Steve Bannon on NATO: Trump is saying 'no more games'

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Steve Bannon on NATO: Trump is saying 'no more games'

President Trump calls on NATO members to contributor their fair share to defense spending; former White House strategist Steve Bannon weighs in on 'Hannity.'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," July 11, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: All right. So, you're up in six hours, there's no excuse. It's like all Brian all the time, but great show tonight, Brian. We'll see you in the morning.

Welcome to "Hannity."

We are broadcasting tonight from London ahead of the president's first official visit here in England. There is so much happening right here in Europe and at home. Without a doubt, this is one of the busiest news cycles in years.

We have a lot to cover tonight, we have a huge show. Newt Gingrich, Steve Bannon, right here in London, and much more.

But first, earlier today, President Trump -- he attended the annual NATO summit where he had some very tough talk for European leaders, the ones who rely on your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to pay their national defense.

Now, coming up tonight, we'll do something the media won't do. We will break down all of these numbers and explain why under President Trump, America will no longer serve as the world's piggy bank.

And also today, the president singled out the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, for what is her country's obscene dependence on Russian energy, and for the billions and billions of dollars flowing from Germany right into Vladimir Putin's pockets.

And meanwhile, the mainstream media right here at home in America once again spinning out of control. For months, they were just hysterical over the fake news narrative that Trump is Vladimir Putin's puppet. Well, guess what? Tonight, they are freaking out over Donald Trump's tough rhetoric against Russia.

Wait a minute, I thought Putin had all these horrible things on President Trump and he was compromised. We're going to reveal the blatant double standard.

And we have important new developments tonight, shocking actually, surrounding Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and all their friends in the deep state. Sit tight, it is time for tonight's important breaking news, London edition, opening monologue.

(MUSIC)

HANNITY: All right. For decades, the United States has been footing the bill for the safety and the security of the European continent and all while many of our allies across the Atlantic failed to live up to their commitments.

Now, today in Brussels, President Trump made it perfectly clear that the U.S. taxpayer is not and no longer going to be Europe's ATM machine. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Many countries owe us a tremendous amount of money for many years back, where they are delinquent, as far as I'm concerned because the United States has had to pay for them.

So if you go back 10 or 20 years, you'll just add it all up. It's massive amounts of money.

Germany is just paying a little bit over 1 percent, whereas the United States in actual numbers is paying 4.2 percent of a much larger GDP. So, I think that's inappropriate also. You know, we're protecting Germany, we're protecting France, we're protecting everybody, and yet we're paying a lot of money to protect.

Now, this has been going on for decades. This has been brought up by other presidents, but other presidents never did anything about it, because I don't think they understood, or they just didn't want to get involved. But I have to bring it up because I think it's very unfair to our country. It's very unfair to our taxpayers.

I think that these countries have to step it up, not over a ten-year period. They have to step it up immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, the president, he's absolutely right. And even the secretary general of NATO is backing up President Trump.

Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: We are going to discuss many important issues at the summit. Among them is defense spending. And we all agree that they have to do more. I agree with you that they have to make sure our allies are investing more. The good news is that the allies have started to invest more in defense. After years of cutting defense budgets, they've started to add billions to defense budgets. And last year was the biggest increase in defense spending across Europe and Canada in a generation.

TRUMP: Why was that last year?

STOLTENBERG: It's also because of your leadership and because your clear message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Numbers don't lie. So let's do something the mainstream media would never do. We're going to break down those numbers.

Now, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO, it was first utilized as a unified military deterrent to the looming Soviet threat and to provide intercontinental stability throughout Western Europe and North America. It was formed after two world wars devastated the European continent. It took the lives of hundreds of thousands of American heroes.

Now, NATO has a massive budget, around $1 trillion. Now, this year, the United States contributed over $700 billion to that budget.

All right, let's compare that to the rest of our allies. The next highest contribution, well, that would come from the United Kingdom. They only contribute $61.5 billion. Germany, a mere $51 billion. Canada comes in frankly at an embarrassingly low $21 billion.

And the country where NATO is headquartered, Belgium, they contribute only $5 billion. In fact, the United States, you the American taxpayer, you're on the hook for 70 percent of NATO's expenses. Now, that's right. You -- we pay 70 cents of every dollar that NATO spends.

And while all NATO allies agreed to contribute, at least 2 percent of the country's overall GDP to the NATO budget, the U.S. is only -- get this -- only one of four nations to actually follow through on that agreement. And that's standard. The United States actually contributes -- well, almost double, 3.5 percent of our massive GDP to NATO's budget.

And meanwhile, it's a much different story among our allies. Take a look at your screen. Economic powerhouse Germany, they only contribute 1.24 percent, not 2 percent. And three Western European countries, well, they contribute less than even 1 percent.

So, that's right, one country, our country, we're proud of, the United States of America is now bearing the financial burden of NATO and the protection of Europe and North America while 27 other countries sadly are laughing all the way to the bank.

So, tonight under the president's leadership, America is putting them on notice and will no longer be the world's piggy bank and our allies must pay their fair share. Now, of course, this includes the de facto leader of the E.U., Germany, while one of Europe's wealthiest nations, fails to properly fund NATO -- get this and the president pointed this out today -- they're spending billions of dollars in Russia in order to support massive energy trade deals.

In other words, Germany, they're not going to adequately fund the protection of their own country but they are more than happy to prop up one of NATO's so-called biggest threats, the one they keep telling us about, the bad actor with Putin in the bad country of Russia.

And earlier today, the president called out the German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her country's blatant double standard. It's about time. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where you are supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia.

I think that's very inappropriate and the former chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that's supplying the gas. Ultimately, Germany will have almost 70 percent of their country controlled by Russia with natural gas. So, you tell me, is that appropriate?

I mean, I've been complaining about this from the time I got here. It should have never been allowed to have happened, but Germany is totally controlled by Russia, because they were getting 60 percent to 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. And you tell me if that's appropriate, because I think it's not. And I think it's a very bad thing for NATO and I don't think it should have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, Merkel responded with what was a vague, indirect, frankly pathetic statement, lamenting the country's history under Soviet control.

But now, how can someone possibly make the case that Donald Trump is compromised by Russia or Vladimir Putin? He actually is urging Merkel to get their energy from us, the United States of America. And, by the way, end their independence on Russia.

Now, this is a move that would literally cripple Russia's fragile economy. And, by the way, if Russia's economy falters, Vladimir Putin is finished. So, so much for all the media conspiracies, almost two years now, all the lies saying Donald Trump is compromised by Vladimir Putin. Now imagine how many, just for a second, high-paying career jobs could be created in the United States of America if we would get those billions and billions of dollars and we were importing our natural gas to Germany, of which by the way we have an abundance of, more than we can use in hundreds of years.

And as you might imagine, President Trump's -- his tough talk in Brussels was met with absolute, predictable hysteria from the mainstream media and, of course, their best friends in the Democratic Party.

Now, after spending 18 months warning us all, the sky is falling, because of the fake, phony narrative, the witch hunts that Donald Trump was somehow Vladimir Putin's puppet. The left is now in a total freak out mode that Donald Trump today used a lot of anti-Russia rhetoric and demanding that countries pay their fair share.

And by the way, that's supposed to lead us now to catastrophe. You can't win with these people. In other words, a typical Trump hating day in the media with their Democratic allies and as always, we've got all the tape to prove it. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a ludicrous demand that he is making here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The E.U. was meant to get around and away from that toxic nationalism, right? But who's bringing it back? Donald Trump. America first is toxic nationalism.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is unprecedented language. It is a real threat to the alliance. It's a threat to the democratic liberal postwar world order that Harry Truman himself signed in to -- into being with the NATO declaration 70 years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frankly, it's just infuriating to watch this happen. You cannot imagine any American president all the way back 75 years deciding to become the critic in chief of NATO. I mean, it's Orwellian. It's infuriating to see this happen. It's diplomatic malpractice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And there's a lot more.

All right. So, think of it this way, you have the Democratic leaders of the party, they have no vision for the country. You got Nancy Pelosi, Chuckie Schumer. Their agenda for 2018 is very, very simple. Oh, they want their crumbs back, they want to impeach Trump but they don't say it, they want open borders, they want to keep Obamacare and they don't want Judge Kavanaugh on the bench or any Trump choice.

Anyway, they released a statement -- a joint statement bashing Trump that says, President Trump's brazen insults and denigration of America's most steadfast ally, Germany is an embarrassment. His behavior this morning is another profoundly disturbing signal that the president is more loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin than to our allies. Actually just the opposite is true.

So, OK, what do Pelosi and Schumer, why are they afraid of Putin? Why do they want to make Russia rich again? Why? So the American taxpayers, all of you, are footing the bill for over 70 percent of NATO? Liberals, by the way, they are so generous with your money. And, by the way, why don't they encourage Germany to buy our natural gas, like the president is?

It's important to remember, this is all coming from America's so-called elites, the very same people who think they know best. The same people who think giving billions of dollars to Iran and the mullahs in Iran, that was a wonderful idea, it's going to bring us peace in our time.

The same people who thought bribing North Korea as Bill Clinton tried in the 1990s would prevent them from building nuclear weapons. Didn't work out that way. The same people who actually cringe at the thought of America again leading on the world stage and the same people who sadly but routinely look down on you, us, we, the American people.

Remember, you are the irredeemable deplorables. You're the ones that cling to your God, your guns, your bible, your religion. Yes, those same people.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are going to regenerate and they have not.

So, it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to their guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables, right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Same playbook, we'll see it all throughout this election year. Judge Kavanaugh and his family will experience. Nothing changes. They don't have any vision to make the country better.

Now, in 2016, Peter Strzok texted that he could actually smell Trump voters in a rural Virginia Walmart. He can smell us. I like Walmart.

And just yesterday, you have MSNBC conspiracy anchor, thrill up his leg, Chris Matthews, comparing Trump supporters, believe it or not, taking it a step further, untamed dogs. You don't believe me? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC ANCHOR: He's taking the Republican Party, a grassroots party that spent 60, 70 years leading the war and the Cold War, hating the Russians for their aggressiveness in the world, taking over countries on the border and being tyrannical, the way they are now, and he has those people cheering against Western Europe, which is liberal and democratic, and free market, and attacking them while saying how Trump -- agreeing with Trump saying he's doing his best.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's remarkable to think that one of them --

MATTHEWS: He's dog training these people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Oh, that's what they really think of us.

Now, these same elites in the media, they are celebrating the widespread anti-Trump protest that are going to be taking place this week throughout Europe, one of the reasons we're here.

And as we discussed last night, they are all forgetting, you know, history does repeat itself. Remember Ronald Reagan, President Reagan, faced the same backlash, same demonstrations before his policy of strength, trust but verify, the evil empire, tear down this wall, which spurred some of the most historic diplomatic achievements in world history.

President Trump could now be poised to follow in those footsteps. We could all hope.

And we'll have more on the president's trip throughout Europe throughout the show but we do have other important breaking news on the domestic front. Trump-hating former FBI lawyer Lisa Page today did not comply with her subpoena and flat out refused to testify before a closed-door session of Congress. She sounds a little like Hillary.

And earlier today, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, he voiced this very important concern. Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BOB GOODLATTE, R-VA., HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: It does appear that Lisa Page apparently has something to hide. She has been in complete defiance of cooperation with the House Judiciary Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for seven months now, dating back to the first letter we wrote to the Department of Justice in December of last year asking for appearance. There have been two subsequent letters and two subpoenas issued for her appearance and she has defied all of that.

Now, when she says that she has not had ample time to prepare, that is belied by --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And the president also reacted today. He tweeted out, quote: Ex- FBI lawyer Lisa Page today defied the House of Representatives and issued subpoena to testify before Congress. Wow. But does anyone really surprise together with her lover, FBI agent Peter Strzok, she worked on the rigged witch hunt, perhaps the most tainted and corrupt case ever.

Yes, the media ignores that.

Now, the window is fast closing for Lisa Page. She must either comply with the subpoena, by the way, if this happened to us, we'd be in big trouble, or she will face serious legal consequences, including a contempt of Congress citation. And meanwhile her corrupt FBI boyfriend Peter Strzok, well, he's still set to testify in public tomorrow. Get ready, this hearing is going to be explosive.

We will full analysis and reaction to Peter Strzok's time in the hot seat tomorrow if he shows up. Catherine Herridge will also join us live with the report, on the very latest on all this tonight.

But, first, joining us by phone, he is the author of "The New York Times" bestseller, "Trump's America: The Truth About Our Nation's Great Comeback", broken into two parts, one about the success the media never talks about and the other, the -- well, roadblocks and difficulties and challenges the president will face, FOX News contributor Newt Gingrich.

I just laid out all the numbers, Mr. Speaker, 70 percent -- we paid 3.5 percent of our massive GDP. Germany, what, 1.4 percent, and they are giving billions of dollars in contracts to Vladimir Putin, 70 percent of the lifeblood of their economy, their energy is coming from Russia and I'm sitting here thinking, isn't it part of NATO to prevent against any type of a Russian military challenge they might face? Why wouldn't they give the business to us?

NEWT GINGRICH, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR (via telephone): Let me say first of all, because I can't -- I was so struck, when you played the section from Hillary, it just reminded me. Can you imagine if she had been president and we would have had to listen to that for the last two years?

I mean, that's a level of pain I can't quite imagine. So, I just wanted to say. I couldn't just stop thinking about that when you played her quote.

And, of course, the president has put his finger on one of the great false hypocrisies of Europeans. The Europeans love to lecture us while they make money. The German economy is the strongest economy in Europe. It is an enormous machine of export. They love deals.

The reason they were for the Iranian deals is they want to sell things to Iran. They lecture us about not being tough with Putin, while as the president correctly points out, they're spending billions every year buying natural gas from Russia. I mean, the level of hypocrisy is just breathtaking.

And I think the president deserves a lot of credit, this may have been one of the most honest days of public dialogue about the future of U.S. and Europe that I have ever seen, and at every stage, he was prepared. And by the way, people should remember as you watch him, he's not reading off of some staff-driven memo, he is talking off the cuff because he actually knows all of this stuff. He has learned and he has thought about it and I thought he was very impressive today.

And, of course, the Europeans naturally are kind of irritated because they've had a great ride now for three or four decades. And we're now -- again, it's kind of like having a brother-in-law you loaned your car to for free for 25 years and now, you want the car back, and they're going, but I like the car. And the Europeans are being asked to grow up and to do their fair share.

As I mentioned to you earlier on your radio show, there's amazing ad that was in the "London Times" by nine senior British generals and admirals that said, Trump is exactly right about NATO and they list eight major reforms of the British military.

It's the most amazing thing I have seen in a long time and it's a sign that he is striking a nerve with people who care about national security and people who care about safety.

HANNITY: You know, I love how generous the left are with American taxpayers' money. America -- obviously, the president doesn't mind paying his fair share, nor do I think any American minds paying our fair share, but we are paying 70 percent plus of the bill.

And what I don't know is why would Germany allow itself, if you're going to make billions of dollars in energy deals with Vladimir Putin, why would you create this vulnerability considering everybody views him as a hostile actor and need to protect ourselves against him, and NATO is spending a billion dollars a year, most of which we're paying, why wouldn't they partner with America considering our vast natural gas resources? The jobs that could be created for Americans?

GINGRICH: Well, don't underestimate the degree of resentment. I always remind people when we are celebrating D-Day in the landing of Normandy, that there are a fair number of Germans who aren't quite as excited by it. There's a long tradition of the Germans and the Russians working together between wars and I think that there is a comfort zone. And remember that a substantial part of Germany was in the Soviet empire and consists of people who are used to dealing with the Russians.

HANNITY: Imagine Donald Trump if he could persuade Germany to do this, it would literally shutdown Russia's economy. If I'm Vladimir Putin, I would be very nervous.

All right. Mr. Speaker, thank you.

All right. When we come back, as we continue from London, right here in our London studio, Steve Bannon will join us straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. As I mentioned earlier in my opening monologue, as we continue from London tonight, the media cannot stand it, that President Trump actually stood up for America today on the world stage.

Just to remind you. Let's take a quick look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't want to make light of this, but this kind of diplomacy looks like hulk smash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Called Germany a captive of Russia is the most inflammatory language I could imagine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the latest example of how the Trump doctrine drives a wedge in the world order by upending Democratic-led institutions in place since after World War II.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he went there determined to poke his allies and to demand not only more spending but to insult Germany.

MATTHEWS: What's going on here? Is there any possible reason to believe it's good for the world?

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: All right. Joining us now here in London, with reaction, former White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

How are you, my friend? Good to see you.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: Thanks for having me here. Live in London.

HANNNITY: Live in London, yes, sir.

What is it, 2:30 in the morning? Something like that?

All right. Let's go -- today was historic.

BANNON: Yes.

HANNITY: It was the right thing to do, pitch perfect. And I don't think anybody ever laid out those numbers.

BANNON: Sean, look at the meltdown on the mainstream media in the permanent political class of both parties, the Never Trumpers, the national security apparatus right and also the left. You know, they have said for years how disruptive Trump is.

Here's what he did. Think about the speech he made in Warsaw last August. He said our number one priority is defense of Western Civilization and he actually talked at that time about what a problem Russian natural gas was going to be.

I mean, for any other president that was so provocative, he goes to NATO today and he has a partners' discussion to say, look, this alliance, I'm trying to make it stronger. I want allies. I don't want a protectorate.

The problem is, is what NATO has turned into is a protectorate. You can see it in those numbers.

HANNITY: It's astonishing.

BANNON: And by the way, it's not just -- the American people should understand, it's not just that Germany is only paying 1.2 percent of their GDP, when they are positive in their budget, they've got plenty of cash. It's only 1.2 percent.

But if you look at what they are spending it on, it's not on equipment. It's not on readiness. It's not interoperability for NATO. There's a report out the other day, 128 I think German combat aircraft, only seven -- only seven are prepared to be fully operational right now.

What President Trump said today is that, hey, the key to the Trump doctrine, no more managed decline. The elites in the world managed process to unacceptable outcomes to citizens. And he's saying, hey, we're not doing that anymore. I'm going to have a partners' discussion. You need to pay the 2 percent.

In fact, he said, instead of waiting until 2024, if you look at the threats are today, you need to step -- I mean, pay today. By the way, if you don't pay it, you should be in arrears. And they -- and all the guys --

HANNITY: I agree with that.

BANNON: -- said, Trump is not engaged. Trump is an isolationist. This is the most -- this is -- what he's talking about. This is total engagement, and, treating people like adults.

Everybody comes over NATO before, or Europe, and have all these highfalutin talk.

HANNITY: But they only like apology tours, Steve. They only like a weak America. They only like billions sent to Iran.

BANNON: But even people on the Republican side who have come over here and just had platitudes.

HANNITY: Right.

BANNON: Trump is a practical, pragmatic businessman. And he's saying, if we're going to make this alliance work, people have to step up, OK, and participate, fully participate as far as the 2 percent go and it can't be ten years, it's got to be today.

I think -- and this is one of the things that Trump -- President Trump, remember, $30 billion increase when we first got there, just for readiness. And today after these things in the morning, they had the readiness briefings. I believe President Trump came out and said, hey, I think you ought think about 4 percent.

He is into the details of what it takes to make this alliance work. But you look on to the mainstream media and it's in full meltdown. This is the first time anybody has had a partners' discussion.

HANNITY: Poland is doing the opposite of Germany. They refuse to be dependent on Russian energy sources. When you talk about Germany, literally, Putin is a hostile regime, Russia is a hostile regime, or Putin a hostile actor. And you're going to put 70 percent of the lifeblood of your economy in his hands and give them billions of dollars. And NATO in part is designed to protect against any hostile regime like Russia. It just defies all common sense and logic especially knowing the depth of American resources with energy.

BANNON: That's what he said today. He said, how can you be so lax in supporting NATO, the defense alliance and what we're here today is talk about that, when you are putting really the control of your entire country, because if you fully do this natural gas we will be at 70 percent.

And look back, what is it, 2009 - 2009 when Russia put the pressure on the Ukraine about natural gas. People have seen before Russia do. Like I said, he talked about it in Warsaw last year, he brought it up today and nobody has really gotten in the Russian spaces like this. I mean, he called out Germany but he also called out Russia. So I don't know what--

HANNITY: You are seeing today how nervous. You did not like what you heard, he's basically saying, don't do this. That kills the Russian economy.

BANNON: I think if you put in instead they are going, hey, this guy is the leader of the west he's laying out methodically what it takes for the defense of the west that they have to have an alliance that works. They have to have an alliance that works militarily. They can't be any more games.

You know, President Trump has a great saying, no more games. And today he said no more games. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to pay for it. And by the way, you can't -- if you are beholden to Russia, you are strategically going to put the entire alliance in jeopardy.

HANNITY: OK. Let me switch to the 2018 election. I make the point that the Democrat is no vision to make -- to look out for the working men or we say the forgotten men and women of this country. Is it their agenda. They want to impeach Trump and are telling Maxine Waters and others don't say it.

They want open borders, they want to keep Obamacare, they don't want Judge Kavanaugh on the bench, and they want their crumbs back, they want the tax cut back. I can't think of one positive thing they are offering. But historically midterms are difficult for the party in power in the White House.

BANNON: It's difficult in party in power but this is going to be a referendum on President Trump. I keep saying this is the first reelect and it should be. They are running away from saying impeachment now because they understand impeachment galvanizes the deplorables, it galvanizes the base. President Trump is going to be unbalanced.

HANNITY: Just calling on deplorables.

BANNON: Absolutely.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Bannon, you're irredeemable deplorable.

BANNON: I wear this badge of honor.

HANNITY: I do, too.

BANNON: September 9th is a high holy day in our movement. Because no, you saw on that clip--

HANNITY: Horrible.

BANNON: -- what she really thinks of working people. They detest you. They detest your values, they detest what you stand for and that's what Trump speaks to the American people. President Trump, this is his reelect, OK? You are going to get the up or down vote. You are going to get the whole package what he's done on national security.

HANNITY: What about weak Republicans, what about rhinos? You are going to- -

(CROSSTALK)

BANNON: Rhinos suck it up. Just like 2016, when President Trump said talk about the judges, right? If you are an establishment Republican, OK, and you see what President Trump represents with taxes, where the economy is going, right, with national security, all the leadership he's shown. And he is reforming the federal judiciary.

That's one of the reasons they are having a meltdown right now because the left understands that Donald Trump is an historic president and he is going to be in their lives for 30 or 40 years.

HANNITY: By the way, transformation.

BANNON: Transformation but and one of the true historic presidents, maybe four or five in American history, he is going to be in the lives of the progressive left for 30 or 40 years. The way he is redoing the federal judiciary in a very methodical process, right, to go to people who have a lot of written opinions, to go to the originalist for the Constitution, it's going to have dramatic impact. I think that's why you're seeing the meltdown.

HANNITY: So Kavanaugh is an originalist?

BANNON: I think Kavanaugh is a tremendous pick. I trust the process. I think he's a tremendous pick.

HANNITY: Great to see you.

BANNON: Good to see you.

HANNITY: All right. As we continue from London, we have breaking news. Catherine Herridge joins us with new developments on anti-Trump FBI officials Strzok and Page. And then Sara Carter, Gregg Jarret as we continue almost 2.40 a.m. in London. We'll see. We'll continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: As we continue where we are reporting live from London and it's going to be a very big day on Capitol Hill tomorrow as FBI agent Peter Strzok will testify publicly before the House oversight and judiciary committees about his anti-Trump bias.

And also tonight, new developments concerning his former mistress, Lisa Page and how she today defied a congressional subpoena.

Joining us now with much more is from Washington Fox News chief intelligence correspondent, our friend Catherine Herridge. Catherine, a lot of breaking news on this tonight.

CATHERINE HERRIDGE, FOX NEWS CHIEF INTELLIGENCE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Sean. And good evening.

Two congressional panels sent this letter laying out three options. FBI lawyer Lisa Page can show up tomorrow at a public hearing with her former lover and colleague agent Peter Strzok, give a close to a deposition or face more legal trouble. The committees are warning tonight they could initiate contempt proceedings as early as Friday morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOODLATTE: She has been incomplete defiance of cooperation with the House judiciary committee, and the oversight and government formed committee for seven months. I think it's very important for her to understand that and she should comply with that and she should comply with it now before she's held in contempt of Congress which could happen as soon as Friday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HERRIDGE: So a time to go on Twitter President Trump emphasized Page has defied a House subpoena by not showing up today on Capitol Hill. Quote, "Wow, but is anybody really surprised?"

This afternoon, Page its legal team released a new photo of their client and said the FBI shares some of the blame accusing the bureau of failing to provide timely access to Page's notes and records.

Her lawyer telling Fox News there is no basis for claims that Lisa has anything to hide or is unwilling to testify. Then accusing the House panels of bullying tactics.

The committee chairman counter they had to call in federal officers because Page and her team played games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOODLATTE: In addition, our attorneys have had communication with her attorney for nearly a month now about this appearance, and her attorney agreed to accept service of the subpoena and then turned around and immediately tried to reject it so that's why we sent the marshals to her house to serve the subpoena. They had to go back three times before they were finally able to reach her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HERRIDGE: The situation tonight remains highly fluid. A legal source close to FBI agent Peter Strzok tells Fox News that he still plans to appear tomorrow on Capitol Hill and his team wants the transcript from his closed- door deposition two weeks ago made public as well, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Catherine Herridge in Washington.

Here with reaction the author, it's less than two weeks away, there is a definitive book on this whole scheme, "The Russia Hoax, The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and yes, Frame Donald Trump." Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett, also here on set with us in London, Fox News contributor investigative reporter Sara Carter.

This is interesting because she, there appears with Peter Strzok or appears Friday or will be held in contempt.

SARA CARTER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: That's right. And it's very revealing all the information that we've received today about Lisa Page, right, the fact that the marshals had to go to her house, the fact that they--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Three times.

CARTER: Three times. Three times that she was trying to evade the marshals, apparently, and finally then they got her and now she is just refusing. You know, there's a different set of rules apparently for Lisa Page and Peter Strzok and--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Hillary Clinton.

CARTER: -- Hillary Clinton, and for all of these players that were involved in this. A different set of rules that we would not be allowed to get away with. I think what's really fascinating here is they could push for contempt.

But remember, even with they called her, I mean, they -- he was in contempt but nothing ever really happened. The American people were frustrated, Sean, they want to see some action. So she either comes tomorrow which I think is the best option and testifies with Peter Strzok, or Friday, and behind closed door.

HANNITY: Let's talk -- let's go to the point, Gregg, that Sara is making here. I would soon know or defy a congressional subpoena, it wouldn't work out well for me, it wouldn't work out well for anybody watching this program. I -- it wouldn't work out well if subpoenaed e-mails were deleted and bleach bit and devices beaten up with hammers and SIM cards removed.

Why, how are they getting away with it and Congress, what are they going to do? They will have no power if they don't enforce this contempt.

GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: If you and I did this we would be doing push-ups in the hose gallop (Ph) because there would have been a bench warrant for our arrest. And only thereafter where there be a show causes hearing. But this is Washington, D.C. and Congress has no power to enforce a contempt citation or subpoena, they have to go to a federal judge, and in D.C. they are all liberal judges.

So, you know, it's a different set of operating procedures there. But she is claiming she needs to review documents but that's not a valid excuse for defying a subpoena. I use to issue subpoenas all the time before witnesses had a chance to look at documents, because I wanted them to tell the truth and not be influenced by documents and conform the testimony.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: How does this end?

JARRETT: And then I wanted to use those documents to impeach their credibility when they lied to. So she's reversed the entire process. How does it end? She gets away with it. History shows this, congressional contempt citations go nowhere as they are colder.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: The American people can't -- we don't have a country. We don't have rules.

JARRETT: Right.

HANNITY: We don't have the equal application. We don't have a Constitution if we have two sets, two justice systems here.

CARTER: That's right. And this is what the American people are saying over and over, Sean. This is why people don't believe in Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation anymore. This is the reason we're hearing more voices speaking out and the tide is shifting, but something needs to be done.

Either the Department of Justice it needs to be restructured, something needs to happen. They need to actually implement and enforce the law.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Where is the attorney general? Where is the attorney general?

CARTER: Where are the prosecutors that the attorney general put in charge?

HANNITY: Where are they?

CARTER: Where is the president?

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Paul Manafort spending 23 hours over 2005 tax case in isolation.

CARTER: That's right. But the president has the power, Sean.

HANNITY: It's unbelievable.

CARTER: The president can declassify or get these documents.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: This is the key and you agree with that? Do you agree with that, Gregg? The president has the power to declassify and demand all of this. Correct?

JARRETT: He can and he can order the Department of Justice and the FBI to comply with lawful subpoenas. failure to do so is grounds for termination, you're fired.

HANNITY: All right, guys. Gregg's book in less than two weeks. Hannity.com, Amazon.com. Sara, thank you for joining us.

When we come back, the most outrageous conspiracy theory, that crazy NBC has now peddled about Donald Trump and Russia. Sebastian Gorka and Daniel Hoffman, that's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. The destroy-Trump left wing media is no longer in content which was attacking the president, now they are stooping to really insane conspiracy theories. What do I mean? Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does Russia has some kind of leverage over Donald Trump? The new cover story from New York magazine writer Jonathan Chait argues, we have not allowed ourselves to consider the full range of possibilities.

Chait lays out what could be considered the worst-case scenario for Trump- Russia collusion. That Donald Trump has been a Russian intelligence asset since 1987.

JONATHAN CHAIT, WRITER, NEW YORK MAGAZINE: Nineteen eighty seven is when he went to Moscow and he is vetted by the Russians, and tours Moscow, and then he comes back then he start talking about running for president for the first time. And then he starts talking for the first time about how our allies are a bunch of freeloaders and we should kick them to the curb.

So it really dovetails with Russian foreign policy then and now. Now again, that's probably a coincidence but it might -- it might not be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: OK, a Russian asset. OK. Now these bizarre conspiracy theories, that even extends to Trump's Supreme Court nomination. Again back to yes, NBC News, Tom Brokaw. Your proud reporter had to delete this tweet claiming the president and Justice Kennedy had conspired to select Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Joining us the now the author of book, "Why We Fight" Fox News national security strategist, Dr. Gorka, and Fox News contributor, Daniel Hoffman. Dr. Gorka, it's really simple. OK. He was an asset since 1987, and now we figure it out. But today he basically was telling Germany don't rely on Russia, which if they didn't would tank Putin's economy in a year.

SEBASTIAN GORKA, FOX NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIST: Sean, I can play their game, too. So all the people that you showed all the staff members at the New York Post, the Washington -- New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC. I don't have any evidence but I think that lizard men from another dimension.

It might be true, I don't have any evidence. This is journalism today. They are like cornered rabid rats. They have been selling us lies for so many years that now they can't go any further except to double down. Because if they did anything else--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Double down on--

GORKA: -- they would have to admit to us. But they have to admit to us that they had been lying. So they just invent new stuff.

HANNITY: Daniel Hoffman, this is your business, this is what you have done including Russia as working, as a CIA operative. I don't even know what to say about this, it's basically everything they say, you just can't trust any of it anymore. Dr. Gorka is right. It's all lies. It's all agenda driven.

DANIEL HOFFMAN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Sean, this started with John Brennan who did a great disservice to the national debate on national security by openly speculating without evidence that Vladimir Putin could blackmail the president.

Now Brennan later retracted his speculation but the damage was done. And Brennan should have known really that he speculates in his known peril. And if he had something to say he could have gone to the special counsel. But he really framed the debate, and that's what greatest -- of greatest concern to me, was just his absolutely unprofessional and very partisan behavior.

HANNITY: It's even actually worse than not.

GORKA: Sean?

HANNITY: I mean, and I'm not even joking. I mean, Tom Brokaw spent his life, and I don't think he agrees with Sean Hannity but people like Tim Russert, this is not NBS News anymore, Dr. Gorka. This is a whole new entity--

GORKA: No.

HANNITY: -- which is basically innuendo, conspiracy theories, outright lies, fake news and an agenda to destroy the president and delegitimize him and it's been going on for two years. Three years, actually.

GORKA: Let's do what they do. So let's take Daniel's really important point. So, John Brennan isn't Joe Sixpack. He is the former director of the CIA. And he leaves government service and still has his clearances, I don't know why he hasn't been stripped of his clearance goes on--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: By the way, wasn't he -- doesn't he vote -- he was a communist, wasn't he?

GORKA: He voted for Gus Hall in 1976, the communist party candidate for president, and then was hired by the CIA. Incredible.

HANNITY: What a great country.

GORKA: Now he goes -- he goes -- he gets picked up as a contributor on left-wing media, he spins what Daniel said about the president being vulnerable, and then he's basically doing Putin's work for him.

Let me play the game they do, Sean. Is John Brennan getting paid by Putin to spin this? I don't have any evidence, Sean, but it could be. That's how reprehensible--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: It could -- anything could be.

GORKA: Right. But it's reprehensible.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: And Daniel Hoffman, it's the president -- what the president was saying to Germany is don't rely on Putin and be so dependent on him considering we're spending all this money to possibly deal with a hostile Russia. And if, in fact, Germany listens, their economy is done because that is their economy. So the president doesn't seem to be too bold into Vladimir Putin tonight.

HOFFMAN: Yes. My late father used to tell me to be faithful to the facts, they won't steer you wrong. And I think it's important for viewers just to parse out those facts you're talking about, Sean. That's what matters.

HANNITY: All right guys, unbelievable times we are living in, fake news at its worst.

All right. When we come back, Rush Limbaugh, amazing strong words for a liberal elites attacking the president for holding our NATO allies accountable to pay their fair share. We pay 70 plus cents of every dollar. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Rush Limbaugh had some strong and powerful words for the so- called foreign policy experts, you know, liberal pundits who want the U.S. to apologize for everything after they attacked President Trump for his tough and fair rhetoric at the NATO summit. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK SHOW HOST: There are these people who think they are they gifted special elites, the experts in diplomacy, who really believe that Donald Trump is going to turn the world against the United States.

These people are predominantly liberal and therefore they are laden with guilt. The United States is the problem. We must act like we are the problem. We must acknowledge where the problem. We must let our, quote, "friends and enemies" know, yes, we understand that we don't have any moral authority here to determine right and wrong and so we must pay for this access or pay for that. And Trump has had it. He's not doing this anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And then drop off 150 billion in cash and other currencies in cargo planes to mullahs in Iran.

All right. Thanks for that comment, Rush right on the money. Unfortunately, that's all the time we have left this evening. We are in London.

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