Gowdy: I want to know how the FBI assessed Steele

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Gowdy: I want to know how the FBI assessed Steele

Barr assigns federal prosecutor to investigate origins of Russia probe; reaction from former congressman and Fox News contributor Trey Gowdy.

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 13, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: This is a Fox News alert: breaking just moments ago, as first reported by The New York Times, The Hill's John Solomon, and now, Fox News, have all confirmed that the Attorney General Barr just appointed the U.S. attorney in Connecticut to investigate the origins of the witch-hunt into the Trump campaign, this is huge news, a colossal step forward for equal justice, and equal application under our laws. It's what we have been telling you. It's a big part of what is coming.

Now, if you're counting, this is now the third investigation into the deep state taking place in Barr's DOJ. And you can add to that, Senator Lindsey Graham. That would be four investigations.

Keep in mind, Huber is also investigating the leaks out in Utah. The Inspector General Horowitz is investigating FISA abuse. And without a doubt, Operation Crossfire Hurricane is, as we've been calling it, Operation Boomerang.

Several days ago, during a series of important questions from Senator Lindsey Graham to remind you, he asked the attorney general about the Mueller report, about what he viewed as important. We told you last week, act two, the curtain is about to go up. Tonight, the curtain's up. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: Do you share my concerns about the FISA warrant process?

WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Yes.

GRAHAM: Do you share my concerns about the counterintelligence investigation and how it was opened and why it was open?

BARR: Yes.

GRAHAM: Do you share my concerns that the professional -- lack of professionalism in the Clinton email investigation is something we should all look at?

BARR: Yes.

GRAHAM: Do you expect to change your mind about the bottom-line conclusions of the Mueller report?

BARR: No.

GRAHAM: Do you think the president campaigned in 2016 was thoroughly looked at in terms of whether or not they colluded with the Russians?

BARR: Yes.

GRAHAM: And the answer is no according to Bob Mueller.

BARR: That's right.

GRAHAM: He couldn't decide about obstruction. You did it. Is that correct?

BARR: That's right.

GRAHAM: Do you feel good about your decision?

BARR: Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, while the Attorney General Barr searches for truth and justice and is fulfilling what he said he would do, tonight, hysteria spreading in every corner of the Democratic Party as we now inched closer to the 2020 presidential election.

The noise on the left, it is getting louder and louder and louder. But make no mistake, it's only noise, nothing more. It's not based in any facts, any truth, any reality.

We now have had over the course of two years, count them, four separate investigations that have cleared President Trump, the Trump campaign, of any type of collusion or obstruction, Democrats, it's only noise. They can plot their own lies in conspiracy theories go.

And while the left continues to push their hoax, we have been uncovering what is the biggest abuse of power scandal in American history, only we have evidence. In the end, facts speak louder than hysteria. And tonight, the facts are casting a damning shadow on the disgraced, fired FBI former Director James Comey, who is now being called out publicly for -- by his former colleague, of all people, Rod Rosenstein, in a major way tonight.

Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROD ROSENSTEIN, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: I do not blame the former director for being angry. I would become too, if I were in his shoes. But now, the former director seems to be acting as a partisan pendant, selling books and earning speaking fees while speculating about the strength of my character and the fate of my immortal soul. I kid you not. That is disappointing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Rosenstein unloading, saying he broke, meaning Comey, lines that should have never been crossed.

And Rod Rosenstein is absolutely right to slam the former, well, disgraced FBI director. Comey abused his power. The evidence against them is mounting and here is what we now know. October 21st, 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey, he signed off on the first of what would become four's FISA warrant applications, requests against Trump campaign associate Carter Page, denying him his constitutional rights and more importantly, offering a backdoor into all things the Trump campaign.

Hillary Clinton's bought and paid for dossier, according to the Nunes memo and the Grassley-Graham memos, the bulk of information was the predicate for those FISA applications. They were unverified. They were paid for by Hillary, they were put together by somebody that hates Donald Trump and somebody who, in an interrogatory in Great Britain act, actually says he has no idea of any if it is true, 50/50. It's just raw intelligence.

That was the basis for a warrant? Not one but four? And Comey signing the first one, he says on top of the warrant, verified.

The FISA court was not informed that Clinton paid for those -- well, even with "The New York Times" is suggesting, Russian disinformation. Instead James Comey swore that the information that he provided to the FISA court in that application was true and it was correct.

The application itself marked verified at the very top but the dossier was never verified, frankly, unverifiable because Steele himself doesn't stand by it.

Now, during an interrogatory, we told you about in Great Britain, that's when we learned that truth. I don't know if any of it's true, but he was under the threat of perjury at that moment. So, we would expect that he didn't want to tell the truth on that.

Christopher Steele hated then-candidate Trump. He was willing to do anything to take him down. DOJ official Bruce Ohr was one of many that we now know that warned the FBI, warned the Department of Justice about Steele's hyper-partisan conduct and Steele's ties to the Trump campaign, well before the October FISA request.

The Ohr warning came in August of 2016 before the October 2016 FISA application. Last week, we learned also, a high-ranking State Department official, her name Kathleen Kavalec, well, she also issued a direct warning about Steele ten days before the FISA request. She passed on the red flags about Steele's election rigging efforts, the validity of his work, and she sent it to the FBI and the Department of Justice. They still went forward and you said information anyway.

Now, Senator Lindsey Graham, he is working to do is classify a government document that he is saying tonight will prove the FBI absolutely, positively knew that Steele's work was full of lies, and garbage and Hillary paid for it. By the way, a lie of omission in the case of the FISA court abuse. They literally conspired to commit fraud on a court. They hated Donald Trump that much.

Now, we now Senator Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, they issued a separate document requests from the State Department and the FBI in order to determine what Comey knew about Steele when he signed off on the warrant to spy on an American and an opposition party candidate. It's not looking good for Mr. Super Patriot Jim Comey.

And FISA abuse is just one part of what is lawless behavior and abuse of power.

Congressman Ratcliffe, he is now calling for an investigation into James Comey tonight. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN RATCLIFFE, R-TEXAS: Jim is proud of himself but the inspector general found him insubordinate and many of us believe that he either is or should be under investigation for violating the Espionage Act, for recording his conversation with President Trump in the Oval Office and intentionally leaking classified information to start this investigation.  So, you know, Maria, as you know, as a former federal prosecutor, I've worked with hundreds of FBI agents and over the last two years, they haven't used the word "proud" wants to describe Jim Comey. They use words like "embarrassed" and "ashamed."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Let's not forget, we are not talking about the single premier law enforcement agency in the world -- single best intelligence agency in the world. Not the 99.9 percent, but the upper echelon. They are the ones that abuse their power.

The Jim Comeys of the world, self-righteous, super patriot, he can do no wrong. Well, he's in serious trouble tonight. And we've warned him many times, he is the right to remain silent, he is not listening to me.

It doesn't matter how many dramatic op-eds he writes for The New York Times or how many long infomercials he does with Anderson Cooper over at fake news at CNN. He'll never escape simple truth and facts.

He was a terrible FBI director. He abused his power. It's a good thing the president fired him.

He, we now know, was involved in rigging the investigation into Hillary Clinton. He engaged in a witch hunt against President Trump. He anointed a partisan corrupt group of bureaucrats to his inner circle, almost all of which got fired, resigned, disgraced, or demoted. He willfully misled and committed a fraud, it seems tonight, on a FISA court to spy on the Trump campaign. We know he leaked a sensitive government documents against the law, because he was mad that he got fired and leaked it to "The New York Times" for the purpose of getting a special counsel appointed.

And now, he is in serious legal jeopardy. James Comey, tick, tock.

Now, with the help of Sara Carter, John Solomon, so many others on this program, well, we've always worked to halt unelected powerful government officials accountable. The left is more interested in scoring cheap political points, dividing the country, and pushing conspiracy theories with no evidence.

In the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, they got people like the cowardly Adam Schiff and Nadler and company trying to weaponize their committees. Why? To harass and order and prolong a series of endless which runs into the Trump administration.

Now, Senator Graham has documented their unprecedented behavior. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: They just want an outcome. It doesn't matter how you create Trump. It doesn't matter how you get Trump. It doesn't matter if you trick the FISA court. It doesn't matter if you infiltrate the campaign.

The goal is to stop Trump and the rules don't matter. This is a very dangerous time in American history where the media and the Democratic Party wants an outcome against Trump no matter what the rules are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: It doesn't matter. They wanted to destroy this president. They didn't want him elected, they had the favored candidate. They raked her investigation.

The evidence is overwhelming, it is incontrovertible. She had top secret classified information on a private server at a mom-and-pop bathroom closet. And yes, that's illegal. And yes, she tried to cover off the evidence by destroying it.

That's why she, in fact, deleted her subpoenaed emails, acid washed her hard drive with Bleach Bit, busted up her devices with hammers and removed SIM cards. Why? That was the intent, to destroy evidence. The underlying crime: Espionage Act.

The attorney general tonight provided top Democrats access to all but two full and seven partial lines of the Mueller report. They are too lazy to go look at it. This was grand jury information. Nadler's committee, holding him in contempt, demanding that he'd be handcuffed by the sergeant- at-arms and proper for the committee because he's obeying the laws of the land?

And then he redacted in accordance with federal law -- that's right, you cannot reveal grand jury material. That is the law of the land. At least one person understands it. That would be the attorney general.

And because Barr refused to break the law and reveal grand jury information, Congressman Nadler is holding him in contempt. They are talking about putting him in handcuffs, calling the attorney general's actions a, quote, direct assault on a constitutional order.

Now, many other Democrats, friends in the media mob, they are declaring that we are in a middle of a constitutional crisis. We've been there for the longest time because of those people that abused power. But, of course, because they've been pushing conspiracy theories and lies.

Then, of course, you got the intel chairman, yes, the cowardly Adam Schiff.  Yes, he's downright apoplectic, losing his mind because -- well, the only person caught on tape colluding with the Russians is him, as he got fixed up in a hoax.

Oh, do you have any evidence on Donald Trump? Yes, we have evidence on Donald Trump. What is the evidence of on Trump? Naked pictures of Trump.  Naked pictures.

Hasn't Vladimir seen it? Vladimir, of course. But, of course, he sees it.

Really? He's still eager to defend Attorney General Eric Holder. He was held in contempt. And, of course, in that case, Obama -- yes, he did invoke executive privilege, something throughout the entire Mueller investigation Donald Trump never did.

He told everybody in the White House to cooperate. They handed over 1.5 million documents and he answered Mueller's questions, and still no collusion. For the fourth time, we got that conclusion.

Anyway, take a look at the cowardly Schiff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: They seemed to turn over almost the entire Mueller report unredacted. The Attorney General William Barr has testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. They are saying they are prevented by a law from giving over this grand jury information.

So, what's the difference here?

REP. ANDY SCHIFF, D-CALIF.: They are categorical differences. First, the Obama administration made dozens of witnesses available to the Congress, provided numerous thousands of documents, as you just heard, to the Republicans in Congress. And yes, it makes specific claims of privilege but here, the Trump administration has decided to say a blanket no, no to any kind of oversight whatsoever, no witnesses, no documents, no nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: No witnesses, no documents, no nothing. Yet again, the cowardly Schiff is lying. He's a liar.

Mr. Schiff, come on this program one full hour. You and me. I've got a dossier on you. It's called your own words. Then come on my radio show, three full hours. You can bring Nadler with you just for kicks.

And the Mueller report has been released. The A.G. has testified before Congress and Adam Schiff is lying again. He's like losing it at this point.

But this kind of far-fetched hysteria from the left is not going unchecked.  As per usual, President Trump rightly now is fighting back after four exonerations, calling the Democrats fake constitutional crisis narratives pathetically untrue. That is true.

Now, the president is also calling out the current FBI Director Christopher Wray, accusing him of protecting the same gang who tried to overthrow the duly elected president of the United States. You know, we smelly Walmart people, irredeemable deplorables who cling to god, and guns, and bible, and religion. That's us.

So far, I don't see Director Christopher Wray frankly doing a darn thing to clean up the upper echelon of this FBI. That's his job, for the 99 percent of FBI special agents that put their lives at risk for us every single day, you owe it to them to get this department, this premier law enforcement agency right with the American people.

What has Wray done to hold the Comey accountable? Nothing. What about McCabe? What about Baker? What about Strzok? What about Page?

Mr. Wray, it's time for you to do your job. The former highest ranking employees in his bureau committed real crimes and yet no signs that Wray seems to care one bit to bring them to justice, or working to prevent this abuse of power, hyperpartisan conduct from ever, ever happening again.

But in the coming months, justice will be served. We have promised you that. With or without, well, Director Wray's help.

Part two of my opening monologue in just a moment. First, we are joined by FOX News contributor, former Congressman Trey Gowdy.

Congressman, let's get your reaction, now that we know tonight that the attorney general has, in fact, assigned this U.S. attorney in Connecticut to review the origins of the Russian inquiry. That and what other questions would you like answered?

TREY GOWDY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, this is the fourth person that has been charged with investigating the origins of the Russia probe. So, I am more interested in how quickly they do it and how effectively they do it more than the number. So, if this is the right person to do it, more power to him.

There is an easy road map to follow, Sean. We know the origins of the Russia probe, what Russia did to us. I want to know the origins of when the bureau began to intermingle the Trump campaign with the Russia probe.

You just quoted Lindsey Graham as saying they want to stop Trump. All Lindsay was doing was quoting Peter Strzok. That is what Peter Strzok said in a text. No, we'll stop it.

So, what are the origins? Then I want to know, how did the FBI assess Christopher Steele? They have their own internal documents.

Part of what Lindsey wants to make bulk of the internal FBI documents where they did their own assessment. I think you'll be surprised as whether or not they viewed Steele as being credible.

HANNITY: Hold on, this is all in the Gang of Eight information I'm told, my sources?

GOWDY: I saw it before I left. I know Johnny Ratcliffe has seen it. I know exactly what Johnny and Lindsey are talking about.

They are talking about internal FBI documents where they did their own assessment of whether or not Christopher Steele was reliable. They're talking about 302s where an FBI informant said he'd do anything in the world to make sure Donald Trump lost. That wasn't a DNC employee, that was an FBI informant before they got rid of him for breaking FBI rules.

But what Lindsey --

HANNITY: Trey Gowdy, you are a great prosecutor. Let me ask you a series of questions.

Are you convinced that FBI agents, as well as the attorney general at the time, Loretta Lynch, that they rigged Hillary's investigation?

GOWDY: I am convinced that they handle that investigation in a way unlike any investigation I have ever seen handled before, and the fact that you still have to ask that question, Sean, after, what, a 12-month investigation by the world's premier law enforcement agency, the meeting on the tarmac, the fact that Comey had to threaten the special counsel, you mentioned that Comey leaked memos because he wanted a special counsel appointed for Trump --

HANNITY: Let me be more specific --

GOWDY: What did he do when he had questions -- what did he do when he had questions about Loretta Lynch? Did you see him leak anything then?

HANNITY: Nope, 18 USC is clear.

GOWDY: No, he didn't do it. So --

HANNITY: It's clear, isn't it? If you have top secret classified information in a private server, is that not a violation of the Espionage Act, a clear one?

GOWDY: If you handle it negligently, yes.

HANNITY: OK, well, we know it was handled negligently. And would it be, for example, would there be attention if you delete 33,000 subpoenaed emails, acid wash your hard drive with Bleach Bit, bust up your devices with hammers and pull out SIM card, sir?

You never lost a case. Would that be a good case obstruction of justice?  Clear and convincing case, one beyond any reasonable doubt?

GOWDY: It is fantastic evidence on the issue of intent, which is what Comey said he didn't have. It is consciousness of wrongdoing. It is knowledge, all of that, in addition to the multiple misstatements, demonstrably false statements she made about her handling of it.

HANNITY: Next question because we're running out of time.

Are you convinced that there was a fraud committed against the FISA court withholding that Hillary paid for that dossier and that, in fact, the bulk of evidence was unverifiable and they never verified whether anything Steele wrote is true and did they do it to spy on the Trump campaign, sir?

GOWDY: Sean, I can tell you, it is even worse than what you described. It is what you described, in addition to the withholding of exculpatory evidence, which is what has Johnny Ratcliffe so exercised. And they made no effort to corroborate the dossier until after it's been used in the application and a renewal. No effort. It's not that they failed, they made no effort to do it.

HANNITY: Last question --

GOWDY: So, whoever is investigating this, tell them to look for emails between Brennan and Comey in December of 2016.

HANNITY: Are you convinced of that phony Russian dossier bought by Hillary Clinton created by Steele, that they lied to with the FISA court, are you convinced they try to undo a president -- a duly elected president of the United States and take him down?

GOWDY: I'm just going based on what Peter Strzok says. He thought he'd be -- the lead agent in charge of investigating this, said he thought Trump would be destabilizing, had an insurance policy, then promised his lover that we will stop it. So, you answer it.

HANNITY: Well said. You never lost a case, did you? Thank you, sir.

GOWDY: With good facts.

HANNITY: Joining us with more reaction, Fox News contributor Karl Rove.

Karl, your reaction to Trey's comments and this breaking news?

KARL ROVE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first of all, John Durham, the Connecticut prosecutor, is a career guy. He's been at the U.S. attorney's office since the late 1970s, he is a tough guy. He took on the FBI who were protecting "Whitey" Bulger. He went after and convicted and sent to jail the governor of Connecticut, a Republican named John Rowland.

He is a straight arrow, and I think this is a great move by Attorney General Barr. Hard to criticize a guy who is apolitical and has served in Republican and Democratic administrations. So, you have Durham in Connecticut looking at some aspects -- we don't know exactly what -- but I'm confident that Barr has got a particular focus that he wants them to take.

You have Horowitz, who has independent authority to investigate all of what happened in the Steele dossier and the investigation into 2016 and then you have Huber who is also looking at specific elements of the Russia investigation, all three of them share something in common. They are tough, they are independent, and they are career people who are not going to bend. They're going to do exactly what they think is right. So, I think this is a great move.

HANNITY: Karl Rove, I've been on this for two plus years.

ROVE: Yes.

HANNITY: I'm convinced they did rigged Hillary's investigation. She did violate the Espionage Act. She had the intention of destroying the evidence as per Bleach Bit and devices and SIM cards. I believe that the FISA court was systematically lied to on four separate occasions using her phony dossier that was never verified and I believe the insurance policy was to undo an election.

You think I'm off?

ROVE: I think -- well, I think there's a lot of truth in what you just said. I want to focus on two things in particular. One is the FISA court.  The FISA court, if -- and I think you are right, that the prosecutors were not -- the FBI was not forthcoming with the FISA court as to the source of the Steele dossier that was being paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC and that they had suspicions about them come particularly on the initial applications of the FISA court.

I think this is going to turn out to stink and some of the people are going to be most irritated about that are the FISA judges themselves. Let me say one other thing, Rosenstein today with his comments about Comey, absolutely on target. One of the things that amazes me is to this day, she says this was approved, she has never said what lawyer at the State Department looked at this and approved of this private email server.

Nobody has ever been able to come forward and say that. I would love it if somebody would get that information.

HANNITY: Karl Rove, thank you.

When we come back, Senator Ted Cruz, also a lawyer, react to this breaking news as we continue. We promise we hold them accountable. This is part one, act two, the curtain is up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Democrats are embroiling yet another anti-Semitism scandal after Congresswoman Tlaib talked about, quote, the calming feeling she gets when thinking about the Holocaust, about how Palestinians help create a safe haven for Jews after the Holocaust.

A calming effect? OK. This is sick beyond measure. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB, D-MICH.: And there's -- you know, there's a kind of calming feeling I always tell folks when I think of the Holocaust and the tragedy of Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood and human dignity, their existence in many ways have been wiped out in some people's passport. I mean, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews post the Holocaust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Here with reaction, to discuss the Democrats' anti-Semitism scandal that just keeps growing, also tonight's breaking news on the Attorney General Barr assigning a federal prosecutor to look into the origins of the Russia probe, Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Well, first, we have Omar's comments, Senator. Now we have multiple Tlaib comments and then we've got, believe it or not, which shocked me, and a mom brought in by Nancy Pelosi who, in 2017, posted an image on social media supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2014, actually posted, quote: God willing on this blessed night as the Third Intifada begins, the beginning of the end of Zionism is here. May Allah help us overcome this monster, meaning Israel, protect the innocent of the world and accept the murdered as martyrs.

OK, that's Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, that invited this radical. What is going on?

SEN. TED CRUZ, R-TEXAS: Well, it is unfortunately a growing problem.  The Democratic Party as a whole is galloping to the left. And then one of the components of that is the extreme Left has a long history of anti- Semitism, of anti-Israel hatred. We're seeing it with this freshman trio. These three freshmen House members who keep expressing anti-Semitic, anti- Israel comments, whether it is Congressman Tlaib's comments about the Holocaust, which are just - they are horrifying.

Or whether it was Congresswoman Omar's tweet attacking Israel saying, "It's all about the Benjamins". I mean it's repeating anti-Semitic attacks. And it would be one thing if it's just a couple of fringe radicals in their party.

But what we've seen is at least in the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party as a whole, the leadership as a whole, is unwilling distance themselves from these radicals. They're unwilling to distance themselves from these extreme and really harmful sentiments.

HANNITY: Nancy Pelosi to invite that person is unbelievable. Let's go to our breaking news. The Attorney General assigning this U.S. Attorney from Connecticut Mr. Durham, a federal former prosecutor, he now will look into the beginnings of all of this. The FBI's ties et cetera, et cetera in this case.

Also we have the Inspector General Horowitz. We have John Huber, his report. The Attorney General's longer investigation and deeper investigation into both the rigged election of Hillary and - or rigged investigation of Hillary, the FISA abuse and the abuse of power that happened thereafter. Never mind the well intelligence community surveilling, unmasking American citizens and leaking raw intelligence.

CRUZ: Well, look, I think it is a good development that the Attorney General has assigned the U.S. Attorney to investigate the origins of the Obama administration surveilling the Trump campaign. It is a very dangerous thing when law enforcement or the intelligence community is used as a political weapon, when it's used to target your political adversaries.

I'll tell you, as I travel Texas, I hear from Texans all over the state. How come there's no accountability? How come the Obama administration was able to weaponize, the Department of Justice and the intelligence world, the FBI. I'm very glad Attorney General Barr is demanding some accountability.

We need to investigate it, we needed to investigate how politicized it was. And in particular, we need to see what were the roles of the political appointees? Who signed off on it? Was it Loretta Lynch, was it John Brennan, was it Joe Biden, was it President Obama himself? That kind of accountability we need to know and the public deserves answers.

HANNITY: Senator, let me let me pick your legal mind for just a second. You were the national debate champion. I don't think anyone can really - we've watched you debate before. Are you--

CRUZ: You can tell I was one of the cool kids in the college.

HANNITY: Obviously, I was not a part of the club. But on a serious note, are you convinced the Espionage Act was why related by Hillary? Are you convinced the intent of destroying those e-mails was to cover up an underlying crime and eliminate the evidence?

Are you convinced the FISA courts - that a fraud was committed by omission and using the fake phony dossier - the Russian dossier? And are you convinced there was an effort by Deep State operatives to undo a presidential election after they tried to rig it?

CRUZ: Listen, there are serious and concerning evidence underlying every one of those - that those issues you laid out. When it comes to Hillary Clinton and her use of e-mails, her violation of the laws concerning - keeping classified documents classified.

That there appears to be even James Comey as politicized as he was, called it "Gross negligence". But there's also very deliberately an effort to destroy evidence. And an effort to smash phones with hammers and using BleachPit, as you mentioned just a minute ago, to erase hard drives.

I mean that's typically conduct that that evinces a guilty conscience, trying to hide criminal conduct. And we need to have accountability. We need to have accountability for each and every person who violated the law. Law enforcement should be nonpartisan. It shouldn't be a political weapon used against those who happen to be on the other side.

HANNITY: I want to be very clear, the weaponizing of our intelligence, the abuse of power. This was not the 99.9 percent FBI, this was not the 99.9 percent--

CRUZ: Absolutely.

HANNITY: - of our Intel community that protects us every day. Senator good to see you. Thank you for being with us.

When we come back, 2020 Democratic candidates keep going further and further down the spiral on the Left. Reince Priebus, he'll be here to react later. Seattle's homeless problem is spiraling out of control. Our own investigative reporter, Lawrence Jones has an exclusive report video. You will only see here on HANNITY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. The 2020 Democratic candidates for Presidents, they're in a race to the radical Left - gun control policy, has now ascended to one of the top Democratic agenda item, calls for the New Green Deal, everything's free, no oil, no gas, no combustion engine, no cows, no planes. OK. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER, D-N.J., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first way you get this done is stop having a debate on the corporate gun lobby's terms. They've been forming this debate and telling us what we can't do.

My parents and the folks that I know personally we're fighting the civil rights movement and gave up when Congress couldn't pass the rights legislation. Again and again it failed the longest filibuster Strom Thurmond's filibuster against civil rights movement people thought that was impossible. But they changed the terms of the debate.

We have carnage in this country - like it's a uniquely American problem, and we can't solve it. I don't accept that at all.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If by my 100th day in office, when elected President of the United States, the United States Congress fails to put a bill on my desk to sign with all of the good ideas or any of the good ideas, then I am prepared to take executive action, because that's what's needed.

And this will be the most comprehensive background check policy that has ever been had in our country thus far.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Can that be done by executive order?

HARRIS: Yes. Yes, it can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Actually not, it can't, that's called the Constitution, Second Amendment. Anyway. And of course, socialize medicine, that's another topic agenda item, but you can't have private insurance which would impact 188 million Americans. Kamala Harris, Joe Biden now - oh, and support, of course, free health care for illegal immigrants in the country.

All right, joining us now, he was the Chief of Staff of the President, you were the Head of the RNC for how many years?

REINCE PRIEBUS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: Six years.

HANNITY: How many seats gained in states and federal elections while you were the RNC Chair?

PRIEBUS: Over a thousand.

HANNITY: OK. So it's a pretty incredible record.

PRIEBUS: We had a good run. But it shows I can keep a job for more than six months, so that's a good.

HANNITY: Let me ask you about what has happened here. You were dragged before Mueller. You were - and everybody - the President encouraged everybody, including - how does Don McGahn gave him 30 hours. What was that about.

PRIEBUS: Well, I mean, the President made a decision that he was going to cooperate and he did and gave - the White House attorneys gave all of our e-mails to the special counsel. We went in there--

HANNITY: You were urged to go in - everybody?

PRIEBUS: Sure. Yes, we were told to going in and the President cooperated. So here's the thing politically, and you just spoke - you just talked a little bit about what was happening on Left.

All of the things that we have been dealing with now for the last two years in regard to Russia and Donald Trump, politically now the public's at pure saturation with Trump and Russia. He can't take really any more blows.

HANNITY: He's had four exonerations.

PRIEBUS: Right. What I'm saying, though, is politically he's taken all the blows. Now the Attorney General Barr assigning a Special Counsel to now the origins of this investigation. Politically the public really hasn't yet seen all the blows that will happen on that side. So politically in this particular situation, the President's in a much better situation. He's taken a lot of crap. But he's--

HANNITY: Look at what Lindsey Graham and Trey Gowdy has said, release this information the public can have a very different picture.

PRIEBUS: That's right. And so - OK, so here's where we are with that. As far as the Democrats and what positions they're taking, which are outrageous positions that won't really last - go well with the public. You have to look at all of these things who I think through the prism of the Midwest.

President Trump has 36 electoral votes to play with - Wisconsin's 10, Pennsylvania is 20, Michigan is 16. He's got to win those states. He might be able to lose Wisconsin, but he can't lose anywhere else.

So all of these issues, whether it be free education, free health care, reparations, Electoral College all these kinds of things, how do voters in the Midwest feel about it.

HANNITY: How do they? You're from Wisconsin.

PRIEBUS: They don't like it. And so when you look at this field--

HANNITY: They don't like it.

PRIEBUS: They don't like the positions that the Democrats are taking. All these crazy ideas that they're throwing out there.

HANNITY: Look at the record in the economy, Reince does--

PRIEBUS: Well, you look at the economy - Gary Cohn used to talk about 3, 3, 3, not 9, 9, 9, but 3, 3, 3. 3 percent unemployment - in that range with the 3, 3 percent wage growth, 3 percent GDP.

HANNITY: Got it.

PRIEBUS: If President Trump keeps that up, he would have accomplished every single one of his goals when it comes to the economy. So you have the economy, you have immigration and you have a bunch of Democrats talking about some wild things out there that people understand aren't possible. Free tuition, free health care, changing our electoral college, reparations, socialism. It doesn't work.

HANNITY: And stacking the court.

PRIEBUS: And stacking the court. And so politically now the President - it's not going to be easy. I mean certainly, I think, Joe Biden I think we can agree would probably be the toughest opponent that he could have. But that's only if he can manage 16-person fiasco and there's no Donald Trump on that side to help clear the field. It's going to be a scrum.

HANNITY: I think it'll be more than. It's actually going to be pretty entertaining.

PRIEBUS: Its great being - it's been a while.

HANNITY: And by the way, just so people know with the Mueller report, I said what's about - that all about?

PRIEBUS: Oh, yes.

HANNITY: A week before the New York Times printed it, two weeks after Sarah and John were investigating.

PRIEBUS: Yes, it was over year after the fact.

HANNITY: Yes, I know. I asked a question - I'm like, what's going with this?

PRIEBUS: I was on the 17th hole when you called. What are you talking about?

HANNITY: What does that mean? All right, good to see you. Thank you for being with us.

PRIEBUS: All right, see you.

HANNITY: All right. According to a report, officials having a hard time keeping up with a homeless crisis - oh, all these democratic cities, we sent Investigative Reporter, Lawrence Jones to see what's happening - this time Seattle. That exclusive report is next. Exclusive Hannity video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Right across the country liberal cities are in a major crisis, especially in true in places like San Francisco, where we've been to. Places in New York, we've been to. Where there are reports of massive homeless tent camps, trash piling up.

We recently sent Fox News Investigative Reporter, our friend Lawrence Jones to Seattle this time to investigate - well, what's going on in that liberal city. Let's take a look at liberal compassion in action. They're only generous with your money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE JONES, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Do you think see how I have the homeless problem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I see it every day when I walk to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the last five years it's gotten steadily worse with the numbers of people actually living on the streets rising at an exponential number.

JONES: Would you say there is a homeless problem here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, there is a homeless problem. It's a big, big-time homeless problem.

JONES: Describe to me what you see?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tents on the sidewalk, debris and litter everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I actually see a lot of marijuana smoke. I've found needles in the park.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen heroin deals go down in my backyard called the police and they never showed up. They said there's no--

JONES: You've seen drug deals in your backyard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen them heating up the heroin in a spoon in my backyard.

JONES: With all the tech companies coming to Seattle, do you actually think it's a money problem or do you feel like the people that are elected here or focused on other issues?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think sadly looks like they don't care.

JONES: But I don't think the city is really doing their job on. I think they're putting their efforts into the wrong place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The big companies Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft Boeing, even the small companies could really do a little bit more community service.

JONES: Do you feel safe with all of this going on?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I try not to make eye contact and I walk as fast as I can.

JONES: And this is the new normal?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unfortunately, that's true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Sad, joining us now with reaction Nationally Syndicated Salem Radio Talk Show Host, Larry Elder, Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Pam, we'll start with you.

What are we seeing and within walking distance to Pelosi's home and her office, they have a feces problem and a needle problem and a homeless problem. Why do they allow this to happen in the most liberal cities? Why, because the government's not paying for this?

PAM BONDI, FORMER FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, they have to crackdown with law enforcement efforts, because this Sean, not only do these people need help, a lot of them have dual diagnosis. I experienced this when I was a prosecutor.

Not only so many of them have mental issues, but they're taking drugs. We see that from all the dirty needles on the ground. They can be a danger to themselves and to others. So, yes, the city has to come in.

What we do in Florida, we have homeless shelters for them. Plenty of places for people to go, but the police have to crack down. Because of the dirty needles all over the streets - kids could step on them, people could step on them. Pelosi is probably driving in a limo, so she's not going to step on them.

But it's a dangerous situation and you got to help the people as well as protect the communities and that's just not happening out there.

HANNITY: And she lives in her cordoned off community - a mile away from all of this, Larry. It's Silicon Valley, money, she's worth you know tens and tens of millions of dollars.

She can't say I'll donate a million, you donate a million, we'll build the facility. We'll put showers and bathrooms and offer counseling and a warm meal? What's she waiting for the taxpayers to foot the bill? Why wouldn't she do it? Where's her - where's the real liberal compassion? Your money where your mouth is kind of thing?

LARRY ELDER, SALEM RADIO NATIONALLY SYNDICATED HOST: That's a really good question Sean. Years ago Massachusetts reduced its state income tax, but if you'll felt guilty and want to pay the higher tax, you could.

One of those who didn't pay the higher tax was Barney Frank. Barney Frank, said he's going to donate the savings to charity, because he thought charity could spend the money more responsibly then could the Republican government that was at the time running Massachusetts. That's exactly the solution.

Government does not do a good job dealing with homelessness. You look at cities like Seattle, like LA, like the Bay Area they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars and the problem has gotten worse.

It is because these people have issues. They've got substance abuse problems, alcohol problems or mental problems and just giving them a house without dealing with those problems is not going to help it.

We ought to be sending money to nonprofits many of them are Christ based that can get an actual change in behavior and maybe get some of these people self-sufficient. That's what we ought to be talking about - giving money to nonprofits, not government - individuals. Where government - money could be spent without government ties and individuals can receive the money provided that they change their behavior.

HANNITY: And Pam, I mean, it's tough, if somebody has mental illness and they have drug addiction and they commit crimes, and then you throw them in prison, do you really help them?

BONDI: Yes, and I'm not for throwing them in prison, and I'm not - I don't think any of us are. But Larry's right. There are so many faith-based programs in my state that do a lot to help homeless people.

And by the way if you see a homeless person asking for money, don't give them money. You know what I do? I go to McDonald's, get a pile of gift cards. There are McDonald's on every corner. They can go get a full meal at McDonald's for just a few dollars, and they can't buy alcohol, they can't buy drugs with it.

But yes our law enforcement in Florida and other states, they've got to do it in California, they've got to do it in Seattle. They've really got to crack down, not arrest them, but get them help give them to facilities.

And yes Starbucks was founded there. There are plenty of big businesses that could step up to the plate.

HANNITY: Oh, Starbucks.

BONDI: We need private/government partnerships.

HANNITY: So they just now have had needle dispensers in their bathrooms, that's a brilliant idea. Thank God for blackriflecoffee.com/sean. They happen to be friends of mine. All right thank you both. A profanity-laced rant on climate change, our "Villain of the Day", you don't want to miss next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: "Villain of the Day". Bill Nye, the so called science guy was spreading some global warming hysteria over the weekend on HBO and used some pretty vulgar language to make his point. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL NYE ON "LAST WEEK TONIGHT": What I am saying is the planet is on (bleep) fire. There are a lot of things we could do to put it out. Are any of them free? No, of course, not, nothing is free you idiots. Grow the (bleep). You're not children anymore. I didn't mind explaining photosynthesis to you when you were 12. But you are adults now and this is an actual crisis. Got it? Safety glasses on (bleep).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: There is a guy I will listen to, sure. All right. We have a lot of breaking news coming. This is just the opening. The curtain has just gone up, an avalanche coming.

That's all the time we have left this evening. We will never be the hate, rage, media mob.

Let not your heart be troubled. Laura Ingraham, how are you?
 
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