'The Ingraham Angle' on Russian forces closing in

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Influence Squandered: Ingraham Angle

During 2020, all we heard was how important it was to restore America’s leadership position in the world. Well, Joe Biden has squandered it, says Laura Ingraham.

This is a rush transcript of "The Ingraham Angle" on March 10, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: I'm Laura Ingraham. This is THE INGRAHAM ANGLE from Washington tonight. The Biden administration was supposed to restore America's prestige on the world stage. Instead, Biden has been careening from one crisis to another, leaving our international reputation in tatters. And most importantly, increasing the suffering of American citizens and others around the world.

Now, in moments, my angle explain how we got here, and how we can turn the page. But first, some grim updates from Ukraine tonight that Russian military convoy that had been stalled north of Kyiv for over a week has now progressed to 10 miles from the city. Additionally, a senior defense official is noting that a different advance on Kyiv is now 25 miles to the east of the city.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said half the population of the Ukrainian capital has now fled, and that the city is a fortress with every street building and checkpoint fortified.

For what the coming days might look like, we go to Kyiv, Ukraine, where Fox's Trey Yingst is standing by Trey, tell us what you're hearing tonight about why this convoy might have broken up into now smaller groups you're hearing an hour or so ago.

TREY YINGST, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Laura. Good evening. We have new images from Maxar Technologies. These are satellite images showing that that 40 mile long Russian convoy just to the northwest of this capital city has now broken up. They were sitting there for a long time and analysts were wondering how long they could stay there without getting hit by Ukrainian forces. So, it may be part of the reason they're breaking up into smaller factions within this larger convoy that is operating outside the city.

Now on the eastern side of Kyiv, we did see overnight some new video indicating that the Ukrainians are hitting these convoys quite hard. You can see in these images here. The Ukrainians hit both the front and the back of this convoy trying to basically ambush these Russian soldiers who are approaching very quickly on this capital city.

Over the past 24 hours, we've heard explosions in the distance, anti- aircraft batteries going off here in Kyiv, and those areas sirens continuing throughout the day. Staying in the city though is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke today directly to Russian troops who invaded his country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: You can still save yourselves, if you just go home. Do not believe your commandos who say that you will still have a chance in Ukraine. Nothing, but prison and death awaits you here. You're taking our lives and we'll pay with yours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YINGST: One sad update about the Russian strike yesterday against that maternity hospital in southern Ukraine, in the city of Mariupol. Officials say three people were killed there, including one child, at least 17 others were wounded in the attack. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy calling this attack a war crime. And you can see from this video, there is evidence of a civilian area hospital with women and children being targeted. The Deputy Mayor of Mariupol detailed other disturbing actions by the Russians in this city since the invasion began, say more than 1200 people had been killed with dozens buried in mass graves.

There's simply no time to bury the dead and these lifeless bodies just thrown into the ground, a gut wrenching reminder of the brutality being inflicted on the civilian population here. But again, tonight the capital city is bracing with those forces within 10 miles of the downtown area where we are at right now and concerns that Russian forces any day could start that ground offensive into Kyiv.

INGRAHAM: Trey, infuriating, heartbreaking. Thank you for that report tonight. And now influence squandered. That's the focus of tonight's angle.

Now, during 2020, all we heard was how important it was to restore America's leadership position in the world, and that only Joe Biden had the experience and the credibility to do this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden is probably the most experienced foreign policy expert, since George HW Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President-elect Biden is doing everything that he can to reassure the world that American global leadership is coming back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's thinking about global leadership about how to keep everybody safe.

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH U.S. PRESIDENT: Joe Biden will restore our better standing of the world. Because he knows that our true strength comes from setting an example that the world wants to follow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Oh, my God. But what we've seen in 14 months is a series of unsteady moves from an unstable chief executive. And we're also stuck with the vice president, who literally has zero talent and zero relevant experience at a time and place that requires a great deal of both. So, did White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain actually think that sending Kamala Harris to Poland would somehow intimidate Vladimir Putin? The woman who speaks as if she's narrating a Sesame Street sketch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am here, standing here on the northern flank, on the eastern flank talking about what we have in terms of the eastern flank and our NATO allies. And what is at stake at this very moment. What is at stake this very moment are some of the guiding principles around the NATO alliance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: If only the translator could have told us what President Duda of Poland was really thinking when listening to her drone on, on the tutorial. Now the fact is, as this third rate band of radical's bluster on about zero carbon emissions and the global equity agenda, other nations including our so-called allies are busy pursuing their own interests. Just a few years ago, they had to contend with a different type of American president who knew how he wasn't afraid to flex our muscle and our economic might, when necessary, who knew how to do that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, 45TH U.S. PRESIDENT: I've been very, very direct with Secretary Stoltenberg, and members of the alliance in saying that NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations. But 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying. This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: What a different world we're living in now. NATO members are generally aligned against Russia, but only because the Europeans have belatedly realized their danger. Certainly not because of anything that Biden or his team, and Blinken did, every recent action they took against Putin is in their own geopolitical interest. And when the Biden team suggested that they stopped buying Russian energy, Germany said no, Germany needs Russian oil and gas. And frankly, I don't care what Joe Biden thinks.

There once was a time when American president called our allies would listen, or at least they'd pay attention. Now they're just tuning Biden's team out altogether. Now take India, supposedly the centerpiece of our diplomacy in the Indo Pacific region. India refused to condemn the Ukraine invasion at the United Nations despite our lobbying. Now, if India is worried about offending anyone, it seems they're most worried about offending Russia, while also keeping an eye on China's ever looming presence. They certainly don't care about what Joe Biden thinks.

The Biden team so-called diplomacy is nothing more than a series of photo ops. It certainly never yields any results, take Saudi Arabia. Now under Trump, diplomacy over years was deft enough to produce the Abraham Accords. Well, looks like Biden has squandered that working relationship as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The journalists reporting that Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman declined a request to speak with President Biden recently.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: That report is inaccurate. So, let me start there. The president did speak with the Saudi King just a few weeks ago, several weeks ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: This is totally humiliating; they wouldn't take his call. Now think about it. The Saudi government is literally too busy to answer Biden's call. We have never seen anything like this, at least maybe not since 1979 or so.

Now, veteran negotiators who really wanted to help the Ukrainians, instead of simply trying to move the poles at home, they would recognize that the only practical way to stop this invasion now is by getting China's President Xi to stop Putin. Because without China's help on trade, Russia couldn't sustain its barbaric and inhumane assault against Ukrainian cities.

But to the CCP, the Biden team, it's just a little more than a joke at this point. And I've got to say, who can blame them for thinking that because for years, Biden was a cheerleader for the CCP. He's climate czar and his treasury secretary are still on Team China. In fact, today, we learned that Biden is rewarding China by delaying a key trade investigation, which would have been the trigger for tariffs like those Trump had put in place.

So, the pro-China forces in the administration at Treasury and Commerce, they won out, as we predicted they would be signaling more weakness to Beijing. So, why would China ever take America seriously, when our own government is so easy to intimidate? China lied about COVID. China's supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Joe and his team, they just don't care.

And poor old Secretary Blinken, I must feel bad for him, knowing his boss will never use or even look for leverage over China, he can only basically do wishful thinking diplomacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: Spend about an hour on the phone with my counterpart, the Chinese foreign minister, the other day. And one of the things that I said to him is that, China speaks often about the sanctity of this principle of sovereignty, we would expect China based on everything it said in the past, to stand up and make its voice heard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Stand up and make your voice heard, China. It's more embarrassment. Now, if Biden was really the leader of a Democratic establishment, and what they sold him as, he would have assembled a team of foreign policy realists who would have provided a frank assessment of the options available in Ukraine, they would have told them that the entire idea of a rules based international order is folly when you have China and Russia smashing up your global playpen.

But of course, Biden's never been a leader. He's been a glad handing grifter, a creature of Washington, where so much of what passes as leadership is really just choreography. You got the big desk, you have the conference room, you have the lectern with the presidential seal. It's all props, zero substance. And in the real world where serious people play for keeps. He has been measured, and well, found to be weak.

No one, not one single bad guy on Earth fears Joe Biden. So, the grownups, the countries who understand power and how the world really works, they'll make the key decisions in Ukraine. So, the Europeans, the Russians, the Ukrainians and the Chinese will be at the table, we'll just have to take whatever arrangement they eventually make. And after all, anyone who would send Kamala Harris to Eastern Europe at this moment in history cannot be taken seriously. And so, they aren't.

But someday, America will again, have a president who stands up for our interests, and someday will again have a cabinet filled with serious leaders who know how to use our leverage to make the world a better place. But that's not going to happen until after 2024. And in the meantime, America is going to continue to drift as sad as it is to see and the world will continue to become more dangerous. And that's the angle.

Joining me now is Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator, is it just me or is the angle somehow off here? Does it seem like we're just observers on the world stage, taking a backseat to pretty much everyone else and seeking a resolution here with this Ukraine crisis?

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): Well, it certainly is true, Laura, that Joe Biden seems to stumble from one crisis to another. All he does is react and listen, anybody who thought that it was a good idea to come into office and to tell Vladimir Putin, go ahead, open up all your pipelines and then shut down all of America's pipelines, which is what Joe Biden did is someone who doesn't understand American strength and who doesn't understand the world.

What Putin learned from that is, Biden is a weakling. What Putin learned from that is he can take advantage of this administration. And that's exactly what he has been doing every day since.

INGRAHAM: Well, when we see the carnage unfolding in Ukraine, it is a devastation. It is, one image to the next. It's almost too much to take. I know women and children, I mean, thrown in ditches. I mean, it looks like, it looks like Nazi Germany. That's what it looks like. At the same time, Americans are facing major challenges here at home. And they're becoming afraid. I haven't felt the feeling of other people getting afraid of what's about to happen here. Since I think I was a kid in the 1970s. That's how long it has been?

HAWLEY: Well, I think what we're seeing at home, Laura, is the same effect of Joe Biden's weakness. I mean, we're seeing inflation that's out of control. We're seeing crime that's out of control, and one world crisis to another. I mean, this is an individual and Joe Biden, who has lost two sovereign nations in the space of six months. And you really do have to go back to the 1970s. As you were saying a minute ago, I mean, for those of us who missed out on the 1970s, I mean, I guess this is our chance to relive it because that is what Joe Biden is trying to bring us back to.

Listen, what America needs to show the world right now is American strength. We're the strongest country on the face of the earth. Let's act like it. Let's produce our own energy. Let's open up our drilling, our pipelines, let's show Putin that we're not going to be dependent on him. And let's show the Ukrainians that we're going to help arm them, we're going to help them in their fight against Russia. But above all, we're going to stand strong as Americans and not apologize for it.

INGRAHAM: Senator, this broke just moments ago, EU leaders have apparently given the nod to Ukraine to join the organization, but the membership will not be fast track. The AP says that the Ukrainian fast track bid has received warm support in Eastern European countries, but EU officials have stressed the process could take years, with unanimity among current members required to allow a newcomer into the club. Senator, what is this signal to Putin?

HAWLEY: Well, I mean I think it signals that Europe has ever is very slow to act. And one of the reasons they're slow to act, Laura is because Putin controls their energy, who supplies 55 percent of Germany's natural gas, Vladimir Putin. Who supplies 40 percent of Europe's overall energy, Vladimir Putin? Why? What is the reason for that? Well, one of the reasons is Joe Biden has let him, Joe Biden has said, go right on ahead, Pump that gas, Russia, go ahead, ship the pipeline, he should have been doing just the opposite. We should shut down Russia's oil and natural gas sector. We should open ours up.

I mean, it's as you said, before, its power politics, it's about is America strong or not? Does America have the strength to stand up and represent the free world or not? And under Joe Biden, sadly, the answer is increasingly no, but that's Joe Biden's fault. It's his decision and his time he reversed course.

Well, Germany's ambassador to the United States actually reminded us of why we have to be energy independent. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED SMITH, THE WASHINGTON POST: Is it possible for Europe to function without Russian oil and gas? What's a simple answer to that direct question?

EMILY HABER, GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: It is, at great costs, that will not be containable. And it will be possible to function, but not today. Not tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Not today, not tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow. I mean, in our energy dependent on Russia, Venezuela, Iran and China.

HAWLEY: And to see the American President go on bended knee to these countries, to these petty dictators and to beg them for help. I mean, listen, we need to be going to other countries in a position of strength. We have the energy resources to be energy independent. We just were, we just were a year ago. That's why gas prices were half a year ago, what they are now before Joe Biden became president.

Joe Biden needs to open up our pipelines, open up American energy production, let Americans produce things in this country again, restore our standing in the world. I mean, it's not as if we don't know what to do, Laura, this actually isn't hard. It just takes some guts.

INGRAHAM: Senator, thank you. Great to see you tonight.

HAWLEY; Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PSAKI: You may have noticed this week that your gas prices have gone up. I want to talk to you a little bit about why. A lot of it has to do with Vladimir Putin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: And it's not just gas prices, the Democrats are laying in Putin's feet today, we learned that inflation hit just 7.9 percent, no big deal, the greatest increase in 40 years. Now, Biden couldn't be bothered to get in front of a camera to address Americans who are suffering themselves. So instead, he released a statement. Responding in part, there will be costs at home as we impose crippling sanctions in response to Putin's unprovoked war.

Even his old pal Steve Rattner from the Obama administration had to call out this blatant lie tweeting. These are February numbers and only include a small Russia effect. This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. While CNBC's Rick Santelli recognized this was part of a larger trend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTELLI, CNBC BUSINESS: Nothing has been more politicized than inflation. Just let's harken back to all the things we've been through. First, it was transitory, then inflation is good. Then we went to corporate greed. Now we're at Putin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Joining us now, Kellyanne Conway, former Senior Counselor to President Trump, author of Here's The Deal. Kellyanne, they're obviously trotting out this talking point, we call it out, I think on Monday, they're going to say, it's all Putin's fault, all the way into the midterms. Are Americans ultimately going to buy this when we start seeing those fuel bills come in and the air conditioning costs for the summer?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, FORMER SENIOR COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, Laura, in fact, Americans know that everything they basically said is not true. They've all been lies. The border surge was not seasonal. It's the record - they've created records, their inflation was not transitory. It's here to stay. The CPI today, as you pointed out, 7.9 percent.

The Biden administration continues to break all these records in all the wrong ways. And it's not just partisan saying this. It's all the poll saying this, particularly independents who have really migrated away from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's lack of accomplishments. There's very little confidence in their competence and every poll out there shows major disapproval, majority disapproval on their handling of all these diverse issues, from immigration, to inflation, to the crisis in Ukraine, to obviously, what we're paying in the grocery store, the gas pump, the supply chain crisis. And Joe Biden - he has this way Jen Psaki of playing the blaming game, name and shame, nonsense of Washington.

But it would rely on the American people believing it and they've lost credibility, not just in their message and their messengers. You know, Laura, I like to say the Democrats don't have - this administration doesn't have a messaging problem. They have a fact problem and is reflected in the polls. They don't seem to do anything well.

Finally, blaming Putin for the gas prices completely forgets that gases was about $2 a gallon on election day 2020. It's more than doubled now and it had gone up 40 percent before Russia invaded Ukraine. Hakeem Jeffries at the Democratic retreat is telling everybody, oh, it's Putin's fault. It's not and none of it works. People are smarter than that. And people are fearful. They're fearful.

INGRAHAM: I think people are - if they're just now beginning to really see the increased cost of living across the board and everything they buy, and that summer season is going to be expensive. But the media, Kellyanne, not surprising to you. But the media, especially CNN, are circling the wagons and trying to say that this is really a narrative that needs to be explained, we have to explain the reasons for sacrifice to the American people. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many politicians act as though it's President Biden who caused inflation and he can fix this, can he do something about it?

RANA FOROOHAR, GLOBAL BUSINESS COLUMNIST AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FINANCIAL TIMES: Well, he can do things at the margins. But no, I mean, you know, he did not cause the war, which caused prices to surge. Now, inflation was already rising, for sure, we had supply chain issues. Some of that was actually because of good news, meaning a really strong recovery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Kellyanne, inflation was good news, what?

CONWAY: It's never good news. And in fact, people no presidents can do that. We recently had a president who did keep all of those cost of living measures down. We know that the tax cut and Jobs Act at the end of 2017 unleashed so much prosperity, repatriated all that money back that was overseas and you know, Laura, this country is suffering, there's a lot of uncertainty, chaos, insecurity. Because of these policies, you cannot kill 42,000 energy jobs on day one of your administration, and out the door with that goes 800,000 barrels per day in domestic oil production, and convince people that it's not your fault.

You can't have supply chain crisis when people see the containers stuck on our own waterways. You can't have a president who looks the other way when people and drugs are coming over our southern border, who just this past Tuesday, Laura, two days ago said his budget next year will include $2.6 billion for gender equality. He's saying that in the middle of sending Kamala Harris to Poland, so people are smart, they're smart to this. And this is a guy who gave $85 billion of our intelligence and our equipment left it in China's wingspan after his chaotic, and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan. People know it.

INGRAHAM: I think the moms, the moms are going to rise up in November. The moms pay the bills, the family bills, and I think the wrath of mothers on a whole bunch of issues is going to be felt. Kellyanne, great to see you.

CONWAY: The moms are education--

INGRAHAM: Got it. Before a single Russian tank rolled into Ukraine, farmers were getting the double whammy from Biden inflation and rising fertilizer prices due to Europe's energy crisis. And it's about to get even worse, Russia, it produces roughly about two-thirds of the world's fertilizer has decided to temporarily suspend exports.

Joining me now is Ben Neal, who owns a farm in Oklahoma. Ben, good to see you tonight. Now we're coming up, of course, on the spring planting season, how could this affect you, and then consumers down the line going forward?

BEN NEAL, OKLAHOMA FARMER: Hi, Laura, thanks for having me. We're getting hit on every front on every expense possible, from fertilizer, to fuel, to labor, insurance, everything in between our packing supplies. So, we operate a small farm in Oklahoma, 100 percent of our sales are farm to home delivery. And so, we are driving across the state. And the funeral costs are really painful for us.

INGRAHAM: Well, when you think about what it costs now just for, you know, a dozen eggs or a pound of ground beef versus a year ago, and then you add in the cost of fuel. On top of that, what it costs to grow crops with this increased prices of fertilizer and the shortage of fertilizer we might have. What kind of increase in your monthly bills are you looking at here?

NEAL: Well, I would say our increases are roughly 25 percent to 30 percent. And I think that that will soon be reflected at the grocery stores. And on top of what we're already seeing, these fertilizer price increases haven't really affected the grocery store prices yet, but they will start coming this summer.

INGRAHAM: Well, I just don't think anyone's even thinking about that. I mean, I haven't heard one politician Ben address that one issue. Without fertilizer, we don't have crops, or am I missing something?

NEAL: That's correct. Everybody eats and it affects everybody and it is going to hit everybody's household and we need to figure out what we're doing with American energy and we need to start producing more at home.

INGRAHAM: Bringing back to that point of American made, your crops are American made. Doesn't this tell us once and for all that it's time to bring it all home as much of key industries as we can bring back to the United States.

NEAL: Yes, I mean, I find myself asking a question probably like most Americans, why are we buying oil from countries that hate us when we can produce all of our own oil at home and solve this problem?

INGRAHAM: By the way, just for fun, Ben, because I know you need to be entertained tonight. CNN thinks the best way to kind of bamboozle the public on all these increasing prices, is by telling stories. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For people who are working, for people who are in rural America, this is really going to be very, very painful.

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN COMMENTATOR: Not only is it a gas price issue, it's going to be milk, it's going to be rent, it's going to be - all of these prices are going up. We have to let the American people really understand, it is an explanation. But if you do it well, and you're a great storyteller, I think that they will understand why we're in the situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: I mean Jake Tapper was actually showing a lot of concern for the consumers, but kind of the panel was engaging in this, well, we just need to tell stories, then people will feel good about spending 30 percent more of - on their food budget. Do you buy that?

NEAL: Yes, stories are great, but they don't pay the bills. And they don't pay my payroll, for my employees, and fuel costs and things like that. And so, we're tired of the stories. It's time to see some action.

INGRAHAM: Ben, it's so good to hear from you tonight. Someone who is actually producing something. Thank you.

Now, we want to take you back to Ukraine, in the city of Lviv, where Fox's Lucas Tomlinson is standing by with updates for us. Lucas, now even though the city is in western Ukraine, you all just heard some sirens just a short time ago. What's the latest?

LUCAS TOMLINSON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Laura. For the first time in about three or four days we've heard air raid sirens here in Lviv, in Western Ukraine. We have not heard any air strikes or missile strikes. We have not seen any Russian jets or bombers flying overhead. But outside the capital, new satellite imagery shows that stalled Russian convoy that we've been talking about for over a week. Well, that's finally been dispersed according to U.S. satellite company Maxar.

Now, earlier in Washington, Laura, Britain's Foreign Secretary gave the following warning to Vladimir Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ TRUSS, UK FOREIGN MINISTER: We will not rest until he fails in Ukraine and the country's sovereignty is restored. Putin must lose because the consequences if he doesn't, are huge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOMLINSON: This Russian armored convoy 15 miles east of the capital pure to drive into a trap. This video shows what appear to be a pre-coordinated artillery strike on behalf of Ukrainian forces. The Russian tanks quickly retreating hundreds of Russian tanks and vehicles have been destroyed in a similar manner, held by those 17,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles fired from Ukrainian infantry units in addition to artillery, firing to those locked in kill zones.

Here in Lviv, tens of thousands of people continue to pour into this Western Ukrainian city. Earlier today. Laura, I went to the train station stumbled on this working party, dozens of volunteers packing food and critical supplies on the train. As the refugees had just disembark, they're sending the supplies back east of the capital into other cities besieged by Russian forces.

Now the chancellor, the German Chancellor said earlier that a military solution here in Ukraine makes no sense. But as we just heard from Great Britain's Foreign Secretary, defeating Vladimir Putin on the battlefield makes perfect sense. Laura.

INGRAHAM: Lucas, thank you tonight. And Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton spoke at the Reagan Library this week, where he laid out his vision for a populous Republican agenda. Now in his speech, he called for regulating big tech securing the border and perhaps most importantly, training its sights on the number one threat to the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): Both parties are complicit in one of the single worst mistakes of this generation, granting Communist China permanent most favored nation status and admitting it into the World Trade Organization. China's entry into the WTO in 2001 began a hollowing out of America's industrial base, economy and working class in the name of security, fairness and justice and prosperity for our people. It's time to end our economic reliance on China.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Decouple from China. Where have I heard that before. Music to my ears. Senator Tom Cotton joins me now. Senator, good to see you tonight. Now that needs to be a centerpiece of the GOP 2024 agenda. Are you going to continue to try to influence the party in that direction because there are a lot of establishment figures who hang their hat on free trade regardless of where it takes us?

COTTON: Yes, absolutely, Laura. It is vital that we decouple strategically from the Chinese economy and I would just say that what you see today In Ukraine. The appalling tragedy inside of Ukraine as Russian missiles and artillery shells are hitting innocent women and children, could be a preview of what you might see in Taiwan. And everything that we're trying to do on an emergency basis the last 15 days in Ukraine, like providing them weapons, we should be doing now with Taiwan.

Everything we're doing to break away from the Russian economy, to put a distance between our economy and theirs, to get our companies out of Russia, we should be doing in China, again, right now. We should be doing these in a careful and deliberate fashion so we are never in the position with China and Taiwan that some countries in Europe found themselves with Russia and Ukraine, and we don't empower and embolden the Chinese communists to go for the jugular in Taiwan because they think they have America over the economic barrel.

INGRAHAM: J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, Senator, they both announced that they're taking their business out of Russia over the business in Ukraine, but their business in Russia is just a small fraction of what their business in China is, what the real marketplace is that they would like to exploit. Are you going to hold your breath on the China pullout?

COTTON: I think not only large banks, but large American companies, professional services firms, should all focus on reducing their exposure to China. What we've seen over the last 15 days, Laura, shows that it's possible. Not only have governments here in America and in Europe imposed sanctions, a lot of these businesses, Laura, are going beyond what the sanctions require, whether it's because they're worried about more sanctions in the future, or they're responding to market pressures or what have you, that's what we should be doing right now.

It may take a little bit longer in China than it's taking in Russia because our companies are more deeply entangled in China. That's why it needs to start now, especially in critical and strategic industries like, say, semiconductors or rare earth metals.

INGRAHAM: We learned today that the Biden administration has delayed, perhaps indefinitely, what's called a 301 investigation into China's trade practices. You'll recall the one that was done under Bob Lighthizer, USTR for Trump. And his team was just phenomenal. It was hundreds and hundreds of pages long. It was extremely detailed, and it set the groundwork for the tariffs that are still in place against various Chinese goods.

Well, we're now up for review, but they've just decided, no, we're not going to do that. What does that portend on the Senate, the Senate leadership, especially if we take control of one or both houses of Congress next year, on continuing tariffs and investigations into Chinese practices?

COTTON: Laura, it's a disappointing decision by the Biden administration. Frankly, it's not that surprising. We've seen the kind of halting and hesitant half measures they've used in Ukraine for the last 15 days. They've been doing that with China for the last 15 months.

As I said at the Reagan library this week, it's time that we examine free market orthodoxy when it comes to things like trade and immigration. Ronald Reagan knew this. That kind of free market orthodoxy has contributed importantly to domestic debates about tax policy or regulation. He brought taxes way down, he made regulations a lot more sensible. But it often falters when it gets to a world of borders. There's no obvious or natural number of people or goods or the amount of money that should cross borders. That's a decision for a sovereign people to make. It's vital that the Republican Party recognize that principle of Reagan's presidency and that we move away what became after Reagan's presidency, which is a slavish devotion to that kind of free market orthodoxy when it comes to trade policy.

INGRAHAM: Senator Cotton, wonderful to see you tonight, thank you.

And something really awful is happening in this country. U.S.-owned Russian businesses are being subjected to threats, vandalism, and worse. We're going to speak to a restaurant owner on the receiving end of all of this. It's a shocking story, and it's next.

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INGRAHAM: The new red scare is underway. U.S. restaurants and businesses that are Russian themed or operated by individuals of Russian decent are now facing discrimination and even threats. FOX News national correspondent Bill Melugin is live in our west coast bureau with the story. Bill?

BILL MELUGIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Laura, good evening. As the war in Ukraine continues to hold the world's attention, there has starting to be a very serious uptick in incidents involving discrimination against Russians, including Russian Americans right here in the United States.

Take a look at this. In San Diego, Ike Gazaryan and his wife own this Russian restaurant in the downtown area. He's Armenian. He supports Ukraine. But he says over the last several weeks, they've gotten several angry phone calls, even death threats, just for having a Russian business. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You killed my uncle and aunt and family, you disgusting Russian pigs!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone said that they would come by, blow up the restaurant, and this is going to be payback for what Russians are doing in Ukraine.

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MELUGIN: Meanwhile, in Canada, the Montreal Symphony withdrew a 20-year- old Russian pianist from three upcoming performances. Alexander Malofeev lives in Moscow and is in Montreal to perform this week. He had previously spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Facebook multiple times, and said every Russian will feel guilty about it for decades. But officials with the symphony said that letting him perform would be just inappropriate.

And in New York City, Russian restaurants are being targeted by vandals, some even being shunned by customers. The owner of the Russian Samovar, a popular cocktail bar which has been in the West Village since the 80s said their business revenue has tanked 60 percent. The staff and ownership at the Samovar are a mixture of Russians and Ukrainians.

Laura, many other Russian American businesses are now making very clear on their websites and with signs at their restaurants that they condemn the Russian invasion and they stand with Ukraine. They're hoping it will maybe cool off some of the anger that has been directed at them. Hopefully it does. We'll send it back to you.

INGRAHAM: Bill, thank you.

And joining me is Misha Von Shats. His family owns it the aforementioned Russian Samovar restaurant, which is one of the most famous in New York City's theater district. Misha, it's good to see you tonight. I understand, you've had to hire security guards? Are things really that bad?

MISHA VON SHATS, RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RESTAURANT OWNER: It's more of a preventive. We have, a lot of staff is feeling uneasy. So they asked us to hire security for the coming weeks. It's always best to be safe than sorry, so we're going to go through with that. We also have been getting a lot of crazy phone calls, threats. Just today alone with doing all the press, we've had about, I can't even count, maybe six or eight. It's pretty tough right now.

INGRAHAM: What do you say to folks who are watching this tonight. Were you born in this country, or were you born in the former Soviet Union?

VON SHATS: Right. So -- no, no, I'm first generation American. My father is Ukrainian from Odessa. My mother is from Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, Russia. I grew up in the Russian which was a safe haven for everybody that defected from the oppression of the Soviet Union. This is a place for everybody to meet. The founders were my grandfather, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Joseph Brodsky. So my message to people is do not vilify anything or anybody that is Russian. We did not cause this war. This is Putin's war. Just because we are a Russian establishment does not mean that we cut a check to Putin or his regime. And this is the message that I'm trying to convey to people to understand.

INGRAHAM: Facebook made a stunning announcement today, Misha. Platforms will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion, according to internal emails seen by Reuters on Thursday, and temporary changes to its hate speech policy. What? What? Misha, your response to that?

VON SHATS: Yes, yes. I'm not surprised. At the same, shock sells. So it's very unfortunate, and especially coming out of this pandemic with everything that we saw with the Asian hate and everything tied to coronavirus. It's very unfortunate. And especially after all the publicity and all the -- the cases going on with this, the fact that they haven't learned their lesson is really disappointing. And I'm truly concerned. I'm worried for my family here, my family here, our workers, everything.

INGRAHAM: There was, I think, a unified outcry against anti-Asian hate after the pandemic began, because it's just blatantly unfair and horrible do that to people. They had nothing to do with the pandemic. And this is no different.

VON SHATS: Absolutely, yes. No, it isn't. And the worst part is, a lot of the hate that we're getting is people that aren't even Ukrainian or Russian. It just seems to be people that want to be vigilantes and, I guess, project their own inner feelings of hatred towards anybody else any moment they can get, which is very unfortunate. And at the same tiem, we have to deal with the brunt of that.

INGRAHAM: Misha, small business owners in New York, especially, in Washington, D.C., all these blue cities that stayed locked down have suffered so much. And now you're going through one more round of difficulty, and we certainly hope you guys are OK.

VON SHATS: It never ends.

INGRAHAM: No.

VON SHATS: It's never ending. I want people to know, go out and support your Russian establishment, please. Everybody needs it.

INGRAHAM: Miesha, thank you, we wish you the best.

And just because COVID has dropped off of the front page doesn't mean the tyranny has disappeared. In moments, an enraging story of a nun who is being targeted by D.C.'s COVID police. She's here with her story next.

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INGRAHAM: COVID might not be dominating the front pages, but unconstitutional government overreach does persist. Just yesterday, the Biden administration announced its mask mandate for air, train, and bus travel would remain in place through April 18, of course. Now, this despite airline CEOs just telling Congress a month ago that airplane filtration systems are so good that masks are unnecessary.

But that's not all. The tyranny of these vaccine mandates also continued. In our nation's capital, a prominent nun is now being denied a religious exemption from getting the vaccine. And, by the way, she also has natural immunity. Joining me now is Sister Deirdre Byrne, board certified family practitioner and surgeon, as well as nun, and her attorney Chris Ferrara, special council for the Thomas More Society. Sister Byrne, wonderful to see you this evening. First of all, as a physician, have you actually treated or worked with COVID patients?

SISTER DEIRDRE BYRNE, SUING OVER FAX MANDATE: Yes. I treated a lot of people with early COVID therapy, with meds that are not easy to get. But I treated about 400 or more patients. We've had excellent success with keeping people out of the hospital. It's been great.

INGRAHAM: So you also filed a religious exemption from D.C.'s vaccine mandate, and you have moral objections to the vaccines as do many religiously motivated people. So why do you think they rejected your exemption?

BYRNE: I don't know. I don't know. I was in a state of shock when I read the letter. That's a really good question.

INGRAHAM: Maybe, Chris, your attorney can chime in on this. Chris, anyone who knows Sister Deirdre, and I happen to know her a little bit. She's a woman of great courage and highly intelligent and accomplished, obviously. She has her reason. But D.C. said no.

CHRIS FERRARA, ATTORNEY FOR SISTER DEIRDRE BYRNE: Well, I think you're talking here, and she'll be embarrassed to her me say this, about the equivalent of Mother Teresa for the District of Columbia. This is someone who had it all -- a medical degree from Georgetown University of Medicine, the status of retired colonel in the U.S. Army. She could have had a lucrative career, a life of comfort and privilege. And she tossed it all aside to devote herself to the life of a religious sister, devoted to providing medical care to the needy and the undocumented in the District of Columbia.

So this denial of a religious exemption to someone who says quite clearly that she can have nothing to do with abortion-connected vaccines developed from fetal cell lines, or tested from fetal cell lines, is just inexplicable. The only thing explanation I can think of is that this represents yet another example of an intersection of politics and bureaucratic intransigence, and religious liberty. And the result is a constitutional trainwreck.

INGRAHAM: Is there going to be a lawsuit here, Sister?

FERRARA: There is one.

INGRAHAM: So you filed a lawsuit already?

FERRARA: We're seeking a temporary restraining order, and we want relief, we hope to get it by or before March 18 when the denial of the religious exemption becomes final.

And I should say that the form letter, it's apparently a form letter, that denied the exemption request, doesn't dispute the sincerity of the Sister's beliefs, doesn't dispute her documentation of those beliefs, but instead appears to have inserted outside of the check boxes on the form the grounds that to grant the religious exemption to Sister would be an undue hardship on the D.C. health, meaning the D.C. health department, which is absurd. That's an employment standard. The employer, for example, says it would be an undue hardship if you don't work on Sundays. But D.C. health doesn't employ Sister. So it makes no sense. It's a made up criterion for rejecting the application for exemption.

INGRAHAM: We have like 30 seconds. This is why TV is hard in moments like this. But Sister Deirdre, we need you out there serving this community and the D.C. area. We need you. This community needs you, more now than ever. So, I hope the right thing happens here, but we're going to be praying for you and for all of those who are seeking exemption from these types of mandates. And thank you for bringing this story to light.

And when we come back, the Last Bite, DeSantis takes down Disney.

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INGRAHAM: Governor Ron DeSantis has a message for Disney execs trying to shame him over his parental rights bill.

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GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA: Companies that have made a fortune off being family-friendly and catering to families and young kids, they should understand that parents of young kids do not want this injected into their kids' Kindergarten classroom.

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INGRAHAM: I love it. He just is not taking any you know what from anyone.

That's it for us tonight. Trace Gallagher, Ben Hall take it from here.

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