Hannity reflects on the terrorist attack in Kabul
Sean Hannity weighs in on the crisis in Afghanistan during his Friday monologue
This is a rush transcript of "Hannity" on August 27, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
ANNOUNCER: Americans Held Hostage Behind Enemy Lines, Day 13.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Americans held hostage now behind enemy lines and the timetable is coming fast. That's right.
As we are now fast approaching America's last weekend in Afghanistan, 13 of our brave soldiers are dead. They will never return home to their families.
More than a dozen others seriously wounded. A total death toll is now more than 170, over 200 people injured.
This as now thousands of our own citizens, our friends, our American family and yes, American allies remain trapped all across the country, all of them behind enemy lines, all of them hostage to the whim of the terror group known as the Taliban and others.
And now, it's harder than ever to even get inside Hamad Karzai International Airport with reports that the Taliban could be in full control of that airport now in a matter of days, some are predicting as early as this weekend. Maybe the worst part is the death and destruction and carnage and chaos all easily preventable, so easily preventable.
Joe Biden is defiantly locked into his disastrous decision that has -- that has rendered us a failure here. Why he has tripled down on this failure is anyone's guess. Why he's abiding by the Taliban's deadline also a mystery tonight. Why he's not sending in additional troops to rescue every single solitary American behind enemy lines is unforgivable. Why he's so accepting of the idea that Americans will be left behind is beyond anything that any good American that I know of can comprehend.
And sadly, tonight, that outcome seems inevitable. This was not an intelligence community failure Joe Biden ignored what are dozens and dozens of warnings on the ground and they've been given to him now for months, our sources confirming he ignored his own military advisors that too has been ongoing for months. He ignored the intel community, he ignored the Taliban's clear you can see the map with the time frame, their rapid advance from April to June to July to August and everywhere in between.
And yesterday, well, what do we see you know incoherent mumbling, bumbling, rambling press conference showing the entire world America's friends and allies and, yeah, hostile regimes and our foes our enemies alike that the United States of America has a cognitively weak, frail and completely out of touch president that is clinging to failed policies.
This is beyond a national embarrassment. Innocent people will likely die as a result of all of this, more will die. So congratulations Joe. This is your mission accomplished.
Now at least American families will never be the same. Many more brave servicemen will struggle with serious injuries for the rest of their lives.
And more than a hundred other innocent civilians have perished.
But when you think things couldn't get worse well you think again because today in a statement at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, earlier today, Jen Psaki warning that another terror attack in Kabul is likely. There will be another terror attack and there's nothing that we apparently can do?
This is a nightmare, a failure of epic proportions. The worst foreign policy disasters, one of in our nation's history, with deadly, real-life consequences, and risks that remain higher than ever. Remember, just last week, Biden said any attack on our forces or disruption of our operations at Karzai International Airport will be met with swift and forceful response. Well, now, that swift and forceful response is nowhere to be found.
Just like so many other Biden promises, those words appear to be totally completely hollow, seemingly like what's in his head at most hours of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: When the president says we will hunt you down and make you pay, what does that look like? Is he going to order a mission to kill the people responsible or would he be satisfied if they are captured and brought to trial?
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think he made clear yesterday that he does not want them to live on the earth anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNTY: In other words, there is no plan of action other than a stern talking to? Even Obama's defense secretary, even former CIA director, he did both jobs, Leon Panetta, he rightly is calling for a swift military response. I don't agree with him politically, but he knows what he's talking about here.
Of course, this morning, Joe Biden himself could not be bothered to answer any other questions about Afghanistan, especially after and in light of yesterday's disaster not even they told me to call on whoever being dictated by his staff. He doesn't want them to get mad at him.
Obviously, they call the shots. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I met with my commanders this morning, first thing in the morning, got a detailed briefing about yesterday's attacks and the measure they're taking to protect our forces and complete the mission. And we will complete the mission.
Now, I'm not going to take any questions because of the prime minister being here on Afghanistan now, but I'll be available at another time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: I'm not going to take questions. I might get yelled at again.
What will happen to Americans clearly now it seems inevitable, we will be leaving them behind? How will they ever get out? What are we doing to protect them? What will happen to Karzai International Airport in Kabul when we do pull out? What will Joe do if more Americans are murdered, like yesterday?
What will he do if the Taliban murders an Afghan with one of our special immigrant visa, the ones we made a pledge to if it ever came to this, we would get you the hell out of there? But we didn't keep our word to them.
Many will die.
And Joe gave him a list of names so they now have a database biometrics and Joe's list. They're being hunted down as we speak. They will be executed one after another. How many Americans -- we still don't get an answer -- are still in Afghanistan? How many Americans have been evacuated? They don't know.
How will he prevent the rise of ISIS or al Qaeda with no embassy, no intel presence on the ground? You know, they were at war with us, we weren't at war with them, that 9/11 commission report -- yeah, all the plotting and planning and scheming that took place inside of Afghanistan and the lead up to 9/11/2001, 20 years ago.
What will happen to the $83 billion that Joe Biden, the weapons that he left behind, the most powerful weaponry of any military force on the face of the Earth, now we gave it to terrorists? And is there any plan to secure
-- it's a little too late because now we have images of Taliban flying our Black Hawk attack helicopters, or riding around in our armored vehicles.
Two hundred and eight helicopters and aircraft he left behind, how does Biden plan to vet what is now tens of thousands of Afghan refugees? Because as we speak, there are so many refugees flying into Washington, D.C.
apparently, they're doing the vetting after people are in the air flying to this country. It's causing a massive bottleneck at Dulles International Airport.
We need to know how these individuals are being vetted. Reports that already over a hundred people that have come to America from Afghanistan are also on our terrorist watch list. Clearly, there are a lot of important questions that need to be answered and Joe Biden, his incoherent, mumbling and bumbling and unwillingness and inability to answer them is chilling.
Yesterday during a bizarre -- you know, one of his bizarre moments at that press conference, Joe Biden was completely dazed and confused with an image that went viral. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Terrorists attacked that we've been talking about I'm worried about that the intelligence community has assessed has undertaken an attack by a group known as ISIS-K.
They gave me a list here. The first person I was instructed to call on was Kelly O'Donnell of NBC.
Getting every single person out is -- can't be guaranteed by anybody because there's a determination, all who wants to get out as well.
No, no, no wait a minute, I'm asking you a question. Is that accurate, to the best of your knowledge?
REPORTER: I know what you're talking about. But, Mr. President, respectfully --
BIDEN: What?
REPORTER: -- since -- I don't think that the issue that -- do you think --
BIDEN: Because look at it this way, folks -- and I'm going to -- I have another meeting, for real.
I know it's not fair to ask you questions. It's rhetorical. But raise your hand if you think we should have gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: This image of an American president?
That's why I've been saying somebody so weak and frail and such a cognitive mess. America deserves better. We don't leave our fellow citizens, our fellow Americans behind. We rescue our fellow Americans trapped behind enemy lines. We respond to terror attacks with overwhelming force. We have the greatest military on the face of the earth. We strike fear into the hearts of all of our enemies and instill confidence in all of our allies.
But under Biden none of that has happened and clearly will happen, made that clear yesterday. The one thing that was clear. No more military presence, we're getting out, we're sticking to the timetable and yeah, there'll be Americans left behind in all likelihood. Now, we're suffering the consequences of his real weaknesses in real time.
Mark my words: with so many trapped, this could all get so much worse before it gets better. And I pray that I am wrong.
Our first guest tonight -- it comes from the -- you -- to the U.S. from northern Afghanistan. His boss, the so-called president of Afghanistan, reportedly fled the country many weeks ago with four cars and a helicopter full of millions and millions of dollars of cash.
But my next guest is the vice president of Afghanistan, still in the country, leading the resistance against the Taliban. And tonight, he is pledging to help any Americans that will be left behind.
Amrullah Saleh is with us right now.
You're in the northern part of Afghanistan. I understand you have a very strong resistance that is growing by the day. I have reports on the ground that I've confirmed that you are leading the country. You're the de facto resistance leader of the country and you're rightful place considering that your president left.
And my question is, what would you need to ensure the safety of our Afghan allies, innocent Afghan citizens and Americans that will be left behind?
Because I want my fellow Americans brought home safely.
AMRULLAH SALEH, AFGHAN OPPOSITION LEADER (via telephone): Well, we need two
-- three things to be done and these are doable things, and it will save the lives of Americans and it will most likely save the lives of millions of Afghans.
Number one, Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda are celebrating the defeat of the United States. It is a must for Joe Biden's administration to take Pakistani state accountable. All the Taliban leaders who are in Kabul, including Haqqanis, they came from Pakistan. That is number one.
Number two, they should make it very clear to the Taliban now who are in control of Kabul, that if one more attack is carried out, it will be Taliban responsible for it because few days back, we warned the Americans that the only way for Taliban to gain control of the Kabul airport is to stage suicide attacks or attacks and then blame it on ISIS. Otherwise, this fiasco is not going to end soon.
So, for Taliban to say it is not us, Taliban are the creator of the suicide bombing thing in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, they cannot become innocent overnight.
Number three, United States must use its power of convening and power of bringing nations together to create an alliance for peace as it has created an alliance for war against terrorism. And they should not abandon Afghanistan. There's a lot the United States can do.
Today, the Afghans who are fools (ph), new (ph) arrival, and everybody watching, the super power seeming so weak. That should be averted.
These are doable things. We are not asking you to re-escalate, come back militarily. We are asking United States to project confidence, hope, power.
Not weakness, not desperation, not being seen as a super power on the run and unable to do anything. The United States --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Let me explain something to you --
SALEH: -- is seen as defeated. This is a disaster.
HANNITY: You need to understand something. The United States under this president, not the last president, under this president, has no appetite to provide any assistance at this point.
Yesterday, at the press conference, Joe Biden was very clear. He has no appetite to send troops in even to save Americans, and even the prospect of leaving Americans behind.
I can tell you that the vast, overwhelming, massive majority of Americans find that repulsive, sir.
But with that said, I don't control the president, I don't control Congress. We're going to bring in a senator and a congressman in a minute.
My question to you is, specifically, can you tell us how many -- how many fighters you have? What kind of equipment you have? What are the things that America might be able to offer to offer you militarily so that you can accomplish your mission of defeating the Taliban, ISIS-K, the emergence of al Qaeda and help Americans in the process that might be left behind get home?
SALEH: Well, first of all, if any American tries to take refuge in the safe harbor that we have created, we will welcome them with open arms, we will provide them protection and we will make sure that they are safe and we will coordinate whatever way possible with you so that these Americans will be evacuated.
So, Panjshir Valley today is not only a valley. It is the center, it is the safe haven and it is the capital for all of those who fear their lives, who are fearing Taliban terrorists, and who are trying to get to somewhere to feel safe.
So with that said, what is our strength? The biggest strength we have is our political will, which unfortunately isn't there in Washington. The United States is capable of doing everything.
But the decision which was taken to withdraw troops from Afghanistan so abruptly was a political decision. It has hurt the feelings of so many American service members, the intelligence community, the strategic community.
Look, I understand Washington was fatigued by paying few billion dollars and retaining 2,000 troops in Afghanistan.
What you are seeing now, America is paying with its dignity, with its reputation and with its credibility. America must show will and power and it should project hope and confidence.
HANNITY: I'm going to bring into the conversation, two lawmakers now that are calling on the Biden administration to recognize you, sir. And that is the Afghan opposition forces in the northern part of the country.
Joining us, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Florida Congressman Michael Waltz.
Senator Graham, let me begin with you.
What we saw yesterday was a president of the United States that said a few things that frankly shocked the conscience. That he won't send in more military, that he's -- that he's going by the artificial deadline of the Taliban, and that if it means leaving Americans behind, that's what the situation is going to be.
Well, if that's the case, the only option I would see would be to work with someone like Mr. Saleh here and try and rescue them.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Right, right.
HANNITY: He didn't answer my question about are the forces big enough? What would -- what would they need to help successfully defeat the Taliban, ISIS-K and the formation of al Qaeda?
GRAHAM: Yeah. Well, number one, I want to -- my condolences to the -- to our fallen heroes who are trying to rescue American citizens and Afghan allies. Rest in peace, my marines and my soldiers. God bless you. God bless your family.
President Biden is the president of empty threats. He said on television, if you hurt one American in this evacuation, we will hunt you down. What BS.
What should we do? We should help the vice president in Panjshir Valley. We should recognize him as the legitimate constitutional leader of Afghanistan.
Panjshir Valley is the place we need for a safe haven. We should have an underground railroad system getting Americans and Afghan allies to Panjshir Valley. We should work with them to empower their evacuation. We should provide military assistance so they can stand up to the Taliban.
The Taliban is very unpopular in Afghanistan. The resistance will grow with our help. They're not asking for us to fight. They're asking for us for humanitarian relief. They're asking us for military aid.
HANNITY: Senator, can you -- I'm all in favor. If any Americans left behind, I'm all in favor of any plan that will get them to the Panjshir Valley because then we can extract them and bring them home.
GRAHAM: Right, yes.
HANNITY: I'm also interested -- we did make a commitment to our Afghan partners and allies to -- that we if this day ever came, we wouldn't leave them behind. We left them behind, not only are we leaving behind, Joe Biden basically gave them a list of everybody that they're going to target to kill on top of a database that includes biometrics.
So, not exactly the ideal situation. Are you -- and I don't have any problem recognizing the vice president as the legitimate leader of Afghanistan, but getting Americans behind enemy lines to the Panjshir Valley is a massive task.
GRAHAM: Yes.
HANNITY: How do -- Congressman, I'll give you a chance to weigh in.
GRAHAM: OK.
REP, MIKE WALTZ (R-FL): Yeah, Sean, you know, unfortunately, they are on the verge of being left behind. Let's stop calling them Americans behind enemy lines, let's call them what they are -- which are Taliban hostages right now as we speak.
And we're going to have to smuggle them out and a number of groups are setting this up right now. We're going to have to smuggle them along the ground those that are left, into the Panjshir or across borders.
And you have private organizations, Congress, and basically everybody but the White House taking this leadership role.
But here's why this is so important going forward, we have to help them survive because what's going to happen and Biden's own intelligence community is saying this, the Taliban equals al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is going to come roaring back, they are going to attack the West again. That is absolutely going to happen, and we need to have somebody to work with when our future American soldiers have to go back again.
The same crew that is around Biden was around Obama that led -- that yanked out of Iraq too fast and too soon, led to the ISIS caliphate, that launched attacks around the world. But we had the Kurds to go back to. We had bases in the region.
In Afghanistan, we have nothing. Biden gave all of our bases away. Our local allies are being hunted down.
All we have left is Vice President Saleh, a gentleman Ahmed Massoud, the son of the famous resistance fighter, and the Panjshir Valley. And if we let them get overrun by the Taliban, then those future soldiers literally have nothing to work with to deal with a resurgent al Qaeda.
HANNITY: Senator Graham, but now the Taliban has $83 billion and some of the most sophisticated weaponry that Joe Biden gave them. Any path that would lead for any -- any path that we can create to get home an American trapped inside Afghanistan, I am for. I'm not for leaving Americans behind nor are you.
GRAHAM: No, I'm not for leaving Americans behind. I'm not for leaving our allies behind.
I'm not for a terrorist group running Afghanistan. I'm not for the soul mate of al Qaeda being in charge of Kabul.
If you think we can let the Taliban run Afghanistan and we'll be safe, you're a fool. If you think most Afghanistans are okay with the Taliban being in charge, you don't know a damn thing about Afghanistan.
We've got a lot to work with in the Panjshir Valley. The CIA can help. We can get military assistance to these people to let them fight.
Here's what we should do: we should declare the Taliban under U.S. law, a foreign terrorist organization. We should recognize the Panjshir Valley as the legitimate capital of Afghanistan. We should marginalize the Taliban at every turn and empower our allies on the ground.
We should take Bagram Air Force Base and connect it to the Panjshir Valley, and let it be an evacuation route for those left behind.
And we should bleed the Taliban dry by allowing Afghans who hate these bastards the capability to fight back. And if we'll do that, we will be safer. If we abandon Afghanistan more, another 9/11 is coming your way.
HANNITY: Senator Graham, unfortunately, we're out of time. I gave you the last word.
Congressman, we'll follow your efforts closely.
Mr. Vice President, I applaud your efforts to free your country and I pray for a better day for every Afghani. Women will be under tyranny. It will be a mess. In all likelihood, many will -- innocent people will die in the days and weeks to come, and I pray to God that I'm wrong.
After the break, is the Biden administration's communications with the Taliban risking now the lives of Americans? How many have they exposed with their list that they gave the Taliban? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HANNITY: Tonight, so much outrage growing over a bombshell report in "Politico" yesterday that the Biden administration gave the Taliban a list of Americans and our Afghan allies trying to flee Afghanistan. State Department late today denying the report, but is scant on any specifics.
President Biden -- well, he doesn't seem that concerned about it at all, says he probably did hand it over to the Taliban. Just like we don't know how many Americans are caught behind enemy lines, how many Americans were evacuated -- well, that shouldn't surprise you. They don't have a good answer.
Our own Lara Logan now blasting Biden for delivering our allies straight to our enemies, which, by the way, Joe, the Taliban still is. It's time to stop pretending the Taliban are not terrorists. And now, remember that Joe also told us that ISIS-K was the sworn enemy of the Taliban. Well, that's not what his own generals seem to think, as our own Jennifer Griffin, she found out today. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: How many ISIS-K prisoners were left at Bagram and are believed to have been released from the prison there? And why weren't they removed before the U.S. pulled out to some place like Gitmo?
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: Well, I don't know the exact number.
Clearly, it's in the thousands when you when you when you consider both prisons, because both of them were taken over by the Taliban and emptied.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: No exact number, how many people on our terror watch list are making it to America?
Now, even some of Joe's old buddies from the Obama administration say all of this means is we may still be fighting terrorists in Afghanistan many years from now.
Here with reaction to all of this, FOX Nation host Lara Logan, and Adam Boehler who has himself negotiated with the Taliban.
I noticed a tweet, Lara, of you earlier today saying, can we stop pretending the Taliban isn't a terrorist organization? They did release all of these terrorists that were in prison when they immediately took power.
So, that game -- that -- we need to stop pretending I agree with you.
LARA LOGAN, FOX NATION HOST: Yeah, Sean. I mean, one of the most absurd things for us to witness -- I mean, I don't know -- I know there are people sitting at home just like me who are watching this and thinking like how can they stand and lie on this scale. It's just extraordinary. They know perfectly well that the Taliban and al-Qaeda and ISIS, the distinctions between these groups are just power struggles, internal power struggles.
Some of it is part of deception operations, you know?
I mean, if you're designated like al Qaeda is, as a terrorist organization, what do you do? You move your people into say the Taliban because they're not designated and you operate like that. But when General John Campbell's forces uncovered the largest al-Qaeda base in ever found anywhere in the world in October 2016, where was it? In southern Afghanistan, who was there
30 square miles where the Taliban and al-Qaeda were training together, were working together.
I mean, they're marrying to each other's families for goodness sake. And you know, you just had the acting president of Afghanistan, the former vice president, Amrullah Saleh, who under the Afghan constitution is now president, now their leader.
And he told me in an interview not so long ago that when they pick up these prisoners or when they pick them up from the battlefield and interrogate them, they find that today, they're ISIS, two weeks ago, they were Taliban.
Two years ago, they were al-Qaeda, you know, and it's sort of an ongoing circle.
And there isn't a counter-terrorism expert anywhere in the world who will tell you anything else with a straight face.
HANNITY: Yeah.
And, Adam, you've had a chance to negotiate with them. Clearly, they are terrorists. Now, we have Americans with a very strong likelihood that by Monday, that we're going to be leaving Americans behind enemy lines, which is why we brought the vice president, now acting president on to see if there's any chance that we can somehow find these Americans left behind and get them transported to the north to safety when we can extract them.
Are they a terrorist organization? And why did Joe Biden not act as they were taking over larger and larger portions of the country going back to March, April, May and June and July? Why would he not have moved up any exit withdrawal to a point when it was safe when we controlled Kabul?
ADAM BOEHLER, NEGOTIATED WITH THE TALIBAN: It's hard for me to explain, Sean. I mean at the end of the day, first, let me comment this is what happens when you have a terrorist organization where there's no accountability, you get behavior like this. And so, when we pull out with our tail between our legs, there's nothing to stop this kind of behavior in releasing ISIS-K prisoners.
I was listening to the TV yesterday when the Taliban spokesman said there's no proof that Osama bin Laden perpetrated 9/11, you know, that kind of brazen talk tells you how they're feeling. They're feeling pretty good right now, and that's a real problem.
The second thing about the date and Monday is I don't think you define a mission based on an arbitrary date. You define a mission based on an outcome and the mission here is get Americans and our allies out under any circumstances that's what the mission should be, not Monday. Who cares about Monday?
HANNITY: Lara, we'll give you the last word. What should happen from here?
What do you foresee as of Tuesday?
LOGAN: Well, first of all, the United States government needs to recognize the Afghan president and our allies who are fighting. The United States also needs to do what they should have done a long time ago and declare the Taliban a foreign terrorist organization, which they are. We also need to get humanitarian supplies into the Panjshir Valley to help these people.
And plus, Congress needs to act. Congress and leaders on both sides of the aisle, this is a Republican Democrat problem because American weakness is a problem for every American. They need to act to pass laws to make it illegal for anyone and to give assistance to the Taliban because they are a terrorist regime.
HANNITY: This is a disaster and it's going to get worse. I pray to God I'm wrong. I don't think I am, and I don't think Lara or Adam are either. Thank you both.
LOGAN: You're right, Sean. You're right.
HANNITY: I wish I wasn't. I wish -- I wish I could say I was wrong, I really do.
And don't forget, watch part one of the new season, "Lara Logan Has No
Agenda: Sacrificing Afghanistan", all available on foxnation.com.
When we come back, tens of thousands of Afghan refugees are arriving on U.S. soil. Some it turns out are on the terrorist watch list. Are they being properly vetted? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. As we survey all the damage, all the chaos in Afghanistan, the question now is simple, will President Biden never be held accountable for this unmitigated foreign policy disaster? Some Republicans are already calling for his resignation, impeachment, to go for the 25th Amendment.
But don't count on Schumer, Pelosi, the media mob, its presidential protection program, to join in any effort knowing how awful this has been.
And are refugees being properly vetted?
Here with reaction, former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and FOX News contributor Jason Chaffetz.
Jason, from an intel position, I'm told that we already have over a hundred
-- and it's been widely reported -- Afghans that are in this country that we brought here that are on terror watch list. I understand also that we're vetting some of these Afghans while they're in the air flying straight to America, not before they get on the plane.
JASON CHAFFETZ, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah. No, this is really quite scary because a lot of these people, they can't -- they can't write their own name, let alone fill out a form or tell you where their birth date is.
Look, the Biden-Harris administration hasn't been able to secure Portland or Chicago and certainly not our southern border. So do you think people who are airborne flying into the United States, that they're able to know exactly who they are, what their intentions are and their background? No, I don't think so, and that's what's scary about this.
You know, Reince, I mean, ultimately, what Jason is saying and what people on a watch list would do is we're actually ourselves potentially bringing in terrorist cells into the country because there's no vetting going on and the vetting that we do have seems quite inadequate because it should be done before anyone gets on an airplane to come here.
REINCE PRIEBUS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Well -- and, Sean, you heard the president yesterday saying oh this is the greatest, most largest airlift in history. Yes, because they were scrambling at the last second, shoving as many people and anything on the -- in the bellies of C-130s, and now, you have what you and Jason are describing.
But the reason people are talking about 25th Amendment and all of these things, unlike when they did that to Trump, it was all personal. Now, it's actually because people don't like the policies of Joe Biden. On top of it, you had 13 American heroes that got killed because of the policies.
Parcells used to say, you are what your record says you are.
And what's happening to Joe Biden with less than 30 percent support for Afghanistan, his COVID numbers went down by 12 percent, he's upside down on the economy, he's upside down on the border, it's his policies.
And that's why people are talking about resignations and impeachments, and that's what -- that is what's going to create a huge change I think in this country. I think people are waking up. But unfortunately, it's a massive tragedy.
HANNITY: Jason, there's no vetting. The president said he's not sending in more troops. He's sticking to the Taliban's deadline. Is it now inevitable that our fellow Americans are going to be left behind enemy lines ostensibly hostages to the whims of terrorists? Is that inevitable?
CHAFFETZ: It's happening right now. They can't even get through a line to get to an airport. These are Americans, with American passports. They're American citizens. They can't get to the airport.
And it was Joe Biden who about 50 days ago said that there was no chance that there would that the Taliban was going to take over. There's no chance. And so, they didn't have the urgency to get out. They closed an air force base that is under United States control, and they close it, and they scuttle it in favor of a Kabul airport that I have been to that is not very safe and secure.
So I got to tell you, this is the scary part. You know, you could vet the people coming into the United States if they all had American passports and you prioritize them. Keep these other people overseas until they have been properly vetted, but that's again logic defies the Biden Harris administration.
HANNITY: Never thought my lifetime, Reince, that I'd see Americans left behind enemy lines like this. But apparently, that's now inevitable?
PRIEBUS: It's a sad day. I mean, when 13 of our finest people aren't going to come home to mom and dad, it's a sad -- it's a sad thing, you know?
And unfortunately, the policies of Joe Biden don't seem to be coming to an end in regard to the America that I think we were we were living under and where we are today. It's a sad day.
HANNITY: I'm saying the least. Thank you both.
All right. When we come back, Vice President Kamala Harris supposed to stump for Gavin Newsom who is in real trouble tonight in this recall, and she canceled after the deadly suicide bombing in Kabul. Larry Elder who's leading the pack will join us next, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. Now, failed California Governor Gavin Newsom appears to be on the verge of a total collapse ahead of the recall. That race is on September the 14th, coming quickly.
And now, it looks like Vice President Kamala Harris will not be able to come and rescue Gavin. Harris was set to be the headliner at a rally to oppose Newsom's recall in San Francisco tonight, but she canceled her plans shortly after yesterday's deadly attacks in Kabul.
This comes as Newsom continues to fall way behind in the polls.
Here with reaction, he's leading by 11 points on question two, who would you pick to be the next governor? And that is gubernatorial candidate, long time friend of the show I might add, Larry Elder.
I watched the attacks. We talked about that the last time.
I want to go over these polls with you because I always thought question one was the hardest, Larry, and that was to remove Newsom.
In terms of now CBS, latest poll they have, do -- we now have a very tight race. The Real Clear Politics average is "to remove" is leading "do not remove". He would need 50 percent. He's only 47 percent at do not remove.
That is not good for Gavin Newsom.
Anyway, the most recent survey had you know you up by 11 points. The closest Democrat is way behind you. Is this -- is there a potential now, real potential of a political earthquake in the state of California?
LARRY ELDER, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Well, as always, Sean.
Thank you for having me on.
Let me just first give my condolences to the service members who lost their lives and those who are injured and the Americans who are still trapped in in Afghanistan.
But, yes, there is a excellent chance that this man is going to be removed.
You're right about the first question. It's right in the margin of error.
It's right at 50/50, half want him gone, half want him to stay.
But the part that wants him gone has been increased by about five points of the last few weeks, and the intensity is on all the recall side. People are angry at the cost of living, they're angry at the way this man shut down the state, Sean, while ignoring science while having his own kids enjoy in- person education at a private school, while he was sitting up there in the French laundry with the very people that drafted the mandates, who were not wearing masks, they were not engaged in social distancing and kids lost a whole year of in-person education.
And they were already behind. Our test scores for math and reading are near the bottom of the country before the pandemic.
And then you're talking about rising homelessness and for the very first time in this state's 170-year history, Sean, people are leaving. And that's why so many people, 1.7 million people signed that petition, to get rid of this guy. And about a third of them were independents and Democrats, so you can't call this some sort of Republican takeover and the majority of Hispanics now want him gone.
In fact, we have we have a category called non-party preference. Normal states call them independents, and the majority of independents want him gone.
So -- and, by the way, Sean, the voting has already begun. You're right the election is on September the 14th, but that's the final day. The voting has already begun. The ballots have already been sent to homes and people are already sending them in, and I understand around 10 percent of people have already voted.
That's why I need the money now. So I'm asking people to go to ElectElder.com and throw something in the tip jar because he's going to outspend my side by about nine to one, maybe even ten to one.
HANNITY: Here we are, you mentioned the COVID hypocrisy. But now, on top of that, we're heading into the fire season. He rejects the science of forestry, and it is a science, which means control burns.
ELDER: Right.
HANNITY: Rolling brownouts, blackouts, whatever you want to call them, there's going to be those now hitting California. Water shortages now are acute -- it's very acute in California. Vaccine mandates.
ELDER: Right.
HANNITY: The COVID hypocrisy I think has gotten the attention of everyone in the state.
So what is your main message? I've known you for years. I wouldn't -- you're a libertarian/conservative. You have been most of the years I've known you. You haven't changed.
ELDER: No, my main message, Sean, is the number one responsibility of government is to protect people in property and we're having a rise in crime. Rising shootings, rise in homicides, in all the major cities in California and because of this defunding police movement, because of this false narrative that the police are engaging in systemic racism against cops, cops are pulling back and the very people who are hurt the most are black and brown people.
And regarding the rise in homelessness, Sean, when Gavin Newsom ran for mayor in San Francisco, I think it was 2004, he promised to clean up homelessness in 10 years. That would have been 2015. It's even worse now and when he became lieutenant governor he pounded the table for eight years claiming he had nothing to do. How about fulfilling your campaign promise about doing something about the homelessness.
For all those reasons that's why in my opinion he's likely to be recalled and I'm way ahead by Republican rivals I'm not really worried about that part. I'm worried about the first part of the ballot.
Again, 50-50, 50 percent plus one vote must vote to remove him. So I'm urging people to recall Gavin Newsom and then of course to put my name in as a person to replace him.
HANNITY: It's going to be a fascinating race. We're watching it closely and as it gets closer, we'll continue to follow it. By the way, you can always tell you're getting close to an election because the slander, the smearing, the besmirchment is in full force. What they don't know about Larry Elder -
- yes, go ahead? Yeah.
ELDER: I was called Sean the black face of white supremacy, the black face of white supremacy. That's how desperate they are.
HANNITY: You're a better man than me, because I'm angry for you, but that's the world. But California could be transformed with the right policies and it needs it desperately. We're following it closely.
We wish you well. Larry, thank you.
All right. We have more "Hannity" right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Unfortunately, that is all the time we have left for tonight.
Let's pray for every American, for the allies that are being targeted in Afghanistan and a safe withdrawal hopefully of everybody, leave nobody behind. My heart's troubled in that department.
But let not your heart be troubled this Friday night, Laura Ingraham is up next. Have a great weekend. Pray for our family in Afghanistan.
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