Donald Trump Jr. reacts to final night of GOP convention, protesters outside the White House

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Donald Trump Jr. reacts to final night of GOP convention, protesters outside the White House

President Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., author of 'Liberal Privilege,' joins Laura Ingraham with insight on 'The Ingraham Angle.'

This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," August 27, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: And a stirring rendition of the national anthem. I'm Laura Ingraham and this is “The Ingraham Angle” from the White House tonight. The energy you can still feel it here. It was an incredible and an electric speech by the President. Some saying it was a little too long, but this was his moment and he connected with this audience here and across the country, if any doubt in your mind, about what's at stake and who can keep America, our country that we love safe and, on the road, to even greater prosperity.

Well, Donald Trump just reminded you. Now, in moments we're going to be joined right here on set by the president's son, Donald Trump Jr. is making his way over here right now and South Dakota Governor and rising star, Kristi Noem.

But first, the President knows that the Democrats are taking on political water after for months excusing these riotous events across the country. They called them protests for the longest period of time, but they went into massive looting that did enormous destruction from some of our most beautiful cities in the United States. And he took their pathetic and transparent shift attempt to blame shift to President Trump. He took that on tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: In the strongest possible terms, the Republican Party condemns the rioting, looting, arson, and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities all like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York.

Joe Biden and his supporters remain completely silent about the rioters and criminals, spreading mayhem in Democrat-run cities. They never even mentioned it during their entire convention. Never once mentioned. Now, they're starting to mention it because their poll numbers are going down like a rock in water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: I mean, you saw that today, right? So, Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris came out today and suddenly started condemning the violence. Well, where were they last week? They had an entire convention last week, they didn't mention the violence once, except to kind of very blandly refer to protests and the courageous protest. But the attempt to lay the destruction in those cities at the feet of Donald Trump, he wasn't going to stand for that at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Look, if you think about it, Donald Trump's saying you're not going to be safe in Joe Biden's America, all the video being played is being played in Donald Trump's America. These guys are rooting for violence. That's what it's all about.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think the President the United States is rooting for the violence because he thinks it helps him politically?

BIDEN: I think he views it as a political benefit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: This is laughable. Mayors and Governors from Minnesota, to Wisconsin, to Oregon, to Washington, they've denied the President's attempts to bring calm to our streets. They rejected it all together. So, are these leaders that we want to turn the keys of the country over to? They're all supporting Biden and they're all voting for Biden. The ones who engage in this disgusting political calculation. So, they're putting partisan interests above the safety of our people? Well, Trump doesn't need political winds to push him in the right position. He's always been there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists and agitators and criminals, who threaten our citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Now, to drive that point, point home, the President asked an important question tonight. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: At the Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden and his party repeatedly assailed America as a land of racial, economic and social injustice. So, tonight, I ask you a simple question: How can the Democrat Party as the leader country when it spends so much time tearing down our country?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, the answer is they can't and they shouldn't. But the left is obsessed with power. And as the President said tonight, they'll try to get it back by any means necessary. And unlike President Trump, who puts the people's interests first, they put their political interests first, and this is why they want to try to take the reins of power from him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: From the moment I left my former life behind, and it was a good life. I have done nothing but fight for you. I did what our political establishment never expected and could never forgive breaking the cardinal rule of Washington politics. I kept my promise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: And America is a better country because those promises were fulfilled. With me now is Mollie Hemingway, Senior Editor at the Federalist, and Ari Fleischer, Former White House Press Secretary, both are Fox News Contributors. Mollie, I think it's safe to say that America got their contrast tonight.

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: It's just stunning to compare the Democratic Convention last week with the one this week in substance and in style. Substantively, the Democrats were so pessimistic, so down on the country, not explaining a lot of their policy positions. Republicans seemed eager to talk about policy. Every, every night of the convention was a focus on policy achievements, you know, whether it's Criminal Justice Reform, Education Policy, and they seemed wanting to tell the country about why they do the things they do.

And it was also a big indictment, I think of the media itself. Going through this convention and seeing the story being told that has been completely hidden by the media or lied about by the media about the accomplishments of the Trump administration, and I think that explains a bit about why so many people in the media are not having the best night they know that Republicans had a good convention and they know that Democrats didn't have a good convention. And because they have become more openly partisan. It's very frustrating to them.

INGRAHAM: And Ari, watch some of the tweets being sent out during this address by members of the media who are right over there. They're angry that people weren't socially distanced and didn't have masks on, but it seems like the country is craving normalcy, and they like seeing people back together again, because we're social people we want to be together. But is that criticism going to land and cut through the optimism of tonight?

ARI FLEISCHER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: It will for Democrats. For Democrats, I mean, this is what they, really, they look at a scene like this and they just can't identify with it. I just thought hearing applause was refreshing. I don't think you've heard applause at a live event in six months. But when -- I'm struck, when I look at the difference between the two. The Democrat Convention was all about Donald Trump is bad.

The person, the man, he's bad. What Donald Trump laid out tonight was something much deeper. It was, what will happen if the Democrats win? It's societal. Its cultural. As the President put it, he talked about speech codes and cancel culture and crushing conformity. And then he talked about the violence in the cities. That's societal. That's the implications if this continues and if the Democrats stay in charge of the cities, and Joe Biden wins. That's a much more powerful message, I think, than just Donald Trump the man is bad.

INGRAHAM: We're approaching the top of the hour. And - yes, we're approaching the top of the hour, and we are just getting started here on "The Ingraham Angle" and we'll be right back in just a few moments.

INGRAHAM: Mollie, here is another way in which your - you see Trump drawing a clear distinction between the Republicans and the Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We will rekindle new faith in our values, new pride in our history, and the new spirit of unity that can only be realized through love for our great country.

(APPLAUSE)

Because we understand that America is not a land cloaked in darkness. America is the torch that enlightens the entire world.

In this country we don't look to career politicians for salvation. In America, we don't turn to government to restore ourselves. We put our faith in Almighty God.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Mollie, you heard the applause when the President - so very often referenced God and the Almighty Providence on the product-life question. That is really where he got the applause. How significant were the religious undertones tonight?

HEMINGWAY: Well, not just tonight, but throughout the convention, again, there were these themes of redemption and opportunity. And it wasn't just about, having people give prayers to begin or end the evening, which is kind of standard at a convention. It was woven through every single - most everyone's speeches.

Looking at these themes, people were being allowed to talk freely and openly about their faith. And it was in strong contrast to some of what we've seen in in in the culture. But the embrace of product-life values and having it not just be one speech, but again, many speeches.

Also, reaching out really earnestly seeking Black voters to come join the Republican Party and doing it based on policy and not just platitudes, which is what you've seen in previous conventions, going through all the things that the Trump administration has done to try to gain Black voters and gain their trust and get them to - with Republican Party this time around.

And they were real things, funding for historically Black colleges and universities, criminal justice reform, job growth, wage growth that really benefits Black men and women. And this is something unlike anything we've seen with the Republican Party and it was just less scared about talking about these things openly, whether it was faith or race or any of these issues that the Republicans have not particularly done a great job with previously.

INGRAHAM: And Ari, I worked for President Reagan the last couple of years Reagan administration and the optimism of this week, and especially tonight, it really - I mean, I got a lump in my throat, because it took it took me back to - when I was in my early 20s. Just walking these grounds and giving tours on domestic policy shop.

But it was it was Lee Greenwood, it was it was embracing that Reagan optimism. How significant could that be for those undecided voters that we're a great country, we're not an evil, dark, gloomy place. We're a place of great opportunity. Teach that to the kids. I got that tonight very strongly.

FLEISHER: I think that's always part of an election. There's always a group that just wants to feel good about our country. And if things are really bad, then they're going to want to change and they want to get rid of the incumbent.

But if they are hopeful, and that patriotism - and nobody does patriotism, like a Republican convention. You just got to love it. It makes the press whine a lot, but you got to love it even more. It is part and parcel of Republicanism and Republicans wear it on their sleeves. That's about the flag too.

Laura, when you see people burn flags in this violence, it just tears you up inside. And then you hear this tonight you listen to the speeches, you see law enforcement. Yes, it's what conventions are supposed to be about.

INGRAHAM: Ari and Mollie stay right there. We're going to get back to in a few moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Joe Biden is not a savior of America's soul. He is the destroyer of America's jobs. And if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of American greatness. For 47 years, Joe Biden took the donations of blue collar workers, gave them hugs and even kisses.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: And told them he felt their pain. And then he flew back to Washington and voted to ship our jobs to China and many other distant lands. Joe Biden spent his entire career outsourcing their dreams and the dreams of American workers.

I ran for president because I could not watch this betrayal of our country any longer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: And here with exclusive reaction to this final night of the RNC and the President's big speech is his son Donald Trump, Jr. Don, your father laid out a clear vision for this country, which is we're moving forward. We've gotten past a lot of the - most difficult parts of COVID with the tragedy that it is, and he laid out a vision of optimism and hope, which I just get the sense, people are craving in America.

DONALD TRUMP JR. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I really did too, Laura. I mean, I felt proud to be an American watching this. And, honestly, watching the last four days of the RNC, when you compare and contrast that to what was last week, which was just like a never ending I hate America Zoom call.

I mean, these stories that could only happen in America, the American Dream happening over and over to so many people have such diverse backgrounds, it's just been an amazing week and tonight top that off like nothing else.

INGRAHAM: How about you personally? I mean, is it emotional moment for you? It's been a long in many ways. It was amazing for years for your family, but a very difficult time personally for your family as well through all the ups and downs and investigations. Personally, how are you feeling?

TRUMP JR.: Listen, I feel great, because it's all worth it as an American, right? It wasn't easy at times, you know that. We've seen sort of what the worst of government can try to do. I mean, when you think about the beginning of this four years, it was the first time we had a not peaceful transition of power.

I mean, that is one of the great American traditions, something that went on for 240 plus years, until now, until Donald Trump. And what's amazing about it, though, and what's really amazing about my father to me is that, despite all that adversity, I mean trying to throw his family in jail, unmasking his children, Russia hoax. I mean, they're still talking it about today as though it's real. Impeachment.

He still delivered for the American people. He still put his head down, pushed through everything and got it done and delivered for the American people. That's an anomaly. That doesn't happen. That's once in a generation at best for an American politician to fight through that kind of adversity and still deliver, and still get it done, and that's what Donald Trump's all about.

INGRAHAM: Today, Joe Biden, finally came out and condemned the violence, as did Kamala Harris. They both appeared after last week having not said anything, and they say this is Donald Trump's America in the cities we're seeing the worst violence and laying the blame at your father's feet.

TRUMP JR.: Well, it's been going on for months and not one person - not one person, Laura mentioned, the violence, the rioting, the looting that's been going on around our country in Democrat cities, in Democrats states, led by Mayor Democrats, led by city councils that are all Democrat, not one person mentioned it in one week at the DNC.

But now when CNN says, we know this is really kind of affecting the poll numbers now, it's getting a little ridiculous. Now, Joe Biden decides to step up. It's like the rest of Joe Biden's policies. Right. Now, after half a century in the swamp - after half a century, now he's going to deliver for the American people. Why would you wait 50 years? Why wouldn't you do it now?

If Joe Biden could deliver for the American people? You think we'd have seen some of it by now? It's nonsense. It's smoke and mirrors. They do what the polling tells them. They do what CNN tells us and then they'll do whatever the radical Left tells us if they ever get office. But I don't think we're going to let that happen.

INGRAHAM: Right now, I'm being told, that there are - I'm not going to call them protesters, because most of them are criminals threatening to burn once again St. John's Church down if they don't get what they want.

They've gathered around the White House during the President's remarks, trying to drown him out, it didn't work. But it looks like we have another situation developing. It's being described as a riot in some circles tonight already. Your reaction to what that represents versus what we saw tonight?

TRUMP JR.: Well, I think it's disgusting, right. When they're doing that - trying to burn down churches, burn down government buildings, rip down monuments to Lincoln and our founders, it's just mindboggling. Again, it shows the American people what we are truly up against when you have a mainstream media, that for weeks, were pretending that this was people protesting right.

You saw it the other day on CNN. Well, it's fiery, but mostly peaceful protests, while there's buildings burning in the background and people being killed in the streets. This isn't Donald Trump. This has been Democrat policies were Democrat people have allowed this to happen. They've set by, they haven't condemned it.

They've sat by and watched it happen in their streets as if there's tacit acceptance, because the Democrat Party is far more likely to stand with the criminals then they are with law abiding citizens who just want to live their American Dream.

INGRAHAM: Let me just say Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of DC could have stopped a lot of this tonight.

TRUMP JR.: Of course, they could.

INGRAHAM: I mean, this was a--

TRUMP JR.: Of course, they would--

INGRAHAM: This was in the eyes of, I think, a lot of people here tonight. This was an attempt to really stifle and put a damper on this event tonight. You could - could you hear it up where you are?

TRUMP JR.: Not really. You could hear a little bit, because they're going with air horns and stuff trying to disruptive.

INGRAHAM: Yes, yes, yes.

TRUMP JR.: But, that's the difference between the Left and the Right. They want to actually silence our freedom of speech.

INGRAHAM: They don't want him to camp, Don. They do not want him to go to America. They don't - especially swing states, Blue state governors, where there's a mix of people, they don't want him to campaign. So what will your father do? Will he be stopped from reaching out and being with the people of this country in the next couple of months?

TRUMP JR.: No, I think he's going to do that anyway. I mean, that's his happy place. Joe Biden's happy place is basement with a teleprompter. Donald Trump wants to be with the people. He wants to be with the crowds. He wants to speak directly to them, because, honestly, he's probably the first president in modern history that actually spoke to them during a campaign and then followed up and delivered for them.

INGRAHAM: Will he go to Wisconsin, of course, the sight of another police involved shooting that supposedly triggered a lot of the violence in Wisconsin. Will he go there?

TRUMP JR.: Yes, I imagine he'll be there, amongst other places. I know, the Vice President will be in Michigan tomorrow. I know our family will be all over the country traveling for the next 68 days, making sure that Americans get a chance to see our message.

Obviously, they're doing whatever they can to prevent us from speaking directly to the people, for being directly with the people, because, again, the Democrats are the party of anarchy right now. We want our kids to be able to go to work, church and school, but they don't want that. They want anarchy, looting and rioting.

INGRAHAM: Well, they can protest. But they can do this. They can do this.

TRUMP JR.: They can do this. This is totally acceptable.

INGRAHAM: Don, Hillary Clinton said, Biden should not accept defeat. If he loses, do not accept defeat. After they accused your father of someone who wouldn't accept defeat himself. Your answer to Hillary Clinton tonight?

TRUMP JR.: Well, I imagine that's their plan. And Hillary Clinton hasn't just accepted defeat from 2016. She's been doing this nonsense. I mean, she's - it's mindboggling what she can continue to perpetrate on the American people. She has been running around pretending as though she won for the last few years.

Then she talks about the popular vote. Well, if we were running for the popular vote, if that was how to play the game, we would have campaigned differently. That's not what it was. And she hasn't accepted that, like many politicians on the Left don't accept their elections. Because I believe Stacey Abrams, the Governor of Georgia in her mind only, also hasn't conceded that election, Laura.

INGRAHAM: How will your dad bring calm to the country if he's reelected. How does this begin to subside?

TRUMP JR.: Listen, I think calm just starts with peace of mind. We got to bring back jobs. We got to do the things for manufacturing that he started doing already, but they only he can do. Joe Biden's talking about bringing jobs to America after 50 years of shipping them abroad. Like why they change now, Joe? Why are we to believe?

Is anyone stupid enough, frankly, to believe that this guy can do this now? This guy can't remember where he is 50 percent of the time, Laura. I mean, it's almost - it's said if it wasn't so scary. This is the future for our children.

I want the guy that actually came in with no DC experience, who wasn't a part of the swamp. That saw something that was failed and decided to come in and fix it. That's what Donald Trump did for America. And that's why we need four more years of Donald Trump.

INGRAHAM: Don Trump, thank you so much. Great to see you.

TRUMP JR.: Thanks a lot, Laura. Great to be with you.

INGRAHAM: Thanks for being here tonight.

Now I want to bring back Ari Fleischer. Ari, the wife of slain former police captain David Dorn gave an absolutely searing and heart wrenching speech tonight

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN DORN, WIDOW OF SLAIN POLICE OFFICER: how do we get to this point were so many young people are callous and indifferent towards human life? David is never, never coming back to me. He was murdered by people who didn't know and just didn't care. He would have done anything to help them.

Violence and destruction are not legitimate forms of protest. They do not safeguard Black lives. They only destroy them. President Trump understands this. Has offered federal help to restore order in our communities. We must heal before we can affect change. But we cannot heal amid devastation and chaos. President Trump knows we need more David's in our communities, not fewer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Ari you juxtapose comments like that from Ann Dorn, obviously, heartbroken woman, with what we're seeing outside of the White House. And your heart has to break for America and those men and women out there in uniform who have to tolerate abuse night after night, from these types of criminals in the streets.

FLEISHER: My heart broke watching Ann Dorn and I just teared up watching it. It was hard. She was so emotional, so personal, so vivid about what happened all because her husband tried to do the right thing and go out and protect a shop.

And when you look at what's happening in DC now, you have to pray that none of that will happen in Washington. But what are they trying to accomplish in Washington? I don't know yet. Let's see what all these videos lead to. But if any of that happened in Wilmington? Did people descend upon Joe Biden in his speech in Wilmington, for whatever purpose to shout him down.

And I saw also another video clip of people who left the White House to go to a hotel around the corner. Mobs have descended around those people and they're screaming and chanting and yelling in their faces. Why? This level of Mayhem is not good for our country, and is going to hurt the Democrats in November.

INGRAHAM: Well, if you think America is an evil country - system chemically evil, then the only answer is to burn it down. I mean, that is where they want to take this Ari Fleischer. And I don't think it - I think you're right. I think in the end optimism kind of ends up winning out here. Ari, thank you so much.

And my next guest became the liberal media's number one enemy for not locking down her state and stripping her citizens of their basic freedoms. And tonight Governor Kristi Noem was in attendance when President Trump gave his powerful acceptance speech and she joins me now on set.

Governor Noem, we're seeing two different visions of America play out tonight. The one you just heard from President Trump - forward looking, optimistic, we can do anything together regardless of where you come from. And let's burn a church.

SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM: Yes.

INGRAHAM: Your reaction. You're here in Washington. You're not in South Dakota, were it's a lot more peaceful.

NOEM: No. Well, first of all, President Trump gave a fantastic speech. It was inspiring. It cast a clear vision for where he continued to want to take this country. And we're seeing outside the gates exactly the vision that Democrats have for this country.

So I felt like we were in the middle of America here on grounds. People were happy. They were excited. They were looking forward to the future. And then you get right outside the gates and you see people who want to destroy everything that this country was founded on. Well, that's just astonishing to me.

INGRAHAM: Well, why don't they turn on you, personally? Because you really received and are still receiving the brutal attacks from the Left. It's not just a debate. They're making it personal about your state and you endangering the lives of people, et cetera, et cetera. Why?

NOEM: Because I didn't fall in line. And, it was amazing to me to watch people immediately fall into doing what they were told. And in South Dakota, we just took a very different path. I studied the science of the virus, made decisions that I thought were best for our people, told them I trusted them. And let them really exercise personal responsibility.

And that is something that the Left does not stand for. They would prefer that you are sheep and follow and listen and let them control the agenda. Wherein South Dakota, people are enjoying their freedom today. We've been back to normal for over four months. And we're doing very, very well. And people are working, putting food on the table and enjoying life. They're pursuing happiness, which is something that I don't think we see anywhere in these Democrat led cities.

INGRAHAM: But tonight you saw people visit the convention. Everyone's always happy at convention. But the country has been through an enormous amount. But they were happy people together.

NOEM: Yes.

INGRAHAM: And you had that at Mount Rushmore.

NOEM: It was there.

INGRAHAM: It was - it had some social distancing going on there. But it was - you had a lot of people. You had people on a motorcycle rally.

NOEM: We did.

INGRAHAM: Does the Left today despise, "normalcy?" That's why they want to usher in the new normal. Is that something they revile?

NOEM: They're very interested in a new normal. And that's not what Americans want. They want to raise their kids like they were raised with neighbors in a community going to ballgames, going to church, deciding where they want to vacation, when's the last time anybody got to take a vacation? They haven't, because of what the Democratic agenda has been.

And so that really is the clear choice that this election is about. And today's the perfect example of the choice that Americans should be making, and that's voting for President Trump.

INGRAHAM: Joe Biden emerged today. He had a whole convention last week, but he emerged today to say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: They're looking for more violence and more disruption, because it helps them politically. He views this as a political benefit to him. He's rooting for more violence, not less, and that's clear about that. And what's he doing? He just kept pouring gasoline on the fire. This happens to be Donald Trump's America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOEM: It's simply not true. I mean, none of that is true. What you've perpetuate violence in America lately has been led in Democrat cities that are led by Democrats, that have incited violence by the words that they use, and by the people that they get behind and support.

We've seen Democrat leaders get behind these rioters, not bring forward consequences--

INGRAHAM: They're peaceful protesters, Governor.

NOEM: --when they break our--

INGRAHAM: These are - what they're describing out there tonight, they're saying they're peaceful protesters.

NOEM: They are breaking the law. And in America, we have a clear set of laws that the people have endorsed, that we follow. And there's fairness and equality under the laws that we enforce. And that is what is shocking to me is to see Democrat leaders completely ignore the law and risk people's lives - innocent people's lives.

I thought the stories tonight were incredibly powerful. And when she told the story of her police chief husband, losing his life, that was a clear story of what we're seeing as consequences for what is being allowed in some of these cities.

INGRAHAM: Governor, we got to go. But if Joe Biden, heaven forbid, should win in November, do you believe Mount Rushmore remains?

NOEM: I'm going to always hope that Mount Rushmore will be there for generations. But I would be very concerned in a way that I'm not today. I know Mount Rushmore is secure today because President Trump is in this White House right here.

INGRAHAM: Governor Noem, thanks for stopping by tonight.

NOEM: Yes, pleasure.

INGRAHAM: WE appreciate it. And stay there, we got more reactions to tonight's speeches. Plus, Kamala Harris tried to preempt Trump's keynote tonight by resorting to her favorite tactic, you guessed it, race baiting. Stay there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICE JOHNSON, SENTENCE COMMUTED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP: I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family, would be as a corpse. But by the grace of God, and the compassion of President Donald John Trump, I stand before you tonight. And I assure you, I'm not a ghost.

While in prison, I became a playwright, a mentor, a certified hospice volunteer and ordained minister, and received a Special Olympics event coordinator of the Year Award for my work with disabled women. Because the only thing worse than unjustly imprisoning my body is trying to imprison my mind. Free in body thanks to President Trump, but free in mind, thanks to the almighty God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Oh my God, I don't think there was a dry eye in this lawn when she said that. Back with me now Mollie Hemingway and Ari Fleischer. Also joined Joining us is Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution Senior Fellow.

Victor. That was just another powerful message. And so many folks were - are texting me across the country saying they loved hearing from ordinary Americans telling their extraordinary stories about life, thanks to some of the efforts of Donald Trump.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, SENIOR FELLOW, HOOVER INSTITUTION: Yes, I think the convention achieved two or three goals. It redefined the race is not necessarily Michelle Obama's great speech or Trump's tweets or liberal conservative, it's civilization versus civilization's discontents.

In other words, the American way of life as we know it and is always constantly improving versus the people who are just so discontented, they want to tear it down. And then the Republicans wanted to dispel the idea that they were white supremacists are racist, but they really did much better.

They redefined this division in America's class, which is an inclusive terms and you saw that at the convention. Black people, nonwhite people, White people, all the upper, and middle and lower middle class. And the Democrats fell into this trap of being Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Wall Street and very elite identity politics activists, and I think that really hurt them.

And then finally, the winds of the news cycle had been changing from headwinds to Trump to tailwind sometime around mid-August. And then these conventions were going to adjudicate whether the Democrats could stop it, or whether the Republicans could accelerate that trend.

It was very important, because at some magical point, I think it's one or two points away. Joe Biden strategies are inert, when Trump gets close on the polls. He'll have to go out, and you saw what happened today when he goes out, he makes a fool of himself.

So I think that it was successful. And you can see that Democrats know that better than anybody, because they're relying on internal polling. Internal polls don't lie. You don't pay for somebody to lie to you in confidence.

And when Michelle Obama says before and get out - to get out to vote. And Nancy Pelosi says, cancel the debates and Don Lemon say, address the violence. And Hillary Clinton says, don't concede, that's a reflection that the polls are changing.

INGRAHAM: Yes.

HANSON: And they're very worried, because Joe Biden will have to become a real rather than a virtual candidate. And that's not in their interest.

INGRAHAM: Yes, the virtual stuff, Mollie, is not working. And Nancy Pelosi - for anyone who missed this today, this was kind of a culmination of what Ari and Mollie and VDH we've been talking about for a couple months about whether or not there'll be any debates at all. This is what Pelosi said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I don't think that there should be any debates. I do not think that the President of the United States has comported himself in a way that anybody should - and has any association with truth, evidence, data, and facts. I wouldn't legitimize a conversation with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Mollie, she doesn't think he's a legitimate president.

HEMINGWAY: Significant that Nancy Pelosi after watching what was then three nights of the Republican convention, basically came out with a statement saying, Joe, we need you to stay in the basement, because that's better than even having you debate.

I actually think Joe Biden will do fine in a debate. He's very good at shooting the breeze. And he'll do fine as he did fine in his last primary debate. But it really is significant that Democrats are so worried about it that they don't want him to go.

The thing is, Joe Biden has three opportunity - had three opportunities, really, to change this race from one - well, to really make to make a significant statement. With who he picked as his vice president, with how he ran his convention, and then how he does in his debates. He flubbed the first one, the vice presidential pick.

It was a totally wasted Democratic convention where they forgot to actually make the case for voting for them for any reason other than Donald Trump is someone that they personally loathe. And if he doesn't show up at the debates that is going to be devastating for him. But I think he will and he'll do just fine, I'm sure.

INGRAHAM: Ari, we also heard remarks from the Muellers whose daughter was murdered and tortured by ISIS. Now listen to how they say that they were treated by Obama and Biden versus Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARL & MARSHA MUELLER, DAUGHTER MURDERED BY ISIS: The government led us down. President Obama refused to meet with us until ISIS had already beheaded other Americans. To this day, we've never heard from Joe Biden. The administration showed more concern for the terrorists in Guantanamo than the American hostages in Syria.

After 18 months of brutal torture, we learned from ISIS that Kayla had been killed. The Trump team gave us empathy we never received from the Obama administration. The Obama administration said it was doing everything it could. The Trump administration is - let me just say this, Kayla should be here. If Donald Trump had been president when Kayla was captured, she would be here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Ari, I should say that MSNBC - least when I was watching them did not air that speech, a damning indictment of Obama and Biden.

FLEISHER: And I hope a reporter follows up and ask Joe Biden, why didn't you call Carl and Marsha Mueller? Why? Why wouldn't you have reached out to them? But Laura, if I can, I want to go back to your question to Mollie about religion, and how you began this with a beautiful woman Alice Marie Johnson.

And I should disclose, I have a client who works in criminal justice reform and I earlier this week moderated a discussion with Alice Marie, and I got to know Alice - even I got to know her better. But when people talk about religion and the power of faith, there are some people I know who don't like it, because they think it means oppression. I think it means telling somebody what to think and what to believe, shoving it down your throat.

When you listened to Alice tonight, you heard the power of redemption. This is what faith does for individual who seeks redemption. What a powerful moving story. And that is the power of religion, that tens of millions, hundreds of millions in both parties share. It is a powerful part of America. And I loved hearing it tonight for that woman who is now free.

INGRAHAM: I completely agree. It put a smile on everyone's face here. And it gives everybody hope that, just because something bad happens in your life or you do something wrong, there is redemption. That's the great Christian understanding.

Victor, other things, of course, happened in the course of the last 24 hours, not only with Biden, and Harris coming forward, but with headlines that I know Victor you love with former McCain officials, former Bush officials signing another letter, not endorsing Trump, endorsing Biden. What does that tell you about where this Republican Party is today?

HANSON: I think they're irrelevant. And they're terrified that if Trump should win, and I think he will, there's absolutely no place - there's not even a place as a distant anymore. They're nonexistent as if that they never existed in the first place.

Mollie wrote a good column the other day and pointed out that a lot of these people are deeply invested in the swamp, in lucrative consulting and lobbyists. And then they pose as if they're brave renegades or something. They're not.

They are people who are dissatisfied, because they don't have access to career enhancing positions in and out of government, in the revolving door and I know that's a cynical way to put it. But a lot of this angst is cultural snobbery, but especially a career disappointment. Because whatever Donald Trump is, he's not going to forget and he's not going to bring these people back in, I don't think.

INGRAHAM: Yes, I think provides.

HANSON: And they know it. And I don't--

INGRAHAM: Sorry. Yes. It provides a handy list of who should never work in a Republican administration again, if you ask me.

HANSON: Yes.

INGRAHAM: But Mollie, MSNBC, they were very upset tonight. And wasn't so much substantive, but it was involving masks. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC HOST: It's unnerving at a health level. I feel like we're watching chronicles of a death foretold here.

JOY REID, MSNBC HOST: The actual humans standing in front of them or sitting in front of them applauding are in danger of dying from COVID now, and they don't care. It's bizarre.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: You can never have fun again in America, Mollie, if Donald Trump is president. No fun.

HEMINGWAY: I don't think the media quite understand how much they discredited themselves by cheering on massive protests and riots where people were shoulder-to-shoulder marching through the streets for hours at a time or committing violence for hours at a time. They never had a word to say about coronavirus in the context of these riots. They have no standing to say anything now.

But more than that, it really is this difference between Democrats and Republicans and how they presented their convention. Joe Biden with no need to wear a mask, put a mask like a heavy Black mask on at the end of his convention and went outside and socially distanced from his - from the person he's running with. Very big different optics from the Republicans who are saying, we're going forward

INGRAHAM: Yes, it was extremely funny at face. Thanks so much Mollie and Ari. Victor stay there. Biden says they'll soon campaign in-person, but will he?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: Well, maybe he realizes he can't really run for president from his basement, so Biden says he'll be hitting the campaign trail in the fall. COVID be damned. So can Joe even handle being out and about with people on the campaign trail? I mean, that honestly? He can't get basic lines of attack right. Take this unsuccessful attempt at recalling a line from Kellyanne Conway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: She said the more chaos and anarchy and vandalism, the more violence equals a better - better the choice for a very - excuse me, better for a very clear choice. These guys are rooting for violence. That's what it's all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But this is what you really said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: It was a quote today from a restaurant tour in Wisconsin saying, "Are you protesters trying to get Donald Trump reelected?" He knows full stop and I guess Mayor Pete knows full stop. That the more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very your choice on who's best on public safety and law and order.

(END VIDEO CLIP)'

INGRAHAM: Back with me is Victor Davis Hanson and joining us Raymond Arroyo, Fox News contributor. Raymond, you've been following Biden throughout the campaign very closely. His vocal inflections, his tics, his gaffes. Is he actually going to be campaigning traditional?

RAYMOND ARROYO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. Well, you said he was going to hit the trail. The only way Joe Biden at this point hits the trail is if he stumbles on something on the way out of the basement. But when I watched this today, he was grasping for words. He was reading a script through these two interviews with Andrea Mitchell and Anderson Cooper.

And then that Kellyanne Conway quote, he bumbled it and bungled it two different times. Read it differently in both places. This is not a way to counter what we saw tonight fireworks and patriotism and heart and every life matters. And you had firemen and first responders here. This was an all American pageant and extravaganza wrapped up in the America First message.

What Trump did tonight, I thought - someone said, "Oh, the speech went on too long. Oh, he was - he wasn't himself." He was - No, I saw - and you and I watched him very closely. We were right up front. He was in command. He took the stage. And it was a gravitas tonight that we don't often see from Donald Trump when he's before a crowd, because he's more interested in entertaining--

INGRAHAM: Don--

(CROSSTALK)

ARROYO: Yes, it's got a--

(CROSSTALK)

INGRAHAM: We liked him. Well, we liked that.

ARROYO: And I love that. And he had touches of it. But tonight was more statesman like. It was - he worked through the speech. The crowd was with him. And I think when you look at the fireworks, when you look at what preceded it, the focus on life, on faith, on our future and our history, all of that.

I think people - Americans, when they go to vote, they look at a campaign and they look at a candidate like a mosaic. It's filled in bit by bit over time. This was a summation of that mosaic. And a great closing argument for Donald Trump going into this final stretch.

INGRAHAM: Victor, how worried are they - the Democrats, about this idea of Joe Biden actually getting out of the basement? Are they worried?

HANSON: Yes, they think he's a prisoner of his own paradox. They know he has to debate. But they know he can't debate. They know he has to have a press conference that's unscripted, but they know that if he does, it's disastrous. They know that when he comes out like he did today, that they'd be better off even with Kamala Harris taking over the reins and doing the heavy work, but if they do that, it's going to backfire on them.

So he should have never been a candidate to be - candidate, because he was not all there and he knew that, and people had told him that. And once you do something you know is not feasible, and once you make a devil's bargain with Bernie Sanders, you've got these paradoxes.

He knows he must condemn the violence. The polls tell him. He knows that if he does condemned violence, he's going to lose the Sanders, Antifa, BLM base, because he's made these compromises. So, whereas Donald Trump is free to say whatever you want. He's not conflicted. He's not beholden to anybody. Biden is a prisoner. He's almost a prisoner of these constituencies and his own self-created paradoxes.

INGRAHAM: Now, Raymond, I love that. Prisoner of his own paradox. Only VDH will give us that. All right. Well, Raymond, I want to get back to Trump tonight, because I think this was Trump at his best.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We will rekindle new faith in our values, new pride in our history, and a new spirit of unity that can only be realized through love for our great country.

(APPLAUSE)

Because we understand that America is not a land cloaked in darkness. America is the torch that enlightens the entire world. In this country we don't look to career politicians for salvation. In America, we don't turn to government to restore ourselves. We put our faith in Almighty God.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Thunderous response to the God. The God mentions which were many.

ARROYO: Throughout this entire convention of from Sister Byrne to Abby Johnson, I mean to Bernice - Alice Bernice Johnson tonight. That was - somebody - I heard one of our friends, Donna Brazile mention it was like church watching the Democratic Convention. Listening to Alice Bernice Johnson tonight--

(CROSSTALK)

INGRAHAM: Alice Marie Johnson - Alice Marie.

ARROYO: She felt like church to me with - complete with Hallelujahs. It was rousing. It was authentically American. And the Democrats tonight - and their cheerleaders we're seeing on the periphery of the White House painted the full picture for Donald Trump something nobody ever intended. They dramatized that light in the darkness.

This these grounds were lit. In that darkness just beyond that fence, Laura, there were mobs of people hurting elderly, threatening to burn down the historic St. John's Church. They're painting and dramatizing the picture--

INGRAHAM: They don't understand.

ARROYO: --in the streets of America.

INGRAHAM: They're making it a very easy choice for people who might not like Trump's tweets or tone, but I don't like that.

ARROYO: No, they're making Donald Trump's case for him and that's amazing.

INGRAHAM: Yes. And Victor that's not - Victor, the difference here is that's not Donald Trump wanting violence. That's just the other side revealing that the systemic racism of America must be burned to the ground. That's what they're doing. That's not what he's doing. He wants to rescue these cities.

HANSON: That's just a recognition of how it plays out in Middle America. It's very funny that the Trump convention were middle class people that were very upbeat. And yet they had none of the opportunities and wealth of the people that were showcased in the Democratic convention.

So you had all of these elites that came on and talked about their particular identity or their victimization, or Michelle Obama being depressed, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and they're all unhappy. America, they've benefited more than anybody from America, and yet they're angry. And yet the middle class has always had it rough, they're upbeat and confident. And that was a difference.

And they really pull that off. And it's revealed in the polls of minority voting that a lot of African-American support for Trump is going up to 30- 40 percent. That's because they feel more authentic and they're more genuine, and they don't come on and say you did this to me when they're very wealthy. They're very middle class like everybody else.

INGRAHAM: Yes, that--

HANSON: And they said, we don't need any of your help, we're helping ourselves and that really appeals to people.

INGRAHAM: Gentlemen, thank you so much. When we come back, my final thoughts on an amazing week. Stay there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Joe Biden may claim he is an ally of the light. But when it comes to his agenda, Biden wants to keep us completely in the dark. Joe Biden's agenda is "Made in China." My agenda is "Made in USA."

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, that about sums it up. What kind of country do we want to live in? What kind of country do you want to live in? You might not like his tone sometimes. But my goodness what we saw on the streets outside in DC, we've seen in Blue cities across the country over the last couple of months, that can't be what America embraces.

This is an amazing country. This has been an incredible week and tomorrow night we'll have a lot more. That's all the time we have tonight. We'll be back again our normal time 10:00 pm. And Shannon Bream and the “Fox News @ Night” team take it all from here. Shannon?

END

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