'Hannity' on Russia-Ukraine conflict

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Hannity: This is really beyond humiliating for our country

The ‘Hannity’ host enumerates and attacks Biden’s Putin-related weaknesses in his opening monologue.

This is a rush transcript of "Hannity" on February 22, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Tucker. Thank you.

Tonight, welcome to HANNITY.

We begin tonight with FOX News alert: Russian tanks, military personnel, heavy equipment, they have now officially rolled into eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's invasion is officially underway.

And today, a very defeated, frankly pathetic looking Joe Biden, while he sauntered out to the podium 90 minutes late to deliver these very uninspiring remarks. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And if Russia goes further with this invasion, we stand prepared to go further as with sanctions. Who in the Lord's name does Putin think gives them the right to declare new so- called countries on territory that belong to his neighbors?

Yesterday, the world heard clearly the full extent of Vladimir Putin twisted rewrite of history going back more than a century as he waxed eloquently, noting that -- well, I'm not going to go into it, but nothing in Putin's let the remarks indicate any interest in pursuing real dialogue on European security in the year 2022.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: You know, no doubt, Vladimir Putin is just shaking in his boots. This is really beyond humiliating for our country. Now, of course, Biden did announce new sanctions today.

But as one top Russian diplomat put it, Moscow doesn't give an Adam Schiff about any sanctions, and why would they? Russians make -- Russia's main source of revenue is in the form of the production of oil and gas. China, they buy a tremendous -- tremendous amount of this gas, and so does Western Europe, our allies, because we're not producing it for them and making money and creating jobs and lowering this 40-year high of inflation.

Make no mistake, that oil and gas will continue to flow no matter what Russia does in Ukraine. In fact, much of Europe, especially Germany -- well, they're dependent on Russian oil and gas, which is a big part of this problem.

Now, last year, even America, our country, Joe Biden's first year in office, imported a whopping 230 million barrels of oil from Russia, Putin's Russia. Joe's been begging Russia, OPEC repeatedly and being rejected repeatedly to produce more oil to drive down the price of oil, and the price of a gallon of gasoline.

We have more than they have. Why don't we produce it ourselves, Joe? This is madness. This is insanity.

For years, many of the world's leaders have been perfectly happy to make Putin and Russia rich again, and a cheap supply of energy available for all.

Now, in 2018, we're about to show you is an epic face-to-face, complete beat down with then President Donald Trump rebuking European leaders, getting right in their face for their dependence on Russia for their energy, helping make Russia rich again while we pay the bill for NATO to protect them from Russia. It's a long clip. It's worth watching.

While you're watching, ask yourself, do you think Joe Biden could ever be capable of this level of passionate fighting for what is in our country's best interest? Here's the full exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

So we're protecting Germany. We're protecting France. We're protecting all of these countries. And then numerous of the countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia, where they're paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia.

So we're supposed to protect you against Russia, but they're paying billions of dollars to Russia, and I think that's very inappropriate. And the former Chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that's supplying the gas. Ultimately, Germany will have almost 70 percent of their country controlled by Russia with natural gas.

So you tell me, is that appropriate? I mean, I've been complaining about this from the time I got in. It should have never been allowed to have happened.

But Germany is totally controlled by Russia, because they will be getting from 60 to 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. And you tell me if that's appropriate, because I think it's not, and I think it's a very bad thing for NATO and I don't think it should have happened. And I think we have to talk to Germany about it.

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

Now, this has been going on for decades. This has been brought up by other presidents. But other presidents never did anything about it because I don't think they understood it or they just didn't want to get involved.

But I have to bring it up, because I think it's very unfair to our country. It's very unfair to our taxpayer. And I think that these countries have to step it up not over a 10-year period; they have to step it up immediately.

Germany is a rich country. They talk about they're going to increase it a tiny bit by 2030. Well, they could increase it immediately tomorrow and have no problem. I don't think it's fair to the United States.

So we're going to have to do something because we're not going to put up with it. We can't put up with it. And it's inappropriate.

So we have to talk about the billions and billions of dollars that's being paid to the country that we're supposed to be protecting you against. You know, everybody is talking about it all over the world. They'll say, well, wait a minute, we're supposed to be protecting you from Russia, but why are you paying billions of dollars to Russia for energy? Why are countries in NATO, namely Germany, having a large percentage of their energy needs paid to Russia and taken care of by Russia?

Now, if you look at it, Germany is a captive of Russia because they supply. They got rid of their coal plants. They got rid of their nuclear. They're getting so much of the oil and gas from Russia.

I think it's something that NATO has to look at. I think it's very inappropriate. You and I agree that it's inappropriate. I don't know what you can do about it now, but it certainly doesn't seem to make sense that they paid billions of dollars to Russia and now we have to defend them against Russia.

JEN STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: You know, NATO is an alliance of 29 nations, and there are sometimes differences and different views, and also some disagreements. And the gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is one issue where allies disagree.

But the strength of NATO is that despite these differences, we have always been able to unite around our core task, to protect and defend each other, because we understand that we are stronger together than apart.

I think that two World Wars and the Cold War taught us that we are stronger together than apart.

TRUMP: But how can you be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against or from the group that you want protection?

STOLTENBERG: Because we understand that when we stand together, also in dealing with Russia, we are stronger. I think what we have seen is that --

TRUMP: No, you're just making Russia richer. You're not dealing with Russia. You're making Russia richer.

STOLTENBERG: Well, I think that even during the Cold War, NATO Allies were trading with Russia, and then there have been disagreements about what kind of trade arrangements we should --

TRUMP: I think trade is wonderful. I think energy is a whole different story. I think energy is a much different story than normal trade.

And you have a country like Poland that won't accept the gas. You take a look at some of the countries -- they won't accept it, because they don't want to be captive to Russia. But Germany, as far as I'm concerned, is captive to Russia, because it's getting so much of its energy from Russia.

So we're supposed to protect Germany, but they're getting their energy from Russia. Explain that. And it can't be explained -- you know that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: The president did that with no notes, right in the face of the leader of NATO and you think Joe Biden can do that?

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who you just saw on that video, we'll have more on that exchange later in the show tonight. But clearly, Trump was absolutely dead on accurate.

Now compare that to Joe Biden, the self-proclaimed tough guy, foreign policy expert, he could go toe-to-toe with Putin. He promised to stop Putin in his tracks. Well, today, Biden could barely form a coherent sentence as per usual and was unwilling and unable to respond to any questions about Vladimir. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: All right. Well, thank you. Yeah, thank you. Now, you got to let me know when I'm supposed to stop here. But, Sylvia -- there you are, Sylvia. How are you, Sylvia?

REPORTER: Do you think you may have underestimated Putin?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: This -- we have a mumbling, bumbling buffoon as president. And tomorrow, Joe has zero events scheduled, none whatsoever. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the American people.

But Press Secretary Jen Psaki, she knows who to blame for Russia's aggression. Oh, let's blame Donald Trump. Really, Jen? Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Does the White House any have any reaction to former President Trump calling Putin's move yesterday genius and smart?

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, as a matter of policy, we try not to take advice from anyone who praises President Putin and his military strategy which I believe is what happened there. So there's a bit of a different tactic, a bit of a different approach. And that's probably why President Biden and not his predecessor was able to rally the world and the global community in taking steps against Russia's aggression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Hey, Jen, as a matter of tactic, this didn't happen under Donald Trump. Your boss Joe created this problem with his economic and energy dependency policies. Joe is humiliating our entire country on the world stage.

He's getting rolled by Putin. It is embarrassing and he can barely string together a sentence and I doubt he even knows what day of the week it is.

Joe Rogan even said Biden is basically a cognitive shell of his former self. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Biden has been in politics his whole life, like he understands how the Senate works and so forth, so does that not count as experience?

JOE ROGAN, PODCASTER: It kind of does, it kind of does, but not as being - - well, he actually was a vice president for eight years, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

ROGAN: But he's just -- that he's not a good example because he's basically a shell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

ROGAN: You know, cognitively.

You don't see that this guy can't -- he's -- can't talk right anymore. Go watch videos of him from years ago. He was a -- he's a dummy. He said a lot of silly (EXPLETIVE DELETED). He lied about a bunch of things, but at least he was articulate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Joe Rogan, we've showed videos from 2008, 2012, 2016. Yeah, everybody notices the obvious cognitive decline. Our friends know it and unfortunately our enemies also know it, and that includes Vladimir Putin.

So, now, here's an important question, where do Putin's territorial ambitions end? Because in 2008, Putin invaded Georgia and set up a puppet government. He also set up so-called client states and Moldova and Belarus, right?

And under Obama in 2014, remember that's when they annexed Crimea. Now, he's rolling into Eastern Ukraine with Kyiv in his crosshairs. What's next?

Based on his own public remarks, he seems pretty hell-bent on restoring the old Soviet Union.

And recently, Putin added all three Baltic Countries to his official list of so-called unfriendly nations. So, what -- are they soon now going to be targets of Vladimir Putin's territorial ambitions? And if they are, what's Joey going to do about it?

One article put it this way, quote, Baltic citizens worry they are next on Russia's menu. Now, remember, the Baltic States are members of NATO. So does that mean the U.S. would be drawn into a war? I certainly hope and pray not, especially with this guy as commander-in-chief.

But as you can see, this has the potential to spiral way out of control very quickly. Weakness should not be an option. That's all I'm seeing right now. It is time for Germany and NATO and Europe our Western European allies to break free of their dependence on Russian oil and gas.

The only answer, the only country that has more natural resources oil, gas, coal, that would be us, the United States. And if you really want to beat Putin, we're not going to have a shooting war with Putin, I don't want one, you shouldn't have one.

We should flood the market with our own energy, that will help with inflation, create high paying career jobs, it's going to be good for national security, and it's time for Europe to get serious about NATO. They must pay their fair share. They must take their own defense seriously.

They must deter future transgressions from Russia. They must stop making Russia and Putin richer than ever. And, of course, that would require bold leadership. And right now, the world is missing the U.S. president with a backbone.

And sadly, Joe Biden is not up to the job.

Griffin has been very, very, very articulate and expressing the urgency of this moment. She will join us in a moment.

But a quick flashback. 1980, 42 years ago today, the U.S. men's hockey team, remember they upset heavily favored Russian team and ultimately one gold. Remember the hit movie "Miracle on Ice". Just to remind you?

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS/"MIRACLE/DISNEY)

HANNITY: Forty-two years ago tonight, Al Michaels, and what was one of the most epic sports calls of all time, do you believe in miracles? We need one now.

A few short years later, the Berlin Wall would come crashing down, the Cold War would be over. We bankrupted Russia, the former Soviet Union. And here we are under Biden fighting some of the same old battles with the same old foe. We'll have a lot more from the White House coming up.

But, first, joining us with the latest from the Pentagon, our own Jennifer Griffin.

Jennifer, you have really laid out the significance and seriousness of this moment. This is not a game that's going on here. What's the latest?

JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Sean.

Well, in fact, hearing the miracle on ice video, it was very nice to see Finland beat Russia for Olympic gold, their men's hockey team won just a few days ago.

The sanctions today targeting these two Russian banks collectively hold $80 billion in Russian assets. Meanwhile, new commercial satellite images provided to us by Maxar show more and more Russian hardware moving toward the border artillery and attack positions and additional logistics and supplies in the region and increased activity in southern Belarus and at multiple sites in western Russia near the Ukrainian border.

A new deployment consisting of more than 100 vehicles and dozens of troop, tents and shelters is seen today, February 22nd, at a small airfield near Mozier (ph) in southern Belarus, less than 25 miles north of the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine's foreign minister was at the Pentagon today where he told Bret Baier he was promised more defensive weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE: Despite the horrific address by President Putin where he basically challenged the very -- or rejected, he didn't challenge he rejected the very existence of the Ukrainian state, we can still stop him if we act in a very resolved way and keep mounting pressure on him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: This scene that the Kremlin yesterday shows Putin is not backing down. In front of the cameras, he humiliates his spy chief who suggests giving one last chance to negotiate. Putin taps his fingers impatiently and chuckles.

So if it does not happen, you are offering to start the process of negotiations, the Russian spy chief Sergey Naryshkin looks nervous. Putin says, just talk in a straight manner, he interrupts, just say it. The spy chief hesitates then says, I am supporting the decision about Donetsk and Luhansk joining the Russian Federation. Putin scoffs. Putin, we are not talking about that.

Today, the Russian Duma, Sean, voted to give Putin the legal right to send Russian troops outside of Russia -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Jennifer Griffin, thank you for that report.

Here now live on the ground in Ukraine is Lucas Tomlinson.

Lucas, many people have asked this question knowing that our western European allies, knowing that NATO has so much at stake in this situation, with this long drawn out buildup on the border, why wasn't more weaponry brought in to help the Ukrainians defend themselves? Because I don't want one American boot on the ground. That can't happen, that won't happen. Why wasn't there more support considering Europe is more in jeopardy than the U.S.?

LUCAS TOMLINSON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's a good question, Sean. Officials I've spoken to would like to see American fighter jets doing combat air patrols over this country that's about the size of Texas. That might cause, you know, maybe Vladimir Putin to pause this offensive. But those are great questions.

Here on the ground in this western Ukrainian city, American diplomats evacuated. They started trickling back into the city earlier tonight, Sean, as Vladimir Putin ordered ground troops into two separatist regions he recognized in Eastern Ukraine, he called them peacekeeping forces.

Now, Putin denies he's trying to reconstruct the old Russian empire and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, he spoke earlier. He in a new address ordered reservists called up and placed on standby. He hopes they don't have to be used.

Officials think Putin's invasion could expand deeper into this country. Eight years ago today, Sean, Putin's puppet government fled Ukraine after thousands took to the streets. Putin blamed the U.S. for organizing what he called a coup.

Here in Lviv, the cultural capital of Ukraine, I spoke to some residents who say there are they are more nervous now than in recent weeks, some finding keys to their old bomb shelter just in case. I also spoke to the city's mayor from the self-reliant party. He says Putin's goal is to put the USSR back together.

Now, some concerns here on the ground in Ukraine, Sean, U.S. officials tell me they're seeing more shipments of fuel those front-line Russian forces and warnings again tonight of a full-scale Russian invasion -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Lucas Tomlinson in Ukraine tonight, thank you.

According to a new Gallup poll, only 40 percent of Americans approve of Biden's handling of Russia. That number will tank very quickly and go lower as Russia's invasion causes gas prices to shoot even higher through the roof. And don't expect any relief from the Biden administration, why, because they just halted all new federal drilling and exploration permits, citing climate concerns, on top of ending ANWR, and Russia -- and, of course, the Keystone XL pipeline, you name it.

Here with reaction, former energy secretary, Texas Governor Rick Perry.

I played that long clip of Donald Trump basically berating the head of NATO about the policies of our allies. They don't pay their fair share. We're paying the better part of monies to protect them from Russia and they're making Russia rich again.

He was right. Biden never -- gave up energy independence, and he gave up America being an export of energy. Why would he do that?

RICK PERRY, FORMER ENERGY SECRETARY: Well, and the other thing that you haven't mentioned here, Sean, is that the United States via Biden's policies are making Russia rich again. And that gets right to this

This issue has always been about energy, who has it, who controls it, and that's going to be the story tomorrow, and that's going to be the story years from now. And the left needs to recognize that, is this nirvana that they want to somehow another everything goes back to climate and climate change and that we'll just quit drilling and creating these fossil fuels that will live in nirvana. The fact is they're making it worse with that theory because the dirty energy that's going to be produced, the -- in China and Russia and the coal that's being produced, that's the real story here.

And until the American left wakes up and recognizes that for America to be strong energy-wise, for us to be able to produce the clean burning liquefied natural gas that we have, for us to distribute that all over the world, that will go farther towards making this climate better than anything that they're talking about today by stopping Americans and making Russia richer.

HANNITY: The climate change, you know, New Green Deal, socialist cult will never allow Biden to go there. So that means it won't happen.

In terms of natural resources, do we have the ability to produce enough energy, gas and oil and coal to supply all of these NATO countries, all of our Western European allies and basically they then would be able to cut off their feeding into Putin's coffers and making him rich again? Do we have enough supplies here?

PERRY: Certainly a substantial amount, we've got a hundred years of liquefied natural gas, LNG, underneath the United States. So, in the next decade and certainly we hope that Putin's not around for another decade, but the fact of the matter is, America was on the verge of making Europe clearly independent of Russia. The Poles were allowing massive amounts of our LNG in. We had a program called P-TECC, which was a partnership for Transatlantic Energy Corporation with the Baltic States. We were in on the verge of being able to really make Europe independent of Russian energy.

HANNITY: You did your job. Donald Trump did his job and Joe Biden destroyed cheap energy, got us a 40-year high of inflation and now made Russia and Putin rich again, and made -- and created all this instability uh that we're watching unfold.

Governor, Secretary, thank you for being with us.

When we come back, woke culture, wow, they've gone way too far. One school in California, male counselors that identified as non-binary, they're allowed to now sleep in the same cabin as fifth-grade girls? Tammy Bruce, Caitlyn Jenner weigh in when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. More disturbing left lunacy out of California tonight. Parents of students at Los Alamitos School District outside of L.A. say male counselors who identify as non-binary -- meaning they don't identify as a single gender, the counselors were permitted to sleep in the same cabin as fifth-grade girls at a school sponsored science camp.

Now, according to that organization, the camp operated -- they operated this camp, the councilors were recent college grads. The group also could not confirm if biological males in fact slept in the same cabins as the fifth grade girls. And the school district also said they are aware of parents concerns, adding in part, to the extent an individual is non-binary the individual must select a primary gender for the purpose of use of single-sex facilities. This is consistent for all school activities.

And tonight, we're also continuing to follow the failures of the L.A. District Attorney George Gascon as a whopping 97.9 percent of prosecutors in L.A. County and the D.A. office union, they voted to support the recall of their boss, amid these efforts to handcuff prosecutors, downgrade serious offenses, led violent criminals back out on the street. And it appears that Gascon's office may be caught in yet another lie surrounding the case of that child molester who molested a ten-year-old girl just two weeks before turning 18 and received just two years in a juvenile facility.

Now, Gascon's office didn't -- they claim they didn't know about the explosive jailhouse recordings where Hannah Tubbs has heard gloating about this light sentence. But according to one deputy district attorney, email evidence now points to Gascon's office in fact knowing about the recordings before the sentencing even took place.

Here with reaction, FOX News contributor Tammy Bruce, along with Olympic gold medalist, former California gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner.

Caitlyn, let me start with you.

We're talking about fifth graders here and people that are -- they haven't made a change of any kind, but they identify as male counselors recently graduated from college. Do you think that's appropriate?

CAITLYN JENNER, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: You know what, we are living in such a woke world right now, I can't even figure it out. This is a terrible story. And you know, Los Alamitos, their fifth grade class, they went to this camp and when they came back they were talking to their parents about gender, this and that.

And the good news is that parents now are -- especially moms -- are standing up. So they called the school to try to find out what was going on. And in this crazy state of California, the California law saying that it's okay if to put staff in the cabins of what they identify as. And I guess these two biological boys identified as they and them, which I still can't quite understand, and the parents found out.

And now, they're kind of -- the camp is trying to get around it. They were they really at the in the girls lounges or not? It's absolutely a mess out here in California, and it's a shame because I know so many people in the LGBT community that are such wonderful human beings and just do it right. It's a shame that this fringe is out there ruining it honestly for everybody.

HANNITY: What's your take, Tammy?

TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, the fringe and I completely agree with Caitlyn, this is a broke dynamic. The fringe really right now is -- are the people who are running California. The camp runners were saying that it's California law, which in fact in part it is, that they are just to accept how someone identifies.

It used to be that if you were going to have adults alone with children, you might even want to do a background check. But now we're limited based on what someone simply says to us, no matter how they appear, not giving us enough information even to know necessarily exactly who they are and they are then to allow them to do what they want effectively.

Now, this is -- of course, the bigger another big story in this, Sean, is what the parents are really complaining about is they were never told. They were never told that this was going to happen. They were never told that this is how -- this was going to be applied at that camp and they had to hear it from their minor children.

And one parent said, look, what frightens me is what could have happened to my daughter and this is what all of us have to be concerned about. It is important to reinforce. This has nothing to do with sexual identity, nothing to do with even trans-sexualism. These are biological men as we believe, still physiologically male as well. But this is -- has nothing to do with people wanting to live their lives authentically.

Honest people are not going to move their way into that environment. It is not okay and a genuinely authentic person would know that and not ask to be in that position or put themselves there. That is not a normal dynamic, no, not for anyone, and it is certainly not a reflection of the gay civil rights movements or any civil rights movements were about being left alone and being allowed to live authentically. It was never about intruding or interfering or being able to be believed effectively on just simply your word about who you are, allowing possible dynamics to occur that could injure children or certainly that upset parents and their families.

HANNITY: Wow, powerful commentary. Thank you. Thank you both, Tammy. Thank you, Caitlin. Wow.

When we come back, Canada continues its authoritarian crackdown on free speech with little Justin and D.C. is bracing for a U.S. convoy.

When we come back, Senator Rick Scott will join us and he's got an agenda that he says will get the Republican Party on paper in the right direction to win the midterm. He'll explain it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Now, wannabe Putin-like dictator little Justin in Canada and his far left minions are finding even more disgusting ways to smear freedom convoy truckers. Just listen to one far-left extremist member of parliament, claiming without any evidence that honk-honk, you know, pulling the horn of the rig, is code for Heil Hitler.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANADIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: How many guns need to be seized, how much vitriol do we have to see of honk-honk, which is an acronym for Heil Hitler, do we need to see by these protesters on social media?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: The peaceful protesters and where's the evidence to back that up?

Now, despite little Justin using his thug tactics to largely clear the protesters from the Canadian capital, little Justin is still refusing to let go of his so-called emergency powers and here at home, a possible U.S. freedom convoy is getting ready to travel to D.C., with Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she's monitoring the situation.

And D.C. has now requested National Guard support ahead of the potential massive convoy, by the way, which is something that Mayor Bowser, Nancy Pelosi refused ahead of January 6, despite Donald Trump's authorization as legally required of up to 20,000 National Guard troops. He did that on January 4th. They decided not to call him up.

And the committee has zero interest in asking Pelosi, Bowser, the sergeant- at-arms, the capitol police chief who himself was begging for the guard about any of this issue -- of these issues because that won't fit their predetermined outcome. They've already written their report.

So, tonight, ask yourself what can Republicans on Capitol Hill do to stand up to all the far left lunacy?

Now, Senator Rick Scott is offering his own set of answers. He unveiled a new blueprint for what a GOP agenda could look like if Republicans take back Congress in November. For example on the issue of crimes, Scott is calling for a nationwide crackdown on theft and violent crime. On immigration, under Scott's plan, we would finish the wall, make immigrants ineligible to collect unemployment or welfare for the first seven years after arriving in the U.S.

On voter integrity, the plan calls for a total ban on ballot harvesting and, yes, would support things like we've been talking about voter ID, signature verification, et cetera.

Here to explain that much more is Florida Senator Rick Scott.

I want to applaud you and I know that there's a version of this that Kevin McCarthy is working on as well in the House. I'd like to see the Senate -- perhaps you can put this together for your fellow GOP senators and candidates. I'd like to see the House and the Senate come together on these issues, make these promises to the American people get elected and then fulfill those promises. Doable?

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): Absolutely. Well, here's what we've got to do. We got to tell Americans when we take the majority what we're going to do. Now, a lot of it's going to be -- we're going to be talking about how bad the Biden agenda is, and how it's not working, all the bad things happening.

But we've got to give people a reason to vote for us. I put out an 11-step plan. You can do -- you can go to RescueAmerica.com or text America to 22044 and get a copy of it. Give me your comments.

I mean, there's going to be something you want to change, I'm very receptive to that. But let's have a plan on what we're going to do so we do it when we get the majority back.

I want to get something done in D.C. We got to stop the militant left wing of this country that's damaging this country and doing what -- doing what Trudeau did, taking away our freedom.

They want control. We want freedom. This is a fight for freedom is what we're doing right now.

HANNTIY: You know, I've read this -- boy, you're going to come under fire because you're saying our kids should say the Pledge of Allegiance, salute the flag, learn that America -- not a perfect country but it's a great country, and it is, that you want a colorblind society. I'm sure you'll come under fire for that one.

That in fact, you're not -- soft on crime, no bail laws, defund the police, you're going to get rid of that as well, get rid of socialism as well. Protect the integrity of elections -- oh that's going to get you in a whole heap of trouble.

Why where I grew up, Senator, this was called simple basic fundamental common sense? That's how I read this document.

SCOTT: It's what our parents taught us, right?

HANNITY: Yeah.

SCOTT: Say the Pledge of Allegiance, salute the flag, realize we got the greatest country in the world. We had great Founding Fathers. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, they gave us more opportunity to succeed than any place in the world.

We should be color blind. We shouldn't be asking people what color their skin is, their race. Why is government doing that?

We shouldn't separate ourselves, bring ourselves together. Everybody has a chance for success. That's what we ought to be doing.

So this is a common sense plan --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: By the way -- you see, Chuckie Schumer saying that you your plan is to raise taxes on more than half of Americans. I didn't see that in your plan. Did you have that in your plan? Was it in invisible --

SCOTT: Of course not.

HANNITY: -- in the copy that I got, because I don't see that.

SCOTT: Oh, no. No.

Chuck Schumer who wants to raise taxes for everything while I've cut -- I've cut -- when I was governor, I cut taxes and fees a hundred times. We're the opposite. But Chuck Schumer, I mean, he -- he is all in to take every dime you have, and think about it, he's responsible for where this country is right now, his bad acts.

HANNITY: Okay, where can people get a copy of it if they want to read it themselves?

SCOTT: RescueAmerica.com or text America at 22044.

HANNITY: Okay and it's free, right? You don't have to pay for it? Just checking.

SCOTT: It's absolutely free.

HANNITY: OK. Senator Rick Scott, appreciate it. Thank you.

Straight ahead, as Biden continues to lead from behind, Mike Pompeo, at the start of this program, we showed you a five minute tape of Donald Trump confronting the head of NATO, challenging our NATO allies on making Russia rich again, while we are paying the bulk of money to protect them from Russia.

Anyway, Mike Pompeo was in that meeting and he is set to travel to Taiwan. And we know that China wants, quote, reunification with Taiwan. He will join us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. So, as Biden leads from behind, tries to play phony tough guy with Putin, it was Donald Trump who laid out the dangers of Europe's dependence on Russian oil and, of course, their lack of paying their fair share for NATO and the dangers of Europe willingly making Russia rich and Putin rich again. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think energy is a much different story than normal trade and you have a country like Poland that won't accept the gas. You take a look at some of the countries that won't accept it because they don't want to be captive to Russia. But Germany as far as I'm concerned is captive to Russia because it's getting so much of its energy from Russia. So we're supposed to protect Germany but they're getting their energy from Russia. Explain that and it can't be explained, you know that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And as former President Trump also warned, China is absolutely going after Taiwan to pursue so-called reunification amid Biden's constant foreign policy missteps.

Here with reaction, as you can see, he's sitting right next to Donald Trump former secretary of state, FOX News contributor Mike Pompeo.

We played five minutes of that and there's -- the president of the United States, he was in the face of the head of NATO and laying out the strongest case I've ever heard of why in God's name are we paying the bulk of money to protect every one of our allied countries, every NATO country, they're paying far less than we are even as a percentage of GDP and we're paying it to protect them from Russia and they're making Russia and Putin rich again.

Now, I've known you for a long time and I think you were the only other person besides Donald Trump that was comfortable with that entire conversation.

MIKE POMPEO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Sean, I remember it well. I was incredibly comfortable. This is -- this is what friends do for friends. You tell the truth. You speak the reality. You don't live in a fantasy land.

You don't pretend it's okay. It's not -- it's not okay to send American kids to fight and to American dollars to go support you if you're not prepared to do it yourself. That's what he spoke to the Europeans on that entire trip, not just in that morning breakfast as I remember, but the entire time we were there.

We wanted Europe to stand up and do the work to defend itself, and then we'd be with them. We'll support you. But you got to take the lead. This is your -- this is your neck of the woods in the first instance.

And we'd also understood. We had to shut down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, so we sanctioned it. You couldn't let Germany suffer by being so dependent on Russian gas and we can see the results now. Biden comes in, allows the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to continue to be completed, and it's not surprising that we're seeing the results on the ground in southeast Ukraine as we sit here today.

HANNITY: And be clear that you and President Trump prevent of the waiver for the Nord Stream pipeline.

We've heard similar language from Putin as it relates to the Baltics. In 2014, he annexed Crimea. We see the possibility of potential military action and activities going on in Belarus.

You tell me. Is this going to take all of Ukraine? Are the territorial ambitions of Putin now to take over Ukraine? And where to be go from there?

HANNITY: Sean, it depends on the reaction of West. This is not predetermined. Putin's -- it's not inevitable this will happen, because of the good work that President Trump and our team did, and it didn't happen on our watch.

But the only thing that's changed, Sean, Vladimir Putin didn't change, American leadership changed. So, you're right. Whether it was Crimea, Abkhazia, the other place Putin is taking little chunks of sovereign nations, it will continue to happen so long as the United States is on its back foot.

And the sanctions I have seen so far -- one of the two banks they've sanctioned, the VEB was already under sanctions, Sean. I promise you, Putin saw that and what he reasoned is green light. These folks aren't going to take this seriously.

And, unfortunately, Sean, this impacts people at home. We're going to have higher gasoline prices because they shut down our energy and now, Russia will make a fortune of high gas prices. This is bad for Americans all across the country.

President Biden needs to get back in front of this, reestablished deterrence and demand for European partners do exactly the same thing.

HANNITY: You know, the last time you were on this program, I asked you if you agreed with me that the three areas in the world we've got to watch is Russia and Ukraine and China and Taiwan. You are headed to Taiwan. I want to hear more about that, and then, obviously, the mullahs in Iran.

The Olympics are now over. I would imagine after watching and listening to the rhetoric of China talking about reunification, that is not reunification. That is taking over a sovereign nation. Flying there fighter jets over Taiwan airspace. The crackdown in Hong Kong, COVID-19, the Uighurs being oppressed, or slavery, et cetera. Anything Joe was going to be able to do to stop the communist Chinese from taking over Taiwan? Because I don't see what he could possibly do.

POMPEO: America has the tools. We have the capacity to support the Taiwanese people. We are absolutely can. We did it for 4 years.

Everyone knows exactly what levers there are. The economic relationship to provide them with weapon systems, provide them with diplomatic support. Sean, that's why I'm going. I want them to know that there are many Americans who want the people of Taiwan to continue to live the life that they live, and not be under the jackbooted of the Chinese communist party.

He has the tools, Sean. It is simply not clear if they're prepared to engage in the world that protects the things that matter the most -- most to America, and most to the countries all around the world that for so long that have looked to us as that beacon of freedom. I haven't seen them used them. I pray that they will begin to do so.

HANNITY: What do you make of this unholy alliance that has emerged? And that is Russia, China and Iran. It seems that Russia and China are helping Iran in their pursuit of nuclear weapons. Do you see the same thing?

POMPEO: I do. As you go through that list of countries, Sean, I have been sanctioned by two of those three. Perhaps the third one was on its way as well. But they are going to work together because they don't have very many friends in the world.

But if we're weak, countries in the Middle East will grow closer to them, countries in Southeast Asia will not feel like they can push back against China. These countries don't need our soldiers. They don't often ask for them.

What they want is they want to know that the United States is with them. We're their friend. If you want to engage in commerce with us, we'll be right there alongside you. I don't think they have confidence that the United States under President Biden will do that. And for that reason, I think this axis, this axis between China, Iran and Russia will continue to grow and they'll make more and more friends the weaker that we are.

HANNITY: If we can work it out, we'd love to have you on from Taiwan. This is pivotal. I think the territorial ambitions of communist Chinese is clear as the territorial ambition of Russia and Putin.

Mr. Secretary, thank you for being with us.

When we come back, we have an announcement. That is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Before we go, major announcement. Be sure to tune in tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern, as the former Vice President Mike Pence will join us for an exclusive interview. Obviously, we'll talk about Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, the communist Chinese, pretty much everything, including a 40-year high of inflation.

Please set your DVR so you never miss an episode. In the meantime, let not your hearts be troubled. Laura Ingraham starts right now.

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