Herman Cain: President Trump is reasserting results
On 'Hannity,' Fox News contributor reacts to the Ohio rally
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," July 25, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: This is a "Fox News Alert." And we are broadcasting from the swamp in Washington, D.C. And welcome to "Hannity."
A brand-new bombshell from The Hill's John Solomon reveals the depth of the Obama era NSA spying and civil liberties violations. John Solomon, along with Circa News's Sara Carter -- they will join us tonight on this explosive story.
Also, the president has just landed at Joint Base Andrews. And earlier tonight, he took his message directly to you, the American people. He had a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, where he pushed his agenda and took on his critics. And that is the subject of tonight's very important transitional "Opening Monologue."
All right, during tonight's massive rally in Ohio, President Trump issued an urgent call, pushing Congress to finally get rid of ObamaCare and to replace it with something that actually works for you, the American people. It's time for these guys in the swamp, in the sewer here in D.C. to get to work. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're now one step closer to liberating our citizens from this ObamaCare nightmare!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: And delivering great health care for the American people. We're going to do that, too. The Senate is working not only to repeal ObamaCare but to deliver great health care for the American people. Any senator who votes against repeal and replace is telling America that they are fine with the "Obama care" nightmare! And I predict they'll have a lot of problems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And I predict he's right. But repealing and replacing "Obama care" is not the only urgent task on the president's agenda. Now, listen to the president earlier tonight reassuring the American people that building the wall on our southern border is not just an empty campaign promise. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: After spending billion dollars defending other nations' borders, we are finally defending our borders!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Don't even think about it. We will build the wall.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Don't even think about it.
I watch the media as they say, Well, he just had some fun during the campaign on the wall. That wasn't fun, folks! We're building that wall. And walls do work. And we're going to have great people come into our country, but we're not going to put ourselves through the problems that we've had for so many years!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Is Congress listening? Now, the president also promised to drive out violent cartel-linked gangs and to put an end finally to sanctuary cities once and for all. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The predators and criminal aliens who poison our communities with drugs and prey on innocent young people, these beautiful, beautiful innocent young people, will find no safe haven anywhere in our country. And that is why my administration is launching a nationwide crackdown on sanctuary cities!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: American cities should be sanctuaries for law-abiding Americans, for people that look up to the law, for people that respect the law, not for criminals and gang members that we want the hell out of our country!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now, the president also spoke about lowering taxes in tonight's speech. Please lower taxes. Please stop burdening us! Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: My administration is working every single day to heed and honor the will of the voters. That includes working on one of the biggest tax cuts in American history. And actually, if I get what I want, it will be the single biggest tax cut in American history!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: We have the highest taxes anywhere in the world, and this will really bring them down to one of the lowest. And we really have no choice. We will have growth. We will have everything that we've dreamed of having. It's time to let Americans keep more of their own money. It's time to bring new companies to our shores and to create a new era of growth, prosperity and wealth!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: What a great idea. Let's get Americans back to work, back in the labor force, and of course, out of poverty and off of food stamps. Republicans, what do you stand for?
Now, the president's rally didn't just include plans for the future. He also touted a long list of accomplishments. Now, despite what the left- wing mainstream establishment media is reporting -- well, the president -- he has been very busy the last six months, working on trying to push through his bold agenda despite pretty much zero help from any Democrats, and frankly, weak Republicans.
And here's the president talking about what he has accomplished so far these last six months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Our 2nd Amendment is very, very sound again. That would have been gonzo. It would have been gone.
We've eliminated burdensome regulations at record speed, and many, many more are coming off. And boy, have we put those coal miners and coal back on the map. You've seen that, huh?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: We've achieved a historic increase in defense spending to get our troops the support they so richly deserve. We have signed new legislation to hold federal workers accountable for the care they provide to our great, great veterans!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: To protect American jobs and workers, I withdrew the United States from both the Trans-Pacific Partnership potential disaster...
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: ... and the job-killing Paris climate accord. Believe me.
Unemployment last month hit a 16-year low. Since my election, we've added much more than one million jobs!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Believe it or not, you're never going to hear that in mainstream media. And what you just heard is only a fraction of what the president has actually accomplished.
Also tonight, in true Trump fashion, the president fought back against his critics, the best part of the speech. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Sometimes they say, He doesn't act presidential.
(BOOS)
TRUMP: And I say, Hey, look, great schools, smart guy. It's so easy to act presidential, but that's not going to get it done. In fact, I said it's much easier, by the way, to act presidential than what we're doing here tonight! Believe me. And I said...
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: And I said, with the exception of the late, great Abraham Lincoln, I can be more presidential than any president that's ever held this office! That I can tell you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Do we really want a president who just acts? Now, tonight, the president sent a very important message that will reverberate across America and into the swamp and sewer that is Washington, D.C., where I am tonight.
And the president's not going to sit idly by and watch Congress fumble his agenda. He's going to take his message again and again directly to you, the American people. It's time to put pressure on lawmakers to finally do their job and get something done.
Here with reaction, author of the book "Putin's Gambit," Fox Business host, our sister network, Lou Dobbs is with us.
You know, every time the president goes directly to the American people, you see the reaction. There is not one iota's difference before the campaign. And every agenda item he has, which helped a lot of these senators and congressmen get elected, is supported by those crowds. What is Washington not getting? What are Republicans not getting?
LOU DOBBS, FOX BUSINESS: Just about everything, as you know, Sean. The president today was -- you know, as you say, this rally today was just like every rally that he carried out as a candidate for president. The love in the room for the president was palpable.
He is watching -- he doesn't need any extra energy, but he's drawing great energy from these people who are his supporters. They are also the people for whom he is working, not K Street, the lobbyists, the billion-dollar donors that expect to have the federal government heel and certainly the leadership of the Republican Party. They're so accustomed to them heeling to their every order and beck and call.
He is frustrating the establishment. That's what we're watching, is a conflict between this president, the status quo, and frankly, the defenders of the status quo, whether they're Republicans or Democrats. And he is winning, winning and winning. And the people in that room in Youngstown, Ohio, all 7,000 of them, know that very well, as do tens of millions of other Americans.
HANNITY: But Lou, if the Republicans don't do their part -- this is a seven-year promise to replace, replace "Obama care." They needed Mike Pence for the motion to proceed today...
DOBBS: Right.
HANNITY: ... which doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence that they're going to get this whole thing done or done in a way that they had promised for seven years. And think I think you got an economic plan so we can get Americans...
DOBBS: Right.
HANNITY: ... out of poverty, off of food stamps...
DOBBS: No, you're right.
HANNITY: ... back to work and get the border built and funded. And I don't think Congress realizes they will pay the price if they don't get the job done.
DOBBS: That is the sub-text here. You're exactly right again, Sean. This is -- this threat that is looming is for every one of those congressmen who are hesitant and hesitating to support this president and his agenda, and particularly the leadership, the speaker and the majority leader of the Senate, Ryan and Mitch McConnell. They had better deliver this time because it will be fundamentally a question of the survival of the Republican Party.
Donald Trump is -- what he was saying in Youngstown, Ohio, in my opinion, in addition to everything else that was so terrific about the economy, about turning this country around, he's serving notice that those are Trump Democrats in Youngstown, Ohio, which he lost by 3 points. But four years earlier, Barack Obama won that county by 27 points!
These are his people. And you heard Gino (ph), the man he brought up on the stage, and the chants for Gino from the crowd because he was talking about how much this president is loved by the forgotten man and woman. And all of those people in Youngstown represent much of the bread basket, where they've lost a third of the population of Youngstown, Ohio, their factories once one of the top steel producing cities in the country. And it's -- it's remarkable the notice that he served. And I guarantee you -- I don't know whether McConnell and Ryan got it, but I can guarantee you Schumer and Pelosi get it, and they're worried to death.
HANNITY: Yes. And by the way, a better way...
DOBBS: Oh, yes.
HANNITY: They -- there's no way for them, and especially after eight years of failure. Lou Dobbs, I know you stayed late for us tonight. As always, thanks you for being with us.
DOBBS: Great to be with you, Sean. Thanks.
HANNITY: And here now with more reaction to the president's rally in Youngstown, Ohio, we have Fox News contributor Herman Cain. One of the things -- I noticed that Chuck Grassley in the Senate is saying, Wait a minute. If outside interference from a foreign country is a big deal -- Russia, Russia, Russia -- OK, we've got evidence of collusion with Ukraine and influence in the election, as well. Also, we have the Uranium One deal. And then I look at House conservatives. They're pushing for a probe of Comey and Clinton and I know others are talking about Loretta Lynch.
The part of me is torn, Herman Cain, Mr. 999, positive ideas -- it's torn because it's not fair what we've been seeing, but the agenda the president talked about, repeal, replace and schools and borders and listing his accomplishments and Gorsuch -- at the end of the day, I suspect if he succeeds, that will push Republicans over the top in 2018 and 2020. I'm torn what to do.
HERMAN CAIN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: But many of them don't realize that. Sean, that speech in Ohio reminded me of the three rallies I attended in Georgia, where I helped to introduce this president. He is re-asserting results, results, results. That's why he got the reaction from the crowd that he got. The Democrats are all about resist, resist, resist, and it's not resonating with people.
Hip, hip, hooray that he's taking his message directly to the people because the mainstream media's not going to do it. So he's doing it himself. And I think that helps to re-energize those people that voted for him because of exactly the things he is able to do, even despite the pushback by RINOs, Republicans in name only, and Democrats.
HANNITY: We learned that in spite of, what, 60 to 68 votes, repeal and replace -- Herman, we're on the radio. We were telling our audience those are showboats because if they really wanted to repeal and replace in those votes, they would have used the constitutional authority and the power of the purse, and they never did it. And the one guy that tried to use it, Ted Cruz, was excoriated by the Republican Party. So we knew they were showboats.
But on repeal and replace now, we learned 100 House Republicans had no intention of keeping that promise. And now you see the Senate just for the motion to proceed needing Mike Pence. This does not bode well, in my mind.
CAIN: You're right, Sean. Here's the deal. They thought that the American people were going to have very short memories. That's what they still think. What this president is doing is reminding the American people of what these Republicans promised.
And I got to tell you, last night on your show, you challenged your viewers to do exactly what I challenge my listeners to do, send e-mails, make phone calls and let them know that you are paying attention. That's the only thing that gets their attention. That's what gets results.
And with the president giving the kind of patriotic, pressable (ph) results-oriented speech that he's given today, it reminds people that, Yes, if I send that e-mail, if I make that phone call to my representative or to my senators, it will make a difference. I think this is great for the direction that this president is trying to go.
HANNITY: All right, Herman Cain, always good to see you. We appreciate it.
All right, we got...
CAIN: Thank you.
HANNITY: ... a busy breaking news night tonight here. "Hannity" in D.C. In a mini monologue, we will lay out the scandals Congress and the DOJ should be investigating and we'll get reaction, Monica Crowley, Geraldo Rivera.
And also tonight...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm here this evening to cut through the fake news filter and to speak straight to the American people!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: President Trump calling out the fake news media at tonight's rally in Ohio. Mercedes Schlapp, Lanny Davis, Larry Elder will join us with reaction.
And tonight, a "Hannity" investigation. An explosive new report by The Hill's John Solomon. It is about the Obama administration's NSA spying and civil liberties violations you need to know about. John Solomon, Sara Carter join us as we continue from the sewer and the swamp that is Washington, D.C.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Your future is what I'm fighting for each and every day. Here is just a small sample what have we accomplished in just our first six months in office. And I'll say this, and you know, they always like to say, Well, I don't know. But I think that with few exceptions, no president has done anywhere near what we've done in his first six months.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Not even close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That was the president at a rally earlier tonight in Ohio. We're going to have reaction that in just a minute.
But first tonight, it is time for Congress in light of Russia, Russia, Russia, and the Justice Department to restore the rule of law in this country, investigate the many massive scandals and felonies that can no longer be ignored. That's the subject of a very important mini-monologue tonight.
So unlike the rest of the destroy Trump media, we on this program -- we have been covering these scandals because you, the American people -- you deserve answers.
Now, right now in this country, sadly, there's a two-tiered justice system and the law is not equally applied to everyone. So tonight, the country needs to make a choice. Do we actually ignore crimes, evidence of wrongdoing or do we pursue the truth, investigate all of these things fully?
Now, the destroy Trump media, some of the Washington political elite -- they are apoplectic about the president criticizing his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who's a good man, by the way. Here's what the president said earlier today at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I am disappointed in the attorney general. He should not have recused himself almost immediately after he took office, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me prior to taking office, and I would have quite simply picked somebody else. So I think that's a bad thing not for the president but for the presidency. I think it's unfair to the presidency, and that's the way I feel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now, I agree with the president on recusal. And the AG's been doing a very good job implementing the president's agenda, like on the border. There are some things I would like to see our FBI, our Justice Department looking into, stories that you won't see in the establishment media.
We start with the arrest -- have you heard about this? -- earlier today of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's IT staffer who was trying to flee this country. The DailyCaller reported earlier this week the FBI found smashed hard drives -- sound familiar? -- at his home. The staffer has now been charged with bank fraud for allegedly double-billing House Democrats for computer equipment, and there is also concern about possible email hacking.
And after months of stonewalling and threatening U.S. Capitol police, well, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, well, now apparently is finally willing to cooperate with investigators. Let's see -- smashed hard drives, not working with federal authorities. What are the Democrats trying to hide here? What does Debbie Wasserman Schultz want you, the American people, not to know here when it comes to smashed hard drives, not working with authorities?
It's hard not to notice a very similar pattern with a lot of Democrats regarding these matters. Remember? Hillary Clinton -- OK, I don't know anybody in the Trump campaign or the Trump administration that deleted 33,000 emails, and just to make sure, they used acid wash or BleachBit to get rid of them. Or her aides smashing mobile devices with a hammer into smithereens, and then Clinton's lawyer giving back the FBI BlackBerrys but they took out the SIM cards, rendering them meaningless. And of course, we know Hillary mishandled secret, top secret, special access program information, classified information by having a private email server which was hacked by up to five foreign intelligence agencies.
Now, if anyone besides Hillary Clinton or Debbie Wasserman Schultz -- if you did any of that, in the case of Hillary, you would be in jail tonight begging me to bring you a cake with a file!
These are prosecutable crimes. But it's just the beginning of what needs to be done by the FBI and by the Justice Department when it comes to the Clintons if we're not going to have a two-tiered justice system. There is real Russia collusion, a real scandal, Uranium One. Are they going to investigate this at the Justice Department, at the FBI?
Remember? Clinton serving secretary of state -- she signed off 20 percent of America's uranium to Vladimir Putin and the Russians. That's the foundational material to nuclear weapons! All while people ended up, you know, giving donations of up to $145 million or more to the Clinton Foundation! And then top it all off during the same time, Bill Clinton doubled his speaking fees in Moscow. That sounds an awful lot like bribery, quid quo pro, pay to play.
Now the next thing. Is the issue of possible Ukrainian election collusion ever going to be investigated? This story broke in Politico in January. The scandal involves a one-time DNC operative, Ukrainian government officials -- wow that sounds like collusion -- working during the campaign. Well, these -- disseminating false information. They wanted to defeat and hurt Donald Trump.
Now this DNC operative finally, six months later -- she denies any wrongdoing. Senator Chuck Grassley, he's not buying it -- of Iowa. He's asking questions. He's writing a letter to the Department of Justice about a possible Foreign Agents Registration Act violation.
Oh, you mean this works in reverse? It's not just the Republicans going after the Trump administration? We're going to have equal justice under the law?
And on top of that, there's also former Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch potentially obstructing justice. Former FBI director James Comey recently testified that Lynch pressure him to call the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server a matter instead of what it really was, an investigation. Then there's Lynch's 40-minute tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton just days before Comey's announcement about Clinton.
Now, there's some good news on this issue. We now finally have a group of Republican lawmakers that do believe in equal justice under the law. Jim Jordan and others are calling for Lynch to be investigated.
Then of course, we have the unprecedented and I think the greatest danger to the country, what are deep state leaks, and according to a recent report, 125 deep state leaks likely, of course, illegal, in just 126 days. And the only crime we know committed in this whole Russia-Trump phony collusion story has been the unmasking and the leaking of Lieutenant General Michael Flynn's name to The Washington Post. That is a violation of the Espionage Act and people can be held accountable and put in jail.
And speaking of leaks, well, we know James Comey gave his government memos to a friend to be leaked to The New York Times in the hopes that it would lead to the appointment of a special counsel. And Comey may have also improperly removed government property from the FBI.
And then the political witch hunt that is led by Comey's buddy, special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller has massive conflicts of interest. He's best friends with Comey, a key witness. Well, that might even be against the law. We'll find out. Mueller just one day before being named special counsel, guess what? He interviewed with President Trump for the FBI job. That's beyond outrageous.
And of course, we can't forget all the members of Mueller's team, the people he's bringing on, have donated thousands of dollars to the Democrats. Oh, and we can't forget even hiring Hillary Clinton's attorney on the Clinton Foundation.
And finally, the fake news dossier, the opposition research firm, Fusion GPS, which has connections to Democrats. According to all these reports, the dossier originally commissioned by a Republican, but eventually, a Clinton ally ended up paying for that. Christopher Steele, former British spy, put together the fake news hit piece that cites Russian government sources and sources that are tied to the Russian government. Should be shocking, right? But it didn't stop Democrats from repeating the false information found in the dossier.
Now, there is some progress on this story, too. We're pressing every day so we have equal justice under the law. Fox News has now learned that the co-founder of Fusion GPS is cooperating with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Finally, a good thing. But you -- you, the American people, deserve complete, thorough investigations into all these scandals, but we can't take our eye off the ball, health care repeal and replace, building the wall, getting the economy going, getting people off of food stamps, back in the labor force, out of poverty. That has to happen simultaneously. If Congress would stop taking vacations, well, maybe they can get these things done.
Here with reaction, Fox News correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera, conservative commentator Monica Crowley.
Monica, this is where I was asking her (ph). I'm a little torn. I think the double standard is outrageous, the evidence in all of these cases overwhelming. Republicans are in control of these committees. Why aren't they doing their job there? And why is it so hard to get repeal and replace done at this point?
MONICA CROWLEY, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Yes, two separate questions, Sean, but they all get to the same point, which is that when Democrats are in control of the executive branch, which includes the Department of Justice, they have no problem stonewalling, deflecting and burying investigations that may, in fact, be damaging to them.
In this case, now we have a Republican who's heading up the Department of Justice. We've got a Republican president. And all we are asking is for full, fair and honest investigations of all of the situations that you just laid out. The point of being in control, the point of having the party in control is so that we can move forward with these kinds of investigations.
When it comes to your question about health care reform, I think a lot of the American people are incredibly outraged and annoyed that for eight years the Republicans had a chance to get their act together and produce something that was ready to go on day one, as they have promised us. This has been an incredibly frustrating process I know for those on Capitol Hill, but moreover for the American people who have been suffering under the coercion of Obamacare now for many years. They want relief.
And the fact that this party is now in control of both houses of the Congress as well as the White House cannot get this done, no fault of the president, of course. And I know this is difficult, this is herding cats, Sean, but they have had a long time to get their act together. And if they don't, believe me, there will be hell to pay, including possibly losing control of the House.
HANNITY: There is such a fundamental unfairness, Geraldo, in all of this when you lay out the facts, if we believe in the constitution, equal application of the law. And then is a part of me torn. I don't want the double standard to exist. But in my heart I believe if the president accomplishes his agenda that that's the key for the American people to ignore the other noise.
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: I think, Sean, that what we should ignore right now is everything that this story of this Imran Awan, this 37-year-old Pakistani I.T. expert who has been at the side of Debbie Wasserman Schultz through her entire tenure as the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, trying to destroy these computers, arrested at Dulles airport last night trying to flee the country. His brother and some associates and his family have already fled the country. What are they trying to destroy? Why was Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Congresswoman, why was she putting pressure on Capitol police to get her computers back? These seized those computers.
Just take this quick scenario. We know that one of the big scandals is that her emails were leaked, her emails that showed she and the DNC were favoring Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. WikiLeaks published those emails. What was WikiLeaks source? Everyone has assumed that it was the Russian who gave Wiki -- who hacked the DNC and then gave WikiLeaks that information.
HANNITY: He told me personally five times it wasn't a state or Russia.
RIVERA: Maybe he was telling you the truth.
HANNITY: WikiLeaks has not been proven wrong in their information in 11 years, not one time.
RIVERA: Now you have a possible suspect. Here's the corrupt I.T. guy standing at arrested at the shoulder of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, arrested at the airport trying to flee, charged with stealing hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of dollars. What if was the source to WikiLeaks? He has all the passcodes.
HANNITY: Geraldo, wait a minute. I think it's deeper than that.
RIVERA: This is a huge story.
HANNITY: Here's my theory, real quick. My theory is maybe Debbie Wasserman Schultz didn't want to be exposed which is why they smashed the hard drives.
RIVERA: Of course.
HANNITY: And remember what happened, because she knows she colluded against Bernie Sanders. She knows that the primary was rigged.
RIVERA: That's the easy part, that they colluded against Bernie Sanders. What if they were the source for WikiLeaks? What if the whole of Russia- gate story now hinges on this now investigation, the guy is now charged.
HANNITY: Bingo.
RIVERA: His passport has been seized, his family has already fled. He has got an ankle monitor on. What if this investigation really shows who was the source --
HANNITY: Geraldo, I've been talking about this all day and with some important people here today. If you can prove disgruntled Democrats in fact were the leakers and not the Russians, as Julian Assange has said -- believe him, don't believe him, I don't care whether you do or not -- doesn't that blow the whole thing out of the water?
RIVERA: I think that this investigation into this Pakistani fellow who tried to flee the country and was arrested at the airport -- don't bury that. That's a huge thing, her I.T. guy was seized trying to escape the country, and now he's charged with these bank frauds and so forth. But what does he know? Why were they trying to destroying those computers? I think that there is -- this is the lead. I checked the "New York Times" website before I came on. No mention of this. I think that this tomorrow would be a huge story. Congratulations to "The Daily Caller's" investigative crew. This is a big, big story. And where it stops -- her hysteria, her worrying, and her deep profound concern, let me say it that way, to get her computers back, I want to know why.
CROWLEY: And you know what, Sean, regardless of what the source was, and I hope that we get to the bottom of it, but the bottom line is what we have learned from whether it's a hacking or whether a disgruntled Democrat got in and released these is that the DNC was incredibly corrupt and that the Clinton actually won the nomination based on corruption. That's what we've learned and that's the story.
RIVERA: What if they gave it to the WikiLeaks? What if this guy gave it to WikiLeaks? What if Russia wasn't involved in the loop at all.
HANNITY: I promise you, this, and look at the similarities to Hillary smashing her devices. By the way, she only wanted one device. No SIM- cards, deleting 33,000, acid washing, BleachBit, these people get away with unbelievable obstruction, which has been my point. And we need equal justice under the law. Thank you both.
CROWLEY: Thanks.
HANNITY: All right, up next tonight here on "Hannity" --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I am here this evening to cut through the fake news filter and to speak straight to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: The president earlier tonight once again calling out the establishment media bias. Mercedes Schlapp, Lanny Davis, and Larry Elder will join us. And later, NSA spying abuses under the Obama administration, tonight we expose new information. "The Hill's" John Solomon, Sara Carter are coming up on this busy edition from the swamp and the sewer in D.C.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I am here this evening to cut through the fake new filter and to speak straight to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That was the president earlier tonight going after the fake news establishment media during his rally in Ohio earlier. And here with reaction, FOX News contributor Mercedes Schlapp, former special counsel, and I hate to admit it publicly, friend of President Clinton and founder of Trident DMG Lanny Davis, Salem radio talk show host, he's been at the White House all week, right.
LARRY ELDER, SALEM RADIO NATIONAL SYNDICATED HOST: To drain the swamp.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: To drain the swamp and the sewer?
ELDER: Trying to.
HANNITY: We're all trying.
He goes public and the whole momentum shifts. It's like all the air is out of the balloon every time he goes to the people and talks issues.
MERCEDES SCHLAPP, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: There is no question about it. I think one thing that you learn of being in the swamp or the sewer, whatever we want to call Washington, D.C., these days, is the fact that you live it a -- that White House becomes a big bubble. And so you almost feel like you don't even have enough oxygen in the room and you need to get out.
One thing about Donald Trump is that he does get energized when he is with the American people. And I think one of the issues, for example, in terms of health care, selling that message talking about the failings of Obamacare, the need for a better bill, pushing the Republican bill, the best messenger is Donald Trump because he had to use his bully pulpit to go out to these critical states like Ohio, like West Virginia, and take the message directly to the American people.
HANNITY: Lanny, we have known each other for a long time. And I've always complimented you that Bill Clinton under as much fire, I really appreciate the fierce loyalty you showed your friend. That to me is an admirable quality. But more importantly, you ended up writing a book about the experience. And I advised more people about your book than you would ever know. Tell the truth, tell it all, tell it early, tell it yourself.
Now, I think some of this Russia, Russia, Russia, got a little extended because not all the information came out.
LANNY DAVIS, FOUNDER, TRIDENT DMG: President Trump would do much better if he told the truth. And I think I wrote a column that said bring everyone together, list every meeting you ever had with any Russian, every document, every e-mail. Let's get this out.
HANNITY: I don't think he had any meeting himself.
DAVIS: The Donald, Jr., meeting, which you have tried to explore with Donald Jr. would have been much better had he had done all of that rather than a few more drips. But right now the president is focusing on health care. And we Democrats are wondering whether the Republicans can get their act together to actually approve something.
HANNITY: We conservatives are wondering too.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVIS: At the least we support Obamacare but we think it needs to be fixed. And wouldn't it be great if Republicans and Democrats and if President Trump were to --
HANNITY: I'm not giving you a free pass. The Democrats, should we be investigating, as Senator Grassley is suggesting, Ukraine and a meeting of a paid DNC operative, and a political report that says that Ukraine was trying to influence our elections for Hillary and that the information was being passed back to the DNC and to Hillary Clinton's campaign.
DAVIS: First of all, I am a fact person. I haven't seen any facts that suggest that any information --
HANNITY: Because you are not watching the show enough and nor do you read "Politico." You knew about the fact on my radio show today. Stop.
DAVIS: I know the story about a Ukraine consultant that was passing information to the DNC. I don't know anything about anything being passed --
HANNITY: No, a DNC staffer met with the Ukrainian ambassador at the embassy.
DAVIS: And I said to you on the radio that if that happened, and I would like to see evidence or proof of that, but I don't think anything got passed along to the Hillary Clinton campaign. To answer your question, Senator Grassley should be investigating what we know is a Russian corruption of our election and has been found to be a pro-Trump and anti- Clinton --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I want to go back to I.T. and Wasserman Shultz and this I.T. guy of hers busting up these hard drives, trying to escape out of the country. It sounds like, with all due respect, Lanny, one of his best friends busting up BlackBerries with hammers, deleting emails, BleachBitting them, and everything else that she's done.
ELDER: The deletion of the emails which were under subpoena was absolutely outrageous. And she got away with it. Lanny talked about facts. In 1997 it is a fact that the head of the FBI Louis Freeh wrote the then A.G. a letter, Janet Reno, and said if there is any reason for a special prosecutor anyway, it is right now, referring to Chinagate. The guy that headed up the task force, Charles La Bella, also wrote Janet Reno a memo and said the same thing. It did not happen. She never appointed a special prosecutor, and the scandal pretty much went away. This is the kind of stuff that causes people like me who support Donald Trump to circle the wagons and say, look, if you guys really are concerned about these kinds of things, where were you then? Where were on some of the other matters?
DAVIS: If Donald Trump fires bob Mueller what would you say?
ELDER: It's his right to do so, that's what I'll say.
DAVIS: So you just mentioned Louis Freeh and you would have not have favored the firing of Louis Freeh for writing that memo I assume.
ELDER: What I am talking about is the double standard.
DAVIS: That's a double standard.
ELDER: Both were scandals. Both were scandals.
DAVIS: What you just did was a double standard.
ELDER: One has a prosecutor, one doesn't. What I said is he has the power to do it. I didn't say I would --
DAVIS: If there is anyone out there watching, you just heard a double standard.
ELDER: No, you didn't. One more tie I said he has the power to fire him.
(CROSSTALK)
ELDER: I didn't say it would be the appropriate thing to do. I said he had the power.
DAVIS: I rest my case.
ELDER: Just as Clinton would have the power to fire Janet Reno or anybody else.
HANNITY: You have to defend --
ELDER: Hold on, hold on, hold on, Sean. Do you believe that a special prosecutor should have been appointed then?
DAVIS: I don't believe there was any evidence sufficient to appoint a special prosecutor regarding China.
ELDER: I rest my case.
DAVIS: But --
(CROSSTALK)
SCHLAPP: I don't want to get in the middle of these two.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Under subpoena, 33,000 emails deleted, BleachBit used, hang on, Blackberries smashed, and it gets worse and worse. And all of the lying that took place, Lanny. And the Uranium One deal. Is that a Russia collusion story.
DAVIS: The Uranium One deal, let's start with the 33,000 emails that Larry threw out which has no factual basis. Those were personal having nothing to do --
SCHLAPP: No one saw those except for Hillary Clinton and her team.
HANNITY: And James Comey said there were classified emails on the ones deleted.
DAVIS: Guys, I am surrounded by all of you. It's three against one, so that's even.
HANNITY: Wow.
DAVIS: Hillary Clinton only deleted personal emails just as Karl Rove and lots of other people used the RNC emails and deleted those emails.
HANNITY: James Comey said they were classified, some of them.
DAVIS: James Comey did not say that they were classified.
ELDER: Yes, he did.
HANNITY: Yes, he did.
DAVIS: The personal emails deleted, Mr. Comey look through them. None of them were --
HANNITY: I am on a hard break.
ELDER: Lanny, should Hillary Clinton have been indicted?
DAVIS: Of course not. Mr. Comey and the FBI --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: We have an investigation. John Solomon, an explosive report tonight, spying abuses under the Obama administration. Sara Carter -- it's like "Hannity & Colmes" redux. It's unbelievable. We will continue straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." Fox News alert. According to an explosive new report by The Hill's John Solomon, newly declassified memos detail how the National Security Agency and FBI violated your civil liberties during the Obama years. Here on this explosive report from "The Hill" John Solomon, CircaNews.com Sara Carter.
It starts out. I don't think TV has ever seen me with glasses before. The National Security Agency, FBI violated specific civil liberties protections, and during the Obama years improperly searching and disseminating raw intelligence on Americans, failing to promptly delete unauthorized intercepts. This is exactly where we all started together in many ways. Tell us what you got?
JOHN SOLOMON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE HILL: That's right. I think in March, what we found out is some of the unmaskings were improper, illegal. And these documents for the first time show that there were instances where the FBI, the NSA unmasked American names, sent them across the intelligence community, and then had to call them back because it was illegal to have had those names. There are others, too. They searched American names illegally. They shared information with people who weren't entitled to get Americans' names. So all the abuses that we were worried about at the beginning when we started talking about --
HANNITY: Is that threatening to Clapper, because I suspect Brennan and Clapper and Rhodes and Rice and others still have their hands in the deep state?
SOLOMON: There's no doubt that this occurred on Barack Obama's watch. These are violations from 2009 to 2016. I think their greatest impact, and I think Sara can talk about this, is this may effect whether this law, this Section 702 law that allows spying on Americans, whether it gets renewed in December.
HANNITY: This is important.
SARA CARTER, CIRCA NEWS: Yes, absolutely. Right now what we know in talking to people on the Hill and Congress is that there are not enough votes to renew Section 702. And I can tell you that the intelligence community really relies on Section 702 to track terrorists, to search emails, to prevent possible attacks. But the violation of this law has become such a threat right now that neither the -- I mean, the House right now does not have enough votes to pass it. They want, one, accountability. They want an investigation. I know people want to know who the leakers are and they want accountability before they are able to move forward with any kind. That's what this story that John just broke, the story that John and I have been working on, I mean, my gosh, it seems like forever. We've been reporting on this.
HANNITY: A former NSA whistleblower once told me that every e-mail of every American, every text message, every phone call is metadata stored and recorded. Is that true?
SOLOMON: Certainly for a period of time that was true. It's unclear today whether there's a database or not. This is a question on whether Clapper gave accurate testimony.
HANNITY: I should have given Sara the first question.
SOLOMON: I should have known.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: You guys are a team.
SOLOMON: There is a question about whether everything is in the database now or not. It's certainly accessible. We know that. And then these abuses are instances where people tapped that data, looked at Americans' data they shouldn't have been looking at.
HANNITY: And Sara, I have been told by people that I would say no, that in fact everything that comes out against Trump they have already stored on the cloud and it's all out there, and if Trump gains momentum, boom, they leak something else. Is that a conspiracy theory?
CARTER: Those are allegations that I've also been aware off, and that's something that still needs to be investigated. What we haven't been able to prove either way if that is true. What we do know is that talking to sources, people within the intelligence community, that they believe that it was set up for these leaks to come out one after the other to go after the Trump administration.
SOLOMON: There was something that happened on Friday. A lot of people missed this. Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in this unmasking probe we now have evidence that some of the people whose names were unmasked were later leaked in the media. That's the first time that someone said it publicly.
HANNITY: When we come back, a very important "Question of the Day." We'll have you guys back soon to talk more about this, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right, running late. Time for our "Question of the Day." What did you think of the president's rally in Ohio? Does it help him? Go to Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter, let us know what you think. Bret Baier live in the studio next door here in the swamp, in the sewer in D.C. We will see you back here from D.C. tomorrow night. Thanks for being with us.
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