Hannity: Trump should replace WH briefings with tweets

The president can take his message directly to the people

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 12, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Welcome to "Hannity," and this is a "Fox News Alert." Major breaking news tonight. Newt Gingrich, Jay Sekulow, Joe Concha, Peter Schweizer are here with reaction. Also, Judge Jeanine Pirro-- she'll join us with a preview of her sitdown interview with the president, Donald Trump.

But first, the commander-in-chief is not taking the lies, the smear, the slander, the besmirchment any more from the destroy Trump propaganda media and the Democrats. The president has had enough. Tonight, he's fighting back, and that's our "Opening Monologue."

All right, so after never-ending fake news coverage from the propaganda media, highlighted by this unprecedented negativity and their bizarre tinfoil hat conspiracy theories and outright lies, President Trump tonight is fighting back to set the record straight.

In an interview with Judge Jeanine Pirro that airs right here on the Fox News Channel tomorrow, 9:00 Eastern, the president says he is now contemplating getting rid of White House daily briefings due to this out- of-control media bias. Finally. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When we have those press conferences -- I actually said we shouldn't have them because Sarah Huckabee--

JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS HOST: But that's--

TRUMP: Well--

PIRRO: That's 100 years we've been doing it.

TRUMP: No, but listen -- no, no--

PIRRO: You can't put an end to that.

TRUMP: But there's never been action like this. This is crazy. I mean--

PIRRO: But would you seriously consider--

TRUMP: -- we're getting higher ratings -- we're getting higher ratings on those press conferences than--

PIRRO: Would you seriously consider stopping these press (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: No, we do it in a different way.

PIRRO: How?

TRUMP: We do it -- we do it through a piece of paper with a perfectly accurate, beautiful answer. I'll give you an example.

PIRRO: In writing?

TRUMP: They're asked 100 questions or 50 questions or 20 questions. And they get 1 out of 50, just a little bit off, 5 percent, 10 percent, 20 percent. It's -- the next day, it's a front-page story in every newspaper.

PIRRO: Right. Right.

TRUMP: Now--

PIRRO: So?

TRUMP: -- press conferences weren't even covered for Obama, practically. They were on C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2 when, you know, there was nothing going on.

PIRRO: But will you put an end to them?

TRUMP: No, wait -- just a minute. My press -- these press conferences are, like, the biggest thing on daytime television.

PIRRO: They are.

TRUMP: OK? You see the ratings. They're blowing away everything on -- just about, I think, everything on daytime television. What I'd love to do is stop them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, we're going to preview more of President Trump's interview with Judge Jeanine Pirro in just a few minutes.

But first, the president -- I will say this tonight. He's absolutely right. If the propaganda destroy Trump media -- and they're going to smear and slander him and his administration and his family and lie about facts and what he's done, why bother? Why waste the energy trying to appease people who obviously hate his guts and want to destroy him and who twist his words and damage him every single day?

Now, the president -- he doesn't need fake news media to reach you, the American people. So you know what? As long as they keep reporting fake news, bizarre conspiracy theories and show this bizarre fascination and paranoia about Russia, how about no more press conferences for the Hillary Clinton-colluding media?

Instead, I think every week, the president should tweet out all of his accomplishments going back to day one, update people daily about what he's doing and what he's accomplishing. And the president is also -- he can take to Twitter. He can respond to the barrage of attacks, this ridiculous the conspiracy theory about Russia that is being pushed with no evidence and (ph) collusion.

For example, the president earlier today -- I think it's leading by example. He tweeted again the story that there was collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign was fabricated by Democrats as an excuse for losing the election.

Now, you know what? The president's 100 percent right about this. And here's why. As NBC news reported back in December, the Obama administration -- they never made a big deal about Russian election interference before November 8th! Why? Because they thought Hillary was going to win. This only became a huge deal after Hillary lost. And since then, the Democrats and the media, including Hillary herself -- they abused this as an excuse for why she lost so badly. In other words, if Clinton had won, we would not be hearing about this issue every hour of every day.

Now, on top of that, as we told you on this program, there is zero -- zero-- evidence of Russia/Trump collusion. None! Now, the president tweeted this in his response. Quote, "When James Clapper himself and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt say there's no collusion, when does it end?"

Now, once again, the president is right to call these hypocrites out. Now, if you don't believe him about collusion -- don't believe him, OK. Let's listen to Obama's national director of intelligence, James Clapper in his own words. Pay attention, biased media!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me ask you this. Does intelligence exist that can definitively answer the following question whether there were improper contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials?

JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: We did not include any evidence in our report -- and I say "our," that's NSA, FBI and CIA with my office, the director of national intelligence -- that had anything -- that had any reflection of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and the Russians. There was no evidence of that included in our report.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I understand that, but does it exist?

CLAPPER: Not to my knowledge. We had no evidence of such collusion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: No evidence, not to my knowledge. Now, predictably, after the president pointed this out on Twitter, what Clapper had been saying, well, earlier today, the former Obama official -- he's starting now to slowly change his tune and get in line with the media. He's actually now claiming, Well, I'm not sure.

Now, this just shows you how desperate the left, the propaganda media are at this point in time. They want to destroy Trump and they've been trying ever since November 9th. They can't believe Hillary lost!

Now, we have been exposing them to be the total hypocrites they are and the conspiracy theorists they are. They will do and say anything at this point in time to take down this president. For example, now, let's take a look at how they've been breathlessly -- breathlessly! -- comparing President Trump's firing of James Comey to Richard Nixon and Watergate without any factual comparison. It's an obsession now of theirs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have not seen anything like this since October 20th, 1973, when President Nixon fired Archibald Cox, the Watergate special prosecutor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like Donald Trump didn't want to talk a lot now, Nixon didn't want to talk a lot. When Nixon did come out of the woodwork, he said -- that's when he famously said, I am not a crook.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Firing Archibald Cox was the first shovel into Richard Nixon's political grave, and it always, always works like that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some are comparing this to Watergate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's understandable that people are comparing it to Watergate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The capital is filling with echoes of Watergate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are the kind of mistakes that were made during Watergate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The firing of Archibald Cox set in motion a series of events that led to the downfall of Richard Nixon. Are you worried about history repeating itself?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there's obstruction of justice, this is completely Nixonian.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So Rob, is this a fair comparison?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, there are many parallels to Watergate--

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: This is not Nixon! This is not the Saturday night massacre! (INAUDIBLE) bad enough (INAUDIBLE) exact opposite, actually.

Take a look at what the propaganda media is now trying to pass off as news. They're saying this is news. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the dessert course, he gets two scoops of vanilla ice cream with his chocolate cream pie instead of the single scoop for everyone else. Tweeted one critic, so the whole dominance thing extends to dessert, too?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently, the president gets two scoops. You know, everyone else around the table gets one, and no word if there were sprinkles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I don't know whether to laugh or cry. He gets two scoops! Everyone else only gets one scoop!

Now, we're going to have crazy examples coming up later in the show that expose this fake news media bias. Now, in an epic montage -- you won't want to miss this. This is probably going to be the single best montage we've ever put on our show.

But back to my point. The propaganda media is beyond pathetic at this point. They have become lapdogs and for the Democrats and the alt radical left in this country.

So I'm saying tonight let's stop pretending. The propaganda media is exactly that. They are propaganda. They're out to destroy Trump. That is their main purpose. They want to advance the interests of liberal Democrats and the left. Now, they're not journalists. They're not reporters. They're rigid, radical left-wing ideologues. Let's call it for what it is!

Now, the president does not need to be abused endlessly. And by the way, don't forget they were proven to have colluded with Hillary Clinton vis-a- vis (ph) Wikileaks. They were in her camp! Do you need any more evidence?

Here with reaction, the author of the brand-new book -- comes out soon. It's on Amazon.com, Hannity.com -- "Understanding Trump," former speaker of the House, Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich.

You know what their latest thing is? Well, he said -- by the way, James Comey, be careful. By the way, James Comey by the end of the week next week will probably be an MSNBC contributor. That's only my guess because he's in the tank as everyone else and he did such a bad job.

But now they're saying Trump said there might be tapes. He's threatening James Comey. With what, his own words?

NEWT GINGRICH, R-FMR. HOUSE SPEAKER, FOX CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look, I think you have it basically right. We're in the middle of a cultural civil war. Virtually all the elite media -- all -- virtually all the elite media is on the other side. They wake you every morning and they say, I know Trump did something horrible. What was it? And that's the base of their day is to track down the horrible thing that they know has happened.

And I think, frankly, the president ought to shift gears entirely, get off all of this Washington insider baloney, go back to changing the government, draining the swamp, passing reforms, repealing regulations, doing the kind of things the country cares about, attracting new business in America, get back to substance. All around him, he's -- he's got a cabinet that's doing really good work, and they'd be much better off to eliminate the Washington press corps and do a daily briefing for the country of the things that the president and the administration are doing.

There are plenty of things being done at the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce. Let the country see what a real administration focused on substance is like, and ignore the press corps.

I mean, it doesn't do the president any good to get involved in some Twitter fight with The New York Times and CBS News and all these guys. Just gives them a new excuse to avoid the real news.

And the real news is that President Trump and his team are cutting regulations. They're attracting businesses. They're developing better trade policies. And frankly, that's what the White House ought to be talking about. Get off all this baloney and go back to--

HANNITY: Let me ask you this--

GINGRICH: -- telling us in a substantive way about what we're doing.

HANNITY: All right, so the -- do you agree me in the age of social media, where he can reach more people on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook than he'll ever reach in any press conference or -- poor Sean Spicer and you know, Mike Huckabee's daughter, Sarah -- I mean, and go directly to the American people, and don't do any more interviews with Lester Holt, when then is sent over their cable channel--

GINGRICH: Right.

HANNITY: -- and CNN so they can rip it apart, you know, every way and sideways!

GINGRICH: Right. Yes. Look, my advice would be to use the White House press room with no press and every day to have somebody come in, whether it's Spicer or -- and by the way, I think -- I think that -- that Sarah has done a very good job--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: -- Sean Spicer.

GINGRICH: But I would say -- yes. And Sean, I guess is -- is he back today from his military duty? But my point would be this. One of them ought to go in every day, and give out the list of things that have been done, maybe introduce a cabinet officer or a subcabinet officer or somebody who's done something positive. They should take the country through all the positive things they're doing, and then leave, but not have the press corps there, simply give a briefing. It'll be on YouTube. It'll be on Facebook. It'll be -- may well be on C-SPAN every day, and say to the press corps, You take any part of this you want, but we're not answering your questions.

I mean, the more they get sucked into dancing with the elite media, the more they're dancing on the quicksand of the swamp. And in the long run, that's not where the country is. It's not what the country cares about. And I think it is, frankly, a dangerous detour for them to play these games with the news media.

HANNITY: Dangerous detour, quicksand of the swamp -- very profound. We're going to have more with Newt Gingrich as Donald Trump fights back tonight.

And coming up next--

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: What about the idea that -- in a tweet, you said that there might be tape recordings?

TRUMP: Well, that I can't talk about. I won't talk about that. All I want is for Comey to be honest, and I hope he will be and I'm sure he will be, I hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: How can Comey's own words be a threat? That's what your propaganda news media is telling you. Earlier today, Judge Pirro interviewed the president. She asked him about The New York Times report claiming that James Comey, quote -- "He had a loyalty test." Newt Gingrich will weigh in on that as we check in with Judge Pirro and her interview.

And also tonight--

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got to stop putting Kellyanne on the air. It's politics porn. You're just getting your little ratings crack, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: The vicious destroy Trump media -- they are working overtime. Jay Sekulow, Joe Concha will join us as we continue on this busy breaking news night, Donald Trump fighting back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." So earlier today during her interview with President Trump, Judge Jeanine Pirro asked him about New York Times report that claims he asked Comey to pledge loyalty to him. It's ridiculous. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: People suggest that the question that, apparently, The New York Times is selling, that you asked Comey whether or not you had his loyalty, was possibly inappropriate. Could you see how they would think that?

TRUMP: No, I don't think -- I read that article. I don't think it's inappropriate, number one. It isn't--

PIRRO: Did you ask that question?

TRUMP: No. No, I didn't. But I don't think it would be a bad question to ask. I think loyalty to the country, loyalty to United States is important. You know, I mean, it depends on how you define loyalty, number one. And number two, I don't know how that got there because I didn't ask that question.

PIRRO: What about the idea that in a tweet, you said that there might be tape recordings?

TRUMP: Well, that I can't talk about. I won't talk about that. All I want is for Comey to be honest, and I hope he will be, and I'm sure he will be, I hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right, shocking, more fake news from The New York Times. Judge Jeanine will join us in a few minutes, but we continue first with the author of the brand-new book, "Understanding Trump," former speaker of the House, Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich.

All right, so if he says, Are you going to be loyal to the country? And somehow -- the fact that he has to answer this is ridiculous.

GINGRICH: Well--

HANNITY: And secondly, the media's spinning that it's a threat. Go ahead.

GINGRICH: Well, I just want to make two quick points, all right? First, two guys have dinner. One of them's the president. The other's the director of the FBI. They may have totally different memories of the dinner. They're now adversaries. The one guy fired the other. It turns out the guy who got fired has a bad memory and says, Oh, gee, it must have been a terrible moment. There's no way to -- this -- this is just child stuff.

But second -- I was thinking about this during the break, Sean. I went back one time and read the transcripts of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first press briefings. Here was his rule. They were all off the record. You could quote a senior White House source, but never him. And anybody who broke their confidence if he said it's off the record was never allowed again in the press briefing. That's how he started the very first meeting with the press after he became president.

There's a pretty good lesson there. Donald Trump is not the chief entertainer of the United States. He's not the chief wrestling match with the elite media. He is the president of the United States with big job and some very big goals. And what they ought to do is get out of all this junk. They ought to focus on the big goals. They ought to report to the nation on the big goals, ignore all these reporters, close down the press room, send the reporters off. They can sit over at the Hay-Adams. They can go to Starbucks across the street. I don't care where they go.

HANNITY: Yes!

GINGRICH: These people are not committed to the truth. They are not committed to being neutral. And why would you hang out with a bunch of people who despise you? I mean, just get over it and create an entire new tradition of reporting directly to the American people, not reporting to these guys, maybe say to the American people, Send in your questions. We'll take the best five questions and we'll answer them by name. So Sally Jones in West Virginia asked us this today. But get beyond the elite media and treat them as the dishonest opponents, which is what they are. They are dishonest opponents pretending to be reporters.

HANNITY: You know, I love this idea so much that I'm actually -- I think the media will implode! They would not know how to deal with this. And I'm beginning to think this is real, that Trump's had it. I've had it! We're actually starting a new segment, fake news tonight roundup, and we're going to show every night the lies they tell.

GINGRICH: Look, let's make a mutual commitment here on the air so people know how serious we are. If they're willing to kick them out and they all go to Starbucks for the next year, you and I will lead a program to raise the money to pay for everything they buy at Starbucks for a year just to show that we're not against them as people, were just against their profession.

(LAUGHTER)

GINGRICH: How's that?

HANNITY: You know, I kind of -- leaves a little sour taste in my mouth that I have to buy people I really have no respect for coffee and donuts. I'd rather give it to people that are more deserving. But if you insist, I'll consider it.

GINGRICH: It's a sense -- it's a sense of -- it's a sense of generosity.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: I -- you know, at times, you have been -- I've known you since 1990. And at times, you just have this historical perspective that nobody else has. Tonight, is game on. Good job. Thank you for being with us.

All right, as we continue this busy breaking news edition of "Hannity," Donald Trump fighting back. Coming up next tonight--

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: These press conferences are like biggest thing in daytime television.

PIRRO: They are.

TRUMP: OK? You see the ratings. They're blowing away everything on -- just about, I think, everything on daytime television. What I'd love to do is stop them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And earlier today, Judge Jeanine Pirro -- she interviewed the president at the White House. Now, he spoke about the desire to end the press briefings -- yes, fighting back! Judge Pirro will join us.

And also tonight--

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It almost feels like a scene out of "The Godfather," but it's not. It's real and it's -- it's -- it's -- it's very -- it's alarming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Out of sheer necessity, we start a new segment on "Hannity" tonight. We're calling it the fake news roundup. We'll get reaction from Jay Sekulow, Joe Concha and more as we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

HANNITY: And Welcome back to "Hannity." So earlier today, Judge Jeanine Pirro interviewed President Trump at the White House. Now, Judge Pirro asked the president about his tweet suggesting we do away with daily White House press briefings -- by the way, I would include no more network interviews that they can use on their cable channels to beat the president up. Doesn't make sense. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: When we have those press conferences -- I actually said we shouldn't have them because Sarah Huckabee--

PIRRO: But that's--

TRUMP: Well--

PIRRO: That's 100 years we've been doing it.

TRUMP: No, but listen -- no, no--

PIRRO: You can't put an end to that.

TRUMP: But there's never been action like this. This is crazy. I mean--

PIRRO: But would you seriously consider--

TRUMP: -- we're getting higher ratings -- we're getting higher ratings on those press conferences than--

PIRRO: Would you seriously consider stopping these press (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: No, we do it in a different way.

PIRRO: How?

TRUMP: We do it -- we do it through a piece of paper with a perfectly accurate, beautiful answer. I'll give you an example.

PIRRO: In writing?

PIRRO: Right. Right.

TRUMP: Now--

PIRRO: So?

TRUMP: -- press conferences weren't even covered for Obama, practically. They were on C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2 when, you know, there was nothing going on.

PIRRO: But will you put an end to them?

TRUMP: No, wait -- just a minute. My press -- these press conferences are, like, the biggest thing on daytime television.

PIRRO: They are.

TRUMP: OK? You see the ratings. They're blowing away everything on -- just about, I think, everything on daytime television. What I'd love to do is stop them.

PIRRO: Are you moving so quickly that your communications department cannot keep up with you?

TRUMP: Yes. That's true.

PIRRO: So what do we do about that, then, because--

TRUMP: We don't have press conferences. And we do--

PIRRO: You don't mean that.

TRUMP: Well, just don't have them. Unless I have them every two weeks and I do them myself, we don't have them. I think it's a good idea. First of all, you have a level of hostility that's incredible. And it's very unfair. Sarah Huckabee is a lovely young woman. You know Sean Spicer. He is a wonderful human being. He's a nice man.

PIRRO: Is he your press secretary today and tomorrow? Will he be tomorrow?

TRUMP: He's doing a good job, but he gets beat up.

PIRRO: Will he be there tomorrow?

TRUMP: He's been there from the beginning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And joining us now with more is the host of "Justice" Judge Jeanine Pirro. I've got to tell you. I'm listening to this. This is music to my ears, and I had not seen the interview until now. And that was my opening monologue for the most, shut it down. In the age of social media, I'll give you an example. NBC does an interview. Don't do interviews with the networks so they can spend hours and hours and hours tearing up every word the president says, something they would never do to Obama. End it. He doesn't need the press.

PIRRO: You know, Sean, that's why I said to the president, given what is happening, you know, that everything is criticized, it could be that you are just moving too quickly and nobody one can keep up with you. And I wouldn't be surprised if he did pull back a little because if he cannot speak someone going through it without a fine tooth comb, then maybe he ought to do every two weeks himself, and then nobody could say --

HANNITY: He doesn't need to talk to them. He can tweet out and reach more people in five seconds and they put it on Instagram and Facebook than he is ever going to reach with these media snobs who colluded with Hillary, who are advancing the most bizarre conspiracy theories. Why bother? Why shouldn't he, I saw, shut it all down, every bit? He doesn't need them.

PIRRO: The shame of it is that they make it so all of the good things that he talked about during the interview are almost, something that isn't even being highlighting. And it is covered up. And all of the lunacy is really a result of the press. The man is working hard. He is delivering on an agenda. He got a house health care passed. He's got bills that are signed, laws, and this is plain unfair. And you can sense the frustration.

HANNITY: You know what, it's even deeper, because all of them, they get their 30 seconds of press briefing with either Sean Spicer, or poor Mike Huckabee's daughter Sarah Huckabee is a wonderful woman. And what they do is they take their moment and act like they are so tough before their audiences, and that is all their going to play. They are not playing any of the substantive issues. I would also use social media to advance, as I said earlier, all the president's successes.

Let me go to another cut you have. The assistant associate deputy attorney general Rosenstein said earlier today there is no need for a special independent prosecutor. You asked the president about it and he apparently agrees with the deputy attorney general.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You have it before two, you have it before the House and you have it before the Senate.

PIRRO: Right.

TRUMP: I know some of those people on those commissions are highly, they are very ethical people, very talented, very smart people. I think let them just do it. They have been doing it for a long time. I'd love to see--

PIRRO: They may never be finished? How do you prove a negative? How do you prove you weren't involved? This can go on for 10 years.

TRUMP: I think it is proved already. And to be honest with you, I want it to be accurate also. I want them to devote the time they need. I would like it to go fast, but more important to me, much more than speed, I want them to be sure that Russia or anybody else, that if it was happen, if there was any, and everybody also agrees, by the way, it didn't change the election.

PIRRO: Right.

TRUMP: It didn't changed the election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And another big part of the lie by the media is that they are making these Watergate comparison. The media is so ignorant because there was no firing or stopping of an investigation. The president was clear about that last night. You have the House investigation, you have the Senate investigation. You're going to have a new FBI director. You're going to have an interim FBI director all committed, and a new commission, all committed to finding out any truth about this. But that is not the narrative. Clapper and others have said there's no there, there. There's no evidence of collusion --

PIRRO: And they made it very clear. The head of DNI, even Adam Schiff, there is no evidence of collusion yet. And the problem with that, Sean, is that you cannot prove a negative. If they never come up with it, should this simply overshadow all of the successes of the president, and there are many of them.

And for me it was frustrating because I wanted to talk about all of these successes, the public wants to hear about it. So then you say, OK, well, maybe use your social media, and then he uses social media and then he gets hammered for twitters, for tweeting, I should say. So it is just a no-win.

HANNITY: No, I think there are ways -- I think making significant changes in the day and age and you go direct to the American people via Facebook Live, via Facebook, via Instragram, via Twitter, I don't see the president has any problem. If I was him I would tweet out every week all of his successes from day one as I said from my opening monologue, and I would give updates, what he did this week. And it goes directly to millions and millions of people and goes viral.

Judge, congrats on the interview. Thanks for being with us. Full interview with the president airs tomorrow night, 9:00 eastern, right here on the Fox News Channel.

But coming up next on this busy breaking news night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The optics I see is the guy who is the accidental dictator. When I say accidental dictator, he never thought he'd been in office. Now he's in office and doesn't know how to behave any differently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: President Trump fighting back. Now the destroy-Trump media continues with their conspiracy theories, their biased coverage. Up next, we have got a brand new segment called the fake new roundup. Jay Sekulow, Joe Concha, they'll weigh in.

And also tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: "Lock her up." All right, during the election President Trump's supporters rightly wanted Hillary Clinton to be investigated and potentially prosecuted. Now that Comey is out, will the FBI, should the FBI reopen its investigation? Peter Schweizer will give us information on the controversial deal that the Clintons made in his bestselling book "Clinton Cash." That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back on "Hannity." So earlier today the president fighting back, and he pointed out the uptick in unfair negative coverage that he has been receiving from the propaganda media. He tweeted out, quote "The fake media is working overtime today." The president is right. Even his eating habits are now coming under scrutiny and ridicule from the press. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With the salad course Trump is served what appears to be Thousand Island dressing instead of the creamy vinaigrette for his guests. And then the gem, at the dessert course he gets two scoops of vanilla ice cream with this chocolate cream instead of the single scoop for everyone else. Tweeted one critic, "So the whole dominance thing extends to desserts, too?"

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently, the president gets two scoop, and everyone else around the table gets one. And no word if there are sprinkles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When everyone gets water he gets a diet coke. When everybody gets one scoop of ice cream, he gets two. Look, my two children would gladly be president if they could be get double the number of the scoops of ice cream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Jake Tapper of CNN, are you really proud of that? Two scoops of ice cream, everyone else gets none. That's news? Sadly that coverage is a small sample and, frankly, a somewhat innocent example of what the president is facing. Now in just the past 24 hours alone the destroy Trump media have been in wild overdrive. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got to stop putting Kellyanne on the air. It is politic porn. You're just getting your little ratings crack, OK, but it's disgusting. So consistently she lies that it is almost like watching a car wreck on the highway when you are driving by. You just can't get your eyes off her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It does not make sense that is the way you do business when you are the president of the United States and you are talking to the FBI director.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It almost feels like a scene out of "The Godfather." But it's not. It is real and it is very alarming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Yes, it is a real threat. Donald Trump may actually have the words of James Comey and remind him of them. Wow, that is terrible.

Here with reaction is the chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice Jay Sekelow, from The Hill, Joe Concha. You know, Joe, you are in an interesting spot because I watch you on Twitter, and the New York Times and the CNN people and the MSNBC people and the liberal media, they all tweet each other. And if you tweet my column and I'll tweet yours, and if you be nice to be me I'll be nice to you. You are kind of a little bit of an island out there on your own. You're not part of that coffee clutch. And I love the idea, no more press briefing, no more got you moments, no more here is my moment for television tonight.

JOE CONCHA, THE HILL: I completely disagree with you, Sean. I think that the press briefings should continue. But, big but here, it has to be altered severely because when you take away the press briefing, the only people that suffer are the American people because they are not being informed.

So here are two ideas that the president should consider seriously, and that is you rotate in different reporters. Monday, make it traditional White House press corps. That's fine. But then on Tuesday only business reporters are at the press briefings, because remember, the number one issue for voters every four years is always the economy or its jobs, and we never see questions about those items during these press briefings. And that would probably be positive for Trump right now when you consider that jobless claims are at a 28 year low.

HANNITY: But Joe, the point is, in all honestly, there is no benefit. This is all gotcha.

CONCHA: You think business reporters play gotcha?

HANNITY: The same people that colluded to help Hillary win the election, the same people that have advanced a conspiracy theory for almost a year with zero evidence. Why should he give them any time?

CONCHA: You're saying business reporters would act the same way? I don't think so. And then I think on a Wednesday you bring in the foreign press because we are in a global economy and obviously there are views all over the world, and let them ask questions. You don't take away the press briefing entirely. You get in different kinds of reporters that will ask questions where the public will actually be informed on topics that they care about.

But to take away it altogether, the optics are horrible, A. It's been around for 88 years. And Sean, you have to take it off TV. You have to take it off TV. Let me finish this.

HANNITY: Jay, in the day and age of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and the president -- I will give you an example. Last night he does a sit-down interview with Lester Holt. Off to their conspiracy theory cable channel and hours of dissection at a level that is so obscene. And again, they colluded with Hillary. They don't deserve his time.

JAY SEKULOW, AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE: Breaking news alert. The president of the United States, you get two scoops of ice cream. This is news? This is the problem. This is why the president is not only really frustrated with this, but the fact is this is news coverage now. You play segments and people are actually spending air time talking about what the president had had for dessert or whether he had a diet coke when everybody else had water.

Here's the thing. The media needs to get up to the real world here. And no disrespect to Joe. But the fact is there are many ways to communicate now, whether it's social media, whether it's using Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. If the media has gotten to the point where they are spending air time on two scoops of ice cream, by the way was it strawberry or vanilla, I have no idea, nor do I care.

HANNITY: Joe, I don't have a lot of time, but you agree with me WikiLeaks exposed collusion, correct?

CONCHA: Of course, it was horrible.

HANNITY: OK, and you agree that they are abusively biased.

CONCHA: Yes, of course.

HANNITY: And you agree they have conspiracy theories. Are they advancing a false conspiracy with no evidence?

CONCHA: As of right now there is no evidence that there was collusion between the Trump administration and --

HANNITY: Why do those people get rewarded with time that they can use to beat him up more?

CONCHA: It is not rewarded, Sean. Here's the problem with the press briefings. Trump is exactly right. It beats everything in terms of ratings. But you have reporters who are confrontational and provocative in the hopes of a clip will go viral and their brand is expanded. You take it off TV, you embargo it, and you show it afterwards if you like to but you're probably going to shows clips. I think that would improve it. But you can't just strip the press briefings altogether. Sorry, no.

HANNITY: Jay, I think the world doesn't need them anymore. Jay, last word.

SEKULOW: I think that is the truth of the nature of the media as it is right this moment. The world has changed and the mainstream media needs to catch up with the fact that we're in a different world. But let me take it a step further. Talk about a checkmate today, you talk about Twitter. The president saying watch what you when you testify, Mr. Comey. And then what is the response from James Comey. I'm not going to appear before the Senate. Checkmate by the president to James Comey.

HANNITY: Not only, I actually believe they are now hurtful and this is now for them, they won't be happy unless they can drive him out of office. All right, guys, thank you for being with us, appreciate it.

Donald Trump fighting back. We'll have more coming up next tonight right here on Hannity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.

TRUMP: Because you would be in jail.

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That's was the president during the second presidential debate saying what a lot of Americans including myself think. Hillary Clinton needs to be prosecuted, or at least investigated, and if there is evidence prosecuted and then the proper punishment. Coming up, we'll speak to the man who exposed how the Clintons made their cash, and it was through corruption. Peter Schweizer is next, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: It is just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.

TRUMP: Because you would be in jail.

(CHEERS)

CROWD: Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: President Trump and his supporters, they believe during the campaign that Hillary should have been prosecuted and likely put behind bars. Now the former FBI director James Comey has been fired. Should the agency reopen their investigation into the Clintons?

By the way, now for real news, for real investigative work is the presidential of the Government Accountability Institute and author of "Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich," Peter Schweizer.

The prime minister that spoke out that, yes, Clinton asked her for cash, which, by the way, break out. I don't have a lot of time, Peter, but in this day and age of fake news, we know a series of crimes that were committed. Let's start with e-mail server scandal. The legal standard is gross negligence. Comey said she was extremely reckless. I don't know what the difference in the terminology is. Offsite, she's not allowed to move it. She destroyed some top secret, special access program, classified information. She deleted e-mails, that also included classified, all those are felonies, aren't they?

PETER SCHWEIZER, "CLINTON CASH" AUTHOR: That's exactly right. Look, Sean, I've said from the beginning on the Russian election thing, let's investigate it and see where the evidence leads. We already know where the evidence leads in the case of the Clintons. Whether it is the e-mail scandal or Clinton Foundation, you have laws that were broken, you have financial transaction that have taken place. And the people gave the money got benefit. There is far more on the scales of justice as it relates to the Clintons as it does to Donald Trump. And so I think we need to be consistent here. Those who are saying investigate Trump, why are they not saying, yes, we also need to pursue the Clintons. There is far more evidence there.

HANNITY: There is actually a Russian conspiracy. As secretary of state be, she signed off on a waiver that allowed 20 percent of American's uranium to end up in the hands of Russia and all the people surrounding that deal donated millions and millions, you can tell me how much to the Clinton donation, and Bill doubled his speaking fee in Moscow, and Putin has 20 percent of the uranium which is the core ingredient to build nuclear weapons.

SCHWEIZER: Yes, that's right, Sean. If you look at the 2008 election, I actually in "Clinton Cash" quote Russian officials as saying in that election Hillary Clinton was their preferred candidate over Barack Obama in the primary and certainly preferable to the Republicans. So she was the choice. There were a number of actions that she took as secretary of state that were enormously beneficial to Russia. The Uranium deal you talked about. You also have a technology transfer initiative, so enormous favors flowed to Putin and to Russia. You also had a lot of money that flowed the other way. And that's the problem.

HANNITY: Yes, with all the talk, I think the new FBI director, I think there is a vulnerability now for Hillary. And Trump doesn't have a say in it. The president has no say that she's never had before.

SCHWEIZER: That's right. It's the FBI and it's the department of justice, because we know in the Clinton Foundation investigation the FBI wanted subpoenas to get more information and the Obama Department of Justice refused to give them subpoena power. I think that may very well change in the Trump administration.

HANNITY: I would not be shocked at all. If I were Hillary I would be calling my lawyer right about now. All right, Peter, that's the real news about Russia that the media won't report. Thank you for being with us.

When we come back, a very important "Question of the Day," and it's about the media. We want your input straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." Time for our "Question of the Day." So do you think President Trump should stop White House press briefings daily? Yes. I want to know what you think. go to Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter, let us know what you think.

We are out of time. Have a great weekend. See you back here Monday.

END

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