be very problematicthroughout the holidays.
So we really need to keep our guard up
for the next few months.
And don't forget, it'salso cold and flu season.
- That is right.
A lot to consider.
And as you just said, weneed to remain vigilant.
- Absolutely.
CBN Medical Reporter, Lorie Johnson.
Thank you for always keeping us informed.
Well praying for our leaders.
Up next, we'll hear from Russell Moore
on how Christians shouldrespond to the election results.
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At cbn.com, we're takingwhat Jesus said seriously.
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Life.
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- I'm Regent's firstROTC graduate student.
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- Welcome back.
Well, where does apost-Trump White House leave
evangelicals who've been amonghis most loyal supporters?
According to the Bible,it still means praying
for our leaders, and a piecewritten over the weekend called
"Christians, Let's Pray forPresident-elect Joe Biden".
Southern Baptist leader, RussellMoore, reminded believers
of the Biblical mandateto pray for all leaders
to have wisdom and discernment.
And joining us now is Dr. Russell Moore,
President of the SouthernBaptist Convention's
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
Dr. Moore, thanks for beingwith us this afternoon.
- Thanks for having me.
- Dr. Moore, you say nomatter how you voted,
now is the time to pray forour newly elected leaders
in Washington.
Can you explain why that's so important?
- Well, the Bible commandsall Christians to pray
for those who are inauthority, kings and all those
who are in authority, the Scripture says;
Romans 13, I Timothy2, and I Peter as well.
And so that means that wehave a responsibility to,
not only to pray for thosewho are elected or in office
at every level, but maybeeven most specifically
for Christians to prayfor elected officials
maybe they didn't vote for.
And so it's sort of a spiritual discipline
to show us that prayers are not about
what we approve of politically.
They're about wisdom and discernment
for those who are in authority.
So four years ago,Christians who were dismayed
by President Trump should havebeen praying very diligently
for him to have wisdom anddiscernment and to succeed
in every good thing.
And now those Christiansshould be doing the same thing
for President-elect Biden,for Senate Majority Leader
McConnell, and for their local officials.
I mean, we face some reallyreally difficult times ahead,
where everyone is goingto have to have enormous,
immense wisdom to navigate it.
- Dr. Moore, along thoselines, how do you counsel
Christians who struggle with that?
Especially when PresidentTrump is vowing to fight
the election results.
Is it premature to viewthe race as decisive,
if it's still beinglitigated in the courts?
- Well, there's of course a mechanism
for anyone to challenge any election.
And so if there are ways to demonstrate
that the election resultis not what it seems to be,
then that would be litigated in court.
But I think most peopleexpect that when all the dust
is settled we will have thescenario we pretty much see
in front of us right now.
- Dr. Moore, you hinted at this earlier.
I've heard some who oppose Trump
say he's not their President.
The same thing's true forthose who did not support
President Obama.
You provided a Biblical frameworkto pray for our leaders,
regardless of who they are.
Is this an opportunity forChristians to demonstrate
what being Christ-like lookslike in these divided times?
- I think it is.
I mean, we live in what, if you think of
the old George Jones, Tammy Wynette song,
"A Two Story House", a twostory nation, at least two,
with people telling very different stories
about what the country is orwhat the country ought to be.
This is our opportunityto say our honoring
and praying for our electedofficials does not mean
that we do not dissent, doesnot mean that we don't affirm
people with whom we disagreewhen they do something right;
or to challenge people with whom we agree,
when they do something wrong.
And so what we ought toall hope is that everyone
in leadership succeeds at every good thing
and not just fails at every bad thing,
but learns from that failure and moves
toward something good.
And I think we oughtto be praying for that.
- Dr. Moore, real quickly here.
What do you see as therole of believers today
in helping to heal the divisions,
whether along racial,economic, or political lines?
- Well, I think the primarything is to be the church,
and to have our primaryidentity as the body of Christ.
And then to live that outin terms of loving God
and loving neighbor.
That's not somethingthat is going to be done
in a week's time or two month's time.
We have to commit our entirenext 40 years to that.
- All right, Dr. Russell Moore
with the Ethics and Liberty Commission.
Thank you so much foryour time, Dr. Moore.
- Thanks for having me.
- When the Bidens move back to Washington,
they will restart a nearly 120year White House tradition.
We explain, when Faith Nation returns.
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Cruise with me, as I discoverthe good things happening
in the world of music, sports,television, and movies.
- The fact that Ryan Cooglerwas gonna be directing
the film, I knew that somethingspecial was gonna happen.
- [Efrem] We'll chat withartists at the forefront
of entertainment andexplore the connection
between popular culture and faith.
- I asked my pastor, Isaid, "Well, does that mean
"I'm supposed to be a preacher?"
He says, "Well no, youalready have a pulpit."
- [Announcer] Watch Studio5, Wednesday night at 9:30.
- [Terry] Remember for a moment,
what it was like to be a child.
You believed every story you were told.
You saw a world full ofendless possibilities.
What stories will the world's orphaned
and at-risk children believe?
We believe the Bible tells the only story
truly worth believing.
We believe that every childshould have the opportunity
to dream, the chance to take challenges
and turn them into possibilities.
The chance to stand onthe promises of God,
to recognize their place inthe greatest story ever told.
They have their whole lives ahead of them.
There's is a world ofendless possibilities.
They are looking for a story to believe.
We will tell them that story.
Will you join us?
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- I am Regent's firstROTC graduate student.
- And finally tonight, it'sbeen said if you want a friend
in Washington, buy a dog.
Well, Joe Biden enters theWhite House in January.
He will be bringing twofour-legged friends with him,
German Shepherds, Champ and Major.
While Champ is a politicalveteran, coming to the Bidens
as a puppy in 2008, Majorjoined the family two years ago,
adopted from a Delaware Humane Society.
And he will be the first shelter dog
to make the White House a home.
President Trump was the firstPresident to not have any pets
in more than 120 years.
Well, that is gonna do itfor tonight's Faith Nation.
Thank you so much for joining us
and hope to see you back here tomorrow.
